Greyhounds and off lead safety

We get asked a lot by visitors / adopters about letting Greyhounds off lead. We always advise against letting Greyhounds off lead unless in a fully secure and fenced area (this is also strongly recommended on your adoption agreement) but if you are lucky enough to have a low prey driven Greyhound that can learn a recall you still shouldn't rush into off lead walks.

There seems to of been a big increase in the amount of posts we are seeing on social media with adopters bragging about their newly adopted Greyhounds being off lead, one was only days into home life!

No newly adopted dog should be off lead that soon after adoption, of any breed!

Please watch the video below and read all the details in his blog carefully.

Over the years we've heard of far too many dogs (not just Greyhounds) becoming lost, injured and in some cases tragically killed because they've been let off lead too soon, without proper recall training or in dangerous surroundings.

All breeds can run off unexpectedly but sighthounds can reach speeds of 40+mph in around 6 strides so when they become frightened and bolt or their instinct takes over and they go off in chase there really is no catching them and they can cover alot of ground in a very short space of time. Sadly in situations of fear or chase instinct they can go 'deaf' and all recall training can go out of the window.

If there was an unexpected loud noise while your dog is off lead will he/she return to you or bolt? If a rabbit or deer ran out in front of you can you recall your dog back to you instantly? If the answer is no then they should be ON a lead for their own safety and the safety of other animals.

During their racing careers, Greyhounds would only be let off in fully secure areas away from danger and not taught recall, so when they are suddenly allowed the freedom of open space they have no idea of the dangers they will face if they do 'run off' - Roads, cars, trains, trees, ditches, people etc.

Remember too that during their racing careers Greyhounds are kept super fit with regular off lead running/gallops. When Greyhounds retire and spend a lot of time lazing around / on lead and are then suddenly let off for a blast or are only let off once every so often they are more likely to injure themselves as they use muscles they've grown used to not using any more. So build up their exercise accordingly. If your Greyhound is nervous or has previously suffered a serious injury it's usually safer for them to stay on lead.

Of course we can't force Greyhound owners to follow this advice but please consider the dangers. In our opinion watching them disappear into the distance and unknown dangers is just not worth the risk.

Also always ensure their collars are done up correctly so they are unable to slip out of them as this is another reason Greyhounds can go missing and make sure you have hold of them /control when getting them out of the car. (Many dogs go missing soon after adoption because they leap out the back of the car and bolt).

We completely understand that some Greyhounds can be successfully taught recall and enjoy off lead time safely but that is a privilege and not a rule of the breed, so please don't adopt a Greyhound thinking you'll definitely be able to let them off in public, because that is often not the case. However, it is always worth trying to teach your dog some recall for emergency situations (if they slip through the door, or do manage to get away from you on a walk) but this takes time, patience and careful training in enclosed areas without distraction and depends on the dog as some never get the hang of recall at all.

(Recall advise here: Teaching recall to your Greyhound. — Barley Greyhound Sanctuary (barleykennels.co.uk )

If you do feel the need to let your Greyhound off lead do NOT rush into it. Ensure a solid recall is established first.

You need to allow your dog (of any breed) time to settle into their new home / surroundings and you need to establish a good bond with them. You also need to know their reaction to other breeds and understand how strong their prey drive is. Take on board what your adoption group tells you as to whether they feel your dog may one day be able to go off lead successfully. Just because you see other Greyhounds off lead successfully doesn't mean yours will be the same, they should be assessed and treated as individuals.

All this needs to be done before even considering to start recall training, let alone thinking about letting them off lead in public. It can take months to establish a good bond with your newly adopted dog / your dog to feel secure at home and when out walking.

If your dog does achieve a good recall please remember that the woods / forest can be a very dangerous place for a sighthound to be off lead. With so much wildlife around if they do decide to take off they can easily hit a tree and the outcome can be devastating. Also make sure your dog is never off lead near livestock and remember that farmers are well within their rights to shoot dogs that are worrying livestock.

There are lots of secure dog walking fields across the country now, you can find most on this website - www.dogwalkingfields.co.uk

(Always walk the perimeter fence with your dog before letting them off lead).

The article below is from America but the message is powerful, please keep your dogs safe and don't think that it will never happen to you, because it can and it really isn't worth the heartbreak.

Trust - A deadly disease article

http://www.adopt-a-greyhound.org/.../trust_a_deadly...

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