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~ Byrn the Greyhound~

We first met Bryn at a RATS open day at G&M Growers in May 2000, having already got two dogs we weren’t looking for another dog, but fell in love with this handsome Greyhound and were lucky enough to be able to take him home with us the same day. A better dog would be hard to find and from the outset he totally won us over. He walks well both on the lead and off the lead (unless he spots a rabbit of course!), and always comes when called, he is happy with whatever length walk we have the time to give, be it a short half hour or a special long walk. He is not a fussy eater accepting whatever is offered and his favourite hobby is sleeping – he does lots of that – usually sparked out on his back with his legs in the air! Having experienced the joy of Greyhound ownership I can’t imagine having any other breed. What is great is that from talking to other owners over the years it would appear that they all come from the same mould and have the same characteristics and laid back nature.

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Sadly Greyhounds have a tough time trying to find homes because of the misconceptions that people have, the main one being that because they race they need lots of exercise. This is not true – half an hour a couple of times a day is adequate. Bryn is lucky we have the time to take him out for longer than this, but is quite happy if we’re in a hurry with just a 20 minute walk.

People also think that because Greyhounds are muzzled when racing they must be vicious – this is not the case, they wear the muzzle so if they catch the hare they don’t get electrocuted!! I would however recommend that if re-homing a Greyhound you walk it wearing a muzzle until you have gauged how it reacts to small animals. Bryn has always recognised a small dog as being exactly that, but sees cats and rabbits as fair game! He is so good we don’t need to worry with a muzzle but each dog is different.

The advantages of Greyhounds are often overlooked. As they are exercised in large numbers, (you may have seen them, one person with about 10 dogs) they are excellently lead trained. They are also very obedient as at the end of the race the trainer expects his dog to come when called.

Greyhounds are extremely placid dogs, Bryn is very laid back – he can sleep absolutely anywhere, just last week he tried to conk out on the vets examining table! The vet actually explained that Greyhounds are used at veterinary training colleges as they will tolerate being prodded, poked and pulled about without batting an eyelid. They are also excellent to use for giving blood transfusions as they will stand still for the duration of the procedure.

In owning a Greyhound you are joining an exclusive club – if a fellow Greyhound owner spots you they just have to come and have a chat. The dogs always recognise a fellow Greyhound too and usually say hello much more enthusiastically than with any other breed of dog – strange but true!

The best thing of all is that they absorb love like a sponge and return it ten fold. Go on – give a Greyhound a home – I guarantee that once you’ve had one you’ll start a collection!

Anne Flint

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