Greyhounds as Pets – Transition from track to home
Linda L. Blythe, DVM, PhD
In the United States, Greyhound breeding and racing are increasingly tending to occur in large farms and racing kennels. One trainer may be responsible for 20 to 60 or more Greyhounds that he or she may or may not own. Greyhounds are brought from farms and trained at approximately 12 to 18 months of age. Fifteen months is the earliest age at which most tracks will allow a Greyhound to race and most Greyhounds are retired by 5 years of age. Varying numbers of young Greyhounds will not qualify successfully to be racers, failing to have the speed, the temperament, or having sustained injuries not conducive, even with repair, to being the superb athlete needed to compete. Other Greyhounds may qualify and race 1, 2 or 3 years, and then be retired. It is all of these Greyhounds who are no longer “employed” at a racetrack that need a home. With a life span of 12 to 14 years, many of these non-qualifiers and successful racers (who have not been selected for breeding) have approximately 9 to 12 years of great service yet to give as someone’s pet. Brood bitches and some stud dogs also enter these programs when their days of being a “parent” are over and they need a final home for the remainder of their lives. Some people who adopt these “senior citizens” prefer the older dogs, but they also take on the responsibility of the possibility of increased veterinary care as aging occurs. They also have to know when to mercifully end a Greyhound’s life for its sake when aging and/or degenerative diseases no longer allow the Greyhound to have a good quality of life. Giving a home to an older Greyhound means that this time will come sooner than with a young racer. But there is great consolation in the fact that one was able to make the last years of the Greyhound’s life a special time in a loving home.
In the United States a large number of Greyhound adoption agencies have come into being to find homes for these Greyhounds. The largest of these is the Greyhound Pets of America, but there are over 300 private agencies that place these Greyhounds. National organizations such as the National Greyhound Association, the American Greyhound Track Operators Association, and the American Greyhound Council in the United States have undertaken major thrusts in promoting the adoption of retired Greyhounds. Each race track has been strongly encouraged by the American Greyhound Council to affiliate with an adoption group in their area and to maximize opportunities for placement of the Greyhounds that need homes. The most current information on the active organizations in the United States can be obtained by calling the toll free number of the Greyhound Pets of America (1-800-366-1472), or by using the World Wide Web. Many of the Greyhound adoption organizations now have literature that will aid a new owner in understanding his or her new pet and facilitate the adoption. A text, Adopting the Racing Greyhound, now in its third edition by Cynthia A. Branigan, promotes the adoption of Greyhounds as pets and offers advice to new owners on the care of this unique breed of dog. Another book, Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies, by Lee Livingood provides additional information. The new text, Care of the Racing and Retired Greyhound by Blythe, Gannon, Craig and Fegan (2007) also provides information to new owners as well as serving as a medical text devoted to this unique breed of dog.
Greyhounds make wonderful family or single person pets. This statement is based on testimony of thousands of Greyhound pet owners as well as the authors’ personal experiences. If they have come from a racing kennel, they have been handled many times a day. They have learned to live in a kennel but four to five times during the day, they are turned out of the kennel into a large pen to “empty” and socialize with other Greyhounds. Greyhounds are dogs bred to be athletics and in their early history, they ran in groups. A single Greyhound can make a fine pet, but having more than one in a home is usually a very comfortable situation for the Greyhound. Two males or a male and female seem to work best. Two females can get competitive with each other for food, soft places to lie, and attention. But it all really depends on the temperament of the individual dogs. Greyhounds have a special feature in that they don’t smell “doggy”. This may due to the fact that they are short haired, have low body fat and just don’t secrete oils into their hair coat as many other dogs do. People with allergies to dogs may find that a Greyhound does not elicit these reactions.
Most Greyhounds in a home situation want to be with people, on the couch, on the bed, etc... They can be trained that these places are off limits but one should know that they will try. The athletic physique of thin skin, muscle and bone and little fat padding in Greyhounds requires that they have sleeping areas with adequate bedding. Many Greyhounds prefer to sleep on their backs on a soft surface with all four limbs extended into the air for periods of time. Greyhounds forced to live in kennels with no or little bedding are prone to developing “bedsores”. If an adopter lives in a climate where it gets cold, then a heated shelter or living in the house is needed. The Greyhound’s hair coat and skin are very thin and as a single pet, they do not tolerate cold well. Providing a sweater, or coat or “rug” for inside or especially, outside helps retain the Greyhound’s body heat. A shivering healthy Greyhound outdoors indicates that some type of protective gear is needed. Greyhound farms do raise puppies outside even in cold climates, but the dogs have a shelter and a group of littermates to help keep them warm.
Greyhounds for the most part are gentle and tolerant of children. They are independent creatures but they can be trained to come and stay. But one must always remember, that if they see something to chase in an outside environment, they “forget” commands and will be gone. That is why a Greyhound must always be kept on leash when walking outside of the home. Harness collars that lead from the front work well with Greyhounds... With regular dog collars, the head is so narrow, that they can easily slip out of the collar. Special collars are available through the World Wide Web for Greyhounds that have elastic guards in them. These are preferred if a collar is to be used.
A Greyhound’s instincts to chase are deeply embedded. A Greyhound can be taught not to chase the house cat or small dogs with whom it lives, but outside of that environment, strange cats or small animals, i.e., rabbits or squirrels that run from them may be just too much temptation. Having leash control outside will eliminate these potential problems.
In training a Greyhound, one must be aware that they prefer not to sit like dogs of other breeds. Sitting is not a natural resting position for them. They prefer either to crotch on all four limbs or lie on their side. Some Greyhounds also like to “smile” when they are excited or happy about something. To someone who does not know this trait, seeing a Greyhound with its teeth bared might lead them to believe the Greyhound is vicious or aggressive when just the opposite is true. Greyhounds as a rule do not make good watchdogs. They will bark as strangers approach, but then they happily welcome them.
A Greyhound introduced into a home from a race track situation has some interesting things to learn. He or she most likely will have never seen stairs or learned to go up or down them. They may not have seen windows or been on slippery hardwood floors. Patience is needed as the Greyhound learns to adapt to a new way of life. Some adoption agencies will take Greyhounds from the track and introduce them to these things prior to their adoption.
At the Melbourne, Florida racetrack, an affiliated adoption group, the Greyhound Pets of American Central Florida managed by Dennis and Claire Tyler, Greyhounds are evaluated and given a “profile code” (See Table 1) based on their activity level and sociability. These evaluations and profiles help the adoption agency recommend and/or find the best home for the Greyhound. Greyhounds at Melbourne and other adoption agencies are tested for their reactions to cats. With the cat used being very well protected, the reaction of the Greyhound to the strange cat in the cage as the dog enters the room is graded and noted on the profile. Responses to small children in a room are also observed. A few Greyhounds are very shy and act fearfully to many normal situations. They have the classic stance of being slightly hunched up over the back with the tail between its legs. They are called “spooks” by the adoption agencies. They can make good pets, but the new owners need to understand their fearfulness and be especially patient with them.
The marked success in Greyhound adoptions is due, in the United States, to the many adoption groups that have made this a dedicated cause. They are avid owners and promoters of Greyhound adoption. Many people have multiple Greyhounds in their homes. There develops a real social bond between people who adopt Greyhounds. Throughout the United States, there are multiple meetings or “happenings” which do have a social base but also, many provide educational seminars so that the adopters can better understand these Greyhounds they have brought into their homes. The “meeting” at Dewey Beach, Delaware in October of each year is one of the biggest with 2000 to 3000 Greyhounds and their owners coming together. Seminars are held on how to care for the Greyhounds, disease problems and behavior and training methods, to mention a few. At Dewey Beach, there is even a costume contest as an entertainment event. From this interest and out of love for the Greyhounds, a number of small business now provide clothing, collars, treats, etc., for the pet Greyhounds. Many on these can be found on the World Wide Web.
Greyhounds can also be trained to be service dogs to assist people and are wonderful as “visitation” dogs where they are brought into hospitals and retired citizens housing facilities. Their friendly nature, beautiful eyes, and tall regal stature can be brought right up to the edge of a hospital bed and bring joy to children and the elderly during a visit. Retired Greyhounds are also used in fun amateur sporting events such as coursing.
External parasites can be a source of irritation and annoyance to a Greyhound prior to a race/trial and a source of contamination in your own car, trailer, and kennels if carried home after traveling. Fleas, mites, flies, sand flies, and mosquitoes can all be contracted alone or in combination at most local events or parks with multiple dog exposure. A suggested approach would be to use a light spray along the back and over the rump/thigh area with personal human insect repellents. These can be most effective in warding off parasites. Do not use household insect sprays. Use only human personal repellents or equivalents as recommended by your veterinarian. Do not use hydrobaths or body washes of organophosphate insecticides (Neocid®, Nucidol®, Malawash®, Adams Flea and Tick Dip®) during the week prior to a competitive athletic event such as coursing as these can reduce performance quite dramatically by reducing the oxygen-carrying capacity of the red blood cells.
Not all Greyhounds are perfectly well behaved. Some behaviorists would tell us that a behavior problem in a Greyhound or any dog is really a behavior problem with the owner. Regardless of where the blame lies, there are sometimes behavior problems in Greyhounds that cause their owners stress. Owners of newly adopted Greyhounds should work with other people or trainers to teach basic obedience commands to their Greyhounds. Greyhounds should learn basic commands of sit (go into the crouched position as they prefer to actually sitting), come, stay, and walk on a leash. Frequent food rewards with each positive behavior makes the Greyhound learn faster. As one trainer told the author, the only thing a
Greyhound or any dog cares about is, "What's in it for me, NOW?” Rewarding the behaviors you are trying to induce is the easiest road to success. However, one must realize that if a Greyhound sees something it wants to chase or place it really wants to go, all training seems to disappear. That is why it must be reemphasized that all Greyhounds outside the home must be kept on leash. It is beyond the scope of this article to teach training techniques, but there are a couple of behaviors that will be addressed.
Greyhounds may be so enthusiastic when the owner or visitors arrive at the home that they jump upon them. This is especially disconcerting when the person is older. The Greyhound is doing this to obtain attention. Thus, if a person either pets the Greyhound or swats it, it has the attention of the owner. To initially control this behavior, the owner should walk in and
just walk over the dog without saying a word. Even if the Greyhound approaches from the side, the owner should side-step right into the Greyhound and displace it, again without saying a word. When the Greyhound is knocked off balance and retreats, one then gives a command to "sit." Once the Greyhound obeys, then a food reward is immediately given. In time, the Greyhound learns that "sitting" is the response that will get rewarded with praise and/or food, and the
jumping should stop.
Greyhounds evolved from being pack animals and, as such, easily establish a social bond with their owners. The Greyhound now belongs to the "pack" of the human family with whom it lives. This attachment can become excessive in some Greyhounds in that they can become distressed when the owner leaves the home. This is a condition called "separation anxiety
syndrome." There are a number of behaviors associated with separation anxiety syndrome that occur when the owner leaves the home. The list includes excessive vocalization, barking and howling, inappropriate elimination, destructive behavior like chewing on furniture, hypersalivation, pacing back and forth, depression and inactivity, and excessive greetings upon the owner's return. All of these clinical signs, except the latter, are only expressed when the Greyhound is left alone and usually occur within the first 30 minutes of the owner's departure. Most often, the Greyhound behaves normally when the owner is at home. In addition,
Greyhounds with this syndrome often exhibit distress when they become aware that the owner is preparing to leave. They may tremble, closely follow the owner around the house, drool, and start pacing just before the anticipated departure. The Greyhound may develop this problem years after successfully living in the home, often triggered by a stressful event such as a negative experience when the owner was gone, an introduction of a new pet, or a change in schedule or home. Geriatric Greyhounds may experience these clinical signs as part of the cognitive dysfunction syndrome.
Treatment involves desensitizing the Greyhound to the fear of the owner being gone. Desensitize the Greyhound to predeparture cues by randomly performing the same cues without leaving. Do mock departures for short (safe in the Greyhound’s mind) and then longer periods of times so that the Greyhound comes to learn that you will always come home and there is no need for stress. Ignore the Greyhound for 10 minutes prior to departure and upon returning home
so that this event is not tied to high emotion in the Greyhound. It helps to give a tasty treat that will take a long time to eat, i.e., rubber kongs with peanut butter inside or a piece of rawhide just prior to leaving. Exercising the Greyhound prior to leaving so that it is tired is also helpful. A "bad boy" belly band may inhibit some male Greyhounds from urinating in the house when it is in place. With this tool, one would need to be sure to allow the Greyhound periods of time to urinate with the band removed about every 4 to 6 hours. It is important not to punish the Greyhound for behaviors associated with anxiety as it will just make the anxiety worse. Pheromone treatment (DAP) with an atomizer misting of the environment with female hormones may benefit some Greyhounds. Clomicalm® is an anxiolytic medication that may be prescribed
by your veterinarian to reduce anxiety while the behavior modification techniques mentioned
above are used to change the Greyhound's behavior.
The Greyhound is a unique breed of dog and as such has a number of really different blood values as compared to normal dogs. They have high values for packed cell volume, hemoglobin, sodium, BUN, and total bilirubin. In contrast, they have low values for WBCs including all of the types of WBCs as well as total counts, low free T4, low serum proteins, and low platelet counts compared to normal dogs. Knowledge of these values is very important in evaluating blood work as a commercial laboratory will often flag some values as low or high resulting in a veterinarian instituting treatments that are inappropriate. Complete values for Greyhounds, both racing and retired, can be found in the Care of the Racing and Retired Greyhound text (Chapter Five). Greyhounds are also sensitive to sulfur containing anesthetic agents and organophosphates and they should not be used. Corticosteroids should be avoided in Greyhounds as they are particularly sensitive to the polydipsia, polyuria, and muscle wasting (Cushing’s disease) and in no cases should corticosteroids be used in combinations with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Cancer is the leading cause of death in any dog over 2 years of age and 50% of dogs over 10 years of age will be affected with some form of cancer. The most common form of cancer associated with Greyhounds over the age of 5 is osteosarcoma. The initial clinical sign is most commonly lameness.
Table 1. Activity and sociability profile developed by Dennis and Claire Tyler of the Greyhound Pets of America of Central Florida to code Greyhounds waiting for adoption. The first number is the activity level and the second number designates social skills, i.e., 2-3.
Activity LevelSociability
1 = calm 1 = socially challenged
2 = slightly active 2 = shy but warms up within a short time
3 = pulls on leash sometimes 3 = take it or leave it; does not go up to or avoid people
4 = pulls on leash most of the time 4 = readily goes up to some people
5 = exhibits marked activity 5 = readily goes up to most people
6 = approaches everyone eagerly
C is added if the Greyhound readily accepts small children.