So I stumbled upon adoptastar.org and now I can't stop thinking about adopting a rescued greyhound. My husband is apprehensive because they are big dogs and we have two small children (6 mos and 4 yrs). Has anyone else experienced introducing a rescued hound to a home with children? Pros and cons of living with one? Please don't sugarcoat, we really need the facts. Thanks in advance!
Answers:
My husband and I decided to adopt our first greyhound when our son was 3 years old. We specifically wanted a retired racer because they tend to do so well with children. That said, the key to a successful dog/child relationship is parental involvement, oversight and boundaries. A perfect book to read before you adopt any breed is "Childproofing Your Dog" by Brian Kilcannon.
A perfect source for info on greyhounds is http://www.greytalk.com , a very large internet forum about pet greyhounds. There actually is a recent thread regarding a barking incident with a small child that will give it to you straight up, no sugar coating. To read the situation and responses go to http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?show...
I recently saw an article in a magazine about a woman who adopted some or started an organization that does. They don't look that big to me and according to her, they're quite gentle. You can look up that breed on the Internet, just go to dogs.com and there should be a category for Greyhounds. I've looked at it several times for other breeds and as far as temperament, it seems right on to me.
Rescue Greyhounds are wondermous! um.. err.. not to sugar coat it... they are:
Sweet
Big
Generally calm
Easy going
Low activity (10 min run 2 times a day)
Easy coat care
Generally quiet
Biggest issues I've heard: some are a bit shy, some have sensitive tummies
Most rescues who place greyhounds are very careful to pick the RIGHT dog for the family. Be open and honest about what you are looking for. Be willing to wait for the right dog. Some rescues will allow you to "foster" a greyhound for a week or two to see if the fit is right.
Be prepared for lots of questions... be patient! Rescuers put a lot of heart and soul into finding THE right home as it is traumatic for these dogs who often have had no real human love to have it and then have it taken away when placement doesn't work.
My friend did alot of research regarding greyhounds. They are actually a wonderful breed - very gentle. The best thing to do is talk to the adoption people, they usually know what the characteristics of the particular dogs you are looking at are.
Anyway, I wish you luck.
Talk to your local greyhound rescue group. They can give you all of the pros and cons and help you find a dog that would be good for your family.
I have 3 greys of my own and have fostered many of them. And I can honestly say that of all the greys I've had, there was only 1 I said couldn't go to a home with small kids. The reason wasn't his temperament, it was that he was a very young, very large, and very exuberant male. He was also more than a tad clumsy and he would most definitely have knocked over small kids on a regular basis. Once he was a few years older, he'd likely have been fine.
I've had people with kids as young as 4 over, most of the neighborhood kids (including toddlers) know my dogs and rush up to them to pet and hug them. It's a given, that the kids have to know how to treat a dog with respect.
If you want to rescue, please don't let their size put you off. These dogs are very gentle creatures, many of them are therapy dogs (my oldest was and loved it).
When you get to looking for a greyhound, talk to the rescue group and let them know the ages of your kids. They're very, very good about matching up the right dog with the right family. They want these dogs to get a forever home!
The only cons to greyhounds, which I'm sure you know, are that you can't let them run off leash in an unfenced area, a few are not small dog friendly, more aren't cat safe and a lot of them have bad teeth. You need to be prepared to brush their teeth, but other than that, they're very healthy dogs.
Of my 3, both males like cats, horses, all dogs except aggressive ones, and all people. My female would be death on cats if she had the chance, and is iffy with small dogs, great with anything else.
I've never regretted one minute with my 3 or my fosters - they're wonderful companions.
i own 2 rescue greys and they are fine with kids, but sensibly caution must be taken as with any dog you introduce to a household with small kids..greys are notably lazy and spend more time asleep than they do awake and kids being kids sometimes cant and dont understand when to leave the dogs asleep, and coz greys use wot energy they have in short bursts there may come time when your youngest is crawling round and the dog decides to have a sprint round the house(as my female does on a daily basis and has nearly knocked my neice flying on more than one occ...they are excellent dogs but kids need 2 no when the dog is sleeping and to let the dog have time out and i dont think a 4 year old will do that im sorry to say ; ( ..they dont need alot of excersise contry to belief, mine hve 3 20minute walks and the rest of the time they sleep but with 2 small children you have to say to yourself "have i got the time to commit to walking the dog etc with 2 small kids to look after as well",and if you get a grey that has a hi chase drive (like one of mine)then if they see a cat youve had it and its alot to manage if youve a baby in the buggy and a grey dragging you coz hes seen a cat that he wants ..sorry to put a dampner on it but you did ask xx
kids and grays. yes they can live happily together i have a grey and two younger kids(1%263). in the beganing i had to remind my kids hes not a toy, but now they are the best of buds. thier are a lot of pros to haveing a grey: most take to "family" life easy(mines a 33mph couch patato).half the training is dun already they lead,bath,cage easy ,love to be loved and are fast learner. cons: some are shy and a little jumpie at first,you have to have a fenced in yard,if out and a bout they have to be leashed, have to brush thier teeth ever day. as for gruops some will not adotpt to familys with small kids and some thankfuly will. size, females get 50 to 65lb and 23 to 26 in tall, males get 65 to 85lb and 26 to 30in tall(mine is 29in tall and 73lb)
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