10 Things I DON’T Like about Dogs (and why I have Greyhounds)
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- čas přidán 17. 12. 2022
- Hi, I’m Steph! A DIYer, author, and podcast host. I live in Tallahassee, FL with my two adopted greyhounds. Both are retired racers adopted from Greyhounds as Pets in Jacksonville, FL.
I adopted Mac in 2018, and she was born 2014. I adopted Tosh in 2020, and she was born 2017.
Together they are Mac & Tosh (yes, that is a reference to my favorite computer, the Macintosh)!
Every greyhound is different and I am just sharing my experience with my greyhounds. This is for entertainment purposes.
”Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies" is a great resource for greyhound knowledge (affiliate link): amzn.to/3RFOEAs
I make DIY videos @MotherDaughterProjectsDIY
Check out my memoir, Discovering My Scars by Stephanie Kostopoulos: amzn.to/2O4U5dh
I co-host the Discovering Our Scars Podcast, where we have honest conversations about things that make us different. Listen on all podcast platforms: bio.link/dospod
Join my newsletter for latest podcast and vlog: www.stephaniekostopoulos.com/
On greyhounds being guard dogs. Years ago (90s) I was told about a woman living in NYC who wanted a guard dog but fell in love with greyhounds, and what she did was adopt a 90 lb black male. Greyhounds have an impressive bark, and big males especially with the resonance from a deep chest. The dog loved everybody and when someone would walk towards them on the sidewalk, he was always very excited. She trained the dog to bark if she tugged on his lead and said, "NO KILL!" So if she didn't like the look of who was walking down the street towards her, she would start yanking on the dog's lead, and he's excited to see someone coming, and she's shouting "NO KILL! NO KILL!!" and he's barking like mad because it's a funny game.
Needless to say, anyone walking down the street switched sidewalks or turned around with 90 pounds of black dog jumping up and down and barking while his owner is yanking on the lead shouting "NO KILL!"
Feggin' brilliant, that one.
Wow, that's awesome!
haha I love that story! :)
I've had lots of crossbreed dogs all my life but my last 2 dogs were retired racing greyhounds...the best companions ever! I took my female grey on a backpacking trip with me once. While we were sitting around the campfire a man approached me from behind. Kenya jumped up, growled and ran to my side. I'm not sure if she was frightened or if she was actually protecting me but, without a word, the man turned and walked away into the dark. I was was so grateful that she was there with me.
Yes! Love that.
They can be great protectors. People don’t always know this about them.
Pretty much spot on. When I first got married, my wife wanted a pitbull. I wanted a pair of Siamese cats. We got greyhounds. Ended up with two. Highly recommended to get at least two if possible. Great dogs. After 8 hounds over the years, it's going to be hard not to have one. We had them with cats, they got along fine.
Thanks for the info about the cats. I have had 30 dogs over the years with cats and was able to get them to be fine with my cats. Have friends in greyhound rescue urging me to adopt a couple of greyhounds after my 2 elderly border collies pass. Wasn't sure after she said they hate cats.
I suffered from depression for many years, until I adopted my first dog. Getting out of the house and walking with him every day was a miracle cure, for me. I occasionally have rough times still, like anyone, but walking with my dog (my current dog is, I think, a greyhound mix) always makes me feel better! 🥰
A couple of things a prospective greyhound owner may want to keep in mind is they may have teach the dog to do stairs and understand they can never allow the dog to go off leash outside of a fenced in area and give it time to understand it's a family member.
Also doors. Kennel bred hounds may not know what a door is, so when you shut it, it just becomes part of the wall. Stairs are cool though, I love teaching hounds about stairs!
And to be careful at dogs parts. Greys don't have the "fight or flight" reaction. People think they are so tuff the way they look when they race. They are such buttercups....except when they see that squirrel.
Can I just say that I’m on my third greyhound. I NEVER (almost never) have them on a lead. It’s perfectly possible to teach them. They aren’t like ordinary dogs in lots of ways. But with common sense and patience they can learn exactly like any dog
I have a Grey, Emma Jane. We adopted her in 2019 she was almost 5. She was right off the track. I have 3 cats, one which is a 13 week kitten, another dog, 5lbs. and a snake. Emma is a wonderful family companion.
I'm not a dog person. I'm a greyhound(and cat) person and greyhounds, or similar sighthounds, are the only dog breed that I'll ever own. I've had my grey for 3 years and my galgo for almost 1 year and they are, for most of the reasons you pointed out, so unique from the majority of other breeds.
Hi any noticeable differences between the greyhound and galgo? I’d like to support the save the galgo mission but I’ve heard it might take a more experienced owner for galgos
I have been adopting greys for 20 yrs. On my 4th one now. They are the best pets ever. They require patience and lots of love. But they will return that love 100 times over
Our family has included greyhounds for the last 28 years, I hope to have the privilege of their company for the next 28
I currently have to female Grey's myself and everything you said is absolutely true! I've had Greyhounds since the Spring of 2000 and immediately fell in love with the breed! The only health issue that I've encountered over the past 23 years is I've had two that have developed bone cancer and I had two females that developed kidney disease! But I won't be without a Greyhound in my house, no matter what the risks!! I LOVE'EM!!!!!
None of my greys have ever hated cats. My greys have always been very vocal though, lots of roos, barks and grunts.
our best pup was a lurcher - 1/2 greyhound 1/2 something?, bellalini was a 100lb. greyhound/shephard, she she was smart, sweet, fast, faster, protective, she hated coyotes and would run them into the bramble but loved kittens, could roll herself into the tidiest package and there was nothing lazier than her. she went to retirement homes often where she was so smooth and loved the attention.
I have never had an animal of my own, but have looked after them (mainly cat sitting) for over 15 years. I am now a dog walker. In my experience, all dogs and cats are potential emotional support animals. When I pick up a dog for a walk and it enthusiastically greets me, or when a cat purrs when I stroke it, or when it comes to sit on my lap, it really lifts my spirit.
I so relate to you in most of these points. I've never had a dog myself, but I am researching now to find the right breed.
Thanks for a relatable video, and wishing you the best!
Despite the barks, they look very gentle , am I correct? Very pretty angelic looking hounds
Being handicapped my first dog…..ex-racing Greyhound! The most perfect dog in the world. I also became a volunteer bringing Greyhounds to my part of the world for adoption. I love them so much. ❤❤❤
Any dog with FUR is going to shed. Dogs with HAIR (poodles, Shih Tzus, etc) have hair that grows continuously, like humans. But they must be groomed regularly! Dogs with oily coats (Labs, etc) will smell more than other dogs.
As far as barking, every Chow Chow I have had only barked when it was important (intruder, etc). I did have 1 Chow that squealed like a pig and jumped up and down when either I would come home or someone she really liked came over. I have a Chihuahua now and he's pretty quiet.
Most people don't realize that greyhounds and whippets have 2 speeds: Cheetah (running fast) and zero (couch potato). And I love your greyhound!
I love this!! I just adopted a retired racer three weeks ago ❤❤
This is a great video, thanks for sharing. I rescued my Greyhound on my way home one day when she ran out into the road when I was coming home. I stopped the truck and she jumped right in lay down and went to sleep. She was 6-7 months old and what a handful. I actually thought about turning her into a rescue when she killed one of my chickens, but I didn't like that she would go into a kennel situation and be fed a low quality diet. Plus my good friend took her for a while and she loves him but wouldn't eat. Coming back home and she eats great. He took her again just recently when he went back on the road trucking and she loves it, but again wouldn't eat. Back home and eating great again. But now she's so different, the aggression is gone,she has settled down and she listens so much better. For quite a while I was getting concerned for the safety of my little Maltese, cat and she had actually growled at me. Plus she's an escape artist and needs to be kept on a tie out. She's about 31/2 yo now and when she came home again she's like a different dog than she was a month ago. I was keeping her on a short lead inside about 5' away from me and my lounging space because she was getting so territorial towards the other animals. I have a Golden retriever and an Anatolian Pyrenees. I wanted a Golden because I wanted a dog that was just the opposite of Willow my Greyhound. And she is, she's been so easy to train as has my Sierra, and is SOoo lovable. I have my Anatolian Pyrenees for protection because we live out in the middle of nowhere in Bear, mountain lion and coyote country. In fact her mother just recently saved one of her owners from a mountain lion attack. Sierra and Scarlet just had their first big job of keeping the coyotes away while Willow was on the truck with my friend. Sierra is just six months old now and she came from a small working farm where she had some initial training from her parents how to be a guard dog, she was almost five months old and had spent her whole short life outside so she wasn't sure about being inside, but loves it now. All of my dogs mostly have the choice to be inside or out, except when it's raining. Then it's out for a potty break and then right back inside. I have a fenced in yard that they can play in. I can have Willow inside now just loose with the rest of us now which is great. She's right here next to me on their bed all curled up with the other two girls. Oh and BTW she loves my cat Alex. He just adores his girls and holds their head in his paws and cleans their faces . And she doesn't bark at him while trying to get to him outside the fence anymore. It's as though a lightbulb moment made her realize that if she wanted to live here there were rules she had to follow and she has accepted me as head of the pack. We both have learned a lot on this journey of ours and I'm glad I stuck it out. Would I adopt another Greyhound? Yes, but I would want an older one. All 3 of my girls were older so I didn't have to house train them as they were all outside girls when I got them and just automatically wanted to potty outside so that was a huge plus since I have raised and trained a lot of puppies and didn't want that job. I'm 65 and retired, I'm with my dogs all the time. We live in an old 1960 airstream and it works great for us. The whole living area floor is the dogs bed with a twin bed on floor surrounded by pillows on one side and My vegetable plant shelves on the other. I don't let Willow up on my bed because of the territorial issue but she is fine on the floor next to me. Sorry for such a long post, I hope you don't mind but I really wanted to share our journey.
Thanks for sharing!
My dog is half whippet and hald Canaan terrier. She has all the characteristics of a greyhound. She's super smart and gets along with everyone and not as sensitive as a pure breed whippet. Best dog ever 😊
this video made me so happy they really are the most wonderful dogs in the world. ive had at least 1 for my entire life and never had any other breed so I kind of took for granted how easy and magical they are until I started working with other dogs and saw all of the possible issues that just don't exist with greys. its like impossible to get any other breed after you own a greyhound LOL!
and the point about them really helping with depression is so beyond true. there's just something about being around them that brings such a sense of inner calm and peace its hard to describe
even though i already know most of the info about greyhound in your videos- i freakin love your content! you are a pleasure to watch and have a lovely, calming voice. so glad i found this channel!
edit: i know EXACTLY what you meant with greys helping with depression. i simply look at mine and smile. they do the goofiest things to make me laugh! if i’m having a bad day, nothing helps me more than a long snuggle with one of my greys. they bring so much happiness. 💜
Really fantastic video! I'm looking into adopting a greyhound myself, and you're really reassuring me that it's the right breed for me
Love your videos and your dogs! I've had my current two hounds since 2016, both boys, Oshkosh Imperial (10) and Chef Thomas (8). We live in WPB but I'm a native of Tallahassee!
Very insightful video! Discovering the greyhound! I never knew some of these thing about them ❤❤❤❤❤
Aww give them some kisses for making me smile! I enjoy watching the greyhounds play together too, thank you. Wonderful video!
Perfect dogs. I have one tiny female whippet and two male Whippet x iggy's. I love all the sight hound breeds.
Greyhounds make the best ever pets. If you don't like one that licks you wouldn't like ours, nobody, and I mean nobody, gets past him without a hand or leg lick, and if you encourage him further your face will also receive a good pasting!
Great video! We have a whippet and he's just like your greyhound's but a bit smaller!
this is a perfect video, thank you so much. Every single thing you listed is what I was looking for in a dog, to be fair to a dog, it needs to suit your lifestyle,and these guys seem perfect!
YES!! These reasons are my reasons I love our grey. He’s getting on and with got a small size cavoodle puppy- and omg my grey is so quiet and polite and obedient and lazy. This puppy is 4 months now and HARD work. I got my grey as a rescue pup at 3 months and he was much easier
They have a loud bark when they use it , it definitely is effective for guarding. I love mine and when my old boy leaves us I will be getting another
Word of warning re Iggies. They are renowned for being poor toilet trainers. We had one for 16 years and he was not 100% house trained. They hate cold and wet and he would not go outside in those conditions. We have heard of owners giving up and returning them. In contrast , whippets and greyhounds are perfect.
Greys don't necessarily hate cats. My three do fine with my three cats.
Greyhounds are the best. Glad you found two.
Those were many of the same attributes we were looking for when we decided that we wanted to add a dog to our home! Love our grey!! Love your shirt, also!! Where did you find it??
I think any dog is great for depression cos they are just such balls of love.
However, if the sight of a greyhound in one of their cute little jumpers doesn’t make you grin then you might be made of stone😏
Your dogs are beautiful! Lots of your reasons apply to Italian greyhounds, which is what I have :-)
iv had 3 ex racers all so lovin but all very different personality's best dogs in the world
I have to ask, where did you get their pajamas? Especially the stripey one they look PERFECT. We have one that's plain red that's fantastic but only comes in the one color, and one that's a very cute blue print but isn't the stretch fabric and he tends to slip his back feet out, resulting in a dangling pajama leg getting peed on or dragged in something. The snugger fit, stretchier fabric is ideal. I would love to get him some like the ones I saw briefly in this video.
Hound tee: czcams.com/video/S6VPvM2dXns/video.html
I had the exact same wish list and have adopted an adult whippet! I wanted a dog who would get me out and walk, but without being hyper the rest of the time.
i have a standard poodle puppy and i think eventually i will adopt a retired greyhound as a companion for her, they are so chill and calm. standards are also supposed to be calm but my puppy is still in her high energy running around phase haha. She definently needs more exercise and grooming, which is what I wanted
I have a Whippet that we got as a puppy, training was hard because his attention span was quite low and he got bored quickly, didnt want to come back unless you had food in your hand. He is now 2 years old and the absolute perfect companion, all he wants to do is chase his ball and cuddle up next to me under the blankets.
No chit-chat and straight to the point 👍
I love greyhounds...but they DO SHED! They shed a surprising amount. I agree with all of her other points. They're awesome so I tolerate the 'fur glitter'.
I would add that they are REALLY good with kids.
I’ve always loved larger breeds. I did do research on greyhounds but was told they tended to be aloof (more cat-like personalities) and could be fearful of men. At the time I had my two nephews (20’s) my older brother (40’s) and dad who would all come over often. I ended up with a Great Dane and a Pitty. They both lived long lives but died within a year of each other. I was desperate to have a dog in my home again but I didn’t want to feel like I was “replacing” them.
I waited about 8 months and the decided to adopt the exact opposite type of dog. I went from having to large girls and adopted one (then two years later) another male Jack/Rat/Terrier mixes both under 20lbs. I love my little nuggets but I’m still so drawn to the greyhound breed. My sister had an Italian Greyhound for a few years who died very young in a tragic accident but absolutely adored him. I think I will eventually own one but for now I’m really enjoying leaving vicariously through you and your videos! Thanks for sharing your dog life with YT!
They are getting really hard to find in the US. Almost all (or all) states have outlawed greyhound racing.
BEST DOGS....EVER ❤❤❤
This is off topic but, how did you teach your greyhounds to bow? I’ve seen multiple greyhounds do this but none of my 3 dogs (all mixed breeds) wanted to do it and I didn’t have them as puppies so I wasn’t able to teach it
I taught them "downward dog" which does look like a bow. They do it naturally when they stretch, so I taught them by naming it and giving them a treat when they did it naturally. After a few times they did it on command. Mac knew 4 tricks. She was the smartest greyhound I know. Here is more about tricks in this video: czcams.com/video/j-WpDRnqXAY/video.html
Steph, I'm guessing you've been told this before by others but I just can't get over how much you resemble Lisa Loeb. And yes, that's a good thing!
Also, this was the first video of yours I saw. I just checked out more and want to express my sympathy over the loss of one of your greyhounds.
haha...I have not heard that!
Thank you 💜
Great feedback. Thank you. I'm interested to know if they are good being left alone in the house? I would think so, but what is like if you leave them to go out for the night or during the day to run errands?
I work from home so I don't leave her much. But they say not to leave them more than 5 hours alone cause they can get lonely. She is fine when I leave. Sometimes she has bathroom accidents, but that is an issue I have always had with her and it not an issue with most greyhounds I know.
Thanks, Steph. I appreciate the info!
Since there aren't as many retired racers available to adopt now in the States. Would you recommend getting a greyhound puppy? Would they have the traits that retired racers have? I'm obsessed with greyhounds and love your videos!!
I have heard greyhound puppies are pretty wild. I personally do not want a puppy, but if that's the only way for me to have a greyhound in the future, I might do it. They would have traits, but would need to be trained for sure. There are still a few states that have greyhounds for adoption, facebook is a good place to connect with the adoption groups.
Greyhounds In Motion is an organization that's helping ship retired greyhounds and other sighthounds to the U.S. for adoption. They also work with Galgos Del Sol to import Spanish glagos (which are a very similar breed to greyhounds).
Greyhound puppies are wild. I have a 4 month old greyhound and he's the complete opposite of chill and calm. Training is quite difficult also but he's learning, I do not recommend getting a puppy if you do not have the time for it. I'm struggling with the biting and nipping as he doesn't quite understand he's a big boy and while playing he gets pretty rough. He weights currently 43 pounds and is 4 months 4 days old.
Thanks for sharing!
We have a grey and plan to adopt a lurcher next. They are mixed breeds that are mostly greyhound!
Very nice beautiful dogs 🐕 😍 👌
Sadly, osteosarcoma but otherwise, they are the best. LOVED our Noodle, Kelsos Judy Jones, she was totally a member of the family and sorely missed. I dream of an other but not sure we can lift one anymore. The people who run the greyhound adoption groups hopefully have a special place in heaven. They are also the best.
just a small addendum to number 7. all of those things are true for the racing line, there is an AKC branch of greys, and the AKC is destroying the breed like they do with all breeds. also important to know that while racing greys tend to be genetically healthy, they are not a physically hearty breed. they have very thin skin, and a light, delicate skelton. the way their paws are designed its easy for them to pick up small rocks, snow, and crud between the toe beans. Also they are prone to nail injury. they can go from a dead stop, turn on a dime and be at full speed within seconds. if you have never seen it in real life it's hard to comprehend how fast these dogs are, so keep their nails neat, and always keep them on lead.
They are amazing companions, and most areas have racing adoption groups. I implore you if you have the means, resources, and time, reach out to your local group (shoutout to Greyhounds of Eastern Michigan) and inquire about fosters. This will give you the opportunity to learn the breed and it's qwerks. highly recommend, 10/10 snoots, will boop again.
You're so right about that turning on a sixpence manoeuvre, it never ceases to delight me when I watch my Indy run
Our greyhound growing up had to have all but his 2 front teeth removed. I always thought greyhounds had poor dental genetics as a breed but maybe that was just our Simon
Plenty of raw meaty bones or even a frozen raw chicken frame will keep any dog's teeth clean. A lot of kidney and liver issues stem from bad teeth. A frozen chicken frame is not only a great way to keep teeth clean but is also a treat (much cheaper and more beneficial than store purchased treats).
@@ianhilditch9593 what is a chicken frame ?
Do greyhounds get along with other dogs? As in if I were take my greyhound to the dog park would they do well? I’m really looking for a dog that has a temperament that naturally gets on well with other dog s?
It really depends on the greyhound. My first dog mac had no issues with other breeds of dogs. My current grey Tosh gets along with dogs her size, but has a strong prey drive for smaller dogs and wants to eat them. The bigger concern at dog parks is other dogs playing rough and tearing the greyhounds skin cause it's so thin. I had a few issues with this with my first dog getting injured.
@@smkauthorThanks !! All good things. The thin skin is def not something o think about given my current girl is super thick skin it’s crazyyyyyy lol. 😅
Thanks for the tips ❤
Nice. I have a 12 1/2 Year Old Greyhound
This was such a great video, thank you! I have been thinking about getting a dog for years and especially a greyhound. I, just like you , have had no dogs in my life ever so I just wondered how it has changed your life to now have to take care of dogs? I've been thinking a lot about the 'inflexibility' it'll give you and weighing out the pros and cons. I am going to assume the pros outweigh the cons for you? 🥰
This is a great question...let me think about it. I might make a video response to this!
@@smkauthor Yes,please!
they are the best.
Yes!!
Bellissimo video. Brava
You might not think that they are guard dogs, but just wait until a stranger comes through the door, the sheer size and attitude of a full size greyhound will make them just as oppressing as a German shepherd, trust me they are no joke if they feel a person should be there.
I've had 3 of them. One was an IG
I have had 2. 1 would only bark in play, you know, downward dog pose w/a bark.The other didn't really bark at all. And when a grey does bark it is A bark. Not that woofwoofwoof some dogs have. My greys both lived with several cats and LOVED them. I know that isn't always the case but I'd hate to think someone would not have the experience of living w/one because they think greys won't live w/a cat. I believe placement centers usually cat test them.They are a wonderful breed and I ended up with them because I had some health issues and thought I'd have to have small dogs, WRONG!! Greys are very lazy and I have not had any problems W/them being hard to handle.
100% agree.
I have a retired racing greyhound they’re amazing. The reason they don’t have the doggy smell is because their skin doesn’t produce the oils that other dogs do. Will you be going to the Greyhounds in Gettysburg this year? It’s in April and we are excited to go.
Same as me
ups, she after corrected in some way, my missunderstanding, sorry
My greyhound sheds sooo much.
A greyhound guard dog wow
Very 👍 nice
Just get a dog.youll work it out.they love for life.T800Aust
4:07 If your greyhounds are sleeping 18 hours a day then you're doing it wrong. Greyhounds should be able to invent at least another 2 hours, so they can sleep 25 hours, and have an hour for eating, exercise, and preparing their bed. If this is not the case, check the label in case it isn't purebred, and contact the place you got it from, in case it needs to be returned for retuning.
"Greyhounds don`t like cats" - NO! No matter which dog, dog & cat are great friends! You just need to introduce your cat to your dog or vice versa !
did she just say that greyhounds are guard dogs? they´re not actually, if u want a guard dog I may suggest another breed, like a Rottwiller, german shepards,Doberman Pinscher,Bullmastiff or even the Great Dane
in short, yes greyhound are the best and greyhounds need a couch.
You didn't wanna dog you wanted a cat.
Most Greyhounds are universal blood donors. Teeth can be an issue. They are beautiful docile souls. ♥️
they are wonderful dogs. my only issue is when their owners think that they are a step above everyone else.
Sounds like you just wanted a statue of a dog 😂
I am assuming all racing greyhounds wouldn't be cat friendly 🙈😂
Some are. Mac is fine with cats, she just doesn’t like the roaming outdoor cats. Tosh is not good with any cats or small dogs. She has a very high prey drive.
Great watch dog. Watch everything and do nothing!
You don't like dogs that lick? Doggy slobber helps fight depression.
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Greyhounds are the only dog mentioned the bible.
Do you think having 2 greyhounds while living alone is crazy?
Nope, I do