Greyhounds make great pets, but knowing this breed’s traits and understanding a former racer’s background is vital when deciding whether one would be the right choice as a pet for you or not.
Being a Pet is a Totally New Experience
As punters who enjoy the races that bookmakers providing sports betting in Australia and around the rest of the world will well know, the race track is part and parcel of a greyhound’s life from the day it is born.
Thanks to these dogs living the extremely sheltered and regimented lives they do, becoming pets is almost like being reborn for them. Even though the majority of former racers are over two-years old when they retire from the track, they will, for the most part, not have been exposed to the daily sights and sounds common to our familiar homes and surroundings.
Stay Patient as They Find Their Way
Rides in cars, dog toys, TVs, children, stairs, the smells wafting from kitchens, noises from the street, and almost everything that you and I consider to be normal aspects of daily life will be totally strange to greyhounds who were once racers.
They will be curious, dumbstruck, and possibly even a little frightened of all of these, so make sure you take your time with them. They will need to adjust to their new surroundings, and each one will do so at a different pace.
Greyhounds are Wonderful Companions
Greyhounds enjoy being with both people and other dogs, and, thanks to the fact that they will have spent their whole lives with their racing counterparts, they are usually very easily able to adapt to other dogs living with you.
Most greyhounds will also have no trouble getting along with your cats and kids, too.
These dogs are docile and very tolerant, but will best suit quiet, gentle children who are not given to overly boisterous play.
Be aware that even the calmest dog may snap at a child who is hitting, pinching, poking, or hurting it, and make sure that any kids that will be interacting with your dogs are aware of how the dogs should be treated.
An Easy Dog for People to Keep
Greyhounds do not require high levels of maintenance, either. Their skins are slightly oily, so a few baths a year is recommended, unless of course your greyhound is fond of playing in the mud!
Make use of a grooming mitt a couple of times a week to keep its coat in good condition, and clipping its nails monthly as well as ensuring that its ears are kept clean is also required.
Your greyhound will not need to be housebroken, since they have been trained from a young age to do their business outside their kennels, and so keep them clean. You may need to walk them more frequently at first, but they will very quickly learn that their new homes have the same rules in place as their kennels once did, and they will go outside to relieve themselves from the get-go.