How to Transition Retired Racing Greyhound Dog into Home

By FaithAllen

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

Crate
Patience

Step 1:
Research the dog's life at the greyhound rescue. Find out about his schedule so you can keep it the same for the first few days in your home. Ask questions about his environment, such as whether the rescue keeps a radio or fan going in the kennel, so you can set up a similar environment at home.
Step 2:
Set up a crate in your family room. Because retired racing greyhounds have spent most of their lives (over 20 hours a day) in crates, they view their crates as their "safe place." By placing the crate in the family room, the dog can observe your family's routine from the safe familiarity of his crate.
Step 3:
Introduce the greyhound to his new home. Show him the boundaries of his backyard first, and allow him to relieve himself before going into your house. Walk him on a leash through each room of your house so he can become familiar with his new surroundings.
Step 4:
Leave the greyhound in his crate. For the first two days, the greyhound should spend the vast majority of the day in his crate. Remember that spending most of his time in a crate is familiar and feels safe. From the safety of his crate, your greyhound is adjusting to the sights, sounds, and smells of his new home.
Step 5:
Walk your greyhound outside as soon as she leaves the crate. While your greyhound is crate trained, she is not housebroken yet and might not understand that your carpet is not a good place to relieve herself.
Step 6:
Sleep near the greyhound. Retired racing greyhounds have never slept alone; other greyhounds have always surrounded them. Consider setting up a crate in your bedroom where the dog can sleep at night. Otherwise, your dog will feel anxious at being left alone for the first time in her life.
Step 7:
Keep the greyhound on a leash as you go about your day. After the first two days of adjustment, let your dog follow you around the house on a leash for a week or two. By keeping the greyhound on a leash, she will feel less overwhelmed by her newfound freedom, and you will be able to tell her immediately what things are off limits in her new home.

Tips & Warnings

Give your new greyhound lots of attention and reassurance when she is out of her crate, but leave her alone when she is in her crate.
Do not let your greyhound out of his crate when he is whining. If you do, he will whine more frequently.

Photo/Video Credit

Faith Allen

More Puppy Pages

How to Prepare Home for Retired Racing Greyhound Dog

Instructions Things You’ll Need: Bedding Crate Dog Food Dog Sweater Food and water bowls Leash Martingale collar Step 1: Set up a crate in your family room. Retired racing greyhounds have spent most of their lives (over 20 hours a day) in crates...

Instructions Things You’ll Need: Crate Patience Vigilance Step 1: Take your child with you to the greyhound rescue. While many greyhounds will do just fine in a house with children, some will not. Before you consider adopting a particular greyhound...

Instructions Things You’ll Need: Leash Muzzle Step 1: Introduce the dogs at the greyhound rescue. Most retired racing greyhounds have never seen another breed of dog. While many retired racing greyhounds will adjust to another dog without issue...

Instructions Things You’ll Need: Crate Dog Sweater Leash Martingale collar Step 1: Educate yourself about a greyhound's racing life. Your retired racing greyhound had a life before he joined your home that was very different from most other dog's...

Instructions Step 1: Think about whether you can keep the dog indoors for the vast majority of the day. Retired racing greyhounds have never lived outdoors. Because of their thin coats and very little body fat, their bodies are not well suited for...