Most greyhounds are very easy to train. They have been crate-trained, so they do not go in the area they consider their kennel. However, they have never been inside a house. They are used to being let out up to six times a day to relieve themselves in a fenced – in pen. For the first few days when you get your greyhound home, make sure you take him out often, stay with him, and praise him effusively when he goes. He will catch on very quickly that outside is where he does his thing. Try to establish not only a fairly set routine that your new greyhound can learn, but a word or phrase that your new greyhound can identify and respond to, such as “Do you want to go out?” You will notice if you watch carefully, that within a few days your greyhound will adapt to his new routine, and also start giving you “signals” when he needs to be taken outside.

Having an Accident

If your dog has an accident in the house, and you are right there when it happens, give him a sharp, verbal reprimand, then take him outside, wait with him until he goes, and then praise the dickens out of him when he goes in the right place. Do not hit your dog or try to put his nose in the accident, as your dog will respond more quickly and more positively to kindness. If your greyhound is a male, he may attempt to lift his leg in a few places around the house to “mark his territory”, especially if you already have a dog. He is making the house HIS house, so he feels more at home. Watch him carefully as he walks or sniffs around the house the first few hours and days and try to catch him before he does it, so you can reprimand him verbally and strongly. If this should happen, it does not go on for long, so try to be patient.

Greyhounds are very clean dogs by nature. If your greyhound has any type of accident, rather than blame the dog, look for the reasons why it happened. He either was not taken out early or often enough, or not allowed enough time to fully relieve himself. Remember that a dog that has fully relieved himself has nothing left in his bladder to make an accident on your rug. Also remember that your new greyhound does not have any way to tell you he needs to go out. He is used to a set routine, where someone came and got him and put him outside in a turnout pen.

Some greyhounds from Homeward Bound Greyhounds are housebroken (at a foster home) when they arrive at yours. If you can put a doggie door in your home, do it! They are invaluable, and give the dog the ability to go in and out at will. This means you don’t have to worry about accidents in the house when you have been gone an extra amount of time.

Prevention

Prevention is the best solution to any housebreaking problem. For the first few days, it is a good idea to walk or let your greyhound outside in a fenced yard more frequently than you ordinarily would – as often as every couple of hours. This teaches your greyhound where his new home is and where he is supposed to “go,” and helps relieve the tension of a strange place, thus preventing accidents.

It is very common in their first few days for greyhounds to drink a lot more water than they would normally. They do this because they are nervous about being in an unfamiliar place. But all this drinking plus being nervous means they will need to go outside more.

Also, quite often the change from kennel dog to house pet can give a greyhound diarrhea, caused by nerves, change of water, and change of diet. If your greyhound should have loose stools the first few days, mix cooked rice and/or chicken with his kibble. Also be sure you allow your greyhound the ability to relieve himself quite often if he has diarrhea, as he cannot “hold” it for long. This type of diarrhea doesn’t last more than a few days. If it does, take your dog to the vet, as there may be some other problem, such as worms, food allergies, nerves, etc. which could be causing it, and it needs to be treated by your vet.

Your Greyhound and The Yard: Running and Playing

One of the questions you will be asked most often is, “Don’t greyhounds need a lot of exercise?” Once you live with a greyhound, you will know the truth – this is a very lazy dog. Lazy or not, your pet will need physical activity – just like you do! The most obvious and easiest answer is in your own backyard. However, most greyhounds will not play by themselves. They will want you to play with them and walk them around the block, on a leash.

On – Leash

Your greyhound is leash trained. You will need to keep him on a leash unless he is in a totally fenced area.

Most greyhounds walk very well on a leash. The youngsters might pull when on a leash, and I recommend a greyhound harness. Regular harnesses, bought in a pet store, do not fit a greyhound.

If you plan to use your greyhound as a partner in a walking or jogging fitness program, you should have an enthusiastic partner as long as you start slowly and use a little common sense. Greyhounds exercise primarily on sand in their kennel situation, which means the pads on their feet are smooth and soft. A little time must be taken to build up the calluses needed to exercise on cement or blacktop. Start your dog’s regime the same way you did yours – slowly. Walk or jog 2 or 3 blocks at first, and then gradually increase.

Off – Leash

Care should be taken to introduce your new greyhound pet to your yard or any new fenced area before turning him loose in it. This means that you need to check the entire fence for potential openings. Because if there is one, he will find it and he will be gone quicker than you have ever thought possible. While you are walking the fence with the dog on a leash, it also enables him to familiarize himself with the boundary. You should also let the dog investigate hazards in your yard such as a barbecue or planter. The first time your dog exercises in your yard off the leash it should be daylight and you need to be in the yard watching him.

Surprisingly, you may need to restrict your dog’s activity in a new area. For example, when you take your dog to a fenced football field, you will want to monitor the running your dog does. Greyhounds have been conditioned for sprinting and may be so excited and interested by a new exercise area that they overtax themselves. If this happens, they will react just like any athlete who has over-extended himself – heaving sides, heavy panting, vomiting, wooziness while standing. You will need to walk them very slowly to cool them down, and dowse their feet in water. Do not let them drink a lot of water fast, as they will choke and vomit it back up.

Weather

Care should be taken during extreme temperatures. Your dog is susceptible to heat stroke, just as you are. During hot weather it is wise to exercise early and easier. Make sure your dog is completely cooled down before feeding.

Cold weather presents other hazards for this desert breed. A warm-up blanket (coat) made for greyhounds are an excellent idea for walking or jogging in winter.

Each dog is an individual with different activity levels. Generally younger dogs enjoy higher activity levels.

Warning

It cannot be stressed enough that exercising your dog off leash in an area that is not entirely enclosed is asking for a disaster to happen.

Your pet may be entirely devoted to you and never leave your side at home, but you must remember that this pet is the product of centuries of specialized breeding to produce a lightning fast hunter. The greyhound has been bred to scan the horizon and run after anything that moves. A paper cup blowing across the street from the park could mean your dog’s death. This is not about disobedience. The explosive hunting run is instinct. Once your pet is focused in on a moving object, he is running on pure instinct and he will no longer hear you. The car driving down the street does not expect to see a 45 mph blur of a dog bounding after the paper cup crossing in front of it. DO NOT TAKE THE CHANCE.

Playing

Your greyhound may not know how to play because no one has ever taught him or showed him how. He was bred as a business, not as a pet, so it is your job to teach him to play. And it is the ‘funniest’ job you will ever have!

I recommend a box or basket of toys that are just his. He will get the idea quickly and pick and choose his playthings when he is in the mood.

You may not get to see the silly side of your greyhound for a while. He will probably not feel like letting his puppy personality out until he feels quite secure. When you see the classic bottom up, front end down pose bouncing in front of you, you will know it is time to play.

Toys

One of the most popular toys is a cotton rope toss about a foot long. Not only is it safe, durable, and fun for your pet, it also flosses his teeth.

Greyhounds love to adopt stuffed animals, pillows, etc. Tag sales are great places to pick up an inexpensive toy for your greyhound. Just remember to remove the eyes or any other part that could cause damage to your hound.

Additionally, little squeaky toys will get any greyhound’s attention. When they were trained to chase a lure, squeaky noises were part of that training, so you will see them become very intent on the squeaky toy.

Bones

Pick and chose your rawhide purchases carefully. American – made rawhide is the best type to buy. Inexpensive rawhide is cured overseas, often with dangerous chemicals like arsenic. Also, the compressed rawhide is safer than the ones with the knots on either end.

Nylabone may seem expensive, but will last forever and provide good cleaning action for your dog’s teeth. A shank or marrowbone at least 5” will provide hours of enjoyment for your dog and can be a great doggie pacifier. Try putting some peanut butter in it and you greyhound will be in ecstasy.

Balls

Some greyhounds like to play with a tennis ball. Remember that your pet was bred to chase critters on the ground. So roll or bowl the ball, don’t throw it. Once the ball is punctured, it should be discarded.

Running and playing are keys to your greyhound’s well being. Discover the joy he feels by joining in with him!

Your Greyhound and The Yard:
Bugs and Baths

One of the nicest features of your greyhound is that he does not have a lot of hair and this makes him easy to care for. A quick brushing with a grooming mitt (nubbed rubber glove), and lots of petting keeps him looking great.

Ears

Once a week you should inspect your pet’s ears and clean gently with a cotton ball and baby oil if needed. Do not use peroxide, as it can cause damage to your dog’s eardrums.

Skin

A greyhound’s previous living conditions (fleas, ticks, poor food, etc.) were not conducive to good skin. Some greyhounds we get from the track have some kind of skin condition. You will need to provide a good supplement to their food (Nupro, Missing Link, etc.) and give their hair and skin time to grow in nicely.

Fleas

NEVER PUT A REGULAR FLEA COLLAR ON A GREYHOUND! Flea collars work by releasing their flea – killing chemicals onto the skin of the dog, which is then absorbed into the dog’s blood stream. Most breeds can have their livers/kidneys filter these toxins out. But a greyhound’s liver/kidney do not work that fast, so the toxins continue to build up until it eventually kills the greyhound. For this same reason, never use any internal flea preventative pills.

One caveat – there are a few “totally natural” flea collars out on the market. These collars are treated with pennyroyal, mint, and eucalyptus oils. They are perfectly safe for greyhounds. The best way to handle fleas safely is to use natural flea shampoos and flea sprays that use natural – based pyrethrins and do not contain organic phosphates. Take time to read the label. Many flea products cannot be used on a dog who is taking heartworm preventative medication. When in doubt, check with your vet. Also, many flea sprays that advertise long duration protection are far too strong to be used on greyhounds.