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Are you ready to adopt?
What follows are the realities of adding a new member to your family.
When you adopt a greyhound, you are making a commitment to care for that dog for the rest of
its life. Adoption means to permanently accept the new pet into one's life which includes sickness
and in health, good times and bad, and through all the changes of life. The Greyhound Adoption
Program will take back any dog it has placed for any reason; having said this, please consider a
few things before you adopt.
If you are thinking of adopting a retired racer realize that you are considering a dog that
has had nothing asked of it except to run fast. GAP fosters the greyhounds to help prepare them for
life in a domestic environment. We housebreak, introduce the dog to children and small animals,
teach the dog to navigate stairs and generally assist the dog with its adjustment into normal
household life.
Training should not end at adoption. New adopters are encouraged to and should take their
dogs to a basic canine obedience class. Doing so helps owner-dog communication, builds confidence
and aids bonding. Behaviour problems are often cited as reasons for returning the dog to GAP. In
most cases simple training techniques can be employed to alter most troublesome behaviours. Most
people give up on a good dog too soon because they are not willing to make an effort to work
through a trying situation. Living with a dog can be difficult from time to time.
A dog is capable of doing things, usually the wrong things, when you least expect it. A
growl, snap or bite can occur with any dog and one incident should not be grounds for divorce. In
many situations, there can be extenuating circumstances that provoked the dog to react the way it
did; it does not mean the dog is aggressive. Likewise, an occasional housebreaking incident should
be expected. Like you, your dogs body is subject to fluctuations that may mean an isolated instance
of house soiling. In the case of any strange or different behaviour by your dog, we ask that you
call us. We can help get you and your dog back on track.
It's going to take some time for your dog to learn your routine. Bonding does not happen
overnight. As you introduce your dog to your family routines and he becomes comfortable, he will
learn to trust you. Relationships take time to develop, so you will have to be patient.
Vet visits are something else to keep in mind. Besides the yearly vaccinations, your dog may
experience sickness and injury which can require a visit to your Emergency Vet Clinic. How are your
finances? Are you going to be able to get your dog to a vet when your dog needs to go?
Long term plans need to be examined. Are you planning on getting married? Are there children
(or more children) in your future? Are you planning on moving? Dogs have been returned for all of
these reasons. Your canine member of the family IS a member of the family, however, unfortunately,
the most disposable member of the family.
If it doesn’t seem like the right time, WAIT! There will always be a dog available for you.
Wait for that time when the dog can be a loved and cherished member of your family.
Please think about what you’ve just read. You are now ready to take the first step in making
the decision on adopting or not adopting a greyhound.
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