General Chat

Hi everyone,
I would just like to say to anyone thinking about getting a dog to consider a greyhound. We got a retired greyhound as a pet in October last year and she has completely stolen our hearts.
These dogs are sometimes treated very badly once retired from racing and many are in fact put to sleep once their racing days are over, others are simply turned out on the streets and some even have their ears cut off so that they can't be identified by their ear tattoos.
The Retired Greyhound Trust do a fantastic job in trying to get these dogs rehomed but there are many more dogs needing to be rehomed. According to the latest newsletter from the RGT there are currently more than 1000 greyhounds in kennels across the country waiting to be rehomed and another 1000 retired racers waiting for a space in the kennels.
They are placid, affectionate dogs and deserve a chance once they retire.
Also they require a lot less excercise than people might think, 2 twenty minute walks a day are sufficient and they are quite happy to spend most of their day asleep.
We couldn't be without ours now and are thinking of getting another one. We don't have a large garden but they only need enough space to stretch their legs.
Have a look on the RGT website and see if you can find it in your heart to give one of these beautiful dogs a home.

Cath.

hi cath i totaly agree , some friends of mine do charity work for retired and ill treated greyhounds, in the past id never contemplated them being quiet gentle babies but they are and there so loving, i will defitnatley be adopting a greyhound when my babies are no longer here xx

at the moment i have 4 small breed dogs dive bombing round our living room oh what fun, thye patio door is open for them its been raining just as well i havent got white on but i love it xx

Ours was shy for about a week!
She is quite a character and being only 2 when we got her has adapted to living in a house rather than a kennel very well.
She is good with the grandchildren and loves all the attention they give her.
They really are a gentle breed and its just so sad that so many need rehoming.
We had dogs in the past but had never considered a greyhound before, now I can't imagine anything else.

N they deserve it

My daughter adopted a greyhound about 2 years ago. He had been trained to race, but wasn´t good enough & was about 2 years old.
Unfortunately one day her cat, who used her pet carrier as a bed, jumped out of it & the dog caught her & killed her.
He was only doing what her had been trained to do, chase a small furry thing that was running away from him, but what a trauma. He ended up at the vets to be treated for his scratches & bites & my daughter & her partner ended up in casualty.
So only adopt a greyhound if you don´t have other small, furry animals in the house.

Wisechild,
thats very sad. Unfortunately that can happen as you say that is what they have been trained for. We have gerbils, and a guinea pig who the dog completely ignores but I wouldn't let them out in case of an accident. Also ours doesn't bother with the rabbits or feral chickens on the common where we walk her. Cats are another matter and we have to stay alert when out with her. Apparently they can learn to live with cats -many do- but its not something I would take a chance with.
Rehoming should not be undertaken without a great deal of consideration but unless Greyhound racing is banned there will always be many of these poor dogs waiting to be rehomed.

we got 2 dogs atm,
a jack russel called lilly, whose just over a year, and a little tike,

and daisy whose 3 year old and a terrier cross, but looks like a shiny mini alsatian, lol
she a sweet heart but does get cross with lilly when she thinks shes stealing her cheewy sticks, (tho she has infact already stolen lillys on the sneak,)

lilly doesnt like any adverts with whistleing on, like the homebase ad, the red phone ad, the dog food where the cans are stacked up, she barks throws herself at tv,

but put animal rescue programes on and she lays in front of tv watching it,
shes crazy,

Oh bless !!!
Ours doesn't like other dogs on the T.V. She barks the house down but if she hears one outside it doesn't bother her at all. Weird.

Catherine a very good cause and the RGT are brilliant at what they do. I was going to suggest to be careful with adopting a greyhound but Wisechild got there 1st. Very often greyhounds are "re-programmed" and will happily with other animals but not all, usually the RGT will tell you if this is the case. Mind chasing and killing cats isn't just greyhounds my terrier would love to catch one and she would kill if she did.
If you take a greyhound direct from the owner then problems can occur and not just with cats ..I used to train mine to a squeeky toy and always kept them away from very young children, even the most placid,old, retired of mine.
I used to have 2 retired ex-racers indoors and never had a problem with housetraining lol 1 of them was still racing when he came indoors and I used to have to push him out of bed to take him racing.
I also sadly had 1 that when he broke his hock and would never race again he had to be destroyed because he wouldn't have settled in doors he hated every other dog including greyhounds, and was a pure racer.

To pick up on what you said about unless racing is banned, I don't think it should be at all. Just more strict rules into the ownership and breeding of them.

Uzzi,
I agree with you. I don't necessarily think it should be banned but like you say better regulation.
Much as I love my dog and good as she is with my grandchildren I wouldn't leave her alone with them. Better safe than sorry.
They are lovely animals though and deserve a chance after retiring.

I am with you on that Catherine they do deserve a home once retired and yes they make fantastic pets. *wonders why I have 2 asbo terriers*
My Jimbo and that's mine as opposed to the ex OH or the ex FIL . I had from a young age pre-racing, he was an engagement pressie lol and I kept him all through racing and retirement ...pmsl he stayed with me longer than the marriage and that made 10yrs.

Thats loyalty ! lol.

sure was ! lol