Greyhound Guide

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Previous: I. Adjustment Angst
Next: III. The Yard

Your Greyhound and...The House -- Household Horrors

Greyhounds in the House Everything in your house is familiar to you, but not at all familiar to your greyhound. You'll have a lot of fun watching your greyhound explore his new home. But he's going to need your help too.

Stairs

Your greyhound has probably never seen nor had to deal with stairs. So you have to teach him to climb them. If you have another dog in the home, he'll learn quickly from him. If not, then the best way is to get down on all fours and show him.:) If that doesn't work, stand behind him and move one paw at a time -- step by step, showing him what he is supposed to do. Make sure you give lots of verbal positive reinforcement. Gradually increase the number of steps he climbs. When going down stairs, hold his collar securely and go down the stairs slowly right next to him. They can hurt themselves easily going down stairs too fast too. They are quick to learn and soon become old pros at it

He may initially resist (that statue routine we spoke of in the Adjustment chapter), but just keep gently and positively asking him to climb the stairs. No matter what method you choose to teach your greyhound stairs, DO NOT EVER FORCE your greyhound up or down stairs by dragging him by the collar. If pushed into doing the stairs, he will become frightened and may try to jump them all, and possibly break a leg -- or worse.

Mirrors, Doors and Floors -- Oh My!

Everything in the house is new and can be confusing. Full length mirrors may cause your pet to stare for hours at the mysterious dog on the other side of the mirror. Sliding glass doors can cause a sore nose, or worse, when your greyhound tries to walk through it. Please put masking tape, or some decal, at eye level for a while. Hardwood and linoleum floors are also tricky for greyhounds to negotiate. Area rugs are helpful there. Flushing toilets, TVs, refrigerators and more will provide you with lots of laughs at your greyhound's expense.

Garbage

One man's trash is another man's treasure -- this applies to your new greyhound as well. He doesn't know he's not supposed to root around in the garbage, and he finds those smells simply delightful and well worth investigating. Protect your greyhound from getting into trouble or possible harm by keeping the garbage out of his way, or by using a tight-fitting lid on the can. A sharp, verbal reprimand if he should try to nose around the garbage will soon teach him not to disturb it.

Counters, Tables

Kitchen counters happen to be nose level with most greyhounds. Remember, they have been raised in a kennel, where every time they smelled food, it was THEIR food. Your new greyhound has not been taught proper manners yet when it comes to food on the counter. A sharp "NO" when he shows interest is enough to deter him, at least when you're around. However, a temptation such as a steak defrosting within his reach might be too much to ask.

Sofas, Beds

If it is soft, your greyhound will like it. Shag carpeting is bliss for your retired racer. But a comfy sofa is even better! A good rule to enforce right from the start: if you don't want your dog on the couch, don't ever let him on. He'll quickly learn to love the luxury of the sofa cushions, and you'll never get him to stay off. If your greyhound figures out the couch all by himself, and lounges on it while you aren't home, then take an old blanket and cover the spot he's chosen prior to leaving the house. It's a lot simpler than fighting it.

If you want your greyhound to sleep in your bed with you, he'd be more than happy to oblige. However, some greyhounds might start to think it's their bed. Any growl, when he's on the bed, must immediately be quelched. Get that dog off the bed, and don't allow him on it again. He's lost his right to share.

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Your Greyhound and...The House -- Feeding Frenzy

Feeding Frenzy As you introduce your greyhound to your home, you will also have to teach him a new concept -- that not all food he sees is for him. He'll need to learn the difference between dog food and people food. A greyhound's diet at the track consisted of 6-8 cups of quality dry meal/kibble, with 1-2 lb. of meat (sometimes 4-D -- diseased, deadly, dying, etc. ) added, and cooked vegetables. In retirement, as a house pet, your new greyhound won't need that volume of food nor the added meat.

Initial Eating Adjustment

Some greyhounds may seem nervous when eating. They are just worried that someone else is going to come and take their food. My first greyhound would load his mouth up with kibble, go into another room, drop it and then eat it in privacy. He eventually realized the food was his, and he could eat it in peace. Also, they may be very sloppy initially. You'll find more kibble on the floor than what's in the bowl. Again, they are chowing down because they are afraid someone else is going to take their food. Eventually, better manners will prevail.

What To Feed

Everyone has their own favorite kibble. I recommend a high-quality kibble (Nature's Recipe, Nutro-Max, Sensible Choice, etc.) from a pet food store. Grocery stores carry lower grade foods that use corn as a filler. The first few ingredients on the bag should not contain by-products or corn. An additional supplement (Vital Nutrition, Derm-Caps, Missing Link, etc.), whether powder or oil, helps greyhounds coats become sleeker.

Greyhounds generally have excellent appetites and will eat everything. Unfortunately, everything doesn't quite agree with them. Like most sighthounds, greyhounds have sensitive digestive systems that respond to changes in their diet with diarrhea. So too many table scraps is not necessarily a good idea.

How to Feed

I've successfully free fed all of my greyhounds. This means I leave dry food out in their dish 24 hours a day, and they eat when they are hungry. My dogs do not ever get fat, and are not that food oriented because they know they can get food whenever they want. Other greyhound owners feed their greys twice a day, totaling about 4-6 cups of kibble. You may need to modify the amount after the first few weeks according to your dog's activity level, age, and size. You should be able to feel ribs, not see them.

Greyhounds need their food elevated. You can buy the feeding platforms, or just invert buckets or a box and put your dog's bowls on them.

Treats

Your greyhound may have eaten bananas, apricots, pumpkin, applesauce, spinach, and even vanilla ice cream as a racer. Oftentimes marshmallows were given after a race. When selecting snacks for your pet, choose good quality basics such as Milkbones and natural biscuits. Avoid treats that contain lots of dye and sugar. Rawhide bones (American only), Nylabones, other toys, and stuffed animals are all treats your greyhound should have. Treats are an excellent positive reinforcement.

You should be perfect about one thing though -- CHOCOLATE CAN BE DANGEROUS. Reactions vary from dog to dog, but none are good. Chocolate contains ingredients that can speed your dog's heart rate and can cause allergic reactions.

Don't Say You Weren't Warned

And you must be warned. A greyhound fart will wake you up in the middle of the night, and can clear a room. This flatulence usually occurs because you've given him something he's not used to in his diet, like a new treat or some of your food (!). Or he could have gotten into something in the yard or garbage that didn't quite agree with him. It could also be a sign that he needs to go out, so let him out! Some people say that giving a greyhound one to two dollops of lowfat, plain yogurt will cause the flatulence to cease.

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