Rehoming Red Flats: What To Look For When Adopting

Thinking  of adopting a greyhound? Maybe you’ve already decided? Either way, it’s  wonderful news!  There is something very special about having a  greyhound in your life…or any dog for that matter!

It  is, however, a life changing decision 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!

While  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 chose a rehoming  centre that you feel comfortable with, not only to match you with your  perfect hound, but to give you the support you need before and after  adoption!

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 are prepared to travel there more  than once as any responsible rehoming centre will insist on taking time  to think through the decision, rather than adopting there and then!

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  (wherever possible) 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!

But while we make  this recommendation, it’s not to say that greyhound-specific homing  centres are all made equal.  Like any industry, the welfare sector is  made up of good and bad…and we’ve seen a lot of bad!

So, what red flags should you be watching out for?  And what makes a good rehoming centre?

-   Do your research! 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.

While  smaller charities don’t have the funds to put into flash websites and  influencer level social media posts, you will still get a feel for the  people behind the scenes through their use of language, their knowledge,  and recommendations.  For instance, any suggestion of dominance or  punitive training measures would be a red flag.

We  would also like to point out, that some of the flashiest websites often  cover up a host of sins…and we have seen some of the most well-known  charities, even endorsed by celebrities, being questionable (at best)  behind the scenes!  Even 'vegan' sanctuaries where the staff eat meat  and pretend to be vegan for appearances.

- Does their website, or social media, adequately describe the dogs?  Have they been fully behaviourally assessed?

Ask  them lots of questions about any potential hound you are to meet, or  that you are interested in, to ensure they know that hound well and that  you know you can put your trust in them.

Ask  questions such as: 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 viewing the dog,  let alone reserving them!  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!

If they can’t answer every question you pose about a hound, that’s a red flag.

A  VERY important question is when did the dog come in for rehoming.  If  the hound only arrived in their care the day before, or even just a  couple days before, they cannot in good conscience comment about the  character, behaviour and any quirks that hound has because it can take  days for them to settle into the rehoming centre and start to let their  character show.  

If they are  trying to push you to adopt a dog that they only met that day, or even  three days prior, say no.  That red flag is flying high!

-   Submitting an online application is great and all, but it’s not very  personal.  Make sure to 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?

You’ll  often get a feel for their return rates through their social media, with  many posting about returnees in a bid to get them re-adopted.  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,  it’s worth noting whether the staff are 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!

-  A big red flag for us is homing centres that don’t do home checks.   Fine, since covid, virtual home checks have become standard practice.   While virtual checks are not our favourite, it’s still a whole lot  better than no home check at all.

Ideally,  you want a centre that will carry out an in-person home check.  If they  don’t do any form of home check, it can 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 (from the  adopters side). 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.  During covid, when  we were forced to do virtual home checks, we had people attempting to  cover the fact that they had cats, house rabbits, ferrets, and caged  birds by moving evidence of them out of their photos and videos.   Thankfully, they were all caught out before things got too far, as to  have pursed an adoption would have been disastrous!

If  they do want to do a virtual home check, if all they ask for is a  picture of the garden, that is also red flag!  Any part of the house  that the dog will have access should be taken into consideration.  We’ve  done home checks that, in arriving, we’ve been unable to get in due to  severe hoarding!

Also, 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!

While it isn’t a ‘red flag’ if they don’t offer this, it is still something that should be considered.

-  Do they supply any literature or information? 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!

-  We posted about this the other day, but we’re putting it on the list  anyway!  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 big  red flag for us, 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!

- Do you feel  like you can trust the staff?  Have you got good vibes? Do you feel  confident in talking to them and meeting them, that they have your (and  the dogs) best interests at heart?

If  you’ve chosen the right centre for you, this should be an easy one to  answer. 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.

Maybe we’re just jaded and cynical, but we’ve seen the best, and some of the worst, of the welfare sector!