Greyhound Care

The Greyhound: tall, long and slim, incredibly athletic, normally sensitive--and the fastest dog breed on the planet. Greys, as they're often called for short, are usually calm and even lazy indoors, but are as quick as lightning once they're out on open ground. Overall Greyhound care will take some work, and will need to include a lot of daily exercise, some careful diet monitoring--and of course, plenty of TLC!

Below you'll find plenty of details on caring for a Greyhound: puppy care and development, exercise needs, diet and nutrition, and general Greyhound maintenance are all covered--and lots of other Greyhound help and info is included as well. Get answers to your questions about looking after a Greyhound in the following sections!

Do Greyhounds need a lot of exercise? Though not super-energetic, these dogs are exceptionally athletic--so Greyhound exercise requirements are extensive. Greyhound muscle isn't abundant, but what muscle is there is very well-formed, so Greys will need a variety of activities that work out their "running" muscles: walking (or jogging and bicycling), fetch, and canine sports are some good examples.

Just how much exercise does a Greyhound need? Adults will need 60-90 minutes of dedicated exercise each day. You can start exercising your Greyhound puppy when it's 3-3½ months old by taking it on short walks, then you can increase the walks' length as the pup grows.

Precautions with Greyhound exercise:

• Don't exercise puppies too hard before they're 12 months old
• High prey drive means a leash is a must when exercising outdoors
• Yards must be securely fenced to keep the dog from running off
• High separation anxiety; exercises should be done with people
• Will get cold easily; don't exercise in freezing temps
• Prone to bloat; wait an hour between exercise and feeding, and vice versa

Exercising your Grey every day is a must. Without consistent activity, these dogs will become anxious, disobedient, and destructive--so regular exercise will be great for both the dog's and your own peace of mind! Some exercise ideas:

• Walking/Jogging/Bicycling: Two 30-minute walks (or 20-minute jogs or bike rides) per day is a good target
• Fetch/Frisbee: Greys usually love chasing a ball, stick, or Frisbee
• Hide-and-Seek: Great indoor activity; give the dog a treat when it finds you
• Dog Park: Greys normally enjoy the company of other dogs
• Canine Sports: These dogs are fantastic competitors in agility trials, lure coursing, and other events
• Hiking: Excellent bonding activity

When indoors, balls or toys will allow your Grey to burn any excess energy. It's also good to have a regular exercise schedule for the dog, such as walks, jogs, or bike rides in the morning and evening and playtime in the afternoon.

In terms of general maintenance, these dogs need moderate to frequent care. Greyhound shedding is fair year-round, and drooling can be a regular issue.

Greys have short, smooth coats that shed moderately all year long. Owners can brush their Greys a couple of times per week with a grooming glove to keep the Greyhound dog from shedding a lot, and hair cleanup--vacuuming the floors, and lint rollers on clothes and furniture--will only be required occasionally.

And a Greyhound may drool in anticipation of food, after drinking water, or when especially excited or nervous. Owners can keep spare rags or towels in rooms where the dog spends time to use to clean up excess slobber--and if your Greyhound is drooling excessively, tie a bandanna or towel around the dog's neck to keep its chest and neck from getting dirty and stinky from the drool.

The Greyhound diet will need to include animal proteins and healthy carbs, vitamins and minerals, and omega fatty acids--nutrients every dog needs to maintain its health in the long term. This means the best Greyhound dog food is premium dry kibble, as it has balanced portions of the above-listed ingredients.

Just how much does a Greyhound eat? Adults will need about 3½ cups of dry food per day, divided into two meals. Greyhound puppy food portions are smaller: depending on the pup's age, about 2¼ cups per day, divided into three meals (not two) until six months old.

For more info on feeding a Greyhound, see the Greyhound feeding chart below.

(A NOTE ABOUT BLOAT: Deep-chested breeds like the Greyhound are prone to gastric torsion, aka bloat, which occurs when a dog's stomach fills with air when it "wolfs" its food; bloat often happens when a dog eats just before or after exercising. Owners are strongly encouraged to allow an hour between any exercise and feeding to avoid bloat from occurring.)

*--Around this time, transition to adult food by mixing in adult formula wit the puppy formula, in slowly increasing amounts with each meal, for one week.

Try if possible to stick to the above-listed amounts. If constantly overfed (and under-exercised), Greys will quickly become overweight--and a fat Greyhound dog will have numerous health problems. You can help control your Grey's weight by having consistent feeding and exercise schedules, by not feeding the dog table scraps (and easy on the Greyhound treats!), and by not leaving food in the Greyhound food bowls all the time.

If you're worried your Greyhound is overweight, try this test: run a hand along the dog's side, and if you can't easily feel any ribs, it's diet time--which means less Greyhound food, and more exercise!

A majority of veterinarians, breeders, and owners agree that the best dog food for Greyhounds is premium dry kibble, as it has the necessary nutrients to sustain your Grey's health--ingredients that most cheap, generic dog foods simply lack. While some believe the best food for a Greyhound is a "raw" diet consisting of fresh meats, fruits and veggies, eggs, and other protein sources, premium dry food is the most popular and sensible choice.

The best Greyhound dog food is the kind formulated for active breeds. Royal Canin, SportMix, and Dr. Tim's are three recommended brands that carry excellent lines of high-energy foods.

The Greyhound is definitely an inside breed. While these dogs will need a lot of outdoor time to stretch those limber legs, they'll be much happier living indoors with the human family members they love so much! And Greyhounds in apartments just aren't a good match. Since they're fairly large and need lots of room to run, Greyhounds as apartment dogs will be far too confined, and will probably turn destructive.

Another consideration for owners of a Greyhound: temperature. Breed members will be fine in hot weather, but a Greyhound in winter will get cold very easily. Overall, these dogs are best suited for life in warmer climates. Regardless, owners will probably need to stock up on a few Greyhound coats for winter!