When I worked at a dog daycare, there was a retired greyhound named Buck and he was ADORED by the entire staff! He was the sweetest (and laziest) boy… until he got the old man zoomies lolol
At my daycare we had one named Knight, same thing, very very sweet cuddle bug until BAM old man zoomies. All the dogs would be running hard and he would out pace them in a smooth trot.
There’s one at the daycare I work at who was a rescue racing dog, she’s so sweet and relaxed. She has the most extreme overbite I’ve ever seen in my life and is named sayori after the half beak needle fish 😂😂
I have three greyhounds, I foster for greyhound rescues - they are a wonderful breed, I believe there is a greyhound out there for everyone 😊 thank you for advocating them x
I foster too. Well I say that... None of them have ever actually gone out my door to another home. We end up paying the fees and adopting them ourselves 😂
@@catmarsh5331 I fail every time. Our latest has had at least 10 homes that we know of in his 11 years on earth so far. He doesn't get on with other dogs, he's full of scars so probably had a really tough time and he was a bit pinchy to begin with if something startled him. When he came here we were told the last owners said they were scared of him because he just seems to growl at them. Especially the guy. It took me about a couple of hours to see that in him and realise that's just his way of communicating but he was definitely more nervous of me. He's such a softy really and just wanted to feel safe and loved. He was a little stand offish for the first week while he got used to things then one day he decided he wanted to climb up onto the chair and give me a big hug and he wasn't taking no for an answer. From that moment on he's wanted that closeness every day and I feel so privileged he felt that comfortable with me as a guy to come get that from me. They're such smart dogs. We've had him just over a year now and he's slowly getting to a point where other dogs don't bother him as much and he's actually now got a walking buddy down the road that he adores. He just needed someone to give him a chance and have the patience to let him grow and gain confidence in new situations. Sorry, that was a bit of a long one 🤣 These guys have stolen my heart ever since my first one saved my life 20 years ago
I owned a retired greyhound and absolutely adored her. She was almost 5 when we got her. Half her teeth had to be pulled, she was 40 pounds under weight, never been in a house, never saw stairs and, we discovered, quite by accident, that Spanish was her first language. She was the sweetest dog we ever had. She was always leery around my husband, but I could do almost anything to her. She lived to almost 15 and I still miss her.
Oh wow! She was bred in Spain! Was she very slender? Ours was from Irish stock bred in Texas & was very muscular with the thick back end, she was like Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2! 🤣 I’m so curious about a Spanish bred greyhound! My Camille had awful teeth, too! We wanted to get them fixed, but at the time, vets didn’t have access to the proper anesthetics needed for greyhounds. Her reaction to kitten amounts of anesthesia didn’t go well when he had her fixed. They are really gentle souls, any aggression ever shown was usually fear based. I truly think all Ex-racers have complex PTSD, mixed in with their favorite thing to do was to race on the sand, chasing that fake bunny! That was their escape. When a greyhound gets to really open up & just run? They… I like to think, they smile because they are really FREE!
@@MsHotMess. What do you mean with spanish bred greyhounds?😅 there are galgos and galgo greyhound mixes, galgos are slimmer than greyhounds. They have better endurance and very good in sharp curves but are slower than greys. They usually love to cuddle with humans and other galgos and are considered to have higher intelligance (although not quite a border collie). They are also smaller, arched back, longer tail, bigger ears, longer slimmer faces and eyes that are farther apart and almond shaped.😂
@@beansandrunning Not sure why you are posting laughing emojis in your reply about my comment. My question was based on Ex-racer greyhounds in america come from different breed stocks & have different body shapes due to those breed lines. The names of breeds, I’m guessing, you called the greyhounds in Spain, I’m not familiar with, so maybe we, in america, didn’t get those breed lines or we call them something else. But again, your laughing emojis make your response feel like you thought my questions were a joke or implied I was silly for asking. Or maybe you just don’t understand how to use emojis correctly. But whatever. Thanks for whatever information you passed on so I can research it.
It all depends on which kennel is keeping them. Just like racing Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds, some stables do a splendid job, others really don't deserve to be in business.
I couldn't agree more with the above comments, as a greyhound owner myself for over 4½ years I know at first hand how they are, particularly with the separation anxiety although my dog isn't the worst I don't think in that regard. Nonetheless, I do take care not to leave her for more than a couple of hours unless circumstances dictate to me otherwise, then I'll try and make alternative arrangements for her until my return. The subject of them being abused by racing kennels constantly breaks my heart and I honestly wish there was some way of closing these abysmal places down for good but realistically I know that will never ever happen.😢😭😩
I took my dogs to the dog park one day and all the dogs were running and playing in the field. We were all impressed at how fast they were running chasing each other. Then two Greyhounds showed up. We all stood in amazement on how fast they were. You don't realize how fast they can run until you see them running with all the other dogs. All the other dogs were not even close to keeping up with them. Very cool dogs!
There's a channel on RUclips that shows the creator's dogs at the dog park, and this exact scenario happened. Several dogs were flying around the park, including a very fast Husky (and later a surprisingly fast Dachshund that mostly kept up with the big dogs for a second lol), but then the two Greyhounds entered. Even when they were just "jogging," the Greyhounds were keeping up and surpassing the other dogs. Then they kicked it into high gear. Like you said, you don't realize just how fast they are until they're running circles around other dogs.
Hahaha, I know what you mean. There's a RUclips video of a German Shepherd trying to catch a Saluki. The frustration of the German Shepherd is palpable.
Had an especially short-legged scotty try to chase my greyhound. It was just as hilarious as you would think. Under the scotty fringe those short little legs were a blur, but compared to the greyhound he might just as well have been standing still.
We have that in my neighborhood too! This 5ft old lady walking 2 Greyhounds and setting them loose in the park had everyone in awe. She commanded them like it was nothing and all the dogs trying to catch up. The funniest is when they were teasing the cobra chickens and seeing the geeses lose their damn minds not being able to get them. Lol!!!!
I know what you mean! My former neighbors had a greyhound and a collie. When they would let both dogs out onto their half acre property, greyhound would zoom up and down the yard three or four times, but the collie would run halfway down the yard, stop, think about it, change his mind, and go back to the patio and flop down on the ground!
My grandfather rescued one when I was in my early/mid teens. He was the highlight of my visits to their house. My grandfather used to tell people that he slept 23 hours a day and napped the other hour, which was very true. He was enjoying the easy life after running so much. When they first brought him home he wouldn't eat normally, he would inhale his food so fast he would choke often. It took him several months to really chill out and savor his meals. He also wouldn't sit. He was either standing or sleeping. They would keep them standing while awake, to promote muscle tone. That habit he never managed to break. I would take him on walks when I was over, and we would go from a steady pace, to a light jog, and then I would full blown run as fast as I could. He would keep pace with me with zero effort. You could see his body kinda shift when he went to higher speeds, stretching out almost. Like he was shifting gears. I loved that dog, he was the sweetest dog I have ever known in my life. He lived many happy years until he had to be put down for severe health complications, The loss was devastating for all of us. I will always remember Mosby though, our runs around the block, and couch cuddle time.
I heard that greyhounds are anatomically not built to sit. They're more inclined to reclining rather than sitting. That aside, rescue greyhounds truly deserve all the love in the world. And rescuers like your grandfather (and your whole family) are truly golden. ❤
You _can_ teach them to sit but it's difficult and uncomfortable for them because of the length of their limbs and narrowness of their backsides. Chests are very deep though, to accommodate their big lungs, so they're quite comfortable resting on their breastbone in 'sphinx' position.
@@yanniesays you are correct, anatomically, many of them just naturally do not sit. OTOH, I've had several who DO sit. While it's not a necessary thing, it is good for control because they can shift from stand still to full out 45 mph sprint in 2 strides.... so sitting makes the owner more aware. I have a little girl now....well, I say little, she's a 9 yr old lady who is very petite yet still manages to weigh 23 kg lol and she sits quite nicely but we adopted her when she was 18 months old. (She was much too small for the track - ie, she's about half the size of most females and she would have gotten hurt racing much larger dogs.) I highly recommend them as pets, they're the best and sweetest dog ever.
My Greyhound/Lab mix Finnigan was my K9 partner for Search & Rescue. She looked a lot like Louis. She was one of the fastest Airscent dogs I’ve ever seen. Many of our Law Enforcement friends said that if they were missing, they’d want K9 Finnigan searching for them. She did find a few missing children and she was a K9 hero. Best dog ever. ❤
He had strong "It's good to be here - it's good to be anywhere" energy after he got over his initial apprehensiveness in the shower. Just content and relaxed. A lovely good boy, he is!
My retired racing greyhound Keats just passed away two weeks ago and I'm absolutely heartbroken. He was the most gentle loving soul. It's lovely to see Louis and all his wonderful greyhound-isms. I thought that watching this would make me sadder, but it just reminded of some of the things I loved about my own sweet boy and made me smile ❤
I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my Thea, my beautiful rescue cat, in June...and my heart feels for you. I know what it is like to lose your soul mate. 💜
I am deeply sorry for your loss. Having lost 7 hounds over 30+ years, never wanting any other breed (once you have one, you get hooked), I truly understand your pain. I wish you peace and love x
Omg! Yes! When my Dépêche, my beautiful, brindle retired racer, and I would go to the dog park, she mostly ignored the dogs and looked for women to love on. She’d pick her favourite (beside me❤) and do the lean on thing. Such a cute Greyhound thing. They’re amazing dogs and have the sweetest dispositions ever. So many, including my beloved, are lost to osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that effects too many greyhounds, mostly in old age. My Dépêché lived to fourteen, but died of osteosarcoma. There is work being done on a vaccine against this horrible cancer. Mostly, I just loved this dog in a way that I did not know existed before I met her.
I volunteered at a shelter that focused on retired racing greyhounds during my end of high school and start of college. During my time as a volunteer, a couple of old greyhounds named Lady and Zora arrived at the shelter within a month of each other. Lady was part of a group of dogs that came to the shelter from a Florida race track (shelter is in Washington State). She was also a mom to I believe 3 litters of puppies after her time as a racer. Zora was taken to the shelter after circumstances left her previous family unable to take care of her. When these two arrived at the shelter it was pointed out that they looked very much alike and were the same age. I looked up their racing histories (which I often did both out of curiosity and to find the exact ages of the dogs), and found out that the two of them were long lost and reunited sisters! Same litter of puppies and everything! After this discovery it was clear that they absolutely needed to stay together, and eventually were placed in a foster home together. Zora passed away two years later at age 12, while Lady stuck around until just before her 14th birthday. This miracle of the two of them reuniting on the other side of the country from where they were raised and raced, and my discovery about their heritage leading to them being able to spend their twilight years together has really stuck with me ever since then.
I would love to see this comment pinned... this is such a wholesome story.... brings hope and tremendous joy in my heart. Thank you for being their advocates. You're a god send.
My ex-hubby took our ex-racer to a greyhound meet up (back in the 90’s in fla) & our Camille made a beeline straight for a male dog that looked like her. They checked their ear tats & were amazed to find she found her brother! They refused to leave each other. Just amazing since they were whelped in Texas & rescued at different times. I miss my girl Camille, she was my cat-dog whirlwind 😢
Our first adopted rescue greyhound was a rascal named Candyman we loved dearly. A few months later his rescuer called and said she had gotten his father Dandyman back and would we be willing to foster this 7 year old. She brought him out and said, “You know I’m not coming back for him since you both will give him the love he needs.” At first there was absolutely no light in his eyes and he refused to bond with Candy or us. One day after three weeks he started following me around and his eyes lit up and he became a completely different sweetheart. Dandy would lay beside my chair and hold his front leg up to be held while we watched TV or read. Four years later we lost him to a fatal stroke but glad we had the chance to give this amazingly majestic dog a happy life. We lost Candy at almost 12 years old. Miss those two and their antics.
I started bringing them home from the track when I was a kid. I've had 23 retired racers, and they are so sweet! I've never seen anybody blow dry a Greyhound. How fancy.
If you've ever met a retired/rescued race dog, you'd know that they are all worthy of forever families. Don't let them waste away their beautiful hearts in a kennel where no human gives them proper love.
Racing greyhound actually get a lot of care mistreated dogs won't do well why do you think they make such amazing pets when they retire .. they've been socialized a ton are used to people petting them and loving on them . To much Peta and other places trying to make it illegal . Go look at any race track to see the joy these dogs have .
They are certainly not wasting away in a race kennel. They get let out multiple times a day, only race a few times a week, and some race kennels even have hydrotherapy pools for post-race. Misinformation is killing the racing greyhound, which is a shame, because these are the best dogs you could ever ask for once they retire. Settle into home life great, already potty trained, kennel great, walk nice on lead, and are splendid communicators with other dogs because they are so well socialized. They are the fantastic dogs they are BECAUSE of their upbringing, not in spite of it.
I have a rescued greyhound. He is the sweetest, most gentle being. I can't imagine ever wanting to adopt another breed for my family after having a greyhound. ❤
My family had a rescue greyhound, after a forelimb fracture didn't heal correctly. Despite only having three good legs, Burna could burn around the backyard, and would walk upstairs (but couldn't get back down), so we'd hear a knock on the door and she'd spend the evening in the living room. Dad bonded the closest to her - she would get carried downstairs when it was time to go to bed.
@@SvetaFromUkraine As the tracks close, we're going to lose these amazing animals. Look how the dog fanciers have ruined so many other breeds. Greyhounds are healthy dogs because they aren't bred for conformance and they're wonderful pets because, as you have said, how they are raised. I firmly believe that healthy, well treated dogs run and abused dogs don't. These kennels sink a small fortune into every one of their dogs. It doesn't help them recoup their costs by abusing them.
I used to help host adoption events for retired greyhounds and they are the absolute sweetest and funniest dogs! We had one named Ginger who was smart enough to see that humans smile at each other to say hello. So she figured out how to "smile" and would come dashing up to new people, butt going a mile a minute, and then she would do her pretty girl smile. A lot of people were kind of freaked out, because she was "baring her teeth at them", and so we ended up putting someone with her to "introduce her" and explain her smiling. Last I heard, she did finally get adopted and lived to a ripe old age of 12.
@@Mimi2thebestboysever She was the sweetest girl! If I had been in a situation where I could have had a dog, I would have put an "Already Adopted!" sign on her! I wanted to take her home so badly! I was right in the process of getting ready to move and I didn't know where I was going at that point, so no dogs for me. :(
I went for a walk with the local greyhound rescue society in September, where they introduced 10 people a week to go on a walk with the greyhounds in their care for 90 minutes. It was great therapy, and every dog was uniquely wonderful. One of them would not stop pawing and licking me - he's 7 years old, but as bouncy as a puppy.
So, my grandmother had invisifence in her yard for around 25 years for all her dogs she had over that time. One of the last dogs she had before she passed was a tan greyhound named Western Faith. No on told her greyhounds were too fast for Invisifence to work, so there was more than one time she'd be standing at a window and looking into a neighbor across the street's yard and going, "Oh, what a lovely fawn..."
My greyhound recently passed away. He was also a retired racer, and he lived to be fourteen!! He was such a good boy. I loved him so much, and I miss him dearly.
Look at dat faaaace!!!! Looks like my boy Ruger (RIP my sweetest boy) I'll never buy a bred dog ever again after Ruger he's shown me rescues can rescue you too all they ask for is love and food scraps 🫶🏻
Having had a rescue Greyhound for 11 years I can say with confidence they are one of the loveliest breeds I have ever owned. If you are interested in looking into adopting one it is essential to understand that most of them know nothing about living in a house & it will take time & patience for them to learn & adjust to life outside a race kennel. A simple book that covers the bases is "Greyhounds for Dummies", which will aid you in helping your new hound along. In the end you'll definitely find it was worth all the effort it took when he/she becomes one of the Greyt loves of your life...❤️
Good point! When I rode hunter/jumper, other riders would sometimes buy horses off the racetrack. Racehorses were also in need of socialization at retirement (of a different kind).
@@TikiHi77You won't regret it. They are wonderful Dogs. I wouldn't have any other Breed now. They are the sweetest, gentlest, well mannered, loyal and quirky😆💖💝🐾🐾🐾🐾
Louis has done a phenomenally well for his 1st grooming session. I really have to give his owners credit for not only training Louis to be very well-behaved but for giving him the love and attention he deserves after Louis was retired from racing.
Honestly greys are so no-fuss with stuff like this. My lad hates baths but will sort of just stand there looking sad but let me do it. The one time I felt like being fancy and took him to a groomer, the lady said he was the best behaved dog she's ever had in. Unless food is involved they're incredibly chill!
It takes me about 5m to bath mine. Dries so quickly too. That said, I don't have an equi groomer. I must get one. But they're so used to being handled, they have to be the easiest dogs to care for (outside of anxiety and injuries) on the planet!
They do so well in various situations because of their structured upbringing in the race kennels where they are exposed to a wide variety of sounds and places. They are frequently handled by many different people and are very used to the attention.
Yay!!!! All the greyhound people are flabbergasted to see one on this channel 😂 as most of them would never dare become dirty in the first place. Perfect creatures. My girl is a quiet little angel that gently follows me around and just wants to nap within eyesight of me. They are the best best dogs. I teach cello lessons all day and she sleeps through all sorts of screeching and giggling and little kids patting her. Yay! Thank you for spotlighting this gentle breed ❤️❤️
You are exactly right about greyhounds not liking to get dirty! My girl HATED to go potty when it rained & definitely didn’t want her paws to get wet or dirty. She would stick her back end over the grass while the rest of her was still under the car port to pee then it was a quick skip to the door & whining to be let in asap! She was a dainty but thick bottomed girl!
Meanwhile, my greyhound literally found a dead worm to roll around on after her first bath. She also dug out a hole for me to plant a tree in - faster than I could with a shovel.
@@jesse10132 😂 I totally can see that! My greyhound could dig a hole in hyperdrive! Dirt flying everywhere while she had that greyhound smile of pure bliss! You’d never guess that she hated getting dirty, she saw a neighbors dog digging on his side of the fence to try to get to her (he was crazy in love with her) & she decided she’d meet him in the middle 🤣
My first dog was a retired racer. Her name was Shoo-Shoo. She was a tiny thing at 55 pounds and was a certified couch-potato unless we were on a walk and then she would chase both rabbits and squirrels. I adopted her at the age of 5. I helped her cross the rainbow bridge just shy of 16. She was the best dog ever. I met my husband after I had her for a few years, and my children remember her well.
when i was very young i had the privilege of walking the pastors greyhound after the church service was over. his name was shooter, and he had been rescued from a racetrack after it had been shut down. he had attempted to go after a squirrel, and i had attempted to get him to relax while hanging onto his leash. he was a very affectionate and intelligent dog, and the only greyhound i ever had the honor to meet in my lifetime so far
We rescued an Italian greyhound mix from Mexico. She’s insanely fast. In the beginning she’d try to run away and of course we couldn’t keep up. She’s also the ultimate couch potato. She likes having her teeth brushed and enjoys the shower. She’s so weird, lol. Lewis is pure sweetness. The best boy, he’s gorgeous 🥰🐾
Iggies are lovely. My friend has two, and they are beautiful, loving and delicate little dogs. The biggest challenge is their small bladders, so they have to go potty regularly, and in the early days, accidents will happen. But they are trainable, so that can be overcome in time.
Years ago I adopted a retired racer. He was so different from my previous dogs. He had to learn how to live in a house with stairs, a teenager, glass windows and doors, etc. Ajax learned very quickly and loved every minute of shared household camaraderie, even the 2 cats who ruled the roost. Ajax was very sweet, smart and beautiful. He didn't leave racing until he was 5 years old as he was very fast. I was told that one day he just stopped running and was kept in a small cage at the track for about a year to punish him and to see if he was gonna make a come-back on the racing. He never did. So he was put out to adopt. It was pitiful when he arrived at my home; he was skinny, much of his coat was rubbed away from being so long in a small cage, and trembling with fear. Only 5-6 days after he arrived I grabbed the tv remote and he flipped out. I had to hide it. My guess is that he was tased with a similar looking device. If you are looking for a fab canine companion, check them out. When I had to make the decision to euthanize him I was devastated. He looked into my eyes the entire time and I wept while I held his head and crooned his name. I am crying at this moment remembering the absolute trust he had and the joy he gave.
That is absolutely ridiculous!!!! I volunteered at the track in Birmingham, AL and have adopted racers for 23 years. They act traumatized when first adopted because they have NEVER lived separate from the pack and miss their buddies. They have a totally different environment to adjust to and their feet have trouble getting traction on smooth surfaces which is scary for them. Racers are like Olympic athletes. Abusing and tasering them would destroy their ability to be successful racers. Why would the people who make their living off the success of the racers, sabotage that by not hobby them excellent care so they are healthy to win? NGA racing greyhounds had an adoption rate of 99.7% before racing ended in all but 2 US tracks. The real problem as the casinos and video gaming industry didn’t like the competition and paid lobbyist to spread old info get racing banned. The US had the biggest and most successful program in the world. They tracked every dog from birth to adoption and anyone caught abusing them was banned for life.
@@aliciahowell9617 assumption is that Ajax was not tasered until he no longer ran. When he was no longer running and winning was put in the cage as I have stated previously in my statement above. You need to read more carefully if you want to jump out at me or any other person for that matter. I know why he couldn't walk up the stairs I know why he didn't understand glass doors and windows and I know that he looked at other dogs as if they were dinosaurs and not at all related to him all due to the rearing of a of him as a racing Hound.
@@oliverreimers I volunteered at one if the poorest tracks in the US at Birmingham, AL and any hound who didn’t finish in the money was immediately placed in adoption. The breeders, kennel owners and tracks pay fees to the NGA to cover the visits so non earning figs can be moved to adoption immediately. They don’t waste away in their crates either. They are turned out 3-4 times a day for 1-2 hours depending on the temperature. As a greyhound owner, you know they sleep 12-18 hours a day because of their high metabolism. Anyone who tasered a hound would have probably had their butts kicked by the other staff and then banned for life. I ADORE my hounds and woukd have been first in line to defend them! Racing was banned because it competed with casinos and video gambling machine businesses. Groups like GREY2K got rich off spreading misinformation and being lobbyists. When the FL tracks closed, my group took a huge portion of the hounds and we didn’t get a penny from the Anti Racing/Save the Racedog groups. It’s just frustrating to see people who never set foot on a track or their kennels claim atrocities occurred. These digs have very sensitive demeanors and get extremely ill if stressful situations. It’s counterproductive to hurt them and they don’t have to keep losing dogs. They just walk them across the kennel area to the adoption center and we took every one in.
My son adopted a retired greyhound, and everything said in this video is 100% correct for Otto. They live in the Portland (OR) area so we send a winter coat every year for Otto -- greyhounds need things specially made for their body size and shape.
My family have had retired racing greyhounds for as long as i can remember and they are amazing dogs, super affectionate, very low maintenance and so lazy you would jot believe it! Theyre absolute company dogs, they love having people around but as a general rule theyre also big old wet blankets. They like routine and can be very nervous to start with so getting used to new people/environments/changes to their routine can take time, just let them adapt in their own time and beware the scream of doom. Greyhounds have a very low pain threshold and scream like they're being murdered if they think they might get hurt. The scream of doom usually happens on a walk, you go running over terrified by the noise to find your hound holding a paw up in the air, only for them to decide that its fine now you've looked at it and carry on as if nothing happened. The first time one of our dogs did this we took them to the vet for a check just to make sure and were told 'your dog is perfectly healthy, there is nothing wrong with their paw'
I loved watching Bunny’s journey too. I was going through a rough breakup and coming to terms with that partner being abusive so watching her videos were a huge source of comfort for me.
Yeah, they have to be tough on the adopters since these dogs have been through a lot and they definitely need the right family fit. But it's not impossible if you meet requirements. My neighbor used to adopt them until he got older and moved. They're awesome dogs, for sure.
I am a greyhound owner and a huge advocate of greyhound adoption. I just started following you yesterday, so seeing this made my heart so happy! Just a tip, since this is your first greyhound you are grooming. Greyhounds have EXTREMELY sensitive skin, and most can only be groomed with specific skin-sensitive shampoo. Also, greyhounds are no longer widely available for adoption in the US. Most, if not all, greyhounds in the US are attained primarily through rescue organizations. Because the greyhound racing industry is dying, (thankfully so!), it is very difficult to adopt one from a rescue agency now, unless you have had one in the past. However, they are now importing greyhounds from Australia and the UK, since the greyhound racing industry is still so prevelant there. They are also importing Galgos (Spanish Greyhound) from Spain. Just wanted to give some info in case anyone is interested in adopting. They are seriously the most loving dog breed I have ever had the privilege of owning, so if you are interested in owning one, I would suggest reaching out to your local greyhound rescue organization 😊
New South Wales and ACT Governments in Australia were going to ban Greyhound racing in their state and territory. New South Wales back peddled on that and only the ACT went ahead with the ban.
On the topic of their skin, typically greyhounds have collars that are about 3” wide so as not to injure their skin. I have recently seen one in a harness which are thankfully becoming more popular for all dogs.
Yes the extremely sensitive skin is something that I think groomers don’t realize. I have a whippet (I know that’s not the same as a greyhound but both have sensitive skin and short coats). I took her to a groomer when she was a puppy and the shampoo the groomer used made her skin very dry and I think they used the wrong comb on her as well. With these types of dogs a hydrating shampoo that is hypoallergenic is key. Also I think rubber brushes (like the zoom groom brush) are better for these breeds since their fur and skin is very thin. Normal brushes can be too harsh for them.
I'm so happy to see greyhounds being discussed. Most sighthounds are lazy but people misunderstand them so badly as needing lots of maintenance and ridiculous amounts of walking so they get overlooked for adoption a lot Also lol at the de-shedding- I can never get over how much their short coats can actually shed. Louis is lovely, my kinda boy
I don't live a dog-friendly life, having mobility issues, advancing age, allergies, and spinal deterioration. I also--when I am able--travel on long trips. So I come to your channel to enjoy dogs vicariously. I've always loved greyhounds for their sweet nature and soft eyes, but frankly, if it has four legs and a tail (optional) I'm going to love it. Thank you for featuring my latest vicarious pet.
A greyhound might be the right dog for you. I have had several and was involved in Greyhound rescue. They need some exercise, but no where near as much as most breeds. They are morel like cats than most dog breeds. The dog in this video is pretty representative. They are calm and easy to be around. They can't really be trained. They can get all the exercise they need at a dog park, but make sure they are wearing a muzzle. They have a prey drive that is apex predator level.
This is really morbid but when my dad had cancer we'd always joke that if he died we would get a greyhound. It was a great way to lighten the mood and it was always fun to feign sadness when we got good news because "we wouldn't get a dog". Thankfully, my dad has been completely cancer free for well over 5 years now and we never did get that greyhound 😢
Get the greyhound anyway, and experience the great joy of having one. They a clowns, extremely sensitive to their owners emotions, watching them run just for joy is magical. I might be a bit biased. 😂
Thank you to the person who adopted Lewis. Greyhound racing industry is so cruel and what people don't realise is how many are shot dead because they are not worth keeping. Please adopt a greyhound or better still, adopt two. They do very well with a companion which assists greatly in the separatiion anxiety and they really do just like to hang out a LOT on the couch. They have the sweetest natures.
My mom knew someone with a retired racing dog, she said he was a senior couch potato, until she was on a playdate with a friends goofy little retriever, they would play fetch, and the greyhound would wait until the very last second, then sprint and grab the ball, leaving the retriever to stand there, confused, as to how the ball disappeared. 😂
My old girl is a greyhound mix. She looks like a slightly stockier version of Louis. the laziness thing is no joke, either. I took her for a one mile walk before, and she was grouchy with me for three days. She prefers car rides, or cuddles. We have three cats and two rabbits, and everyone curls up against her for a nap. Best baby ever.
I was thinking of getting a greyhound (there's a shelter not far away) but I like long walks at the weekend. like 2-3 hours. Is a greyhound gonna hate that?
@@hermioneziggeraut7617 depends on the dog. There is a man in town that has a retired racer, and they love walks. Mine is around 9, and would prefer a nap.
@@hermioneziggeraut7617definitely tell the group to see if they have one that likes to walk! Lots of rescues are happy to help “find the best dog of the bunch” to quote a friend of mine, for a person’s needs.
@@hermioneziggeraut7617mine is 11 and she will take long walks . She will also lay down in the grass and flop around for a while before continuing her walk. She runs but will run for like 5 minutes tops.
A lady I know adopted many ex-racing greyhounds over the years. One was a particularly good racer who was missed by the circuit when he retired. But he used to get fan mail (before email!)sent his new home, which she felt obliged to reply too. And people would often turn up at her house just to visit this dog. And he was a really lovely dog.
The one breed I never thought I'd see on here, but am both ecstatic and heartbroken to finally see. Heartbroken because Louis looks so much like my greyhound Haley, who passed away last fall at the tender age of 7, she would be the same age as Louis had she not die from a ruptured cancerous mass on her spleen. We had her for 4 1/2 years, our first family dog, and she was the most wonderful canine companion I could have asked for. Naturally I teared up while watching this, while smiling at the same time. The origami ear fold, with the tip pointing forward, was always one of my favorite ear positions to witness. I have no doubt I will rewatch this video many times while remembering my lovely couch potato.
I used to work in an auto shop. One of the women who brought her car in had her entire back seat of her Lincoln Town car modified just for her greyhound who was a retired racing champion. I will never forget this dog sitting in the waiting room. It was tall! I am 6'0" and when the dog stood on all fours his head was as high as my chest. Absolute giant of a dog and again, one of the sweetest dogs I ever met in my life.
I fostered a Greyhound. When taken in she was a walking skeleton, but she was also, as you describe, one of the sweetest, gentlest, most loving dogs I've worked with. Thank you for encouraging folks to adopt retired racing dogs instead of buying from a breeder.
Just remember that a greyhound in peak physical condition is meant to have bones showing. That's how theyre meant to be. If you follow advice for other breeds, the dog will be obese.
@@dinoactual Yes. This girl had been tossed out and was living on scraps she could find around dumpster for a long time. Skeletal thin. She almost didn't pull through. When she left here to be adopted she was a healthy weight - for a greyhound.
@@dinoactualwhen large dog breeds have physical stunted physical bodies it is a big warning sign that they are malnourished. An example is Great Danes (using them here since they are related to Whippets) who get neglected so much and so commonly because people don’t know how to feed them correctly. A Great Dane being stunted in growth and is considered small while showing all ribs and hips is a warning that they are starving. For example, my female Danes are 99lbs and 116lbs respectively this is considered healthy. When we got them, they were ungodly thin and a really good indicator that they weren’t getting the food they needed was the fact that they were the size of the Whippet you saw in the video. These stunts while sometimes can grow back some height can permanently cause joint problems due to unhealthy growth. Causing a large dog breed to look “runted”.
@@dinoactualYes I know tons of overweight sighthounds. Luckily this was not the case here. I guess a lot of people don't want to get rude comments about not feeding their dogs enough. I own a Spanish greyhound (galgo Español), they are even slimmer and more fragile than English Greyhounds. I get tons of comments l, although every vet ever told me she is at a healthy weight. They don't tend to get hd and stuff, however if you overfeed them...
I live in Ireland - greyhound racing is a generally big thing here - and I've always wanted to be in a position to adopt an ex-racer. Coincidentally, they're the perfect dog for my lifestyle, and it would be wonderful to give one a forever home when I'm in a place that allows me to do so. I have a ton of love in my heart for the folks who adopt, foster, and generally work with ex-racers; more often than not, they are sweethearts who just need a family they can have the time to figure out how to be a dog with. Another comment has mentioned Jenna Marbles, Julien Solomita, and Bunny, and I completely agree. Seeing Bunny go from an anxious, wary, confused dog who didn't know how to just be a dog, to a relaxed and playful thing relishing in her zoomies was a wonderful journey to follow along with.
I’m looking at adopting a greyhound and went back through the archives for when they adopted Bunny. I’m so happy she is able to relax now. And they are fostering greyhounds now! I love them and miss Jenna!
Have two retired greyhounds, our boy raced for 5 years and our girl is unraced (too small, not competitive). Can confirm they are either tearing up your backyard (ours now has a bonafide race track worn into it) or roaching on their backs snoozing the remaining 23 hours of the day away. They are also the biggest dorks ever, bump their heads on EVERYTHING and steal anything they can get their elongated snouts into - especially food in high places! Greys are our breed, we couldn't have any other 💖
I've been waiting for you to groom a grey! My wife and I helped rescue greyhounds for around 20 years. I wanted a purebred dog. She wanted a rescue. One day we saw a news report about a woman in Spain who was rescuing the breed and bingo! That was the start! At one time, we had 10 greys in our home! All ours. No fosters. We were some of the biggest foster failures going! Sadly, except for one, they're all gone now. We were with each one of them when we had to say goodbye, mostly because of bone cancer. It still hurts to think of the loss. I can only hope that the Rainbow Bridge does exist, cause I'll know that I am in heaven if I see them again. If you're thinking of getting a grey, DON'T go to a breeder. Adopting from a rescue group is the only way to go. It takes a little bit to get them used to living in a house. Stairs, glass doors, etc., can be a challenge but they learn quickly. They are the sweetest and yes, laziest dog going, but it is so worth it to get to know them!
I am so glad Louis eventually found his best life. Thank you to the adopter and to you for providing an excellent groom , as well as advertising for adoption and greyhound education.❤❤
During the early 1950s my father was a handler at a greyhound race track in Tampa Florida. He was the one who walked out the dogs, put them in the starting chute and collected them at the end of the race. It was so hard for him as he loved dogs and eventually had to quit as he couldn't be a part of it anymore. I'm so glad that greyhound racing is illegal in so many places; it needs to be completely banned or a major change needs to occur in how these dogs are managed.
I have mixed feelings about races. They need the exercise and mental stimulation. And racing provides that. On the flip side, not at the cost of their health and overall wellbeing. It's a conflicting emotion.
@@FallenAngelHiroko Well, in maybe amateur racing, like we have in my country? We have no professional racing kennels, the doggos simply live with us, and we just take them on racetrack. I myself own a racing whippet since she was a pup and raced her until she was 5yo. She was always family dog, never slept at night anywhere else then in bed. Training was done on walkies in such a way it would be fun for us - needed to work on stamina? Well, we go for longer walks, explore new places. Need to work on speed? Fetching is great for that! I retired her when she was 5, when on one of the walkies she chased a squirred. Squirrel of course run up on a tree, but my girl jumped like crazy trying to get it, and before I managed to calm her down and put her on leash, she either pulled a muscle or twisted a shoulder. Anyway, it wasn´t anything that few weeks of rest wouldn´t get right, but I noticed that when she runs too much, she starts limping slightly, so I stopped racing her. She is now 12yo, and still sleeping in my bed, with no health issues. The only thing that changed for her are shorter walks and the fact that we don´t go to races anymore. And as for races, saying that she loved them would be severe, SEVERE understatement. I never forget when she was just 11 month old and I took her to racetrack for the first time. I took her to the fence so she can see what´s happening. Her reaction? When she saw the lure and the other dogs chasing her, she literaly started kicking and screaming that she wants too! Well, she got her chance a little later (just 50m straight run - this was just to show her what´s that about and to see if she liked it - and oh boy, did she like it. So, racing CAN be done right and be fun for both dogs and people. It´s only when money come into this that things go south. 😞
@@veronikamajerova4564I totally agree! Some agency (Maybe something like the AKC??) needs to take over and do it like that! Idk exactly what we have now but from what I’ve heard, that sounds better.
greyhounds are INCREDIBLY soft to pet, especially the fur on their ears. their coat is so short that you can feel their body heat, and having one lean against you feels a like a muscular fairy tale creature has granted you their approval 😮 my girl hershey looked almost exactly like mr louis here, although she had a few more scars & a notched ear from her racing days. i don’t think i’ll ever forget her
I’m glad to see someone mentioned this. 😊 I only ever met a greyhound once, at a pet store. His owner brought him there to educate people about adopting retired dogs. My husband and I stopped to chat and pet the dog, and I was astonished at how SOFT he was! I thought from looking at him, that his coat might be a bit wiry or stiff. When I pet him, he totally leaned into my leg and I just about fell over, lol. What a sweetheart. ❤
My neighbor has a handsome dog, a greyhound/dalmatian mix (he is a smaller, white greyhound with specks and spots). If he is outside when I get home from work, he always greets me at the fence and wants to be petted. And yes, his coat is soft and smooth.
Same with my dachshund.. his fur is incredibly SOFT but short like a greyhound i would say, and he loves to cuddle. His body heat is the best part 😍🥰 Been wanting to adopt a greyhound for over a year now. Can't wait for the day I do 🙏🏻
One of my former principals raised greyhounds in the 90s. His description of them was “world’s fastest couch potatoes “. He and his wife had huge yard they could run in. When they ran, it was like the wind. When they were done, there was apparently snoring. Because he lived east of the school and the fur kids’ vets were at the university in Minneapolis, he’d bring whichever pooch had an appointment to school with him. It was fun to go by his office and see who was visiting on any given day. Buttercream was the sweetest girl. She and her litter mates all had Butter in their names because their mother was Butter. All except one of her brothers. His name was Buttz. Of course, we had to know why his name was Buttz. Chuck laughed and told us it was because of all the puppies, he was an a-hole. He lived up to that by chewing the blinds on the window of Chuck’s office while in his crate. Chuck had left him alone to go grab some lunch downstairs.
Mine sleep 14-18 hours a day. Even at peak racing, they only run 2 races a week. They chill out and sleep and sunbathe the rest of the time. They are indeed fabulous couch potatoes but can go from 0 to 40 mph in just 6 strides. In retirement, they will occasionally bust out a couple laps in the yard but are much happier to be the middle spoon in our bed at night snuggled between my hubs and I. We love the XL 85-90 lb boys and there are legs for days which pushes us off the dyes of our king bed sometimes. We adore the racing greyhound and are so sad that they are now almost unavailable in the US. We lost our Atticus to bone cancer at the beginning of COVID and I’m a transplant candidate isolated at home. The wait list was 2+ yrs until the adoption group I used to volunteer with made a miracle happen for us. We had to drive 6 hours but we’re able to adopt Archibald who failed to win any Training class races so he retired at 18 months. He’s been here almost 2 years and has blossomed into a hound who excelled at command training. He’s training to a Pet Therapy Ambassador (for certification after my transplant). He knows 12 verbal commands and 6 sign language commands. I’ve never seen him run full tilt but my husband has. If I’m outside he’s leaning up against me because he’s a Momma’s Boy. My nephews say he’s as big as a pony. He’s and XL hound which we have adore. Like our previous males, he’s such a wonderful, gangly and sweetly goofy boy!
Omg my girl would have been I n that line, as she had the cream half (breeding line names are very specific for these dogs!) She was Rio Sweetcream but we renamed her after adoption
Greyhounds are the easiest going, mellow dogs ever. We adopted a retired racer in 2013 who was three years old. She was my best friend and companion. She passed away November 26th of last year at twelve and a half. Watching you groom him made me happy to see a Greyhound being shown how sweet and well mannered they truly are. Thank you!
I live in Spain and here there's a greyhound breed called Galgo. I happened to bump into a couple of them some months ago, and I tend to say hi to any animal I meet, so I said hi to them when I got closer while on my way home. One of them stopped and looked at me, and the owner was so overjoyed that she asked me if I had time to try pet her. The dog was called Luna and she was the sweetest thing ever, she let me pet her though it was obvious she was very, very shy. I had a shy dog too so I knew how to approach her, and I sat with the owner on a bench to have a chat while Luna was getting all the cuddles. The owner told me she had rescued her two weeks before and this was the first time she ever reacted to someone. I found out the horrifying reality of Galgo dogs this way, both of the dogs were supposed to be killed after a couple of hunting seasons. I wish I could rescue a Greyhound, but I also want cats so it wouldn't be a safe option. To the people who can, please give these amazing dogs a chance. They are the sweetest things ever, so kind and gentle with everything...
Actually, you can have both, with some care. Read through the comments and you will find commenters that owned a greyhounds AND cats AND bunnies. The greyhound was where all the other critters went to snuggle. Greyhounds have such sweet, laid-back, couch potato personalities, it can work. I would suggest getting a female greyhound first and making sure it gets fully house acclimated and socialized. Then get a kitten. Keep the kitten caged for awhile and watch the greyhound's reaction. If the behavior is curious but non-threatening, you should be okay. At first only snuggle with the kitten when the dog is safely restrained. Then slowly introduce them. If the kitten grows to have a dominant personality, you may find that it ends up ruling the roost. Worth a shot to have another greyhound rescued and still get your kitty.
To me a cat owner after a childhood family beagle then collie, it seems that a cat and a greyhound would kinda sorta be on the same wavelength, "lounge about conserving energy until time to ambush and chase the prey". But, yes, there is that thing of typical housecat size similarity to what the greyhound instinctively considers prey.
I absolutely love my Greyhound Orion. He came off the race track in 2016 with several injuries including a broken leg. Now, he's living his best life on my couch! Thank you for being an advocate and showcasing how wonderful this breed is! They truly are a 45mph couch potato!
i've had my rescue greyhound, socks, for eight years now, and she's the absolute light of my life. if you want an endless supply of unconditional love you should 100% consider adopting one
Very appropriate for the equigroomer to be the right brush for a noodle horse! Louis is a really good boy though it sucks that he had to spend his early life in such an awful place (I suspect it’s also how he’s missing a toe). Glad you helped to call attention to their plight! They all deserve to have lives full of love!
I have a whippet and absolutely adore all sighthounds. It breaks my heart that many of them are mistreated in racing. Thank you for advocating for this breed encouraging the adoption of older dogs.
I recently lost my greyhound, she was a racer, so we got her after she retired at about 2 years, she was called phoebe and she was black with a little white blob on her chest, and she was so sweet, she slept most of the day and was very quiet, for maybe 30 minutes a day she would go crazy, not biting, but she would run like crazy in circles, she was so cuddly and was a major bed hog, she was terrified of thunder and fireworks, but besides that she was completely carefree, we lost her about 4 months ago to born cancer, and because she was such a trooper it was too late to do anything, and we just had to keep her happy until the time came to say goodbye, she was spoilt and a angel, she was 8 years and the best dog we ever had, if your looking to adopt a dog, greyhounds are a terrific choice, and even though they’re huge, they really only need a large backyard, they’re great family animals and honestly are not bad with other dogs, during the last few months of phoebes life we got a staffy puppy, and at first she hated the puppy, but after a few weeks she became very happy with her little friend, greyhounds are a magnificent breed and I’d 100% recommend one
I adopted a rescue greyhound at 2 years old who was the delight of my heart. Sadly this grand dog finally passed of old age at the ripe old age of 17! He was loved every day
17!!! Wow! Ours passed at 14yrs old, we got her at 2yrs old. She had gotten kennel cough & was a bumper, so the owners/track didn’t care to keep her, they planned on putting her down at the next track & my ex rescued her as soon as we got the call. At that time, no one knew exactly how old they could live since tracks would put them down or breed them until they couldn’t anymore. Now all the tracks are outlawed in my state!
My family used to volunteer at a greyhound rescue, and they were always the sweetest dogs, even the ones who had clearly been mistreated while racing. We adopted quite a few ourselves, and they really are just the gentlest of giants. But oh yes, so lazy, so many dog beds in hopes we could get a seat on our own sofa!
I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!!! I’m tearing up because this one looks just like our Skye who had to be put down recently due to liver problems that stemmed from her racing days…same age too!!! Greyhounds will take up your entire heart ❤️
My mums best friend has had so many retired greyhounds, all rescued from the same charity. They're so gentle yet dopey! Gentle giants for sure ❤ she has had multiple failed fosters, ends up keeping them! She and 3 at one point and they take up so much room on the sofa or floor! Beautiful dogs with amazing temperament 🤗
A couple of friends of mine had a greyhound who passed recently - a gruff, no-nonsense old lady whose two great loves in life were cuddles and putting the young uns in their place. I loved that dog. She had also been a racer in her youth, and she carried the scars from so many injuries as a result.
We've had 11 of these awesome dogs. Very sweet and gentle dogs who love their people. Former racing dogs really respond to the love they get in a forever home.
I have two retired racing greyhounds, and I can vouch for all the lovely things people say about their personalities. They are loving family members, sweet and docile companions, and the biggest couch potatoes on the planet!
My husband and I rescued a lurcher from Ireland last spring after losing our three whippets the spring before and he was in a terrible state when the rescuers found him and my husband and I have been working hard to get him back to normal and we have a few more things to do with him. He is about 4 years old and was never house trained to begin with but that is resolved now. He was terrified of smoke coming out of chimneys and that is also resolved now. He was very scared and terrified of everything but most of it is also resolved now so we are still working with him to get over some things and the more he trusts us the better it goes. He is mainly a greyhound but has long hair on his hind legs. Greyhounds are such soft and lovely dogs and most people don't realize this and it's so sad. They don't know what they are missing out on with these wonderful dogs. This dog lives now in Sweden and experience proper snow and winter for the first time and he's OK with it so far.
I adore Greyhounds 🥰 The fastest couch potatoes haha. My grandparents always owned Whippets, and so I have quite a fondness for both breeds. I plan on rescuing at least one Greyhound in the future. They deserve a life of love and relaxation ❤ Thank you for featuring this handsome boy!
@@NinaNebulosa88 Another breed very simular to greyhounds and whippets are Podencos. This breed also gets misused alot and there are many waiting for adoption. So if for some reason you cannot find a greyhound you might want to give a podenco a look :) I own one and he is very simular in behaviour.
A friend of mine many years ago had a whippet/ Jack Russell terrier cross whippet which he got as a rescue dog from a dog’s home. It looked like a very tall slight & spindly legged Jack Russel, but had both the good nose & hunting instinct of the terrier plus the acceleration & close to the top speed & agility of the whippet. He lived in a rural area & used to walk across about 5 fields to get to the pub - where he would hand out the rabbits which Stinker had caught on the way there as she would catch him a couple more on the way back. She was utterly devoted to him & used to start getting separation anxiety if he left her in the car for 2 minutes to go and buy a newspaper.
Julien Solomita and Jenna Marbles really opened my (and so many others) eyes to how wonderful this breed is! They’ve adopted two and continue to foster through GreySave. I love that they’ve brought so much awareness with their platforms over the years ❤️
I was so excited to see you just uploaded a video on Greyhounds, i adopted a Galgo from Spain myself. Best decision ive ever made! Im also glad you mentioned that they are lazy, if i would get money every time someone said about my dog "Oh she probably needs lots of exercise right?" Id be rich. Misconceptions like that could make it harder for these sweethearts to get adopted
They make wonderful companions. I adopted one from a racetrack in Texas and he didnt know stairs and so many things most dogs know. He became my number one friend and very well mannered and unobstrusive. When i was invited to get togethers, Oliver was invited too. He loved people and other dogs and it was pure joy to be his Mom. Ill always adopt a greyhound.❤❤
I rescued an ex racing greyhound 18 months ago he is adorable. Once he realised he had a forever home and I loved him unconditionally we became best buddies and my life has been changed for the better. He is calm, loving, lazy and adored by all who meet him. My sister doesnt "do" dogs but even she has fallen for him. ❤
When I was a kid in NJ my neighbor had a retired GH. Suki was so much fun to hang out with. They had an open door for me to come play with her. As a sprinter we’d run the two acre wooded backyard. ❤❤❤
I had a black greyhound with white markings that I got from a greyhound rescue at a track in Florida. You’re right about the separation anxiety and she was much happier when we got another dog this time a chihuahua that was found on the street. She liked the company having spent her life in a kennel. She even managed to get used to living with a cat, she was a good dog. I still miss her.
I've had two retired racers and fostered over 20. They are my favorite dog. They make a wonderful companion animal and can actually get along with other dogs.
My greyhound died back in 2007 but this video takes me back, especially with all that shedding. Greyhounds are thought to be hyper, but they just need to go for walks and an run, and when they're at home, they're resting. Louis is a good boy and looks just like my Manhattan Mary
I knew some folks who fostered these dogs post retirement. They described their behavior as " almost life like" in that they were like throw rugs..(they laid around a lot).
I have a little Italian Greyhound, which is basically a normal Greyhound zapped with a shrink ray. We were the first ones to see her at the pound where a family had to give her up because their baby ended up being allergic, and snatched her right up! Loved this vid! ❤❤❤
Such a gorgeous boy,his new people deserve many kudos for rescuing him.I have seen sickening photos of what can happen to these dogs once they they start to slow down.They deserve so much beter.
One of my favorite dogs to sit for was a retired greyhound named Emmy. She was 14 when she passed, and she had a good retirement. I loved her. I don't know if it's greyhounds in general, or just Emmy, but she had a way of sleeping or dozing without her eyes being completely closed, so I quickly learned to respect her startle reflex.
It’s so important that people like you, with so many followers, tell the stories of the dark side from the dog industry. Especially the greyhound industry is very cruel. Thank you ❤
Also consider their Spanish cousins, the Galgo Espanol, who are worked in competitive sport hunting, and then thrown away, up to 100,000 a year, when they stop earning. At least many of the hunters now know they can turn them in to shelters instead of out onto the streets, or worse. (You can google it, I don't want to tell the tales here.) They're just a little smaller than an English greyhound, and just a little slower--still very fast!--but with can run longer. Pretty simple to adopt from one of the specialist galgo shelters in Spain, but there are some small rescues in the states that work with those shelters to bring some of them over here, which is how we got our super sweet boy (*just* before the covid shutdown, luckily). Sighthounds are the best if you want a dog who is nothing but sweet, probably a little shy, wants to be on the couch or the bed with you, doesn't need much exercise (though many like a quick run every so often)--and in the case of shorthaired ones like greyhounds, galgos, and whippets, don't have much need of Vanessa's services!
@@suemcfarlane4199 90-95% of US racing greyhounds are adopted. And since the Florida tracks have closed, it's probably closer to 100%. A rescue greyhound is nearly impossible to get right now.
@@suemcfarlane4199if you are referring to the US, you don’t know what you are talking about. Shooting them would be extremely rare. Where it happens overseas, it’s a reflection of those particular cultures.
Greyhounds are my favorites of the larger breeds. I find them to be incredibly majestic. I remember watching a doc in the early 2000’s about how close to 20,000 former racing greyhounds were slaughtered every year and they would pay farmers to bury them on their land. It made me angry and it broke my heart. I hope to be able to adopt a greyhound one day.
Adopting a greyhound is one of the best things you can ever do. Had mine "Patch" for nine amazing years and watching this bought back alot the happy memories I had with him. When going for walks he was always very relaxed around smaller dogs (even when they weren't) but the moment he spotted a squirrel he'd be a challenge to keep on the leash 😄
When I was in elementary school my best friend's mom used to be a manager at a greyhound racetrack, she used to adopt ALL the retired dogs that she could, they must have had 12 ot more at one point... I'm so glad that it's an unfortunate thing of the past in most states, none of those poor babies deserved the treatment they received
We had a Greyhound, Lurcher, Collie mix dog called Leo who we got as a rescue from a litter in Ireland. He lived to the age of 13 and was such an amazing, kind and gentle dog. It's amazing to see how similar their behaviours are to Louis in this video. Thank you so much for making this video. For a brief moment, it felt like we had our boy back.
I worked at a dog boarding place that had a program for adopting greyhounds retired from racing. I LOVED these dogs, only one I ever met during that time barked more than once and they love people. The owners had 6 hounds o their own, and their manager was adopting his 4th when I left. Love these dogs!
I'm owner to my second retired racer and I love greys so much. My current boy is like Louis though at 11 years is white faced. Vets and groomers have problems with his nails because the quicks grew so long and go almost the full length of the nail. And if you've ever heard a hurt or anxious greyhound screaming, for fear of a nipped quick, well it would put a husky to shame. Please please adopt/ re-home these beautiful wonderful underrated dogs if you're considering a pet.
I used to work at a pet supply store when I was in my early 20s, and one Saturday a month, a local greyhound shelter would bring some of their retired racers to the store to try and find them forever homes. I've wanted to adopt a retired racer ever since, because I absolutely fell in love with all the ones who came to the store. My favorite was a fawn sweetheart named Pumpkin. She loved to lean on me. Sadly, because I have physical disabilities that limit my mobility, I don't know if I could give one the exercise it needs. 😢 They're such sweet dogs, and I definitely encourage anyone in the market for a greyhound to adopt a retired racer instead of buying from a breeder.
My aunt had owned one Greyhound who was a retired racer. She got him from a Greyhound rescue. After he passed away, she got 3 more retired Greyhound racers from a a Greyhound rescue. Possibly the same place where she got her first one. I love/loved all four of them when I visit her.
When I worked at a dog daycare, there was a retired greyhound named Buck and he was ADORED by the entire staff! He was the sweetest (and laziest) boy… until he got the old man zoomies lolol
At my daycare we had one named Knight, same thing, very very sweet cuddle bug until BAM old man zoomies. All the dogs would be running hard and he would out pace them in a smooth trot.
There’s one at the daycare I work at who was a rescue racing dog, she’s so sweet and relaxed. She has the most extreme overbite I’ve ever seen in my life and is named sayori after the half beak needle fish 😂😂
Define old man zoomies. Am i dumb?
@@hishamrashid5293 he was kinda old and he would just get what we called the old man zoomies, even though could outpace the younger dogs haha
old man zoomies 😂😂🥹 this is the best visual, thank you
I have three greyhounds, I foster for greyhound rescues - they are a wonderful breed, I believe there is a greyhound out there for everyone 😊 thank you for advocating them x
I foster too. Well I say that... None of them have ever actually gone out my door to another home. We end up paying the fees and adopting them ourselves 😂
@@russellhobbs7245 ah the foster fail!! We have failed twice as well ….. sometimes you just know ❤️
I worked with a woman who rescued greyhounds. I loved hearing the stories she shared about them.
@@catmarsh5331 I fail every time. Our latest has had at least 10 homes that we know of in his 11 years on earth so far. He doesn't get on with other dogs, he's full of scars so probably had a really tough time and he was a bit pinchy to begin with if something startled him.
When he came here we were told the last owners said they were scared of him because he just seems to growl at them. Especially the guy. It took me about a couple of hours to see that in him and realise that's just his way of communicating but he was definitely more nervous of me. He's such a softy really and just wanted to feel safe and loved. He was a little stand offish for the first week while he got used to things then one day he decided he wanted to climb up onto the chair and give me a big hug and he wasn't taking no for an answer. From that moment on he's wanted that closeness every day and I feel so privileged he felt that comfortable with me as a guy to come get that from me. They're such smart dogs.
We've had him just over a year now and he's slowly getting to a point where other dogs don't bother him as much and he's actually now got a walking buddy down the road that he adores. He just needed someone to give him a chance and have the patience to let him grow and gain confidence in new situations.
Sorry, that was a bit of a long one 🤣 These guys have stolen my heart ever since my first one saved my life 20 years ago
A guy in our neighborhood had one growing up. It was the best dog in the world.
I owned a retired greyhound and absolutely adored her. She was almost 5 when we got her. Half her teeth had to be pulled, she was 40 pounds under weight, never been in a house, never saw stairs and, we discovered, quite by accident, that Spanish was her first language. She was the sweetest dog we ever had. She was always leery around my husband, but I could do almost anything to her. She lived to almost 15 and I still miss her.
Mine sounds similar, although she will happily ignore us in any language. She is 11 now and I would love it if she could make 15.
Oh wow! She was bred in Spain! Was she very slender? Ours was from Irish stock bred in Texas & was very muscular with the thick back end, she was like Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2! 🤣
I’m so curious about a Spanish bred greyhound!
My Camille had awful teeth, too! We wanted to get them fixed, but at the time, vets didn’t have access to the proper anesthetics needed for greyhounds. Her reaction to kitten amounts of anesthesia didn’t go well when he had her fixed.
They are really gentle souls, any aggression ever shown was usually fear based.
I truly think all Ex-racers have complex PTSD, mixed in with their favorite thing to do was to race on the sand, chasing that fake bunny! That was their escape. When a greyhound gets to really open up & just run? They… I like to think, they smile because they are really FREE!
You can look about Galgos in Spain... It's horrific :(
@@MsHotMess. What do you mean with spanish bred greyhounds?😅 there are galgos and galgo greyhound mixes, galgos are slimmer than greyhounds. They have better endurance and very good in sharp curves but are slower than greys. They usually love to cuddle with humans and other galgos and are considered to have higher intelligance (although not quite a border collie). They are also smaller, arched back, longer tail, bigger ears, longer slimmer faces and eyes that are farther apart and almond shaped.😂
@@beansandrunning Not sure why you are posting laughing emojis in your reply about my comment. My question was based on Ex-racer greyhounds in america come from different breed stocks & have different body shapes due to those breed lines. The names of breeds, I’m guessing, you called the greyhounds in Spain, I’m not familiar with, so maybe we, in america, didn’t get those breed lines or we call them something else.
But again, your laughing emojis make your response feel like you thought my questions were a joke or implied I was silly for asking.
Or maybe you just don’t understand how to use emojis correctly. But whatever. Thanks for whatever information you passed on so I can research it.
This breed is so docile and gentle. Its unimaginable to think they get treated so cruelly.
It all depends on which kennel is keeping them. Just like racing Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds, some stables do a splendid job, others really don't deserve to be in business.
Their nature is being used against them. Beagles have the same issue which is why they get used for animal experiments
@@comesahorsemanyeah, but horses don't usually get euthanized at 3 (or younger) because they're not winning races.
I couldn't agree more with the above comments, as a greyhound owner myself for over 4½ years I know at first hand how they are, particularly with the separation anxiety although my dog isn't the worst I don't think in that regard. Nonetheless, I do take care not to leave her for more than a couple of hours unless circumstances dictate to me otherwise, then I'll try and make alternative arrangements for her until my return. The subject of them being abused by racing kennels constantly breaks my heart and I honestly wish there was some way of closing these abysmal places down for good but realistically I know that will never ever happen.😢😭😩
@@comesahorsemanvery very very few if at all!!
I took my dogs to the dog park one day and all the dogs were running and playing in the field. We were all impressed at how fast they were running chasing each other. Then two Greyhounds showed up. We all stood in amazement on how fast they were. You don't realize how fast they can run until you see them running with all the other dogs. All the other dogs were not even close to keeping up with them. Very cool dogs!
There's a channel on RUclips that shows the creator's dogs at the dog park, and this exact scenario happened. Several dogs were flying around the park, including a very fast Husky (and later a surprisingly fast Dachshund that mostly kept up with the big dogs for a second lol), but then the two Greyhounds entered. Even when they were just "jogging," the Greyhounds were keeping up and surpassing the other dogs. Then they kicked it into high gear. Like you said, you don't realize just how fast they are until they're running circles around other dogs.
Hahaha, I know what you mean. There's a RUclips video of a German Shepherd trying to catch a Saluki. The frustration of the German Shepherd is palpable.
Had an especially short-legged scotty try to chase my greyhound. It was just as hilarious as you would think. Under the scotty fringe those short little legs were a blur, but compared to the greyhound he might just as well have been standing still.
We have that in my neighborhood too! This 5ft old lady walking 2 Greyhounds and setting them loose in the park had everyone in awe. She commanded them like it was nothing and all the dogs trying to catch up. The funniest is when they were teasing the cobra chickens and seeing the geeses lose their damn minds not being able to get them. Lol!!!!
I know what you mean! My former neighbors had a greyhound and a collie. When they would let both dogs out onto their half acre property, greyhound would zoom up and down the yard three or four times, but the collie would run halfway down the yard, stop, think about it, change his mind, and go back to the patio and flop down on the ground!
My grandfather rescued one when I was in my early/mid teens. He was the highlight of my visits to their house. My grandfather used to tell people that he slept 23 hours a day and napped the other hour, which was very true. He was enjoying the easy life after running so much.
When they first brought him home he wouldn't eat normally, he would inhale his food so fast he would choke often. It took him several months to really chill out and savor his meals. He also wouldn't sit. He was either standing or sleeping. They would keep them standing while awake, to promote muscle tone. That habit he never managed to break.
I would take him on walks when I was over, and we would go from a steady pace, to a light jog, and then I would full blown run as fast as I could. He would keep pace with me with zero effort. You could see his body kinda shift when he went to higher speeds, stretching out almost. Like he was shifting gears.
I loved that dog, he was the sweetest dog I have ever known in my life. He lived many happy years until he had to be put down for severe health complications, The loss was devastating for all of us. I will always remember Mosby though, our runs around the block, and couch cuddle time.
I heard that greyhounds are anatomically not built to sit. They're more inclined to reclining rather than sitting. That aside, rescue greyhounds truly deserve all the love in the world. And rescuers like your grandfather (and your whole family) are truly golden. ❤
Wonderful story, sweet and sad. Mosby sounds like he was a good soul.
It is not a natural position for greyhounds to sit.
You _can_ teach them to sit but it's difficult and uncomfortable for them because of the length of their limbs and narrowness of their backsides. Chests are very deep though, to accommodate their big lungs, so they're quite comfortable resting on their breastbone in 'sphinx' position.
@@yanniesays you are correct, anatomically, many of them just naturally do not sit. OTOH, I've had several who DO sit. While it's not a necessary thing, it is good for control because they can shift from stand still to full out 45 mph sprint in 2 strides.... so sitting makes the owner more aware. I have a little girl now....well, I say little, she's a 9 yr old lady who is very petite yet still manages to weigh 23 kg lol and she sits quite nicely but we adopted her when she was 18 months old. (She was much too small for the track - ie, she's about half the size of most females and she would have gotten hurt racing much larger dogs.) I highly recommend them as pets, they're the best and sweetest dog ever.
My Greyhound/Lab mix Finnigan was my K9 partner for Search & Rescue. She looked a lot like Louis. She was one of the fastest Airscent dogs I’ve ever seen. Many of our Law Enforcement friends said that if they were missing, they’d want K9 Finnigan searching for them. She did find a few missing children and she was a K9 hero. Best dog ever. ❤
Thanks so much for giving her such a full and meaningful life! It's sounds like she truly loved her job ♥️
❤❤❤❤❤❤
This is beautiful. Thank you, dogs and humans.
He had strong "It's good to be here - it's good to be anywhere" energy after he got over his initial apprehensiveness in the shower. Just content and relaxed.
A lovely good boy, he is!
My retired racing greyhound Keats just passed away two weeks ago and I'm absolutely heartbroken. He was the most gentle loving soul. It's lovely to see Louis and all his wonderful greyhound-isms. I thought that watching this would make me sadder, but it just reminded of some of the things I loved about my own sweet boy and made me smile ❤
I'm sorry for the loss of your sweet dog. ❤
I'm so sorry ♥️😥😓
So sorry for your loss. ❤️
I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my Thea, my beautiful rescue cat, in June...and my heart feels for you. I know what it is like to lose your soul mate. 💜
I am deeply sorry for your loss. Having lost 7 hounds over 30+ years, never wanting any other breed (once you have one, you get hooked), I truly understand your pain. I wish you peace and love x
My favorite breed. My neighbor has one and that dog always LEANS on me whenever I see him. His owner says that’s the greyhound version of a hug.
Omg! Yes!
When my Dépêche, my beautiful, brindle retired racer, and I would go to the dog park, she mostly ignored the dogs and looked for women to love on.
She’d pick her favourite (beside me❤) and do the lean on thing.
Such a cute Greyhound thing.
They’re amazing dogs and have the sweetest dispositions ever.
So many, including my beloved, are lost to osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that effects too many greyhounds, mostly in old age.
My Dépêché lived to fourteen, but died of osteosarcoma.
There is work being done on a vaccine against this horrible cancer.
Mostly, I just loved this dog in a way that I did not know existed before I met her.
We adopted 2 yr old racer, and we had to tell visitors to our home about the leaning thing.
I volunteered at a shelter that focused on retired racing greyhounds during my end of high school and start of college. During my time as a volunteer, a couple of old greyhounds named Lady and Zora arrived at the shelter within a month of each other. Lady was part of a group of dogs that came to the shelter from a Florida race track (shelter is in Washington State). She was also a mom to I believe 3 litters of puppies after her time as a racer. Zora was taken to the shelter after circumstances left her previous family unable to take care of her. When these two arrived at the shelter it was pointed out that they looked very much alike and were the same age. I looked up their racing histories (which I often did both out of curiosity and to find the exact ages of the dogs), and found out that the two of them were long lost and reunited sisters! Same litter of puppies and everything! After this discovery it was clear that they absolutely needed to stay together, and eventually were placed in a foster home together. Zora passed away two years later at age 12, while Lady stuck around until just before her 14th birthday. This miracle of the two of them reuniting on the other side of the country from where they were raised and raced, and my discovery about their heritage leading to them being able to spend their twilight years together has really stuck with me ever since then.
That's a beautiful story. ❤❤
I would love to see this comment pinned... this is such a wholesome story.... brings hope and tremendous joy in my heart. Thank you for being their advocates. You're a god send.
My ex-hubby took our ex-racer to a greyhound meet up (back in the 90’s in fla) & our Camille made a beeline straight for a male dog that looked like her. They checked their ear tats & were amazed to find she found her brother! They refused to leave each other. Just amazing since they were whelped in Texas & rescued at different times. I miss my girl Camille, she was my cat-dog whirlwind 😢
Our first adopted rescue greyhound was a rascal named Candyman we loved dearly. A few months later his rescuer called and said she had gotten his father Dandyman back and would we be willing to foster this 7 year old. She brought him out and said, “You know I’m not coming back for him since you both will give him the love he needs.” At first there was absolutely no light in his eyes and he refused to bond with Candy or us. One day after three weeks he started following me around and his eyes lit up and he became a completely different sweetheart. Dandy would lay beside my chair and hold his front leg up to be held while we watched TV or read. Four years later we lost him to a fatal stroke but glad we had the chance to give this amazingly majestic dog a happy life. We lost Candy at almost 12 years old. Miss those two and their antics.
I started bringing them home from the track when I was a kid. I've had 23 retired racers, and they are so sweet! I've never seen anybody blow dry a Greyhound. How fancy.
If you've ever met a retired/rescued race dog, you'd know that they are all worthy of forever families. Don't let them waste away their beautiful hearts in a kennel where no human gives them proper love.
Racing greyhound actually get a lot of care mistreated dogs won't do well why do you think they make such amazing pets when they retire .. they've been socialized a ton are used to people petting them and loving on them . To much Peta and other places trying to make it illegal . Go look at any race track to see the joy these dogs have .
They are certainly not wasting away in a race kennel. They get let out multiple times a day, only race a few times a week, and some race kennels even have hydrotherapy pools for post-race. Misinformation is killing the racing greyhound, which is a shame, because these are the best dogs you could ever ask for once they retire. Settle into home life great, already potty trained, kennel great, walk nice on lead, and are splendid communicators with other dogs because they are so well socialized. They are the fantastic dogs they are BECAUSE of their upbringing, not in spite of it.
I have a rescued greyhound. He is the sweetest, most gentle being. I can't imagine ever wanting to adopt another breed for my family after having a greyhound. ❤
My family had a rescue greyhound, after a forelimb fracture didn't heal correctly. Despite only having three good legs, Burna could burn around the backyard, and would walk upstairs (but couldn't get back down), so we'd hear a knock on the door and she'd spend the evening in the living room.
Dad bonded the closest to her - she would get carried downstairs when it was time to go to bed.
@@SvetaFromUkraine As the tracks close, we're going to lose these amazing animals. Look how the dog fanciers have ruined so many other breeds. Greyhounds are healthy dogs because they aren't bred for conformance and they're wonderful pets because, as you have said, how they are raised.
I firmly believe that healthy, well treated dogs run and abused dogs don't. These kennels sink a small fortune into every one of their dogs. It doesn't help them recoup their costs by abusing them.
I used to help host adoption events for retired greyhounds and they are the absolute sweetest and funniest dogs! We had one named Ginger who was smart enough to see that humans smile at each other to say hello. So she figured out how to "smile" and would come dashing up to new people, butt going a mile a minute, and then she would do her pretty girl smile. A lot of people were kind of freaked out, because she was "baring her teeth at them", and so we ended up putting someone with her to "introduce her" and explain her smiling. Last I heard, she did finally get adopted and lived to a ripe old age of 12.
What a cutie!! 🥹
She sounds like a doll! ❤️🐾
What a sweet story!!
@@Mimi2thebestboysever She was the sweetest girl! If I had been in a situation where I could have had a dog, I would have put an "Already Adopted!" sign on her! I wanted to take her home so badly! I was right in the process of getting ready to move and I didn't know where I was going at that point, so no dogs for me. :(
@@lisamelroy2855 She absolutely was! I keep hoping to find another dog like her!
Reading everyone's comments about their experience with greyhounds warms my heart. This channel is spreading love and kindness in so many ways.
I agree.
I went for a walk with the local greyhound rescue society in September, where they introduced 10 people a week to go on a walk with the greyhounds in their care for 90 minutes. It was great therapy, and every dog was uniquely wonderful. One of them would not stop pawing and licking me - he's 7 years old, but as bouncy as a puppy.
So, my grandmother had invisifence in her yard for around 25 years for all her dogs she had over that time. One of the last dogs she had before she passed was a tan greyhound named Western Faith. No on told her greyhounds were too fast for Invisifence to work, so there was more than one time she'd be standing at a window and looking into a neighbor across the street's yard and going, "Oh, what a lovely fawn..."
Love this story!
🤣
Bahaha!
Oh my gosh 😂 this made my day, that is so wholesome lol 💕
My greyhound recently passed away. He was also a retired racer, and he lived to be fourteen!! He was such a good boy. I loved him so much, and I miss him dearly.
Look at dat faaaace!!!! Looks like my boy Ruger (RIP my sweetest boy) I'll never buy a bred dog ever again after Ruger he's shown me rescues can rescue you too all they ask for is love and food scraps 🫶🏻
Having had a rescue Greyhound for 11 years I can say with confidence they are one of the loveliest breeds I have ever owned. If you are interested in looking into adopting one it is essential to understand that most of them know nothing about living in a house & it will take time & patience for them to learn & adjust to life outside a race kennel. A simple book that covers the bases is "Greyhounds for Dummies", which will aid you in helping your new hound along. In the end you'll definitely find it was worth all the effort it took when he/she becomes one of the Greyt loves of your life...❤️
Good point! When I rode hunter/jumper, other riders would sometimes buy horses off the racetrack. Racehorses were also in need of socialization at retirement (of a different kind).
Didn't even think of that. Great advice. I've thought about getting a retired Greyhound in the future.
'Greyt loves of your life'
Now that is such a great play on words for such a great breed.
@@TikiHi77 I'm sure you won't regret it....❤️
@@TikiHi77You won't regret it. They are wonderful Dogs. I wouldn't have any other Breed now. They are the sweetest, gentlest, well mannered, loyal and quirky😆💖💝🐾🐾🐾🐾
Louis has done a phenomenally well for his 1st grooming session. I really have to give his owners credit for not only training Louis to be very well-behaved but for giving him the love and attention he deserves after Louis was retired from racing.
Honestly greys are so no-fuss with stuff like this. My lad hates baths but will sort of just stand there looking sad but let me do it. The one time I felt like being fancy and took him to a groomer, the lady said he was the best behaved dog she's ever had in. Unless food is involved they're incredibly chill!
It takes me about 5m to bath mine. Dries so quickly too. That said, I don't have an equi groomer. I must get one. But they're so used to being handled, they have to be the easiest dogs to care for (outside of anxiety and injuries) on the planet!
What a handsome, sweet baby boy.
They do so well in various situations because of their structured upbringing in the race kennels where they are exposed to a wide variety of sounds and places. They are frequently handled by many different people and are very used to the attention.
Yay!!!! All the greyhound people are flabbergasted to see one on this channel 😂 as most of them would never dare become dirty in the first place. Perfect creatures. My girl is a quiet little angel that gently follows me around and just wants to nap within eyesight of me. They are the best best dogs.
I teach cello lessons all day and she sleeps through all sorts of screeching and giggling and little kids patting her. Yay! Thank you for spotlighting this gentle breed ❤️❤️
You are exactly right about greyhounds not liking to get dirty! My girl HATED to go potty when it rained & definitely didn’t want her paws to get wet or dirty. She would stick her back end over the grass while the rest of her was still under the car port to pee then it was a quick skip to the door & whining to be let in asap! She was a dainty but thick bottomed girl!
Meanwhile, my greyhound literally found a dead worm to roll around on after her first bath. She also dug out a hole for me to plant a tree in - faster than I could with a shovel.
@@jesse10132 😂 I totally can see that! My greyhound could dig a hole in hyperdrive! Dirt flying everywhere while she had that greyhound smile of pure bliss! You’d never guess that she hated getting dirty, she saw a neighbors dog digging on his side of the fence to try to get to her (he was crazy in love with her) & she decided she’d meet him in the middle 🤣
My first dog was a retired racer. Her name was Shoo-Shoo. She was a tiny thing at 55 pounds and was a certified couch-potato unless we were on a walk and then she would chase both rabbits and squirrels. I adopted her at the age of 5. I helped her cross the rainbow bridge just shy of 16. She was the best dog ever. I met my husband after I had her for a few years, and my children remember her well.
when i was very young i had the privilege of walking the pastors greyhound after the church service was over. his name was shooter, and he had been rescued from a racetrack after it had been shut down. he had attempted to go after a squirrel, and i had attempted to get him to relax while hanging onto his leash. he was a very affectionate and intelligent dog, and the only greyhound i ever had the honor to meet in my lifetime so far
We rescued an Italian greyhound mix from Mexico. She’s insanely fast. In the beginning she’d try to run away and of course we couldn’t keep up. She’s also the ultimate couch potato. She likes having her teeth brushed and enjoys the shower. She’s so weird, lol. Lewis is pure sweetness. The best boy, he’s gorgeous 🥰🐾
Likes having her teeth brushed?! That's amazing considering how bad greyhound teeth can be haha
Iggies are lovely. My friend has two, and they are beautiful, loving and delicate little dogs. The biggest challenge is their small bladders, so they have to go potty regularly, and in the early days, accidents will happen. But they are trainable, so that can be overcome in time.
Wow that's interesting. Our greyhound Gwynn _hates_ having her teeth brushed and trips to the shower may as well be to the gas chamber.
So, more like most dogs.
Years ago I adopted a retired racer. He was so different from my previous dogs. He had to learn how to live in a house with stairs, a teenager, glass windows and doors, etc. Ajax learned very quickly and loved every minute of shared household camaraderie, even the 2 cats who ruled the roost. Ajax was very sweet, smart and beautiful. He didn't leave racing until he was 5 years old as he was very fast. I was told that one day he just stopped running and was kept in a small cage at the track for about a year to punish him and to see if he was gonna make a come-back on the racing. He never did. So he was put out to adopt. It was pitiful when he arrived at my home; he was skinny, much of his coat was rubbed away from being so long in a small cage, and trembling with fear. Only 5-6 days after he arrived I grabbed the tv remote and he flipped out. I had to hide it. My guess is that he was tased with a similar looking device. If you are looking for a fab canine companion, check them out. When I had to make the decision to euthanize him I was devastated. He looked into my eyes the entire time and I wept while I held his head and crooned his name. I am crying at this moment remembering the absolute trust he had and the joy he gave.
Now im crying. Sounds like you gave him a beautiful life. He will meet you at the rainbow bridge when you get there 🫶🏾
@@Kesh_Keeeesh Thank you.
That is absolutely ridiculous!!!! I volunteered at the track in Birmingham, AL and have adopted racers for 23 years. They act traumatized when first adopted because they have NEVER lived separate from the pack and miss their buddies. They have a totally different environment to adjust to and their feet have trouble getting traction on smooth surfaces which is scary for them. Racers are like Olympic athletes. Abusing and tasering them would destroy their ability to be successful racers. Why would the people who make their living off the success of the racers, sabotage that by not hobby them excellent care so they are healthy to win? NGA racing greyhounds had an adoption rate of 99.7% before racing ended in all but 2 US tracks. The real problem as the casinos and video gaming industry didn’t like the competition and paid lobbyist to spread old info get racing banned. The US had the biggest and most successful program in the world. They tracked every dog from birth to adoption and anyone caught abusing them was banned for life.
@@aliciahowell9617 assumption is that Ajax was not tasered until he no longer ran. When he was no longer running and winning was put in the cage as I have stated previously in my statement above. You need to read more carefully if you want to jump out at me or any other person for that matter. I know why he couldn't walk up the stairs I know why he didn't understand glass doors and windows and I know that he looked at other dogs as if they were dinosaurs and not at all related to him all due to the rearing of a of him as a racing Hound.
@@oliverreimers I volunteered at one if the poorest tracks in the US at Birmingham, AL and any hound who didn’t finish in the money was immediately placed in adoption. The breeders, kennel owners and tracks pay fees to the NGA to cover the visits so non earning figs can be moved to adoption immediately. They don’t waste away in their crates either. They are turned out 3-4 times a day for 1-2 hours depending on the temperature. As a greyhound owner, you know they sleep 12-18 hours a day because of their high metabolism. Anyone who tasered a hound would have probably had their butts kicked by the other staff and then banned for life. I ADORE my hounds and woukd have been first in line to defend them! Racing was banned because it competed with casinos and video gambling machine businesses. Groups like GREY2K got rich off spreading misinformation and being lobbyists. When the FL tracks closed, my group took a huge portion of the hounds and we didn’t get a penny from the Anti Racing/Save the Racedog groups. It’s just frustrating to see people who never set foot on a track or their kennels claim atrocities occurred. These digs have very sensitive demeanors and get extremely ill if stressful situations. It’s counterproductive to hurt them and they don’t have to keep losing dogs. They just walk them across the kennel area to the adoption center and we took every one in.
My son adopted a retired greyhound, and everything said in this video is 100% correct for Otto. They live in the Portland (OR) area so we send a winter coat every year for Otto -- greyhounds need things specially made for their body size and shape.
My family have had retired racing greyhounds for as long as i can remember and they are amazing dogs, super affectionate, very low maintenance and so lazy you would jot believe it! Theyre absolute company dogs, they love having people around but as a general rule theyre also big old wet blankets. They like routine and can be very nervous to start with so getting used to new people/environments/changes to their routine can take time, just let them adapt in their own time and beware the scream of doom. Greyhounds have a very low pain threshold and scream like they're being murdered if they think they might get hurt. The scream of doom usually happens on a walk, you go running over terrified by the noise to find your hound holding a paw up in the air, only for them to decide that its fine now you've looked at it and carry on as if nothing happened. The first time one of our dogs did this we took them to the vet for a check just to make sure and were told 'your dog is perfectly healthy, there is nothing wrong with their paw'
So true😂. My Greyhound would be out running, then stop, howling like a toddler. I would check out his leg then he would go off running again. 😆
I’ve wanted one of these guys since Jenna adopted Bunny! The adoption process is very difficult though. It’s for for the best
I loved watching Bunny’s journey too. I was going through a rough breakup and coming to terms with that partner being abusive so watching her videos were a huge source of comfort for me.
They still foster greyhounds which I love to see. Julien has them on his channel
Yeah, they have to be tough on the adopters since these dogs have been through a lot and they definitely need the right family fit. But it's not impossible if you meet requirements. My neighbor used to adopt them until he got older and moved. They're awesome dogs, for sure.
@@jannybeeI haven't seen any of his videos in forever. I'm so glad they foster! 😊 They are definitely the right people for it.
@DragonsOfSnow a lot of them are stuff from streams but I believe if you look up julien2 then you should be able to find some of the videos
I am a greyhound owner and a huge advocate of greyhound adoption. I just started following you yesterday, so seeing this made my heart so happy! Just a tip, since this is your first greyhound you are grooming. Greyhounds have EXTREMELY sensitive skin, and most can only be groomed with specific skin-sensitive shampoo. Also, greyhounds are no longer widely available for adoption in the US. Most, if not all, greyhounds in the US are attained primarily through rescue organizations. Because the greyhound racing industry is dying, (thankfully so!), it is very difficult to adopt one from a rescue agency now, unless you have had one in the past. However, they are now importing greyhounds from Australia and the UK, since the greyhound racing industry is still so prevelant there. They are also importing Galgos (Spanish Greyhound) from Spain. Just wanted to give some info in case anyone is interested in adopting. They are seriously the most loving dog breed I have ever had the privilege of owning, so if you are interested in owning one, I would suggest reaching out to your local greyhound rescue organization 😊
I am so happy to hear this. It breaks my heart to see other breeds be adopted in the UK and Grey sitting in kennels for 3 years+ 😢
New South Wales and ACT Governments in Australia were going to ban Greyhound racing in their state and territory.
New South Wales back peddled on that and only the ACT went ahead with the ban.
On the topic of their skin, typically greyhounds have collars that are about 3” wide so as not to injure their skin. I have recently seen one in a harness which are thankfully becoming more popular for all dogs.
Yes the extremely sensitive skin is something that I think groomers don’t realize. I have a whippet (I know that’s not the same as a greyhound but both have sensitive skin and short coats). I took her to a groomer when she was a puppy and the shampoo the groomer used made her skin very dry and I think they used the wrong comb on her as well. With these types of dogs a hydrating shampoo that is hypoallergenic is key. Also I think rubber brushes (like the zoom groom brush) are better for these breeds since their fur and skin is very thin. Normal brushes can be too harsh for them.
Omg yeah... I have two greys and was on edge the whole time watching this lmao... he's going to have so much dandruff 😬
I'm so happy to see greyhounds being discussed. Most sighthounds are lazy but people misunderstand them so badly as needing lots of maintenance and ridiculous amounts of walking so they get overlooked for adoption a lot
Also lol at the de-shedding- I can never get over how much their short coats can actually shed.
Louis is lovely, my kinda boy
I don't live a dog-friendly life, having mobility issues, advancing age, allergies, and spinal deterioration. I also--when I am able--travel on long trips. So I come to your channel to enjoy dogs vicariously. I've always loved greyhounds for their sweet nature and soft eyes, but frankly, if it has four legs and a tail (optional) I'm going to love it. Thank you for featuring my latest vicarious pet.
A greyhound might be the right dog for you. I have had several and was involved in Greyhound rescue. They need some exercise, but no where near as much as most breeds. They are morel like cats than most dog breeds. The dog in this video is pretty representative. They are calm and easy to be around. They can't really be trained. They can get all the exercise they need at a dog park, but make sure they are wearing a muzzle. They have a prey drive that is apex predator level.
You could get a service animal.
@@geobloxmodels1186Ahem, the most cat-like dog is the shiba. You can’t take that title away from them.
No lie, when considering whether I should get a service animal, a greyhound was a front runner (no pun intended).
This is really morbid but when my dad had cancer we'd always joke that if he died we would get a greyhound. It was a great way to lighten the mood and it was always fun to feign sadness when we got good news because "we wouldn't get a dog". Thankfully, my dad has been completely cancer free for well over 5 years now and we never did get that greyhound 😢
Get the greyhound anyway, and experience the great joy of having one. They a clowns, extremely sensitive to their owners emotions, watching them run just for joy is magical. I might be a bit biased. 😂
Reverse psychology does its thing on Cancer.
Wow the equigroomer was made for him! Also did he shake in slow mo or was that the camera! Lol.
Thank you to the person who adopted Lewis. Greyhound racing industry is so cruel and what people don't realise is how many are shot dead because they are not worth keeping. Please adopt a greyhound or better still, adopt two. They do very well with a companion which assists greatly in the separatiion anxiety and they really do just like to hang out a LOT on the couch. They have the sweetest natures.
My mom knew someone with a retired racing dog, she said he was a senior couch potato, until she was on a playdate with a friends goofy little retriever, they would play fetch, and the greyhound would wait until the very last second, then sprint and grab the ball, leaving the retriever to stand there, confused, as to how the ball disappeared. 😂
😂😂😂😂
That's funny! Dog can definitely be quite the characters, no doubt about that.
My old girl is a greyhound mix. She looks like a slightly stockier version of Louis. the laziness thing is no joke, either. I took her for a one mile walk before, and she was grouchy with me for three days. She prefers car rides, or cuddles. We have three cats and two rabbits, and everyone curls up against her for a nap. Best baby ever.
Your comment made me laugh out loud and also cry a bit. ❤ Bless you!
I was thinking of getting a greyhound (there's a shelter not far away) but I like long walks at the weekend. like 2-3 hours. Is a greyhound gonna hate that?
@@hermioneziggeraut7617 depends on the dog. There is a man in town that has a retired racer, and they love walks. Mine is around 9, and would prefer a nap.
@@hermioneziggeraut7617definitely tell the group to see if they have one that likes to walk! Lots of rescues are happy to help “find the best dog of the bunch” to quote a friend of mine, for a person’s needs.
@@hermioneziggeraut7617mine is 11 and she will take long walks . She will also lay down in the grass and flop around for a while before continuing her walk. She runs but will run for like 5 minutes tops.
A lady I know adopted many ex-racing greyhounds over the years. One was a particularly good racer who was missed by the circuit when he retired. But he used to get fan mail (before email!)sent his new home, which she felt obliged to reply too. And people would often turn up at her house just to visit this dog. And he was a really lovely dog.
The one breed I never thought I'd see on here, but am both ecstatic and heartbroken to finally see. Heartbroken because Louis looks so much like my greyhound Haley, who passed away last fall at the tender age of 7, she would be the same age as Louis had she not die from a ruptured cancerous mass on her spleen. We had her for 4 1/2 years, our first family dog, and she was the most wonderful canine companion I could have asked for. Naturally I teared up while watching this, while smiling at the same time. The origami ear fold, with the tip pointing forward, was always one of my favorite ear positions to witness. I have no doubt I will rewatch this video many times while remembering my lovely couch potato.
I’m so sorry for your loss. It never gets easier.I’m glad you spoke of your loved doggie here.
I used to work in an auto shop. One of the women who brought her car in had her entire back seat of her Lincoln Town car modified just for her greyhound who was a retired racing champion. I will never forget this dog sitting in the waiting room. It was tall! I am 6'0" and when the dog stood on all fours his head was as high as my chest. Absolute giant of a dog and again, one of the sweetest dogs I ever met in my life.
The Happy Hoodie on him is adorable. What a sweet pup.
I fostered a Greyhound. When taken in she was a walking skeleton, but she was also, as you describe, one of the sweetest, gentlest, most loving dogs I've worked with. Thank you for encouraging folks to adopt retired racing dogs instead of buying from a breeder.
Just remember that a greyhound in peak physical condition is meant to have bones showing. That's how theyre meant to be. If you follow advice for other breeds, the dog will be obese.
@@dinoactual Yes. This girl had been tossed out and was living on scraps she could find around dumpster for a long time. Skeletal thin. She almost didn't pull through. When she left here to be adopted she was a healthy weight - for a greyhound.
@@dinoactualwhen large dog breeds have physical stunted physical bodies it is a big warning sign that they are malnourished. An example is Great Danes (using them here since they are related to Whippets) who get neglected so much and so commonly because people don’t know how to feed them correctly. A Great Dane being stunted in growth and is considered small while showing all ribs and hips is a warning that they are starving.
For example, my female Danes are 99lbs and 116lbs respectively this is considered healthy. When we got them, they were ungodly thin and a really good indicator that they weren’t getting the food they needed was the fact that they were the size of the Whippet you saw in the video. These stunts while sometimes can grow back some height can permanently cause joint problems due to unhealthy growth. Causing a large dog breed to look “runted”.
@@dinoactualYes I know tons of overweight sighthounds. Luckily this was not the case here. I guess a lot of people don't want to get rude comments about not feeding their dogs enough. I own a Spanish greyhound (galgo Español), they are even slimmer and more fragile than English Greyhounds. I get tons of comments l, although every vet ever told me she is at a healthy weight. They don't tend to get hd and stuff, however if you overfeed them...
I live in Ireland - greyhound racing is a generally big thing here - and I've always wanted to be in a position to adopt an ex-racer. Coincidentally, they're the perfect dog for my lifestyle, and it would be wonderful to give one a forever home when I'm in a place that allows me to do so. I have a ton of love in my heart for the folks who adopt, foster, and generally work with ex-racers; more often than not, they are sweethearts who just need a family they can have the time to figure out how to be a dog with.
Another comment has mentioned Jenna Marbles, Julien Solomita, and Bunny, and I completely agree. Seeing Bunny go from an anxious, wary, confused dog who didn't know how to just be a dog, to a relaxed and playful thing relishing in her zoomies was a wonderful journey to follow along with.
I’m looking at adopting a greyhound and went back through the archives for when they adopted Bunny. I’m so happy she is able to relax now. And they are fostering greyhounds now! I love them and miss Jenna!
Have two retired greyhounds, our boy raced for 5 years and our girl is unraced (too small, not competitive). Can confirm they are either tearing up your backyard (ours now has a bonafide race track worn into it) or roaching on their backs snoozing the remaining 23 hours of the day away. They are also the biggest dorks ever, bump their heads on EVERYTHING and steal anything they can get their elongated snouts into - especially food in high places! Greys are our breed, we couldn't have any other 💖
I've been waiting for you to groom a grey!
My wife and I helped rescue greyhounds for around 20 years. I wanted a purebred dog. She wanted a rescue. One day we saw a news report about a woman in Spain who was rescuing the breed and bingo! That was the start! At one time, we had 10 greys in our home! All ours. No fosters. We were some of the biggest foster failures going!
Sadly, except for one, they're all gone now. We were with each one of them when we had to say goodbye, mostly because of bone cancer. It still hurts to think of the loss. I can only hope that the Rainbow Bridge does exist, cause I'll know that I am in heaven if I see them again.
If you're thinking of getting a grey, DON'T go to a breeder. Adopting from a rescue group is the only way to go. It takes a little bit to get them used to living in a house. Stairs, glass doors, etc., can be a challenge but they learn quickly. They are the sweetest and yes, laziest dog going, but it is so worth it to get to know them!
I am so glad Louis eventually found his best life. Thank you to the adopter and to you for providing an excellent groom , as well as advertising for adoption and greyhound education.❤❤
i volunteered at a shelter for retired racing greyhounds once and now they're one of my favorite breeds! they're absolute sweethearts.
During the early 1950s my father was a handler at a greyhound race track in Tampa Florida. He was the one who walked out the dogs, put them in the starting chute and collected them at the end of the race. It was so hard for him as he loved dogs and eventually had to quit as he couldn't be a part of it anymore. I'm so glad that greyhound racing is illegal in so many places; it needs to be completely banned or a major change needs to occur in how these dogs are managed.
I have mixed feelings about races. They need the exercise and mental stimulation. And racing provides that. On the flip side, not at the cost of their health and overall wellbeing. It's a conflicting emotion.
@@FallenAngelHirokothere are plenty of harmless ways a sighthound can get that exercise and stimulation without racing. :)
@@FallenAngelHiroko It’s not the racing that’s bad. It’s the before and after of the race. Also, the dogs get plenty of stimulation in a living home.
@@FallenAngelHiroko Well, in maybe amateur racing, like we have in my country? We have no professional racing kennels, the doggos simply live with us, and we just take them on racetrack.
I myself own a racing whippet since she was a pup and raced her until she was 5yo. She was always family dog, never slept at night anywhere else then in bed. Training was done on walkies in such a way it would be fun for us - needed to work on stamina? Well, we go for longer walks, explore new places. Need to work on speed? Fetching is great for that!
I retired her when she was 5, when on one of the walkies she chased a squirred. Squirrel of course run up on a tree, but my girl jumped like crazy trying to get it, and before I managed to calm her down and put her on leash, she either pulled a muscle or twisted a shoulder. Anyway, it wasn´t anything that few weeks of rest wouldn´t get right, but I noticed that when she runs too much, she starts limping slightly, so I stopped racing her.
She is now 12yo, and still sleeping in my bed, with no health issues. The only thing that changed for her are shorter walks and the fact that we don´t go to races anymore.
And as for races, saying that she loved them would be severe, SEVERE understatement. I never forget when she was just 11 month old and I took her to racetrack for the first time. I took her to the fence so she can see what´s happening. Her reaction? When she saw the lure and the other dogs chasing her, she literaly started kicking and screaming that she wants too!
Well, she got her chance a little later (just 50m straight run - this was just to show her what´s that about and to see if she liked it - and oh boy, did she like it.
So, racing CAN be done right and be fun for both dogs and people. It´s only when money come into this that things go south. 😞
@@veronikamajerova4564I totally agree! Some agency (Maybe something like the AKC??) needs to take over and do it like that! Idk exactly what we have now but from what I’ve heard, that sounds better.
greyhounds are INCREDIBLY soft to pet, especially the fur on their ears. their coat is so short that you can feel their body heat, and having one lean against you feels a like a muscular fairy tale creature has granted you their approval 😮 my girl hershey looked almost exactly like mr louis here, although she had a few more scars & a notched ear from her racing days. i don’t think i’ll ever forget her
I’m glad to see someone mentioned this. 😊 I only ever met a greyhound once, at a pet store. His owner brought him there to educate people about adopting retired dogs. My husband and I stopped to chat and pet the dog, and I was astonished at how SOFT he was! I thought from looking at him, that his coat might be a bit wiry or stiff. When I pet him, he totally leaned into my leg and I just about fell over, lol. What a sweetheart. ❤
My neighbor has a handsome dog, a greyhound/dalmatian mix (he is a smaller, white greyhound with specks and spots). If he is outside when I get home from work, he always greets me at the fence and wants to be petted. And yes, his coat is soft and smooth.
Same with my dachshund.. his fur is incredibly SOFT but short like a greyhound i would say, and he loves to cuddle. His body heat is the best part 😍🥰
Been wanting to adopt a greyhound for over a year now. Can't wait for the day I do 🙏🏻
Yeah, my first Greyhound, a red brindle named Barney was known at the vet as the "world softest dog".😁
I can't get over how much undercoat he had! His fur is so short and black, yet the light hair never stopped flying 😮
One of my former principals raised greyhounds in the 90s. His description of them was “world’s fastest couch potatoes “. He and his wife had huge yard they could run in. When they ran, it was like the wind. When they were done, there was apparently snoring.
Because he lived east of the school and the fur kids’ vets were at the university in Minneapolis, he’d bring whichever pooch had an appointment to school with him. It was fun to go by his office and see who was visiting on any given day. Buttercream was the sweetest girl. She and her litter mates all had Butter in their names because their mother was Butter. All except one of her brothers. His name was Buttz. Of course, we had to know why his name was Buttz. Chuck laughed and told us it was because of all the puppies, he was an a-hole. He lived up to that by chewing the blinds on the window of Chuck’s office while in his crate. Chuck had left him alone to go grab some lunch downstairs.
Mine sleep 14-18 hours a day. Even at peak racing, they only run 2 races a week. They chill out and sleep and sunbathe the rest of the time. They are indeed fabulous couch potatoes but can go from 0 to 40 mph in just 6 strides. In retirement, they will occasionally bust out a couple laps in the yard but are much happier to be the middle spoon in our bed at night snuggled between my hubs and I. We love the XL 85-90 lb boys and there are legs for days which pushes us off the dyes of our king bed sometimes. We adore the racing greyhound and are so sad that they are now almost unavailable in the US. We lost our Atticus to bone cancer at the beginning of COVID and I’m a transplant candidate isolated at home. The wait list was 2+ yrs until the adoption group I used to volunteer with made a miracle happen for us. We had to drive 6 hours but we’re able to adopt Archibald who failed to win any Training class races so he retired at 18 months. He’s been here almost 2 years and has blossomed into a hound who excelled at command training. He’s training to a Pet Therapy Ambassador (for certification after my transplant). He knows 12 verbal commands and 6 sign language commands. I’ve never seen him run full tilt but my husband has. If I’m outside he’s leaning up against me because he’s a Momma’s Boy. My nephews say he’s as big as a pony. He’s and XL hound which we have adore. Like our previous males, he’s such a wonderful, gangly and sweetly goofy boy!
Omg my girl would have been I n that line, as she had the cream half (breeding line names are very specific for these dogs!) She was Rio Sweetcream but we renamed her after adoption
I am so glad to see a greyhound on the channel. I have a retired ex-racer and he is a gem and looks exctly like Louis
Greyhounds are the easiest going, mellow dogs ever. We adopted a retired racer in 2013 who was three years old. She was my best friend and companion. She passed away November 26th of last year at twelve and a half. Watching you groom him made me happy to see a Greyhound being shown how sweet and well mannered they truly are. Thank you!
I live in Spain and here there's a greyhound breed called Galgo. I happened to bump into a couple of them some months ago, and I tend to say hi to any animal I meet, so I said hi to them when I got closer while on my way home. One of them stopped and looked at me, and the owner was so overjoyed that she asked me if I had time to try pet her. The dog was called Luna and she was the sweetest thing ever, she let me pet her though it was obvious she was very, very shy. I had a shy dog too so I knew how to approach her, and I sat with the owner on a bench to have a chat while Luna was getting all the cuddles.
The owner told me she had rescued her two weeks before and this was the first time she ever reacted to someone. I found out the horrifying reality of Galgo dogs this way, both of the dogs were supposed to be killed after a couple of hunting seasons.
I wish I could rescue a Greyhound, but I also want cats so it wouldn't be a safe option. To the people who can, please give these amazing dogs a chance. They are the sweetest things ever, so kind and gentle with everything...
Actually, you can have both, with some care. Read through the comments and you will find commenters that owned a greyhounds AND cats AND bunnies. The greyhound was where all the other critters went to snuggle. Greyhounds have such sweet, laid-back, couch potato personalities, it can work. I would suggest getting a female greyhound first and making sure it gets fully house acclimated and socialized. Then get a kitten. Keep the kitten caged for awhile and watch the greyhound's reaction. If the behavior is curious but non-threatening, you should be okay. At first only snuggle with the kitten when the dog is safely restrained. Then slowly introduce them. If the kitten grows to have a dominant personality, you may find that it ends up ruling the roost. Worth a shot to have another greyhound rescued and still get your kitty.
To me a cat owner after a childhood family beagle then collie, it seems that a cat and a greyhound would kinda sorta be on the same wavelength, "lounge about conserving energy until time to ambush and chase the prey". But, yes, there is that thing of typical housecat size similarity to what the greyhound instinctively considers prey.
I absolutely love my Greyhound Orion. He came off the race track in 2016 with several injuries including a broken leg. Now, he's living his best life on my couch! Thank you for being an advocate and showcasing how wonderful this breed is! They truly are a 45mph couch potato!
Thank you for taking him on ❤
Speedy potato lol. That’s adorable!
I read ~Orion~ as ~Onion~ and honestly, both names are valid. Congrats on your impressively fast vegetable 🧅
@@FunnySeaBunny 🤣🤣🤣
i've had my rescue greyhound, socks, for eight years now, and she's the absolute light of my life. if you want an endless supply of unconditional love you should 100% consider adopting one
Very appropriate for the equigroomer to be the right brush for a noodle horse!
Louis is a really good boy though it sucks that he had to spend his early life in such an awful place (I suspect it’s also how he’s missing a toe). Glad you helped to call attention to their plight! They all deserve to have lives full of love!
😂 noodle horse is such an accurate description
I have a whippet and absolutely adore all sighthounds. It breaks my heart that many of them are mistreated in racing. Thank you for advocating for this breed encouraging the adoption of older dogs.
I recently lost my greyhound, she was a racer, so we got her after she retired at about 2 years, she was called phoebe and she was black with a little white blob on her chest, and she was so sweet, she slept most of the day and was very quiet, for maybe 30 minutes a day she would go crazy, not biting, but she would run like crazy in circles, she was so cuddly and was a major bed hog, she was terrified of thunder and fireworks, but besides that she was completely carefree, we lost her about 4 months ago to born cancer, and because she was such a trooper it was too late to do anything, and we just had to keep her happy until the time came to say goodbye, she was spoilt and a angel, she was 8 years and the best dog we ever had, if your looking to adopt a dog, greyhounds are a terrific choice, and even though they’re huge, they really only need a large backyard, they’re great family animals and honestly are not bad with other dogs, during the last few months of phoebes life we got a staffy puppy, and at first she hated the puppy, but after a few weeks she became very happy with her little friend, greyhounds are a magnificent breed and I’d 100% recommend one
I adopted a rescue greyhound at 2 years old who was the delight of my heart. Sadly this grand dog finally passed of old age at the ripe old age of 17! He was loved every day
17!!! Wow! Ours passed at 14yrs old, we got her at 2yrs old. She had gotten kennel cough & was a bumper, so the owners/track didn’t care to keep her, they planned on putting her down at the next track & my ex rescued her as soon as we got the call. At that time, no one knew exactly how old they could live since tracks would put them down or breed them until they couldn’t anymore. Now all the tracks are outlawed in my state!
17! So glad you had her so long. Our Nikki was 9, Jack made it to 13. I still miss them 15 years on.
My family used to volunteer at a greyhound rescue, and they were always the sweetest dogs, even the ones who had clearly been mistreated while racing. We adopted quite a few ourselves, and they really are just the gentlest of giants. But oh yes, so lazy, so many dog beds in hopes we could get a seat on our own sofa!
It was the pause after the happy hoodie that got me, he just starts slowly tilting. I love him.
I can't breathe when I hear what people do to these sweet, gentle creatures. How can people sleep at night? I'm so glad Louis was adopted.
I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!!!
I’m tearing up because this one looks just like our Skye who had to be put down recently due to liver problems that stemmed from her racing days…same age too!!!
Greyhounds will take up your entire heart ❤️
I’ve owned many breeds in my 60 years - but greyhounds are just amazing. I’ve had 2 retired racers and they have been a dream and an honour to own.
My mums best friend has had so many retired greyhounds, all rescued from the same charity. They're so gentle yet dopey! Gentle giants for sure ❤ she has had multiple failed fosters, ends up keeping them!
She and 3 at one point and they take up so much room on the sofa or floor! Beautiful dogs with amazing temperament 🤗
A couple of friends of mine had a greyhound who passed recently - a gruff, no-nonsense old lady whose two great loves in life were cuddles and putting the young uns in their place. I loved that dog.
She had also been a racer in her youth, and she carried the scars from so many injuries as a result.
Beautiful baby. Sweet disposition and gentle.
We've had 11 of these awesome dogs. Very sweet and gentle dogs who love their people. Former racing dogs really respond to the love they get in a forever home.
I have two retired racing greyhounds, and I can vouch for all the lovely things people say about their personalities. They are loving family members, sweet and docile companions, and the biggest couch potatoes on the planet!
I adopted a racing greyhound back in 2020. He's a great dog. Definitely sensitive but gets better every day. He's a 70 lb gentle giant.
I've only had greyhounds, always rescued abandoned race puppies. Been waiting for you to do a long boi. Great video, thank you
I just lost my greyhound, and I have been looking forward to seeing you do one FOREVER! Both perfect and terrible timing.
My husband and I rescued a lurcher from Ireland last spring after losing our three whippets the spring before and he was in a terrible state when the rescuers found him and my husband and I have been working hard to get him back to normal and we have a few more things to do with him. He is about 4 years old and was never house trained to begin with but that is resolved now. He was terrified of smoke coming out of chimneys and that is also resolved now. He was very scared and terrified of everything but most of it is also resolved now so we are still working with him to get over some things and the more he trusts us the better it goes. He is mainly a greyhound but has long hair on his hind legs. Greyhounds are such soft and lovely dogs and most people don't realize this and it's so sad. They don't know what they are missing out on with these wonderful dogs. This dog lives now in Sweden and experience proper snow and winter for the first time and he's OK with it so far.
I adore Greyhounds 🥰 The fastest couch potatoes haha. My grandparents always owned Whippets, and so I have quite a fondness for both breeds. I plan on rescuing at least one Greyhound in the future. They deserve a life of love and relaxation ❤ Thank you for featuring this handsome boy!
The faster you do things, the faster you can go back to lazing around! hahaha
@@anglerfish4161 Exactly 😆
@@NinaNebulosa88 Another breed very simular to greyhounds and whippets are Podencos. This breed also gets misused alot and there are many waiting for adoption. So if for some reason you cannot find a greyhound you might want to give a podenco a look :) I own one and he is very simular in behaviour.
@@longbow857 Thank you! I've actually never heard of this breed, I appreciate that 😊
A friend of mine many years ago had a whippet/ Jack Russell terrier cross whippet which he got as a rescue dog from a dog’s home. It looked like a very tall slight & spindly legged Jack Russel, but had both the good nose & hunting instinct of the terrier plus the acceleration & close to the top speed & agility of the whippet. He lived in a rural area & used to walk across about 5 fields to get to the pub - where he would hand out the rabbits which Stinker had caught on the way there as she would catch him a couple more on the way back. She was utterly devoted to him & used to start getting separation anxiety if he left her in the car for 2 minutes to go and buy a newspaper.
Julien Solomita and Jenna Marbles really opened my (and so many others) eyes to how wonderful this breed is! They’ve adopted two and continue to foster through GreySave. I love that they’ve brought so much awareness with their platforms over the years ❤️
My absolute favourite dog! So gentle and kind!
I was so excited to see you just uploaded a video on Greyhounds, i adopted a Galgo from Spain myself. Best decision ive ever made! Im also glad you mentioned that they are lazy, if i would get money every time someone said about my dog "Oh she probably needs lots of exercise right?" Id be rich. Misconceptions like that could make it harder for these sweethearts to get adopted
They make wonderful companions. I adopted one from a racetrack in Texas and he didnt know stairs and so many things most dogs know. He became my number one friend and very well mannered and unobstrusive. When i was invited to get togethers, Oliver was invited too. He loved people and other dogs and it was pure joy to be his Mom. Ill always adopt a greyhound.❤❤
I rescued an ex racing greyhound 18 months ago he is adorable. Once he realised he had a forever home and I loved him unconditionally we became best buddies and my life has been changed for the better. He is calm, loving, lazy and adored by all who meet him. My sister doesnt "do" dogs but even she has fallen for him. ❤
When I was a kid in NJ my neighbor had a retired GH. Suki was so much fun to hang out with. They had an open door for me to come play with her. As a sprinter we’d run the two acre wooded backyard. ❤❤❤
I had a black greyhound with white markings that I got from a greyhound rescue at a track in Florida. You’re right about the separation anxiety and she was much happier when we got another dog this time a chihuahua that was found on the street. She liked the company having spent her life in a kennel. She even managed to get used to living with a cat, she was a good dog. I still miss her.
I've had two retired racers and fostered over 20. They are my favorite dog. They make a wonderful companion animal and can actually get along with other dogs.
My greyhound died back in 2007 but this video takes me back, especially with all that shedding. Greyhounds are thought to be hyper, but they just need to go for walks and an run, and when they're at home, they're resting. Louis is a good boy and looks just like my Manhattan Mary
I knew some folks who fostered these dogs post retirement. They described their behavior as " almost life like" in that they were like throw rugs..(they laid around a lot).
All the retired greyhounds I've seen have been so meek and gentle. Just walking along. Awfully cute in the hoodie.
YES! Greyhounds are my favourite dog breed! I'm so happy you finally groomed one!!! I hope to rescue one of my own one day.
I have a little Italian Greyhound, which is basically a normal Greyhound zapped with a shrink ray. We were the first ones to see her at the pound where a family had to give her up because their baby ended up being allergic, and snatched her right up! Loved this vid! ❤❤❤
That’s the best description of a dog EVER!
Such a gorgeous boy,his new people deserve many kudos for rescuing him.I have seen sickening photos of what can happen to these dogs once they they start to slow down.They deserve so much beter.
One of my favorite dogs to sit for was a retired greyhound named Emmy. She was 14 when she passed, and she had a good retirement. I loved her. I don't know if it's greyhounds in general, or just Emmy, but she had a way of sleeping or dozing without her eyes being completely closed, so I quickly learned to respect her startle reflex.
It’s so important that people like you, with so many followers, tell the stories of the dark side from the dog industry. Especially the greyhound industry is very cruel. Thank you ❤
indeed
Also consider their Spanish cousins, the Galgo Espanol, who are worked in competitive sport hunting, and then thrown away, up to 100,000 a year, when they stop earning. At least many of the hunters now know they can turn them in to shelters instead of out onto the streets, or worse. (You can google it, I don't want to tell the tales here.) They're just a little smaller than an English greyhound, and just a little slower--still very fast!--but with can run longer.
Pretty simple to adopt from one of the specialist galgo shelters in Spain, but there are some small rescues in the states that work with those shelters to bring some of them over here, which is how we got our super sweet boy (*just* before the covid shutdown, luckily). Sighthounds are the best if you want a dog who is nothing but sweet, probably a little shy, wants to be on the couch or the bed with you, doesn't need much exercise (though many like a quick run every so often)--and in the case of shorthaired ones like greyhounds, galgos, and whippets, don't have much need of Vanessa's services!
If they are too slow they often just get shot
@@suemcfarlane4199 90-95% of US racing greyhounds are adopted. And since the Florida tracks have closed, it's probably closer to 100%. A rescue greyhound is nearly impossible to get right now.
@@suemcfarlane4199if you are referring to the US, you don’t know what you are talking about. Shooting them would be extremely rare. Where it happens overseas, it’s a reflection of those particular cultures.
We adopted our Alby two years ago and it was the best thing we ever did. Please consider giving a racing rescue a home if you can ❤
Greyhounds are my favorites of the larger breeds. I find them to be incredibly majestic. I remember watching a doc in the early 2000’s about how close to 20,000 former racing greyhounds were slaughtered every year and they would pay farmers to bury them on their land. It made me angry and it broke my heart. I hope to be able to adopt a greyhound one day.
Adopting a greyhound is one of the best things you can ever do. Had mine "Patch" for nine amazing years and watching this bought back alot the happy memories I had with him. When going for walks he was always very relaxed around smaller dogs (even when they weren't) but the moment he spotted a squirrel he'd be a challenge to keep on the leash 😄
He is beautiful. Such a sweet face with kind eyes.
When I was in elementary school my best friend's mom used to be a manager at a greyhound racetrack, she used to adopt ALL the retired dogs that she could, they must have had 12 ot more at one point... I'm so glad that it's an unfortunate thing of the past in most states, none of those poor babies deserved the treatment they received
We had a Greyhound, Lurcher, Collie mix dog called Leo who we got as a rescue from a litter in Ireland. He lived to the age of 13 and was such an amazing, kind and gentle dog. It's amazing to see how similar their behaviours are to Louis in this video. Thank you so much for making this video. For a brief moment, it felt like we had our boy back.
I worked at a dog boarding place that had a program for adopting greyhounds retired from racing. I LOVED these dogs, only one I ever met during that time barked more than once and they love people. The owners had 6 hounds o their own, and their manager was adopting his 4th when I left. Love these dogs!
I'm owner to my second retired racer and I love greys so much. My current boy is like Louis though at 11 years is white faced. Vets and groomers have problems with his nails because the quicks grew so long and go almost the full length of the nail. And if you've ever heard a hurt or anxious greyhound screaming, for fear of a nipped quick, well it would put a husky to shame. Please please adopt/ re-home these beautiful wonderful underrated dogs if you're considering a pet.
I've been waiting for this video!! finally a greyhound
I used to work at a pet supply store when I was in my early 20s, and one Saturday a month, a local greyhound shelter would bring some of their retired racers to the store to try and find them forever homes. I've wanted to adopt a retired racer ever since, because I absolutely fell in love with all the ones who came to the store. My favorite was a fawn sweetheart named Pumpkin. She loved to lean on me.
Sadly, because I have physical disabilities that limit my mobility, I don't know if I could give one the exercise it needs. 😢 They're such sweet dogs, and I definitely encourage anyone in the market for a greyhound to adopt a retired racer instead of buying from a breeder.
My aunt had owned one Greyhound who was a retired racer. She got him from a Greyhound rescue. After he passed away, she got 3 more retired Greyhound racers from a a Greyhound rescue. Possibly the same place where she got her first one. I love/loved all four of them when I visit her.