Every greyhound deserves a chance at becoming a pet regardless of their chasing endeavours.

That’s the message from the Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) on the back of a long held misconception that greyhounds that demonstrate a determined chasing ability have little or no chance of being accepted into the program.

To be accepted into the GAP, greyhounds must first pass a pre-assessment test where they are placed in a controlled environment with a small domestic dog, to test their temperament. Many greyhounds have passed this test despite showing a fearless desire to chase the lure in their racing days.

“We’ve had some really hard chasers make it into the program including some very good race dogs who have been completely fine with our small dogs,” said GAP Manager, Larissa Darragh.

“They understand that the small dog is a dog and not a lure that they need to chase.”

“We encourage all industry participants not to judge their dogs by how hard they chase and to give them the opportunity to be assessed so they can be a pet.”

Carefully socialising your greyhound with other dog breeds at a park will give him or her the best chance of passing their pre-assessment, and it’s a good idea to start with a bigger dog and work your way down to a smaller dog.

Walking a greyhound alongside another dog (not a greyhound) at a park, keeping them on a lead about one metre apart from each other is an excellent socialising technique.

It is best to avoid situations where other dogs can invade your greyhound’s personal space, and remember that even one visit to the park can make all the difference in your greyhound’s chances of passing its pre-assessment.

PREPARING YOUR GREYHOUND FOR THE GREYHOUND ADOPTION PROGRAM

To book your greyhound in for a GAP pre-assessment go to gap.grv.org.au.