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I like that you are doing your research and not just going on looks alone.
I also ditto a retired racer. Sighthounds don't tend to be that smart, but sweet, affectionate, 60 mph couch potatoes. Plus greyhounds are really cool looking and come in a huge variety of coat colors. Known health issues are bloat and poor dentition.
Very generally, most terriers, herding or working breeds tend to be smart and high-energy (meaning they need quite a bit of mental and physical exercise or they're likely to get neurotic, destructive or noisy and generally more challenging to own) plus any dog with a double coat is going to = shedding, especially in spring and fall. A good diet and a quick daily brushing really helps keep the dog hair factor down, though.
Also consider the barky factor, especially in a condo. Which is going to rule out most of your herding dogs....!
I personally have zero problem with docking tails, prefer natural ears but don't think it's cruel. We do all sorts of fairly invasive things to our dogs, or train/restrict them from doing what they really want to do, mostly for our own convenience and preferences. (Docking a tail is vastly less invasive and life-altering than spaying and neutering,) crate- and leash-training, bathing, nails, doing ears etc can be difficult, even traumatic for a dog, but they're all good things to do.
I do have a Rottweiler with an intact tail though, which I rather like.
I live in a condo in DC and recently adopted a rescue dog. I went through the same process throughout the winter/spring to decide on the right dog.
I also work 9-5, no kids, active (runner) and like to be outdoors. I was going thru Homeward Trails Animal Rescue to find a dog. We got our Daisy in June.
I have a cat, so Priority One was that the dog would not terrorize my cat.
After that, we considered the following:
Barking - I want to be a good neighbor, so no small barky dog or dog who would bark when alone. I made sure to ask every foster how would the dog be if left alone because I can't take a second dog to keep her company.
Age - I set a minimum age of 3, no upper limit. I can't handle a puppy, nor could my mellow 9 y.o. cat, I assumed. I'm not home all day, so can't take the puppy outside every hour until she'd learn to hold it and I didn't want to be cleaning up pee every day. I budgeted for a dog walker for midday breaks, though. Daisy is 5-6 y.o. and came to us housebroken.
Size - I needed to have a dog big enough so she couldn't get through a cat door (into the litter box room), but small enough that I could handle. I'm a small woman and probably couldn't hold back a 100-lb dog if she wanted
to pull me somewhere. We got the perfect medium-size dog, 45-50 lbs.
Energy level - I read that you should get a dog who is at your same energy level or lower. The ideal would be a dog who is energetic outdoors (for running, hiking), but a couch potato indoors. Those dogs are out there, as long as they get that outdoor exercise and/or are not too young.
We erred on the side of mellow indoors, because of the issues of space and not freaking out my cat, mainly. In the end, we probably could handle a dog with more energy b/c we actually wish our Daisy would go longer outdoors.
Socialization - I wanted a dog who was alright with other dogs, if possible, because I can't go a block without running into another dog, but I was willing to work on this if necessary. As it turned out, our Daisy is great with other dogs, but afraid of men, so we're working on that.
Grooming - I didn't want a dog that needed haircuts at a groomer. We brush and trim our cat's nails and that's about all I'm willing to do with a dog.
Breed - I didn't care about the breed at all or what the dog looked like.
The one thing I forgot to consider was the shedding factor. Our Daisy is a huge shedder and we just can't keep up with it, so we've resigned ourselves to having a furry apartment for the next 6-8 years. Our apartment is half hardwood and half carpeting. We can't vacuum enough. I hoping she sheds less once cooler temps are here.
The process of getting Daisy included reading the rescue's website regularly using the limits mentioned above to narrow down the choices. We visited adoption events to meet some of the prospects and talk with the fosters. We took a lot of dogs for a lot of walks at these events. We considered a few dogs, but then after following up with some questions for the foster, either ruled out the dog or we were ruled out by the rescue.
Then we met Daisy. With follow up visits with her at the foster's place, we got more questions answered, took her for more walks, and felt a connection with her. The foster had her cat-tested at two different homes and also came for a home visit to us.
The people at the rescue said it would happen that way: Narrow down your choices with important considerations about your life and home, meet a lot of dogs, and there will be one that sticks in your head and heart. She or he is the one!
When I initially set off in search of a dog, I was focusing on Beagles and Jack Russells. I understand now, that these may not be a good choice for condos.
Have you ever heard a beagle bay? You probably do NOT want to be sharing walls with neighbors if you have a beagle you plan on leaving alone. They tend to NOT prefer long stretches of time alone, and this is when baying, barking, and howling can be a problem.
Our adopted dog is a beagle mix, and while he actually rarely howls, when he does, it makes me glad that there is space between our house and our neighbors'. Beagles are also very tenacious about getting into things, and very food-motivated, which increases their likelihood of getting into foodstuffs that you think is securely stored away. So if you don't plan to crate, you'd be asking to come home to frequent messes.
No personal experience with owning bassets, but we have two who live next door...being hounds, they also have the baying factor to contend with...not that we mind, but condo neighbors might.
Don't get a puppy if you work out of the home and will be gone in too long of stretches to maintain a realistic housetraining schedule, re: poop/pee breaks.
Thank you for considering saving a greyhound or shelter dog. In my book, you rock. Also, thank you for doing your homework before jumping in and getting the "adorable" dog that does not fit you, your lifestyle or home. With that said...
Keep in mind greyhounds are sprinters, not great long distence runners. My niece and her family rescued "Bentley" a greyhound and he enjoys going for walks in the park with her and the kids, on occasion he will "trot" with her. He will run with her husband (short distances) and is a huge couch potato! It is to her disappointment because she is a runner and wanted a running partner, he will only "trot."
Now, Bentley is great with the kids, two and four. Everyone love him, he loves everyone. They got an absolutely wonderful dog and would not trade him in for anything. She just did not get her running partner. However, I wonder...if her husband had been a runner, would Bentley be his running partner? (I mentioned short distances earlier because her husband is not a runner, so I am not sure who stops first, the husband or the dog, lol!!!)
One thing about Greyhounds, being originally desert dogs with practically zero body fat and very thin coats, they'll need to be bundled up to go outside during winter if you live in a colder climate.
And as TabulaRasa says...look to the original purpose of the dog for a clue to its general traits. Some hunting dogs (eg beagles) were bred to work in packs, not alone....so in general they don't do well by themselves. Unlike, say, a livestock guardian breed like a Pyrenese, which was bred to work alone primarily, guarding flocks. And yah, many hounds are fairly vocal, some are bred in part for good voice so the owner/hunter can locate them when they have prey treed or run to ground.
As long as you're considering an adult, pre-owned dog, getting one from a rescue that has them in foster homes is great. Usually foster "parents" are fairly dog-savvy and since the dog has been living in someone's home and interacting perhaps with people, kids, and other pets, the foster person should be able to give you a pretty honest assessment of the dog's general temperament.
I completely agree that a Greyhound really is a great idea, especially one that you will rescue. However, if possible, I would consider adopting two, together, who can keep one another company during the day while you are gone.
It can be stressful for a shelter dog--especially one that has been neglected, like a lot of racing Greyhounds--to relocate to a new home, only to have his/her owner leave him/her alone all day, with no companionship; a second dog will help to ease that stress and will increase overall longevity. And maybe get a dogwalker to check in on them and take them out during the day while you are at work.
The only thing about Greyhounds is that they have very high prey drives, so I wouldn't ever consider getting a cat or other small mammal (the fish should be fine ), especially if you decide to get a pair of them.
But, honestly, they are beautiful dogs with wonderful temperaments. I have considered rescuing one myself, but I have a cat.
Thanks for the feedback all. Over the last couple days, I have been visiting a few shelters to get a feel of some breeds and size. I was actually surprised by some by the size of breeds that I had originally thought to be small (thanks to living with a chihuahua.) It's also kind of sad how they majority of shelter dogs are pits or pit mixes.
Lately, I've been on the fence regarding greyhounds. I need to visit some of the local (located in MD) greyhound adoption events to get a real feel for the dog. From my understanding, they are kind of a large breed dog (despite their elegant shape.) I'm a little unsure about keeping a 70-80lb dog in a condo, and don't really know about keeping two of them.
Thanks for the feedback all. Over the last couple days, I have been visiting a few shelters to get a feel of some breeds and size. I was actually surprised by some by the size of breeds that I had originally thought to be small (thanks to living with a chihuahua.) It's also kind of sad how they majority of shelter dogs are pits or pit mixes.
Lately, I've been on the fence regarding greyhounds. I need to visit some of the local (located in MD) greyhound adoption events to get a real feel for the dog. From my understanding, they are kind of a large breed dog (despite their elegant shape.) I'm a little unsure about keeping a 70-80lb dog in a condo, and don't really know about keeping two of them.
Off to do more research...
Well, depending on the square footage, two might be a lot--not b/c of an inadequate space for the dogs, but b/c you might feel a little overwhelmed with suddenly sharing your space with two large dogs.
However, it really is a myth that a large dog needs a large, indoor living space. As long as you have a good amount of green space around your condo on which you can take them for walks and play, it doesn't really matter how large your condo is.
I have a GSD and a cat and my apartment is about 900sf. I could easily get another dog; in fact, there is a couple downstairs with the same size apartment who has two labs.
However, it all depends on what you are most comfortable with; do whatever you feel you can best manage at this point in your life. It is by no means necessary that you adopt two dogs at the same time.
Thanks for the feedback all. Over the last couple days, I have been visiting a few shelters to get a feel of some breeds and size. I was actually surprised by some by the size of breeds that I had originally thought to be small (thanks to living with a chihuahua.) It's also kind of sad how they majority of shelter dogs are pits or pit mixes.
Lately, I've been on the fence regarding greyhounds. I need to visit some of the local (located in MD) greyhound adoption events to get a real feel for the dog. From my understanding, they are kind of a large breed dog (despite their elegant shape.) I'm a little unsure about keeping a 70-80lb dog in a condo, and don't really know about keeping two of them.
Off to do more research...
Smaller female Greyhounds start at 40-something pounds, not really that large! As you know that is relative....I've had Rottweilers for almost three decades so anything 80 lbs and smaller is "medium" sized to me. And my 25 lb dog is teensy, because she's the smallest dog I have ever owned.
At least your shelters put pits and pit mixes up for adoption. Here in Michigan, most shelters just kill them.
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Plus greyhounds are really cool looking and come in a huge variety of coat colors. Known health issues are bloat and poor dentition.
living in a condo with a dog
