| momXs3 |
| Posted 5/1/2008 12:09:36 PM |
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Active: 04-30-2008
Posts: 1
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hi! 
So I have 3 kids; 10, 6 and 1 /12 yrs old. The older two have been begging for a Dog for years now.
Over the years my husband and I have ran into a handfull of people that have had, or knows somebody that had a Greyhound and they have all said the same thing; "they make great family dogs, especially the retired racers."
We have started to look into getting a Greyhound and I've found a few different sites that have told me a little bit about the breed. However some of what they say about a Greyhound being a family Dog is kinda, off from one site to the next. So I decided to get the thoughts of some Greyhound owners, and here I am.
One site made it sound like they, the greyhounds, are great w kids of all ages. Another said that they are really good w "older" children, but if you have "younger" kids the the Dog should be keep in it's cage/kennel while the kids are playing and if any of their friends come over. Then a 3rd made it sound like I could never leave the Dog in the same room with the kids if I'm not there.
Also, I'm mixed up about a Greyhound being in the back yard for potty/play time. One site was pretty much like the Dog will be just peachy as long as you have a fence. While a 2nd made it sound as tho, fence or not you had better keep him on the leash. And yet a 3rd seem to say as long as you have a "tall" fence then it's fine. (we have a "med" sized yard with a 5 or 6 ft fence around it.)
Other than that Greyhounds seem like a really good dog.
Oh, one more thing. I live in CO, yesterday it was 75 adn sunny and now today it is 45 and snowing.(Ahh, Spring in CO.) How do Greyhounds hould up in weather like this, 75 one day and 45 the next? And how do they do for potty/play time in the cold and wet weather? One thing that all 3 of the sites agreed on is that Greyhounds are "inside" dogs, so that being said, for the cold and wet days here in CO should he (the dog) have a doggy rain coat or something? I know that sounds like a lame question, but I want to try to know as much as I can before getting a Dog of anytype, especially as I'm a stay-at-home mom so I would be doing most of the caring for him.
So, any insight would be very helpful and also if you know any good sites or books that would help me out, then please just let me know.
Thank you all for taking a little bit of time to help me out and sorry for making this so long.
momXs3
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| moggie |
| Posted 5/1/2008 1:45:56 PM |
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Active: 09-01-2005
Posts: 410
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i am not a greyhound owner and never have or will be, however, this is what i know. i would first go to the library and check out a book on greyhounds. read it cover to cover. i have a friend in florida who rescued 2 greyhounds from the track. they were very sweet and docile but stubborne. while she did have a bit of trouble with the training , their loving, sweet attitudes was worth it. she made them a fake greyhound track in the back yard. it was the coolest thing....a little fence about 3ft wide inside the parimeter of the regulaf fence. and decorated it just like a greyhound racing park. she had to do this because the greyhounds NEVER quit walking the parimerer of the fence until these was no grass left. there is a family close by us who raises greyhounds for the track. many. they live outside in all temps with very very long runs and Dog houses if this helps you at all with the temp thing. i think they do well indoors. i myself, would never keep any Dog outside in inclement weather. good luck. |
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| maligirl1 |
| Posted 5/1/2008 1:46:05 PM |
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Active: 12-14-2007
Posts: 371
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i don't know that much about the health part of a greyhound except that they can be prone to thyroid issues.i know two people that hAVE ADOPTED two greyhounds and both of them are on thyroid meds.these 2 are definately inside dogs.they will go outside in the cold but only for very little amts at a time.and if it's raining forget about it.fences are a must for these dogs as they do like to run.on the plus side-they are some of the most loyal,playful(once they get used to playing),loving dogs i have ever come across.good luck |
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| emlee3 |
| Posted 5/1/2008 2:32:13 PM |
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Active: 02-11-2006
Posts: 2084
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Quote momXs3: hi!
So I have 3 kids; 10, 6 and 1 /12 yrs old. The older two have been begging for a Dog for years now.
Over the years my husband and I have ran into a handfull of people that have had,... |
if you wan to know more about the breed first hand maybe contact a rescue group. |
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| APBTlover |
| Posted 6/3/2008 11:23:40 PM |
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Active: 08-15-2005
Posts: 2280
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okay, i know this thread is a little old and i don't know if the OP is around anymore..but i wanted to give it a shot.
greyhounds can be wonderful dogs. almost every greyhound rescue will NOT adopt one out to a family with children under the age of 8.
at first they can be very hard to housebreak..if a retired racer.
having a 1 1/2 yr old and a greyhound is not the greatest idea in the world, the rescue's say that it is because the child and Dog are on the same level.
i had one around one of my kids when he was 2 and she turned very aggressive with the child from time to time. one time she took food from the child, when he defended she tried to attack his face. when i contacted the rescue they said they dont do well w/young children.
also retired racers have a high chase instinct...a small child could be hurt if that instinct kicked in at the wrong moment.
maybe if you want a greyhound you can adopt or buy one that is a pup and not a racer.
good luck |
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| velmadobe |
| Posted 6/4/2008 2:18:25 PM |
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Active: 03-15-2006
Posts: 299
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Quote momXs3: hi!
So I have 3 kids; 10, 6 and 1 /12 yrs old. The older two have been begging for a Dog for years now.
Over the years my husband and I have ran into a handfull of people that have had,... |
I have owned a retired racing Greyhound. Marlowe had just turned 4 when we adopted him and had been on the track for 2 1/2 years. He died at age 11 of kidney failure.
At the time, we did not have children - just a 1 year old Doberman bitch.
Marlowe was crate trained, but not housebroken. I will say that with 100 % supervision, he was housebroken in one week. He had a wonderful temperament and became a registered Therapy Dog - visiting a nursing home on a regular basis till he was 10 years old.
Although he was a very good dog, he was not very tolerant of my children when they came along. He was 6 years old when my first was born, and 8 when the second came along. The toddler years were diffucult in that I had to make sure he had a "safe" place to go to be away from the kids. He never bit either of them, but I was very much aware of the potentail for it and supervised all interactions.
The organization we adoped Marlowe from would not adopt out to people with children under the age of 7 - and after having children myself I can see why they had this policy. I currently do some volunteer work for a Doberman Rescue and find that most rescues do have restrictions on children in a home. They do this in the best interest of both the children and the dog.
There are some good books out there about adopting the racing Greyhound. They are a nice mellow Dog once they are mature. |
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