Greyhounds

I was surprised to learn recently that greyhounds require very little exercise, one short walk on a lead each day is all the require, they are in fact renowned couch potatoes. Considering what fast athletes they are i was very surprised by this.

They make great pets and settle in to family life very well after retirement from running, they do not require much care and shed minimal fur and tend to have few health problems, although joint problems can occur due to wear and tear from the race track.

 

This is surprising! I would never guess that Greyhounds are couch potatoes. They look like dogs who love walking and running.
I've always had a soft spot for them. They're so beautiful and elegant! As far as I know, Karen Blixen brought two or three of them to her home in Africa.

 

I wouldn't mind owning a greyhound one day, as you say they are elegant dogs and they are very adaptable creatures. People think they will take up a lot of room in a house but they are very graceful and gentle in temperament. One thing to consider is that greyhounds sleep for close to 18 hours a day so they may not be for everyone, but it's another surprising fact about them.

 

I really think their body fat percentage is really low. They're naturally thin and muscular dogs, very elegant I bet they don't gain weight that easily. I'm just assuming things tho It'd be nice to get one... maybe one day, I like the way they look specially the white ones

 

Its true they are really low maintanence dogs, but they are sooo cute. I love them especially when their puppies

 

18 hours a day is a lot! My Homer goes to bed around 9 pm and wakes up around 5 am. He rarely takes naps. Sometimes I wish he was less energetic I guess I should have gotten a Greyhound.

 

Thanks for this bit of information. I never knew any of this about greyhounds. I can't say I have even seen any around here not that I would know if I saw them. I checked some out here online and there are rather thin. Are they usually very expensive? I hear Greyhound and I am thinking about a bus to New York back in the good old days.

 

I realize I'm bumping an old thread, but I saw "Greyhounds" and couldn't resist.

I've owned two retired racing greyhounds, and they are the absolute sweetest dogs. That being said, they do have some special needs considering their origins!

My female had some pretty severe sleep space aggression. As long as you didn't pet her while she was sleeping, she was an angel 95% of the time. But since retired racers are crated pretty much all the time (they're turned out twice a day for exercise, they're usually fed in their crates) they aren't used to people being close while sleeping or eating.

My male didn't have any aggression at all. But he did love to chase! Both dogs were fine with our indoor cat. I would have been worried about having the female near any small children, though.

It's extremely difficult to find a greyhound puppy. Most available greyhounds come from the racetrack after their race careers. The very successful ones go on to become breeding stock, and the rest go to rescues. Don't rule out a retired racer! The adoption fees are usually pretty affordable, and many dogs are only around 3 years old or so when they come off the track.

Dog racing is controversial, but these animals definitely deserve awesome lives! I'll be happy to answer any greyhound-related questions if someone has any.

 

Never know anything about Greyhound until I read this thread! I only knew that they are race dog, and I love how slender their bodies are build. On the same token, I am not fond of watching them bursting their chops out running so hard though for our entertainment and involve with the money aspect of thing.

 

I don't like it either. Dogs shouldn't be forced to race around tracks. I'm sure it's not healthy for them Unfortunately, some dog owners are very selfish.