Greyhound Guide

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Previous: II. The House
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Your Greyhound and...The Yard -- Pee and Poop

Greyhound Pee and Poop Most greyhounds are very easy to train. They have been crate trained and so they don't go in the area they consider their kennel. However, they have never been inside a house. They are used to being let out up to six times a day to relieve themselves in a fenced-in pen.

So for the first few days when you get your greyhound home, make sure you take him out often, stay with him and praise him effusively when he goes. He'll catch on very quickly that outside is where he does his thing. Try to establish not only a fairly set routine that your new greyhound can learn, but a word or phrase that your new greyhound can identify and respond to, such as "Do you want to go out?" You will notice, if you watch carefully, that within a few days your greyhound will adapt to his new routine, and also start giving you "signals" when he needs to be taken outside.

Having An Accident

If your dog has an accident in the house, and you are right there when it happens, give him a sharp, verbal reprimand, then take him outside, wait with him until he goes, and then praise the dickens out of him when he goes in the right place. Do not hit your dog or try to put his nose in the accident, as your dog will respond more quickly and more positively to kindness.

If your greyhound is a male, he may attempt to lift his leg in a few places around the house to "mark his territory," especially if you already have a dog. He is making the house HIS house, so he feels more at home. Watch him carefully as he walks or sniffs around the house the first few hours and days, Males are easy to catch before they do it, so you can reprimand verbally and strongly. If this should happen, it does not go on for long, so try to be patient. You can also keep your greyhound on a leash in the house the first few days. That way you can keep a very sharp eye on him. If you have a female marker, they are much harder to catch, and stop in the act.

Greyhounds are very clean dogs by nature. If your greyhound has any type of accident, rather than blame the dog, look for the reasons why it happened. He either wasn't taken out early or often enough, or not allowed enough time to fully relieve himself. Remember, a dog which has fully relieved himself has nothing left in his bladder to make an accident on your rug. Also remember that your new greyhound does not have any way to tell you he needs to go out. He is used to a set routine, where someone came and got him and put him outside in a turn-out pen.

Dog Doors

I will never be without a dog door. If you can put one in your home, do it! They are invaluable, and give the dog the ability to go in and out at will. This means you don't have to worry about there being any accidents in the house when you've been gone an extra amount of time. They have them for patio doors, and regular doors. They are insulated. In the over 25 years I've had dog doors, I have never had a person break into my home, nor another animal come into my home. A greyhound needs an XL dog door because of his height. They are installed about 6 - 8 inches off the ground, so a greyhound can step through, and not have to bend.

Cleaning An Accident

Pet stores have lots of solutions to help make cleaning up after your dog easier. I would definitely purchase one, like Nature's Miracle, before bringing your greyhound home.

Prevention

However, prevention is the best solution to any house-breaking problem. For the first few days, it's a good idea to walk or let your greyhound outside in a fenced yard more frequently than you ordinarily would -- as often as every couple of hours. This teaches your greyhound where his new home is and where he is supposed to "go," and helps relieve the tension of a strange place, thus preventing accidents.

It is very common in their first few days for greyhounds to drink a lot more water than they would normally. They do this because they are nervous about being in an unfamiliar place. But all this drinking plus being nervous means they will need to go outside more.

Also, quite often the change from kennel dog to house pet can give a greyhound diarrhea, caused by nerves, change of water, change of diet. If your greyhound should have loose stools the first few days, mix cooked brown rice and/or hamburger with his kibble. You can also try solid-packed pumpkin. Also be sure you allow your greyhound the ability to relieve himself quite often if he has diarrhea, as he cannot "hold" it for long. This type of diarrhea doesn't last more than a few days. If it does, take your dog to the vet, as there may be some other problem, such as worms, food allergies, nerves, etc. which could be causing it, and it needs to be treated by your vet.

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Your Greyhound and...The Yard -- Running and Playing

Running and Playing One of the questions you'll be asked most often is -- Don't greyhounds need a lot of exercise? Once you live with a greyhound, you'll know the truth -- this is a very lazy dog.

Lazy or not, your pet will need physical activity -- just like you do! The most obvious and easiest answer is in your own backyard. However, most greyhounds will not play with themselves. They will want you to play with them and walk them around the block, on leash.

On-Leash

Your greyhound is leashed trained. You need to keep him on leash unless he is in a totally fenced area. And he needs to stay on leash until he's obedience trained, and even then, you need to be extremely cautious.

Most greyhounds walk very well on a leash. If your pet starts to pull or freezes as he sees something on the horizon, just change direction, or get his attention, and give the command, "heel," "let's go," etc.

If you plan to use your greyhound as a partner in a walking or jogging fitness program, you need to make sure your greyhound can handle it and use a common sense. Greyhounds are bred to be sprinters, and aren't used to distances. They exercise primarily on sand in their kennel situation, which means the pads on their feet are smooth and soft. A little time must be taken to build up the calluses needed to exercise on cement or blacktop. Start your dog's regime the same way you did yours -- slowly. Walk or jog 2 or 3 blocks at first and then gradually increase. Heat can kill a greyhound, so don't EVER jog them distances in heat.

Off-Leash

Care should be taken to introduce your new greyhound pet to your yard or any new fenced area before turning him loose in it. This means that you need to check the entire fence for potential openings (because if there is one, he'll find it and he'll be gone quicker than you ever thought possible). While you're walking the fence with the dog on leash, it also enables him to familiarize himself with the boundary. You should also let the dog investigate hazards in your yard such as a barbecue or planter. The first time your dog exercises in your yard off the leash it should be daylight and you need to be there and watch him.

Surprisingly, you may need to restrict your dog's activity in a new area. For example, when you take your dog to a fenced football field, you'll want to monitor the running your dog does. Greyhounds have been conditioned for sprinting and may be so excited and interested by a new exercise area that they overtax themselves. If this happens, they'll react just like any athlete who's over-extended himself -- heaving sides, heavy panting, vomiting, wooziness while standing. You'll need to walk them very slowly to cool them down, and dowse their feet in water. Don't let them drink a lot of water fast, as they will choke and vomit it back up.

Weather

Care should be taken during extreme temperatures. A greyhound is more susceptible to heat stroke, than other dogs because they don't have the layers of fat as insulation. During hot weather it is wise to exercise early and easier. Make sure your dog is completely cooled down before feeding.

Cold weather presents other hazards for this desert breed. A coat made for greyhounds is an excellent idea for walking in winter. Check you dog's feet for snow packing, which can split webs, or ice cuts. It's also a good idea to swish the dog's feet in lukewarm water to rinse off salt and other ice melters after your walk.

Each dog is an individual with different activity levels. Generally younger dogs enjoy higher activity levels.

Warning

It cannot be stressed enough that exercising your dog off leash in an area that is not entirely enclosed is asking for a disaster to happen. Your pet may be entirely devoted to you and never leave your side at home, but you must remember that this pet is the product of centuries of specialized breeding to produce a lightning fast hunter. The greyhound has been bred to scan the horizon and run after anything that moves. A paper cup blowing across the street from the park could mean your dog's death. This is not about disobedience. The explosive hunting run is instinct. Once your pet is focused in on a moving object, he is running on pure instinct and he'll no longer hear you. The car driving down the street does not expect to see a 45 mph blur of a dog bounding after the paper cup crossing in front of it. Don't take the chance.

Playing

Your greyhound may not know how to play because no one has ever taught him or showed him how. He was bred as a business, not as a pet, so it's your job to teach him to play. And it's the 'funnest' job you'll ever have!

I recommend a box or basket of toys that are just his. He'll get the idea quickly and pick and choose his playthings when he's in the mood.

You may not get to see the silly side of your greyhound for a while. He will probably not feel like letting his puppy personality out until he feels quite secure. When you see the classic bottom up, front end down pose bouncing in front of you, you'll know it's time to play. One of my favorite pictures from an adopter is when the human is on the floor with elbows down and butt up in the air facing off with their greyhound who's in his play posture.

Toys

Greyhounds love to adopt stuffed animals, pillows, etc. Tag sales are great places to pick up an inexpensive toy for your greyhound. Just remember to remove the eyes or any other part that could cause damage to your hound.

Additionally, little squeaky toys will get any greyhound's attention. When they were trained to chase a lure, squeaky noises were part of that training, so you'll see them become very intent on the squeaky toy.

Bones

Pick and choose your rawhide purchases carefully. American-made rawhide is the best type to buy. Inexpensive rawhide is cured overseas, often with dangerous chemicals like arsenic. Also, the compressed rawhide is safer than the ones with the knots on either end.

To keep your hound's teeth clean and gums strong, give a turkey neck every week or two. Yes, a turkey neck. RAW. Never cooked. Put your dog out in the yard, and watch him go at it. Soup bones or marrow bone are also OK to give hounds. I do pick those up after an hour or so, and throw them out.

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Your Greyhound and...The Yard -- Bugs and Baths

Greyhound Baths One of the nicest features of your greyhound is that he doesn't have a lot of hair and this makes him easy to care for. A quick brushing with a grooming mitt (nubbed rubber glove), and lots of petting keeps him looking great.

Baths

Your greyhound only needs to be bathed when soiled, like if he decides to doze on poop. Otherwise, he's fine with his routine petting and brushing. Greyhounds have very little oil in their skin and so have little "doggy odor." If you do need to shampoo, select an all-natural, mild, conditioning shampoo.

My greyhounds were not into baths, even though they got them only about twice a year when the seasons were changing, and they were shedding their coats. I'd have to pick them up to put them in the tub, and as I bathed them their legs would turn to rubber and they'd sink to the tub floor looking very helpless and put out. Just keep bracing them up on their feet. Their shower should take no longer than five minutes and they do survive. Even if they keep telling you they won't.

Ears

Once a week you should inspect your pet's ears and clean gently with a cotton ball and baby oil if needed. Don't use peroxide, as it can cause damage to your dog's ear drums.

Skin

Their past living conditions (fleas, ticks, poor food, etc.) were not conducive to good skin. Most greys I get from the track have some kind of skin condition. You'll need to provide a good supplement to their food (Salmon Oil, other Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin E, etc.) and give their hair and skin time to grow in nicely. Trust me, it will!

Teeth

Greyhounds have notoriously bad teeth when they come off the track as they've been fed a lot of soft food. They've been cleaned before you adopted your greyhound, but those teeth get plaque build-up just like yours. Brushing them regularly helps them to stay clean and healthy.

Another way to keep teeth clean is to buy raw turkey necks. Give one a week or every other week, and you'll never need the dentist. Kknuckle/soup marrow bones are also at your supermarket. The gnawing greyhounds do on these big bones help to keep off any plaque. Bad breath is a sign of mouth problems, so please check with your vet when your dog breaths on you and you gag.

Nails

Greyhounds are used to having their nails trimmed while they stand. Just lean over and bend each foot backwards, so that you can see the underside of the nail. If you do a little bit regularly, then you don't have to worry about causing the dog to bleed. If you're nervous about trimming the nails, ask your vet or local groomer to show you how much to trim. Greyhound toes and nails are longer than the average dog, but will still need to be clipped. Make sure you have styptic powder on hand when you do this to stop the bleeding.

Fleas

DO NOT EVER put a regular flea collar on a greyhound!!

Regular flea collars work by releasing their flea-killing chemicals onto the skin of the dog, which is then absorbed into the dog's bloodstream. Most breeds can have their livers/kidneys filter these toxins out, but they can kill a greyhound. For this very same reason, do not ever use any of those internal flea preventative pills.

One caveat -- there are a few "totally natural" flea collars out on the market. These collars are treated with pennyroyal, mint and eucalyptus oils. They are perfectly safe for greyhounds. The best way to handle fleas safely is to use natural flea shampoos and flea sprays that use natural-based pyrethrins and do not contain organic phosphates. Take time to read the label. Many flea products cannot be used on a dog who is taking heartworm preventative medication. When in doubt, check with your vet. Also, many flea sprays that advertise long duration protection are far too strong to be used on greyhounds.

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