PREPARATION
Or a few things you should have on hand
LEADS/FENCES - Repeat after me: "No Greyhound should EVER be allowed off lead in an unsecured area." Even if your Greyhound is an obedience champion, don't trust him off lead in an open area. With Greyhounds there is no such thing as 100% recall. He might come when you call him 99% of the time. But that one hundredth time can get him killed. Greyhounds have been bred and trained for thousands of years to chase. That instinct is stronger than anything you will ever be able to teach him. You cannot train out thousands of years of instinct! If you let him run loose and a rabbit (or a squirrel, bird, piece of paper, etc.) catches his eye, he's gone and no amount of calling or commanding him to come back will make him stop and come back to you. He won't stop until he's either caught his prey or lost sight of it. But by that time he may well have also lost sight of you, too. He can cover a lot of distance in less than a minute. Being a sighthound, he'll have no idea how to find his way back to you if he can't see you. He doesn't know how to retrace his own steps by scent. But even worse, that path in pursuit of his prey may lead him across roads, into traffic or other dangers. He won't see that oncoming car. All he sees is what he's chasing. So DON'T TRUST HIM! Trust has been called "a deadly disease" and with good reason.
We know several people who disagree with this policy. Some who show their dogs in obedience trials are convinced that their dogs are trustworthy. Very frankly, we don't care what they think, and have no influence over what risks they choose to take with their dogs. But Almost Heaven dogs MUST be kept securely fenced or on lead.
A securely fenced yard is a blessing worth its weight in gold, but it's not an absolute necessity. Many apartment dwellers live successfully and happily with Greyhounds. But it takes a special commitment to do that. If you don't have a fenced yard you (or somebody) will have to snap on that lead and walk your dog several times a day, no matter how rotten the weather is or how tired you are or even if you're sick. You can't blow it off because you have a headache or because it's sleeting outside. If you're too sick to walk your dog you must find someone else you trust to do it for you or be willing to clean up after "accidents" and do some remedial house training.
TOYS - A few Greyhounds seem to have no interest in toys at all, but most love them. Some have to "learn" to play. Their taste in toys varies as much as their other traits. But stuffed toys with squeakers are a favorite with many. One of our dogs prefers an empty milk jug or 2-liter Coke bottle to anything else. Another favorite that's cheap and very sturdy is a fleece car wash mitt. If you buy the kind with an elastic cuff, you can easily slip a rubber squeaky toy or ball inside and make it that much more tempting. Another inexpensive and well-loved toy is a simple 18" length of 1" cotton rope with a knot at each end. Greyhounds love anything that flops around when they shake it.
By the way, if you have a Greyhound who just never develops an interest in toys, don't worry about it. He will almost surely make up for that "shortcoming" in many other ways, like unfailing devotion and understanding.
EQUIPMENT - In
addition to the things already mentioned here and in
other sections, these are some things you will, or at
least might, need...
- Collars - Because Greyhounds
have muscular necks which end in relatively
slender heads, they can back out of regular
collars. For this reason we not only strongly
recommend martingale collars, we provide one with
each dog who is adopted from us. But a martingale
is only safe and effective if it's fitted
properly. Make sure you learn how.
ID tags should also be kept on your dog's collar at ALL times. You should get one with your
address and phone
number, or if you adopt from us we can provide
one for you. If you have an Almost Heaven angel,
the AHGA tag should also be kept on him at all
times.
- Crates - These are not an
absolute necessity in most cases, but they can be
invaluable as training aids. Also many Greyhounds
prefer having their own space and love their
crates. After all, most of them have spent much
of their lives in crates. As a rule they seem to
prefer the wire variety over the vari-kennel type.
Even though they appreciate their private space,
they still like to be able to see what's going on
around them. For home purposes, the crate should
be as large as you can get (and fit in your house).
If you need to use a crate for car travel,
however, an airline crate that is just big enough
for the dog to stand up and turn around in is
best.
- First aid kit - Greyhounds are
pros at getting "owies". The great
majority of their injuries at home are simple
enough that most owners can treat them without
having to make a visit to the vet. Our dogs'
first aid kit contains:
Vet wrap Scissors Imodium Gauze (rolled) Triple antibiotic ointment Bufferin or Ascriptin Gauze pads Cortisone cream Benedryl tablets Adhesive tape Antiseptic spray Peroxide
You should learn as much as possible about animal first aid, but the most important thing to learn is when to let the vet handle it.
- Muzzles - Muzzles are a must for most Greyhound owners. They're indispensable for keeping them safe from each other when three or more are turned out together. They're also very handy in the house, especially during the settling in stage. A muzzle will prevent your dog from chewing on the furniture (or the cat!) while you're not home and is often a sufficient substitute for a crate. Greyhounds are used to wearing plastic basket muzzles, and an undamaged and properly adjusted muzzle will not be uncomfortable for them. They're simple and cheap insurance against any number of disasters.
- ADJUSTMENT
- What to expect the first few days, weeks and
months from your new Greyhound.
- MEDICAL
- Important information that could be crucial
to the life of your dog.
- FEEDING, WEIGHT and
EXERCISE - Keeping your dog in the
best possible condition.
- COMFORT
- Heat, cold and sleeping
accommodations, or what
your Greyhound might need to be comfortable.
- RESOURCES - Where to find more in depth information on caring for your Greyhound.