are greyhounds good with kids

A healthy two-year-old is bound to make a certain amount of noise, in addition to the frenzied activity-level mentioned earlier. The most aggressive breed in the study was a dachshund. He may also begin insisting that he is old enough to walk the greyhound by himself, which is a bad idea. Watch a dog’s body language and listen for their verbal cues to know how they are feeling. This rule doesn’t just apply to children and Greyhounds, but to dogs of all breeds. Your child has more freedom now than ever before, and heightened awareness will be needed to make sure your greyhound doesn’t get loose. Let’s take a look at typical characteristics of children, and how your role as leader of the “pack (because that’s how your dog sees your family)” will change year by year: When I returned home from the hospital with my first newborn, Peaches was ecstatic to see me…until I revealed what was under the blanket in my arms. Newborns, of course, aren’t on a schedule, so at first I had to make it a priority, getting right to it after settling the baby down for a nap. It’s not worth it. They are the same as any other breed. You own a cat, and are interested in adopting a greyhound, but you … Some feel comfortable around children and others don’t. If you continue to diligently, consistently supervise ALL interactions between your child and your dog, you will never have to face the heartbreak of an injured dog or a bitten child. So be sure to keep on reading until the end. Depending on the dog’s reaction you may decide that the household wouldn’t be a good fit. Always ask an adult if you can pet a dog you don’t know. if you haven’t taught your child that he is not to open the door to the outside without someone watching over him, this is a point you want to drive home now. Children cannot help being clumsy, and that a child meant well is little solace to an Italian Greyhound puppy who has been accidentally stepped on or squeezed too hard. When babies learn to walk, they need to grab onto things to steady themselves. So, what should kids know to not frighten, intimidate or scare a Greyhound: Overall, Greyhounds are very patient, docile and caring. They are more likely to pick themselves up and walk away from a disruptive child than snap at them. Instead, they are more prone to isolating themselves and removing themselves from any uncomfortable situation. Babies lack fine motor skills and impulse control, and it’s so easy for a tiny hand to shoot out with no warning, poking the poor, sensitive greyhound. Greys are often super with kids, so placid and goofy. It’s better, for now, if your greyhound is still expecting only affection when he sees that little hand coming toward him. This is good general advice for anyone petting a greyhound. … One drawback of adopting a greyhound is that a. greyhounds are not good with children. Any dog you get at this stage of the game will be “your dog,” but I’m sure your teen will be happy with your choice. They are not a breed that will growl, snarl, snap at, or bite someone. Pet Educate is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Golden State Greyhound Adoption does not adopt out greyhounds to families with children under 7 years old. Be sure your greyhound is awake when you begin this session. All this will help develop a bond of trust and love between your child and your dog. Do you typically just leash up the dog and then let him amble every which way, pulling ahead here, doubling back to sniff there? They're more likely to walk away from a teasing child than to snap at him. For the above reasons we do not rehome greyhounds or lurchers to families with both children and cats. It’s still not going to be really safe for your child to take the greyhound for a walk by himself until he is physically bigger, and old enough to have more situational awareness. They are social dogs that will become stressed if left alone for long periods of time. Greyhounds are good with kids so long as they are well trained and socialized. I've only known one greyhound, in the many dozens I've known, who didn't like small kids - they're normally very easy-going and tolerant of well-behaved kids. link to Are Greyhounds Good with Cats? For most children, a greyhound is a great fit. By now, your child may be free to nip out the door whenever he wants to, to play in the yard or run to the mailbox; but he is too young to be responsible about securing doors. Do Greyhounds Make Good Family Pets? A startled greyhound, if leashed, will run tight, little circles around you and hip-check you behind the knees. Also, your kids probably aren’t spending as much time at home by now, and will be out in the world before you know it. Greyhounds are gentle, laid back characters which make them great companions for children. Encourage your child to sit near the greyhound while doing some gentle activity, such as looking through books. You probably don’t usually approach him this way, but it is critical that your child learn the safe way to introduce himself to a dog. We position ourselves as a bridge between racing life and pet life, providing greyhounds with the tools they need to cope with their new surroundings. The owner of the Greyhound Homecare website and YouTube channel, Gail has had retired racing greyhounds as pets since 1997. It also gives the baby a place from which he can watch and learn from his parents the correct way to interact with the dog in everyday life. Pet Educate strives to be the definitive online resource to help you learn everything that you need to know. Greyhounds have a lot of energy and will easily join in with the children’s’ play, which could inadvertently end up with one of them getting hurt. If you do have young children in the house, you don’t need to fear. While Greyhounds need to be trained, so do owners, and oftentimes the two go hand in hand. It takes effort to set up a safe and harmonious environment for the whole family, for the long run; and it’s your job to be the adult, even if it makes you feel like you’re “spoiling the fun.”. Greyhound Homecare is where we bring you all we've learned, for "la dolce vita" with your skinny, quirky, amazing dog. Your greyhound may find this unpleasant and disturbing. Some, however, may be disappointed in a dog who doesn’t want to spend endless hours chasing a tennis ball. My greyhounds get along best with golden retrievers, calmer labs, other hounds, and easygoing mutts. Of course, there’s a bit more to it than that for you to know, and to pass on to your child. This is increasingly likely in older Greyhounds adopted later in life. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. A sure sign of Autumn in my house was always my greyhound, Shannon, panting on a nice, cool day. The ones that aren't, it's because they are afraid of them. That way, you always have an immediate place to put your baby where he (and the greyhound) will be safe, and still be able to observe and get to know each other. Greyhounds are not the type to snap at young kids, they are more apt to get up and walk away, most likely into another room, if they are unhappy with a situation. Are Greyhounds aggressive? Greyhounds are not a vicious breed of dog. Greyhounds are grateful for their new homes and reward their owners with never-ending affection. Your next concern will be finding time to spend with your greyhound. Don’t bother a dog while they are eating, sleeping, or fully focused on a particular toy or treat. Typically, no. Greyhounds can be a good fit for households with children; however, if you have very young or overly active children, it might not be such a good idea to adopt a greyhound. A 4/5-year-old is simply too small to be truly “in charge” in that situation, and the greyhound knows it. Are greyhounds hyper dogs? Others approach the whole idea with fear. Different countries have different rules when it comes to competitions and treatments of the Greyhounds. Your greyhound is just the right height, but he’s not a piece of furniture, so don’t let this happen. These dogs need regular exercise in a safe, enclosed space. After all, that may be the last dog of their childhood. Some families solve this by getting another dog, in addition to their greyhound. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie The other thing your child may insist on is that he can be less supervised with the dog. If your children love to wrestle, firmly forbid that activity in any room where your greyhound is present. If you have older children, be sure to include them in the conversation about whether or not to get a greyhound. Pet the top of his head, and down his back. They do need a daily walk and an occassional sprint in a fenced area. Luckily, they are also easily distracted. Your child will be much more active by now, so be sure that his play area is well-away from your greyhound’s space. However, they are not very tolerant with smaller children or ones who act out around them. You also want to monitor toys with a million small pieces, such as Lego. He would even get up and change his position for the best possible view. Right from that point on, I made a commitment to schedule it in. Outdoors is a different story and they almost come alive and need to run, even those who were not used as race dogs. Babies of this age have the following tedencies which need to be watched around the greyhound: impatience, emotional volatility, high energy, need for one-word commands (which probably will be ignored or met with “NO!”), treating people (and pets) as objects. Raised with their littermates where they had to compete for affection, they thrive on being the center of attention in a home. Your child needs to be much older before he is allowed to approach any pet while it is asleep. For most children, a greyhound is a great fit. (Speaking of getting poked in the eye, some parents refuse to correct a baby who is getting rough. In addition, due to their large size, they can unintentionally hurt small children by knocking them down in their eagerness to play and expend some energy. However, all dogs have their own personalities and preferences. They have never been around them at the track. This pattern is followed by most, even though about a third of us... 23 years ago, my family adopted its first greyhound. Therefore, we do not adopt to families with children under four years of age. Is this a suitable breed for families with kids and are there any considerations that need to be addressed? Dogs need to be taught acceptable and unacceptable behaviour but it’s the owner that needs to teach, and enforce, what is and isn’t correct. Though, some experts recommend muzzling retired Greyhounds until they settle in with their new family, in case their prey drive becomes too strong. Getting poked in the eye is no way to begin a friendship! Don’t put away that playpen yet! When looking for a Greyhound, if getting a puppy, it would be nice if you could meet the parents and find out how their temperament is. I know loads of them and can only think of one who's grumpy but then he is old and has a painful condition so can be excused. While Greyhounds are not vicious dogs, they are rather large dogs, reaching a top weight of around 65 pounds, and can easily knock down a small child. If you feel this type of “play” is important, please do not get any pets until your children is out of this phase.). Teens and greyhounds have the same favorite activity – Hanging out! Even if your greyhound is tolerant of this, he is still likely to walk away and let the baby fall on his face. A. Most greyhounds are great with small kids, but some of the younger, more rambunctious dogs, especially larger males, wouldn't, only because they'd knock small kids over. Greyhounds, cats and children. If your child’s personality is evolving as a gentle one, you’ll have a lot less to worry about now. The best time for me was right after I put the baby to bed for the night, about 7:30PM. Children will just need an initial introduction to proper behavior with dogs, and more specifically, Greyhounds. Greyhounds are intelligent and can be stubborn, especially when it comes to training, so prepare to be patient and remind them when they do unwanted behaviour. Do Pomapoos Shed? In studies on aggression in dogs the greyhound breed came up #33 out 33 on the aggression scale. Greyhounds are sensitive dogs, to the point where owners need to keep an eye on them. Greyhound Rescue takes the time to carefully match greyhounds with the right adoptive family, and we have a high success rate. But how would you go about integrating them into your home with young kids? Twos may be terrible, but children this age are usually fairly darling with their greyhounds. These noble dogs have been traced back over 4,000 years to early cave drawings and are the only breed mentioned in the Bible. Others approach the whole idea with fear. You will, most likely, be rewarded with a gentle bump of your dog’s nose (the greyhound kiss). The child must learn that while the dog is sleeping it is off limits. Greyhounds and babies simply don’t know what to make of one another. It didn’t seem like a good start. If your child is still doing this, consider applying some consequences. An even greater problem may be the gate. Are Greyhounds Good with Cats? Do Greyhounds like to cuddle? Teaching them how to treat the dog goes a long way to ensuring safety for everyone. This is a disaster in the making for you, as well as your child. I would discourage you from teaching your child to feed the dog treats quite yet. Two-year-olds are fond of all kinds of fast play, whether it’s running around, twirling in circles to get dizzy, throwing things to see if he can hit the ceiling, jumping, etc.. It’s important to teach children about all dogs and not just the one in your house. Italian Greyhound puppies are not suited to small children, no matter how well-meaning the child. In his 21 years of experience, Dr. Arndt has also worked quite a bit with retired racing Greyhounds, … Things can happen so quickly. I realized fairly early in my son’s life that Peaches and I weren’t having our cuddle sessions anymore, and I felt terrible! They are generally affectionate and gentle in temperament. This can be a great solution, as long as you choose a dog who enjoys having a canine buddy. The breed should never be let off leash when not in an enclosed space as their prey drive is strong and they will run after and chase any small animal, such as a squirrel or rabbit. You also do not want him cracking open the door to peer outside, because your greyhound could skinny past him and get loose in an instant. Greyhounds With Children and Other Pets It's up to the parents to see that the interaction of your greyhound with your child or children remains stable. We will also look at how to teach your kids how to respond around them and other important considerations to keep everyone safe, happy and healthy. The Italian Greyhound likes children and gets along well with them, especially children that want to spend a lot of time with them. While you no longer need to be right next to him like when he was a baby, you should still not leave them alone together in a room. They greyhounds we get from the track have been 'kid tested'. Some are not very tolerant, non-aggressive breed and will want to spend endless chasing! A common occurrence in this breed out causing them to avoid children all together refuse to correct baby... Is not a common occurrence in this breed out causing them to avoid children all together Educate is compensated referring! At him new greyhound and having kids is to pet only with fingertips older or. Any pet while it is important to show young children how to behave dogs. 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