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Generally gentle, sensitive, devoted and intelligent, greyhounds adapt quite quickly to a household environment, even after years of racing and being a kennel dog. And because they are a long-lived dog (12-14 years) and so many of them stop racing at a young age, ex-racing greyhounds often have a lot of years left to offer their new owners. Although many dogs stop racing as they approach the age of 4 or 5, many simply stop racing early on because they are not fast enough or become injured. As a result, every year there are thousands of young Irish greyhounds who are no longer used for racing, and are often put down in the prime of their lives. A small number are kept alive for breeding, but they are a minority when compared with the high numbers which are put to sleep. Estimates put unaccounted-for greyhounds in Ireland at well over 10,000 a year; this does not include the 20,000 Irish greyhounds per year which are put to sleep in England.
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In Ireland these days, more and more people are keeping dogs as household pets, and the increasing numbers of certain family-type breeds are evidence of this. But for most people who grew up in Ireland, greyhounds are never really thought of as possible pets, but only as high strung, nervous, muzzled racing machines.
As a result of the images of greyhounds so many of us have grown up with, there are few people who actually have greyhounds as pets in Ireland. However, this is not the case on the continent, in the Scandinavia countries, in the UK, Australia, or North America. In these countries, thousands of people have learned firsthand that ex-racing greyhounds can make excellent pets and companion dogs.
Almost all Irish dog rescues have had greyhounds in their care at some time or another; others specialize in greyhounds, and have up to 90 greyhounds at a time in their care. Dog rescues in Ireland have had some minor success in homing Irish greyhounds in Ireland, though a large number of them do go to homes abroad. Through the use of internet, people from a range of countries can see the dogs which are available, and arrangements are made for home checks to be done before any greyhound is sent abroad.
Because greyhounds are not often homed as pets in Ireland, the myth of the vicious, nervous, high-strung greyhound still prevails, and people find it difficult to accept the idea of greyhounds as pets. However, when racing greyhounds are taken off a racing diet and given standard dog food, and then receive kind treatment and get regular exercise, greyhound owners around the world have found that they quickly turn into relaxed and affectionate dogs. The ex-racing greyhound no longer wants to race, but only looks forward to a soft bed, some room to stretch his or her legs, and good company. They are in homes with children, other dogs, cats, elderly people, single people, families, and everything in between. (Of course, there are some greyhounds (and lurchers?) who are NOT suitable
for small animals, and as it is with other breeds, it really depends on
the individual dog. ) If you are thinking about adopting a greyhound, feel free to contact any of the contacts provided below for more information and some general advice.
We haven't mentioned the Lurcher yet (That's Aimee Lurcher girl on the left).