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Greyhounds Make Greyt Family Members
by Kevin Adam: Greyhound Companion and QCGA Volunteer
For
most of my life, I was just not a “dog” person. But I found out a few
years ago what I’d been missing out on for all that time.
I
never thought about dogs at all – much less greyhounds. But something
changed in my thinking because of a chance encounter in January 2004,
at the Bald Eagle Days in Rock Island. That’s the day I met my very
first greyhounds.
The Meet and Greet team was there, and I had
no idea that greyhounds are a large breed. I also had no idea that they
were so curious about people. Or so calm. Or so gentle. Or loved
affection so much. I learned, and experienced, all of that in just 15
short minutes as I met the dogs and spoke with a volunteer. My wife and
I didn’t adopt a greyhound that day. But the seeds were planted.
We
talked about adopting one, off and on, for a few months. Then, we took
the plunge. We had a lot of questions, and we did the necessary
reading. We wondered a lot of things: Will it run around the house like
a crazy dog? Will it need to be walked often every day? Will we be able
to train it to live with us – and our cats? Fortunately, it’s our
imaginations that ran wild.
We found out many things first hand
with our first greyhound. Naturally, each one has it’s own personality,
just like people. But we also found out that they’re very intelligent,
very loving, and, surprisingly, very calm dogs in general. And again,
just like people, they have their likes and dislikes too. We were
surprised at how easily we fit this wonderful greyhound into our lives
– and glad we didn’t have to walk it constantly.
Soon we
realized that it could be even better to have two – so, yes, we adopted
another. After a while, we thought it could be fun helping out the
greyhounds who live at the kennel. So now we volunteer, and get to
visit dozens of greyhounds a few times each month.
So if you’re
thinking about adding a dog to your family, think about a greyhound.
You just may fall in love, just like my wife and I did. And you know
what? We have a young granddaughter who loves them too. And they love
her. They’re gentle with her, and they especially love the extra snacks
they get from her! Adopting is easy, and the volunteers in charge of
adoption will help make sure you get the right dog for you and your
family.
Then you can find out, first hand, what I did: Greyhounds are simply a joy to have around.
Do
you love dogs? Do you enjoy volunteering? Then you just may like
volunteering at the QCGA kennel in Maysville, Iowa. It’s a short drive
outside of Davenport. Visit the "Volunteer" page for more information.
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Are you
looking for a nuzzler, cuddler, lover, and a life-long companion?
If so, you might want to consider a retired
racing greyhound. Yes, these ex-athletes who are bred for speed,
health, intelligence, and sociability make excellent house pets.
Because they have been in bustling kennels and a racing environment
that requires extensive handling, they crave human company. As pet
owners, we don’t care about speed, but the breed’s
gentle, loving personality makes them a compatible family member. 
The
greyhounds we place are usually between 2 and 5 years of age. They
weigh between 50 and 80 pounds and stand from 26 to 30 inches. They
come in black, white, fawn (tan), blue (gray), brindle (striped),
ticked (spotted), and combinations of these colors. Please keep in mind
the color of the dog is not important when choosing a greyhound. It is
the personality and temperament that matches your family’s
needs that is most important. Greyhounds are very clean; they have no
doggy odor and have minimal shedding.
With
thousands of years of breeding and their race training behind them,
greyhounds must NEVER be allowed to run loose. They must always be
leashed and handled by an adult when outdoors unless they are in a
securely fenced area, now matter how many acres of property you own.
Years of obedience training and bonding will NOT change this. They
simply cannot be trusted to return when you call them, especially if
they are in pursuit of prey. Besides, most cities have leash laws. Far
too many greyhounds have died because their owners thought they could
be trusted off leash.
Quad Cities Greyhound Adoption requires
adopters to have a fenced yard. A suitable fenced area can be
constructed for minimal cost.
Sources of good information:
Internet sources:
Click for Frequently
Asked Questions
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