The greatest dog breeds you only thought you knew
By Christie Keith
September 1, 2009
One’s too dangerous, the other one’s too fast. They’re both too big, and also: kind of weird, right?
The list of things people think they know about rescued pit bulls and retired racing greyhounds could fill a book, but I settled for a column over on SFGate.com this morning:
When it comes to choosing the right dog, it’s not reality that bites. It’s the seemingly endless list of myths and misconceptions that result in too many people bringing a dog into the family that’s exactly the wrong one for them while passing up a dog who might have been a perfect match.
Take two of the dog world’s least-known treasures, rescued pit bulls and retired racing greyhounds. Far more of these dogs are available for adoption than ever find homes.
Pit bulls and pit bull mixes are the most common dogs killed in many shelters because no one will adopt them. As for greyhounds, there is a vast network of rescue organizations trying to help them find homes, but there are always more dogs than adopters.
Sadly, far too many of these dogs are rejected or never considered at all, not because they’re actually the wrong dog for a particular home, but because the potential adopter doesn’t actually see the dog sitting in front of him. Instead, he sees the idea of the dog he has in his head.
I interviewed Donna Reynolds of BAD RAP for the true story on pit bulls as pets, and talked to Barbara Judson of Greyhound Friends for Life about ex-track greyhounds. Fantastic organizations, terrific interviews, and great dogs. It doesn’t get much better than that for a pet writer! Check it out here.
And in case you’re wondering, yes, I did get equal numbers of photos of pit bulls and greyhounds, but only one of the greyhound photos made the cut. I put another one of them here on this post, just to make myself feel less breed-discriminatory, even though I have to admit pibbles really are easier to photograph than sighthounds!
The two greyhounds in the photo are ex-track dogs named Bali (left) and Coach (right). Bali is 11 and a half years old; Coach is 7. They live in San Francisco with their humble servants Erik Schulz (with Coach) and Rob Kachajian (with Bali), and deigned to pose for me outside of Pet Food Express on Market St. here in San Francisco one day, shortly after having been water tortured bathed at the self-service dog wash inside.
great article! but, oy, the comments………
Comment by EmilyS — September 1, 2009 @ 10:24 am
I’m simply not reading the comments. I know JUST what they say.
Comment by Christie Keith — September 1, 2009 @ 10:25 am
Great great article … and having had the pleasure of adopting a rescued greyhound from Barbara no less, and then many years later after the loss of our great hound, adopting a pit bull from Grass Valley shelter, and learning the in’s and out’s of both breeds was a fabulous experience.
I loved the greyhound dearly, he was a great and wonderful dog, couch potato when not flat out, and gentle as a lamb except with food left on counters.
Daphne, my current heart dog, is big, strong, but equally as lovable if a tad more stubborn but much smarter (sorry to the g-hounds). Both breeds are different as night and day but they are both fantastic dogs. My next dog will probably be a pit bull but that’s many years (and probably many fosters) down the road!
Comment by Becky C. — September 1, 2009 @ 11:19 am
It is unfortunate that dogs have to be euthanized simply because they can’t be placed into a home. Pits and greyhounds are such loving animals.
Comment by Animals Away — September 1, 2009 @ 2:04 pm
I’ve known a number of sighthounds that I just fell in love with - sweet, gentle, funny goofballs. I cried almost as much as his owner when a 5-year-old Irish wolfhound who was our patient lost his battle with pulmonary disease. My only concern with adopting a greyhound here in Wyoming is how a smooth-coated dog with so little body fat would handle going outside even briefly in our -40 degree windchill winters. All our present dogs have plenty of haircoat. Anyone have any experience with greyhounds in Northern tier climates?
Comment by Maria Shanley — September 1, 2009 @ 2:38 pm
I don’t know what breed one of mine is, but she is fast, runs around the otherwise fast pointer. She is also very thin, reminds me of a Greyound. We put an insulated coat on, it is similar to a horse blanket, and running around outside in freezing winter is still fun for her.
Comment by Erich Riesenberg — September 1, 2009 @ 3:38 pm
Des Moines is considering a pit ban. My only response is the Vick dogs. They were evaluated, a few killed, the rest rehabbed. The surviving ones seem to be doing great. If testing works, why not use it instead of trying to divine breed and assuming all of a breed are bad? It doesn’t make sense.
Comment by Erich Riesenberg — September 1, 2009 @ 3:46 pm
Maria, there are many, many greyhound practical coat designers on Teh Webs, and all kinds of styles and prices. The Northern Tier of states has plenty of short coated sighthounds in it. To see what I mean, here’s a link to one of my favorite greyhound rescues, Greyhound Placement Service of New Hampshire.
http://www.gpstopdog.com/
Check out the Greyhound Goodies page. Ot scope out this Forum:
http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?act=home
Winter walks ( don’t ever let a greyhound off lead unless they’re in an enclosed area) might require a warm coat and boots or pad wax to protect their feet from cold & road salt. But don’t let your climate stop you from considering adopting one of these wonderful dogs. Or even better, adopt a Greyt & a pibble! The pibble will need a winter coat, too! lol.
Comment by Anne T — September 1, 2009 @ 4:46 pm
*g* One of my shelter pits wears a coat 24/7 in the winter because she’s nearly nekkid, very trim, and wimpy. I figure a greyhound in a coat would fit in well.
Comment by katie — September 1, 2009 @ 6:18 pm
Great article, Christie! Comments, mind-numbing as usual…. I seriously think schools should add a mandatory animal behavior class in middle school and/or high school. Maybe people would be slightly less ‘tarded when it comes to animals. And maybe that’s just wishful thinking…..
Comment by Alex V. — September 1, 2009 @ 6:20 pm
Indeed both breeds can be difficult if you have the wrong expectations going into it. You need to be willing to be the leader of your pack and provide a balance of exercise, discipline, and affection. Treat them as a dog first and then as a friend. So many times the human/dog relationship starts off wrong and escalates. The dog and the owner become unhappy and the dog ends up back at the shelter and is very unlikely to be adopted out again. Fortunately, there are special people in the world who are willing to share their home with unwanted breeds, and to them, I am very grateful. You can meet several of these wonderful home town heroes at: http://www.vetdex.com
Comment by Janine — September 1, 2009 @ 10:24 pm
Indeed both breeds can be difficult if you have the wrong expectations going into it. You need to be willing to be the leader of your pack and provide a balance of excercise, discipline, and affection. Treat them as a dog first and then as a friend. So many times the human/dog relationship starts off wrong and escalates. The dog and the owner become unhappy and they end up back at the shelter and are very unlikely to make it back out. Fortunately, there are many people in the world who are willing to share their home with unwanted breeds such as this, and to them, I am very grateful. You can meet several of these wonderful home town heroes at: http://www.vetdex.com
Comment by Janine — September 1, 2009 @ 10:26 pm
Thanks so much Christie. And how convenient — The commenters were so gracious to demonstrate why emotional armor is one of the requirements of loving a dog that looks like a pit bull.
Comment by Donna — September 2, 2009 @ 8:28 am
Maria, there are a few greys in my ‘hood, along with other slender and not so slender short/thin haired breeds. We just slap the coats on ;) When the streets are covered in ice and the windchill is below zero, my slender Dal (mix?) just wants to do her biz and go in, as do most dogs and owners here. You learn to find potty spots blocked from the wind to direct the dogs to, lol!~ Mine’s not into booties, but many of the dogs around me wear them. Mine will wear a scarf or the jackets I made that go up her neck and head more. Now granted, we don’t get -40, but we have had -15 to -20. I treat anything below 10 the same. Quick out and back in. Unless of course the Dot feels like doing a few zoomies and then back in for a nap. I just stick close to home. AKA, on the same block! I do the same for heat. Let the dog let me know what she wants, but know that I am the one with reasoning abilities ;)
One thing I do in winter is adjust diet and make sure she’s getting enough oils to keep her skin/coat from drying out too much. My girl eats more in the winter. Extra fuel to keep warm :)
as far as pits/greys and adopting goes, I wish the misconception that they aren’t apt dogs would just go away. Same with other “non-apartment dog” breeds. There are at least a dozen “non-apartment dog” Dals living around me and many other “non-apartment dog” breeds. And this goes to rescues also. “Must have fenced yard” etc rules. “Must be willing to walk/exercise dog” should be the thought process. Not a fenced yard.
Comment by straybaby — September 2, 2009 @ 6:05 pm
I know one thing. Everytime I see a pitty behind a fence here, I want to take it home and love it. I have spent many minutes on my rear end making aquaintences with the many Pit Bulls in my neighborhood behind fences, owners thinking they must have this dog to feel safe. I have had the meanest toughest bullys come to love me when they smelled my scent on the walks that I take daily. Its my mantra to make pals. I feel now that I have a bit of a calling. Befriend dogs behine fences. Most of my neighbors use the dogs, but do not love these beautiful animals. I know them differently from out here. But are aware of their potence. I have come to know them with respect and love.
nuts, yes I am and glad for it.
Comment by JLS — September 18, 2009 @ 5:14 pm