Yesterday, we got the racing greyhound we were looking to rescue/adopt. One that met our criteria came through after many months of waiting. The criteria were under 3 years old (we got one 2 years, 4 months old, which is fairly rare) and a solid color (less important, just a preference - we got black).
It's like having a lost, scared baby! He looks regal and we love him. His papers described him as goofy and friendly, great around small animals like cats. Great as a family dog candidate. So far, so good. It's a job to stay on top of him to make him learn to go the bathroom in the "dog bathroom" part of the yard. He is afraid of our larger stairs right now. This morning we threw a toy out in the yard and he got to it in three strides. This guy is FAST like you wouldn't believe!
He was panting like a bitch yesterday, obviously very nervous and confused. But he did sleep on his dog pillow all night and he wasn't panting this morning.
Greyhounds don't do stairs well, at all. Plus he's probably not even used them his entire life until now.
They pant more than normal dogs too - their high muscle volume and energy level (yes, as lazy as they seem they are high energy due to their lean-ness)contribute to this. They don't like the sun and prefer air conditioning.
BTW - rescue only has one S in it. Fix your title.
They are destined for being put down if no one adopts.
Ant, we are doing the AC thing. He has a wound on him, the vet says, that is self-inflicted from scratching in a hot and humid environment. So we are keeping his outside adventures limited to keep things simple for him. Plus, I am getting him to learn the path to the bathroom outside as the priority.
And you are also correct about the panting, although he wasn't this morning for a little making up happy to see him calmed down a bit.
He is big! 72 pounds and tall! We have to teach him to not put is long face on the counters.
Middle Finger Wrote:They are destined for being put down if no one adopts.
Ant, we are doing the AC thing. He has a wound on him, the vet says, that is self-inflicted from scratching in a hot and humid environment. So we are keeping his outside adventures limited to keep things simple for him. Plus, I am getting him to learn the path to the bathroom outside as the priority.
And you are also correct about the panting, although he wasn't this morning for a little making up happy to see him calmed down a bit.
He is big! 72 pounds and tall! We have to teach him to not put is long face on the counters.
Are you serious? What organization did you get him from?
Middle Finger Wrote:[color="orange"]They are destined for being put down if no one adopts.[/color]
Ant, we are doing the AC thing. He has a wound on him, the vet says, that is self-inflicted from scratching in a hot and humid environment. So we are keeping his outside adventures limited to keep things simple for him. Plus, I am getting him to learn the path to the bathroom outside as the priority.
And you are also correct about the panting, although he wasn't this morning for a little making up happy to see him calmed down a bit.
He is big! 72 pounds and tall! We have to teach him to not put is long face on the counters.
Are you serious? What organization did you get him from?
No, I meant that they would be put down if not for people willing to adopt. I am sure many have been disposed of in the past before there was a good network of adoption organizations.
The rescue organizations are wonderful. Some are insane but most are good. They rescue the dogs from torment, abuse and cruelty that was common in the dog racing industry in the past.
I'm sure it's not completely gone as there are abusers in every industry. I can go on for hours with horror stories but I won't. I'll have nightmares myself.
JackBoots, they're high strung in a way that's better described as sensitive, and keen to the situation around them but they are kind of laid back considering these dogs run 35 mph at a clip.
NEVER walk this dog out of a fenced area without a leash!!
He will need a place to run daily though, once he's settled in. Usually one good burst around a fenced in ball field is a good place to do this.
They are not jumpers - so you can relax if the fence is under 6' tall.
Ant, thanks ... fence is 6' and we were well warned about how they can bolt out the door and never be found again! We keep the front door locked now so we can control traffic.
He's lovely Frank! Still a little on the thin side but don't let him get too much heavier. He needs to stay slim.
Just let him gain enough weight to cover his hips and ribs but you should still feel his ribs when you run your hands along the sides and you should SEE them when he takes a deep breath.
Poor guy, I can see marks on his nose from being locked in a kennel for his whole life.
Keep his nails trimmed too - this is very important. They use them for gripping while running, much like a cheetah does but if they get too long, they actually will lose their footing and become unstable while walking.
These dogs also bloat - Any dog with a deep chest bloats. Ivermectin can be a problem too - it's used to prevent heartworm.
I would not feed him crappy food. He's used to a high protien diet and one that is either raw or not all kibble. Dry food and foods with a high cereal / grain content will fill his gut like it would you if you ate a whole loaf of heavy Italian bread at once - but then unlike you, he'll puke it all right up.
I'd feed him canned food mostly.
Oh and another thing, these dogs are not chewers. Don't expect him to destroy your house. Get him a red KONG toy. The black ones are too stiff for him.
We had a squeaky toy we threw around and he went after, but he doesn't want to play with it ... at least now right now. What he did dig into and love was a rawhide bone. It was nice to see that because my other dog has always had zero interest in them ... he just takes them and hides them.
He's cute. My dogs wont eat the raw hide bones either. They play this game where they bury them in the couch cushions and then guard them. Then when one dogs gets up the other one runs over there and grabs it real quick. I eventually have to take them away because the game turns into a fight. They will eat the pig ears though.
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