I have never seen a dog that loves to run more than a greyhound, but... this is why I stand against greyhound racing as a sport. It isn't what the dogs are used for, but how the dogs are used on the track.
They are not running in open fields, hopping with the bunnies and butterflies- they are running on circular tracks. Still not too bad, if I stop there. There are some casualties when the dogs are racing, in which legs tangle and jaws snap free of the muzzle.
Peak inside to where the dogs are kept when they are not running. They are walked back to their cages after a race. The wooden or wire cages are stacked on top of each other. Inside, the dog can turn in a small circle, but cannot walk around. There are scraps of paper or carpeting lining crate bottoms- enough to show a minuscule amount of effort, but not enough for a dog to be comfortable, not the conditions you'd want your own pet dogs to be in.
In the shadows, the dogs are thin enough so that one can see a lot of their ribs protruding from their thin build. They are kept at "racing weight", maybe ten pounds under a healthy weight; rescue groups have arrived at the conclusion that ideally, a few ribs should be showing on the dog, the last two or three only.
A couple of times a day, the dogs are taken out of their cages to do their business in a small outdoor enclosure. They are put back in the cages after stretching their legs, until it is eating time, racing time or potty time.
Outside, in the stadiums, people gamble on which dog will win, as the dogs run around the circular track, chasing a lure. If the dogs are injured while racing, they are of no use to the track. Thousands of dogs are killed due to racing injuries at the tracks, every year. This is why rescue groups began to form to save the dogs, worldwide. The groups can take in injured or "retired" racers (aka the dogs that don't win many races). Most dogs are off the track by age four, about when they have passed their peak.
Her name is Taffy: racing name "Tailwaggin' Taffy", daughter of champion racer and stud "Trent Lee" and retired racer "Tailwaggin' Tiff".
While my family has rescued greyhounds for over a decade now, she is the first greyhound we have adopted that has little to no track history. She may have never raced, as she was taken off of the track at age two. She has no scars, no peculiar fears; my family's first greyhound, Gracie, did not like having her ears touched. We were told that sometimes the trainers will grab the dogs by the ears.
She sits. Although greyhounds can be taught how to sit (it will look like an awkward crouch), it is not encouraged in their training- nor is barking. I suppose when you have several dozen dogs kept in one room at the track, you don't want them all barking your ears off.
My dog is a happy-go-lucky dog. She likes to go for walks, and loves meeting new people and dogs. She is curious and very loyal, not leaving my side even when I'm just doing yard work. Although she loves to run, she enjoys napping on the couch more- they are not endurance dogs, they sprint around the yard once or twice and are done for the day.
Greyhounds make fantastic pets. They are quiet, good apartment dogs and they are low energy. As long as there is greyhound racing, there is a need for foster parents (who show these dogs what "stairs" are and what "glass" means), and for education on the true, gentle nature of the dogs.
For more information on track life and rescue, contact your local greyhound rescue group.
