It’s not that these things are deep, dark secrets…..it’s just the tendency of experts to forget what it’s like to be the beginner. I can’t count how many times, in my early days as a greyhound owner, that I thought, “Why didn’t the adoption people tell me this when they gave me the dog?”
How many things did they not tell me? Stick around, because I can think of at least ten. These aren’t true in 100% of cases, but they’re true often enough for you to want to prepare yourself.
1 You’re on your own with a vet.
You know that wonderful vet, who volunteered his time and skills to get your greyhound ready for adoption? Well,he may be a vet, but he’s not YOUR vet! Most of the time, you will have to get your new greyhound a permanent vet near your home.
The good news is that you won’t need to rush your greyhound to the vet, the second you get him. Your new pal usually comes to you following a full medical work-up from a vet who really knows his greyhounds. The exception to this might be a greyhound who isn’t adopted right away; so be sure to ask for as much medical history as they can give you on your dog.
You also may find it helpful to carefully check your greyhound’s racing record. Racing officials are very good about recording every detail about every dog, in every race. If your greyhound fell or was bumped during a race, he may, someday, need extra care for the aches and pains of old age.
Either way, you should start shopping around for a vet, as soon as your adoption application has been approved.
2 You don’t need a fenced yard.
It certainly helps, but it’s not a dealbreaker, as long as you don’t mind taking several walks a day. This is only true, though, as long as there are plenty of greyhounds available for adoption. If they become more scarce, we could see the day when preferential treatment is giving to those applicants with fenced yards.
3 Cat tested is not cat proofed.
I’m glad adoption groups do cat testing, but please don’t let it lull you into a false sense of security. Although many greyhounds live harmoniously with cats; one can never FULLY erase generations of instinct to chase small, furry things. Even if your greyhound has “passed his cat test” on any given day, he may react differently, with a different cat, or even same cat/different day. Many owners, in fact, take the extra precaution about keeping their cats inside, whenever their greyhounds are outside. There’s something about that fresh, open air to make a greyhound feel keen.
4 He may have an upset stomach.
There can be several reasons for this. It can be simple stress from all the newness, car sickness from a long ride home, or the change in his diet. If he doesn’t eat, don’t embark on a quest to find the perfect food. Give him some time to adjust. It may simply be that he’s not feeling well.
5 The worms might return.
Greyhounds are often put on a deworming medication just before they come home. You may be instructed to give some of it to him right away, and then the rest after a couple of weeks; so put that date on your calendar, or place it in your phone’s calendar app and set a couple of notifications for it.
Even if you give the meds as directed, your dog may break out in a case of worms in the weeks or months that follow.Sometimes they can be tough to get rid of, so watch for the symptoms- sudden stomach upset, diarrhea, vomiting (any combination), especially if they seem to come and go every few weeks.
6 The toys may be a flop
This often gets better with time, though not always. Greyhounds loves treats and a good nap. If they do play with a toy, they are generally done in a few minutes. Because of their strong jaws, chew toys are often a more of a hazard than a pleasure. Favorite greyhound toys are stuffed squeaky animals, treat dispensing toys, and a piece of an antler piece to chew on. Lily has a Benebone that she chews occasionally.
Overall, though, if your idea of quality time with your dog is endless sessions with a Frisbee or a tennis ball, you may want to reframe your thinking. Your greyhound’s most fascinating possession is, simply, you. He’s never had his own, private person before; so sit with him, encourage him to put his head in your lap, and just enjoy some quiet time together.
7 Naughty behavior may start later.
For the first few weeks or months that your greyhound is home, you may marvel at his perfect behavior. Then, he’ll suddenly start acting out, by chewing things, ignoring you when you call him for his walk, spitting food on the floor…goodness, I’m having flashbacks to my son’s early life…but there’s a good reason for that!
In both cases, the creature has settled in, and is now testing you. Remember to continue to establish yourself, with your dog, as the leader. Successful leaders do not rule through fear and yelling; they rule through inspiring cooperation.
For example, let’s say you don’t want your greyhound on the couch, but he keeps jumping up there. Continually ordering him off is only going to weaken your authority; because every time he gets back on, he has gotten one-up on you.
A better strategy for this mutinous behavior is to make the couch less interesting, and his own bed more interesting. Make sure his bed is supporting his heavy frame, and add more support as needed. Then, put something on your couch when you’re not using it, like a couple of kitchen stools or guitar cases. This isn’t as much of a pain as it sounds. It’s not forever; it’s only until your greyhound has moved on from the behavior.
8 They growl.
This can be startling for those of us who assume that a growling dog is an aggressive dog. Greyhounds are not aggressive dogs. They growl for a lot of reasons, and often will growl, where another dog would bark. Probably just less effort; yes, they are THAT lazy.
It’s good to know the different greyhound growls and their real meanings. Most greyhounds love a good ear-rub, and will growl from that. Some let out menacing growls in their sleep. They can also have sleep aggression, or sleep startle, which is when they bark or growl at you because you’ve startled them partly out of their sleep. In these cases, the dog typically does not realize that it’s you, or is even aware of his surroundings. If you’ve ever awakened, momentarily unsure of where you are or what day it is, you’ll understand what I mean.
Since your greyhound’s nerves are close to the surface, and his long limbs seem to be everywhere at once, it’s easy to accidentally lean or press on him in a way that he finds physically painful, and he will alert you with a snarl.
It can take a while for your greyhound to adjust to a lot of physical affection; so he may growl at you while you’re hugging him or sitting with a companionable arm around him. Please don’t be put-off by this. Lily was like this for a long time. She would love being petted, but would hit a point where she’d had enough. She’s pretty darned cuddly now, although I still get the occasional growl. My daughter gets growled at the most, because she just cannot restrain herself from smothering Lily with affection.
9 They are stubborn.
A great way to get frustrated is to get locked into a battle of wills with your greyhound. They are part jackass, I swear.
With Lily, it happens when she’s found an incredibly comfy spot and doesn’t want to get up for her walk. If she doesn’t come when I call her, I shift gears and start preparing her next meal. The sound of the bowl, the spoon, and the container is usually enough to get her to come into the kitchen and investigate. At that point, she’s fully awake, and much easier to get out the door.
10 They sleep 22 hours a day.
One day, I had Shannon to the vet’s for a check up, and he actually asked me the ludicrous question, “Has he been lethargic?” to which I responded, “How could I tell?”
Yes, everything you’ve heard about greyhounds being lazy is 100% true. I recall seeing a sidebar in National Geographic, called “The World’s Laziest Animals.” Not only was the greyhound NOT included; but he also beat out every animal on the chart, including Nat Geo’s #1 pick, the sloth (20 hours a day). Since then, I have learned that koalas sometimes sleep 22 hours a day; so I guess the greyhound has some viable competition, after all.
