After Sabrina the rescued Ex-racer greyhound had travelled over eleven hours to her forever home, I wanted to do everything I could to ensure she had the very best chance of fitting into pet life.

Before she even arrived, I had set up a large wire crate and soft bedding for her in the master bedroom so she would know someone was with her, especially when she woke up the first day or if she woke up in the middle of the night. 

I then organized two large dog beds for her with soft blankets, one in the kitchen and one in the living room. Both by fireplaces as she was so thin and always seemed cold.  I also made sure she had a couple of stuffed toys to cuddle with. 

I didn’t pre-purchase any dog food or dog treats as I knew that the Greyhound Adoption Centre would provide her some. I wanted to transition her to something of a different quality but needed to be sure of the protein first.  And if she had any food issues.

I had leashes from my previous Dobermans, but no collars or jackets that would fit a very skinny Greyhound. I knew that I would purchase the essentials at the Greyhound Adoption Centre Shop, if she was coming home with us.

The only other thing I did was stock up on was probiotics for the fridge as I anticipated she may have some GI issues after all that she had been through now that she was an ex-racer greyhound. 

Your new Ex-racer Greyhound finally arrives home. Now what?

As soon as she jumped out of the SUV in our driveway, she was so excited.  So I led her around all the fenced areas of our land.  Sabrina sniffed the fresh air and likely was picking up scents of the local wildlife.  I offered her some fresh water outside because she refused water the entire trip.  She drank it so politely as if to say “is this really for me?” She had a couple more bathroom breaks and then it was time to head into the house and get ready for bed. 

We were all so exhausted.  I showed Sabrina to her brand new crate and she leapt inside and snuggled in right away.  I closed the door carefully as I wasn’t sure how she’d react and she didn’t mind at all.  We all said good night.

I already knew loved her.

When I woke up the next morning she was in the cutest little ball and still sleeping.  So I gently woke her and took her outside for a bathroom break and a quick sniff around the yard and then it was time for breakfast.  She had a good appetite and finished her meal.

I then showed her to her bed in the kitchen by the fireplace and she quickly settled in.  I waited an hour and a half and then took her outside for a short 15 minute walk down the road.  I wanted to be sure I did not overwhelm her at first as we lived in the country and she was going to meet and experience all kinds of strange things. Especially things strange to her like like deer, ducks, geese, goats, llamas, horse riders, cows, off-leash dogs, and noisy farm equipment. We even had cougars.

We then did a tour of the house and I showed her the stairs.  But I assured her they were for another day.

Again she settled in her bed and seemed very relaxed. 

Crate Training your ex-racing Greyhound will save you so many headaches

Sabrina transitioned quickly into her new crate mostly due to the fact that Greyhounds while racing and then awaiting adoption are either living in cages or kennels.  Again, as not to overwhelm her, I wanted to ensure that she spent some time during the day in her crate in the kitchen and then at night I wanted her to sleep in her crate in the bedroom. 

This was mostly for her own comfort, but also because our home at that time was 3500 square feet and she would be very quickly overwhelmed and may even feel lost. 

Next, I worked out a schedule where she spent some time in the kitchen with me while on her bed and then some time also in her crate in the kitchen. 

In the evenings, we would all watch TV together and she would happily hang out on her bed by the fireplace where she quickly decided to show us her roaching skills. 

After about three months, I bought her a bed for sleeping at night and put that crate away.  I still kept the one in the kitchen as she still liked to go in there. 

HOW TO AVOID SEPARATION ANXIETY IN YOUR GREYHOUND

I had read that ex-racing Greyhounds can sometimes get separation anxiety so I wanted to tackle this immediately.

So I put some music on low and tucked Sabrina into her crate.  I didn’t say anything or make a fuss.  I just closed the door and went outside for 15 minutes.  When I came back she was quietly resting in her crate.  I opened the door and gave her a treat.  And took her outside for a bathroom break.

I did this every day increasing the time gradually.  Sabrina took it all in stride and separation anxiety was never an issue. 

She was never regularly left for more than five hours and sometimes when I came home she was in her crate, or on her bed and sometimes just on the hardwood floor.  I trusted her and she earned the right to the entire house by then.

In the beginning I tried as much as I could to keep her schedule the same on both a weekday and a weekend day.

Not all Greyhounds will be this easy, but if I could offer one piece of advice to help ensure your Greyhound’s successful transition from racetrack to home life, it would be to establish a routine as soon as possible. 

Don’t adopt a Greyhound, fawn all over them on the weekend and then go to work on Monday and leave them all day.  This is not fair to the Greyhound and will almost certainly end in frustration and upset.  

house training your new greyhound sets them up for success

One of the most common reasons rescue dogs get returned to shelters is house soiling and this was a blunt reminder for me to ensure Sabrina understood the bathroom rules in the house.  In the beginning, I took took her out for a bathroom break every hour just like you would with a new puppy. 

Each time she went when I asked her I gave her a treat, a piece of kibble or a bum rub.  She quickly learned if she went to the bathroom outside and not in the house, she’d get something good. 

Greyhounds are very smart, easily trainable you just have to keep in mind they’re always thinking “what’s in it for me?” 

I was able to very quickly extend that to every few hours and then began to understand her signals that she needed to have a bathroom break.  But Sabrina wasn’t like other dogs sniffing the floor or going to the door, instead she would just come and politely stare at me. Which she still does today

Every Greyhound is different and you just need to learn their signals.

Now she goes out at 5:00am, has her walk at 6:45am depending on the season, out at noon and then has a walk at short walk at 5:00pm.

That’s it!  The easiest dog I’ve ever lived with.

The only time Sabrina will use a crate now is when we travel or she is in the vehicle.