Greyhound racing in the modern sense of the term began around 1912 with the first circular track being opened in 1919.

The Greyhound may be fast and an incredible athlete but at home they are renowned couch potatoes.

The Greyhound is a sight hound with a strong instinct to chase. Greyhounds can go off lead once their relationship with their owner is strong and once adequate recall has been achieved. Even then, it is recommended that Greyhounds are only let off lead in a secure area. Many owners also muzzle their dogs. Contrary to popular belief, Greyhounds are not required by UK law to be on lead or muzzled when on their walk, but it is a precaution that the owner may choose to take. The Greyhounds instinct to chase small furries and in fact anything else that moves, even a leaf blowing across the ground, is definitely something to seriously bear in mind.

Myth: Greyhounds find it hard to settle into a home life
An ex-racers ideal retirement would be in a loving home, living out the rest of their lives as a lazy family pet. Indeed, they adapt to the life of a family pet with considerable ease. Greyhounds are also quiet dogs who rarely bark and not given to excessive demonstrations.

Myth: Greyhounds need a lot of care
With their short, smooth coats and very little oil, the Greyhound has little doggie odour and requires minimal grooming or bathing. Any shedding is easily kept to a minimum with regular brushing of the coat with a soft bristle brush.

Myth: They have health problems
As a breed, Greyhounds are genetically one of the healthiest. They don’t have any inbred genetic physical problems. Greyhounds can be prone to bone fractures but this is not an inherent trait. Some eye diseases are reported but as recessive traits.

The ex-racing Greyhound may have been retired for a number of reasons. Aside from not being a good racer, the most common reason is because of injury. Damage can be caused by collisions and mishaps but also the sharp bends of the track put enormous strain on the dog's joints and toes. Most Greyhounds have joint issues, with Degenerative Joint Disease being the most common. The majority have arthritis which you may or may not notice.

Myth: They are large and will get in my way
Size varies depending on the breeding line but, to give a general example, a Greyhound’s height is approximately 25-30 inches and their weight is approximately 30-40 kilos. So yes, the Greyhound is a large dog but light, agile and graceful with it. This breed is not under your feet and does not tend to get in your way every minute of the day. They are often quite happy to just be in the same room with you, most probably snoozing.

Myth: Greyhounds are not sociable
Greyhounds have been bred for thousands of years to be sociable, non-aggressive animals who work well with others. Greyhounds are by nature gentle creatures who can develop strong relationships with humans. In fact, the Greyhound adores human company. With regards other animals including other breeds of dog, it is wise to bear in mind that the Greyhound is a hunter and may not easily distinguish cats or smaller breeds of dog from the small animals they were bred to hunt. However, Greyhounds will come to accept almost any animal once they learn the other pet is a member of the family. There are always exceptions, of course.

Myth: They are not easily housetrained
Racing Greyhounds are "kennel broken". They have been taught to toilet outside and keep their sleeping areas clean. This knowledge is usually readily transferred to their new lives in the family home. All you need to do is teach them where they can and can’t toilet, which is easily done as the Greyhound is an intelligent breed of dog and fairly obedient.

Myth: Greyhounds are not good with children
On the contrary, they are actually very gentle and patient animals. However, they do not want to be harassed by anyone, including children. A child to any dog can seem small and annoying. If the Greyhound does feel bothered by a situation, say with an overenthusiastic child, they are more likely to walk way than to snap. Any dog has its limits. Small children must always be supervised when in the company of any breed of dog.

Myth: The breed is difficult to walk on lead
Most Greyhounds have been trained to walk on lead. They prefer to walk on a slack lead. For dogs of their size they are unusually easy to handle. They respond very well to gentle touch and firm voice commands.

Myth: Only certain people suit a Greyhound
As a breed, Greyhounds are gentle, affectionate and remarkably calm in temperament. Greyhounds make ideal companions for the elderly. They are very quiet in the home and do not bark and rush around. The discipline of kennel life stands them in very good stead. Many Greyhounds make excellent PAT dogs or other therapy dogs, giving companionship and love to people in nursing homes or people with disabilities.

The characteristics of the Greyhound mean that they have become the pet of choice among an increasing number of people.

Probably, of all these points covered, the exercise myth is the most well known and inaccurate. It seems clear that Greyhounds are quiet, unassuming companions who require and demand very little.

Greyhounds are usually not very old when they retire and become available for adoption. They are typically 2-5 years of age when they retire and have an average life span of 12-14 years.

If you are considering adopting an ex-racing Greyhound, you will be thinking about how best to settle your new companion into your home. This is particularly crucial for an ex-racer who has probably never experienced family life.

Any dog being re-homed is likely to be a little anxious and withdrawn. You must let them take things at their own pace and realise that how they seem initially is not an indication of what they will be like once they fully settle in. In time your Greyhound’s true personality will start to show as he comes out of his shell, begins to trust you and settles into his new life. In the meantime, your Greyhound will be very glad for a quiet bed to call his own. Allow him to settle in his bed and to have some space to come to terms with the upheaval and excitement of all the new experiences. Have patience.

Greyhounds are sensitive, may startle easily at first and only need to be spoken to gently and softly. Let them explore and use a gentle ‘no’ plus a blocking motion if appropriate to stop unwanted behaviour. As with all training, show an alternative behaviour instead. The greyhound will appreciate everything to be done quietly and calmly.

Remember this is a whole new world to your Greyhound so bear in mind that they will be easily confused or distracted by all the new things they see at home and on their walks. Their safety is in your hands. Training can be as rewarding with a Greyhound as with any dog. Recall training is the most important lesson for your ex-racer.

Also remember that the racing Greyhound has seen few animals, even dogs of other breeds. They may take time to understand the new creatures they encounter. A small breed of dog can seem remarkably similar to the mechanical hare!!!

The Greyhound has a constitution like many highly-bred animals. With gentle guidance they will thrive but harsh words or impatience can shatter their confidence and make them go to pieces. Take their training slowly so that they don’t have to take too much on board in one go. If you are relaxed and affectionate your greyhound will be too. Your dog has a lot to learn but the Greyhound is adaptable and often young enough to still fit in with ease.

Almost everything is going to be new and either exciting or frightening to your Greyhound at first. You will need to reassure them and be there for them. They are likely to prefer to stay nearby you at night as well. The desire of your Greyhounds remaining life is likely to be to please you and to stay near you.

Real Life - Owner Stories

The reason we got a Greyhound was due to my son wanting one as well as my own love for them. We contacted a racing kennels who had a couple of retired racers ready for re-homing. Here we met Swifty a retired Irish Bred dog who was only 4yrs old, a big Brindle dog retired due to breaking his hock. Rather than being put to sleep his then owners had him fixed up because by all accounts and after speaking to his trainer he was a very expensive dog and a winner. However his track days were over.

Swifty

We took him home and bathed him, pampered him & let him settle in. That night we let him out into the garden and he stood by the back door unsure of whether he was allowed back in - after all he had been used to kennel life. Other things that confused him were stairs and ponds as he'd never experienced either. He once stood in a lake and froze coz the rippling water distorted his vision of the lake bed - it must have looked like the ground was moving to him. After about half an hour he finally tip-toed out.

As a house dog he is fantastic, very clean and quiet and a joy to walk on the lead. He had to learn how to play again and was like a 29 inch puppy full of fun. When he sprints around the garden I often wonder if he can still hear the echo and cheers of the roaring crowd from his racing past. Only he knows the answer to that one.

The only draw back is he can’t be let off the lead and he can’t be trusted with cats, as we have found out to the expense of cats coming into his garden. Greyhounds can accelerate from 0 to almost 40 mph in around 3-4 seconds, so not much can escape them. That said he doesn’t show any aggression and is so loving with my children - such a gentle dog.

Out of all the dog breeds I’ve owned both big and small including the dogs I have now, I would have to say Swifty is overall the most steady. We will never be without one of these athletes now. They are truly magnificent creatures and of course one of the oldest breeds known to man.

Submitted by Micki - North West, UK

In Jacksonville, where I live, there is a Greyhound race track. There are a few different rescue groups here in the area that adopt out Greyhounds that come from off the track, to loving homes. I work at a veterinary clinic here in Jacksonville and see many of these loving dogs once or twice a week. And just from my experience with working with them, I've learned what intelligent and well behaved creatures they are. I've even considered adopting one myself and am in the process of talking to my landlord about having yet another dog.

From the owners I've spoken with, they tend to say that once you've had a Greyhound, you'll never have another dog. They are wonderful family pets, good with children, loving, playful, compassionate, and will do anything to please. I look forward to adopting one!

Submitted by Ashley – Florida, USA

Further info or adoption

Approximately 10,000 racing Greyhounds retire each year. The lucky ones become pets and the rest are disposed of.

Celia Cross Greyhound Trust www.celiacross.org.uk
Retired Greyhound Trust www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk
Greyhound Rescue West of England www.grwe.co.uk
Dogs Trust www.dogstrust.org.uk
Battersea Dogs and Cats Home www.dogshome.org

Greyhound Rescue Groups in the UK - a resource centre www.greyhoundrescue.co.uk