Swiss Valley Greyhound Rescue

Greyhounds as pets.

Swiss Valley Greyhound Rescue is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of ex-racing greyhounds into loving, responsible homes and as such at SVGR we aim to assess each greyhounds good points as well as his faults, to enable us to begin rehabilitation and/or placement into a suitable home.                           

 

Ex-racing greyhounds generally make ideal pets. They are undemanding, used to daily handling, people friendly, are non-aggressive, superb on the lead, and travel well in cars.  Some are naturally 'cat safe' and some can soon become used to small animals with de-training and a lot of patience, but like any other breed of dog some will never be.

 

 

 

It does take time for any greyhound to adjust to the totally new experience of your home. In general most greyhounds are very happily settled into their new home within about a month. I feel any problems encountered in the first month are normally due to misunderstandings (hound or human) and can be fairly easily corrected. If a dog starts to behave incorrectly after being well trained, then there is usually an underlying reason for the change. If a dog has a problem, then the faster it can be treated the easier it is to treat, so get help from SVGR as soon as possible.

Everyone at SVGR would sooner help you to solve the problem rather than have the dog returned.

 

Settling In.

Your greyhound may never have been in a house before so most noises and objects are strange and he will have no idea what is expected of him.

Many settle in as though they had always lived in a house!

 

 

Any unacceptable behaviour should be dealt with immediately. Simple scolding/raised voice and/or ignoring your hound will normally stop the undesired behavior, but it is important to find out why your greyhound misbehaved in the first place.

Ask yourself; did he misunderstand what was expected of him?

Did you misunderstand him?

Did you leave him alone too long unsupervised?

Or does he have a medical problem?

Below are a few of the more common problems (and possible solutions) that new owners may encounter.

 

Introducing the hound to the family.

Both my children have been fortunate enough to grow up with greyhounds as companions.

 

 

Greyhounds generally get on well with children and more often than not show the patience of a saint but children should be made aware that the hound is not a toy and when he is asleep he should be left well alone. Ensure your hound has a quiet safe area where they can go to, to escape the attentions of the children.

If you have a dog already it is best to introduce the new dog to the established dog on neutral ground and take them for a walk immediately, then bring them both indoors.

We believe it is a very good idea to bring your other dog to meet your prospective greyhound to find out how they are likely to get on. Some dogs take an instant dislike to each other but generally speaking a dog will get on well with a bitch and they are unlikely to fight.

It is important that each dog has their own bed to retire to, as not all dogs are happy to share.

When introducing your greyhound to the family cat your aim is to get them used to each other’s company whilst ensuring they don’t hurt each other.

The use of a muzzle is recommended and a relaxed environment is essential, I find that the use of the gates between rooms allows the animals to interact with each other but at their own pace. The cat can come and go as it pleases and the greyhound can sniff, see and if the cat becomes confident even touch. In the past I’ve had greyhounds straight off the track, very keen to chase anything fluffy, who once they’ve realized the cat is part of their pack will live quite happily with it but have still considered any other cat etc fair game.

Other greyhounds however could never ever be trusted with any cat no matter how much de-training was tried.

Making sure you tell SVGR in the first instance that you have a cat is essential when trying to match a hound to a new home.

 

Setting the rules.

If you don't want your greyhound to go upstairs, get on the bed or sit on the settee he should be made aware of this from the start. So it’s a rule that should be set before you bring your greyhound home and one that should be adhered to otherwise he will become confused about where he can and cannot go, which you may then mistake for bad behavior. Every member of the family should know the rules and stick to them, if one person doesn’t stick to the set rules then your hound will become confused and not know what is expected of him and he cannot then be held responsible for breaking them.

However, in the case of not letting your greyhound go upstairs some dogs accept you are going somewhere out of sight and that you will return, but others suffer anxiety and start to whine at the bottom of the stairs, so if the decision is not to let your dog upstairs you should show them around it once when they first arrive so they can 'smell' everywhere to get an understanding that when you go upstairs you are going somewhere they have checked out and they have no need to worry. If you don't do this, sooner or later they will get upstairs on their own and smell it out for themselves or will become anxious each time you disappear.

Another point to remember is that not all greyhounds are able or willing to walk up stairs, you will quite likely have to teach your hound how to go up and more importantly how to come down the stairs.

I know of several people who have come home to find their inquisitive greyhound stranded at the top of a flight of stairs, too scared to come back down.

Most greyhounds learn quite quickly with patience and persuasion, but a few are never able or happy to negotiate a flight of stairs.

 

 

 

Exercising.

It is important that when you take your greyhound out you keep him on a lead.

The collar should ideally only just allow 1 finger between the collar and neck. Greyhounds can reverse out of the tightest collars when it suits them and at the blink of an eye.

Use the muzzle you will be given until you know how your hound will react to strange dogs, cats and people while out walking. Most greyhounds are used to wearing a muzzle, so do not feel you are being cruel by using one to begin with.

Greyhounds have often only mixed with other greyhounds and will not necessarily know how to react to dogs that are smaller, yappy, even aggressive or just different to themselves, it is therefore better to be safe rather than sorry.

NEVER be tempted to let him off too soon and not until you have taught him recall and are sure he will come back to you when called.

 

 

Any new hound, whether rescued or not is somewhat of an unknown quantity and it may take quite a while to get to know him properly, so the point you decide it's safe to let him off the lead may take weeks, months, years or perhaps never, depending upon his temperament/progress and also your confidence.

At the point when you want to try him off the lead it may be best to find a small, enclosed field or area, such as a tennis court.

Make sure there are no other dogs or distractions around, show him you have a bag of treats the same as you used for teaching him recall and let him off. 

I like to use cubes of cheese, tinned hot dog sausages chopped into bite size pieces or some pieces of cooked chicken but each dog has a treat they find hard to resist it’s just a matter of finding it.

Often it's better to start doing this when there are two people for the first few times so you can call him from one to another, however, don't be surprised if he does a few huge circles of the field the first time you let him off the lead. It is just their way of letting off steam and I think it is also just the sheer enjoyment of running loose.

Generally each time you let them off after the first initial time, they will become less inclined to go quite so ‘loopy’.

 

House training.

Your new greyhound may, or may not be house trained.

Ex-racing greyhounds are generally ‘kennel clean’ so you are halfway there.

Dogs hate to soil their own beds, so a greyhound that has lived in a kennel will try hard to keep their area clean. In racing kennels greyhounds are generally let out into runs/paddocks at regular intervals and given daily exercise so they have plenty of opportunity to go to toilet.

What you need to do is to teach him that your house is now his new kennel and your garden is his 'run', where he needs to go toilet.

 

If your new greyhound has come from a foster home he will probably be house trained, or well on the way, depending upon how long he was in foster care. If you believe he is house trained be aware that when you take him home he needs time and understanding during the ‘settling in’ period and the odd 'accident' may well occur because he may be missing his foster family and be unsure of you and the new surroundings.

For the first few days treat him as if you are just beginning to house train him and let him out every couple of hours during the day whilst he is getting to know you and his new surroundings. Additionally, you will need to learn how he asks you that he needs to go out and he also needs time to show you. To begin with you will have to do the thinking for him.

When house training, watch the time and take him out at regular intervals.

Be calm, consistent and persevere with patience.

Don't shout or reprimand him.

If he starts to relieve himself in the house say 'No' firmly and take him by the collar and lead him out into the garden, wait for him to perform, I find it best to stay out with them until they get the hang of what you want them to do.

When he does something praise him profusely. If you stick to a routine of taking him out to the garden and are consistent, he will soon get the idea.

I have a ‘doggy door’ (a very large cat flap) whereby all my dogs have access to a safe area to go out and I find that almost every hound no matter their age or condition will readily go out to toilet.

Another point to remember is that a neutered male may need, up to 3 months for his hormone levels to subside and could therefore still feel the urge to mark his territory, perseverance and patience is needed but it does all come together in the end.

 

Feeding.

You may not be sure what he has been fed on nor how often, so don't be surprised if he seems a little 'loose' for the first few days whilst he is adjusting to his new home, routine and food.

Personally I feed a raw meat diet of tripe and biscuit, chicken wings etc but the choice is up to you.

Many people buy dry greyhound complete food designed for retired, resting, overweight and injured greyhounds, which you can order from your pet shop.

It's often best to feed him twice a day. It can be served dry but if you do then make sure he has plenty of fresh water to drink at all times or, it can be served with warm water to soften some of it leaving some dry to give a both soft and crunchy meal. A couple of spoons of tinned meat, put on top, invariably goes down well.

Be aware that if you serve the food very sloppy all the time a build-up of tartar will develop on his teeth causing gum infections, bad teeth, smelly breath and possible long-term liver and kidney problems.

A cod liver oil capsule with his breakfast each morning gives a lovely glossy coat and helps his joints, as he gets older. This is excellent for ex-racing greyhounds that may have suffered injuries, at some stage in their life before coming to you.

 

Greyhounds love dried pigs ears to chew on, although he may never have seen one in his previous environment, all my foster dogs get to love them. Dried pigs ears make a nice treat, reduce tartar and improve dental health.

Some dogs when they go to a new home have a spell of chewing, which usually disappears once the dog feels more settled. I find my foster dogs settle better when I go out or leave them, if they have a dried pig's ear to chew.

 

 

 

As greyhounds have long legs it’s best to raise their dish off the floor slightly. This reduces pressure on the front legs as they lean down to feed and helps prevent digestive problems, such as gastric torsion.

I use a household bucket, the stainless steel bowls I use fit into the top of these nicely, the bucket can be filled with sand etc to prevent it from falling over.

You can also use a step, block or chair instead. However, the ideal is a raised bowl that sits on a special stand, which can be adjusted to the height of your dog. These can be purchased from your pet shop or off the internet.

 

If your dog bolts his food down it may be because he's had to in the kennels to prevent other dogs from taking it from him. If yours does, you will probably find that in time he will slow down when he realises it's his food and that it won’t be taken from him. If you are concerned then split his daily food allocation into say four and feed him a smaller amount four times a day to start with, then into three meals and finally to his normal two.

NEVER feed your greyhound for at least an hour before or after exercise, as it can be very dangerous. Greyhounds have deep chests and if fed too soon after running or allowed to run too soon after feeding they could suffer from bloat (swelling of the stomach, like a balloon) and or gastric torsion (twisting of the stomach, extremely painful), which can prove fatal within an hour in some cases.

Veterinary assistance is needed urgently if you suspect your dog has bloat and/or gastric torsion.

 

Separation anxiety.

Greyhounds are kept with others whilst in kennels where they are usually surrounded by constant noise, people and other greyhounds. Whilst many hounds are happy to be left alone in their new home others find it a stressful and even a frightening experience.

 

Moving from a kennel to a home environment is full of new experiences, which we humans take for granted but some hounds find frightening to begin with. A hound is a pack animal and slots into the pack under the pack leader. They look to the pack leader for guidance in what to do and how to behave, making them feel secure and providing them with a food supply. In a home environment the person who does the feeding is generally regarded as the pack leader and therefore has the task of providing guidance and security, this is what the hound needs to avoid separation anxiety. Hounds often show this insecurity by destructiveness, barking, howling and chewing when they are left, as far as they’re concerned the pack leader has gone.

Supposedly a dog can't tell the difference between a minute, an hour, a day or never (I’m sure some of mine can tell the time!) and they become stressed because they think you have gone, never to return, so you need to reassure him.

When a greyhound becomes a family pet they need to feel safe and secure in the knowledge that you will always be there for them and if you go somewhere without them you will come back. If left on their own in the early days they can sometimes experience this 'separation anxiety' because they don't know if you are coming back or not. To minimise this, arrange to be home for the first few days and during this time leave him alone for short periods at a time starting with say 2 then 5 minutes. Do this a few times each day and slowly build up the time over a period of days, or weeks to leaving them for about 3 hours. To begin with, just go into the garden but keep out of sight and sound, so you can see and hear how they react when you leave.

Don't make a fuss when you leave, because that will confirm he has a reason to fear something, just walk out the door. If he begins to whine as soon as you disappear it is important NOT to return until he is quiet, otherwise you are reinforcing the idea that being noisy brings you back and this will make matters worse. When you do go back in greet him (but not a huge fuss) as if it's perfectly normal for you to go out and come back. When you go out DON'T shut him in one room with the door shut because this will increase his panic. Let him have access to the house or at least the downstairs. If you want him restricted to one room invest in a children's safety gate, I’m lucky to have a husband who has become a dab hand at stable doors for all the downstairs rooms, this will confine him to one room but not make him feel 'locked' in. Try to build up the time he is left very slowly, which may seem like a mammoth task to get from five minutes to four hours but once he gets the idea that you are always coming back it will happen very quickly.

I’ve found that if they are going to exhibit separation anxiety they usually do so within the first 30 minutes of you leaving them, so if you can get them to 30 minutes they should be okay for longer periods.

Some people find leaving a jacket or jumper they’ve been wearing on a chair or in the dogs bed, helps their dog to settle as it contains their scent, which acts as a calming influence, almost as if the dog knows you will be coming back because your item of clothing is there.

One of our adopters suggests putting one of your old t-shirts (unwashed) on your hound.

It worked for his hound, thanks Julian.