Retired racing greyhounds

[TMC]

Im a member of a small but growing group that fosters retired racing Greyhounds. I have adopted 3 of my own, and up until the time I got very ill, I had between 4-9 fosters. You cannot get puppies from the racing enviroment, but they can be retired as early as 18 months if after going thru the training program they show no interest in racing. Because they are bred for performance and not some specification in a book, they come in 18 colors and patterns.

These dogs are the best kept secret in pets. Most people have never seen one up close. They are clean (quite cat like), quiet (mostly) and calm. They are extremely laid back, even though they are the 2nd fastest animal on the planet, because just like the cheetah, they are sprinters. Most of them sleep 16 hours a day. And when you show up at the dog park with 4-6 of them leashed and muzzled, and turn them loose for a good run around the park, everybody stands back and watches.

The first pic is a failed foster. Meaning I was fostering him and he never left (I adopted him). His racing name is Big Red Boy and at 85 pounds he is about as big as a racer gets. I call him Red. The second pic is of a foster I had for about 5 months. I got him all chewed up, missing an eye from a fight (open eye socket). I worked with him as far as behavior, car rides, leash training, etc. We got his eye all fixed up and closed the socket with furry skin. He never minded the eye patch and I called him 'Sparrow', after captn Jack Sparrow, the pirate. He was adopted by a couple up in Las Vegas about 10 months ago. I can tell you that I run a lot of dogs thru my place (sometimes I have 8-9 fosters plus my 3), but when you get one thats hurt and you help to get them thru it, its very hard to let them go. That one took a piece of me with him. The 3rd pic is Burt. Burt was my very first foster, and he went to New Mexico. The last pic is Wendy, my first adopted greyhound relaxing with Bigfoot the cat. Bigfoot is 22 pounds and is polydactile (7 toes on each of his front feet...thus the name). One of the things I do is cat test. Not all greyhounds are quite as accepting of cats as Wendy is.

Here is a little greyhound factoid. Since people bet money on these dogs, they must be able to positively ID them at whatever track they are running at. Just like race horses. And, just like a race horse has tattoos on their inner lip, a greyhound has a tattoo in each ear. Numbers and letters. The right ear is the dogs birth date and the left ear is the dogs registered litter number. True thoroughbreds.

[Rilands]

TMC,
My neighbor has a rescue Greyhound. One of the sweetest dogs I've ever known. Great choice of dogs to rescue. I have a Golden Retreiver, he's a great dog too.

[John James]

Somebody had to do it!

[TMC]

pics posted

[Rilands]

Originally Posted by TMC

pics posted

Beautiful dogs.

[Face]

One of my neighbors growing up used to do the same thing, he'd always have 1-3 at a time. Sweet dogs, I liked how they'd lean on you if they were fond of you.