Greyhounds

By: Gemma A.

If you’re looking for a loyal, loving, and elegant companion, let me introduce you to the retired racing
Greyhound. These long legged, ‘needle nosed’ dogs are well known for their gentle nature and soulful
eyes.

From the farm where they are born to the race tracks where they demonstrate their incredible speed,
Greyhounds have a unique upbringing that results in a well adjusted, well socialized dog. These
beautiful creatures are used to being handled by people and have lived with other Greyhounds from the
moment of their birth. This is credited with producing the sweet, friendly nature that Greyhound owners know and love. It also means that, by the time a Greyhound retires from their athletic career, they are
already well socialized companions.

Many people think that such athletic dogs are high energy. In fact, Greyhounds are known for being
quite the opposite! As sprinters, they are used to one short burst of activity, followed by long periods of
rest. In fact, Greyhounds are often called the ’45mph couch potatoes’ in reference to their top speed and
ability to sleep the day away! It’s also believed that, due to their natural prey drive (due to their original role as hunting dogs), Greyhounds are not good with cats or small dogs. To the contrary, many Greyhounds live happily with other animals and prove to be very gentle with the smaller creatures in their household.

Due to their speed and love of running, a Greyhound should never be allowed off leash in an un-fenced
area. If you have a fenced in yard or are committed to walking your new friend on a leash, you will
have no problems. Greyhounds make excellent walking and hiking companions, and are a delight to
take out and about due to their sweet and inquisitive nature. You’ll find yourself stopped by many
curious people who want to ask you about the elegant dog at your side!

For more information on Greyhounds, please consider the following links:

Adoption:

http://www.greyhoundadoption.org/
http://www.secondchancegreyhounds.org/
http://greyhounds2.org/
http://greyhoundcrossroads.com/

Racing and adoption facts:
http://www.greyhoundfacts.org/