Hi all,

I have been reading through a few of your posts - it has amazed me how kind you all are and how dedicated to your lovely greyhounds you are!

Myself and my husband have both grown up with dogs all our lives and so are always mulling over getting on ourselves. We go through the usual 'is it too expensive?', 'is it too much work?' etc etc etc etc! and keep going full circle.

We both agree that if we do decide to get a dog, a rescue dog is what we would do. And, more so, a greyhound/whippet/lurcher!

I suppose i'm just here looking for some advice and questions answered if possible please?!

What are the costs involved? (insurance, food, vet bills etc)
How are theses breeds with children/babies? (we will be starting a family in 3-4 years time)
How long an they be left alone in a house?

Thanks in advance

Hi,

There is a lot to consider when taking on a dog, some of which you've listed. Starting with costs (the easy bit) you'll need the following;

Bedding some poeple use an old duvet and duvet cover, others let the dog use the sofa or their bed, others buy a good quality dog bed. It's your choice.
Lead, collar and tag you will get a good quality non-slip collar if you adopt from GRF which I recommend you use, and a lead. You may want a diffent lead - lots of options out there (but please don't use one of those retractable ones as they will jolt the dogs neck when the reel runs out) . You'll also need a tag - cheap enough.
Dog coat you should get your dog a good quality waterproof winter coat. We also have summer light weight waterproof coats.
Food we use a dry mixer food with a tin of dog food. For our two we spend no more than £20 a month on mixer, and about £25 a month on tinned food.
Insurance you can get insurance from just under £10 a dog, but be aware that your vet might want you pay up front and then you claim back the costs
Vets fees If you're lucky you'll only ever need to pay for an annual booster. You may need to have your dog neutered - call your local vet for an estimate. If you're unlucky you might be back and forth to the vet like a yoyo, and it could be a minor cost (less than the insurance cost) or something you can claim under the insurance (obviously less any excess, but be aware that the cheaper the policy the lower the claim limits). As your dog gets older they are more likely to need more regular attention from the vet, and insurance premiums are likely to rise.

Your other questions are more difficult and will vary from dog to dog. I've found our current two, and our last two, very tolerant of young children BUT you should never leave your dog alone with young children. Some dogs suffer terribly from seperation anxiety, others take in their stride. We've always had two dogs together as company for each other, although some dogs prefer their own company.

Taking on a dog or two is a huge life long commitment to that animal, both emotionally and financially. The rewards, however, far outweigh the costs. If you're still interested (and I hope i haven't put you off!!!) I think your best bet is to consider these points, think about how regularly (and how long) the dog will be left alone in the house, and then pick up the phone and have a chat with Jimmy and Celia - you'll find evenings are the best time

Hi

I agree wholeheartedly with the advice Steve gave and would agree with the costs etc.

We adopted our greyhound, Ace about 15 months ago. He does suffer from seperation anxiety if we leave him, my husband works at home so its not often he is left but sometimes we have to for shopping etc. We have left him 5 hours on very odd occasions and he has been brilliant, no mess, but obviously this depends on the dog.

A couple of walks a day (not long ones, he wont do more than a couple of miles at the most) and he is happy.

As for children, we dont have any but he has met some friends kids and been good with them, but as Steve said, you should never trust any dog, big or small, with children unsupervised. I dont think Ace would hurt anyone, but would never take the risk, but thats the same with any dog, not necessarily greyhounds.

I do wish we had room for another one, but our place is just not big enough.

I hope you will consider rehoming a Greyhound if you do decide to get a dog. They are so loyal, and beautiful animals and deserve a forever home. Celia and Jimmy are the experts, they are brilliant at matching the right dog to the right people so if you do decide to take it further, please do give them a ring.

Good luck

Karen, Pat and Ace

Thank you both for your great advice! Its great to hear first hand from owners.

I would love to re-home a greyhound - they are beautiful animals and feel strongly about not getting a puppy. My parents dog is a lurcher x and love her so much.

I would never leave children etc alone with a dog (any dog). I was also wondering about the extra 'work' involved in a baby and a dog. Does anyone have experience of this??

Our main concern is leaving the dog alone when we are working. My job is completely flexible. I can work any time between 8am and 4pm, as long as I am in the office between 10am - 12pm and 2pm - 4pm. At the moment, I also live close enough to go home a few times a week on lunch break. HOWEVER, this will not always be the case!

Its so frustrating! I would love a dog and feel we could offer it a loving, safe home. But, would never want it to be at the cost of a dogs happiness.....