Every year about 8,000 greyhounds are retired from racing because their owners deem them to not be fast enough anymore or because they have suffered a trivial or major injury that prevents them from racing to the best of their ability. Many of these are put down as no homes can be found for them or due to the fact that their medical bills will be too expensive for the average person looking for a dog. If you are looking to adopt a dog, we recommend that you adopt a retired greyhound, and here is why.
They Do Not Require a Lot of Exercise
If you tell someone that you are thinking about adopting a greyhound then there is a very good chance that you will be met with a long warning about how they have heard that greyhounds require a lot of exercise every day. However, this is a huge myth as greyhounds are actually couch potatoes and will be more than happy with a few short walks each day. In fact, if you happen to live somewhere where the weather is cold and wet, you will probably have a huge struggle to get them out of the house at all. So, if you live in an apartment with no access to a garden, then you should think about getting yourself a retired greyhound as they will not mind the lack of a garden at all.
They Do Not Have Small Dog Syndrome
Many people nowadays live in apartments or small houses with not a lot of spare space which is why small dogs have become very popular. However, the main problem with small dogs is that they come with what is known as small dog syndrome and will bark at every single sound that they hear. Not only will this be annoying for you, but it will also get on your neighbours’ nerves and you will have problems with them before too long. However, this will not be the case with greyhounds as they are really laid-back dogs and do not like the sound of their own bark. When you leave them at home to go to work, they will most likely just relax instead of annoying your neighbours.
They Are Huge Softies
One of the main reasons why you do not need to have a lot of space if you adopt a greyhound is that more often than not they will want to be wherever you happen to be. Greyhounds are big dogs that want to be lapdogs. If you adopt a greyhound, then
you should be prepared to give up some of the sofa space and you will have to get used to watching television with 30 kilos of dog sitting on your lap. Greyhounds are really affectionate creatures and would be more than happy to be stroked every minute of the day.
They Are Used to Being in a Crate
If space is a premium for you, then there is a good chance that your greyhound’s permanent base will be the bedroom, living room, or kitchen. Sometimes you might not want to leave your dog unattended for large periods of time when you leave the house, which is why you should purchase a crate. While other types of dogs will hate being put in a crate for a period of time, retired greyhounds have no issue with it as they got used to it during their racing career. In fact, your greyhound will probably come to like their own personal crate so much that you will find it difficult to get them out when you come back from whatever errands you were running.
They Have Low Maintenance Coats
As greyhounds will spend most of their time in areas that you spend a lot of your own time, it is understandable that you do not want everywhere to be covered in dog hair. You will not even have to think about this if you get a greyhound as their sleek, short coats do not shed a lot. They also do not require much grooming, although they will definitely like it if you groom them from time to time. Additionally, they have low levels of oil in the skin which means that they will not start to smell too bad if you do not wash them frequently. In fact, you can get away with giving them a bath just once or twice a year, unless you take them out for a walk and they happen to get muddy or roll in some fox faeces.