WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO ADOPT A GREYHOUND FROM GREYHOUNDS AND LOVE?


Companionship is the BEST thing about adoption.First, you should be looking for a house dog and a companion. Not everyone will want to sleep with their new hound but your new hound will want to be close to you for security and reassurance, especially at first.
We adopt Greyhounds strictly as house pets - not as "outside dogs" - and we believe these gentle creatures are the best household companions you could find. They do not do well outside, since they lack the fat layer or coat to help insulate them from cold or heat. And they want to be with you; they've been bred for thousands of years to be partners with humans, for both hunting and companionship purposes. They are the one large breed dog that is well-suited to being a house dog and living inside. Greyhounds even do well in apartments and condominiums if provided with a couple of walks a day and a good run once or twice a week, such as at the local enclosed ball field. They don't require much space or a large yard (although having a fenced yard is an ideal situation) but you should be willing to walk the dog at least a couple of times a day to allow the dog to relieve itself and to provide some exercise and time for bonding with you.

Second, have a fenced yard or be committed to always keeping the dog leashed
(We suggest a wire mesh or closely fitted board fence with a minimum height of 4 ft; these dogs are NOT candidates for "invisible" or electric fences, and we consider these a BIG no-no!)

You must have an arrangement which protects your dog when it goes outside, period. Greyhounds come from the track totally ignorant about the world: they are just like human children of toddler age. A loose hound will very likely be killed on the road, injured by other dogs or lost with no way to get home. Most Greyhounds are not fence jumpers but there are plenty of critters running loose who are. When adopting from Greyhounds and Love you must agree to confine your new Greyhound in the house or a fenced yard at all times . If you take the dog walking or jogging with you, it must be leashed at all times. We discourage the use of "flexi-leads" or other retractable leashes - these are dogs who can hit 45-mph in two to three jumps, making it impossible for most people to hang onto them if they are on a long reel-type leash. We often hear people say "Oh, I live on several acres in the country and this should be plenty of room for a dog to live without a fence." This does not work because of the Greyhound's instincts, urges and race training.

Third, someone should be with the dog at all times for several days in its new home.

Because of its racetrack background, the Greyhound you adopt may never have been alone in its entire life, so the dog may suffer from separation anxiety when left alone. We recommend you purchase or rent a crate for housing your Greyhound while you're gone for short periods or several hours. Remember, using a crate is not cruel. To the Greyhound, its crate was home while it was at the track and kennel. However, you must be realistic in how long you leave the dog crated, since it can not go without relieving itself after several hours.


Fourth, you must keep us informed of the dog's whereabouts;
if for any reason you cannot keep the dog, you must return the dog to us.

We provide new adopters with an Adoption Mentor - a person who has experience helping with the transition of the hound from racetrack to home. You must agree to stay in close contact with your Mentor for the first few weeks, which gives the Mentor time to help you with any issues that may come up. Adopters can also call the kennel any time with questions or if they need help. If your Greyhound is lost, for any reason, you should call the kennel right away; each hound that leaves G&L is fitted with an ID tag that carries the kennel number so we are usually contacted first if the dog is found. If for any reason the dog you picked does not work out, you are required to return the dog to us. If you decide it's not working out and return the dog within a reasonable period of time, we'll help you pick another dog to try out. We want you and the dog to be happy.

Greyhounds and Love always represents the dog's best interests and will not allow any dog to be put in a risky or compromising situation. We have seen too many tragic incidents occur when people have chosen not to follow our advice. We reserve the right to place dogs only in approved adoptive homes.

If you feel that a Greyhound is the dog for you, Greyhounds and Love
can help you find just the right one.