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In the Simpsons dog thread, there has been some discussion about greyhounds. I didn't want to be a complete ass of a threadjacker, so I thought I would start a new discussion.
As I mentioned, my sister's job in the UK has her working with dogs a lot, and when a friend of mine had a question about dogs, specifically greyhounds, I asked Lil Sis for her input.
Thought it would be cool to post what she had to say, and let others with experience and information on this topic to weigh in as well.
Regarding greyhounds and adopting them, here is what Lil Sis had to say (with some very minor editing on my part, due to some things being relevant just to my friend's questions):
"So, some thoughts on greyhounds and dogs like them:* Caveat: Every dog is an individual, so all generalisations you find below about a particular breed should be understood to be generalisations and may not apply to every individual of that breed.
Greyhounds make excellent pets. They are beautiful, graceful, full of character, generally very affectionate and gentle, and simply charming dogs to be around. They are generally tall dogs, but lightly built, so they don't weigh a ton and therefore don't have as high a food bill as other large dogs. They tend to have very thin skin which can easily get torn; this is not so much something to worry about (unless you are inordinately squeamish) as simply something to be aware of. Greyhounds are often called "the 40mph couch potato" because they can move incredibly quickly - but, give them two good walks a day and the rest of the time you're likely to find them sprawled out on the couch. Ideally, at least one of their two daily walks will include a chance for them to have a good sprint in a safe area. All sighthounds have a tendency to have a strong prey drive (although it should be noted this is not always the case; I've known greyhounds who don't chase cats or other small fuzzies), so this is something a potential owner should be aware of. If a greyhound with a high prey drive is off-lead and sees a deer, a rabbit, or anything else that triggers his chase instinct, you will be hard pressed to get him back. Therefore it is essential that greyhound owners train their dogs to have a very good recall. Greyhounds tend to avoid many of the health woes that some other purebreeds have, but with such long legs and such a love of running, it's not unheard of for them to have accidents where they can suffer broken bones or other limb damage. Also, as a deep-chested breed, greyhounds can suffer from bloat (twisting of the stomach), a life-threatening situation which, if spotted and treated straight away, they can recover from. It's easy to avoid this in any deep-chested dog by feeding two or three small meals a day rather than one large meal.
Italian greyhounds are essentially a toy breed of greyhound. They have been bred down in size and are rather delicate. If you're looking for a dog who is basically a greyhound but smaller, then might I suggest instead a Whippet or a Lurcher? (More on these below.) Whippets and Lurchers are just a bit more doggy than Italian greyhounds.
Whippets are very similar to greyhounds, but smaller. They are not as tiny as Italian greyhounds and they are more sturdy and less delicate. Everything said about greyhounds above would also apply to the whippet. In the UK, whippets have been known as "the poor man's racehorse."
I know my way around dogs pretty well, but had never heard of a lurcher until I came to the UK. I'm sure they exist in the States (though they may not be as prevalent as in the UK, where they are abundant), but it's possible they are called by a different name, perhaps even just "greyhound cross" or "crossbreed". Lurchers are any sighthound crossed with any other type of dog, but usually lurchers come from a cross of a greyhound with either a collie or a terrier. Because of this crossing, there is a huge variety of sizes, shapes and descriptions for lurchers. They can be as small as a whippet or as big as a greyhound, or anywhere in between. They can have short hair like a greyhound or wiry hair like a terrier, or occasionally longish hair like a collie. They come in tan, black, white, cream, blue, red and brindle. By and large, their temperament is very similar to that of a greyhound, though of course, as with any dog, so much depends on their upbringing. I would recommend you do a Google Image search under the term Lurcher and you'll see the wide variety of dogs that fall under this heading.
Now, if you have a job that requires you to be away from home for long hours, and don't have anyone who can walk your dog, very few dogs would be comfortable (or healthy) crossing their legs for that amount of time, so a dog-door and a very secure yard would be a must. You may be very hard-pressed to find a dog-door that your average greyhound will fit through, so in such situations you'd be better served looking for a whippet or lurcher. Even though he'd have access to the yard during the day, he would still need two walks a day. This is very important, as greyhounds, whippets and lurchers are all athletic dogs and they do need their walks, for both mental and physical stimulation. You'll also want to make sure the yard is very secure, as most sighthounds are rather intelligent beasts and some of them do seem to have springs in their feet! It should be mentioned as well, if you live in a very hot climate, that all sighthounds are thin-skinned with very low amounts of fat on them, and are therefore more likely to get easily dehydrated than some other dogs. Therefore it's important in hot climates never to leave him outside all day but also to make sure you have water when you go for walks.
Finally, I would strongly recommend having a look at www.petfinder.com as they are an excellent resource for finding dogs looking for homes near you."
Hope that helps anyone thinking about adopting a greyhound. I myself have never had a dog, and am not much of a dog guy per se, preferring cats, but if I were to get a dog, the temperment of the greyhound is one that would sit rather well with me.
As I mentioned, my sister's job in the UK has her working with dogs a lot, and when a friend of mine had a question about dogs, specifically greyhounds, I asked Lil Sis for her input.
Thought it would be cool to post what she had to say, and let others with experience and information on this topic to weigh in as well.
Regarding greyhounds and adopting them, here is what Lil Sis had to say (with some very minor editing on my part, due to some things being relevant just to my friend's questions):
"So, some thoughts on greyhounds and dogs like them:* Caveat: Every dog is an individual, so all generalisations you find below about a particular breed should be understood to be generalisations and may not apply to every individual of that breed.
Greyhounds make excellent pets. They are beautiful, graceful, full of character, generally very affectionate and gentle, and simply charming dogs to be around. They are generally tall dogs, but lightly built, so they don't weigh a ton and therefore don't have as high a food bill as other large dogs. They tend to have very thin skin which can easily get torn; this is not so much something to worry about (unless you are inordinately squeamish) as simply something to be aware of. Greyhounds are often called "the 40mph couch potato" because they can move incredibly quickly - but, give them two good walks a day and the rest of the time you're likely to find them sprawled out on the couch. Ideally, at least one of their two daily walks will include a chance for them to have a good sprint in a safe area. All sighthounds have a tendency to have a strong prey drive (although it should be noted this is not always the case; I've known greyhounds who don't chase cats or other small fuzzies), so this is something a potential owner should be aware of. If a greyhound with a high prey drive is off-lead and sees a deer, a rabbit, or anything else that triggers his chase instinct, you will be hard pressed to get him back. Therefore it is essential that greyhound owners train their dogs to have a very good recall. Greyhounds tend to avoid many of the health woes that some other purebreeds have, but with such long legs and such a love of running, it's not unheard of for them to have accidents where they can suffer broken bones or other limb damage. Also, as a deep-chested breed, greyhounds can suffer from bloat (twisting of the stomach), a life-threatening situation which, if spotted and treated straight away, they can recover from. It's easy to avoid this in any deep-chested dog by feeding two or three small meals a day rather than one large meal.
Italian greyhounds are essentially a toy breed of greyhound. They have been bred down in size and are rather delicate. If you're looking for a dog who is basically a greyhound but smaller, then might I suggest instead a Whippet or a Lurcher? (More on these below.) Whippets and Lurchers are just a bit more doggy than Italian greyhounds.
Whippets are very similar to greyhounds, but smaller. They are not as tiny as Italian greyhounds and they are more sturdy and less delicate. Everything said about greyhounds above would also apply to the whippet. In the UK, whippets have been known as "the poor man's racehorse."
I know my way around dogs pretty well, but had never heard of a lurcher until I came to the UK. I'm sure they exist in the States (though they may not be as prevalent as in the UK, where they are abundant), but it's possible they are called by a different name, perhaps even just "greyhound cross" or "crossbreed". Lurchers are any sighthound crossed with any other type of dog, but usually lurchers come from a cross of a greyhound with either a collie or a terrier. Because of this crossing, there is a huge variety of sizes, shapes and descriptions for lurchers. They can be as small as a whippet or as big as a greyhound, or anywhere in between. They can have short hair like a greyhound or wiry hair like a terrier, or occasionally longish hair like a collie. They come in tan, black, white, cream, blue, red and brindle. By and large, their temperament is very similar to that of a greyhound, though of course, as with any dog, so much depends on their upbringing. I would recommend you do a Google Image search under the term Lurcher and you'll see the wide variety of dogs that fall under this heading.
Now, if you have a job that requires you to be away from home for long hours, and don't have anyone who can walk your dog, very few dogs would be comfortable (or healthy) crossing their legs for that amount of time, so a dog-door and a very secure yard would be a must. You may be very hard-pressed to find a dog-door that your average greyhound will fit through, so in such situations you'd be better served looking for a whippet or lurcher. Even though he'd have access to the yard during the day, he would still need two walks a day. This is very important, as greyhounds, whippets and lurchers are all athletic dogs and they do need their walks, for both mental and physical stimulation. You'll also want to make sure the yard is very secure, as most sighthounds are rather intelligent beasts and some of them do seem to have springs in their feet! It should be mentioned as well, if you live in a very hot climate, that all sighthounds are thin-skinned with very low amounts of fat on them, and are therefore more likely to get easily dehydrated than some other dogs. Therefore it's important in hot climates never to leave him outside all day but also to make sure you have water when you go for walks.
Finally, I would strongly recommend having a look at www.petfinder.com as they are an excellent resource for finding dogs looking for homes near you."
Hope that helps anyone thinking about adopting a greyhound. I myself have never had a dog, and am not much of a dog guy per se, preferring cats, but if I were to get a dog, the temperment of the greyhound is one that would sit rather well with me.
So far they have been lucky since then (the "pup" is now about 4 years old, I think).
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