FJ Needlenose (Greyhound) Thread

[Palimpsest]

Catching up ... @SledCat he's just beautiful!

Mr C really enjoyed his Obedience classes and was actually the star of the class on recall.  He didn't just "come" he positively raced to me every time.  People found it very impressive.  Training gave him confidence with new people too. 

I used the Freedom No-Pull harness with both Mr C and Little Guy and recommend it. Little Guy still uses it (attached to both collar and harness) in bunny territory.  He goes out of his mind when he sees a bunny and I doubt I will ever be able to train that out of him.   2HoundsDesign has the harness patent in the US but you may be able to find something similar.

[felinefundie]

This thread gives me the feels. I've always wanted a Greyhound. Growing up on a ranch, we usually just have borders and/or cowdog mutts for cow and chicken herding (we had a dog would always segregate the chickens into like-size and color groups. It was hilarious and adorable), and now that I live in an apartment in the city, I'm not allowed dogs of any sort. The first thing I'm going to do as a freely incorporated adult with my own home is try to adopt a grey.  Until then, looking at these adorable pictures will just have to suffice. 

[SledCat]

My new grey had the chance to do some lure coursing (he chased a plastic bag ) over the weekend. My goodness, he really went for it!  It is amazing to see them running!

[Palimpsest]

@GreyhoundFan If you are a fan of the dogs not the buses, would you like to join us?

@SledCatt They are so beautiful when they run.  It is that double suspension gallop.  Yes, the lure is a plastic bag and not a live bunny, thank goodness.  We've noticed that a trained racer will fix on any white plastic bag and do their best to get hold of it and destroy it.  

Our US greys also like coffee and will try to drink out of our coffee cups.  When they are fresh off the track, they will also fix on polystyrene cups if they see one discarded in the gutter (we don't use them ever but people will litter.)  The reason for that isn't very nice.  Sometimes they are given coffee in take-away polystyrene cups to amp them up before a race.

[GreyhoundFan]

21 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

@GreyhoundFan If you are a fan of the dogs not the buses, would you like to join us? 

Oh wow! I keep finding new stuff on FJ! I hadn't seen this forum, or I would have been posting all along. Yes, I have a retired racing Greyhound, who is the love of my life. His name is Sammy. He'll be seven in August. He raced at Daytona, didn't do well, was retired early, sat in the adoption kennel there for about a year (no group wanted a big black puppyish male), and came to our group. He was adopted by a couple, but returned after nine months because the wife didn't really want a dog and he's a LOT of dog (80 pound lap dog). I adopted him in June 2013. He is such a happy guy, which was just what I needed in my life. He loves to bark at the many deer and foxes in my area, though luckily he doesn't chase any of the 100,000,000 squirrels. I'm going to try to attach a picture (haven't tried that yet on FJ).

I love reading about everyone's pups!

[Palimpsest]

@GreyhoundFan Sammy is just beautiful!  I may be biased because he looks very much like my Mr C - even down to the little white tips on two of his paws!  I love the big goofy boys, and they always seem to get left in the kennels.  The black dogs' coats are so shiny and I think they are gorgeous.  I can't understand why they get left behind.  Mr C is getting quite gray in the face these days.  I think it suits him because you can see his big brown  eyes better against the gray.

The black dogs look good in so many different colors too.  I like Sammy's red harness.  Mr C is usually dressed in purple.

It is a myth that greyhounds don't bark.  All of mine have been barkers.  When we failed fostering with the senior grey he taught the girls to roo.  They never did that before he came to join us.  We still have a group roo on occasion but not nearly as often.

[GreyhoundFan]

29 minutes ago, Palimpsest said:

@GreyhoundFan Sammy is just beautiful!  I may be biased because he looks very much like my Mr C - even down to the little white tips on two of his paws!  I love the big goofy boys, and they always seem to get left in the kennels.  The black dogs' coats are so shiny and I think they are gorgeous.  I can't understand why they get left behind.  Mr C is getting quite gray in the face these days.  I think it suits him because you can see his big brown  eyes better against the gray.

The black dogs look good in so many different colors too.  I like Sammy's red harness.  Mr C is usually dressed in purple.

It is a myth that greyhounds don't bark.  All of mine have been barkers.  When we failed fostering with the senior grey he taught the girls to roo.  They never did that before he came to join us.  We still have a group roo on occasion but not nearly as often.

Thank you! I think he's beautiful too, but I'm a bit biased...

Is Mr C a "Trent Lee" offspring? Sammy is, and every single dog I've met that is a Trent Lee pup looks almost exactly like him, shape and marking-wise. Sammy is starting to go gray in the face. He's also getting lots of little white hairs on his back.

I decided Sammy's color would be red because it looked good on him, though you are right that most colors look good on black dogs. My last Greyhound, Mandy, always wore purple, which I thought looked great on her brindle coat. She passed away in 2012.

I realize it is a myth about Greys not barking, but Sammy takes it to a new level. Of course, it could be because we hang out with a friend who has a very vocal Husky....

Adding a picture of my sweet Mandy, just because. I still miss her every day.

[Palimpsest]

@GreyhoundFan Oh, Mandy is so sweet.  What an adorable little white face.  How old was she in that picture?

Of course I had to look up C's pedigree.

Yes, Sammy and Mr C are related!  It is through Brett Lee, Trent Lee's sire, though so they have the same grandpa.  Mr C's father was Dragon Fire. The other big names on Mr C's pedigree are Molotov, HB's Commander, and Mystic Rose.

Miss P. is one of the many TNT Starwars pups.  Most of them seem to be white with brindle or black patches.  She never raced.  She was quite shy when I adopted her and had washed out of training.  I think it was because she liked to zig-zag and play rather than run properly.

Greyhound racing names are fun.  I usually try to keep their call names or some part of their racing names, but I did change Miss P's name.  She wasn't answering to Leia and people kept saying "May the Force be with you!"  I got tired of that within a few days - and it didn't suit her anyway, although she is a bit of a princess.

[GreyhoundFan]

6 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

@GreyhoundFan Oh, Mandy is so sweet.  What an adorable little white face.  How old was she in that picture?

Of course I had to look up C's pedigree.

Yes, Sammy and Mr C are related!  It is through Brett Lee, Trent Lee's sire, though so they have the same grandpa.  Mr C's father was Dragon Fire. The other big names on Mr C's pedigree are Molotov, HB's Commander, and Mystic Rose.

Miss P. is one of the many TNT Starwars pups.  Most of them seem to be white with brindle or black patches.  She never raced.  She was quite shy when I adopted her and had washed out of training.  I think it was because she liked to zig-zag and play rather than run properly.

Greyhound racing names are fun.  I usually try to keep their call names or some part of their racing names, but I did change Miss P's name.  She wasn't answering to Leia and people kept saying "May the Force be with you!"  I got tired of that within a few days - and it didn't suit her anyway, although she is a bit of a princess.

Yay, Sammy and Mr C are cousins! I've met several Brett Lee pups at Greyhound events. We usually go to Greyhounds in Gettysburg and Greyhounds Reach The Beach every year.

It's interesting you say Miss P was shy when you adopted her. I've read that TNT Star Wars has many offspring that are shy or spooky. I fostered a dog who was a borderline spook and it was a lot of work, but so rewarding when he started to feel more comfortable.

I didn't keep either racing name or kennel call name. Mandy's call name was Love, which I couldn't imagine calling out in a crowded room. Mandy means beloved, so I thought it was appropriate. Sammy's call name was Mandrill. That was WAY too close to Mandy for my comfort AND I said that he's not a tool (unlike Doug Phillips). Sammy's name in his first adoptive home was Nouveau, which I thought was far too prissy for a big linebacker of a dog, so I vacillated between Sammy, Nicky, Louie, and Benny before settling. He took to his new name in less than a day.

BTW, Mandy was nine when that picture was taken. She had a white face when I adopted her at almost five.  By the time she passed away, at 12, she had lost most of the color on the top of her head and on her front legs. Some folks say that we "love the color off", which is what I like to think!

[Palimpsest]

@GreyhoundFan

I'm so jealous.  I've never been to Dewey or Gettysburg but I have friends who go every year and love them.  They are at a inconvenient times of year for us, both a long way to drive, and we always seem to have one dog who hates crowds and big events.  

Miss P was shy and when we first got her but not a spook.  She was stuck in the adoption kennel for about 18 months because she wouldn't come out and greet adopters.  I had a very confident grey at the time and the kennel manager thought that they would be a good match.  When she got home she went straight into a crate and stayed there for 48 hours.  She did let me put a leash on her to take her out to potty and ate in the crate, but we just left her alone otherwise.

I knew she would be OK when she performed what we call the "great stuffy heist."  She'd been eyeing the dog toy basket and very cautiously came out to grab a toy.  Then she ran back to her crate with it.  We didn't react, so she came out again and again to grab more toys.  Half an hour later she was lying on a pile of about 16 stuffed toys like a dragon on her hoard.  I had to get some toys out of the laundry basket to pacify the other grey.  Yes, we are big on toys in this house.

Once she got used to people she proved that she has nerves of steel.  She is the best noisy hospital TD of all of my TDs and is incredibly stubborn.  I think you are right about the TNTStarwars pups though.  A friend of mine had a half-sister of P's - and she was a real spook.  

I see what you mean about the names.  Nouveau is awful!  I really like both Sammy and Mandy as names - and great Doug Phillips reference, BTW!  I don't feel strongly about keeping the call or racing names - I'm just bad at thinking up new ones.  My failed foster was called Ross by his previous adopters (they had another dog called Rachel.)   He didn't seem to respond to it so I did the old flashlight behind the ear trick.  According to his tattoos, His original call name was Murphy - and he responded to that right away!

I like "loving the color off."  I'll remember that one.  Twelve seems a pretty good age for a greyhound - they really don't live long enough.  Mandy was so pretty and I think she was lucky to have you.

[SledCat]

I love the discussion about track names. All of my greys (with the exception of two) had lived in a home before, and they knew their names, so we stuck with them. My two straight-off-the-track greys (who were siblings) were named Scooby and Daphne (their track names were "salt" and "stopper"). 

[Mango]

Hilariously, guys, this thread popped up in google when I was trying to find a photo of a friend's TNT Starwars son. I don't have a needlenose but I'm auntie to some racing whippets and hoping to add a sighthound of my own to the family next year. (Probably NOT a grey, but still researching.) 

 

(Oh, and GreyhoundFan, does Miss P have her daddy's nose? Jimmy's (TNT Starwars son) owner wants to know, LOL, and would love to connect with you if you do FB. Jimmy is NOT shy, but he's not got a lot of interest in strangers (no fear, just no interest) and sometimes people think he is.) He was adopted through GALT.) 

[Palimpsest]

9 hours ago, Mango said:

does Miss P have her daddy's nose?

Another sighthound fan. Yay!  Jimmy sounds like a sweetie.  Are you sure you don't want a grey?

Miss P. was my girl.  We had to let her go a couple of weeks ago.

No, she didn't inherit daddy's famous and distinguished Roman Nose.  She did have a black patch on her rear end just like he did though.  She looked as if she'd sat down in a puddle of ink!

Here's TNT Starwars (I think you can see one or two dogs without registering and logging into the site) http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?i=235897&z=X3iO6h

He had 2637 offspring - and that's just counting the ones that were registered on Greyhound data!  You can try searching Greyhound-data using Jimmy's racing name for more information about him too.  

I recommend Greytalk as a fantastic resource for new Grey owners.  This is an old thread on TNT Starwars pups but I think there are several more:  http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/287046-tnt-star-wars-pups/

[Gossamer1]

I had assumed that greyhound racing was like horse racing. I thought the dogs were prized and well taken care of, then I read some of the horror stories. 

Has the life of a racer improved at all over the years?

[Mango]

Most of the racers I know are very well taken care of, honestly. Yes, there are lots of horror stories - but it's like TB racing- ther's good and bad all through the sport. 

Palimpest, so sorry about your girl.  The big drawback for me with greys is the thin skin and the bad feet. I'm honestly not sure they're a safe fit with my huskies, who play with a lot more mouthing than most sighthounds. (The whippets find the huskies VERY obnoxious.) Obviously a grey could just outrun them- but I'd like a dog that integrates with the rest of the group or at least isn't stressed by them. I'm also VERY interested in lure coursing and open field coursing, so while I haven't ruled a greyhound out, I'm more interested in one from hunting bloodlines than a retired racer. Most of the retired racers don't seem to stay sound- the older dogs come in retired from injury and the younger dogs don't have the drive I want. I may still end up with one, but pursuing some other options first.

[GreyhoundFan]

22 hours ago, Gossamer1 said:

I had assumed that greyhound racing was like horse racing. I thought the dogs were prized and well taken care of, then I read some of the horror stories. 

Has the life of a racer improved at all over the years?

Most dogs are well cared for as the owners and handlers know that poorly-kept dogs aren't going to run as well. There are always a few bad eggs. Unfortunately, they are the ones who get all the publicity. I know a few racing owners and kennel employees. They love their dogs and want the best for them.

19 hours ago, Mango said:

 

Palimpest, so sorry about your girl.  The big drawback for me with greys is the thin skin and the bad feet. I'm honestly not sure they're a safe fit with my huskies, who play with a lot more mouthing than most sighthounds. (The whippets find the huskies VERY obnoxious.) Obviously a grey could just outrun them- but I'd like a dog that integrates with the rest of the group or at least isn't stressed by them. I'm also VERY interested in lure coursing and open field coursing, so while I haven't ruled a greyhound out, I'm more interested in one from hunting bloodlines than a retired racer.

Have you considered a lurcher? They have many Greyhound characteristics, but have often been used for hunting and because they are mixed, tend to have thicker skin.

[ALM7]

On 4/11/2016 at 8:27 AM, GreyhoundFan said:

I have a retired racing Greyhound, who is the love of my life. His name is Sammy.

Sammy is absolutely beautiful!

[Palimpsest]

On 5/22/2016 at 8:57 PM, Gossamer1 said:

Has the life of a racer improved at all over the years?

In the US, yes it has - thanks to many advocates over the years.   A lot of breeders, owners and trainers actively work with agencies placing retired greyhounds in homes.  Many greyhound adopters and adoption organizations in the US don't call it "rescue."  We want to keep the industry working with us and they find the term offensive - for obvious reasons.  

That is not to say that racing greyhounds aren't working animals - and are treated like livestock. To be economically successful the hounds are not treated like pampered pets but they are kept in good condition.  Some owners and trainers are better than others, of course, but an abused hound won't win money.  It is what happens to them after they end their career, or the failed racers, that is important.  It is a controversial subject, but most of the horror stories are from a long time ago - or from organizations like Grey2K, an off-shoot of PETA.  I don't like PETA.  That's an understatement.

As tracks are being closed in the USA, Australia, and the UK where the the sport is regulated and efforts are made to treat them humanely, greyhounds are being sold overseas.  Internationally, greyhound advocates are now focusing on illegal sales of greyhounds to South America and Asia where the sport is unregulated. Plenty of horror stories there.

@Mango, yes do explore lurchers rather than racing greys if you like open field coursing.  Lurchers sound like a better fit and @GreyhoundFan has given you a good link.  There are two lurchers at the Greyhound Adoption place I visited yesterday.  Smaller and hardier than greys - I think these two were a Greyhound/Lab cross.   Actually my Little Guy would probably fit right into your pack and would excel at coursing but you can't have him!  So Galgos and Podencos might be worth a look too.  There are some available for adoption in the US.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

8 hours ago, ALM7 said:

Sammy is absolutely beautiful!

Thank you!

1 hour ago, Palimpsest said:

It is a controversial subject, but most of the horror stories are from a long time ago - or from organizations like Grey2K, an off-shoot of PETA.  I don't like PETA.  That's an understatement.

 

I wholeheartedly agree about both PETA and Grey2K. I can't stand either group. I posted elsewhere on FJ, some links about the hideous situation with PETA here in Virginia. G2K is also horrible. The adoption group I volunteer with had a New England chapter for many years, but thanks to G2K, so many ridiculous restrictions were placed on groups that we had to close the chapter.

[Palimpsest]

18 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

I wholeheartedly agree about both PETA and Grey2K. I can't stand either group.

Have you see this site? http://grey2klies.blogspot.com/2014/03/greyhound-racing-truth-journey-from.html

I probably don't agree with everything - but I do with most of it.  Especially how Grey2K, PETA, et al are nowhere to be found when tracks close.  Both organizations were started or have been taken over by the lunatic fringe and money donated to them does not go to help or protect animals.  Far from it.

Greyhounds just love to run.  They are bred and trained to race.  I really worry about what will happen to this beautiful breed if the sport is eradicated.  

[GreyhoundFan]

5 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

Have you see this site? http://grey2klies.blogspot.com/2014/03/greyhound-racing-truth-journey-from.html

I probably don't agree with everything - but I do with most of it.  Especially how Grey2K, PETA, et al are nowhere to be found when tracks close.  Both organizations were started or have been taken over by the lunatic fringe and money donated to them does not go to help or protect animals.  Far from it.

Greyhounds just love to run.  They are bred and trained to race.  I really worry about what will happen to this beautiful breed if the sport is eradicated.  

Oh yes, I've seen it. I just shake my head. And you are so correct that when a track closes, they are nowhere to be found.

You know that you can't make a Greyhound run. It is in their blood. Some are just faster than others. I am also worried about what will happen if racing is shut down. A good friend of mine volunteers for Sighthound Underground, which adopts out all kinds of sighthounds, but emphasizes Galgos. The Director wrote an article entitled "What Will Your Couch Look Like In Ten Years?" Of course, it is just her opinion, but she makes some valid points. I can certainly see more Galgos being moved to the US, even though they are not the same as Greyhounds. I think many people will branch out to other sighthounds, but it will never be the same.

[Palimpsest]

My worry is that Greyhounds will end up being bred purely as show dogs - more for looks than for their talents.  I'm a veteran of the Jack Russell Terrier wars (back in the 80s) - and the all white, deaf,  fragile little Parsons break my heart.  The working dog JRTs were tough as nails and amazing characters.  I couldn't keep up with one today - mine wore me out!

Oh yes, that SHUG article!  I only wish the Director hadn't singled out Poodles.  That got a very negative reaction.   FTR, I like all dogs and have nothing against other breeds, including Poodles.   I'm so glad SHUG is now involved with helping Galgos.

The article made many good points and the organization I've volunteered with now partners with another dog rescue to bring in hunting-type hounds from the mid-west. There are plenty of hound mixes and Tree Wallking, Blue, and Red Boned Coonhounds needing homes too.

[Mango]

I love lurchers, but they can't do AKC lure coursing, and we don't have much in the way of ASFA trials around here (which I believe have an open class? I can't remember. :P) That's what's eliminated those mostly from my consideration, although I've been offered a couple of longdog puppies over the last few years :P.  Ditto Silkens, which I quite like. Galgos are interesting but the Galgo folks I talked to were very discouraging about their ability to get along with other dogs- said they are often quite sharp? They don't show up often at local events- I'm hoping to meet some at the trial I'm going to next month with a friend though. 

[Palimpsest]

All the Galgos I know get on with greyhounds - because they were all adopted by grey owners. I don't really know how well they get on with other breeds in the home.  On leash (we don't have any fenced in dog parks around here) my guy is very well behaved around other dog breeds.  Even little fluffies.

Little Guy plays roughly and fast.  He speeds, bounces, leaps, and body slams.  He's too rough for the greys so I play with him in the yard to get the ants out of his pants.  It's a game called Toss the Toy and Dodge the Galgo and he loves it.  Galgo guests have also played similarly with him to their hearts content and no-one gets damaged.  

Silkens = Silken Windhounds? They aren't AKC are they?  I don't really know what they are - I've never seen one.  I did see some utterly enchanting little sighthounds,  "Long Haired Whippets" -although they aren't whippets - a couple of years ago when I was volunteering at a pet Expo.  These guys, in fact.  https://tovasighthounds.shutterfly.com/2839.

With both the Silkens and the Long Haired Whippets there seems to be a whole lot of stuff out there about them being designer dogs who don't breed true.  I have nothing against mixes - but I'm not going to pay a lot of money for one if I can find a perfectly nice mixed breed dog in a rescue.

    

 

[SledCat]

I do love the Silken Windhounds. They are really beautiful, sweet dogs. They're also great lure coursers. Very light on their feet when they run. 

My current grey, who is young, loves to play rough with his favorite people. He body slams, and gives little nips when he is feeling extra energetic.