Where The Heck Did They Learn To Do THAT?

While trying to fall asleep last night with our newly adopted greyhound of just a week snuggled up against me and kissing my nose every time I try to shift, I found myself asking why is this new greyhound so "at home" so quickly? She sure must have been given lots of love and snuggles by the kennel staff be so comfortable with a stranger.

We keep hearing the "humane advocate protectors” continually making statements that the greyhounds are not socialized and get no human attention. Yet here I am, trying to sleep with a newly adopted greyhound, just one week into her retirement, snuggled up against me exactly like Bobo, my adopted greyhound of 7 years. She chose to be next to me, not me next to her.

The negative rhetoric that some like to spew about greyhounds does the breed a huge disservice! 

For my actual boots-on-the-ground, with my own eyes education,  I chose to sit down and watch the lead outs at the track I was at last week as they handled the greyhounds coming out of ginny pit and being prepared for the race. The greyhounds would nuzzle the lead outs; the lead outs would pet the dogs. What I observed is something that anyone in the public could witness for themselves if they are at the track. Many adopters often mention how their adopted greyhounds nuzzle up to them looking for a pat on the head or a tickle under the chin.

I then watched as the dogs would be loaded into starting box. "Humane advocate protectors” level accusations that the dogs are crying in fear but watch and listen and when you see the bunny lure starting to make its way around, you will discover the dogs are howling – not in fear or pain – they are howling in anticipation that the hunt is about to begin.  Many adopters often mention how their adopted greyhounds howl and roo and become excited in anticipation of playtime, mealtime or seeing the mailman coming up to the front door.

So next time you come across a “fact sheet" by organizations and individuals who have zero experience with raising, training and/or transitioning racing greyhounds from their racing career to their pet career, ask for the rest of the story – ask for the truth.