Don’t choose a e book by its cowl, however within the case of greyhounds, their unmistakable lean profile has meant that they’re misunderstood by lots of people. Their fame as extremely strung animals that want a whole lot of train typically precedes them. However, nothing may very well be farther from the reality. They are light, homely dogs that like to snooze for hours, though after they do determine to run, they’re the quickest canines on the planet: they will attain round 60 kilometers (37 miles) per hour.
“In Germany they call them ‘big Spanish cats,’ because at home they are like sleepy cats, but on the street they run and play, although they do not need constant exercise,” says Cristina García, president of the NGO Galgos sin Fronteras [Greyhounds without Borders]. As a connoisseur of this breed, she highlights a number of causes to undertake these dogs: “Out of sympathy, since it is a breed that needs a lot of help due to the abuse that they usually experience — some owners treat them like nothing more than a hunting tool, to be used and thrown away. Also, because they are noble, gentle, and loyal.”
This breed of canine, which Miguel de Cervantes selected as Don Quixote’s iconic companion, requires the identical basic care as any canine: affection, good meals, and firm. “What makes them unique is that they usually come from situations where they haven’t known what being stroked is, so they need patience until they realize that their life has changed. Then they adapt and create a bond with their new family,” García says. What are these animals like after they have settled into their new home? “Wonderful, affectionate, and happy. They are called children of the wind, because when they are happy, they jump and do somersaults.”
Greyhounds are born sprinters and have to launch their boundless vitality for a couple of minutes a day. “The rest of the time they will want to lie down because they are lazy. They like to sleep in a soft, sunny spot, and they like to be comfortable, because they have very little body fat,” explains Anna Clements, co-founder of the SOS Galgos Shelter-School. She mentions a few of their different peculiarities: “They are guided more by sight than by smell, so they can have a greater angle of vision of their surroundings from the sofa. They also often need the company of another dog to help them with separation anxiety when their owners leave the house.”
Helping a greyhound adapt to its new home
Greyhounds will acclimatize extra simply to a brand new home when you may spend extra time with them within the first few days after their arrival. “The ideal is to take a few weeks off work and gradually leave the dog alone for a few minutes each day, and lengthen the time so that they get used to the times they have to be alone,” Anna Clements recommends. And she provides: “When you leave them alone, you have to do it naturally, without saying goodbye. And, when you return home, ignore them when they receive you. It’s about rewarding them with attention when they are relaxed, not when they are restless, even if it is out of joy.” Usually, if the greyhound shares a home with one other canine, will probably be simpler for them to adapt. “They are pack animals and feel happy when accompanied by other canines, which they will take as a reference, and will imitate their behavior,” Clements continues.
A wholesome hound
The dogs’ attribute thinness additionally determines how one can take care of them. “They have very thin skin as they have little fat and that is why they often feel cold, so it is advisable that they have a padded place to rest that will avoid injuries to the body, such as calluses,” Onintza Aguado, technical director of the Montepríncipe Veterinary Clinic in Madrid, says about their care.
Greyhounds have an athletic physique and their weight-reduction plan ought to match their structure. They want a feed with extremely digestible protein that can also be applicable to their age, weight, and exercise. “They are unique in that they are not dogs that eat large amounts and so it is important to avoid them becoming overweight because, having long and thin legs, they tend to suffer from joint problems,” continues Aguado. The veterinarian highlights the weak spots within the well being of those dogs: “Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or having a very large heart, and periodontal disease or gingivitis caused by tartar accumulation.”
The present authorized scenario of greyhounds in Spain
The new Spanish animal safety regulation has not included dogs utilized in searching actions, as is the case of greyhounds. “It is absurd that some dogs are protected and others are not. Greyhounds continue to be used as mere throwaway hunting tools and are bred in an uncontrolled manner,” laments the president of Galgos sin Fronteras. “The images of hanged, burned, and abused greyhounds have been seen around the world for many years. We are stigmatized by a minority sector that should be controlled in order to eradicate this problem,” Cristina García describes the picture that Spain has overseas concerning the therapy of those dogs.
For years, animal safety associations have been denouncing the circumstances during which greyhounds used for searching are stored: “They live without adequate hygiene and in poor sanitary conditions. They are malnourished, kept alone, starved of affection, and beaten, which is why they end up developing anxiety around people,” describes SOS Galgos co-founder Anna Clements.
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