Because they are mainly known as competitive racing dogs, this is a very common question. I never even knew that greyhounds could be kept as pets, until my husband told me. But now, after twenty-three years of life with my wonderful greyhounds, I can provide you with the best answer for this question.
Are greyhounds good pets? Yes! A greyhound is the perfect pet for many. There is no single breed of dog that would suit everybody, however. It depends on what you expect out of your pet.
If you’re looking for a dog who rough-houses, fetches, doesn’t need a leash, and will guard your property (when he’s not out with you, helping you train for a 5K), move on…I won’t be offended. If you want a large, adorably sweet, mellow, low-maintainance dog, who spends most of his time napping, you should look into getting a greyhound. Read on!
Which Traits Make Greyhounds Good Pets?
TheTopTens.com surveyed people to see what traits make a good pet. All dogs embody these traits, to some extent, so you want to consider which are valuable to you, personally, in deciding whether or not a greyhound is right for you. Let’s use that list to see how they measure up (I have graded them on a scale of 1-5 Milkbones!):
Loyalty – 4
Although greyhounds are very loyal companions, they lose a point if there is any food around. Lily’s first love is food. If I’m petting her, and my daughter goes into the kitchen to make a sandwich, I’m lucky not to get trampled when Lily gets up to follow her.
Sense of Humor – 5
This is one area where greyhounds really shine. They can be so goofy! There is not a day that goes by, when my greyhound doesn’t make me smile. You may find your hound fast asleep on his back, with all four long legs in the air (quite a sight!). If you’re wearing shorts, he’ll sneak up behind you and poke you in the back of the leg with that cold, wet nose. If he’s glad to see you, he may run around and around on the rug, in tight, little circles. After we taught Lily to shake hands for a treat, she upped the game by punching me in the leg, whenever I’m eating something and she wants a bit.
Friendliness – 5
It’s not a sloppy, jump-all-over-you kind of friendliness, but many consider that a plus, not a minus. There can be a period, when you first get them home, when they are shy & reserved, but that tends to give way to a genteel, social personality.
When my kids were 2 & 6, we went to the kennel to choose our 2nd greyhound. We brought each dog outside into the yard, one at a time, to see how they did with kids, as many greyhounds have never seen small children. Every, single one was very careful around them.
The day I came to pick up Peaches, the kennel manger’s toddler was there. She told me that Peaches was the dog she used to take home, whenever they needed to free up some space at the kennel, and that she was great with kids. At that moment, her little girl, in a fit of teething pain, started crying and flapping her hands. Peaches walked gently up to her, and stood by sympathetically, literally turning the other furry cheek, when the baby accidentally swatted her in the face. Another time, a child wandered up to Peaches and was idly waving a hamburger in her face while petting her. She enjoyed the affection, and didn’t bother with the child’s food. I must confess, though, with Lily, that burger would’ve been toast!
Helpfulness – 2
Most greyhounds you’ll meet have been bred for sprint-racing. They love to be outdoors, running, but not for very long. If you need a dog as a jogging partner, or loping along beside you while you ride a bike, please DO NOT get a greyhound. A greyhound is OK in most weather, but he only likes to be out for 10-20 minutes. After that, he’ll head right for his pad & take a nap.
They have a superb sense of smell, so they might be excellent as some type of sniffer, if the hours weren’t too long. Several greyhounds have done well as therapy dogs, the kind who visit people in hospitals and other facilities.
When I was hugely pregnant, I trained my greyhound to “help me up” if I had to squat down for anything. She would come right over, stop in front me, and brace herself, so I could hold onto her and push myself back up. I was very proud, later on, to hear that this is a skill they teach to service dogs.
Companionship – 5
This is a real strength for greyhounds. They are quiet & pleasant to be around. They don’t make many demands on your time. In fact, I would even go as far as to say they respect your time. Lily has learned that, on some days, I can really fall behind on the household schedule. She hates when her dinner is late, but she will patiently wait for me to get to her. She’s gotten so good at this, that I was horrified last week to realize that it was 9:30PM, and she hadn’t had her meal (don’t worry, she had eaten at lunchtime)! She had sensed that I was crazy-busy, and didn’t wish to be a burden, poor thing. Now I praise her when she “reminds” me to get her dinner.
Greyhounds have a temperment which is simply lovely; people comment on it all the time, how calm & sweet they are. They love to gaze at you, check out what you’re doing, and just be with you. Many times, with Peaches, I would wake up at the first light, and find she was staring at me from her bed, as though I was the first thing she wanted to see when the sun came up. Once I returned her look, she would settle back to sleep. All three of our dogs have loved to watch us eat. We don’t want this to turn into begging, so we drag a pad over where the dog can observe, without being right at somebody’s elbow. They love to see the food, and to feel included in the family time.
Intelligence – 3
I grade the greyhound in the middle here, because – like some geniuses – they are kind of smart-dumb. They can be so laser-focused on one thing, that they miss other things. A perfect example is the fact that a greyhound ALWAYS must be leashed when not in the house or an enclosed area. They are sighthounds, and can spot prey up to 1/4 mile away. There are many sad stories of greyhounds who spotted something, and bolted into the road (with tragic results), or ran off after something and were hopelessly lost by the time they stopped to think. They will bolt through electric fences, as well. Retractable leashes are another no-no. Again, the dog will bolt, not listen when you call him, and then keep running, because the chunky, plastic leash-holder bouncing behind him is “chasing” him. Greyhounds have died from a broken neck after retractable leash incidents, which is why some adoption groups will actually make you sign a promise never to use one, as a condition of adopting through them. Like I said: smart-dumb.
Emotion – 3
This is a really tough one to grade, because it depends on the kind of emotion you’re looking for in a dog. If we’re talking about classic doggie emotion, you may not get a lot of jumping, barking, licking, and tail-wagging out of a greyhound. They can do these things, but most are calm and reserved, a tendency which increases with age. Greyhounds love you, but they often save their most passionate displays for food and sleep. Even if a greyhound is really excited about something, he may reign in the display of emotion to the point where his teeth will chatter madly. He’s just got to get that excitement out somehow!
Yes, you will get goofy displays of emotion from your greyhound, it’s just not as much of a regular thing as it is with other breeds.
Protectiveness – 1
The greyhound is probably the worst possible breed you could choose as a guard dog. He’s not going to bark to dissuade someone from breaking in. If someone breaks into your house, your greyhound may sleep through the whole thing. Occasionally, you hear about a burglar who helps himself to something to eat, as well, and that might get your dog’s attention…maybe.
Some greyhounds are afraid of loud noises, as well. Every one I’ve owned has been afraid of fireworks, gunshots, and thunder, even when they’re miles in the distance.
In spite of their passive ways, they can be territorial about their beds, treats, or toys. This is trainable, but I just want to make sure you understand that the greyhound is not a complete push-over.
You may get some layer of protection form the fact that your greyhound is so tall. As you’re walking along, a big dog does help keep unwanted attention off of you. Shannon was our big, 85 lb., black-coated boy from Ireland. He had chunky paws, a thick, strong neck, a big head, and some serious-looking teeth. People would actually move to the other side of the road when they saw us coming. I had to laugh; they had no idea what a marshmallow he was. This was a dog that sparrows could’ve landed on safely.
An odd exception to the rule occurred with Peaches. She was the most non-aggressive creature you could imagine; very timid, in fact. Then, one night, while I was putting my shoes on to get ready for our walk, she gave me a curious sniff. While on our walk, I was astounded to hear her growl at a man who passed us on the street. She was fine during the day; but she became very protective on our night-time walks, emitting a low, menacing growl at the sight of any man or cat. If my husband was walking her, it didn’t happen. Shortly after that, I learned that I was expecting a baby – Peaches, it seems, was the first to know, and she was always protective of me from that point on (Peaches gets a 5, by the way).
Playfulness – 3
Not so much.
If you’re looking for a dog to play “fetch” with, you will be disappointed. The closest our greyhounds have come to being interested in a tennis ball was Lily occasionally chewing on one; and Shannon, who invented his own version, where I throw the ball, he races with it, and I fetch it at the finish-line.
Greyhounds are fun to play with, but it’s when they feel like it, and they lose interest pretty quickly. They like to bite squeaky toys, and catch bits of food that you toss. Interactive, treat-dispensing toys can work, but you have to train the greyhound not to bite them open. Kong toys are “meh,” because your greyhound will not actually play with it; he will take it into his bed, where he can relax with it. While this is a good way to keep him occupied, it’s more like snacking than playing; kind of like when you sit down in front of the ball game with a bowl of unshelled peanuts.
I guess the best way to sum up the greyhound is this: if greyhounds were sold in toy stores, they would be in the aisle with the teddy bears, and not in the aisle with the action toys!
Want to Learn More About Greyhound Behavior?
Enjoy my article, “Are Greyhounds Affectionate?”
