Negative Facts on Greyhounds

A greyhound is a tall, thin-boned, majestic animal. Its unusual shape - long snout, broad chest and light lower body - was made for speed and chasing. You might wonder however, if this makes for a good pet. It is true that greyhounds, while best known for their speed and agility, can still make good pets when several possible problems are considered first.

  1. Racing History

    • Greyhounds have been overbred and used as track-racing animals to profit their owners. If your greyhound has been a racer, it might be a challenge for you to keep up with the energy levels it is used to expending. Overbreeding provides many young dogs for racing but also unfortunately results in a large number of unwanted and spent older dogs. In addition the dog may have tremendous anxiety issues left over from its racing career. It may be unable to be still for periods of time, have problems sleeping and may tear up furniture as a means to release this anxiety.

    They Bolt Easily

    • Greyhounds are strong, agile and fast dogs. Even those not groomed for the racing industry have low impulse control and can be prompted to run by visual provocation. Your greyhound may see a rabbit and quickly run after it. This happens even with well-trained greyhounds. This could be risky if you take it off leash at parks. Even leashed walks can be risky as the dog can pull itself into the street.

    Timid and Sensitive

    • Greyhounds are sensitive to noises and emotions. They are very timid and shy and don't like a lot of activity around them. This is important to consider if you have gregarious, active children or if there is conflict in your household. The greyhound will suffer in such an environment and may develop emotional and neurotic behaviors such as aggression, excessive scratching as well as stomach ulcers and digestive problems.

    Body Structure

    • Greyhounds are thin, fragile-boned dogs. All of the activity and speed that they engage in can stress their bodies and take a toll. As they age they don't recover well from injuries and at times old injuries can make them especially susceptible to new ones. They lack a lot of body fat so extra care must taken to keep them warm in winter and protected from high temperatures in the summer.