Does Size Matter?

Many  people, when looking to add a canine companion to their family, will  research different breeds or type into a search engine ‘what dogs are  best for families with children?’ or ‘good first-time dogs’ which will  ultimately lead them down the rabbit hole to greyhounds.  Because  greyhounds are perfect, obviously.  (Though we will concede that other  sighthounds are also amazing)

A  lot of people don’t even consider, or think of, greyhounds when they are  considering adopting a dog, because, regardless of their widespread  popularity as pets, there is still a lot of myths and misconceptions  that surround them.  We’ve found people are quite often surprised when  their research leads them to greyhounds, and they find out that they do  in fact sleep upward of 20 hours a day and don’t need huge amounts of  exercise.

Yet, despite their low  maintenance and laid-back personalities, which makes them the perfect  fit for just about any home situation, and for all the information that  the internet holds, the one thing the internet can’t truly tell you is  how big they actually feel...particularly for those who are unfamiliar  with the breed!  Sure, it can tell you the specific measurements, but  that doesn’t help anyone.

Yes,  you can say they weigh this much in kilos, or they average this many  inches to the shoulder…but until you meet them in person and see them in  context to furniture, and your own body, it’s hard to really comprehend  their size.  And sure, they aren’t a massive breed, they aren’t going  to tower over you like a Great Dane, but they aren’t small either!   (Though we don’t consider this a downside!)

The  other problem is that every website will tell you that females are  typically smaller than the males, but this can be a little misleading!   While, generally, yes, this is the case.  You get some females that are  absolute tables, while some males are dainty little princesses!  

A  lot of rehoming centres will list a hound’s weight on their adverts.   But seeking a greyhound based on weight can be very misleading, which is  why we discourage adopters from questioning the dog’s weight until  after meeting them.

Beyond the  fact that greyhounds are often at race weight, or considered  underweight, when they retire…the weight listed on rehoming sites isn’t  necessarily accurate as to what they will be in the home.

While  the biggest males can get upward of 40kg and the smallest females might  only tip the scales at 24kg, there is a lot more to greyhound sizes  than simply weight…it largely comes down to their individual body shape.  

You could have a super tall  leggy male with a nice lightweight frame weigh in at exactly the same  weight as a short stocky, heavy framed female.  You can get some ‘small’  females that are built like battle tanks and weigh upward of 30kg,  which is the typical weight for a male.  So, can you judge it on weight?   Not really!

There are two  distinguishably different body types in the greyhounds, the heavy frame,  and the light frame, which massively influences how ‘big’ the hound  feels…and these frames are not exclusive to each gender. You can get  heavy and light frames in both.

Everyone  will know what the light frame looks like. It’s that typical  in-need-of-a-good-feeding slimline appearance that hounds are so well  known for!  Though the heavy frame, which is no less common, are much  thicker set. They have thicker necks, wider shoulders, and deeper  chests…giving them a really stocky and heavy appearance.

You  could stand two hounds, both exactly the same height and length next to  one another but one is a light frame and the other a heavy…which we’ve  done on several occasions as example to potential adopters…and sure  enough they’ve felt that the heavy weight feels like an entirely  different dog and much larger!

In  doing all the research, and deciding a greyhound is the right fit, what  seems to happen across the board is that in contacting rehoming  centres, applicants will ask for the typical laid back greyhound  personality…but as small as possible! The main problem being that  greyhounds are classed as a large breed and rarely come in the extra  small format many people dream of!

But then, does size really matter?  No, we don’t think so!  Not when it comes to adopting a hound in need!

There  are some legitimate reasons for needing a smaller hound such as living  in a small property, having young children that may find a larger hound a  bit intimidating, or thinking ahead to the future when you may need to  be able to lift your hound in and out of the car when they’re unable or  in the event of an emergency.  

But  while there are likely many reasons for wanting a smaller hound, we  still think the bigger ones are better!  Frankly, the bigger the  hound…the gentler and lazier they are!  It is an effort to get up and  move their bodies!  Goodness knows we can relate.

Also, it’s quite nice to be able to stroke your dog without having to bend down! Or is it just us tall folks that think that?

Every  greyhound is different in their temperament and suitability to  different homes, whether large or small, you may need to be open to the  idea that your perfect hound may well be quite a bit bigger than you  expected it to be!

The desire to  have a small hound, for whatever reason, is why the larger ones are  regularly overlooked regardless of their perfect temperament.  This  inevitably means males are harder to home and spend extended periods  waiting to be adopted (particularly the big black males!).  But the  large females are also quite slow to home, still faster than the large  males, but still slow.

When it  comes to choosing a hound, trust your rehoming centre to match you to  the one that is most appropriate and to be open to trusting that  process. While rehoming centres will take into consideration preferences  such as gender and size, the most important aspect of taking a hound  home, is that it fits into your family and lifestyle.

The  last thing you want is to take home an extra small hound, based on size  alone, and find that it is a menace to society! Which in our  experience, is a bit of a recurring theme!  

Without  a doubt, greyhounds make the most amazing companions and slot into just  about any home situation, and, as we’ve mentioned, the bigger the  better in our opinion!  Greyhounds are cats trapped in a dog’s body,  that sleep 20 hours a day…you’d be amazed how little space they take up  when they curl up.  Although when they stretch out across the sofa,  you’ll be sitting on the floor!

Doing  your research is always the correct way to start, in deciding on the  right breed for you, but also in finding the right rehoming centre for  you…but while you can be prepared on paper, it can be a different case  when faced with the hounds in real life. Particularly if there are  children involved.

In approaching  a rehoming centre, ask to volunteer to walk dogs in your spare time or,  if they provide them, ask for a meet the breed appointment, to really  get a clear picture of what to expect from the different greyhound  sizes, shapes, and characters!  This will help concrete your decision as  to whether a greyhound is right for you!

It  will also really help direct you and the rehoming centre to the right  hound for you and your household when it comes time to apply to adopt!