Your Greyhound,
as with any dog, will present some challenges and will require your time, effort and
attention. By adopting a pet, your are
promising to provide it with care for the rest of its life.
If you don't have the desire, ability and commitment to deal with the
challenges and occasional inconveniences that go along with dog ownership, then we urge
you to rethink your desire to adopt a Greyhound. Puget Sound
Greyhound Adoption strives to find permanent, committed homes for Greyhounds. Each adoption comes with the expectation that the
new owners will take their responsibility seriously and will make every effort to keep
their hound "through thick and thin". While
we will always assist in finding a new home for an unwanted Greyhound, and we will provide
owner support for the life of the dog, the fact is that we may need some temporary
cooperation from owners who choose to rehome their dog. Because PSGA is
made of a network of volunteers working from their homes, it is not always possible for us
to immediately take possession of Greyhounds who are no longer wanted. In non-emergency cases, such as when the owner is
experiencing some minor behavior issues, feels that the dog is unhappy, because pet
ownership just isn't meeting their expectations, or because the dog has become an
inconvenience due to a shift in priorities or schedule, we may ask you to continue caring
for the dog while a new home is sought, or until a foster home becomes available. *********************************************************** A) Please plan to work with your dog through any
behavioral issues. PSGA will support you,
conduct research and advise you as to the proper actions to take in correcting
inappropriate behavior. This may involve obedience training and/or consulting with a
behaviorist or veterinarian. Chronic housebreaking problems, severe separation anxiety or
aggression may indicate an underlying medical problem and could require medication. B) Give your new Greyhound time to adjust and learn
to be a pet. Keep your expectations realistic. Some
Greyhounds may need up to a year before they fully emerge from their "shell". Please be patient and understanding. C) If your Greyhound has growled or snapped at a
guest, child or other pet, don't panic. Muzzle the Greyhound when it is in that situation,
and contact PSGA. This behavior can almost
always be corrected! It is usually related to
Alpha tendencies or sleep-space issues, and can be remedied with behavior modification
exercises. D) Plan to supervise your Greyhound's interaction
with children. Greyhounds are sometimes
confused and threatened by the energy and loudness of children and may try to escape their
company. If harassed, the Greyhound may give
a warning bark and threatening lunge to let the child know that he doesn't want to be
bothered. This does not mean that your dog
is vicious. Put the muzzle on him and tell
the kids to give him his space. If the
children are too young to understand, then they shouldn't be allowed to spend time
unsupervised with any dog. E) Be logical about your Greyhound's ability to
accept small animals and other dogs at first sight.
Greyhounds have a deep instinct to chase. Introductions should be made
carefully, and muzzles should be used if there is any uncertainty about the dynamics of
the relationship between your Greyhound and another animal. F) Understand that a dog is a living being with feelings and needs. If you work all day and are frequently out during the evenings and weekends, that’s no life for a dog who is totally dependent on you for love, care and companionship. You might want to consider a more independent pet, such as a cat. A dog left alone too much is usually destructive, anxious and forgets his housetraining. Unhappy dogs make unhappy owners.
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