With their gentle dispositions and good natured temperament, retired racing greyhounds make excellent pets. Whether you are looking for a playful friend, or an individual looking for a devoted companion, a well mannered greyhound could be just the pet for you.

How old are retired racers?

Greyhounds placed through Emerald Pacific are usually 2 to 7 years old. The younger dogs may not have qualified for racing. Most of the older dogs are recently retired from racing because they are no longer competitive, sometimes they have been returned to Emerald Pacific because of family changes.

Do Greyhounds require a lot of exercise?

Greyhounds always enjoy walks, but they only actually need it 3 to 4 times a week, or twice a week they can be taken to a safe, fully fenced, grassy area where they can sprint. Daily access to a spacious backyard also helps. Greyhounds make excellent jogging companions, once they are trained and conditioned for longer distances.

Do Greyhounds need a special diet?

During their racing careers, Greyhounds are fed a high energy diet to help them perform at their peak. However, retired racers only need a high quality dry dog food to provide nutrition and prevent weight gain. These foods are widely available from local pet stores.

Do Greyhounds have special medical needs?

Many people think of the Greyhound as an exotic breed that requires extra care and special attention. Due to the low level of body fat, Greyhounds require a special type of anesthesia for surgery and are sensitive to some chemical products such as items used for flea control. Due to the soft diet fed at the track, some may require dental care. These things are easily addressed by a greyhound savvy vet and support from Emerald Pacific.

What do we do when our Greyhound first comes home?

We prefer that the dog's first stay in your home be late in the week, so that you can spend the weekend getting to know each other and allowing your Greyhound time to adjust to its new lifestyle, which is much different than what it is accustomed to.

One of the first things you will need to teach an adopted Greyhound are the house rules. Most Greyhounds will naturally keep their kennels clean, so housebreaking is relatively simple. Frequent walks with timely praise teaches them that their new home is the place they keep clean, and the outside is the play where they are allowed to "go." It also helps to limit how much of the house the dog has access to at first, gradually increasing their territory as they gain confidence.

Greyhounds crave affection and are very responsive to your behavior. Being use to sharing one human with a dozen or more dogs in the kennel, adopted Greyhounds are eager to please you and soak up all the love you can give. They are very sensitive dogs, and can sense your moods quite easily by both the tome of voice and demeanor. You will find that when they aren't curled up for a nap, they like to follow you around the house and keep track of where you are. Greyhounds will be come part of the family very quickly. Most are tolerant of well behaved children. Children must be taught to respect their space. As for other pets, having spent their entire lives with others dogs in a kennel, most Greyhounds will be very social animals and get along well with other companion animals, cats included.