Former racing greyhounds make great pets. They’re huge couch potatoes, but still love running when they get the chance. If you’ve recently adopted an ex-racing greyhound, here are some tips on how to care for them.
Step One
When you first bring a greyhound home, keep it muzzled. Even if greyhounds are said to be "cat and small dog friendly", yours might not actually be like that. So keep your greyhound muzzled until you find out how it will act around your smaller pets.
Step Two
Make sure you have a crate. Your newly adopted dog might not be house trained, so you definitely want to put him/her in a crate when you leave the house. This will also keep your greyhound from tearing things up while you are gone. Eventually, your greyhound will stop needing to be in the crate unless you want it to be there.
Step Three
At dinner, don't feed your greyhound straight dry food. Mix a little water with the food (not a soupy consistency) and, if your greyhound has stomach problems, mix a little plain fat-free yogurt with the food. Other options (not limiting) are pumpkin pie filling (the unsweetened kind), chicken broth (salt-free), canned dog food, or beef gravy. Greyhounds only need two meals a day and should be put on a regular feeding schedule.
Step Four
Make sure to have play time with your greyhound. Every day, if possible, greyhounds need time to just run around and be greyhounds. If daily play isn't possible, make sure your dog gets exercise at least twice every weekend. More is better. If you want to see your dog run, look into buying a squawker for greyhounds.
Step Five
Know that greyhounds like to sleep a lot. Greyhounds usually sleep all day and sleep all night without much walking around. They like to sleep on dog beds, but given the opportunity,they will jump on your bed and sleep with you.