Greyhound how long do they live

But that doesn't mean you will. And even if you do think retired racers are perfect that doesn't mean that you and a retired racer are right for each other. Many people adopt dogs for all the wrong reasons or without knowing anywhere close to enough about the breed or about dogs.

As careful as the best adoption groups are about choosing the right adopters for the right dog, dogs still end up being relinquished--returned-- to adoption groups.

The reasons for the returns, called bounces, are often incomprehensible to me. The biggest problem in Greyhound adoption is that living with a Greyhound often looks too easy. When an adopter brings a retired racer home, at some point he realizes he is living with a real dog--and a very large dog at that. Real dogs have real needs. Take the time to learn what you need to know to make your match a successful one. It's my opinion, as someone who works with problem dogs for a living, that the more often a dog is rehomed, the more likely it is to develop behavioral problems.

And naturally the more severe the problem, the less adoptable that dog becomes. I can hope that educating prospective owners and asking them to be truly honest with themselves will help keep every Greyhound in the home in which it is originally placed. Everyone involved in Greyhound adoption goes through horrible turmoil because of retired racers that are bounced. They second guess their placement strategies and policies, they question if they should have or could have seen something that might have prevented each unsuccessful adoption.

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

Yes, they have a short light coat. Yes, they are easy to groom and maintain. But they are dogs and like every other breed that has fur they do shed. They shed lightly, but they do shed. Get used to it or get a stuffed toy.

If you don't think you can become accustomed to thinking of dog hair as a condiment, don't get a real animal. No matter how gentle Greyhounds look, they are still large to very large dogs.

An overly excited, untrained pound Greyhound may knock down smaller children or a a frail person. And Greyhounds tend to hold their ears back and their tails tucked and balk when they are stressed. Folks that don't know the breed might mistake this for aggression and find it too frightening to live with --especially in a dog this large.

Dogs and lawns are not a great combo. Unless you have a very large yard that you can section off so your dog has his own area, it isn't likely that you can have a great lawn and a greyt dog. Get used to it or get a cat so you can use a litterbox.

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

Even the best mannered, best trained dog gets sick. The rugs are where the traction is--that's where he'll barf. Non-territorial, these hounds are graceful, affectionate, and quiet pets. Greyhounds love to be touched and show affection, and they enjoy the loving company of their human families.

Why does the greyhound have an average lifespan of about 10 to 13 years? Despite their reputation as racers, this breed is known to be quite lazy, with a limited demand for exercise and lack of hereditary genetic health issues. Despite the relative health of the breed, there are a number of medical conditions that can affect them. As long as they live in a calm, happy home where they are fed a healthy diet and given the daily exercise they require, they should live long, happy lives.

Even retired race dogs have the same lengthy life expectancy. Especially in winter, this breed needs a good amount of fat in their foods to help them stay warm.

The other thing you can do is to help extend the lifespan of Greyhound dogs is to make sure they get the proper exercise. As mentioned earlier, this should be relatively easy, as a good, long walk every day should be all they need. Tags: greyhound lifespan , italian greyhound lifespan , lifespan of greyhound.

Email social canna-pet. The Greyhound Breed History The Greyhound is among the oldest of all dog breeds, with cave drawings and Egyptian artifacts portraying the dogs as far as 8, years back. What About Retired Race Dogs? This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Other Posts You May Like Though greyhounds are typically very healthy dogs, a few health problems are commonly seen in the breed.

Greyhounds can be susceptible to bone cancer, particularly in the legs, and are prone to cuts and lacerations in their delicate skin.