Greyhounds Make Great Pets for the Right Family
Choosing a dog can be confusing – so many breeds, so many personalities. You may choose from shelters, from rescues, from breeders and (shudder) from pet stores. But no matter where you get your dog from, you have to make sure it’s the right breed (or mix) for you.
Greyhounds are often an overlooked breed. Many people don’t think of them as pets. Comments about greyhounds from those who don’t know them range from:
- They’re so ugly
- They need a LOT of exercise
- They’re too fragile to be pets
- They’re too vicious to be pets
- They’re only bred for racing
And that’s just a few of them. But – not one of them is true.
Ugly is in the eye of the beholder. But have you ever seen a greyhound run? A greyhound in motion is a thing of beauty. The muscles as they ripple, the joy on the dog’s face, it’s a joy to behold.
All dogs need exercise, some more than others. But the idea that greyhounds need a lot of exercise is quite wrong. Greyhounds are often called the 45-mile-per hour couch potatoes. When a greyhound is running full tilt, he or she can reach 45 miles per hour in a matter of strides. But greyhounds are sprinters and they don’t need a lot of exercise, usually. In fact, they make good apartment dogs – believe it or not. As long as they get their walks and are able to enjoy being outside, as well as relieve themselves, they’re happy.
Greyhounds aren’t a vicious breed. Like all dogs, there can be greys who react badly in certain situations – but often a dog’s behavior is a direct result of the way he or she has been treated.
When you adopt a greyhound, most often from a race track after they’ve retired or didn’t make it as a racer, you end up with a devoted, loving pet, who can bring you more love than you ever thought imagined.
How do I know? I was blessed by having two greyhounds live with our family and I’ve fostered. Oscar was our first greyhound. He came to us at two years old and lived with us for three years until he died at the age of five, of stomach cancer. Our 
next greyhound, Dee, was a brood mom. That means she was kept at the kennel to breed pups. She came to live with us at the age of nine years old after never having a family of her own. She was a great old lady – full of personality and love. She lived with us for 9 months and 17 days before she died. We didn’t have her for long, but at least she had a family for those last months.
If you’d like to learn about Oscar, I wrote a picture book about Oscar:
Oscar’s Diaries, Life as a Retired Greyhound
Ten percent of the sales of this book are donated to greyhound causes.
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We adopted a greyhound from greyhound rescue 6 years ago and we adore him. He is the sweetest dog we have ever met, and everyone who meets him agrees.
Walking him is always a great opportunity to spread the word on the benefits of greyhound rescue- they are the most loving, gentle dogs you could imagine. Don’t adopt a greyhound if you want a fierce guard dog… LOL…. they see the best in everyone, all the time, so they aren’t going to work as guard dogs. BUT, if you want a loving, charming, sweet dog, then greyhounds should definitely be on your list. PS: Forget about ever sitting on your couch again- greyhounds take up permanent residency on the couch, and fill it completely!