Getting Acquainted With Your New Greyhound

• Your Greyhound is an inside dog. It does not do well in extreme temperatures, rain, chill, etc. Ex-racers are almost all muscle with very little body fat to insulate them against changes in temperatures. You signed a contract that states your hound will be kept inside. Don't break the contract.
• Do not shut your greyhound in a separate room to sleep. On the track greyhounds are used to sleeping with lots of dogs in the same area. Your greyhound will adjust faster if you let him/her sleep in the same room as a family member.
• Walk your greyhound on a leash and let him/her investigate its new home at its own speed. A firm NO should suffice to let him/her know what is off limits.
• Let your new greyhound explore at his/her own speed. A firm NO should suffice to let him/her know what is off limits.
• Full-length mirrors, glass patio doors, screens, hardwood, tile or linoleum floors, are all new to your dog and some of these may be a hazard. Placing a strip of masking tape (or post- it- notes) on glass doors, screen doors and mirrors at your pets' eye level will alert him/her that something solid is in the way. Walk slowly with your pet over slippery surfaces until he/she is confident.
• Your home should be childproofed. As you and your greyhound explore, check for any hazards you may have missed. Electrical cords, poisonous plants, books or magazines on the floor, the TV remote control, reading glasses, video tapes, shoes left lying about, etc., may prove to be irresistible. These are all new things to your greyhound and frequently dogs "discover" by chewing.
• Keep countertops free of food; greyhounds can be food aggressive at first.
• Keep garbage locked away so your greyhound will not harm itself. Greyhounds find the smells simply delightful.
• When you are comfortable that your dog will not hurt itself you can let it roam around unleashed but under supervision.
• Treat him/her with love and respect but enforce the rules of the home. If your greyhound is not allowed on the sofa, when he/she starts to jump on it, quickly and firmly say NO! Then show it to its favorite pillow.
• Have plenty of plush pillows for your greyhound to lie on.
• Your greyhound will probably not like to sit, because of its muscles in its hindquarters. They would rather lie down than sit.
• Take a few days off from work so you can be with your new dog. You will need to start teaching your greyhound how to be alone for longer periods of time. (see separation anxiety)
• Greyhounds will choose to have a relationship with you based on trust. The more you do with your dog the more solid your relationship becomes.

   

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