to anyone experienced with greyhound re-hab

E

elsielouise

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 February 2005
Messages
778
Visit site
hi all

I noticed the greyhound thread but didn't want to hijack it.

My partner and I have just reserved a dog and a bitch from our local trust. We chose the bitch two weeks ago and have been to see her twice. She's very food orientated and the trust have tested her with children but not cats. Last week weekend we were offered a dog that has only been off the track since August and less is known about him.

This trust allows you to go and walk them and spend time with them and they're not coming home for a few weeks anyway.

I just wondered therefore if anyone can suggest any ways we can test them for suitability in terms of general 're-habilitation' to a home environment before they become ours since I will be heartbroken if we are unable to keep them once they come home.

We've run them both together and the bitch comes to call in the pen (when there's no distractions) but the dog is more wary though comes round.

We've met the dogs original owner who has told us his racing history and says he'll be easy to do but that he is 'untested' outside kennels.

Just wondering if anyone can add anything, particularly about testing the potential for getting them to ignore horses and hens!

We can keep them all seperate if we must but would be better if they can all get on!
 
well done for rehoming them. Register on Greyhound gap, it's a friendly forum and you'll get loads of good advice there
wink.gif
 
You will find with ex racers that they are very well toilet trained. The trainers as you know keep them in pens and runs and let them out a few times a day to empty.

Having them in the house, will be fine in that respect.

As for chasing cats and hens, nothing will stop them. Firstly they have been trained to chase and secondly its in their blood. We have a man working for us, who owns five ex racers and helps at a local kennel at weekends.

He advises you to keep them on leads, always!, unless its a well fenced and safe enviorment. They go deaf to your shouts when they have sighted something and will not come back. Also when you are walking, you should really muzzel them, as small dogs are a target for greyhounds, who will chase and kill.

Pete says they make wonderful pets and need really thick bedding as they can develop pressure sores very easily. He says two twenty minute walks a day is enough as they get foot sore and are very lazy dogs who love to sleep a lot.

Good luck
 
We have an ex-racer who absolutely refuses to be toilet trained!! We have had him 2 years now and he still regards the kitchen floor as his 'indoor convenience'!!

Other than that, he is an absolutely wonderful dog. Not the sharpest tool in the box, but very relaxed and affectionate.

He gets one long walk a day (at least an hour) and seems happy enough with that.

He has to stay on the lead anywhere remotely near civilisation. Will chase cats, small dogs, squirrels, birds, rabbits etc. etc. etc. While he is fairly obedient generally, once the red mist comes down he is gone!!

Also need to be a bit wary of handing the lead to a child / small adult - he weighs 4 stone and if something catches his eye can tend to set off with a bit of momentum!

Wouldn't swap him for the world though - definitely converted to greyhounds from now on.
 
thanks for that.

I can cope with the keeping on lead as they walk out so well on it and our garden has a 2m high fence around it so they can go off lead there. Might also be able to take them to indoor school for a bit more space.

Looks like I'll be getting some more electric fencing to keep the hens safe though!

Watch this space...
 
"As for chasing cats and hens, nothing will stop them. Firstly they have been trained to chase and secondly its in their blood. We have a man working for us, who owns five ex racers and helps at a local kennel at weekends.

He advises you to keep them on leads, always!, unless its a well fenced and safe enviorment. They go deaf to your shouts when they have sighted something and will not come back. Also when you are walking, you should really muzzel them, as small dogs are a target for greyhounds, who will chase and kill."


Really excellent crucial advice if you are thinking about getting a rescue Greyhound - they can and will become totally unstoppable once they have the urge to run or chase and can end up becoming a danger either to temselves or other smaller pets.
 
I rehomed a lurcher that had probably been a lamping dog. He was a nightmare for running off chasing anything that moved. I had the breakthrough with him by muzzling him when he came out with me onto the yard. He did try to chase the cats and cornered one once but he was never unsupervised so didn't hurt it. However, as he realised he couldn't get at any critter i.e. bite and kill the things he chased, he lost a lot of the 'red mist' as someone brilliantly put it and now doesn't bother chasing. It took about a year though and he's got a permanent little bump on his nose. And manys the time I had to wash cat poo off the end of the muzzle as he tried to eat it with the muzzle on. Nice.
 
that's useful to know thanks.

There's at least five JRTs on our yard including a pup so the hounds will be muzzled all the time at first. S'only way I'll feel able to take them.
 
[ QUOTE ]
"As for chasing cats and hens, nothing will stop them. Firstly they have been trained to chase and secondly its in their blood. We have a man working for us, who owns five ex racers and helps at a local kennel at weekends.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not necessarily at all. Theres quite a lot of cat friendly greyhounds going around. I know people who keep cats and greyhounds together in harmony. It might take some training and effort, but it is possible. I have two lurchers myself and keep them on a game estate. They completely ignore the pheasants, and one of them isnt bothered with cats at all.

[ QUOTE ]
He advises you to keep them on leads, always!, unless its a well fenced and safe enviorment. They go deaf to your shouts when they have sighted something and will not come back. Also when you are walking, you should really muzzel them, as small dogs are a target for greyhounds, who will chase and kill."

[/ QUOTE ]

Rubbish! 'Chase and kill' Feed the stereotypes why dont you??. I've never seen a greyhound chase a small dog. My two get on great with small dogs.... They get on great with all dogs.
I leave mine off the lead without many problems. I practice recall with them all the time. The whippet x is almost perfect with recall, and rarely leaves my side, the saluki x improves every day... They're both neutered, and the 'chasing' has much improved since they were neutered. Obviously I'm very careful when near roads and where I know there'll be cats. These dogs love to have a good run, and it would be very sad for them if they were never ever let off the lead. You'll have problems at first of course but keep at it. Also get the dogs neutered, with a proper identity tag and microchipped, and if they do run off, you'll have a good safety net. They're much less likely to be stolen if neutered.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Rubbish! 'Chase and kill' Feed the stereotypes why dont you??. I've never seen a greyhound chase a small dog. My two get on great with small dogs.... They get on great with all dogs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mine does.

I have absolutely no doubt he would take out a small terrier that was running.

He is a lovely dog, but he has been coursing and anything that is small and runs is game to him.

I would never let him off the lead in a public place, not worth the risk (apart from anything else, he may chase something across the road).

We have had him 2 years, he is very obedient and friendly except when he sees something to chase, then he goes totally deaf.

I know there are many greyhounds that are not like mine from that point of view, but definitely better safe than sorry until you are sure.
 
I have had many lovely ex racers over the years, and would NEVER let mine off the lead. They'd chase anything small that moved. One got off the lead and killed a neighbour's cat.
One of my bitches got on really well with cats in the house, she'd even sleep with one, but she'd still chase cats out if they ran away from her.
 
I have 4 rescue greyhounds and also foster for a rescue. I am always extremely careful regarding offlead exercise with any hound. My first hound who I had straight off the track 5 years ago was so so keen and would have killed a cat/small dog without a doubt. I'm sure he'd still kill a cat given the chance. He was months before I let him offlead as he wasn't to be trusted and due to his size could have done a lot of damage to a small dog even when muzzled. It took months of patience and socialising and now he goes offlead with absolutely any dog without his muzzle and doesn't care less. My second hound was a non-chaser and has always been great offlead with any dog and I trust her totally. My youngest one is a big lad and I don't let him off as I know he would kill something given the chance. The only time he went offlead was a deserted beach.
Great care should be taken with these dogs as they do have potential to kill and until you are 110% certain you can trust them its better to avoid an accident happening. I know for a fact that if my lot saw a cat when offlead they would totally ignore me and chase it. Good luck with your new hounds, I'm sure you will become addicted and want more. I only wanted 2 then decided to foster. We now have 4 permanent and have had about 14 foster dogs to date who have all gone one to lovely homes (2 of those stayed with me as I couldnt let them go)

Sue
 
Well this is all news to me... I am lucky in that I live in a private estate well away from a main road. But my two honestly never go near small dogs or the pheasants... Rabbits are a different thing now in fairness. I made a point of practicing off lead work with my two from day one. The saluki has given me a couple of frights when he disappeared for ten minutes, but he hasnt run off in at least a month. I've had him for three months now and its only recently that I'd trust him to stay close when I'm doing the horses. I'd absolutely trust both of mine around small dogs.. My two were strays and probably originated in traveller camps so would probably have had a different upbringing to your ex racers.

A friend of mine has a lurcher who is far more obedient than my two, she can now call her off cats! She was vicious with cats at first. She also lives in an urban area and exercises off lead regularly. I think if time and training is put into these dogs these problems are surmountable. Of course caution is necessary, I wouldnt want anyone to put their dogs at risk and obviously you guys know your dogs best, but my experience has been very different to that of some of you..
 
I think you'll find that saluki x and whippet x are far different to ex-racers. If they have been travellers dogs, they have probably mixed already with all breeds of dogs as they will also have jr terriers etc and other small dogs to shove down rabbit holes. My first boy had only ever known greyhounds as he was only exercised round the track and just didnt know what to make of any other breed. It did take me months and months of walking him muzzled with nice natured offlead dogs. At first he used to leap shoulder height and try to attack other dogs. At the time people used to say to me "Can't you take him back" which wasn't an option for me as I don't give up easily. Some are far easier to de-sensitise and do get on fine with smaller dogs. I also know of one greyhound who came straight from the track and his owner was determined to get him to live alongside her cats. It took her weeks, first few with him muzzled and kept on a lead and slowly step by step she got there. Having said that, some do live with cats but caution must be took when they go in the garden together as they soon forget its the cat they live with if they see it run across the garden and will chase it. Its just a case of being sensible and taking things slowly with them, but they are the most fantastic dogs ever.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I think you'll find that saluki x and whippet x are far different to ex-racers. If they have been travellers dogs, they have probably mixed already with all breeds of dogs as they will also have jr terriers etc and other small dogs to shove down rabbit holes.

[/ QUOTE ]

thats what I was trying to say... My Ex travellers dogs are extremely well socialised
smile.gif
Kids, small dogs, guns going off... all no problem to my two...
smile.gif
You couldnt pay for this training!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top