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Here for some of our 'After Adoption' pictures
General Care
- Greyhounds are bred to be strong
and healthy. Racers have always received the best
of food and the finest of care. Properly vaccinated,
fed and maintained, adopted greyhounds should remain
in good health throughout their life and live to
be upwards of twelve years.
GPA suggests that careful selection.of a veterinarian
for your greyhound will add years of security to
your ownership. At the time you take your greyhound
home, information about special medical considerations
will be provided. The sighthounds in general do
not have the same fat content in their bodies as
other dogs so medication has to be measured carefully.
We try very hard to not put our greyhounds asleep
for minor stitches, or scaling or toenail clipping.
Use a local anesthetic or tranquilizers for minor
injuries.
Greyhounds are very clean and almost odorless. A
greyhound will enjoy a shampoo about four times
a year. When shampooing, we suggest using a high
quality mild shampoo ("Mycodex"). Their
skin is very thin and sensitive to harsh treatment
and chemicals.
Greyhounds are not an outdoor dog. Since they have
almost no fat content to their body and only a thin
coat of hair, they have little protection from the
cold or heat.
Exercise,
Training and Handling of your Greyhound -
In retirement, a greyhound's needs are no different
from those of any other large dog. You should walk
your greyhound some distance two or three times
a week. You should also let your greyhound romp
and sprint in a safe, large fenced area once or
twice a week. A safe surface for running is recommended
since greyhounds are sight-hounds and when running
at speed they do not watch where they place their
feet, but instead look at a point in the distance.
Greyhounds also make excellent jogging companions
so you can exercise together, but their endurance
and feet pads need to be built up as they are sprinters,
not marathoners.
The greyhound is one of the few breeds that takes
naturally to the lead. Their early training allows
even children to handle them easily. Greyhounds
are extremely sensitive and intelligent and respond
quickly to voice commands. They are easily trained
and have acquired a lot of good manners from their
track experience.
Matching Process
- The first step is to call your GPA representative.
They will answer questions and get basic information
from prospective adopters. If the discussion is
successful, an application will be sent out along
with some initial information. If it is approved,
the dog selection begins. Specially trained GPA
representatives work with the trainers to select
dogs who will make good pets. A GPA representative
will keep in contact with the adoptive family by
phone, and/or visits, on a continuing basis to ensure
a successful placement for all concerned.
AND THEN YOUR
REWARD! - Your adopted greyhound will become
a loving pet, be a faithful companion and an enthusiastic,
comical, bright-eyed member of the family. You will
then have joined the growing number of people who
know that greyhounds are wonderful pets.
Thank you for letting us tell you about greyhounds
as pets. We hope you will soon be one of us and
help us to achieve our goal of finding well-matched
homes for ex-racing greyhounds.
