Thinking about a dog? Consider the greyhound.

March 31, 2020 6:28 PM

Greyhound racing was scheduled to become illegal in Florida by the end of 2021. Due to COVID, however, two of the seven remaining tracks closed nine months early--leaving Florida greyhound rescues scrambling for fosters and adoptees to house 1,500 abruptly retired dogs months ahead of schedule. Fortunately, ex-racing greyhounds make great pets, and they are generally healthy dogs. Greyhound rescue orgs nationwide are stepping in to help the Florida dogs find homes as seamlessly as possible. If you're interested, find your nearest rescue here or reach out to Awesome Greyhound Adoptions, the rescue serving the affected tracks most directly.
posted by sciatrix (30 comments total)

Thanks for this post! I know some people who are heavily involved in fostering greyhounds so I'm sending them this info in case they don't already know about it.
posted by acidnova at 6:51 PM on March 31, 2020

I once knew a very sweet rescued greyhound. If you are thinking about adopting a dog, I would recommend it!
posted by Tsuga at 6:57 PM on March 31, 2020 [1 favorite]

Every longboi I have met has been a sweetheart. My partner and I have a 12.5 year old italian greyhound (the itty bitty version - it goes Full Size - Whippet - Iggy) and he is just my favorite living creature. They are companion animals that want to be next to you all the time. Love love love.
posted by lazaruslong at 7:07 PM on March 31, 2020 [5 favorites]

My mother adopted a retired racing greyhound when I was a kid. She was just the sweetest, goofiest dog imaginable, and when you let her off the leash she would run in huge, swooping circles. Of course, she was also dumb as a box of hair. There's not much room for a brain in those aerodynamic little skulls.

If you stand next to a greyhound, they will lean on you.
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:22 PM on March 31, 2020 [21 favorites]

Oh. Oh my heart. These dogs are (generally) so delightfully stupid. And lazy.

But remember they are sighthounds so they will chase a fucking paper bag into oncoming traffic.

They also are not used to being alone, so adopting a pair is the smart and kind thing to do. Also, you might be entertained by watching them learn about stairs, and eating indoors, being petted, and wow things like tv and basically anything that doesn't exist in track life.

Please do not get a greyhound if you will not let it on the couch and/or the bed. They really like soft comfy things and they are literally too dumb and sweet to understand why couches are not made for dogs.
posted by bilabial at 7:27 PM on March 31, 2020 [27 favorites]

Oh man, I want a Santa's Little Helper of my own so bad. That being said... while I was scrolling through adoptable greyhounds, I turned to my right and my dog was definitely just standing there glaring at me.
posted by thebots at 7:34 PM on March 31, 2020 [34 favorites]

Our greyhound passed away two years ago, and we recently decided we were ready to adopt again. We put in our application in February and met a wonderful dog we'd love to take home in early March. Unfortunately, the dog we were interested was scheduled to be spayed the week after they closed down all non-emergency vet services in our region and the rescue agency we're working with (like most) won't adopt out unspayed dogs. So, here we are, stuck at home, ready and wishing we had a greyhound.
posted by jennifrich at 7:42 PM on March 31, 2020 [7 favorites]

Greyhounds are amazing, and about the sweetest creatures on the planet. I'm gonna have to disagree with the comments about their intelligence: they're conditioned from birth and breeding to do one thing - "chase the thing" - and spend the other 22 hours a day in a crate. They don't get much experience at being dogs until they get retired, so they don't know about stairs, or windows, or toys, or not walking on swimming pools, or much of anything. But they learn very quickly.

They are the goofiest creatures, though, and under their cool, sleek exteriors, they're weirdos who like to be comfy... google "greyhound roaching" if you're unfamiliar with the term. And "zoomies."
posted by Graygorey at 8:11 PM on March 31, 2020 [10 favorites]

Oh man. Thank you for posting this. My sweet old coonhound passed away this past December, and being cooped up in quarantine alone without a dog has been really weighing on me. I had thought about adopting a greyhound after I met some at a local dog-brewery event, and thought I would wait until the tracks closed to contact the local rescue. I will definitely go send them a message now.
posted by bradbane at 8:12 PM on March 31, 2020 [8 favorites]

A woman with a greyhound briefly lived in a share house I was living in. I think she hoped to breed him one day so she never got him fixed. I remember pulling him off of humping my leg just a few seconds before he ejaculated. Nature is fun.
posted by bendy at 8:16 PM on March 31, 2020 [2 favorites]

My partner and I have long wanted to adopt/foster a retired greyhound but are absolutely not in a place where we could do that right now and I'm so sad. I hope all these good girls and boys get loving homes.
posted by brook horse at 8:30 PM on March 31, 2020 [1 favorite]

How do they do with sharing a house with non greyhound dogs?
posted by postel's law at 8:40 PM on March 31, 2020

crockydogs!
posted by brujita at 9:21 PM on March 31, 2020

My roommate is convinced that a single greyhound would be too big for our <1000sqft, 2bd/2ba apartment. Can anyone provide some insight WRT space?
posted by Giggilituffin at 11:32 PM on March 31, 2020

We considered getting a greyhound when we lived in a 35m^2 studio apartment but settled on a more manageably-scaled whippet instead. Now we live in a palatial 75m^2 two-bedroom and I wouldn't see any problem with a greyhound/saluki/lurcher-sized sight hound. But we may double up on whippets instead, as they like the company and need other fast dogs to run/play with. Great dogs for apartments as they're so quiet and calm at home, and hardly shed.

We were recently in the country and startled a rabbit on a corner of the property when the dog was off leash, and he answered a question I've long wondered. Let's just say the chase is not just for sport.
posted by St. Oops at 4:57 AM on April 1, 2020 [4 favorites]

We adopted our Garrus last year, our 1200 sqft condo is "large enough for 4 greyhounds" according to the guy from the foster/adoption agency. We plan on adopting our second (of 2, not 4) this month. They don't actually take up much space, so long as you provide some outlets for energy!

I'd never say they're a *smart* breed, per se, but they're not as dumb as advertised. I've been able to teach him a lot of tricks, and he often surprises me with how clever he is. I'd say if anything, he's just not too curious, and a little wary of new things. On the plus side, it means he's not constantly trying to get into cabinets or tearing into things.

As far as behaving with other dogs, he's cordial, but matching energy is important. Our friends have a dog that still has a lot of puppy energy, and after a little bit of socializing, Garrus is ready to lay down, but the other dog still wants to play.
posted by explosion at 5:00 AM on April 1, 2020 [2 favorites]

My roommate is convinced that a single greyhound would be too big for our 1000sqft, 2bd/2ba apartment. Can anyone provide some insight WRT space?

I lived with my greyhound in a 1Br apartment and then a 750 sqft house. Neither had a fenced yard, so it was leash walkies only. He did absolutely fine. They seriously spend 98% of their day asleep (usually in weird and uncomfortable-looking positions) and basically wake up to eat, potty, and ask for pets. Greyhounds make great apartment dogs in my experience and you should get one, is what I'm saying.

Also ftr my baby was quite smart and learned tricks quickly. Greyhounds are less "dumb" than they are "catlike and thus might not give a fuck what you want if it's not also what they want". Luckily, mine was food-motivated and would do anything for a snack.
posted by Hold your seahorses at 6:06 AM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]

My roommate is convinced that a single greyhound would be too big for our 1000sqft, 2bd/2ba apartment. Can anyone provide some insight WRT space?

My first dog was a greyhound that I had in a one-bedroom apartment, part of which was only accessible by open-backed stairs she wouldn't climb. Never had any problems related to space. I'll describe the day I learned she was the perfect apartment dog -

We went to the Outer Banks for a June beach vacation, and one day mid-week it rained all day, so we spent the entire day watching Netflix. I walked her in the morning, she ate breakfast, and then laid down on her bed. Right around lunchtime she got up, turned a few times, and curled up in a ball facing the other way. Finally, around dinnertime, she got up, I walked her again, she had dinner, and then laid back down until it was time for her bedtime walk. I knew, intellectually, that she was super-lazy, but seeing her just lay on that bed like it was her full-time job was wild.
posted by god hates math at 6:19 AM on April 1, 2020 [6 favorites]

...literally too dumb and sweet to understand why couches are not made for dogs.

Wait couches are not made for dogs?
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 6:53 AM on April 1, 2020 [8 favorites]

I drove past the Sanford dog track last week and it looked particularly empty, lots of places that were formerly fenced off were now wide open and empty. I thought that I had just missed the news about it and that they had all closed at the end of last year, but it has only been a couple of weeks.
posted by Badgermann at 7:01 AM on April 1, 2020

My roommate is convinced that a single greyhound would be too big for our 1000sqft, 2bd/2ba apartment. Can anyone provide some insight WRT space?

I agree with the other responses above. Greyhounds are really just giant cats and take up very little space - both literally and figuratively. We got our first greyhound when we live in a small 2BR apartment, and we specifically asked for a smaller dog because we were afraid she would take up too much space. That was not a problem at all. We live in a big house now, and we want our next greyhound to be GIANT.
posted by jennifrich at 8:03 AM on April 1, 2020

I have a friend who takes 'rescue' greyhounds here in Ireland, from our similarly-declining dog track industry and also abused dogs. They are lovely, gentle dogs in my experience. They need surprisingly little exercise and it's worth it to be able to let them off the leash and watch them take off like a hairy guided missile.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 9:14 AM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]

We adopted an Irish ex-racer (dog tax/plug) back in mid-February, and she's an awesome lovable goof. Things are a little tough since we live in a condo tower downtown next to a highly trafficked park so we haven't been able to take her out for long walks like she'd like in the past couple weeks, but god hates math's anecdote about a grey sleeping like it's her job is spot-on.

Greyhound racers in Ireland are kept somewhat differently from American dogs (and I suspect our girl may have been fostered for a couple months), the adoption group passed along a document from the Irish rescue agency that went over those differences which I'll share some parts of here for the general interest.

Essentially Irish greyhounds are the same breed of dog as an American greyhound. However, their home and racing environments are very different.

The dogs come from racing owners throughout Ireland, some are cared for better than others. I will describe the majority of the dogs that we receive directly from racing owners.

i) They are not physically abused. However, many are under-stimulated. They may spend much of the day sleeping muzzled in a dark kennel (not like an American kennel) cuddled with one or two other greyhounds. Some are fed poor quality dog food while others will receive top quality dog food supplemented with cooked or raw meat.

ii) Kennels: The dogs are not crated at the racetrack, like racing greyhounds in the US. They live in a garage, shed or purpose-built outbuildings (insulated concrete) in the racing owner's back yard. The majority come from rural areas in Ireland where it is very quiet. There are no sounds of traffic or loud noises. They are unaccustomed to crates.

iii) They may be an only greyhound or they may live with 2 to 6 other greyhounds.

iv) Some are muzzled 24 hours a day.

v) Many owners allow their greyhounds to sleep together, to conserve space but also to keep warm in the winter.

vi) Ireland has a cool damp climate for pretty much 12 months of the year. As such their coats may change dramatically when they transition to a warm, dry climate.

posted by books for weapons at 9:36 AM on April 1, 2020 [5 favorites]

My cousin’s family have had two greyhounds over the years, both rescues. Such gentle giants. You definitely need room in your living space, though. And, they love a nice, comfy couch.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:28 AM on April 1, 2020

They also are not used to being alone, so adopting a pair is the smart and kind thing to do.

Correct. I knew someone that adopted one and it chewed her entire apartment to bits when left alone.
posted by Young Kullervo at 11:21 AM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]

So, what are the adoption fees like? By which I mean, how much are they owners willing to pay some good-hearted soul to take care of the byproducts of their gambling business.

That said, very sweet dogs. I love them.
posted by stet at 3:43 PM on April 1, 2020

I believe that couches are made for dogs, and my enthusiasm about the ‘stupidity’ of greyhounds is extremely exaggerated. They will figure out how to turn you into their personal treat dispenser and they will sneak onto fluffy comfy surfaces. But they come to the adoption circuit usually knowing absolutely nothing about life outside of the track. In the track they live in kennel with concrete floor and feeding is different from civilian life. They never encounter stairs or cuddling or cars until they leave the track. Grass yards? Not a thing for racing dogs. So they start from scratch, basically, but they adjust to comfy home life very easily. Because softness. And treats.

If you are a person who believes that couches are not made for dogs, a greyhound is not the pet for you, is what I’m saying.
posted by bilabial at 6:37 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]

The people I know who love greyhounds love them with an enthusiasm that is powerful and beautiful and definitely great for everyone involved. But, "try one out first" seems like good advice. Calling them cats. . . seems like something only a fully committed dog person who's never actually lived with cats would say. They're about as far from cats as crocodiles.
posted by eotvos at 9:36 AM on April 2, 2020

We adopted a pair of ex-racing greyhounds as our first pets together. They were marvelous and I miss them. We also fostered a few times, including a memorable 75 pound goof named Eddie who could sneak into bed undetected in the middle of the night. I woke up more than once to find him snuggled between us, chasing rabbits in his dreams.
posted by danielleh at 12:53 PM on April 2, 2020 [1 favorite]

My greyhound has never once tried to get on the couch. He takes up slightly more space then his bed, because he's usually falling off of it to some extent. He is afraid of the cats. The first day in our house, the gas company decided to jackhammer about 6' outside the wall his bed was next to - he stood up, thought about it for a few minutes from across the room, and then flopped back down to sleep.

He sleeps all day, anywhere. Restaurants, fireworks, crowds, he sleeps. This made house training easy - any time he stood up, and wasn't immediately eating or drinking, it meant he had to pee.

He understands rules very well, but not the idea that humans might give him tasks. He chased moving things instantly and like it was his job for the first, oh, four years I had him. Now chasing is recreational. While not a problem solver, he can answer questions like "do you want your pajamas?" and sometimes decides that we should go to the bar with outdoor seating on our walks.

He was definitely cuddled at the track, and firmly believes people are here to pet him (he is not enjoying social distancing). He gets nervous at the vet and deals with this by snuggling the vets. He enjoys being an only dog or I would get him a friend.
posted by sepviva at 6:57 PM on April 2, 2020 [4 favorites]