Helping your dog get adjusted is a very important part of the greyhound adoption process. With patience, understanding and lots of laughter the first few weeks, you will find you have the most wonderful pet imaginable.

What you have to remember during the adjustment period is that your greyhound has lived his entire life in a kennel. This means upwards of 23 hours in a 2x4 wooden crate. He may never have been inside a home before, and he has no idea who you are or why you are taking him someplace.

Becoming a house pet involves a very dramatic change in routine for him, and he can be a little scared and baffled by all the new things around him. Usually, greyhounds adapt very quickly to the plush life as a household pet – wouldn’t you?!

Length of Adjustment

During the initial adjustment period he will be getting used to you, the house, the car, the kids, the pets, the stairs, and the beds – get the idea? Remember, be sympathetic with your greyhound’s situation – he has had a traumatic upheaval in his routine track life, and it may take him some time to adjust. Usually, the initial adjustment period takes only a few days. He is an intelligent dog, and soon he will grasp what you expect of him. Your patience, love, and understanding will help your greyhound.

You will also find you have a shadow. Your greyhound will follow you everywhere you go: to the bathroom, to the kitchen, to the cellar, and to the door when you go out. This will continue until he realizes you are really his and you are not going to disappear.

As your greyhound becomes more secure with his surroundings and starts to trust you, you will see his personality emerging. He might steal your possessions and hide them, or smile at you when you come home, or start demanding to be let on all soft things. These signs mean that you have a bonafide member of your household, now.

Choosing A Vet

The choice of a veterinarian is another important decision. These dogs have difficulty with regular anesthesia, and a vet that does not follow the anesthesia guidelines for greyhounds will have a dead dog on his hands. So, choose a vet who has worked with greyhounds and is familiar with the sighthound group.

Do not be afraid to ask questions of your vet, or to find another vet if you have concerns! It is your greyhound’s life at stake. I have a lot of experience that I am always willing to share, so do not hesitate to call me with concerns.

Exercise

Exercise and play is addressed in the “Running and Playing” chapter, however, during the adjustment period the more you walk, play, and run with your greyhound in the first few weeks of ownership, the easier the transition from racing greyhound to family friend.

Some greyhounds are accustomed to running up to three days a week at the racetrack. They are bred and trained to run, so up to this point it has been their greatest pleasure. The change from racetrack to house is exciting, but also confusing to your new greyhound. Think of how you would react to a similar situation.

Exercise can help you and him to keep everything in perspective. You will both feel better and less overwhelmed. Additionally, you will find your greyhound bonding to you more quickly. Who knows, maybe you will drop those pounds you have talked about shedding.

Bonding

Greyhounds seem to choose to have a relationship with you. They are very polite and friendly to everyone, but they learn to trust you. While other dogs seem to blindly trust, greyhounds are uniquely independent, almost cat – like in the way they choose to bestow affection. The more you do with your greyhound, the more solid your relationship becomes. The more you touch, play, and love these greyhounds, the more you get in return.

Once your dog feels comfortable with you, take him with you whenever you can. It helps in the bonding process. It also helps them to get the picture of their new world. Most love to travel, and being in the car with you is great for bonding. They are usually very sociable dogs and will be curious about everything.

Another thing that helps with the bonding process is the sleeping arrangements. Do not shut your greyhound in a separate room to sleep. From his track days, he is used to sleeping with lots of other greyhounds, so he will prefer to sleep in the same room with any member of the family (in the same bed, if you let him). He will feel more secure and is less likely to cry or cause damage during the first few weeks, if you allow him this pleasure.

Separation Anxiety

It is extremely important to remember that your greyhound has never been left alone before. He has either lived on a farm with lots of dog friends, or lived in a crate in a kennel with about 40 other dogs. So if you have to leave him at home – ALONE – he is going to be scared and confused. He is wondering, “Where did you go? Will you return? Where am I?” There are a few things you can do to ease this separation anxiety.

1. Practice leaving your greyhound for a few minutes at a time. Don’t make a big deal about leaving (if he thinks you’re going someplace and having more fun than he is, then he will definitely be upset!) and just leave for 15 minutes at first. Increase your leave to a few hours. He will get the idea that you’re coming back, and his anxiety about your leaving him forever will be eased.

2. Initially, dog-proof your home. Keep windows unobstructed from knickknacks and blinds. Your greyhound will go to the windows first to look for you, and if there are blinds or other objects in the way, they could get eaten when he gets anxious.

3. If anxiety is bad rent a crate from us, just for the first few weeks. Remember that your greyhound has always lived in one, so it’s very familiar. It can be used to make the transition from racer to pet more quickly. Here’s the routine. For the first two weeks, the greyhound is placed in his crate when left home alone. Then, when he knows the family routine, he is again placed in the crate, but the door is left open, giving him the choice. After a couple of weeks of this, the crate can be returned and a happy house pet exists.

Most greyhounds do not need crates, particularly when you have another dog in the household, or you are home most of the time. But once in a while there is an uncertain greyhound that needs the firm guidance of a crate until his new life becomes more understandable. I would wait to see your greyhound’s reaction to being left home alone, before borrowing, renting, or purchasing a crate.

Becoming A Statue

I am talking about a greyhound trait of stopping dead in their tracks and refusing to budge or look at you. This usually occurs when they are scared, nervous, and do not know exactly what is expected of them. The more insistent you get, the more insistent they get that they are not going anywhere. And they will win.

This most often happens when you are teaching them stairs, or trying to give them a bath in the tub. The best thing you can do is be very patient and wait them out, the whole time offering verbal encouragement and making it seem like what you are asking them to do is the most fun in the world. When you have tired of waiting and encouraging, as a last resort, just pick up the greyhound and move him to where you want him to be. (Do not lose your patience and yell, because you will ruin whatever good you have accomplished.)

Smiling

Some greyhounds smile, and this causes people who do not expect it to jump a mile back. They have a lot of long white teeth showing when they smile. If you have a smiler, it is really quite amusing and very harmless.

Ears Back

Most greyhounds keep their ears pinned back to their heads unless they hear a noise that causes their ears to straighten up. This is not a sign of aggression. I believe they think it makes them more streamlined and cool looking.

Eating Grass

When your greyhound is meandering around the yard, you will see him eat grass. Let him. The grass provides a nutrient he feels he needs, and does not do him any harm. A few greyhounds will then vomit up the grass and whatever was in their stomach that was making them feel out of sorts. The majority of greyhounds do not vomit after eating grass.

Leash

Every greyhound will come to you leash trained. They know to walk quietly and easily next to you. However, please keep your greyhound on a leash when he is not in a completely fenced area. Centuries of breeding will cause them to chase anything that moves. They will take off, they will not listen, and chances are that a car will hit them before you catch up to them. The best way to hold a leash is to place your hand through the loop and then grab the leash. This way the lease cannot slide out of your hand.

Retractable leashes are not recommended as they can get tangled easily, especially with a big dog. And they don’t provide the stability of the nylon leash. Four or six – foot nylon leashes work well.

Flatulence

You must be warned. A greyhound with gas will wake you up in the middle of the night, and can clear a room. During this adjustment time, he will be expressing himself this way. The stress, the newness, the food, the treats – it all affects his gastric system. Some people say that giving a greyhound one to two dollops of low fat, plain yogurt will cause the flatulence to cease. Keeping windows open also helps.

Again, the more time you spend initially getting to know your greyhound, the quicker his adjustment period will be. If you can take days off when your greyhound comes into your home, it can really help his adjustment. You will be surprised at how quickly your greyhound becomes attached to you and your family and what a difference your presence makes to him….and his presence makes to you.