Where does HOH/GPA Central Oklahoma get greyhounds?
There are multiple greyhound farms scattered throughout the state that hold dogs waiting for a foster home. We also receive greyhounds from tracks out of state once they have retired. As soon as one of our dogs is adopted, we fill the spot in the foster home with a new dog.
Are greyhounds good with children?
Most greyhounds are very good with children as long as they are supervised. Often times, it is the child who needs to be trained in interacting with the dog, not the other way around! We recommend you read the book “Childproofing Your Dog” by Brian Kilcommons to prepare you for bringing any dog into a home with children.
Why do you have required reading?
Most of our greyhounds have never been in a home before they came to Hounds of the Heartland. The books help you to understand where these dogs have been and all the new experiences ahead of them so you will be better able to help them make the transition from farm or track to your home. You will also learn the history of the breed as well as many interesting facts to know about your greyhound.
Are greyhounds good with other dogs?
A greyhound is born and raised with sometimes 50-100s of other greyhounds so they naturally get along very well. But, like other dogs, they can have very dominant or passive personalities so this can be addressed when we are selecting the appropriate dog for your family. We invite you to bring your dog to our show & tell event to see their interaction with a specific dog. When your new greyhound is decided upon we can also have the dogs meet and get to know each other.
Is it true that greyhounds cannot live in homes with cats or small dogs?
Many of our adoptable greyhounds are cat and/or small dog safe and we will work with you to find the right greyhound for your family situation. It is true that some greyhounds have too strong a prey drive to live in peace with small creatures, but in many cases they can be very compatible.
What is a martingale collar?
A martingale collar is a type of collar that fits snugly around the neck of the greyhound when they are on leash. The basic premise is that since the greyhound’s head is smaller than its neck this will keep them from backing out of the collar. Greyhounds can easily back out of a single diameter collar. They might attempt to do this when scared or just to take off after that plastic bag blowing down the street. Hounds of the Heartland requires you use a martingale collar on your greyhound and we give you one when you adopt your greyhound.
Why can’t I let my greyhound off its leash?
Greyhounds are sighthounds. Generally this means sight is their primary sense and to say it takes over their whole being at times cannot be stressed enough. As they can see clearly up to half a mile away, they may see something that you can’t and they will take off after it without a second thought. If they are not on leash this could mean they would run right out in to traffic. Greyhounds are natural born runners, and no amount of training will break them of that trait.
What kind of leash do you recommend?
When you adopt your new family member, they will come with a simple nylon martingale collar & leash. The leashes we use are 4 feet long and we recommend a leash be no longer than this so you always have nearby control over your greyhound. We require that you NOT use a retractible leash for your greyhound for two reasons: 1) the line is very thin and can break in certain circumstances and 2) there is no way to wrap the handle around your wrist for added protection. If you accidentally drop the plastic handle it will fall to the ground and immediately begin reeling in the line and chasing down your dog, usually scaring them and causing them to run from it.
Do I need a fenced yard to adopt a greyhound from HOH?
We are happy to adopt to families with no fenced backyard, but you must commit to taking your dog out on a leash at all times, as stated above. We are also happy to adopt to those who live in apartments. Unless the greyhound is uncharacteristically active, they are quite content as apartment pets. An invisible fence will not contain a greyhound. As a sighthound, if a greyhound sees something to chase on the other side of the fence, they will run right right through it and not even feel the zap until they are already across the street. An invisible fence also does not prevent other animals from entering your yard. A greyhound is a thin-skinned dog without a heavy, protective coat and is no match for an aggressive dog that has escaped its own fence and come looking for a fight. For this reason, we do not adopt to homes with invisible fences. Barbed wire is also not an approved method of fencing. Generally a 4’ fence is perfectly acceptable for a greyhound and anything taller is a bonus.
What is a “Belly Band?”
A belly band (usually made of cotton material with Velcro to hold it on) is a band for male dogs that deters them from marking in the house. Sometimes when we get a new foster greyhound in they may mark so the band wraps around and has an absorbent pad on the inside to keep them from marking on furniture, etc. We suggest people put a maxi pad on the inside so they can change that out rather than having to wash the belly band repeatedly.
Why are a greyhound’s ears tattooed?
Both ears on a greyhound are tattooed. The right ear has two numbers and a letter. The first number is the month of their birth and the second number is the year of their birth within the past decade. The letter encodes litter order. It starts with A and the letter indicates the order of birth in the litter. The left ear can be up to a six digit code that has the greyhound’s litter number. This number is the same for all puppies in that litter. A greyhound must be registered with the National Greyhound Association in order to race.
Why do you bring dogs to show & tell events that are not available for adoption?
Our volunteers are encouraged to bring their own well-behaved dogs to our show & tell events to show how wonderful owning a greyhound can be. We love to show off their gentle and kind nature and allow the public to interact with them. More often than not, a person is surprised to see how calm, quiet, and friendly they are and become more interested in adopting a greyhound.
What does the $400 adoption fee cover?
In addition to many years of love and happiness, your adoption fee covers your greyhound’s spay/neuter procedure, vaccinations, dental cleaning, heartworm test & preventative, ID tag and matching martingale collar & leash.
Can I adopt a greyhound that has not been spayed or neutered?
No. Once a greyhound is retired from the track or farm, they are not to be used for breeding purposes, so they are spayed and neutered once in an adoption group.
How old are your retired greyhounds usually?
We usually receive our greyhounds between the ages of 18 months – 5 years. A greyhound can only legally race until the age of 5. If a greyhound has raced their full 5 years, they may be used for breeding and can be older than 5 years old. They have a life span of 12 to 14 years.
What if I can no longer keep my greyhound?
If you are not able to keep your greyhound, we ask in our adoption agreement that you return your greyhound to the group to be adopted again. The adoption fee is non-refundable.
Do you make a profit on the adoption fee?
No. In fact, we take a loss with each greyhound that is adopted out. It costs more to vet and care for a foster greyhound than we make on our adoption fee. We make up the difference with donations from the public. It is a labor of love and worth all of our efforts!
Do greyhounds required a lot of exercise?
It is a common misconception that greyhounds need to be exercised constantly because they are bred to race. They enjoy daily walks and a quick run in the backyard, but most of the time they just want to be couch potatoes. If you want to run with your leashed greyhound, it is good to slowly work them up to longer runs because they are built to sprint very short distances, not long, slow-paced jogs. HoH has reading material with suggestions for training your greyhound to jog with you.