How To Choose A Rehoming Organisation

Are you thinking of adopting a greyhound?  Maybe you’ve already decided?  Either way, it’s wonderful news!

It  is, however, a life changing decision taking a new dog into your home  and there are many factors to take into consideration such as work  commitments, children, or other pets in the home or even your own  age…and even more questions!

Adopting  a greyhound will be one of the greatest things you will ever do, and a  decision that you won’t regret…in theory!  You want to ensure that you  take the necessary steps to ensure that you avoid disappointment in  taking home the wrong dog!

There  is far more to adopting a hound than simply spotting a photo on a  website and deciding ‘that’s the one!’.  While greyhounds as a breed are  very adaptable and fit into just about any home environment, it is  important to note that like any breed, not every hound is suitable for  every home!

So, if scrolling through picture after picture on adoption websites isn’t the way to go…what is the first step?

Each  rehoming centre, and rescue, does things slightly differently to each  other.  But the first step, which is also the most important step, is  choosing the right rehoming centre for you!  This may be someone local  to you, or further afield.   You should be prepared to travel to  whichever centre you feel is right and that you feel confident that they  will match you with your perfect hound.

Don’t rush.  You want to get this decision right…

Greyhounds  are an oddity, and we mean this in the most endearing of ways, but they  are not your ‘normal’ dog.  They’re upbringing within the racing  industry is entirely different to that of your average dog and in coming  out of that lifestyle, and embracing the world for the first time, they  have a lot to learn…but what is quite common is that mixed breed  rehoming centres and rescues don’t understand them.  

With  so many breeds coming through their doors, greyhounds get generalised.   We’ve seen countless incidents of greyhounds being sent out into homes  from mixed breed rescues with wrong or incomplete information about  their pasts and more often than not, no details of pre-existing racing  injuries which could impact on exercise requirements.  

If  there is one piece of advice you take away from this article, it is to  choose a greyhound specific rehoming centre.  They know the breed inside  out and will be able to provide you the most comprehensive breed  specific advice, and what it is like to be owned by a greyhound!

-  There are countless homing and rescue centres out there, so doing your  research is vital!  You want to ensure that whichever centre you choose  is committed to matching you to your perfect hound based both on the  dogs needs and that of the household.

Read  reviews, thoroughly read through their website and their rehoming  polices, check out their social media and reach out to the greyhound  community online (which is VAST) for recommendations.  Who’s had  positive and negative experiences (and where) and what are things people  wish they knew before approaching their chosen centre.

-  Next, phone them!  Make an initial phone call as a general enquiry to  vibe them out, ask questions about their rehoming policy and what kind  of timeline to expect from them in terms of finding a hound.

Many  centres do everything online these days; having you fill in an online  form or submit ‘virtual home checks’ which can be very impersonal, and  you don’t get a true feel for who it is you are dealing with or whether  they have your best interests at heart.
Something you  may not have thought to ask, is about their return rates!  How many  dogs are bouncing back because they didn’t work out in the home?  What  were the reasons for the returns?

This  will tell you a lot about how well they are matching the dogs to the  applicants or if they are letting people take dogs they like the look  of, which can be a big no no!

Also  are the staff trained?  If you’re intending on taking your young  children or small breed dog to visit in the hopes of finding a suitable  family companion, are the staff trained in canine body language?  What  experience have they had in evaluating interactions between dogs and  children?  There is more to it than just knowing the dogs…being able to  read human body language is important too!

-  Make sure they carry out home checks (preferably in person!) and  interviews as part of their rehoming process.  This is important to  ensure they get to know you!  It is quite amazing how many centres do  not carry out home checks, virtual or otherwise.  Which means they could  be sending a dog into an entirely unsuitable home, which is damaging  for the dog and upsetting for the family when it inevitably doesn’t work  out and the dog needs to be returned.

The  purpose of home checks is to ensure there is adequate space for the  dog, the garden is secure and that there are no other red flags.  We’ve  refused applicants in the past due to unsecure gardens only for them to  adopt a dog from another rescue the very next day…and that is a massive  red flag for any rescue!

Also, do  they do virtual or in person home checks? In person home checks are a  much more personal approach and you can ask questions and feel reassured  and prepared in advance of taking your hound home.

There  are many pitfalls to virtual home checks, other than the hands-off  approach, they can be misleading for the rescue as it gives people the  opportunity to hide certain aspects of their homes.

If  they do want to do a virtual home check, if all they ask for is a  picture of the garden, that’s a red flag!  The house as a whole should  be taken into consideration and in viewing the overall home, if you have  questions later on, such as where do they believe is best to place the  dog bed? They’ll be able to advise properly.
Ensure  you ask to have the home check carried out before you progress to  viewing dogs!  The last thing you want is to fall in love with a dog and  have your heart absolutely set on them, only to fail your home check  and be unable to adopt them.

- Do  they offer the opportunity to volunteer or have a ‘meet the breed’  appointment where there is a no obligation opportunity to meet the  greyhounds, take them for walks and get a clear feel for the breed and  know for certain they are the right dog for you?  This is especially  important if you have children as young or smaller children.  

Greyhounds  are a large breed and often stand at eye height, or higher, than many  children which can be intimidating and result in nervous reactions.  Not  because the hound is doing anything to elicit the response, it is just  their overall presence that can frighten kids.  Even ones that have  otherwise been confident with dogs in the past.

You  want to be able to ensure that each member of the family is confident  with the prospect of adopting a greyhound before getting too far into  the process that you’ve wasted the centres time and hope of a successful  adoption!

- What literature to  they supply?  Do they provide post-adoption support, if so for how long?   Do they offer the availability to take the dog back should it not work  out, and does that stand for the duration of the dog’s life?

You  don’t want to take a dog home and feel utterly alone and unsupported.   Post adoption depression is one of the leading causes for dogs being  returned, so you want to make sure you have the availability to call  them for advice and help should you need it, especially in the settling  in stages and working through any teething issues!

-  Make sure to ask lots of questions!  If their website or social media  doesn’t adequately describe the dogs in detail, asking questions is  essential!

Have the greyhounds  been assessed with other breeds or children?  What’s their reaction to  traffic?  Have they got any racing injuries?  What are the exercise  restraints if they do have an injury?  What is the dogs racing history?   Has the dog been neutered, vaccinated and been treated for parasites?  Is there a vaccination card? Do they have the dog’s veterinary history  prior to retirement?  Do they have any personality quirks?

Make  sure you are satisfied with the answers before committing to reserving  the dog.  Whether a first-time dog parents or a seasoned greyhound  owner, you don’t want to take a dog on with a lot of question marks  hanging over them.  Every greyhound you meet will be lovely, without a  doubt, but it doesn’t mean they’re the right fit.   If the dog hasn’t  been assessed with other breeds, you may be taking on a reactive dog  without knowing it!

- Trust the  staff.  If you’ve chosen the right centre for you, this should be an  easy one!  The staff at the centre will know the dogs and be able to  tell you all their individual quirks and behaviours and should be able  to (with confidence) match you to the hound that is most suitable to  your home based both on your preferences and what the dog needs.  If you  don’t feel like the staff are able to answer your questions, don’t seem  to know the dog well or aren’t able to explain why it is they feel it’s  the right match, it may not be the right fit for you.

-  Do they push same day adoptions or push for you to take the dog home  within a set time frame such as a 72hrs or a week?  This is a red flag,  particularly for new or inexperienced owners.  Same day adoptions  particularly, have many dangers and pitfalls.  

You shouldn’t ever feel pressured into taking a dog home that you have only just met!
Make  sure you have the option to visit the centre as many times as you feel  comfortable to ensure that you are making the right decision.  By going  away and sleeping on it, you will know you are making the right decision  and aren’t rushing into anything that you could regret later.

The  other problem is greyhounds have never lived in homes before, so they  need time to get house trained, socialised, and familiarised with the  great wide world...taking a dog home the first day you meet them doesn't  give you time to book annual leave, arrange dog sitters, or make other  arrangements to get the dog settled in!  You want to allow yourself a  good length of time to get the dog settled in and to build up separation  training.  

- Does the centre  have a community spirit behind them? Many centres will have regular meet  ups and walks, or social media groups for owners to keep in contact and  share stories and pictures. Taking on a new dog can be overwhelming and  it’s beneficial to be able to share experiences with other owners!  It  provides a feeling of safety and an extended support network.

There  are many more factors to take into consideration, as taking on a dog is  a potentially 10+ year commitment and you want to ensure that the one  you are taking home, is the one you will be able to give a loving  forever home to!