Retired Greyhounds
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I have 4 Greyhounds & i can only trust 2 of them off the lead. I also work for a Greyhound kennel & we are also a re-homing kennel. Many go out to homes & the new owners let them off the lead. I would always advise that if you did let them off, please put a box muzzle on them (plastic muzzle that any good homing kennel should supply you with). They are so quick that it would only take a split second for them to see something & they'd be gone :gasp:. The 2 i let off are always muzzled, just in case they decide something is worth chasing. At least with a muzzle on they can't do as much damage. Greyhounds make such wonderful pets, i just wish more people would take them on as they aren't a demanding breed which requires a lot of attention (they are happy to sleep 23 hours a day). If you want any help or advice on Greyhounds then please feel free to PM me :2thumb:.
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Yes I've kept them, and some with time are able to be let off the lead, but it's not always the case, and even with the well trained I would always say it's best to let them off in an enclosed area (eg fenced field) just to be safe. Being sighthounds, anything can set off their chasing instinct, from playing with another dog to a crisp packet in the breeze, and some will just keep going.
They're well worth it though - IMO the best dogs (dont tell Blu).
They're well worth it though - IMO the best dogs (dont tell Blu).
The first time I let my rescue greyhound off the lead I thought I was in an enclosed space that he couldn't escape....
I was wrong :gasp:
He went through a barbed wire fence, through a hedge, over a stream, through another hedge, through another barbed wire fence THEN through an electric fence...straight into a feild of sheep..... Before I even had a chance to react :gasp::gasp::gasp:
I nearly peed myself.
FORTUNATELY he only had a sniff of the hedgerow and wasn't interested in the sheep, but he point blank refused to come back to me.
I tried calling nicely, shaking the treat box to screaming hysterically all to no avail.
He eventually came back (after I had scrambled through the fence/bush/stream/bush/fence/fence) but only once my lurcher started barking at him.
A year on and he can be let off the lead in a FULLY enclosed feild (by this I mean that it is surrounded by high strong metal fencing with no gaps. there are two gates, I stand guard by one and my OH by the other). He's fine with other dogs (But I don't trust him with anything smaller than our lurcher as he was attacked by a jack russell last summer and I don't know how he will react to one if he encounters another small dog)
On the lead I don't muzzle him, I am 100% confident I can control him and he is good as gold on the lead too. Also, even when the jack russell attacked him (the jackie had it's whole head in frisbies mouth as it attacked frisbies lolling tongue) the jack walked away totally unscathed (Poor friz had bites in his tongue and on his throat though
)
Frisby is silly soft with my own cats (of which there are currently 5) and i could bring a strange cat into the house and he would be fine. However, he half heartedly chases them out of the garden and I definately wouldn't trust him with ANY cat off my property.
Kids wise I trust him implicitly with ANY child, he would never hurt one on purpose unless he was asleep and a small child started bothering him- My kids are too big for that but IF i had anymore I would gate the kitchen off for him to have a child free retreat to sleep in. Another issue is his size, he seems to think he's a lapdog LOL. But I wouldn't leave him unattended anyway and out and about, on or off the lead I trust him. As I said, we guard the gates to the feild so if any other dogs or kids come in we just politely ask them to wait while we grab Friz. His recall is 100% perfect these days but only because we control his environment. I am sure that if he was presented with an opportunity such as on the first time he was let off lead, he would do the same again. (Squeeky bum moment for sure.)
Honestly, I don't believe he is a danger to any other cat or dog, but realistically I try to take as few risks as possible.
Lurcher goes off the lead though, she's very small (for a lurcher- i think we were lied to with regards to her parentage when we got her as a pup, we were told she was a greyhound x blue merle but i think it's closer to mum- greyhound x collie dad- collie) she's about the size of a springer. She's very submissive to other dogs (stop drop and roll) and not fast enough to catch a cat, not that she tries. She always comes back when called and really hates being on the lead.
Sorry for the long post.
I was wrong :gasp:
He went through a barbed wire fence, through a hedge, over a stream, through another hedge, through another barbed wire fence THEN through an electric fence...straight into a feild of sheep..... Before I even had a chance to react :gasp::gasp::gasp:
I nearly peed myself.
FORTUNATELY he only had a sniff of the hedgerow and wasn't interested in the sheep, but he point blank refused to come back to me.
I tried calling nicely, shaking the treat box to screaming hysterically all to no avail.
He eventually came back (after I had scrambled through the fence/bush/stream/bush/fence/fence) but only once my lurcher started barking at him.
A year on and he can be let off the lead in a FULLY enclosed feild (by this I mean that it is surrounded by high strong metal fencing with no gaps. there are two gates, I stand guard by one and my OH by the other). He's fine with other dogs (But I don't trust him with anything smaller than our lurcher as he was attacked by a jack russell last summer and I don't know how he will react to one if he encounters another small dog)
On the lead I don't muzzle him, I am 100% confident I can control him and he is good as gold on the lead too. Also, even when the jack russell attacked him (the jackie had it's whole head in frisbies mouth as it attacked frisbies lolling tongue) the jack walked away totally unscathed (Poor friz had bites in his tongue and on his throat though
)Frisby is silly soft with my own cats (of which there are currently 5) and i could bring a strange cat into the house and he would be fine. However, he half heartedly chases them out of the garden and I definately wouldn't trust him with ANY cat off my property.
Kids wise I trust him implicitly with ANY child, he would never hurt one on purpose unless he was asleep and a small child started bothering him- My kids are too big for that but IF i had anymore I would gate the kitchen off for him to have a child free retreat to sleep in. Another issue is his size, he seems to think he's a lapdog LOL. But I wouldn't leave him unattended anyway and out and about, on or off the lead I trust him. As I said, we guard the gates to the feild so if any other dogs or kids come in we just politely ask them to wait while we grab Friz. His recall is 100% perfect these days but only because we control his environment. I am sure that if he was presented with an opportunity such as on the first time he was let off lead, he would do the same again. (Squeeky bum moment for sure.)
Honestly, I don't believe he is a danger to any other cat or dog, but realistically I try to take as few risks as possible.
Lurcher goes off the lead though, she's very small (for a lurcher- i think we were lied to with regards to her parentage when we got her as a pup, we were told she was a greyhound x blue merle but i think it's closer to mum- greyhound x collie dad- collie) she's about the size of a springer. She's very submissive to other dogs (stop drop and roll) and not fast enough to catch a cat, not that she tries. She always comes back when called and really hates being on the lead.
Sorry for the long post.
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I know a lady who has a retired greyhound, about 5/6 years old I think, and she is a complete pain in the wotsits, not helped by her owner, though.
The lady is elderly and cannot walk particularly well and she walks the dog off the lead. The dog, Millie, is liable to run off at a moment's notice and has been known to cross busy main roads, her recall is poor and her owner will not shout after her, either. Other people have to try and catch the dog as this woman can't run.
Also, the local park has lots of squirrels and this dog has chased, caught and killed several, because the owner will not muzzle her. It has been mentioned to her on many occasions that she should muzzle her dog because we don't know if she would go after a cat if she spotted one but she won't be told.:bash:
I think with a responsible owner, though, greyhounds are lovely!!
The lady is elderly and cannot walk particularly well and she walks the dog off the lead. The dog, Millie, is liable to run off at a moment's notice and has been known to cross busy main roads, her recall is poor and her owner will not shout after her, either. Other people have to try and catch the dog as this woman can't run.
Also, the local park has lots of squirrels and this dog has chased, caught and killed several, because the owner will not muzzle her. It has been mentioned to her on many occasions that she should muzzle her dog because we don't know if she would go after a cat if she spotted one but she won't be told.:bash:
I think with a responsible owner, though, greyhounds are lovely!!
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It is people like this that we try to avoid homing them too :bash:. When we re-home we try to suit the Dog to the people. We will let the people take a couple we feel suitable out for a walk so they can see how they are etc.. If the Family has a Cat then we try to home one that isn't too bothered by Cats (don't get too many of them in). Had a lovely couple come on Sunday looking for a Greyhound, they took 3 out for a walk & then decided that they would take 2 of them home (luckily it was the 2 that were kenneled together so were happy together anyway :2thumb
.Yes like you say, in the right hands of a responsible owner, Greyhounds make such wonderful pets :no1:.
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I have two delightful retired greyhounds, they are the light of my life, can only trust one of the lead, she's extremely calm, isn't bothered by other dogs, and doesn't have a strong chase instinct, infact today she just stood and watched a yorkshire terrier running about on the other side of the park and thought na, can't be bothered and carried on mooching about. My other one bless his gorgeous heart is still keen so I don't let him off where I know there will be other dogs/animals about, as he would be off!
I agree with corny girl and to muzzle them if you're unsure of their behaviour. My boy get's muzzled much more than my girly does, due to his other breed unpredictability (but we are working on that )
I agree with corny girl and to muzzle them if you're unsure of their behaviour. My boy get's muzzled much more than my girly does, due to his other breed unpredictability (but we are working on that
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I have two delightful retired greyhounds, they are the light of my life, can only trust one of the lead, she's extremely calm, isn't bothered by other dogs, and doesn't have a strong chase instinct, infact today she just stood and watched a yorkshire terrier running about on the other side of the park and thought na, can't be bothered and carried on mooching about. My other one bless his gorgeous heart is still keen so I don't let him off where I know there will be other dogs/animals about, as he would be off!
I agree with corny girl and to muzzle them if you're unsure of their behaviour. My boy get's muzzled much more than my girly does, due to his other breed unpredictability (but we are working on that
But your 2 are just such adorable Hounds :flrt::flrt::flrt:. Then again i might be just a little biased seeing as i looked after them at the kennels & they were 2 of my favourites:lol2:. But yes, if you don't know how they are going to react around other Dogs always muzzle them until you know. All mine were muzzled when we first got them home, at least until i knew what they were like. The only ones now that wear muzzles are the 2 Bitches i can let off (only muzzled while off the lead). Even my Dog isn't muzzled now, if a Dog attacks him while he's on a lead i want him to at least be able to defend himself (after all he's the one on a lead & deemed under control :2thumb
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My family had 2 rescued greyhounds from racing never trust them off the lead as they did go for anything like a cat or small dog they escaped the garden as well if they were still here i''d be happy to photo them but they aren't lovely dogs though.
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I know you're biased (and rightly so) lol, they are adorable gorgeous lazy lumps of wonderful ness lol.
I recommend greyhounds to anyone looking for a dog! and yes they really do sleep 23 hrs a day!
but as with every dog, you've got to find the one that's right for you. As i've got young kids, I made sure we adopted ones that would suit and we certainly haven't regretted it for a second! (i'd have more if I could) xxx
the rehoming centres are fantasic at their jobs, and do everything they can to match you with the right dog, after all they want them to go to their forever sofas
I recommend greyhounds to anyone looking for a dog! and yes they really do sleep 23 hrs a day!
but as with every dog, you've got to find the one that's right for you. As i've got young kids, I made sure we adopted ones that would suit and we certainly haven't regretted it for a second! (i'd have more if I could) xxx
the rehoming centres are fantasic at their jobs, and do everything they can to match you with the right dog, after all they want them to go to their forever sofas
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I've had two greyhounds here. One was a long term racer retired due to injury who could not be trusted offlead and had a very high prey drive. The other was a young bitch who failed her trials and never made it to "proper" racing, she was therefore much easier and great offlead and with other animals. She was great with our cats too, one of them used to try and suckle off her, they had a very strong bond. So it really depends on the dog. :2thumb:
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It's funny as one of mine i can let off is still "keen" but is fine around other Dogs. Like i said i always muzzle her when she's offlead, just in case she sees something b4 i do :gasp:. You have to have eyes all around you when they are offlead as it only takes a millisecond & they'll be off. Bare in mind that a Sighthound can see something as far away as a mile :gasp:. I only let them off where it is reasonably secure, never near any roads. More often than not they are kept on their leads, as there are often Staffies about where i walk & i'm sorry but i've had too many run ins with irresponsible owners (most who have them round here have them for the status so they aren't socialised & are often agressive towards other Dogs). I have met some lovely ones though who have been socialised as they are "family pets" not just there as a status to say "look what i've got" :gasp:.
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Wow, that's not very nice. Who do you think trained them to chase and attack furry things?
Its the industry that's not very nice, not the dogs fault.
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They are not trained to chase "furry things", they are trained to chase a lure (which could be as simple as a carrier bag attached to a piece of string). When they see a small "furry thing" running their chase instinct kicks in, not because they have been trained to chase a small fluffy animal (it is actually illegal to use live animals in training). They are natural born chasers (ok you will get some that won't chase a lure & these are re-homed as non chasers). You talk about the "industry" yet, how do you explain Lurchers that are family pets that have never been trained to chase yet will happily chase a lure at a Terrier & Lurcher show? It is because Sighthounds have an instinct to chase, just as Rotties will have a natural instinct to guard & protect.
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OMG :gasp: sorry i wrote that thats the worst typo i've ever had these dogs are the greatest and i miss my pair very much I cried for weeks when i lost them but their prey drive didn't go down for a couple of years.
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You think lurchers aren't trained? Of course they're sighthounds, but if kept from a pup that can be kept somewhat under control, more so than a dog that is raised in a field in Ireland, shipped over trained to chase chase chase, only let out to chase chase chase, then killed when it cant chase!
Dont try and glamourise greyhound racing, it's despicable and thankfully on it's way out!
Dont try and glamourise greyhound racing, it's despicable and thankfully on it's way out!
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No pet Lurcher's aren't trained to chase, yet given the chance they will. A friend of mine has 2 Lurchers who have never been trained yet have killed many squirrels, Rabbits etc... Not Cats though.
Where is the evidence to say Racing is on the way out? We have been here b4, you have your brainwashed ideas/opinions & i have mine. Lets leave it at that now shall we as you are going off topic from the original post where the OP asked about people who have Greyhounds whether they let them offlead.
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