How do greyhounds run

But that doesn't mean you will. And even if you do think retired racers are perfect that doesn't mean that you and a retired racer are right for each other. Many people adopt dogs for all the wrong reasons or without knowing anywhere close to enough about the breed or about dogs. As careful as the best adoption groups are about choosing the right adopters for the right dog, dogs still end up being relinquished--returned-- to adoption groups.

The reasons for the returns, called bounces, are often incomprehensible to me. The biggest problem in Greyhound adoption is that living with a Greyhound often looks too easy. When an adopter brings a retired racer home, at some point he realizes he is living with a real dog--and a very large dog at that. Real dogs have real needs. Take the time to learn what you need to know to make your match a successful one.

It's my opinion, as someone who works with problem dogs for a living, that the more often a dog is rehomed, the more likely it is to develop behavioral problems. And naturally the more severe the problem, the less adoptable that dog becomes. I can hope that educating prospective owners and asking them to be truly honest with themselves will help keep every Greyhound in the home in which it is originally placed. Everyone involved in Greyhound adoption goes through horrible turmoil because of retired racers that are bounced.

They second guess their placement strategies and policies, they question if they should have or could have seen something that might have prevented each unsuccessful adoption.

They lose sleep and shed tears and wonder why they keep doing adoptions. So I'm going to do all I can to convince you not to adopt a retired racer. Every item on this list relates to a reason that has resulted in a retired racer being returned. Yes, they have a short light coat. Yes, they are easy to groom and maintain.

But they are dogs and like every other breed that has fur they do shed. They shed lightly, but they do shed. Get used to it or get a stuffed toy. If you don't think you can become accustomed to thinking of dog hair as a condiment, don't get a real animal. No matter how gentle Greyhounds look, they are still large to very large dogs. An overly excited, untrained pound Greyhound may knock down smaller children or a a frail person. And Greyhounds tend to hold their ears back and their tails tucked and balk when they are stressed.

Folks that don't know the breed might mistake this for aggression and find it too frightening to live with --especially in a dog this large. Dogs and lawns are not a great combo. Unless you have a very large yard that you can section off so your dog has his own area, it isn't likely that you can have a great lawn and a greyt dog. Get used to it or get a cat so you can use a litterbox.

Greyhounds love to run and while they don't need a lot of exercise, when they run they will destroy your landscaping. If gardening is your passion, a dog who loves to run may not be your best choice.

Even the best mannered, best trained dog gets sick. The rugs are where the traction is--that's where he'll barf.

Dogs track in dirt. Dogs and fancy furnishings, expensive rugs, and elegant decor aren't a good mix. If you can't stand a little dirt and fur, if fancy things are really important to you, or if your life's dream is replacing Martha Stewart, don't get a dog--even a quiet, clean dog like a Greyhound. Greyhounds love and need soft, warm places. If you want a dog that you can house outdoors or if you can't stand the idea of a dog on your bed or furniture, this is not the breed for you.

Greyhounds are not suited to living outdoors and those bony joints need padding and a soft warm place to rest. If you don't have time for a child, chances are you don't have time for a dog.

If you have children and all your time is spent at soccer games and school activities, unless your Greyhound can be part of the activities, you don't have time for a dog. Dogs are social animals that need physical and mental stimulation.

And just because they are quiet, gentle dogs, doesn't mean they don't need to be trained. Training isn't about obedience as much as it's about forming a trusting relationship and establishing a way to communicate. Does racing come naturally to greyhounds? Greyhounds love to run, and are competitive by instinct. In racing, there is no stimulus other than the mechanical lure to make the greyhounds run.

When the starting box opens, the animal's natural instinct is to chase the lure, and try to reach it first. Is racing safe for greyhounds? If an injury does occur, the race track has a Veterinarian and an equipped office on the premises to attend the animal immediately. However, prevention of injury is a top priority. The industry has funded extensive research into methods for ensuring the safety of racing greyhounds while they are competing. Much of that research is conducted at the University of Florida's Center for Veterinary Sports Medicine, the only facility of its kind in the nation.

How are greyhounds trained to race? Because of this possibility, you will seldom find greyhound puppies available for adoption. Greyhounds move up and down in grade depending on how they finish in each race. A Grade D racer at one track might be a Grade B racer at a less competitive track. The greyhound may be retired at that point, may go to another less competitive track to continue racing, or if young enough, can still compete in Grade J races.

Greyhounds usually race about twice a week in either a sprint race usually about yards , or a distance race in which the distance can vary depending on the track. A common distance race is approximately yards, but can be longer. Most greyhounds do better at one distance or the other, but a few greyhounds are equally good at both distances. The racing chart will tell you at which distances your greyhound raced. You might notice a break in racing dates, which could indicate that your greyhound was recovering from a minor injury or was being moved to a different track.

The chart will also tell you the time it took to complete the race as well as the registered names of the other greyhounds that competed, which starting box each dog had, and how each dog finished. A greyhound may race in one or many races, but almost all greyhounds are ready to retire by the time they are 4 years old or shortly thereafter.

Many retire sooner and are ready for adoption when they are only two or three years old. The majority of the retired racers that come to us for adoption are in this category.

Some greyhounds have little interest in competing or are not fast enough to qualify to race and never actually compete in a recognized race. Greyhounds that compete at a recognized track usually retire because they have lost a little speed compared to the other greyhounds at their track.

This can be as little as 1 MPH slower than the winner of a race. A greyhound naturally will lose some speed as they get older, and the greyhound will move down in racing grade until they are at the lowest grade for that track, usually Grade D.

Greyhounds can also retire when they suffer minor injuries, and their owners choose to retire them at that point rather than wait for the injury to heal and continue racing them. Like other athletes, greyhounds sometimes have career-ending injuries and are retired immediately after the injury. When a greyhound is retired from racing, we are notified by the racing owner or trainer that a particular greyhound is ready to retire, or it is determined that a greyhound pup is not fast enough or interested enough to qualify to race, and that greyhound comes to us for adoption.

You can find many but not all races at www. This is a betting site, which also includes horse races, but you can find a lot of information here, as well as see actual video of races.

A list of races your greyhound competed in will appear, along with the date of each race and the race track. A list of the greyhounds competing in each race as well as the starting box number, and racing silk color each dog wore during the race will also be shown.

The races are quick, only about 30 seconds or a little more. Even the greyhounds that do not win are extremely fast, much faster than we see our greyhounds running in our back yards, and they all try very hard. It is in their nature, and the speed they can reach in only a few strides is amazing.

The photos below show the different colors of racing silks, which correspond with the starting box number. It is amazing to see a group of greyhounds running at full speed, and will give you a sense of what marvelous athletes they are.

While to us our greyhounds seem to be laid back and even lazy which they are most of the time , greyhounds have the most highly developed and efficient cardio-pulmonary systems of all dog breeds, and are by far the fastest. Everything about the greyhound is designed for speed—their extraordinarily large hearts and lungs, long legs, double suspension gallop, strong and flexible backs, and even their ears, which lie close to their head while they run so as to be aerodynamic.

Because running at extremely fast speeds takes a tremendous amount of energy, you have probably noticed that your greyhound sprints around your yard for a couple of minutes, then is ready to come in for a nap.