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Give A Greyhound A Home
About GAGAH
GAGAH is a non-profit making organisation.
It was set up in 1999 to encourage people to choose a rescue greyhound/lurcher
in preference to a privately bred dog. The aim of GAGAH is to rehome greyhounds
and lurchers and to raise awareness on what happens to them once they have served
their use.
I have 4 rescue dogs, 3 of which are greyhounds. My eldest greyhound is 10 years old & he is a registered 'Therapet' dog. Greyhounds, because of their laid back, gentle nature make good Therapet & P.A.T (Pets As Therapy) dogs & are especially good pets for the elderly
This information pack contains advice and contacts for anyone considering re-homing a greyhound and hopefully goes some way in dispelling the many misconceptions some people have about them. Diane Henderson-Stubbs.
For more information either: select one of the categories below or scroll down the page.
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Web Address: www.dogsworldwide.com/gagah.htm
About Greyhounds
Past History
The Greyhound is one of the oldest breeds of dogs. They have
descended from an ancient breed, which dates back to Egyptian times. They were
worshipped by Egyptians & owned only by Kings.
By the 11th century in Britain the ownership of a greyhound was an exclusive right of the nobility. Around this time the punishment for killing them was death.
Present day
Thousands of greyhounds each year are abandoned or ‘disposed of’
because they no longer ‘make the grade’ and have lost their potential
to win races or have proved not to be of a racing standard. There are associations
fighting the cause to reduce these numbers by appealing to the National Greyhound
Racing Club (NRGC) to take even more responsibility for the needs of these abandoned
dogs. Greyhound puppies are routinely killed before the age of 1yr each year
if they fail to meet racing standard, this amounts to thousands each year.
It is uncertain how many are ‘inhumanely’ destroyed by owners who have no use for them anymore. Greyhounds have been found dumped in trenches after being shot or drowned with their ears hacked off so that they cannot be traced back to their owners via their tattoos.
Each year around 10,000 racing greyhounds are ‘retired’ before the age of four.
The NCDL have stated that at any one time, up to one third of the dogs in their rescue centres are greyhounds or lurchers.
Greyhounds as Pets
Greyhounds are graceful, gentle, loving, lazy and patient
creatures who crave human affection, probably due to their isolated upbringing.
As mentioned previously, they make ideal 'Therapet' or
P.A.T dogs. The 'Therapet' scheme is run by Canine Concern Scotland Trust and
involves owners taking their registered dogs to nursing homes, children's hospitals,
schools etc. to visit patients who love animals but have no access to them.
At present the 'Therapet' scheme has 5 registered greyhounds. P.A.T. has 8 greyhounds
registered. Their address can be found on the 'Contact List' if you want to
consider being involved in any of these worthwhile schemes.
They eat the same amount of food as other dogs of their
size, a good dry complete dog food twice a day is ideal for your dog.
They are the only large breeds of dog not plagued by hip
dysplatia.
Greyhounds are better with children than most breeds.
They are very tolerant and will more likely walk away from a naughty child rather
than growl or snap. Aggressiveness has been virtually eliminated from the breed.
As with any dog, do not leave children alone with any pet and ensure
children know how to behave with the dog. The dog should have access to a quiet
place for a ‘time-out’ break away from lively children.
For sleeping, they love a soft quilt, as they like to
stretch out & don't have a lot of body fat they can use for padding. Due
to their lack of body fat it is advisable to buy a coat for them, especially
for wintertime as they really feel the cold.
It is recommended that your garden is enclosed & secure,
ideally with a 6ft fence as they can jump to surprisingly high heights.
Domestic noises may startle them as most of them have
been used to kennel life. Gently introduce them to any noises they would not
have been likely to hear when they were kennel dogs. Glass, Patio doors are
new to them as well so ensure they are aware that they cannot run through them.
A good book by Anne Finch titled 'Pet Owner's Guide to
the Greyhound' is available in most book shops and I would recommend reading
this to obtain more information about your new dog.
It is advisable to muzzle your dog until
you are 100% sure of his reaction to other pets & small animals. It is not
cruel to muzzle your dog & greyhounds especially are so used to them as
they are worn when training & racing. Do not forget that they have been
trained to chase lures. Taking time to get to know your dog, as with any breed,
should avoid any problem situations. Keep him on a leash until you have assessed
his level of obedience. Please bear in mind the image a lot of people still have
of them i.e. that they are aggressive, kill cats & small dogs, this makes
the job of re-homing them even more difficult. Most dogs will chase cats, it's
just that greyhounds are more likely to catch cats than any other breed. Ensure
you keep them on the leash & under control until you have judged whether
or not he is showing any 'unhealthy' interest in small dogs. Your re-homing
centre should be able to offer more detailed advice if necessary. If you
have a greyhound who is unsafe with other animals then you MUST be prepared
to keep your dog muzzled at ALL times in any public places.
REMEMBER : It is NOT the dogs fault that he is trained so well and his instinct is strong, so he should not be punished if his irresponsible owners do not keep him under control AND muzzled. IT IS NOT AGGRESSION – IT IS INSTINCT & TRAINING. You would not punish a sniffer dog for finding drugs, or a police dog for catching a thief!
NOT ALL GREYHOUNDS CHASE SMALL ANIMALS – A lot of dogs in our care have been homed with cats, jack russell’s etc… MOST greyhounds have never seen any other ‘dog shapes’ and majority of the time they just need socialised. They soon figure out that not all dogs are greyhound shaped.
Greyhounds and Cats – You should always have
a greyhound ‘cat tested’ before you decide to re-home him with your
cat(s). Even if he passes the ‘cat test’ you must still take precautions
until you are 150% sure that he has no interest in your cat. On arrival home
keep him muzzled and on the leash. Ensure the dog sees the cats in all scenarios
i.e. running, jumping, walking along the worktops etc.. and if he shows any
interest then again a firm ‘NO’ is required. When he looks away from
the cat, praise him. This training MUST be repeated outside as this is
another environment for him and seeing a cat run outside is again another new
scenario. Until you are confident, NEVER leave your greyhound and cat
alone together. I know many people you own cats and greyhounds and they live
in complete harmony. In fact, most of the time the cats are the boss and often
put the dogs in their place. One swipe from a cat can often be enough to put
a big, wimpy greyhound off for life. I have seen this myself in the many cat
tests I have carried out on greyhounds and lurchers.
Toilet Training – this can be done easily
and quickly. When you get your dog home take him out each hour every hour for
the first 2 days and when he does the toilet give him a special treat e.g. chicken
, cheese and make a HUGE fuss of him. Make sure these extra special treats are
only given for toilet training. If you do catch him toileting in the house then
give him a firm ‘NO’ command – take him outside and when he does
it there give treats and praise. Do not reprimand him f you don’t catch
him as he will not know what he is being reprimanded for.
Another myth about greyhounds is that they require vast
amounts of exercise. This is not the case, they are more than happy to sleep
on their comfy beds with 2 or 3 20mins walk each day. They enjoy being spoiled
& showered with love and care. By nature they can be quite lazy dogs.
When you first bring your greyhound home he may suffer
from 'anxiety', as with any dog being introduced to new surroundings & routines.
Make sure that he knows your routine as soon as possible as this will help him
settle in. Symptoms of anxiety can be restlessness, excessive panting &
drinking, he may whine for a while to. Routine is all he needs. Find a good
balance between attention & encouraging him to be independent, as you do
not want to encourage 'separation anxiety'. Leave him on his own for short periods
of time as part of his new routine. Sometimes even leaving a radio on can give
him comfort. The periods of separation can then be lengthened as he settles
in.
If you have not re-homed a rescue dog before, particularly
an older one, you will be amazed at the enormous pleasure you will get contributing
to the comfortable & loving retirement your dog now has to look forward
to.
Even if you feel your dog does not require any obedience
training, it would be a good idea to take him along to your local dog training
class. This would allow you to introduce them to other dogs of all shapes &
sizes as well as socialising him with many other people & children. It also,
gets people used to seeing greyhounds & lets them see what laid back, loving
dogs they are.
Medical Considerations/Facts
Medical Sensitivities
The breed has a very low percentage of body fat in proportion to its
size. There is, on the average, only 16% fat in a Greyhound's body weight versus
about 35% fat in body weight for a comparably sized dog of another breed.
Greyhounds are very sensitive to certain medications, including anaesthesia.
Before your dog undergoes any surgery, make sure that your vet is aware of the
special 'pre-med' requirements for your dog. Do not be afraid to ask questions
of your vet.
Products containing Pyrethrins are generally safe to use on Greyhounds, and
given their very short coat, flea combs are especially effective. However, one
of the best treatments for fleas are Program and Frontline. Program is in tablet
form and Frontline is in spot-on form. Both these products have shown to be
very safe in all breeds of dog. Consult your Vet before any treatment you apply.
Care also needs to be taken when deworming a Greyhound, as they are extremely
sensitive to anything with an organophosphate base. Drontal plus or Panacur
liquid should be used. Both these products are effective in treating all the
commonly encountered 'worms'. Seek advice before deworming.
Bloat
As with other deep chested breeds, Greyhounds are prone to bloat, or torsion.
Bloat is a life threatening disease where the stomach flips over. Immediate
medical attention is required to avoid death. Preventive measures include avoiding
exercise just before and for an hour or two after eating; avoiding ingestion
of large amounts of water immediately after eating dry kibble.
Symptoms include distended abdomen, repeated unproductive vomiting, pacing and
restlessness. It can kill quickly, an immediate trip to the vet is in order.
You may wish to discuss bloat with your vet, to set up in advance what to do
should it happen to your dog. Your vet may also suggest other things you can
do while driving to the vet's for emergency care to improve your dog's chances
for survival.
Considerations for the ex-racer
Because racing Greyhounds are kennelled with a large number of other dogs in
a highly transient population, you will probably have to make sure your dog
is checked for worms and tick-borne diseases such as Ehrlichia and Babesia.
A greyhound in racing condition will probably lose muscle and put on some extra
fat once retired. While they should not become overweight, few dogs remain at
racing weight, often gaining about 5 pounds in their retirement. This is to
be expected.
Your dog may have been taken off the track for many reasons. Apart from 'losing'
consistently, the most common reason is through injury.
The centrifugal forces on the sharp bends of the track put enormous strain on
the dogs' wrist joints and on the toes. Collisions with other dogs, or even
with the fence can also cause damage if the dog has been knocked off the track.
Old injuries will not always be obvious and so there is the potential for arthritis
in later life. But we are prone to arthritis too, so let us assume that you
will have grown so attached to your dog by the time that if it happens you will
seek the best advice available to ensure his comfort.
Bone Cancer
It's not actually known whether Greyhounds are actually more predisposed toward
bone cancer than other breeds, but there are enough anecdotal stories to warrant
keeping an eye on your dog for this, especially a former racer. The first symptoms
involve lameness in the leg.
Hygroma
This is common in large dogs especially over bony prominences like elbows. It
is usually seen in dogs housed on hard flooring. A hygroma is a fluid-filled
bursa which forms to protect the skin from pressure necrosis from the bone underneath.
They can get inflamed or even ulcerate. They tend to look more alarming than
they are; your vet can advise you of the best course to take.
Hypothyroidism
Many Greyhounds appear to have low-normal levels of thyroid. Symptoms of hypothyroidism
include: hair loss (on rear and neck, usually bilateral and typically through
thinning), darkening or thickening of the skin, and lethargy. Sometimes irritableness
and/or wheezing are indicators. Untreated, hypothyroidism can have serious long-term
effects.
Greyhound Facts
To allow greyhounds to hunt & race together, and to make greyhounds tolerate
constant handling by a number of people (including children), aggressiveness
towards other dogs and people has been nearly eliminated from the breed
Most can learn to accept cats, but the introductory period must be monitored.
If the greyhound even shows the slightest interest in the cat a firm 'NO' is
usually suffice for them to get the message. However, never leave your dog alone
with the cat until you are sure they get along.
Many people who are allergic to dogs are NOT allergic to greyhounds, due to
their short, sleek coat and skin type, which has more oil to it, thus less dandruff.
Greyhounds are NOT guard dogs. Being bred specifically to be even-tempered and
good natured, they are inherently well socialised. For this reason they LOVE
everyone.
Bo Derek, the actress best known from the movies "10" and "Tarzan",
owns several retired racing greyhounds, and is a great advocate of promoting
greyhounds as pets.
John Barrymore, the famous actor, always kept his house full of greyhounds as
pets.
Greyhounds are the fastest breed of dog, reaching top speeds of 40 miles per
hour!
Greyhounds can see CLEARLY for a distance of a half-mile.
President Abraham Lincoln had a greyhound on his family coat-of-arms
Annette Crosby (Mrs Meldrew from 'One Foot in the Grave') has 3 rescue greyhounds
and through 'Greyhounds UK', she and many others are raising awareness on the
'plight' of the greyhound & educating people on the suitability of greyhounds
as pets.
Summary
Greyhounds are a wonderful, graceful, loving breed of dog. Once you have owned
or even met one you will be hooked. All they want to do is sleep. They run out
of steam so quickly, mainly due to the fact that they are trained to run short
distances at a very fast speed. They are not well known for their stamina or
endurance, however, as long as you're with them, they are happy to walk as long
as you want. Older dogs are especially loveable, my greyhound is 10 years old
& he is an elegant gentleman. As I mentioned before, they make wonderful
'Therapet' and P.A.T dogs, this allows you to share their wonderful nature with
others who are not in a position to have their own dog.
When you get your dog home he may appear aloof & indifferent but he will
be sort of 'shell shocked'. Remember most of these dogs have been kept in kennels
most of their lives, this is probably why they relish attention so much. Once
they settle into your routine just watch their personalities develop. They sometimes
start to play like puppies. They start training from early age & miss out
on the normal puppy period.
I personally believe that they love to race & chase, like horses. I have
nothing against them being raced and a lot of owners take responsibility for
their retired greyhounds by either keeping them as pets or ensuring they are
re-homed to suitable new owners. The unfortunate truth is that there are
many owners who take no responsibility and thousands of retired or injured
dogs are dumped on the street to fend for themselves, or worse, are inhumanely
destroyed. There are many organisations raising awareness to the plight of
the greyhound
& many who have dedicated their life to finding homes for them. These people,
like myself, are lucky enough to realise what wonderful animals they are and
have found their vocation in helping as much as they can. Everybody can help
in their own way by e.g. sponsoring a dog (if circumstance do not permit you
to own a dog), re-homing a greyhound, donating to the rescue centres that
look after the many thousands of dogs needing a good home.
I appeal to the reader to seriously consider to Give A
Greyhound A Home. You won't
regret it and you can spread the news about them and help to reduce the numbers
in rescue centres.
If you require more information about greyhounds you can either contact one
of the organisations listed below or contact myself at the following:
Diane Henderson-Stubbs,
E-mail address: Pat.Grant@gpct.Grampian.scot.nhs.uk
Telephone: 01771 644059
Web Address: www.dogsworldwide.com/gagah.htm
Contact List:
National Canine Defence League (NCDL): For your nearest centres contact
their headquarters at
17 Wakley Street, London, EC1V 7RQ. Tel: 020 7837 0006 Website: www.ncdl.org.uk
NCDL - West Calder, Edinburgh. Tel: 01506 873459
SSPCA - Bothwell Bridge Animal Welfare Centre. Tel: 01698 281128
Celia Cross Greyhound Trust - Judie, Tel: 01483 222832 (daytime). Registered
charity No. 1020383
Central Animal Rescue Network.
(Will also advise on behaviour/training problems.) Jane James, Tel: 01889 582982
Evesham Greyhound & Lurcher Rescue - Pip Singleton, Tel: 01386 853971(Evesham)
Fenbank Greyhound Sanctuary (South Lincolnshire) - Sandra Miller, Tel: 01754
820593
Email: fenbank@greyhound16.freeserve.co.uk.
Greyhounds in Need - Anne Finch, Tel: 01784 436845. (Egham)
Greyhound Rescue (North Yorkshire) - Karen Schultz, Tel: 01757 638889.
Greyhound Rescue (South Glos.) - Margaret Bowles, Tel: 01453 822977, E-mail:
glrr@talk21.com (Stroud)
Greyhound Rescue (Wales) - Barry Harth, Tel: 01639 844704
Kate Leyburn, Tel: 01446 407124 (Aberchirder). E-mail: grw@greyhound-rescue.demon.co.uk
Greyhound Rescue (West of England) - Angela Collett, Tel: 07000 785092. Registered
charity No. 1056676
Lexus Greyhound Rescue - Pat Graham, Tel: 01204 668589. (Horwich)
NGRC - Nottinghamshire Tel: 01159 554453
Tia Greyhound Rescue (West Yorkshire) - Debbie, Tel: 07974 960684 E-mail: enquiries@tiagreyhounds.org.uk
Hall Green Retired Greyhound Trust, Tel: 0121
476 3165
Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare - Ania Catt, Tel: 01932 829589. E-mail: Aniaatwgw@aol.com
The Retired Greyhound Trust - 149a Central Road, Worcester Park, Surrey, KT4
8DT. Tel: 0870 444 0673 Fax: 0870 908 2525
E-mail: greyhounds@retiredgreyhounds.co.uk
- Web address: www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk
Canine Concern Scotland Trust - Hazelburn Business Park, Campbeltown, Argyll
PA28 6HA
Tel: 01586 553399 E-mail: admin@ccst.freeserve.co.uk
www.greyhoundmuses.com
Dumfriesshire Greyhound rescue at www.dgrescue.org.uk
www.northantsgreyhoundrescue.co.uk
- contact name : Mandy Hooker - 01327 830250
www.jansgifts.co.uk - you can get your gifts here
www.sighthoundsonline.co.uk/scotland.htm
www.italiangreyhoundrescuecharity.org.uk
GAGAH is a non-profit
making organisation.
ALL profits go towards maintaining and supporting the work of GAGAH and other
Greyhound Rescue Organisations
for more information contact:
| Diane Henderson-Stubbs, Tel: 01771 644059 E-mail address: Pat.Grant@gpct.Grampian.scot.nhs.uk Web Address: www.dogsworldwide.com/gagah.htm |
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