When people think of rescuing a dog, sometimes they will be blind to any particular breed. At other times, they will look for a way to rescue their favorite type of dog. Greyhounds – especially the ones who made their living by racing – are in need of wonderful forever homes as well as any other breed.
This breed was created to hunt by outrunning prey. It was, therefore, are reasonable extension of that ability to put Greyhounds on a racing track. Here’s some information about adopting Greyhounds and giving them a forever home.
Abut Greyhounds
When doing sprint racing, Greyhounds can average about 45 miles an hour. If they’re running a distance – say a mile or two – they can still an average about 30 miles an hour. The next time you’re driving down the street, go 30 miles an hour and see how fast that would be for a dog.
Greyhounds have been described as having the strength of an athlete with the grace of a dancer. Their coats are short and smooth and come in a variety of colors. Because of this, they don’t require a lot of grooming.
Important Information
While a Greyhound is very similar to any other dog breed, if they are retired racing Greyhounds they have some unique characteristics that you should know about.
If this dog was raised to race, he will have been raised with a lot of other dogs of the same breed, so he will tend to be well socialized with both dogs and people. When you bring your Greyhound home, however, he will probably follow you around a lot looking to you for leadership.
If you find that your Greyhound is insecure or shy, it’s important not to foster that behavior by avoiding any situation that could upset her.
With a racing Greyhound, they have rarely been without the company of other racing Greyhounds and, also, never had the chance to be a puppy. You may find that your rescue a Greyhound acts out somewhat but with training you can correct that behavior. What they haven’t learned, you can show them how to do.
Because they are trained to run, you may find that your rescue Greyhound is happy to chase anything anywhere. Because of this, you may want to make sure she doesn’t run herself and ragged before you have a chance to get her home to rest.
Adopting a retired racing Greyhound can enhance your life and give them the retirement they so richly deserve.
Read more about adopting Greyhounds at the National Greyhound Adoption Program’s website.
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
