Greyhounds bring a certain type of joy into the home, each long dog bringing their own unique charm and kookiness. These gentle giants are widely misunderstood, and some of them have a complicated history, but with the right type of luff and care, a greyhound makes a lovely four-legged member of your fam. Whether youโre on the fence about becoming a greyhound foster home, you know someone whoโs been considering it, or youโve been trying to convince a friend to join you in the greyhound pawrent life, this article will help with the low-down of where, why and how to make it happen.
Reasons to adopt a greyhound
Greyhounds are widely over-bred, meaning there are many long dogs in need of a good home once they reach a certain age. This often happens before a doggo is five, meaning you can find a greyhound within the first few years of their life and give them a warm and welcoming home for many years to come.ย
Rescuing a dog is a beautiful thing to do, and thereโs no shortage of greyhounds looking for loving homes. But besides the chance to improve their lives and your own, here are some of the joys of greyhound ownership youโll come to know.
Derping
A greyhound will often sit around with their tongue hanging out, perfectly content. Derp!
Roaching
Have you ever seen a long boi on their back with all four quick-stix up in the air? Itโs a sight worth seeing! This is called roaching, itโs hilarious, and itโs a favourite past-time for greyhounds.
Zoomies
An extreme version of chasing your tail. Watching your doggo go round and round and round (and round and round) until they flop down to the floor is a sweet treat all of its own. So derpy.ย
Chatters
Now, this oneโs pretty cute. When a greyhound chatters their teeth together, itโs like doggy purring. They get so excited to show affection they canโt help but chatter their teeth. Chattering is like saying, โI luff arooโ, but please make sure theyโre not also shivering because theyโre a chilly billy!
Sleeps-a-lot
A common misconception is that greyhounds are a lot of work as a pet because they require a lot of exercise โ not true! Long dogs donโt have enough fat to store energy, so theyโre best built for sprinting, not long distances. They sleep for up to 18 hours a day, and one or two 30-minute walks or a few shorter sprints are often enough (thatโs less than some other common household dogs).
How to adopt a greyhound
ย Before you adopt a greyhound, you can try fostering. Most adoption organisations are always open to welcoming new foster pawrents into the network. As a foster carer youโll have access to guidance and support as you bring your greyhound into your home and help show them some luff until they move into a forever home or their next foster carer. You might find yourself with a โfoster failโ, where you just canโt give your doggo up, so they become a paw-menant family member. Or, you might have several long dogs enter your life as you foster again and again.ย
There are plenty of volunteer-run greyhound organisations across Australia that can help you get into fostering or adopting. When youโre ready to adopt, you will often get the chance to meet your doggo-to-be and speak with someone who can help you figure out if youโre all set up and ready for a four-legged addition to your life.ย ย
Where to adopt a greyhound
April each year in Australia is National Greyhound Adoption Month. You can learn more about where you can foster or adopt a greyhound (any time of year!) in our article about organisations that support greyhounds, but hereโs a list of names to start:
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VIC
NSW
QLD
TAS
WA
SA
Dress your greyhound for success
Weโre so excited for you to become a greyhound parent! When youโre ready to dress your snoot in the layers they need to stay warm n cosy, let us know โ we can help with all things greyhound fashion. Thank aroooo!