Founded in the summer of 1992, The Greyhound Project, Inc. is a volunteer, nonprofit organization that provides information about greyhounds and promotes the adoption of retired racing greyhounds. Many people can recognize greyhounds on sight, but few who have never before owned a greyhound may know just how interesting and lovable these dogs are. People considering adopting a retired racing greyhound may be surprised to learn that these highly social creatures are among the world’s most interesting pets.
• Racing greyhounds aren’t predators; many just love to chase things. As The Greyhound Project notes, retired racing greyhounds have been trained to chase lures. That love of the chase may lead some to believe greyhounds are natural predators, but that’s not the case. Many greyhounds just love to run, and some retired racing greyhounds really love to run. However, when they’re no longer racing and have fully adapted to a new home, many greyhounds become disinterested in chasing.
• Greyhounds are very fast. Some retired racing greyhounds can hit speeds as high as 45 miles per hour. While they only achieve such speeds for very short periods of time, that’s still pretty fast.
• Retired racing greyhounds are people-friendly. Despite what their love of running may suggest, retired racing greyhounds are very sociable and typically get along great with both adults and children. Many retired racing greyhounds have been handled by trainers, dog walkers, veterinarians, and others since they were very young. That exposure to humans has made them very sociable.
• Some retired racing greyhounds may exhibit behaviors typical of puppies. The Greyhound Project notes that, thanks to their early training, retired racing greyhounds have never been without the company of other greyhounds. As a result, when spending time alone for the first time in their lives, retired greyhounds may make up for lost time as a puppy by exhibiting puppy-like behaviors such as chewing. This need not cause alarm in new greyhound parents, as the dogs typically outgrow the behavior very quickly.
• Retired racing greyhounds may need to be trained, but they’re willing to learn. Sitting, climbing stairs and even playing games can be foreign concepts to retired racing greyhounds. That’s because their training focused on racing and little else. But with time, greyhounds, who typically express a willingness to learn and please their owners, can learn these tasks.
