Retired Racing Greyhounds

In Loving Memory
of
BB's Fly Catcher (1999-2010)
&
Kiowa Boyd Barry (2007-2013)
Run free, boys.

Greyhounds are the fastest dogs on earth, capable of reaching up to 45 miles per hour in just three strides! They can sustain speeds of 30 mph for as much as a mile, but greyhounds are sprinters -- not long-distance runners. They are not "hyper" or extremely active dogs -- just the opposite!

Although they do love to stretch their long legs with a good run, greyhounds often actually need less exercise than most large dog breeds. Greyhounds are sprinters, not long-distance runners, so a 20-minute walk each day will usually do them fine, with the occasional rip-roaring play session. In fact, many greyhound owners will tell you that their retired racers become quite lazy, once their racing days are done! They truly enjoy snoozing on a soft bed or mat for most of the day, and many retired racing greyhounds live very happily in city apartments and suburbs as well as in country homes.

Obviously, all dogs are individuals within a breed, so you will find a few higher-energy greyhounds among the couch potatoes, especially when they're young. I have one of each type, right now - a cute and feisty little female greyhound who loves to go on long hikes with me, and a big super-gentle male greyhound to cuddle up with on the couch. Perfect!

As members of the Sighthound family of dog breeds, greyhounds are characterized by their lean and muscular build, deep chests, and powerful hindquarters.

The neck is long and muscular, carrying a long-nosed elegant head. The rosette ears are normally carried flat against the head but they can stand at attention to indicate interest or alarm. Long tails are carried low and slightly curved. Greyhounds are lean by nature, with very low body fat, and at first may seem undernourished to people who are not accustomed to seeing these athletic dogs in a home setting.

The American Kennel Club breed standard gives the size range for AKC "show dog" greyhounds as 65 - 70 pounds for dogs (males) and 60 - 65 pounds for bitches (females). Racers are judged on their speed and spirit, not their appearance, however, so there is a greater range of sizes among racers registered with the National Greyhound Association (NGA) racing industry organization than there is with the "show dog" strains of greyhounds.

It's not uncommon to see a large male greyhound with a lean racing weight of 80 pounds, for example, though I've had two who were so big-boned that they easily carried a retirement weight of 95 without being an ounce overweight, while the very small female I have right now is still only 58 lbs though two years since she last raced. Similarly, a greyhound's height at the shoulder can range from 25 to 30 inches or so. Basically, whatever size of dog (from medium, to large, to extra-large) you prefer, there's probably an ex-racer of just that size, ready to be adopted!

Greyhound ancestors living in the wild did not need to rely on colouring for camouflage, as their great speed let them catch prey and escape from predators. As a result, the greyhound's short-haired coat may be almost any colour or combination of colours - not just grey!

Eighteen "official colours" are recognized by the American Greyhound Track Operators (AGTO), but more than three times that number are listed by Greyhound-Data, an international database site for greyhound pedigree and race records information. Oddly enough, grey (called "blue") is the colour that is most rare -- only one in about 500,000 greyhounds are actually grey!

As with any breed of dog, some individual retired racing greyhounds are better with children than others - and of course kids and dogs need to be supervised AT ALL TIMES, no matter what breed of dog it is. Retired racing greyhounds will typically have had very little experience with children, in their life at the track, so may be skittish, scared, uncertain, or just overly playful with your little ones at first. In general, "if the child is good with the greyhound, the greyhound will be good with the child."

Certainly, you'll want to do some good solid training right from Day One with your new pet, to make sure the child and the dog both understand the "rules of engagement" -- for the happiness and safety of everyone. The adoption groups I've worked with, and our local SPCA shelter, follow the DogGone Safe bite-prevention program and often do presentations in local schools, based on their excellent "Be a Tree" program, flashcards to teach dog body language, and other resources. If you're thinking of adopting a dog of any breed, do take a look at www.doggonesafe.com for lots of good advice.

I'm a huge fan of clicker training for retired racing greyhounds and other rescue or shelter dogs. It seems to build confidence in the dog as he learns to solve problems, make choices about his behaviour, and "learn to learn" - all the while, creating a strong bond between dog and handler.

To find a clicker trainer in your area, check with the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) if you're in the United States, or with the Canadian Association of Professional Pet Dog Trainers (CAPPDT) if you're in Canada. In other countries, your best bet is to look for someone who has been through either the Canis Clickertraining Academy or Karen Pryor's clicker training program.

If there is no clicker training facility in your area, don't worry, you can still do clicker training with your ex-racer! There are also many excellent books and online training programs that can help you learn to train your own dog.

Unfortunately, there is also a lot of rather poor advice out there, as well - choose carefully, and step quickly away from any training that uses the old-fashioned "leash jerk" or similar "corrections" based on the outdated "dominance" theory. This type of harsh training methods can be downright dangerous for both you and your greyhound.

When choosing a dog training method to follow, ask yourself, "Is this something I would do to my small child?" If the answer is NO, find yourself a new trainer or training program.

In general, positive, reward-based dog training is the approach advocated by most greyhound rescues and adoption groups, as the kindest and most effective approach to re- training your ex-racer to be a companion animal.

Lots of people say that their dogs "don't like" wearing paw protectors -- they kick them off, or simply refuse to let their owner put the boots on their feet in the first place, wiggling and pulling the feet away.

Fortunately, with a bit of patience -- and some good dog treats! -- you can train a greyhound to wear winter boots quite easily, especially if you choose to clicker train your greyhound.

The key is not to rush the process, so you and your pup don't get all stressed out, and to make the boot-wearing experience a pleasant and rewarding one for your greyhound. When he learns to associate the boots with getting treats or with going outside to play, before long he'll be cool with sporting footwear.

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Adoptions are most often arranged through a local non-profit adoption group that works directly with tracks and racing kennels to match up newly retired greyhounds with their new homes and families.

These adoption agencies also serve as a great social circle and network of experience, advice, and support to new adopters in helping a greyhound make the transition from life at the track.

International List of Greyhound Adoption Groups
The Adoption Agency Directory from The Greyhound Project, Inc. lists a huge number of greyhound adoption groups in every corner of the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe including groups in Belgium, England, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, and Wales.

The group I work with is Greyhound Pets of Atlantic Canada, serving the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland.