Greyhound Adoption Quiz
These questions will help you figure out how
a greyhound will fit into your life and show you the "danger
zones" that many rescue groups are on the lookout for.
Why do you want a greyhound?
What are your work hours?
How much time do you plan on spending with
your dog?
What kind of personality and temperament does
the greyhound have?
Who lives with you?
How much exercise does a greyhound need?
Is your yard fenced?
I have a large, unfenced field nearby, with
very few cars in the area. Is it OK to let a greyhound run
loose there?
What other pets do you have?
What kind of "end" have your past
pets met?
How much money do you expect to pay for a
greyhound and what are your expected cost over time?
- Why do you want a greyhound?
- If you're into looks ("gee, what a pretty dog"),
you need to do more research. If you've been around
friends' greyhounds and love them you're definitely on
the right track.
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- What are your work hours?
- And are you willing to change them for a month or two? If
you're regularly away from home more than nine hours a
day you'll have to invest in a dog walking service or a
neighbor to keep your new dog from bursting during the
day. Even though greyhounds are much more tolerant than
most breeds, they need daily attention and time.
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- How much time do you plan on spending
with your dog?
- If you answer is 10 minutes a day and a couple hours on
the weekends you're in the wrong place; get a cat. If you
have time for 2 walks a day, yard time every day and a
couple of good long runs on the weekends your dog and
rescue agency will love you.
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- What kind of personality and temperament
does the greyhound have?
- Greyhounds are very sensitive and eager to please.
They are very people oriented and enjoy the company of
other greyhounds. In general, the males tend to be
excellent with children and the females tend to be more
reserved. As with other breeds of dogs, the females
tend to "rule the roost." Greyhounds
adore the company of other greyhounds, which is why one
often sees more than one greyhound in many houses.
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- Who lives with you?
- Children? Do they know about dogs? Can you teach them to
respect one another? Spouse/significant other? Do both
of you want a greyhound? Are both of you willing to take
care of the dog? Roommates? How stable is your roommate?
If he/she leaves will you be able to handle the dog on
your own?
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- How much exercise does a greyhound need?
- Many greyhounds live in small apartments with no yard,
but their owners are committed to 2-3 short walks and 1-2
long walks a day. Your level of commitment must be
able to handle your living situation. A greyhound
appreciates a brisk walk every day. They also enjoy
a good run in a fenced area a couple of times a week.
We recommend a fenced yard for your home but its not
required.
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- Is your yard fenced?
- Though not all rescue groups ask this, it's an important
question for you to ask yourself. Without a securely
fenced yard, you must take your dog out at least
four times a day to relieve him/herself, plus exercise
walks. At the same time, even with a fenced yard, the dog
will need exercise and attention from you every day (plus
yard clean up).
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- I have a large, unfenced field nearby,
with very few cars in the area. Is it OK to let a
greyhound run loose there?
- No....except when in a fully secure, fenced areas?
Greyhounds have two important traits that make them
greyhounds: the urge to chase and speed. It's a part of
their being and it leaves no room for self preservation.
A sight-hound, greyhounds chase small prey, such as
rabbits, squirrels, birds and even the neighbor’s
cat. In 30 seconds a greyhound can be running close
to 40 M.P.H., across streets, over low fences, through
woods. They can cover many miles very quickly and will
ignore your recall if they are in the middle of a chase.
He might get hit by a car, get lost, break a leg in a
gopher or crawfish hole.
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- What other pets do you have?
- Make sure your adoption group understands the kinds of
pets you have. I've heard it all: ferrets, cats, fish,
birds, but to make sure no horrible accident occurs,
inform your rescue group.
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- What kind of "end" have your
past pets met?
- If you've left dogs at the pound and abandoned cats at
your last apartment, adoption groups are not going to
trust you with a greyhound. If you've had extenuating
circumstances explain it to the adoption volunteer and
get some ideas on how you might handle the same situation
with your greyhound. The rescue group is interested in
the long-term health and safety of their greyhounds!
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- How much money do you expect to pay for
a greyhound and what are your expected costs over time?
- Be honest with yourself. If your budget only allows for
an extra $20 a month for dog expenses this may not be the
right time to get a dog. Realistically you can expect to
pay $140-$300 for the initial adoption, spay/neuter,
shots, worming, vet check plus regular food costs of $20/month.
Then there are the emergencies that happen (we figured in
$15/month over the long term) and various dog toys and
"stuff" of $15/month. So far we're way over the
dog toys and stuff budget in the first month!
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