Does anyone here own a greyhound?

[CC]

My boyfriend and I are seriously considering adopting a greyhound because they just sound like such sweet dogs. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with them....are they good with young children?? Are they really as sweet and easy-going as some people make them out to be? I've never really wanted a big dog before, but I don't think I can resist a greyhound Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Cassie

[12clicks]

no, I do have a school bus.

oh, I see. you meant the dog kind.
nevermind.

[jimmyf]

I have a very good friend that has one... adopted x-race dog..
His girl friend works with dogs.... give me an ICQ and I will give you his email address...


ICQ

2829770

[B40]

Buy a dog breed book or get one from the library.

Also do some research on the web.

[EscortBiz]

If you want a pure mini italian greyhound I know one of the largest breeders here ICQ me

[cherrylula]

I've never owned one but know people who have, and they are very sweet but timid dogs.

We've got a miniature pinscher, he's thinks he is a badass.

[CC]

Originally posted by B40
Buy a dog breed book or get one from the library.

Also do some research on the web.

We've done both of those....I was just wondering if anyone had any personal experience with them and how they are with children.

[CC]

Originally posted by cherrylula
I've never owned one but know people who have, and they are very sweet but timid dogs.

We've got a miniature pinscher, he's thinks he is a badass.

My boyfriend really wanted a miniature pinscher a while back...they're adorable! But we saw this horrible special on greyhounds being used for medical experiments because of their quiet dispositions, and ever since then we've wanted to save one Sweet and timid sounds perfect for me.

[Pathfinder]

Originally posted by CC
My boyfriend and I are seriously considering adopting a greyhound because they just sound like such sweet dogs. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with them....are they good with young children?? Are they really as sweet and easy-going as some people make them out to be? I've never really wanted a big dog before, but I don't think I can resist a greyhound Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Cassie

I do not know the age of your children, but there is a rule that all parents should apply when aquiring a dog. Never have a dog that is bigger or stronger than your children.

Many parents do not apply this rule and pay the consequences when the dog is having a "bad hair day" and attack their child.

[farbie]

My sister rescued a former racing greyhound and I've spent quite a bit of time with him. He's a very good and easygoing dog, well trained and very calm.

A few odd things, he had no idea at first how to go up or down steps as he'd never seen them before, the racing dogs live in cages and go right to the track down a ramp I'm told. So we had to teach him stairs, some falls but now he's ok with them.

My sister found a group of people who also own greyhounds and whippets, they get together to exercise the dogs and I'd highly reccomend this if you get one and can find such a group near you.

All in all I'd say a great dog for kids, very calm and easy going. You do have to teach them how to play but once they learn they love it.

farbie

BTW, if he's on a leash and sees an animal running he chases, if you're not prepared then you're goin for a ride :-)


There are 2 orgs that deal with rescuing them, one was sort of a pain to deal with the other was great.

[Tanker]

I have a greyhound


he is awesome we also have 2 small children they play with him all the time

he is the best dog I have ever had


Tanker

[cherrylula]

Look how fast they seem to be running hahaha
<img src=http://www.puppy.com.my/breed/images/greyhound.jpg>


http://www.adopt-a-greyhound.org

[Tanker]

let me know if I can be of any help I had 3 of them growing up and now I have one with my family

[RogerV]

No grey hound but... I have an American bulldog, cockatoo and two turtles.

Luv all animals

[CC]

Originally posted by Pathfinder


I do not know the age of your children, but there is a rule that all parents should apply when aquiring a dog. Never have a dog that is bigger or stronger than your children.

Many parents do not apply this rule and pay the consequences when the dog is having a "bad hair day" and attack their child.

We don't have any children right now, however sometime in the next few years we *might* start trying. That's why I was wondering about the children thing; we're just trying to plan for the future. Greyhounds sound like they have the perfect personality, it's just their size that worries me.

[Tanker]

they sleep most of the time this is mine in his crate



here he is checking out his first view of a camera

he had to stop racing when he couldnt qualify anymore
to qualify for a race you have to run 550 yards in less then
30 seconds thats crazy fast



they are great with kids




Tanker

[Tanker]

ahhh dont worry about there size mine is 80 pounds he is ok

they are indoor dogs


get a small female they are about 50 pounds not that big at all


Tanker

[B40]

Ask Bart or Lisa.

[CC]

Originally posted by Tanker
I have a greyhound


he is awesome we also have 2 small children they play with him all the time

he is the best dog I have ever had


Tanker

Awesome, thank you so much for all of your replies! I really appreciate it!! I really really want one now--yours is adorable (and so are your kids!) How old was he when you adopted him? How long did it take to train him? I've heard that they learn really fast.

[Tanker]

he was 3 we got him last december

they come pretty muched trained the only thing you really have to remember when you first get them is


Get a trashcan with a tight lid


they are used to everything around them is thiers



they dont really bark when you get them they think cieling fans are alien spaceships they love thier crates they are house broken and they walk on a leash very well



Tanker

[Gemini]

If you get a pup. make sure you condition it to the idea of you leaving the house without it. The old man babysat a yr old 'pup' for 6 months for a friend of 'ours' and it cost him a fortune in custom made draperies and window blinds amongst other furniture etc. lol

The people that left it with him had not tried to train it whatsoever and it would rip the drapes AND rods right off the wall to see out. It also had a mind of its own... if it wanted you to go somewhere in the house, it would bully and push you to the place it wanted. (pup at 70+ lbs)

It was lovable tho and seemed to get along with his kids pretty well. The main thing that *I* didn't care for, was it would rest its head on your leg when you sat down and slobber all over ya! Yuck.

If I had to decide on a dog like that, I'd vote no. We have a half newf, half shepard that is HUGE, but he's been well trained and isn't a problem. Its costly to get that much training as well. He's our backup to our backup alarm system.

[Tanker]

The freakiest thing they do is

sleep with thier eyes wide open


you think that they are staring at you and wide awake

when in reality they are fast asleep

Tanker

[Tanker]

Gem

Greyhounds are used to being alone in a crate

You cannot get greyhounds as pups unless you are a Greyhound offilical racing team

they will sit in there crate all day and not say a word if you put them in there they might tell you they need to go out and pee thats about it

they are very easy going dogs

Tanker

[Pathfinder]

Originally posted by CC


We don't have any children right now, however sometime in the next few years we *might* start trying. That's why I was wondering about the children thing; we're just trying to plan for the future. Greyhounds sound like they have the perfect personality, it's just their size that worries me.

The size and strength was my point. Many dogs are sweet, gentle timid etc. but the problem is that dogs have bad days just like people do. A child might rough house with a good natured dog a thousand times but the 1001'st time the dog may have a tooth ache, a head ache, or just is not in the mood and when a big dog attacks a child that is not strong enough to defend itself the consequences can be severe, even death. It happens all too frequently and the parents say "I just don't understand, Tooty was always so sweet and gentle with the kids".

I would give it alot of thought if you are planning on having children.

[Jak]

We have an ex racer greyhound and he rocks. We've got three kids and he's great with them too.

Awesome dog.

Jak

[CC]

Thank you so much for all the replies, guys! I really appreciate it. Now we just have to wait til Sept 14 for an open house in our area to meet some

Cassie

[BJ]

You may also want to look into dogs that can spam, perhaps a golden?

[PersianKitty]

Greys are great. I have several neighbors that have adopted ex racers. Some have come with health problems. All of them are sweet and gentle dogs. Very mild mannered. Some friendly...others timid. If you let them, they'll attach themselves to one person only, so the more company around the better.

My neighbors all had to teach theirs what stairs were (as mentioned before), that they can't walk through a sliding glass door or jump through a window, etc. They've never been in a car, seen a tv, a bathroom, mirror etc. They've not been around children. They are at first afraid of everything, but soon learn. It takes patience and commitment. Most of them are not housebroken when you get them. They have very soft footpads so if you walk them mostly on pavement in the beginning you need to use lotion to help them along as he/she slowly toughens them up. And boy do the need to be walked..or jogged. One neighbor, when she was pregnant would ride in her old MG midget and trot the dog along side the car. She had to kid-proof her house because the dog would plop it's front paws up on the counter and drag things off. This same dog has a favorite lamb's wool bunny that it carries around everywhere.

They are strictly indoor dogs. Most agencies won't adopt out to people who want them outside. They can be at 44 mph in 2 seconds. They'll run at the site of a small animal or anything blowing around the yard. If they get out and don't want to be caught, good luck. They have no street smarts or car smarts. They are also very sensitive to chemicals. Most flea collars are too strong for them and lawn chemicals can be fatal.

Most up for adoption are 3 years or older. Alot of the adoption organizations don't want you to crate the dog because they've lived that way all their lives. It reinforces their track behavior. They have a sense of 'their own space'. Many will adopt a particular end of the sofa or chair. One neighbor had a beautiful brindle named Duke who owns the right cushion on their sofa. If someone sits there, he will stand next with his head on the arm of the sofa and stare at them until they move. In the same household, their second greyhound never settled in. He would bump into closed doors, try to jump on the dining table, and through closed windows. The vet gave him something to calm him down, but then he slept all the time. After six months of working with him, one day he bolted out the door when someone delivered a package. He was several blocks away when he attempted to cross a busy street and was hit.

If the agency you're adopting through doesn't ask you a ton of questions and give you a list of dos and don'ts beforehand, you may want to check around.

[TFCash]

Originally posted by PersianKitty
Greys are great. I have several neighbors that have adopted ex racers. Some have come with health problems.

I've heard a lot of people comment about them having short life spans and ton's of health troubles due to the shots and such that they get for racing, has anyone here that has one found that to be true ?? Thanks.


Tim

[Kimmykim]

If you have a dog track where you live, there is almost always someone in the office that handles adoptions of retiring dogs from their specific track group.

I don't agree with the theory that big dogs cause more problems for children -- we have three little dogs -- all under 20 pounds -- and I'll guarantee you that two of them could do just as much damage as a big dog if they were ever prodded into it with small children. The bottom line is teaching your animals respect for your kids and vice versa. Too many families don't.

[eroswebmaster]

Originally posted by Pathfinder


I do not know the age of your children, but there is a rule that all parents should apply when aquiring a dog. Never have a dog that is bigger or stronger than your children.

Many parents do not apply this rule and pay the consequences when the dog is having a "bad hair day" and attack their child.

A few years back I was looking into buying a dog...possibly rescuing a greyhound from one of those racing track adoption programs...anyway the greyhound was considered at that time the best family dog to own...great with children and well mannered.

[CC]

I can't thank you guys enough for your replies--I knew GFY was the right place to ask We are totally psyched now and cannot wait to get one!! My boyfriend has wanted a dog his whole life (but never had one), so he's particularly excited We've found an agency that looks pretty good near us, so hopefully we'll be able to get one through them. Over 20,000 are killed every year, so if you're thinking about getting a new dog, you might want to think about a greyhound

Tim, from my reading, it does sound like some of them have health problems, mostly from mistreatment though. However, I'm obviously not an expert in this area lol. I haven't read anything about short life spans. Everything I've read says that they live about 12-15 years--hopefully that is true.

Thanks again,
Cassie

[Pathfinder]

Originally posted by Kimmykim
If you have a dog track where you live, there is almost always someone in the office that handles adoptions of retiring dogs from their specific track group.

I don't agree with the theory that big dogs cause more problems for children -- we have three little dogs -- all under 20 pounds -- and I'll guarantee you that two of them could do just as much damage as a big dog if they were ever prodded into it with small children. The bottom line is teaching your animals respect for your kids and vice versa. Too many families don't.

I have never in my life time heard of a child being severely mauled by a small dog and never heard of a child being killed by a small dog.

On the other hand I have heard of hundreds of children being severely mauled, crippled and even killed by large dogs.

In the county where I live, within the past few years, there have been children severely mauled and two were killed, by large family pets. In every case the parents said that they just could not understand why the dog attacked, because they were always so gentle and playful with the children.

Every year 800,000 people require medical attention from dog attacks. From 1976-1997 there have been 304 people killed by dogs, and I assume the majority were probably children (though I do not know this to be fact).

The odds of a family pet attacking a child are probably slim, but of what importance would the odds be to the parents whose family pet killed their child.

Simple equation: Big dogs=dangerous (capable of killing) Small dogs=not dangerous (not capable of killing)

Parents that own large dogs and have small children roll the dice and take their chances.

[Pathfinder]

I will repeat. I would think and then re-think before aquiring a large dog if you are planning to have children.