Do You Really Understand Your Greyhound's Previous Life?

"My greyhound came from the track." Sometimes this statement is said with pride and other times disdain, but what remains constant is the number of misconceptions surrounding that statement. "The track." has become a generic catch-all term which implies the track (actual racing facility) has complete control over the greyhounds and makes all decisions regarding them. This common perception is completely false.

In the interest of truth and understanding your greyhounds life let's explore the many facets a greyhound's life. However, before we venture on you must understand the NGA greyhound was never bred to be a pet. Just like, seeing eye dog, the police dog, and the show dog, the NGA greyhound was bred to do a job. Not to be a pet.

First stop, the breeder. The breeder is just as the name leads you to believe. This is the person who bred the litter. They sent in the needed DNA samples on both the bitch and the dog, then the litter is registered with the NGA. (National Greyhound Association.)

Second stop, Owner. This is the person who is recorded as the owner of the greyhound with the NGA. The breeder can be the owner of the greyhound but not always.

The breeder has breed a litter and for our purposes has retained ownership rights with the NGA. The greyhounds are then raised until they are ready for racing. A greyhound can not race until it is 18 months old. So for a year and a half the greyhound is being exercised daily. Sometimes this involves what they call "gigging". Basically, it's lure coursing in a circle. They greyhounds are not forced to do anything. Its instinct, to chase a moving object. Instinct, that is there from the day they are born. They are just encouraged to do what comes naturally; chase a moving object. Those greyhound which do not want to chase are retired before they ever get a chance to race.

They are kept with their littermates during this time and they do what puppies do. They play fight, pounce on each other, run etc. This is where most of the "racing scars" happen. Greyhounds are thin skinned even as puppies and we all know how sharp puppy teeth and claws are. Unfortunately, normal puppy behavior and thin skin does not work well together.

"Wait a second. Aren't greyhounds bred on farms?" My response here is define farm. Are they kept in barns with horses? No. These are large kennel facilities with lots of land as growing greyhound puppies need a lot of room to run and develop properly. This is the case with all sighthounds. Borzoi, saluki, afghans all need to "grow out."; which means they needs lots and lots of room to run and develop their muscles properly. If you don't have two acres plus, don't get a sighthound puppy. They require the room. If you don't have that kind of space an adult may be more to your liking as they have already "grown out." Also, some breeders and owners keep the litters in the house not the kennel as they only raise one litter every three years or so. These few still have lots of room and still exercise the puppies daily to achieve proper development.

Okay so now the puppies are 17 months old. It's time find a place for them to race. The owner calls several kennel owners to see if they have room to take on another dog.

The kennel owner, owns a kennel that has contract with the track (racing facility). This contract allows the kennel to use the racing facility to professionally race greyhounds in said kennel against other kennels. The Kennels are privately owned and do not belong to the racing facility. They just have a contract that says so and so kennel can use our facility but so and so kennel must comply with the following rules. That's it. I say again the track does not own the kennels. The Track does not employ the help in the kennel eihter. That is the sole responsibility of the kennel owner. An agreement is met between the owner and kennel owner and the greyhound(s) are moved.

When the greyhound(s) arrive they are greeted by the trainer. The trainer is the person in charge of overseeing all aspects of the greyhounds care, from exercise, food, medical treatment ect. Now the trainer and the Kennel owner can be the same person. Just like owner / operators in small businesses. That said, You have to realize the trainers just over see their care. It is the greyhound's Owner that makes all major decisions regarding the greyhound he or she owns. The trainers feed the dogs, groom them, bath them, turn them out to potty, make sure they get enough exercise to stay fit as possible. Trainers and kennel helpers sink thier lives and souls into keeping these dogs happy and healthy. Simple truth, if these dogs are not healthy and happy they don't and won't run. If you're betting your pay check on a greyhound with a strong sense of self and a mind of its own, you want it happy and healthy. If they are not, you and they don't eat. It's that simple.

The track is only the facility where the dogs compete proffessionally. The track has taken certain messures to make sure the dogs remain safe while in their care. The dogs are weighed in and taken back to the "ginny pit" (holding area) before they race. The trainer leaves them at the door. The "lead outs" take over from there. This is to keep anyone from sabatoging the dogs. When it's time for the greyhound to race it is taken out to potty and walked up to the box by the leadouts. The trainers and helper do not touch the greyhounds again until the race is finished.

This is the extent of the Tracks involvment with the greyhounds. They are not in anyway responsible for the day to day care of the greyhounds. They only oversee and manage the actual physical aspect of racing, chasing a lure around an oval.

Once the race iscompleted, the greyhounds are given back to thier trainers. The trainers cool them down and take them back to the kennels. They are turned out to potty, fed, watered, given a bone, petted etc.

Once it is time for a greyhound to retire from a racing falility, the trainer calls the kennel owner, who then calls the greyhounds registered owner. It is now up to the owner to decide what happens at this point. No one else decides, just the greyhound's registered owner as is his or her right under the law. Several things can happen, returned to owner, move to another track, euthanasia or adoption. I say again, this is the sole decision of the greyhound's owner. Most greyhounds are moved to another track, returned or adopted.

Hopefully, you now understand a bit more about your greyhounds life on the track, the number of people involved and their roles, but above all your NGA Greyhound.

Greyhound Adoption Terminology.

Greyhound adoption groups use a wide variety of terminology that can be confusing and, in the interest of political correctness, a bit misleading. In the interest of understanding, we will define adoption terms.

Cat / Small Dog Test: The greyhound is muzzled and kept on a very short leash. A cat or small dog is then put on the floor before the greyhound and the greyhound's reaction is judged by the handler.

Cat / Small Dog Safe: This term is very misleading. A more correct term would be cat / small dog tolerant. Cat / small dog safe also refers to tolerance inside the house; never outside. No greyhound should ever be considered 100% small animal safe. Greyhounds are a hunting breed that have been bred for thousands of years to hunt by sight. Their natural quarry is rabbit; animals close to the size of a rabbit or hare, including small or toy dogs and cats, should always be closely supervised whenever they are around a greyhound. Greyhounds should never be allowed to interact with small animals, known or unknown to them, outside. The greyhound's natural instinct to chase or, rather, run down a rabbit will most certainly take over outside.

Side note: This check is also with the cat(s) or small dog(s) in the foster home and does not indicate that the greyhound will be tolerant of the adopter's cat or small dog. A lot depends on the personality of the cat or small dog as well as the personality of the greyhound.

Tested Cat / Small Dog Safe: This refers to the cat / small dog test results being favorable but does not mean in any way that the greyhound has been living with small dogs or cats. It just means they were tested and the result of that test was favorable. Never assume a greyhound has been fostered with cats or small dogs if you see this term.

Child Safe: Once again this term is misleading and again it should reflect tolerance only. It means the greyhound has been introduced to children and showed to be tolerant; preferring to get up and move away from children if annoyed. This is where a parent needs to be observant of both the child and the greyhound. A greyhound, like all dogs, can only be pushed so far before they've had enough. Greyhounds are tolerant but they do not have the patience of Job. If the child continues to annoy it, a greyhound will snap at the child. Due to the greyhound's quick reflexes, the snap will most likely make contact but not break the skin; leaving only a red mark. This was not a bite, but a warning to the child and to the parent. For anyone who has children under five years of age, you really need to think long and hard before deciding to adopt a greyhound. A greyhound is not the choice dog to teach your child proper animal etiquette.

Cat Correctable: This is a very dangerous term. What it means is the greyhound will chase or run down a cat or small dog in house but could in time possibly be taught not to. Personally, I believe the greyhound should be considered not tolerant of small animals.

Not Cat or Small Dog Safe: This term is a nice way of saying, the greyhound was intent on hunting and ultimately killing a small dog or cat. While the absolute wording may not be pleasant, it is the truth. Again the greyhound is and was bred to hunt, run down, and kill small animals by sight.

Greyhounds Around For Years?

I recently received this from the Greyhound L, which led me to ask a very vital question. Will the greyhounds be around for years because of the AKC line?

The Original Message:

I think as slow as the closing are happening there will be greyhounds around
for years and even after that there would be dogs on the farms needing
homes.?

And I believe there would be some people out there to continue to breed NGA
greyhounds to sell.?

I also wonder would you people not consider an AKC greyhound?? The number of AKC greyhound litters is very low.? So if people were interested in an AKC
dog those numbers would go up.?

The Reply from Elaine Summerhill:

First off, there are some misconceptions in your post which need to be
clarified.

AKC Greyhounds

AKC greyhound breeders do not breed for the general pet market. The only
time they have pets available is if they have some pups in a litter, which
are not suitable for the showring. An example of such a puppy is one which
retains its testicles. In addition, AKC greyhound breeders, in general, do
not breed more than one litter every couple of years or so. There are
exceptions to this generality, but they are few & far in between. My last
litter was bred 2 years ago and the one before that was 7 years ago. Laurel
Drew, a list member, bred her last litter back in 1997. AKC breeders, for
the most part, seem to only breed when they need a pup themselves to
continue their lines.

AKC Numbers & Breeding NGA Dogs for Sale

I doubt if the AKC numbers go up, UNLESS people start to "puppy mill" the
breed. If there is no racing, there will be no NGA registry. No NGA
registry, no NGA greyhounds. It really isn't a difficult concept. Any racing
bred greyhounds will be bred by those only interested in making money off
the breed, not those good people who are being driven out of the racing
business. Chances are they will be what people commonly refer to as "puppy
mills". One of your comments, "continue to breed NGA greyhounds to sell..."
pretty much describes a puppy mill - a place solely where animals are bred
for profit from puppy sales. No consideration as to health, care,
performance standard, etc. Would you really want your dogs to come from a
place like that?

Greyhounds Around for Years

In this current economic situation that many people are finding themselves,
why would you expect them to keep dogs that are not paying their bills?
People are losing their homes and their jobs, why would they keep an animal
that has no function? It is just another mouth to feed. I may be getting
one of my pups returned due to the family breaking up and losing their home.
Recent statistics that are published on the web indicated that shelter
intakes are rising and more dogs are being euthanized due to no families and
therefore, no homes. Working dogs which have no jobs are pretty much
expendable. They are a luxury that many people, including those who adopt
them, may not be able to afford when things go wrong.

The Practical Greyhound Response:

Ms. Summerhill is correct. The working greyhound without a job is expendable. If the tracks close, there will be no NGA Registry, therefore NO NGA Greyhounds. In fact everything Ms. Summerhill said is true. AKC breeders do not breed for pet purposes. AKC breeders breed for the show ring if they need another pup to show. I am not saying this is a bad thing. Responsible breeding is a must for the betterment of the lines and most importantly, the dogs.

However, the reality of this situation is there will be no greyhounds available to be adopted as pets.

New Hampshire Tracks Closing. The Reality Of The Action.

I will start off by saying that this post is not an anti-racing or pro-racing, but simply the reality of what happens when a track closes, much less three. The struggles that adoption groups face in these situations and most importantly what it means for the greyhounds; immediate and long term.

Recently, Grey2K USA began heralding the closing of the 3 greyhound race tracks in New Hampshire. For those of you who do not know, Grey2K USA is an anti-racing lobbying group determined to ending greyhound racing, through the claim they are "Protecting Greyhounds Nationwide." Feel free to check out their website at www.grey2kusa.org.

First, you have to understand that every track has x amount of kennels and that number varies depending on the track. Each kennel holds x amount of greyhounds typically between 72 and 78 dogs. (six hold kennels.) On average each track has approximately 700 greyhounds available for racing at any given time.

As you can imagine when a track closes, suddenly, adoption groups across the country are scrambling trying taking in 700 greyhounds. (Thrice the tracks, thrice the number of greyhounds) The trainers and kennel owners help in securing placement at other tracks to reduce the burden on greyhound adoption groups. After the panic settles, the announcement comes. "All of the greyhounds have been placed." Happy ending right? Wrong.

There's a phenomenon that happens when you move x amount of dogs somewhere. The same number is displaced at the receiving end and on down the line, until, the only option left is the final vet visit. Those in greyhound adoption know this phenomenon as the "trickle down effect."

I know what you're thinking. "Why doesn't another group take them in?" Well, every adoption group out there has a track or kennel they work with closely; taking dogs in as fast as they can. If they take in x number of dogs from the track, x number dog needing placement from the 700 perish. If they take in x number from the 700, x number of dogs at the track or kennel they work with perish. The ultimate reality, 700 dogs were not saved, 700 perished. All we did was switch which greyhounds would perish. I don't see how anyone can claim that obvious failure as a "victory" for the greyhounds.


Now let's look at the long term ramifications associated with ending greyhound racing. Assume, greyhound racing has ended. All the tracks have closed. Greyhound adoption groups across the nation flock to save as many as they can. Then, they do what all good adoption groups do, they fully vet the dogs in preparation for adoption. Problem is homes just are not coming in fast enough to help the remaining dogs at the tracks and farms. No longer able to care for the dogs, only one option remains; euthanasia. Thousands of greyhounds will be sent to rainbow bridge.

When this day comes and it is coming; it will be the darkest day in the history of the NGA line. I refer to this time as living extinction. All of the greyhounds that managed to be pulled into adoption groups will be spayed or neutered. The remaining population that was capable of breeding; gone. For the precious few that managed to hit an adoption group they will be the last of their kind.

Many that favor ending greyhound racing have not considered the long term consequences to this action. Stating, coursing will keep the spirit of the greyhound alive. It very well might but what about the NGA line? What about the thousands that have already perished and will perish because racing has ended? Do the lives of these greyhounds matter? When are we going to stop standing on one side of the racing debate or the other and work for the betterment of the racing greyhound. I understand the need and desire to protect the racing greyhound, but I fail to comprehend how genocide achieves the desired goal.

Introduction To The Greyhound

The modern greyhound is strikingly similar to an ancient breed of sighthounds depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphs on temple walls dating from roughly 6000 BC and probably the most commonly accepted. Many adoption groups and greyhound enthusiasts proudly boast."An ancient breed dating back to ancient Egypt." However the greyhound's origin is one that is confusing at best. The Romans believed they came from Gaul, home of the Celts. The Celts on the other hand believed they came from Greece and as such called them "Greek Hounds." Still others prefer a simpler explanation -- the original color of the dogs was gray and the name means nothing more than gray dog.

This confusion suggests at least that greyhound-type dogs didn't originate in Gaul or Greece, but probably in the semi-arid lands of North Africa and the Middle East. It is possible the ancestor of greyhounds and other sighthounds first came into being in the tents of Middle Eastern nomadic peoples. Some think that the sighthound is a cross between the domesticated dog of that era and the southern European wolf. Despite their confusing history one thing remains clear. The greyhound belongs to a very ancient groups of dogs known as sighthounds.

For thousands of years the greyhound has been bred to run fast and hunt by sight. They were not intended to be solitary hunter, but as part of a group. Free thinking and highly intelligent the greyhound is able to anticipate the evasive maneuvers of its prey. Known as the fastest dog in the world, the greyhound can reach speeds of 45 mph and sustain speeds over 30 mph for up to a mile. Racing and to a lesser extent coursing has kept these traits very much alive.

Today there are two very distinct lines of greyhound; NGA (National Greyhound Association) and AKC (American Kennel Club). There are many differences between the two lines and those differences should be considered before choosing which line you would like to adopt.