Care and training tips

 
Image of a greyhound's face
 

Preparations to bring your greyhound home

What you need:

Dog bowls

You’ll need two dog bowls:

  • One bowl that will sit in a high-rise feeder, to eat their food from 

  • One bowl for their water - we generally recommend a ceramic bowl on the floor as some like to move the bowls around! 

Bedding

No need to get a fancy dog bed - a folded duvet/blankets will make a perfect bed for them at the start until you know what they like. 

House collar

When one of our greyhounds is homed, they come with a leather collar and lead and muzzle.  

However, they will also need a house collar to wear around the house and 24/7 as this will have their ID tag on. 

ID tag

ID tags are now a legal requirement in the UK and must be worn 24/7.

You can get these online or from most pet shops - the tag will need to show your post code and surname on one side, and on the other, two contact numbers.  

We recommend not putting the dog’s name on the ID tag, because if they get lost the person who finds them would then know their name, making them easier to steal. 

Your dog must be walked wearing a greyhound collar and leather lead or harness - or a combination of the two. At the kennels, we use a leather collar, a harness and a double-ended lead, with one point attached to the harness and the other to the collar.

Leather collar

This has to be fitted correctly, otherwise it will slide off the greyhound’s head. It needs to be placed right behind the ears and no lower - behind their ears is the smallest part of the neck, whereas the base of their neck is the same size as their head, which means the collar just slips straight off.  

You should be able to get two fingers between the collar and the neck and three fingers underneath their neck - this will be demonstrated by a member of the team before you take them home. 

Muzzle

All greyhounds rehomed by us come with a muzzle. You can choose between multiple colours but we recommend that the dog wears the muzzle provided, especially when introducing them to new situations, people or animals. 

They won’t have to wear the muzzle in the house all the time as this can be their free time. However, we do still recommend putting it on occasionally so they get used to it in the house, as if they ever need to wear it, it can stop them from having to wear the “cone of shame” if they ever had an injury/operation which a lot of people forget about. 

We also suggest that for at least the first month or so they wear a muzzle out and about, so you get used to their behaviour and know what dogs they do/don’t get on with. The muzzle also stops them eating so much off the floor!

Any time the dog is off lead or meeting other dogs/children, do pop the muzzle on. 

Lead

Please note: Under no circumstance should an extendable lead be used on a greyhound

A greyhound can get to 40mph in less than four strides. If they are on an extendable lead, this will snap, get caught around their legs and cause injury to the hound and/or handler.

If a greyhound 'takes off' while wearing an extendable lead, the outcome can be very serious or even fatal, especially if the lead is attached to a collar around the dog’s neck. Handlers have also been known to sustain injuries and broken bones.

We advise that correctly fitted fishtail collars or harnesses are used with a proper lead attached. The safety of the dogs must come first. 

Arriving at home

Please remember, your greyhound has never been in a home environment before, so they may be stressed, and they will settle in at their own pace. 

When you arrive home: Take your dog on a lead straight out to the garden or the place they will be going to the toilet, let them go to the toilet and then praise them with high value treats, giving them lots of fuss. Use their name and tell them what a good dog they are. Once they have gone to the toilet, let them off the lead in the garden so they can explore. 

Once they have explored the garden: Let them into the house and let them explore all the rooms that they are allowed in. Let them be and try not to follow them around, as this can be a very stressful time for them. Instead, sit on the sofa/at the table so they feel like you’re out of the way. 

Set the house rules from the moment you get them home, so they know what they are allowed/not allowed to do.  

If they aren’t allowed on the sofa, don’t let them and ensure everyone is on the same page with the rules - if one person lets them do something and someone else doesn’t, they will get confused.  

Remember, they won’t have seen appliances such as a TV, vacuum cleaner or washing machine so please bear this in mind - you may have to watch the TV on a lower volume for the first week or so. 

An Adaptil dog appeasing collar may also help if they are feeling stressed and helps to calm them while they are settling in.

Training

House training

Most greyhounds are clean in their kennel, however we can’t promise they will be at home. As long as you show them the garden and where they need to go to the toilet, they should pick up this routine pretty quickly. 

House training along with any other training should start from the moment you get home. Take the dog straight to the garden and wait until they have done something, then give them a huge fuss and a high value reward such as cheese, sausage or chicken. 

Once they have been in the garden and received a reward, they know that this is a great place to go - however, you will have to keep letting them out regularly at the start for them to understand completely. 

If your new addition has an accident in the house whilst you aren’t around, don’t tell them off, as this could have been done a while ago and they don’t have any idea what they are getting told off for.

If you do see them going to the toilet inside – say a firm “No” and take them outside. If they then go to the toilet outside, give them lots of rewards and praise.

For boys you can buy belly bands that go around that area to stop them from marking in the house – these can be found on Amazon by searching belly bands for dogs - typically they come in a pack of 3.

If they do have an accident inside, ensure it’s cleaned thoroughly and if it’s on carpet use a carpet cleaner to take away the smell - otherwise, they can continue to wee over it as a form of scenting. 

Greyhounds are used to being let out first thing, before food and then after their food, so it’s good to maintain this routine to help avoid any accidental wees. 

Food

Most people will have a budget or already know what food they want to give their new dog, which is great. 

However, we recommend buying a bag of food from the kennels or getting a bag of food that your dog has been fed at the kennels, so that when you change their food it is gradual and over time - this will help avoid any upset tummies. 

Some of the greyhounds at the kennels may be on a special food, as they have a more sensitive tummy to others. The team will inform you of this, but it may be best to stick to that food for a while rather than changing them over. 

You can add supplements/toppers such as meat, sardines and salmon oil - we leave this down to you as each owner/dog is an individual.  

We also recommend adding water to their kibble - this not only gets water into them, but also helps avoid them inhaling tiny pieces, which cause them to cough. Water should also be available to them at all times and be changed daily. 

Chews such as chicken feet, pigs’ ears, rabbits ears etc can be a great treat as well as a way to help clean your dog’s teeth. 

Please note:

  • Rawhide treats should never be given to your dog. These chews are made from cattle or horse hides and they regularly cause intestinal blockages, poisoning from chemical residue and choking. The chews go slippery when wet and are near-impossible to get hold of when trying to save a choking dog.

  • Human food such as chocolate, grapes and raisins must also be avoided - these are poisonous to dogs.

It’s always worth investing in a bin that dogs can’t easily access to steal food, such as a flip bin that you can store in a cupboard or well out of access for your dog.

When going on a walk, keep an eye out for food on the floor, as this could be dangerous to them. 

You should also avoid feeding your dog before a car journey, as this increases the chances of them being sick. Wait to feed them before or after a walk by at least 30 minutes - an hour if possible.  

Introducing other dogs

If you have another dog at home already, the team will probably suggest that you bring it to the kennels with you to meet the greyhounds. This can be done on the first visit or once you have been to the kennels and seen a few that you like.  

The kennels are a great space to introduce them as this will be on neutral terms. The kennel team will generally hold the greyhound and introduce them to your dog and once the team is happy, they will send you out on a walk with the two dogs to see how they get on. 

Once you have chosen your dog and you are coming to collect your new addition, we suggest not bringing your original dog with you. 

Instead, when you get home, one person should go in to get the original dog and bring them out. Then, go on a walk so that the two dogs can get used to each other again, keeping the muzzle on throughout. Once the walk’s done, take the dogs back inside together and even into the garden to see how they interact off the lead. 

Keep an eye on toys, as the original dog might not want to share its toys or bed with the new addition. 

Be firm with them both and expect a few growls here and there - this is just them getting the pack rank sorted. 

Bed time routine 

Carry on with your normal routine in the evening, but just include letting the dog outside for their final toilet break of the day before you go to bed.

Once they’re back in, put them in the place they are going to sleep and tell them it’s bed time when you go off to bed. 

They may whine the first few nights but this is quite normal - it may help to have a radio on in the background as they always have the radio on at the kennels. 

If they continue whining, go down and let them out and if they go to the toilet, reward them as they have told you they needed to go. 

If they don’t go, don’t tell them off - just put them back to bed before going back to bed yourself. If they carry on whining, do try to ignore them - if you keep going down, they will know if they make a noise you will come and give them a fuss. 

Please try not to sleep on the sofa with them the first few nights, as the night you eventually do go back to bed, they won’t understand why and it will be like night one all over again.