How Much Space

I've fallen in love with greyhounds but am wondering if I would be able to offer one a suitable home in time. :unsure:

I ony live in a small two up, two down house and the living room is about 4mx 4m. We only have a 2 seater settee and one chair, and a tea-chest which we use as a seating box. Our kitchen is of similar dimensions but a large dining table takes up a lot of the room in there.

Gardenwise, I don't have a secure garden and it's very small, but I never let the dogs out unsupervised. If they want to lie outside they go on a lead and I sit out there with them or their lead is attached to one of those swivel pegs in the ground and I keep an eye on them from the house with the door open. Having said that, my current 2 dogs do get 4 walks a day whatever the weather, and on my days off (I work p/t and the OH is usually around if I'm not) I'm invariably out walking in the hills. Failing that they get some good walks round and about as I'm next to the local park and reservoir.

Would this be a suitable set up for an adopted grey? I'm mostly concerned about the space limitations indoors.

Also, how would I cope with stiles. Has anyone trained theirs to successfully negotiate stiles? (w00t) The one grey I have been out on walks with isn't good with stiles and it needs two to lift her over.....

Any thoughts? Would I really notice having a grey about to the point I'm tripping over them or can't move around freely and the grey would feel restricted and unhappy? Would my walks be curtailed whenever I come to a stile? Would a greyhound adoption society even consider me as a potential person to rehome a grey to?

Aw Nicola it would be so lovely to see you with a Grey :thumbsup: wouldnt that be good.

Im sure others will advise you, I have friends with racing greys and also a few people in the village here have retired greys or rescued ones...

they always seem so laid back and friendly and from what Ive heard are not quite a lively as whippets and their smaller relations.

Im sure in my eyes your house would be perfect, and all those walks with you.....sounds just right to me )

Having had several greyhounds over the years, although they are large dogs (and like to lie stretched out ) they tend to be very laid back around the house and get under your feet less than smaller, livelier dogs )

They would love your walking regime, and would probably snooze most of the time between walks!

Stiles can be a problem, I've had mixed success with different dogs. Two of my greys were brilliant and learned to get through pretty much anything one way or another, but my last greyhound, Molly, just didn't 'do' stiles - anything that involved the slightest bit of stooping, jumping, climbing or scrambling was beneath her dignity and she refused point blank. As I saw her jump a five-foot fence from standing when she was after a deer I suspect this was about incentive rather than ability :angry:

They are beautiful dogs. Maybe you could consider fostering one for a rescue first of all to see how you get on?

Even William didn't take up as much room as you would think unless you were at Tanya's then he would sprawl out in the kitchen. Some of the ex racers are quite small especially the bitches. Button is 26" to the shoulder but is quite a big bitch.

We got Lacey who was a tall greyhound for a girl but very quiet in nature. Then at the kennels I fell for a great big lad called Big (well, he was!! (w00t) ) we brought him out and I did a sponsored walk with him, we brought him home to see how he got on but he was so long and giddy and bouncy he soon was knocking things flying. Although sad I had to admit he wasnt right for our house, but I did end up with 2 others who fit in lovely. So I think if maybe you look for one thats not huge, but look at personality too, although that usually comes out with time. ) They usually will take a decent walk but look out, if one has had an injury it may not like long hikes, and I agree about styles. Lacey never once went up the stairs or tried to get on the sofa, even though the others all did - but then she used to pretend to be asleep if you picked the lead up more than once a day, she just couldnt be bothered :- and heavens forbid if it was raining as well :lol: Other than that they are so grateful to have love, warmth and a full belly, they are happy to camp down anywhere. Why not volunteer at a greyhound rescue centre as a dog walker and take different ones out and just see how you go. (if you do this be careful - thats how I ended up with 3 rescue greyhounds (w00t) ) :luck: :luck:

Food for thought...thanks for your replies so far.....I'd definitely be looking for a quiet, calm grey, and probably a small bitch. Of course it won't be for a year or so yet and I'll probably change my mind again, but the thought of a greyhound as opposed to a whippet has a certain appeal, mainly because they do come across as calmer and more sensible and will hopefully slot in straight away (once settled). Volunteering at a rescue ctr sounds like a good idea...I'll consider that too!

Thanks for the vote of confidence Janis

Compared to kennel conditions I think any warm fireside would be 5 star to any ex racer.

Well done you for thinking of offering a home to a Greyhound :thumbsup:

Oh I haven't posted on here in ages. But I had to reply to this, LoL.

As a lot of people on here know I have not long re-homed a very chilled out calm ex racer and he is tall boy. Now my house is just a small 2 up 2 down type 2. My living room is only 12ft by about 11ft (only room for one 3 seater sofa) and my kitchen is about 10ft by 9ft and that's all my boy has space wise. I do have a 70ft garden tho. Iv gota agree with Denise that I think what I have given him is a million times better than the kennel he had been living in.

Now on the under ur feet thing I have now 4gotten what it is like to b able to walk in a straight line anywhere, LoL. He is always beside or behind me when I'm in the kitchen (But my Border Collie Archey has always had this great love for spreading himself out, right in the Kitchen/Living room door anyways. So I'm used to that) It can get irritating but I don't mind it so much. Having him by far out weighs the new little bug bare, bless him.

I think it is more to do with him being at my side wondering if he's going to get some food (he is some what under weight) because when I'm not in the kitchen he a typical Grey and just lounged out on my sofa chilling.

And you do have a brilliant walking Routine too so I think the fact that your garden is small shouldn't matter too much. At least they will have an outside space for when ever they need it.

Much good luck to you Nicola.

Nicola, although I don't have first-hand knowledge of greyhounds, I'm sure your home would be absolutely fine. They seem a very undemanding breed and generally pretty laid back. People I have spoken to with greyhounds say they are real couch potatoes.

I used to go to an agility class and someone there had a rescue grehound bitch, a rescue lurcher, and a bichon. She lived in a very small house and all her dogs seemed very happy. The greyhound was great to watch doing agility, particularly through the weave poles!! :lol:

You take your dogs on such lovely walks and give them a lot of attention, so I am sure a greyhound would be really content with you. :huggles:

I'd like to see a greyhound added to your pictures :lol:

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to reply.

I'd love to add a greyhound to my signature too Ann :teehee:

I do not want to discourage you, there are so many greyhounds that need love and a sofa that are stuck in kennels. I have only ever had 1 rescure greyhound but I am happy to pass on inro from my experience. Greyhounds do like to lie stretched out and can take up a lot of space doing so. My Meg used to take up more space than the 4 whippets combined. She was lazy though and did not move around a lot. Her tail was the greatest hazard She was the biggest mooch I have ever met and a totally loving girl. She looked like a giant version of Molly the Scruples Rescue girl. I never managed to master her recall. She was fine 90% of the time but when she took off, it was a nightmare.She had been raced until she was 6 and had a truly honed racing/ hunting heart. Having said that whippets can do a dissappearing trick too and are deaf to recall if something more interesting is going on.

I would be very concerned about your garden not being secure. Like all sighthounds greys love to chase and you would not believe how much distance they can cover in no time at all. Meg was a real escape artist and I ended up having my garden walled all the way round and new driveway gates fitted. Many Greyhounds are impossible to recall and have to be walked on a lead all the time. This means longer walks. Do you know of a large secure area near you where she could run free or do you have friends who would let you use a large secure garden. In ideal Greyhound would be one that has been taught recall at a rehoming centre.

It would make life a lot easier investing in making your garden secure if it is possible.

Not trying to put you off. Good luck whatever you decide

eve said:

I do not want to discourage you, there are so many greyhounds that need love and a sofa that are stuck in kennels. I have only ever had 1 rescure greyhound but I am happy to pass on inro from my experience. Greyhounds do like to lie stretched out and can take up a lot of space doing so. My Meg used to take up more space than the 4 whippets combined. She was lazy though and did not move around a lot. Her tail was the greatest hazard She was the biggest mooch I have ever met and a totally loving girl. She looked like a giant version of Molly the Scruples Rescue girl. I never managed to master her recall. She was fine 90% of the time but when she took off, it was a nightmare.She had been raced until she was 6 and had a truly honed racing/ hunting heart. Having said that whippets can do a dissappearing trick too and are deaf to recall if something more interesting is going on.I would be very concerned about your garden not being secure. Like all sighthounds greys love to chase and you would not believe how much distance they can cover in no time at all. Meg was a real escape artist and I ended up having my garden walled all the way round and new driveway gates fitted. Many Greyhounds are impossible to recall and have to be walked on a lead all the time. This means longer walks. Do you know of a large secure area near you where she could run free or do you have friends who would let you use a large secure garden. In ideal Greyhound would be one that has been taught recall at a rehoming centre.

It would make life a lot easier investing in making your garden secure if it is possible.

Not trying to put you off. Good luck whatever you decide

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Thanks for your candid response Eve. )

I can't make my garden secure unfortunately. Perhaps Gillian would lend me her garden once in a while!

) Even though our garden is secure, we used to take the greyhounds back to the rescue where they used to let you run your dogs in one of their secure paddocks for a donation :thumbsup:

Hi Nicola

Having homechecked in the past for rescues that place greyhounds I can tell you that having an unsecured garden is a definite problem BUT greyhounds have been placed with people living in flats if there are appropriate arrangements in place for toileting and exercise :thumbsup: So my advice would be, as others have said, to volunteer with a local greyhound rescue, walk the greys, maybe arrange to take one home with you for the day to see what problems you encounter (I wouldn't want to have a grey in my house as the arrangement of doors between hall/kitchen, hall/living room, and hall/cloakroom, all right at the bottom of the stairs, is an accident waiting to happen with something the size of a grey, and having shut a friend's grey's tail in a door as a child - my lord, the blood, it was everywhere :x - it's not something I would want to repeat ) If the rescue get to know you they will know they can trust you when you describe your dogs' exercise regime (you'd be amazed how many people hoping to take on a rescue dog view their lives through rose tinted glasses when describing how a dog placed with them will spend his/her days). And when all's said and done you've lived their happily with the lovely Fred whippet and never lost him so why would you be anymore likely to lose a grey )

With regard to stiles ... I do know of one family who carry a folded dog ramp attached to Dad's rucksack for getting their elderly GSD over stiles ... might be worth a look if you're up to carrying the extra weight and stiles do prove to be a problem. I have no idea what it weighs but he apparently says it's no worse than having a toddler wrapped around his neck!

Hope it works out for you :luck:

Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions so far folk. It's all helping to build a picture in my mind of what problems I'll face and how to potentially overcome them.

I like the suggestion about the ramp Annie :teehee: ...I could suggest it to the OH. He'd have to jettison his ropes, large first aid kit, splint, bothy bag and all the other gear he always carried in his rucksack...hmmm. :wacko: I'd have to jettison my SLR to reduce the weight I'd be carrying ...hmmm. (w00t)