Policies and Requirements
Greyhounds Are Wonderful Pets, But They Do Have A Few Simple Needs
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Indoor Dogs
Greyhounds are indoor dogs. Despite their large size, they do not need much space. They would rather be in the house with you. A run in the yard is fine, but they should never be left alone in the yard all day while you are gone. Since they want to be wherever you are, they may feel abandoned and attempt to jump the fence to find you. Greyhounds are also sensitive to hot and cold weather. Due to their low body fat, they have little insulation against extremes in temperature.
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Leash/Fence
Greyhounds require no more exercise than any other breed. They do enjoy an occasional romp in the yard or a dog park, but they especially love just walks with you. They do, however, require a leash (lead) at all times if you are not in an enclosed area! This holds true even if you live “out in the country” and have acres of property. Greyhounds usually walk obediently beside you on the lead, and you may think that they will behave that way off lead. They might – many times – but there will come a time when they will see something far away and will want to investigate. If they start to run, you will not be able to catch them, and they will probably not respond to your call. They do not ignore you because they don't love you. They are just adventurous souls...it is the nature of the breed. (Remember, they were originally bred as hunters.) And they have no car sense. It only takes one time of getting away from you for you to lose your pet. Please trust us on this! We have known of many dogs that were killed or lost because their owners did not take us seriously. We love these dogs and want them to be safe and happy. If you are expecting your dog to stay with you while off lead, then you might want to consider a different breed.
Because of their physical structure (heads smaller than their necks; sensitive skin), Greyhounds cannot wear leather or metal collars. A special Greyhound (“martingale”) collar and leash will be provided to you at adoption.
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Housebreaking
Greyhounds are former athletes and are used to a strict schedule that varies little from day to day, so it is best to allow them to slowly adjust to your schedule. Although they are crate trained, they may need some help from you in becoming housetrained. You cannot expect them to come into a totally new situation and have no accidents at all. It's great when they have none (and that happens a lot), but you need to expect that there will be an adjustment period for both you and your new Greyhound. We generally recommend that you plan to pick up your Greyhound when you can initially be home a few days with him (or her). When you first get home, let him into the area that he will be using to relieve himself. Then, with a soft dog bed / old comforter, give him a spot wherever you will be spending most of your time in the house and keep an eye on him. Some wandering and curiosity is natural, but, if he suddenly gets up and looks like he has a mission in mind, your job is to get him outside right away. Your providing frequent potty breaks will go far in avoiding accidents. With gentle guidance from you, your Grey will learn quickly.
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Cat Testing
Because they have been around many dogs their entire lives, Greyhounds usually accept and even welcome other dogs you may already have. Most of them are also very good with cats. We have placed many more Greyhounds in cat homes than in non-cat homes. We do cat test to see how a dog reacts. While this is generally a pretty good indicator, it is not an absolutely certain confirmation of how he/she will do with "your" cat. We can provide a muzzle for the initial encounter just to make sure your cat is safe, but most people find that that is unnecessary with a watchful introduction.
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Heartworm Preventative
Heartworm preventative is absolutely essential for any dog in this part of the country. Heartworms are carried and transmitted by mosquitoes. Once a dog gets heartworms, there are only two alternatives. You must either treat him for the heartworms or put him to sleep, because, without treatment, your dog will die. The treatment itself is expensive and very hard on the dog. He is given an almost lethal dose of arsenic in order to kill the heartworms, and recovery is long and difficult. After treatment, he must be kept quiet, with activity at a minimum for about 6 weeks. Luckily, it is easy and relatively inexpensive to prevent your dog from getting heartworms, but you must see your veterinarian for this medication.
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Fees/Services
Your new friend will come to you already spayed or neutered and with current vaccinations and heartworm preventative. Due to these expenses and the cost of their transportation to Atlanta, as well as their care and feeding here, we do require an adoption fee of $245. These fees support our organization. Unlike many local shelters, we receive no assistance from the state or county.
We maintain a database of all the Greyhounds that we have adopted out. We will provide you with a numbered tag that will identify your dog to us. It gives your dog one more chance of being found and retrieved if he/she gets out. We also offer boarding of your Greyhound for those times when you must be away from your pet.
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