Top 5 Lessons We Learned About Adopting A Retired Racing Greyhound

I had a dog growing up. She was a mixed terrier that my parents found in the pound. I recall having to walk her and feed her and bath her and play with her and all of the basic things you are supposed to do as a pet owner. As an adult, my memories led me to believe that it would be relatively easy to go through the process again with our new dog.

I was wrong. Well, not completely wrong.

The experience of owning a family pet as a child is very different than as an adult. I guess I just blocked out or didn’t remember the details of what to do to prevent the dog from soiling indoors or what to do when the dog does soil indoors.

But getting through our first month or so together as a family has been worth it.

Below are the top 5 things to we learned from adopting a retired racing greyhound:

1. A retired racing greyhound is like a 30kg puppy. While very familiar with a crate and a racetrack, the dog will be unfamiliar with how a home works. Introduce one room at a time and be patient even if the dog prefers to stay in the crate or in one corner for the first few days.

2. A greyhound is not an endurance athlete. This one should be obvious because they are sprinters, but for whatever reason, we assumed that she would be fine with a 30 minute walk. We actually had to build her up to 30 minutes of continuous walking. Her preferred natural state is rest.

3. An insecure greyhound is an excellent escape artist. Due to the lack to exposure to the outside world, she was skiddish about pretty much everything that was big and moved and made noise. Because of her lightning speed and skinny body, she would quickly run and hide behind furniture. It’s best to slowly expose a newly retired greyhound to new sights and sounds so as to avoid a panic attack.

4. Invest in a behaviorist. Behavioral problems are common in dogs from adoption centers. The process of adoption is traumatizing and a new owner rarely gets the full history of the dog. Good habits can be unlearned in stressful situations. It’s best to start the new relationship on the right foot with good behavior by getting help from an expert.

5. A retired racer will test your patience. The running theme in the above points is that while the dog will have problems, they are not insurmountable. A retired greyhound can be an excellent pet for caring owners who are willing to put in the effort and the time to help the dog adjust to retirement.

Now if only I could have retired at 21 (in dog years = 3 in people years).

So she’s not a Greyhound?

Can you tell which one is the Greyhound?

To be honest, before getting Soy Sauce, I couldn’t tell the different between a Whippet, Greyhound, Italian Greyhound, etc. I also had a lot of misconceptions.

Below is a brief description as well as some links for the US and the UK.

(A) Greyhound - "Tall and lean, the Greyhound is the fastest breed of dog. As a sight hound, the breed pursues game using its vision and speed. Today, however, the Greyhound primarily serves as a sweet and personable companion. The breed can be any color, including black, fawn and red, often combined with white or brindle markings. The Greyhound has been owned by many prominent figures in history, including President Rutherford B. Hayes and General George A. Custer."

US Kennel Club - Greyhound Resources
UK Kennel Club - Greyhound Resources

(B) Afghan Hound - 'Referred to as an aristocrat, the Afghan Hound’s appearance is one of dignity and aloofness. Well covered with thick, silky hair, very fine in texture, the Afghan hound’s coat is a sort found among animals native to high altitudes. They can come in all colors, and while the breed is an excellent hound (hunting by sight) its popularity here has been generated by the breeds’ spectacular qualities as a show dog."

US Kennel Club - Afghan Hound Resources
UK Kennel Club - Afghan Hound Resources

(C) Borzoi - "A graceful, elegant hound, the Borzoi is a sight hound, meaning he hunts by sight rather than scent. The breed’s tall and rangy body allows him to chase quarry for long distances. Today, they are popular in the lure coursing field, and are often seen in the show and companion event rings as well. Their long, silky coat can be flat, wavy or curly and may be any color or combination of colors."

US Kennel Club - Borzoi Resources
UK Kennel Club - Borzoi Resources

(D) Italian Greyhound - "The Italian Greyhound is extremely slender and barely over a foot tall, but has all the grace and sweetness of his taller Greyhound relatives. There is debate as to whether they were originally bred for hunting small game or meant to be simply a companion. In all likelihood, both are true, as they are adaptable to city and country life. The Italian Greyhound’s coat can be any color, except brindle and classic black and tan."

US Kennel Club - Italian Greyhound Resources
UK Kennel Club - Italian Greyhound Resources

(E) Whippet - "A medium-sized sighthound giving the appearance of elegance and fitness, the Whippet denotes great speed, power and balance. In fact, the Whippet, an English Greyhound in miniature, is the fastest domesticated animal of his weight, capable of speeds up to 35 m.p.h. A very versatile breed, they can appear in a wide variety of colors and markings. Although keen when racing or coursing, they are quiet and dignified in their owner’s living room."

US Kennel Club - Whippet Resources
UK Kennel Club - Whippet Resources

(F) Saluki - "Although the breed appears graceful and fragile, don’t be fooled – the Saluki is an avid hunter and possesses the strength and endurance to chase quarry over long distances and difficult terrain. Today, this sight hound is popular at lure coursing events and in the show ring. Salukis can be coated (with feathering on the legs) or smooth. In both varieties, colors include white, cream, fawn, golden, red, grizzle and tan, tricolor, and black and tan."

US Kennel Club - Saluki Resources
UK Kennel Club - Saluki Resources

Hope that helps to keep the breeds straight. Oh, and yes, Soy Sauce is really a Greyhound. Can't you tell?

Rescue Dog Centers In London

So You’ve Decided To Rescue A Dog?

Congratulations! It can be very difficult to choose to rescue a dog rather than getting a puppy. Puppies are cute and small and generally have no previous bad experiences with people. However, choosing a rescue dog means giving another life a second or sometimes third chance in finding a place to call home.

We’ve had friends who have gone the puppy route and friends who have gone the rescue route. Everyone needs to make their own decision given their own personal circumstances and that’s ok.

When we first arrived in London, it wasn’t too clear as to where to start looking for a rescue center. Below is a list of rescue centers with a few notes from our own experience. Some are big and some are small, but all of them are relatively well-known in London. (The list is by no means exhaustive, so please feel free to comment with any corrections.)

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home - Checked it out. Lovely place. We were told that they don't turn away any dogs. Because of this, they tend to have a lot of Staffordshire Bull Terriers (Staffies).

The Mayhew Animal Home - Checked it out. A slightly smaller place, but also great. They don't allow people to just visit and see the dogs without going through the adoption process. This can be nice for the animal to avoid being put on display like in a zoo.

DogsTrust - Checked it out. This is where we found Soy Sauce. The London office is a bit of a trek to get to if you don't have a car, but it is well worth it for the selection.

RSPCA - We have this too in the States, so it deserves an honorable mention.

London Dog Rescue - Also deserves honorable mention. It provides links for adoption centers specific to breed.

If you know of any other major adoption centers, please let me know.

If you have a London dog adoption story to share, reach out.

Our Newest Family Member

So, we’ve been wanting a dog for a while, but circumstances have made it difficult to get one:

- Our building won’t allow one.
- We moved countries.

It wasn’t until three months ago when we decided to be more determined to get one.

Why not a puppy?

Well, we’re both working full-time, and he’s never had a dog before. (So potty training, obedience training…all things we didn’t want to deal with.)

Also, my first dog was a rescue and there is something nice about giving a dog a second chance.

So, with all of the unwanted dogs in London, wouldn’t it be easy to get one?

Uh, no. I learned a few things about the British English language during this experience, and one of the words is “unsuitable”. As in…

- “Well, your living arrangements are unsuitable for the dog.”
- “The dog’s temperament is unsuitable for your household.”
- “Your lifestyle is unsuitable for the dog’s needs.”

After going through 3 rehoming centers, I felt that that we were jumping through more hoops than it takes to have a child.

Nonetheless, after roughly a month of going out to rehoming centers every weekend and endless follow-up phone calls, we found Soy Sauce. She is a retired greyhound.

This is her during her first days.

Needless to say within the first few days with us, she had thrown up in the car, pee'd on the carpet in several rooms on several occasions, poo'd on the carpet in several rooms on several occasions, and refused to go outside (which may have contributed to the previous problems.)

We got her a behaviorist, and we’re still working on getting up her confidence so she can have a dog walker take her in the afternoons to play with other dogs.

It hasn’t been easy, but it has been worth it.

Look out for upcoming posts with topics like…

- What should I know about adopting a dog in London?
- Where can I go to for help about greyhounds?
- What should I feed my greyhound?