thinking of adopting a greyhound...

[sana]

Originally posted by trip
One negative, historically they are prone to lots and lots of weird health problems after age 5-6.

My sister has done this program for a decade and has lost three dogs to weird diseases. Not only was this costly, heartbreaking.

that's what i would be afraid of... what kind of diseases is the breed prone to?

there are quite a few greyhounds that go to the dogpark near my house. maybe i should go visit without a dog just to talk to some of the owners to get an idea. they are absolutely the most beautiful when they are sprinting....

[sana]

if i get a puppy, i might end up with another pug :)

[Dizzy]

Get a cat...

They're clean animals...they don't stink up the house (if you have the right litter). You can play with em' without tearing up your little apartment. I used to hate cats, until I was in the same predicament as you are now. I lived alone in an apartment and couldn't confine a dog to a little place like that. It's not fair to the dog. Now I fuggin' love cats...I'll always have two of those furry headed bastards running around.....with the damn stinky ass dogs outside. :D They're smarter than dogs IMO too. Much more independent...perfect for someone who spends most of the day away from home.

Just a thought foo....

[sana]

i'm allergic to cats... plus i'm a dog person anyway pookie :p

[Gongshow]

Originally posted by goliath
lol - energetic little bastards aren't they?

lol

[flexygrl]

This is from an article:

Your dog is use to being inactive for long periods, so leaving your dog to go to work or tend to other activities is not a problem if you spend some time helping your dog to understand it has not been abandoned.


Here's the article:

http://www.adopt-a-greyhound.org/advice/firstday.html


According to this article these dogs spend most of their days in a crate and get turned out 4 times a day. If you adopt one, he will probably have full run of your place, which is more than he ever had. As long as you do excercise him, I'm sure it'll be just fine!

I think you should go for it. I have 2 stinky dogs, that I love. I also have 4 cats.

[hitmansb]

Forget the greyhound....get a rottweiller puppy: cutest puppy there is, are fine being left alone for a workday (lazy buggers who aren't all that interested in getting up to no good), and from a year old on you'll never have to worry about whether your door is locked.

[trip]

Keiser,

Trip was a........French Poodle.

Neighbor had him for eight years and moved to Bahama's and couldn't take him with her, I'd known him for five at that point, so he moved in with me for another eight.

Sana,

The disease's were neruomuscular in two, and cancer in one.

They are extremely think skinned and have super high metabolism's, ( ever see an over weight greyhound ) , so when they pick up an infection it just spreads like wild fire, and then not much you can do.

[VeggieLifterGal]

Greyhounds don't need very much exercise at all (compared to other breeds).
They are couch potato dogs - low energy - that are perfect for an apt. BTW, IMHO any dog is fine in an apt if you give it the exercise it requires - and with a greyhound that shouldn't be tough. They have a reputation for being totally sweet and loving. Also, housebreaking is a very easy thing to do if you use a training crate - it should be done in a mattar of days.

I just adopted a mixed breed (doberman/pit bull) 2 months ago. She's almost a year old. (the black dog in my avatar). She is a very sweet, affectionate, and intelligent dog. The biggest drawback of owning her is that there are certain things I cannot do now because of her. Like I can;t go to the beach all day, or go out right after work/class, or be totally spontaneous in my plans. I have to make sure I come home right after class/work to walk the dog and spend time with her. Because the dog is sitting in her crate when I'm gone, and its not good to leave your dog alone more than 8 hours at a time. They are very social creatures who need companionship and affection. I had a neighbor who just ignored those responsibilities when he got a dog and the thing turned out totally neurotic.

Plus, I can't leave her out of the crate when I'm not around, because she tears shit up - not separation anxiety, just likes to chew.

There are several potential advantages of an older dog rather than a puppy: usually they're beyond that chewing everything stage, they don't require constant supervision, they've usually calmed down and matured in temperment. Also, my experience is that a dog will bond to you just as tightly when its an adult as when its a puppy. And when you rescue a dog from a shelter (like Jane) or a racing life (like you) they are often especially affectionate and happy to be with you. My dog experienced most of her puppyhood with other owners (who gave her up) and yet she follows me around everywhere, won't run away, and even insists on sleeping on my bed.

[VeggieLifterGal]

More on that responsibility thing...you really couldn't get trashed, come home real late, and pass out. You'd have to walk your dog and feed it and be able to supervise it as well. If you have a roommate, its really helpful if they want to help you out with those kinds of responsibilities. On Tuesdays, for instance, I have class 11 - 4:30 and then work from 8 - 3 am. If I lived alone my dog would totally suffer. But my roommates walk her and spend time with her at intervals when i'm away, so it works out much better for her.

[sana]

thanks VeggieLifterGal ;)

i'm completely familiar with the limitations that owning a dog would place on my social life (or should i say, lack of social life :p)... i'm not too concerned with that. it's more about whether i do want to make this committment for a good ten years. and whether RIGHT NOW is the time to do it.

[VeggieLifterGal]

Ah...well in that case...I don't know of too many people who look at their cute little pups and wonder if they made the right decision by adopting them...I only know people who brag about their doggies. :-)