Greyhounds make wonderful pets.

Contrary to popular belief, greyhounds are very quiet and lazy dogs. They are lovingly known as “45 mph couch potatoes”.

Greyhounds do love to run, but they do so in very fast, short bursts of speed. On the race track, they run at full speed for about 30 seconds; then they are rested for a few days. They expend most of their energy in these short spurts.

Greyhounds as pets are no different. When they run, it is usually in very fast, very short spurts of energy after which they go into the house and sleep for the remainder of the day. For the most part, greyhounds do not need to be run or walked on a daily basis. If you like to walk daily, or even more than once a day, they would be excited and happy to go with you. On the other hand, if it is your preference to walk once or twice a week, they are equally happy to go with you on those walks. Unlike other breeds, they do not become excitable or destructive if not walked daily. Whatever your schedule, it is there schedule too.

If you like to jog, they would love to jog with you, however they would need to be trained for endurance running much as we do. One cannot expect a sprinter to become an endurance runner upon command…endurance training is required.

Greyhounds as pets are perfect. The majority of them are very quiet, rarely bark, are very well behaved, are already leash trained when you adopt them, are very loving, shed very little, are very clean, and are sensitive to your likes and needs.

They are large, very gentle, sweet-natured dogs that adapt very easily to your lifestyle. With a short adjustment period, they will learn your schedule and adapt. They are creatures of habit and thrive on routine; they’ll let you know when you go off schedule. We have adopted three ex-racing greyhounds and each has their own personality.

• One is extremely smart and picks up habits and adjusts to new routines very quickly.
• Our female is alpha, meaning she “rules the pack” but in a very subtle and dignified manner. She has a “whatever” and “I love life” attitude.
• Our oldest greyhound is very routine orientated. We feed them at 8:00 every morning and again at 5:00 p.m. Everyday, if we aren’t out of bed by 7:30 he “talks” to us until one of us gets up and again, by 4:30 he is vocalizing to us that it is almost mealtime.

• greyhounds are not usually demanding of attention, but love to receive it.
• strangers will often find greyhounds to be reserved or even aloof.
• greyhounds are a very intelligent and adaptable breed.
• greyhounds are very tolerant and are generally very good around children, however, keep in mind that they are not the 'rough and tumble' type of playmate.
• greyhounds are very social and will usually get along well with other dogs and other household pets.
• it is very important that potential adoptive homes with cats or small animals ensure that they are not getting a 'high prey' greyhound. Cats are unknown to greyhounds so care must be taken to ensure that they will adapt to a household with cats; a small percentage of greyhounds have a high “prey drive” and can never be trusted around cats or small animals.
• greyhounds have some special medical requirements relating to a sensitivity to anaesthetics, pesticides and some medicines, their “internals” are not exactly the same as other breeds (e.g. they have an enlarged heart…), their lab results are slightly different than other breeds.
• greyhounds must never be allowed off-leash except in an totally fenced-in area because of their speed capability and the unlikelihood of returning on recall.
• tying a greyhound with a rope or chain, or attaching it to a pulley, is also totally inappropriate and potentially life threatening.
• greyhounds have a short fine coat that is almost silk-like in texture. They do not require frequent bathing and unlike other breeds, they have no “doggie odor”.

• greyhounds are gentle, docile dogs that thrive on human attention. They tend to bond quickly and often follow their owner from room to room.
• greyhounds are intelligent and sensitive.
• greyhounds do not require much exercise. Greyhounds are outstanding athletes, but as sprinters not distance runners. They have limited energy stores.
• greyhounds are content with as much exercise as you are willing to give them. Ideally, they do very well on 3-4 walks a week but will adapt to more or less.
• greyhounds are content to curl up on a soft bed and sleep most of the day.
• greyhounds are very social dogs and adapt easily to living with other dogs.
• greyhounds are considered to have one of the best temperaments of all breeds of dogs, are very tolerant of children and will walk away if kids become overbearing to them. But, like any dog, they can become irritated if tormented or abused. Please note that extra care must be taken if a greyhound lives with children under the age of six. As a precaution, some adoption groups will not adopt a greyhound to a family that has children under six.
• greyhounds are naturally thin and powerful athletes. They have very little body fat which is a requirement for them to remain healthy.

It's common knowledge that greyhounds are like chips, you can’t have just one!