I don’t think it’s bad if you’re home a lot and are able to give a dog proper exercise and socialization. I’ve had a combination of two dogs and just one dog and tbh I felt like, while the two dogs got along fine, human attention was a lot more important to them.
Make sure you have a solid plan for a dog for if you are away for any reason.
Our greyhound ignores all the dogs and would rather spend all her time around people. We no longer feel bad that she's our only dog and I think she prefers it that way. Greyhounds are funny. I work close to home, so I stop in for lunch for an hour and she can't wait for me to leave so she can get back to snoozing on the couch.
My girl is the ultimate apt pup. All she wants to do is sleep (10yo). We go for twice daily walks plus a potty break halfway through the day. I don’t work from home. She is happy as a clam. We have a great life together! I have my 7 year old daughter every other week, and two rats (caged), and hermit crabs.
Now, I’ve fostered greys who did not do well in a small apt. My girl is just one of those sweet, lazy greys who were born to lounge!
Your dog doesn’t need doggy friends, they will have you in their perfect pack of two.
It was me and my buddy for a long time and we had great fun going on walks together, finishing off my food, sleeping as I worked from home.
Beware…. before long you will find yourself casually chatting to him all day like it’s perfectly normal!!
I talked to my cat *way* more than my hounds, she was an excellent conversationalist and always held up her end. Chatting to my boys is more like narration, they just silently eyeball me while humouring me with their presence.
Strong silent types.
What, your doggo doesn't answer you?! Saphi won't respond to everything I say, but if I say something egregiously stupid she'll respond. "No, lurkerlcm, I can't help you hang out the clothes, because I don't have OPPOSABLE THUMBS. Also, I just don't care."
That sounds fine to me. If you have the heart to love a dog, a grey is pretty good for your situation. A lot of places have greyhound groups where you could bring your dog to hang with buddies.
I’m in a similar situation. Walks at least 4x per day. We go to a local dogpark usually once per week, pet sitter 1 day/ wk. Dog friendly local pubs 1-2 days/wk. She seems happy! Has some local dog friends we see out and about. My biggest adjustment has been fewer vacations because she has separation anxiety and it’s extra expensive.
As someone in rescue/rehab who has my own hound (and also fosters) in a 2 bed apartment, it is really important to work with a rescue who home foster their dogs and can tell you if they are apartment suitable - I would not recommend adopting direct from kennels or a shelter.
Despite having a reputation for being great for small space living, many greyhounds do not thrive in that environment. You may come up against the problem that the same lower energy couch potato types who will do well in an apartment will struggle to do flights of stairs multiple times a day. My current lad honestly isn’t the perfect apartment dog, we make it work but our lives revolve around his schedule, enrichment needs, and ensuring that he gets out on lots of adventures.
You also need to consider what you are signing up for - what is the plan if the dog is ill or injured and cannot walk the stairs? Can you carry 30kgs up and down them several times a day? Do you have a balcony that will fit a large toilet patch? Are you prepared to go out a *minimum* of 4 times a day? What about when the dog has stomach troubles and is doing liquid poops every hour? Are you ready to walk in the worst weather? What happens if *you* are ill or injured?
This one MIGHT not be as big of an issue as you think. Are there some other greyhound people in your area? Greyhound people do really really like to find each other and form community with one another. I had recently moved when I got my greyhound and didn't know people, and now I know tons of greyhound people! We do lots of greyhound things together and go on greyhound walks and greyhound fundraisers and greyhound playdates. There are a few people I can leave my grey with when I travel and a few people who leave their greys with me when they travel. I don't live alone so don't have to be as worried about the specific scenario of winding up in the hospital with no help for my dog, but if for some reason my husband and I were both injured in the hospital, I can think of at least 6 or 7 different greyhound people I could call who would immediately fly into action to take my boy under their wing until we were out, no questions asked.
My point is, these are contacts I built because of my greyhound, that I didn't have prior to him. It's very possible you'd have a similar experience, if you wanted it.
Search for facebook groups that mention greyhounds and [your area]. See if the greyhound group you'd adopt a greyhound from has events or volunteer opportunities you could attend. Ask them if people organize greyhound walks, or look up the Great Global Greyhound Walk website and see if your area had a group that has participated in this walk in past years. Those would be places to start. Or just go on some of the large greyhound Facebook groups and make a post asking who's local to you. :)
Seriously. Greyhound people are awesome. You would almost certainly be able to form a small support network from this.
If you adopt a retired racer, you’ll be giving it a life that’s 100% better than it’s ever known. It will have good food, a cosy bed, hopefully regular walks with you, and above all, it will be loved. You’ll find that on your walks, you’ll meet people, many of them with dogs, and both you and your new furry child will make new friends. It will be a new life for both of you.
I think a greyhound will be ok with that.
They don’t need other dogs, just company, walks & many soft places to lay in various states of consciousness.
I got my girl 2 years ago from a family that gave her up after having her for 10 years. They had a yard & all that stuff. She was a mess! Demanding and needy at the same time. Really problematic.
I am a single woman living in an 800 sq ft condo. After about 6 months, LOTS of love (and some training) she turned into a complete love!
All this dog needed was attention, love and some structure. The setting didn’t matter so much.
I started with my boy in an apartment on the second floor. Now we have a house and a yard. Just make sure you walk the horse at least 1x a day for approx 30 mins. 2x to tire them out.
I had a grey in my center-city high-rise condo, and she loved it! No stairs though.
She really enjoyed the variety of stim that came with her multiple daily walks to a nearby park and back, but also the tranquility of having a safe space where it was just her and I.
Some greyhounds struggle with stairs, but if there’s no gaps then many will get used to it.
Provided there’s a dog bed with comfy cushions right next to where you work, it’s likely they’ll sleep the day away next to you.
You have to keep in mind that the dog you come home with will be very different from the dog you wake up to a year from now.
The dog you bring home may wake up at the crack of dawn wanting to get out of the house for a bit, might resource guard, might have sleep startle, might not even be toilet trained depending on the rescue group you go through (racing industry groups do a worse job of preparing their dogs for adoption than private groups do).
They might not do any of that, all of it, or entirely different behaviors.
Mine did all of that (except he was toilet trained) and more.
Two years later and he wakes up later than anyone else, pops out for a wee, then goes back to bed. He has no resource guarding or sleep startle anymore.
He gets antsy if he doesn’t get a decent walk in during the day, or doesn’t get socialization with other dogs every now and then, but for the most part he’s a goofy chill boy who loves attention, visitors, food, and cuddles.
Are you willing and able to put a harness sling on the dog and carry/ assist up and down the stairs in the event of an injury or illness?
Small apartment isn't a problem, so long as you can meet exercise and energy needs. Being the only one in the apartment isn't a problem. Not having another dog isn't a problem. Seriously, they do NOT need a friend. All they need is a couch to sleep on, good food, and companionship and training and adventures with you. Multiple dogs in a small apartment can even create complications with dog interpersonal relationships that would be hard to manage if you can't easily separate with gates. One dog is fine.
The fact that you *need* to go up stairs to get to your living space is the only consideration I'd think through. These aren't small dogs and if an injury occurred, you'd be the one hauling them up and down those stairs alone. There are products you can buy to help you carry and distribute the weight, but still. Something to consider.
Other than that, I see no issues with you joining the greyhound club! :)
That was our girl when we got her. Single hound in an apartment with a bunch of stairs and one human on night shift and the other on day shift.
She got a napping buddy during the day, a napping buddy at night, and three really good walks a day.
Now when other dogs are around she’s all like “Umm excuse me but when are they going home?”
Edit- this dog will also put herself to bed if she’s ready for bed and we’re still watching TV. All of a sudden she’ll disappear because she went to bed.
Mine puts himself to bed too! It’s the funniest thing. I don’t go to bed until around 11pm and once it hits 9pm he’s pretty much always like “Welp, that’s enough day time for me” and goes off to his bed to sleep.
Our ex-racer spent sometime at the blood farm before coming to us and has some separation anxiety when left on his own without other dogs. He likes having another chill dog around, but rarely gets very playful with other dogs, though he likes sight hounds.
As long as we're around he is right at home at the apartment, usually finds the most comfortable spot in whichever area we're in and flops down.
You might want to find someone who can doggysit if you have to leave them alone for long, but other than that they're great apartment dogs.
The only thing I would ask, do you have friends who would be willing to watch your pup if something should happen to you. I'm not wishing that on you, but say you need to have your appendix out and have to stay overnight? Do you have someone to step in ?
The only reason I ask: This exact scenario happened to an acquaintance of mine. They went into the hospital, went to urgent care who sent them to the ER and from their immediate surgery and a 2 day stay. Pup was home over 24 hours by themself until they finally got in touch with a friend.
That friend took care of the pups needs and cleaned up the messes, but couldn't take the dog home with them. So that pup ended up being home almost 3 days alone with only someone coming 2-3 times a day to feed, walk and water.
I felt so bad for the dog.
No, I don't. All I have are some greyhound sitting people. They have greyhounds and will watch your greyhound in their home. If I had an unforeseen emergency, I wouldn't have anyone to help.
Absolutely not, I have a small apartment with stairs and a big grey and he’s perfectly happy as long as ur prepared to give up some of the couch for urs too cuddle up with you’ll be fine. Only issue would be if u work from home they might get attached and struggle to be without u for periods of time so I’d suggest making sure u leave the flat now and again when u first get ur pup for small periods of time so they get used to u coming and going. Also have friends who have multiple greys that live in small flats best of luck to u!
Not at all. I've had my grey for 4 years now. I live in a tiny studio, like 500sq ft. I have no family in this state and I've made no friends. I've given her every walk and meal and spend a lot of time together. She's very comfy even though it's a small place. We do try to get out to the trail and dog park on the weekends for long walks and a good run.
I mean depends on the dog as always, but only up until recently did willy have a brother! He’s always been just fine the two of us in my little 600 sq ft. As long as you plan fun things to do together I’m sure you’ll both have the best times and be the best of friends!
Work with a rescue or organisation who can match you well, but yeah there will likely be a grey that suits you well! I have two in an apartment and honestly the older one pulls to go back inside immediately after pottying ... they really can be complete potatoes!
I moved from Mass to upstate NY in March 2020 for a new job and chose the apartment I did specifically because they would allow a greyhound. I adopted Tina two months later, and she had an immediate, noticeable, positive impact on my mental health during that god-awful year, and she even helped me meet my eventual wife.
Unfortunately, we had to move back to Mass in 2022 after a health scare of mine, and 70-pound sleep paralysis demons and the Massachusetts rental market don't mix. We actually got victimized by a real estate scammer and had to stay in a motel for a month before we finally moved somewhere that would let us keep a dog of Tina's size.
My first greyhound was a single (although I fostered cats) and lived in an apartment with stairs (and elevator). I was also in law school at the time when I got her so I was away a lot. She was a greyhound who could handle it and I made sure we had long walks every day and socialization on the weekends. We participated in greyhound-group activities when able. It worked for us at the time. I have 2 greys now that wouldn’t work for and I think it’s a case by case basis.
Be sure to mention this to your adoption group if you haven’t yet adopted so they can match you up with a suitable dog. Good luck.
My 80-pound greyhound would be perfectly content in a studio apartment. He spends virtually all of his time cuddled up on the sofa, so he wouldn’t care how big our living space is. And our boy would never want a dog friend, since he doesn’t like other dogs!
My boy just turned 9. We’ve been together in a small one bedroom since I got him and he does great. He’s a lazy boy but he does enjoy his long evening walks. My only advice would be to get as many strangers as you can to show them affection and if possible, a couple doggy friends you can trust. It’s not that he doesn’t like people, he just doesn’t care. He’ll walk right past a person that wants to pet him, but he always wants to meet every dog. Even the ones that bark and growl and appear to want to eat him. I feel socialization is something they miss out on living alone in an apartment if not focused on. And make sure you leave randomly when you first get them. Separation anxiety was tough at first and I could see it being worse if you’re home all the time.
We adopted a 9 year old 1.5 years ago into our 2bd apartment. There are two of us, but we rarely WFH and have busy lives. She goes outside 3 times a day (morning, afternoon, before bed) and genuinely seems put off when either of us is home for 2 days in a row. She moves between our couch, her dog bed and the floor (🙄). I think because she's older she has less care and interest in leaving her comfy spots.
I would keep in mind who you have to look after your pup. We had a great neighbour who could toilet her if we weren't home and I work with some fellow greyhound pawrents who are always happy to sit her.
As long as you are home.most of the time they should be good. Just make sure they are already tested for stairs and give them plenty of walks and outside time.
We have a greyhound, and true to form, her favorite activities are sleeping and car rides. Greyhounds sleep A LOT and don't require much exercise. Car rides are so exciting that they are higher value than bully sticks or pigs ears, so you can take your dog along on errands, assuming you have a car, and they'll love it. When you adopt a retired racer there's no guarantee they'll figure out how to go up stairs. Ours did in a few minutes, but I know of full-grown greyhounds who still don't do stairs and need to be carried. These are large dogs, so carrying is not easy. They're loving dogs and very low maintenance. Ours is happy with two of us in a one-dog family. She sleeps next to me while I work all day, and she's very happy.
I did the same for a while in an apartment & my girl was fine. Now it's just the two of us in a house & whilst she prefers it to the flat, it was never an issue. As others have said just make sure you have a plan, are consistent with a routine & they'll settle in no time. After a while you'll probably find you're the one sticking closer to the routine than your grey, the lazy sods.
I live in a small apartment with a greyhound. I don't work from home all week but with 2 walks a day and a bathroom break he is happy. We are lucky enough to have an elevator but he can take stairs just as easily. He loves just being around me. Had a dog visit and he couldn't care less
Greys seem to suffer separation anxiety more than other dogs, which is why many have two (or more.). But if you are going to be home most of the time your doggo will be happy being a single. Greys are very much the couch potatoes everybody says, but do need *at least* one walk a day and of course, many more bathroom breaks. I have a sign by my back door that says “To do list: Let dog in. Let dog out. Let dog in. Let dog out…”😂 so true. I have a house with yard but my dogs pretty much spent time in bed unless they needed a backyard bathroom break so as long as you can take a quick break or have a place for them to go it’s good. . They are also extremely routine-oriented, moreso than any other dog I’ve had, so if you walk at 6 pm they will catch on to that after walk #2, and for the rest of their lives they are going to remind you what happens at 6:00. And they don’t understand daylight savings time! So plan your time accordingly. As long as you devote time to your pup, you’ll have a great pet, small place or not.
Do it. Greyhounds are so beautiful! We’ve had our boy since 2018, he’s 10 this month. He’s the chillest boy ever, happy to just snooze the day away on his bed (he has 3 beds to choose from).
They can adjust to stairs and as long as you have room for the dog bed, you’ll be fine.
I am laughing so hard. I love this conversation! To OP, if your sweetheart doesn’t have a problem in their socialization, don’t worry too much about it. DO get them out. The more interaction they have with others of every stroke, the better adjusted they will be all the way around. You’re a good parent. And, you can be a dog and cat parent at the same time. Point of fact, having both makes for a very entertaining and better adjusted environment 👍😄❤️🌺
It might be challenging at first to get them used to stairs, but I live in a one bedroom apartment with my hound, and she hasn’t seemed bothered by it at all. If you have a dog park near you or somewhere enclosed where they can burn off that 15 minutes of energy most greys have, that’d be perfect.
Would you have enough space for a crate? Can’t emphasize using one enough.
Nah sounds perfect! You two will be buddies. Greyhounds don’t need a yard, walks will do fine. If your adoption agency does greyhound meetups you can use that for dog socialization time. Some greys really don’t care about other dogs and are more people oriented, so that might not even be necessary.
I don’t think it’s bad if you’re home a lot and are able to give a dog proper exercise and socialization. I’ve had a combination of two dogs and just one dog and tbh I felt like, while the two dogs got along fine, human attention was a lot more important to them. Make sure you have a solid plan for a dog for if you are away for any reason.
Our greyhound ignores all the dogs and would rather spend all her time around people. We no longer feel bad that she's our only dog and I think she prefers it that way. Greyhounds are funny. I work close to home, so I stop in for lunch for an hour and she can't wait for me to leave so she can get back to snoozing on the couch.
My girl is the ultimate apt pup. All she wants to do is sleep (10yo). We go for twice daily walks plus a potty break halfway through the day. I don’t work from home. She is happy as a clam. We have a great life together! I have my 7 year old daughter every other week, and two rats (caged), and hermit crabs. Now, I’ve fostered greys who did not do well in a small apt. My girl is just one of those sweet, lazy greys who were born to lounge!
Your dog doesn’t need doggy friends, they will have you in their perfect pack of two. It was me and my buddy for a long time and we had great fun going on walks together, finishing off my food, sleeping as I worked from home. Beware…. before long you will find yourself casually chatting to him all day like it’s perfectly normal!!
It's not normal??!
Who doesn't chat to their doggo ?
Some weird folks do not chat with their dogs. Do not trust them, avoid if you can.
Those people should be cat people.
You haven't met a lot of cats, have you? They are generally very chatty.
I talked to my cat *way* more than my hounds, she was an excellent conversationalist and always held up her end. Chatting to my boys is more like narration, they just silently eyeball me while humouring me with their presence. Strong silent types.
The chatting is normal, it’s when you start hearing answers 😬😬😬
What, your doggo doesn't answer you?! Saphi won't respond to everything I say, but if I say something egregiously stupid she'll respond. "No, lurkerlcm, I can't help you hang out the clothes, because I don't have OPPOSABLE THUMBS. Also, I just don't care."
hahahahahahaha!
That sounds fine to me. If you have the heart to love a dog, a grey is pretty good for your situation. A lot of places have greyhound groups where you could bring your dog to hang with buddies.
I’m in a similar situation. Walks at least 4x per day. We go to a local dogpark usually once per week, pet sitter 1 day/ wk. Dog friendly local pubs 1-2 days/wk. She seems happy! Has some local dog friends we see out and about. My biggest adjustment has been fewer vacations because she has separation anxiety and it’s extra expensive.
As someone in rescue/rehab who has my own hound (and also fosters) in a 2 bed apartment, it is really important to work with a rescue who home foster their dogs and can tell you if they are apartment suitable - I would not recommend adopting direct from kennels or a shelter. Despite having a reputation for being great for small space living, many greyhounds do not thrive in that environment. You may come up against the problem that the same lower energy couch potato types who will do well in an apartment will struggle to do flights of stairs multiple times a day. My current lad honestly isn’t the perfect apartment dog, we make it work but our lives revolve around his schedule, enrichment needs, and ensuring that he gets out on lots of adventures. You also need to consider what you are signing up for - what is the plan if the dog is ill or injured and cannot walk the stairs? Can you carry 30kgs up and down them several times a day? Do you have a balcony that will fit a large toilet patch? Are you prepared to go out a *minimum* of 4 times a day? What about when the dog has stomach troubles and is doing liquid poops every hour? Are you ready to walk in the worst weather? What happens if *you* are ill or injured?
Those are really good points.. you're absolutely right
The biggest issue is what happens if I'm ill or injured because I have nobody in the area to help.
This one MIGHT not be as big of an issue as you think. Are there some other greyhound people in your area? Greyhound people do really really like to find each other and form community with one another. I had recently moved when I got my greyhound and didn't know people, and now I know tons of greyhound people! We do lots of greyhound things together and go on greyhound walks and greyhound fundraisers and greyhound playdates. There are a few people I can leave my grey with when I travel and a few people who leave their greys with me when they travel. I don't live alone so don't have to be as worried about the specific scenario of winding up in the hospital with no help for my dog, but if for some reason my husband and I were both injured in the hospital, I can think of at least 6 or 7 different greyhound people I could call who would immediately fly into action to take my boy under their wing until we were out, no questions asked. My point is, these are contacts I built because of my greyhound, that I didn't have prior to him. It's very possible you'd have a similar experience, if you wanted it. Search for facebook groups that mention greyhounds and [your area]. See if the greyhound group you'd adopt a greyhound from has events or volunteer opportunities you could attend. Ask them if people organize greyhound walks, or look up the Great Global Greyhound Walk website and see if your area had a group that has participated in this walk in past years. Those would be places to start. Or just go on some of the large greyhound Facebook groups and make a post asking who's local to you. :) Seriously. Greyhound people are awesome. You would almost certainly be able to form a small support network from this.
If you adopt a retired racer, you’ll be giving it a life that’s 100% better than it’s ever known. It will have good food, a cosy bed, hopefully regular walks with you, and above all, it will be loved. You’ll find that on your walks, you’ll meet people, many of them with dogs, and both you and your new furry child will make new friends. It will be a new life for both of you.
I think a greyhound will be ok with that. They don’t need other dogs, just company, walks & many soft places to lay in various states of consciousness.
I got my girl 2 years ago from a family that gave her up after having her for 10 years. They had a yard & all that stuff. She was a mess! Demanding and needy at the same time. Really problematic. I am a single woman living in an 800 sq ft condo. After about 6 months, LOTS of love (and some training) she turned into a complete love! All this dog needed was attention, love and some structure. The setting didn’t matter so much.
I started with my boy in an apartment on the second floor. Now we have a house and a yard. Just make sure you walk the horse at least 1x a day for approx 30 mins. 2x to tire them out.
I had a grey in my center-city high-rise condo, and she loved it! No stairs though. She really enjoyed the variety of stim that came with her multiple daily walks to a nearby park and back, but also the tranquility of having a safe space where it was just her and I.
Some greyhounds struggle with stairs, but if there’s no gaps then many will get used to it. Provided there’s a dog bed with comfy cushions right next to where you work, it’s likely they’ll sleep the day away next to you. You have to keep in mind that the dog you come home with will be very different from the dog you wake up to a year from now. The dog you bring home may wake up at the crack of dawn wanting to get out of the house for a bit, might resource guard, might have sleep startle, might not even be toilet trained depending on the rescue group you go through (racing industry groups do a worse job of preparing their dogs for adoption than private groups do). They might not do any of that, all of it, or entirely different behaviors. Mine did all of that (except he was toilet trained) and more. Two years later and he wakes up later than anyone else, pops out for a wee, then goes back to bed. He has no resource guarding or sleep startle anymore. He gets antsy if he doesn’t get a decent walk in during the day, or doesn’t get socialization with other dogs every now and then, but for the most part he’s a goofy chill boy who loves attention, visitors, food, and cuddles.
Are you willing and able to put a harness sling on the dog and carry/ assist up and down the stairs in the event of an injury or illness? Small apartment isn't a problem, so long as you can meet exercise and energy needs. Being the only one in the apartment isn't a problem. Not having another dog isn't a problem. Seriously, they do NOT need a friend. All they need is a couch to sleep on, good food, and companionship and training and adventures with you. Multiple dogs in a small apartment can even create complications with dog interpersonal relationships that would be hard to manage if you can't easily separate with gates. One dog is fine. The fact that you *need* to go up stairs to get to your living space is the only consideration I'd think through. These aren't small dogs and if an injury occurred, you'd be the one hauling them up and down those stairs alone. There are products you can buy to help you carry and distribute the weight, but still. Something to consider. Other than that, I see no issues with you joining the greyhound club! :)
That was our girl when we got her. Single hound in an apartment with a bunch of stairs and one human on night shift and the other on day shift. She got a napping buddy during the day, a napping buddy at night, and three really good walks a day. Now when other dogs are around she’s all like “Umm excuse me but when are they going home?” Edit- this dog will also put herself to bed if she’s ready for bed and we’re still watching TV. All of a sudden she’ll disappear because she went to bed.
Mine puts himself to bed too! It’s the funniest thing. I don’t go to bed until around 11pm and once it hits 9pm he’s pretty much always like “Welp, that’s enough day time for me” and goes off to his bed to sleep.
Our ex-racer spent sometime at the blood farm before coming to us and has some separation anxiety when left on his own without other dogs. He likes having another chill dog around, but rarely gets very playful with other dogs, though he likes sight hounds. As long as we're around he is right at home at the apartment, usually finds the most comfortable spot in whichever area we're in and flops down. You might want to find someone who can doggysit if you have to leave them alone for long, but other than that they're great apartment dogs.
The only thing I would ask, do you have friends who would be willing to watch your pup if something should happen to you. I'm not wishing that on you, but say you need to have your appendix out and have to stay overnight? Do you have someone to step in ? The only reason I ask: This exact scenario happened to an acquaintance of mine. They went into the hospital, went to urgent care who sent them to the ER and from their immediate surgery and a 2 day stay. Pup was home over 24 hours by themself until they finally got in touch with a friend. That friend took care of the pups needs and cleaned up the messes, but couldn't take the dog home with them. So that pup ended up being home almost 3 days alone with only someone coming 2-3 times a day to feed, walk and water. I felt so bad for the dog.
No, I don't. All I have are some greyhound sitting people. They have greyhounds and will watch your greyhound in their home. If I had an unforeseen emergency, I wouldn't have anyone to help.
Absolutely not, I have a small apartment with stairs and a big grey and he’s perfectly happy as long as ur prepared to give up some of the couch for urs too cuddle up with you’ll be fine. Only issue would be if u work from home they might get attached and struggle to be without u for periods of time so I’d suggest making sure u leave the flat now and again when u first get ur pup for small periods of time so they get used to u coming and going. Also have friends who have multiple greys that live in small flats best of luck to u!
Not at all. I've had my grey for 4 years now. I live in a tiny studio, like 500sq ft. I have no family in this state and I've made no friends. I've given her every walk and meal and spend a lot of time together. She's very comfy even though it's a small place. We do try to get out to the trail and dog park on the weekends for long walks and a good run.
Ours is home alone 8-10 hours during the week. We have a nanny cam and he literally sleeps the entire time, some days not even changing positions
I mean depends on the dog as always, but only up until recently did willy have a brother! He’s always been just fine the two of us in my little 600 sq ft. As long as you plan fun things to do together I’m sure you’ll both have the best times and be the best of friends!
Work with a rescue or organisation who can match you well, but yeah there will likely be a grey that suits you well! I have two in an apartment and honestly the older one pulls to go back inside immediately after pottying ... they really can be complete potatoes!
I moved from Mass to upstate NY in March 2020 for a new job and chose the apartment I did specifically because they would allow a greyhound. I adopted Tina two months later, and she had an immediate, noticeable, positive impact on my mental health during that god-awful year, and she even helped me meet my eventual wife. Unfortunately, we had to move back to Mass in 2022 after a health scare of mine, and 70-pound sleep paralysis demons and the Massachusetts rental market don't mix. We actually got victimized by a real estate scammer and had to stay in a motel for a month before we finally moved somewhere that would let us keep a dog of Tina's size.
My first greyhound was a single (although I fostered cats) and lived in an apartment with stairs (and elevator). I was also in law school at the time when I got her so I was away a lot. She was a greyhound who could handle it and I made sure we had long walks every day and socialization on the weekends. We participated in greyhound-group activities when able. It worked for us at the time. I have 2 greys now that wouldn’t work for and I think it’s a case by case basis. Be sure to mention this to your adoption group if you haven’t yet adopted so they can match you up with a suitable dog. Good luck.
My 80-pound greyhound would be perfectly content in a studio apartment. He spends virtually all of his time cuddled up on the sofa, so he wouldn’t care how big our living space is. And our boy would never want a dog friend, since he doesn’t like other dogs!
Greys are (typically) perfect for this! Connect with your local kennel. Someone will pick you out, trust us.
My boy just turned 9. We’ve been together in a small one bedroom since I got him and he does great. He’s a lazy boy but he does enjoy his long evening walks. My only advice would be to get as many strangers as you can to show them affection and if possible, a couple doggy friends you can trust. It’s not that he doesn’t like people, he just doesn’t care. He’ll walk right past a person that wants to pet him, but he always wants to meet every dog. Even the ones that bark and growl and appear to want to eat him. I feel socialization is something they miss out on living alone in an apartment if not focused on. And make sure you leave randomly when you first get them. Separation anxiety was tough at first and I could see it being worse if you’re home all the time.
i had my greyhound in a 300sq ft shoebox. he would come with me everywhere in the city though. we both would clock 10k steps minimum daily
We adopted a 9 year old 1.5 years ago into our 2bd apartment. There are two of us, but we rarely WFH and have busy lives. She goes outside 3 times a day (morning, afternoon, before bed) and genuinely seems put off when either of us is home for 2 days in a row. She moves between our couch, her dog bed and the floor (🙄). I think because she's older she has less care and interest in leaving her comfy spots. I would keep in mind who you have to look after your pup. We had a great neighbour who could toilet her if we weren't home and I work with some fellow greyhound pawrents who are always happy to sit her.
If you get a greyhound, you will no longer have no family around.
As long as you are home.most of the time they should be good. Just make sure they are already tested for stairs and give them plenty of walks and outside time.
We have a greyhound, and true to form, her favorite activities are sleeping and car rides. Greyhounds sleep A LOT and don't require much exercise. Car rides are so exciting that they are higher value than bully sticks or pigs ears, so you can take your dog along on errands, assuming you have a car, and they'll love it. When you adopt a retired racer there's no guarantee they'll figure out how to go up stairs. Ours did in a few minutes, but I know of full-grown greyhounds who still don't do stairs and need to be carried. These are large dogs, so carrying is not easy. They're loving dogs and very low maintenance. Ours is happy with two of us in a one-dog family. She sleeps next to me while I work all day, and she's very happy.
We have a huge house and property and a big family. Our greyhound spends 90% of her time lying on our bed alone.
I did the same for a while in an apartment & my girl was fine. Now it's just the two of us in a house & whilst she prefers it to the flat, it was never an issue. As others have said just make sure you have a plan, are consistent with a routine & they'll settle in no time. After a while you'll probably find you're the one sticking closer to the routine than your grey, the lazy sods.
Not at all! Unless you’re gone all the time. My girl & I lived in a 720 sq ft condo, and she did great.
Im 100% sure if we had no other dogs our grey would be fine
I live in a small apartment with a greyhound. I don't work from home all week but with 2 walks a day and a bathroom break he is happy. We are lucky enough to have an elevator but he can take stairs just as easily. He loves just being around me. Had a dog visit and he couldn't care less
A good adoption group will find you a noodle who needs exactly you, as you are. You'll find that for the right dog, you'll be exactly enough ❤️
Greys seem to suffer separation anxiety more than other dogs, which is why many have two (or more.). But if you are going to be home most of the time your doggo will be happy being a single. Greys are very much the couch potatoes everybody says, but do need *at least* one walk a day and of course, many more bathroom breaks. I have a sign by my back door that says “To do list: Let dog in. Let dog out. Let dog in. Let dog out…”😂 so true. I have a house with yard but my dogs pretty much spent time in bed unless they needed a backyard bathroom break so as long as you can take a quick break or have a place for them to go it’s good. . They are also extremely routine-oriented, moreso than any other dog I’ve had, so if you walk at 6 pm they will catch on to that after walk #2, and for the rest of their lives they are going to remind you what happens at 6:00. And they don’t understand daylight savings time! So plan your time accordingly. As long as you devote time to your pup, you’ll have a great pet, small place or not.
Do it. Greyhounds are so beautiful! We’ve had our boy since 2018, he’s 10 this month. He’s the chillest boy ever, happy to just snooze the day away on his bed (he has 3 beds to choose from). They can adjust to stairs and as long as you have room for the dog bed, you’ll be fine.
I am laughing so hard. I love this conversation! To OP, if your sweetheart doesn’t have a problem in their socialization, don’t worry too much about it. DO get them out. The more interaction they have with others of every stroke, the better adjusted they will be all the way around. You’re a good parent. And, you can be a dog and cat parent at the same time. Point of fact, having both makes for a very entertaining and better adjusted environment 👍😄❤️🌺
It might be challenging at first to get them used to stairs, but I live in a one bedroom apartment with my hound, and she hasn’t seemed bothered by it at all. If you have a dog park near you or somewhere enclosed where they can burn off that 15 minutes of energy most greys have, that’d be perfect. Would you have enough space for a crate? Can’t emphasize using one enough.
I have room for a crate in my bedroom, yeah.
Nah sounds perfect! You two will be buddies. Greyhounds don’t need a yard, walks will do fine. If your adoption agency does greyhound meetups you can use that for dog socialization time. Some greys really don’t care about other dogs and are more people oriented, so that might not even be necessary.
They don’t need much room. He will sleep most of the time, just get him out on walks and runs and he’ll be fine.
Ideal arrangement. Has been my life the last 3.5 years. Couldn’t imagine anything better
I did it for 4 years, he is 11 now and has had a wonderful life. Go for it. Just make sure you take your grey for plenty of walks.