Greyhounds As Pets
Greyhounds as pets are perfect for anyone who wants a low-maintenance, good-natured dog who doesn’t require a lot of exercise. You can even adopt a lovable retired Greyhound (see information below).
Lifespan: 10-14 years
Height: Males: 71-76 cms (28-30 in), Females: 68-71 cms (27-28 in)
Weight: Males(29-36kg) (64-79lbs), Females (27-31kg) (60-68lbs)
Temperament: Greyhounds as pets are gentle, affectionate, quiet, even-tempered, intelligent, athletic but happy to lie around all day.
Suitable living space: house, apartment, townhouse, rural property – just about anywhere though they do prefer quiet areas.
Best Suited For: children, families, couples.
Greyhounds As Pets – characteristics
Greyhounds make excellent pets. A myth is that they are required to wear muzzles because they are savage. This could not be further from the truth. The Greyhound is one of the most docile breeds of dog on earth.
They are gentle and good natured and are very affectionate. They love cuddles and attention and to be part of the family.
Even though they are classed as a large breed of dog, Greyhounds actually require much less room than other large breeds. They love to just curl up and sleep in their favourite spot in the house.
They are also very quiet and rarely bark.
Meet Lola. She is a lovely girl I often see when out walking. She loves to lounge around by the pool or on a comfy chair.
Thanks to her grandhuman, Fiona, for these photos.
How much exercise?
Greyhounds require much less exercise than people think and are happy to lie around beside you all day. Most Greyhounds only need walks of 15 to 20 minute each day.
Greyhounds as pets, are considered a “low maintenance” dog. Many of them will sleep for up to 20 hours a day and will often snooze the day away. In fact, they have been described as the 60 km/hour couch potato. This is because they were bred to be racing dogs but are actually quite lazy.
However, they do love to have regular opportunities to run free on open ground. Don’t let them off their lead unless in a safe area. They have a strong prey instinct and, if they spot an animal such as a rabbit, they may take off.
Grooming
As Greyhounds don’t have an undercoat, they shed very little and have little or no odour. This means that they are also less likely to trigger people’s dog allergies.
Just brush them once a week and give them a bath occasionally.
Holiday care
When you are going away and need your Greyhound minded let us arrange for him or her to stay in the home of one of our dog minders.
They are all carefully-screened and interviewed by us and fully insured. You meet the minder beforehand and we are there to support them when you are away.
Importantly, considering the background some Greyhounds have come from, they won’t be in a cage. See more information here.
Summary of Greyhounds as pets
Greyhounds as pets are wonderful individuals. They each have their own unique personality. They are gentle, affectionate dogs. Some prefer to lounge around the house while others like to be part of a home with more activity. Generally, they are family-friendly dogs. They don’t bark much and are quietly curious about the world.
Why not adopt a Greyhound?
Unfortunately, many racing Greyhounds are abandoned or euthanased when their racing days are over. The good news is that there are a number of organisations who, for many years now, have arranged adoption for these beautiful Greyhounds as pets.
If you have already adopted one, we’d love you to scroll down to “Leave a reply” and enter a comment to tell other dog lovers all about your Greyhound.
Here are some links for some of these wonderful adoption organisations:
Brisbane, Ipswich, Newcastle Friends of the Hound
Sydney Greyhound Rescue
NSW GAP NSW – Greyhounds As Pets NSW
Northern Territory Grant – Greyhound Rehoming Association Northern Territory
SA GAP SA – Greyhounds As Pets SA
Tasmania GAP TAS – Greyhound Adoption Progarm TAS
QLD GAP QLD – Greyhound Adoption Program QLD
Victoria GAP VIC – Greyhound Adoption Program VIC
Western Australia Greyhound Adoptions WA
Most of these sites also provide excellent information on Greyhounds.