Your greyhound adoption questions answered
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes they do, they are often referred to as ‘40mph couch potatoes’ and are generally very laid back and even tempered. They are very adaptable, easy going and faithful companions.
Generally they are quite lazy and love a good snooze, most are happy with two twenty minute walks a day although they can build up their stamina to enjoy longer walks with the right personality (one of our adopters has a greyhound that happily does 10 mile plus walks).
They sometimes need a little help learning to live in a home as they have never usually lived anywhere other than in kennels (often in luxury), so things like the TV, hoover and stairs that we take for granted are all new to them, but they adapt fairly quickly and their characters start to blossom after a few weeks.
Please call 07538 935608 to arrange a visit to kennels to meet potential greyhounds, we’ll ask you some lifestyle questions so we can try and match you to the right greyhound (such as other pets, family members, how active you are).
Kennel visit – please bring along any family members including any other dogs that live with you, it’s important that everyone gets along together .If you find a suitable match next we’ll arrange a home visit – this is not a test and we aren’t there to inspect your home! It’s to check that your home/garden is safe and suitable for a greyhound, it always allows us to have a chat and you can ask us any questions you might have and we’ll try and give you some advice on how to settle in your new greyhound.
Arrange to collect your new family member from kennels, at this point we’ll have the paperwork ready for you to sign and you’ll need to make your donation of £190. All greyhounds come with a walking collar and lead, house collar, muzzle and they are all up to date with vaccinations and flea and worm treatment and are neutered.
We always like to make sure our greyhounds and families are getting along, so we’ll give you a quick call after a week or so and then a follow-up home check at around 6-8 weeks. We are always on hand at any point if you have any questions or are uncertain of something relating to your new greyhound. We are here to help!
Most greyhounds will live quite happily with children with careful adult supervision and introduction, especially in the early days.
Advice is given depending on the age of the child but as a general rule, your greyhound needs time to adjust and especially with very young children the greyhound needs a safe quiet place.
Children need to learn not to disturb the dog whilst sleeping/resting or climb in the dog bed, hang on their neck or try to pull around by collar. Greyhounds soon learn children are a great source of food and will become your child’s lifelong best friend.
It is your choice, and you may be experienced from feeding another greyhound or dog previously, but most greyhounds are fed on kibble (dried food) and are fed according to weight.
Some people like to add fish oil once a week to help keep the shine to their coat, some others also choose to feed a mix of wet/dry food and some feed raw.
It is important to keep the protein levels of whatever you feed to be around 20-24%.
They need access to clean fresh water at all times too so you’ll need a bowl for each.
No! Most greyhounds will be happy sleeping upon a folded duvet if you want to buy a ‘proper’ bed make sure it’s big enough for your greyhound.
It is your choice where they sleep so decide your house rules where they are allowed – they are brilliant at taking up a large spot on your sofa if you let them….
Some greyhounds can suffer from separation anxiety, they are usually always kenneled with other dogs and are used to company so being on their own in a strange environment suddenly can cause then to pant, pace and be anxious.
However with the right training, this can be prevented and often reversed, we recommend training your greyhound to be left alone fairly quickly so it becomes normal to them and start at 5 minutes and build up slowly.
In terms of characteristics no not really – they all have their own personalities!
The main difference is that female greyhounds tend to be a little bit smaller than males – but they can all hog the sofa the same!
Not as such, greyhounds are very clean in their kennels and are usually quick to learn their new toilet routine as long as you show them clearly from the beginning, sometimes accidents do happen while you are both learning to live with each other.
This depends on the character of your greyhound and we will always give you advice on this, we advise leaving a muzzle on for at least the first two weeks and until they have been well socialized with other breeds of dogs, there is no harm in leaving it on longer until you are confident of their reactions to other animals – they are used to wearing a muzzle for walks and exercise at kennels for their safety (they have thin skin).
It depends – some greyhounds feel the cold more than others and as a rule greyhounds have low body fat, delicate skin and sleek fur and feel the changes in temperature more than another dog would.
They will also get hotter quicker as well as cold as they find it hard to cool down quickly. There are a vast array of options available if you decide to purchase one or many – a good one to start with is a waterproof coat with our rainy climate.
We recommend 2 x 20 minute walks a day especially to start with, greyhounds a built for short bursts of speed rather than stamina.
Many will be content with that level of exercise, if you do want to walk further please build this up slowly and allow their muscles to adapt to the change in routine.
As with any dog you need to train them and get them to understand recall and coming back to you, I would advise letting them settle in and to learn their name before starting any training and always practice in a safe enclosed space until you are very confident they will return.
Some greyhounds are not suitable to be let off their lead in an unenclosed area dependent on their chase instinct (it was what they are trained for) and all greyhounds are usually happy to walk on a lead.
We do NOT recommend extendable leads as they can cause severe injury due to the speeds greyhounds can reach.
We don’t have any set restrictions but your situation may influence the dogs we recommend to you.
We have rehomed greyhounds to flats with outside space, homes with children, other pets and people that do work.
If you aren’t sure if your situation might not be the right one please call us and have a chat and we’ll be able to advise you from there.
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07538935608 or send us a message on Instagram or Facebook and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!