Greyhounds

misstrouble

Could I do homecooked instead? I'm sure by the time I an able to get a Grey - I will be in college.

I know how Sam is - an I might wait until he is much older to adopt too.

 Homecooked would not have the same dental benefits as raw but would probably be better than kibble.

 FWIW Greys tend to do pretty well with other medium and large dogs as a rule. They are not real prone to same sex aggression as a rule, although of course there are always exceptions.

AgileGSD

 FWIW Greys tend to do pretty well with other medium and large dogs as a rule. They are not real prone to same sex aggression as a rule, although of course there are always exceptions.

Thats good to know but Sam is a dominate dog and he likes to get really rough. I wouldn't want to get a new dog just to have my old dog hurt him during play. Greys have thin skins(so Ive heard) and Lab claws are though!!

 I'm with Becca. I could sit and stroke a Greyhound, all day. They're totally up for it, too!  My vet had a retired racing dog, who was fantastic. Unfortunately, at 9, he started limping. It was osteosarcoma. I don't know how common that is in the breed, but it was very painful, for this particular dog, and he wasn't a stoic dog, to begin with.

I groom a family of four rescue Greys. Two are retired racers, and the others are "oops" Greys. They're all just incredible with people, sweet as can be. I adore them. They eat raw, and look fabulous. It's helped, a lot, with their teeth. Their oldest is 9, then they have a 7 yr old and two 2 yr olds. The teeth are all nice. Their mom says I could easily have a Greyhound, if I got a cat safe one, and separated it while I wasn't home (which I do, anyways.... separate dogs). 

They're ridiculously soft, beautifully muscled, and they lean. What could be nicer to pet? I like that the vet had one, because he's good with sensitive dogs. I trust him to put Ena under. He did her dental, and did a beautiful job.

jennie_c_d

 I'm with Becca. I could sit and stroke a Greyhound, all day. They're totally up for it, too!  My vet had a retired racing dog, who was fantastic. Unfortunately, at 9, he started limping. It was osteosarcoma. I don't know how common that is in the breed, but it was very painful, for this particular dog, and he wasn't a stoic dog, to begin with.

 Unfortunately that is extremely common in the breed :(

 FWIW while Greys might not have protection like other dogs do they can and do play with other breeds of dogs without much of a problem. There where multiples at the daycare I worked at and beyond a puncture or nick here and there (which other short haired dogs were also prone to), they were fine. They aren't so fragile that they can't play with other dogs :)

AgileGSD

 FWIW while Greys might not have protection like other dogs do they can and do play with other breeds of dogs without much of a problem. There where multiples at the daycare I worked at and beyond a puncture or nick here and there (which other short haired dogs were also prone to), they were fine. They aren't so fragile that they can't play with other dogs :)

Awsome! It will be a few years yet(I'm only 16, and I'm NOT adding another pet until I am out from under my parents roof - plus I have a feeling they might be keeping my kitties).

I'm so glad they're such good appartment pets. I will probably be living in an apartment for 5+ years during college and after.

Meg,

I know I answered most of your grey related question in the pm you sent me, but I wanted to add a few things based on now seeing this thread.

I haven’t known anyone, including our rescue who has had any issues with bloat. As long as you take some precautions like you would with bloat prone breeds, you should be fine.

I think I mentioned the gassiness issue that seems to be so very common among greys and again, all 4 of mine have actually done better (gastrointestinal speaking) on diets with proteins only in the 20% range. I belong to a greyhound walking club and so I see poop from 20 different greys on one trip and the one thing that so many have in common is soft stools. For me, the firmest stools and less gas seems to come when I actually reduce their protein level down from the 30% range into the 30’s. This has been the case for the current pair I own, as well as the last pair we lost a few years ago.

Osteosarcoma can be common in the breed and we ‘think’ we might have lost our first grey to that, though now we question that and believe it might have been something that track greys can get called valley fever that is a human disease and while not curable, is  actually treatable with a pill a day.  THIS UNCERTAINTY is why I HIGHLY recommend getting a grey savvy vet. It may cost a tiny bit more, but it is worth it to know that the correct anesthesia and recovery after surgery is taking place and they will be able accurately diagnose your pet (which we now believe was not the case with the dog we put down several years ago due to “osteosarcoma”).

As stated in an earlier post, Greys do really need dentals annually. Track greys have crappy, crappy teeth most of the time and do not hesitate to have the vet pull every dang tooth in that dogs mouth if need be. A GOOD greyhound savvy vet who has been around the breed long enough knows that you just get rid of the problem ones before they become major problems for the dog and you do what you need to in order to manage the dental issues. This is where the breed can get costly… in dental care.   

There are specific things about the breed that may seem like a pain, but they are totally worth it. One of the goofiest, silliest, sweetest breed out there.

I think you mentioned you have been browsing a greyhound board which is good to do. The adoption process, should you eventually decide on this breed, can be lengthy and frustrating for some people, but WELL worth it.

Thanks jjsmom! I've actually "seen" 2 dogs be adopted, and I've only been on the board a week or two - so I think this agency will be less hasle. If I could get one now, there's a boy I'm in love with! And I'm noticing that I have this thing for Grey ears....LOL.....they're so scratchable!

Hopefully I will be in an area with more Greyhounds then my current area, and would be able to find a Grey-savvy vet easier - if not, I'm sure she/he'd be well-worth a drive!

I'm actually very apealed to them due to they're ablity to chill out on the couch all day! I'll probably be in an appartment for years, so, if I do get another dog - appartment compatibility is a must!!

Thanks for all the info - I'm sure its going to come in handy!

I have SUCH a soft spot for Greys, I love them SO much. We almost adopted at least one, possibly two and I had even joined a greyhound message board before adopting our dogs.  We decided against them because we have young children and a very active lifestyle, lots of hiking and camping, plus we live in a cold climate.  There are several at the dog park who are soooo sweet.