Often, when people take on a new dog - especially a rescue - it can be very easy to think everything is good and they are settled almost immediately.
The first few days and weeks can sometimes be easy, but for a lot of dogs they are a bit shell-shocked - this is especially the case for greyhounds. The big difference between their former life on the track and a new life in the home presents so many challenges and new experiences…
A sharp contrast
Greyhounds have really only known kennels and the tracks that they race on, where they are surrounded by other dogs 24/7. It can make them unsure then when we put them into a house as this is generally a lot quieter and they have been used to a louder environment for most of their time.
Greyhounds have often not been in a house or left on their own. Our constant comings and goings, and being left to relative silence in between, must be incredibly disconcerting for them initially.
Patience is a virtue
Nobody that takes on a greyhound directly from kennels should be surprised that there is a cross over time when they seem to be “difficult”.
If we tread carefully, afford them time to adjust and don’t expect them to behave like “normal dogs” that have been brought up in a home environment since they were born, things will gradually start to change.
We need to gradually introduce them to walks, as racing greyhounds rarely walk for hours a day, and certainly not in different areas. They have never been expected to tolerate off lead dogs running towards them or barking at them, and small breeds in particular often don’t look like dogs to them.
Food matters
Greyhounds have never smelled food cooking, so of course if they are hungry (which they often are) then don’t expect them to step aside from your delicious smelling food. Eventually, they will become accustomed to having food on the sides and things being cooked in front of them.
Food up until this point will have been presented to them in a bowl and set down for them to eat immediately, so it’s unfair to accuse them of being badly behaved if they dash to their bowls. If you want to teach a wait command, first consider how you would feel if someone asked you to stop and stand aside when your food was put on the table.
If you have just rehomed a greyhound or another type of rescue, please do have patience. They are a long-term project and if we take them on, it’s our responsibility to give them time and not immediately get worried or cross if they don’t behave in a prescribed way.
Read more in our Care and Training tips