Cross Breeds

Suggestions for weakness in greyhound character?

I've been working an idea for an animated series, anyway, in the storyline for an episode in season 1 I added a new character with a certain actress in mind for the role. Got an email back from said actress and she liked the character and gave me some positive feedback. But one thing she did point out was giving said character a flaw of some sort or weakness. I brainstormed some ideas with my brother who offered to help me. I understand giving a character an obstacle to over come or having an internal/external problem in a story is important so I'm trying to work that out. The character in my story is a champion racing greyhound though one thing usual about her is her heart is larger than a normal dog allowing her to run at a high speed and long distances for an extended period of time. Out of fear of being considered a freak by other dogs, she decides not to tell anyone save for her family and a few friends. I did some research on health problems in greyhounds and tried to figure out what I could use as a 'weakness' in her character profile. I did find out greyhounds suffer from hyperthyroidism and have thin skin which can tear easily. I did add to the story that because females are uncommon in greyhound races, she often has to deal with being around mostly males, some show an interest in her, others have a beef with having a female dog as competition. Another thing she has to deal with is she's from another country and learns to adjust to living in America which she finds out is different than what she's seen and heard on TV and has difficulty fitting in. She has a rivalry with a male greyhound who is also a champion racer and runs with her at the same race track, eventually the two develop feelings for each other but refuse to admit it despite the obvious hints noticed by their friends. I had been tossing around other ideas such as an old injury from another race, causes her to break her record and lose and another where a head on collision with a car causes her to to a leave from racing or forces her owners to retire her from racing. Still I don't know if any of it will make a difference. Any suggestions for adding an obstacle or giving my character a problem to solve? My other characters have a weak spot of some sort, for example one of them suffers from post traumatic stress due to a couple near death experiences in his life. but I seem to have run into a roadblock with this one. I did some research on greyhound racing and it's been an on going issue of how the dogs are treated. Some owners really do care about their greyhounds and there are rescues that find homes for retired dogs as house pets. I've got my character's story mapped out with her rival, a male greyhound later becoming her mate. I did some research on greyhound racing and it's been an on going issue of how the dogs are treated. Some owners really do care about their greyhounds and there are rescues that find homes for retired dogs as house pets. I've got my character's story mapped out with her rival, a male greyhound later becoming her mate.

Public Comments

1. Dogs can't talk.
2. Interesting, I know several female ex-racing Greyhounds, I had no idea they were not typically used for racing. Looking at this page there are several female ex racers available. You might want to do your research a bit more if you think that females are "uncommon" http://www.greysave.org/adoptables.php My friend currently has a few, and has owned many Greyhounds, and most of them have died of osteosarcoma. She goes all out with her dogs, currently she has one that is a two year survivor of bone cancer, she has had one leg amputated and went through chemotherapy. Typical survival from diagnosis is 2-9 months. ADD: Here is a page that lists all kinds of health ailments for the breed. As I had already pointed out Osteosarcoma is the number one problem. Osteosarcoma (Bone Cancer) Without a doubt, the most insidious, deadly disease commonly found in greyhounds, is osteosarcoma (bone cancer). This is a malignant form of cancer that can manifest with a slight limp and progress to extreme discomfort with visible swelling at the site of the cancer or may present with minimal symptoms of tenderness and become suddenly critical with a pathologic bone fracture (a bone break that occurs with little or no trauma to the area). There is a high percentage of lung metastases with osteosarcoma. The long-term prognosis for a dog with this type of cancer is poor. http://www.gcnm.org/concernsnews.html
3. Your research is deeply flawed. Greyhounds are very fast but have little stamina. The average race lasts 30 seconds, after which the dog's energy is totally spent. They are printers. They cannot sustain speed for long distances. There are plenty of female racing greyhounds. The only difference is that the fastest females usually are retired for breeding after running for a year or two, so their breeding careers are maximized, whereas the fastest males can keep going till the mandatory retirement age of 6 that is enforced in many countries/states. Neither size nor gender are factors in what makes a dog a winning racer. Of course, most greyhounds are excessed by age 3 or 4, and only the lucky ones escape euthanasia and go on to become pets. An injured greyhound, regardless of gender, will more likely than not be put down rather than treated, unless the recovery period will be very short. Greyhounds who don't turn a profit are dead greyhounds, unless they are deemed valuable enough to be retained for breeding. Even then, their injuries may not be treated. I know of a broodie who broke her leg and was sent off to the breeding farm, where she produced many litters. She was then released to an adoption group - her leg still untreated. Only then did she get the necessary surgery to repair the ruptured hock joint. She will always require pain medication. Maybe "your" greyhound can try to save her littermates from death when their careers are over. Many rescued racers suffer from PTSD from the heartless treatment they endure during their racing careers. . You could make your character have an eye injury or vision problem that results in her getting lost easily and having a poor sense of direction. Greyhounds are sighthounds - though all dogs have a keen sense of smell, sighthounds rely on their eyes more than other breeds do. Your dog can come from Ireland, where Greyhound breeding and racing are still viable industries. The general public there is only now coming around to the realization that these dogs are not expendable commodities. Rent "The Mighty Celt" - it's an eye-opener.
4. ALL greyhounds have a larger heart than a normal dog! http://www.ngap.org/greyhound-health-all-heart-y321.html female greyhounds race competitively with males. Speed difference by gender is FAR less than humans http://www.the-aps.org/press/conference/horse.htm HOWEVER females are affected by the heat cycle, being slower for the 2-4 months following - for this reason many racers are hormone treated to prevent then form coming into heat. if your girl is not and has a shorter than typical cycle than most greys (which usually go 8+ months between heat) , she would be running disadvantaged much of the year. if you want problem of a less sexual nature - she could have corns- painful foot warts that must be 'dug out" but always reoccur http://www.grassmere-animal-hospital.com/corn_hulling.htm
5. Hi! I am a greyhound trainer in a racing kennel at Sarasota Kennel Club in Florida. I agree that some of your research IS deeply flawed, for example, I have 50 dogs in my kennel at the moment, and 31 of them are female! Using an old injury might be a good obstacle for your character to overcome. When a dog sustains an injury on the track, depending on the severity, the dog will rest with no activity for 4 -6 weeks. Then we begin working the dog back into shape slowly over 2 -3 more weeks. If the dog runs too hard, or too often, the old injury does often resurface. Another obstacle that your character could overcome might be a specific fear. For example, I had a dog once that had been hit by another dog and fell in a certain place on the track. He got back up and finished the race, but every time he passed that spot in later races he would hesitate, remembering the time he was hit there. Of course, you would have to find a way to make your audience understand the characters fear, and how it related to the story. Keep in mind too, that our dogs run several distances. The most common are 5/16 of a mile, (the distance that every dog starts at), and 3/8 of a mile, for dogs with more stamina. 7/16 of a mile, also called a marathon race, is reserved mainly for stakes races since it is very strenuous on the dogs. There is a shorter distance too (3/16) that is rarely used. I would love to hear more about this series! If you have any more questions or would like to discuss how a racing kennel works from the inside, feel free to contact me through Facebook: facebook.com/rachelann85 Hope to hear from you :)