From Racetrack to Retirement – The Story of Niles and Darrell

Today we are interviewing our friend Lila Whitley proud owner (or is that ownee) of Niles and Darrell, two spectacular greyhounds.

 

Before Niles and Darrell came to live with the Whitley’s, they were employed as racing dogs in Kansas.  Back then they were known as “Expeditious Quest” and “Darrell Hammond” (tell us who the other Darrell Hammond is and we’ll send you a prize).

Lets get some more details….

How old were Niles and Darrell when they came to live with you?

Before Greyhounds are “adopted” by permanent homes, they are sent to foster homes for a period of time.  Most foster families have greyhounds of their own and so those dogs teach the new arrivals, introduce them to retirement as it were.  Darrell was fostered on Hornby Island (an island off the coast of Vancouver Island) and Niles was fostered in Courtenay (a small community on Vancouver Island).  Niles was 6 and Darrell was 4 when they came to live with us.

Do they have lots of ‘issues’?

Most, if not all Greys are more comfortable with women.  It is thought that the reason may be that traditionally in the racing world, the trainers are men and the caretakers are women.  Darrell had no issues at all.

Niles, on the other hand, was so shy he would not take food from anyone – even if it was a steak.

Feeding them was a challenge because they were always looking around to see if it would be taken away.  We fed them in the same room but quite a distance apart – and we finally learned we needed to leave the room so they would eat.

Neither knew anything about stairs so we had to teach them.  After about an hour of showing them the idea, they seemed to catch on.

Niles felt more secure in his kennel but Darrell was fine without.  After about 6 months we took Niles’ kennel away and then he was fine too.

One of the really great things about Greys is that they are so easy to handle as they have been fully trained and walk so easily on leash.  They are also very easy to groom (bathing, cutting nails and attending to any minor cuts).  They just stand there dutifully and allow things to be taken care of.

Did it take them a long time to settle in to their new life? And adapt to retirement?

Addressed some of this above – usually they settle in after about 6 months but their full personalities don’t show until 1 year.  Both Niles and Darrell continue to change as they age.  They need little exercise but do love to run with other Greys when they get the chance.

Are they especially high-strung?

Some are more “energetic” than others but basically they are 40 mile an hour couch potatoes.

Are they affectionate?  I get the impression that they’re standoffish types…

No, once they get to know you they are the most loyal and lovable dogs I’ve ever known – some are cuddlers and others not – just like any dog.

What made you want to adopt Greyhounds in particular?

Several years ago I saw two dogs following a man on Wreck Beach (in Vancouver).  I wondered what type of dogs they were because they were so beautiful and seemed to float above the ground as they walked.

I was fascinated but never found out what kind of dog they were.  Then many years later, after owning several whippets, we wanted to explore adopting a greyhound (separate breed but larger than whippets) because their story is so sad.  If they are not adopted they are killed once their racing career has ended.

It used to be 40,000 per year that were put down and now that number is down closer to 20,000.  So we “Googled” Greyhound Rescue and the first site that came up was Northwest Canadian Greyhound League (NCGL).  There is an approval process that potential adoptive families go through, you need to be interviewed and deemed to be suitable to own – i.e. fenced yard, patience etc.

Do they have a special diet?

No, some are fed raw food and others just any old dog food.  Their diet on the track is raw so it can take a bit of time to figure out what works best when they come to their new homes.

Do former racing dogs have any particular health concerns that you need to watch for?

Treat them as former athletes – so some do get stiff and arthritic in older age.

What advice would you give to someone who may be considering adopting a Greyhound/former racing dog?

Go for it!!  But be prepared to have them terrified at first.  This can take many forms – shy, high prey drive (not good with cats) etc.  Most come with a history and as an adoptive family you are given this information.  Details regarding habits and behaviours identified by the foster families are passed along.

Any myths you’d like to dispel about the breed?

That they need a lot of exercise and eat a lot.  They are the complete opposite of hyper.  If they ever feel nervous they keep it inside.

They often sleep up to 18 hours a day!!!!

Can they be aggressive?

Quite the opposite – I’ve yet to hear of ANY Greyhound who does not get along with other dogs….they are very other dog friendly.

When they leave the track they have only ever seen other greys so they may be curious when first encountering other breeds.

Care must be taken, however, because they are new to the owners and like any breed – how they are handled by owners determines their aggression.

Are they safe around kids?

Good question – most are afraid of kids because they move quickly and are often loud.  That said, most are “OK” but take a while to get used to kids.

What do you really love about them?  What makes them special?

Seeing their personalities change over time to go from shy and scared to playful and loving.

Where can we learn more about these intriguing dogs?

Visit the website where we first learned about Niles and Darrell, you can link to it here.

Update:  October 20th, 2011

A further point of clarity from Maureen Nelms – head of the Northwest Canadian Greyhound League:

Only thing I’d like to add would be, regarding kids.  We do check each individual situation, but lots of times Greyhounds are great with kids.  In fact, one of our last adoptees went to a family with twin six year olds.  Another one of our dogs is in a family now with a four year old.  I think that in Lila’s situation, Niles would have been scared by small children, but Darrell would have taken it in stride.  Usually just depends on the dog.