The essential skills that a newly adopted greyhound should learn

Some important behaviours that it is a good idea to reinforce with your dog are

While not a specific behaviour, making sure to establish a bond with your greyhound, will help your greyhound to learn effectively.

Click on the links to learn more about these techniques in-depth, here’s a summary of why they’re useful.

An emergency U-turn is a training technique where you teach your dog to turn around and head in the opposite direction during a walk. It can be incredibly useful in unexpected situations like encountering a hazard in the road or an off-leash dog that may not be friendly. With an emergency U-turn, you can quickly get your dog out of those situations and to safety.

Asking the dog to go to their bed or a crate 

Teaching your dog to go to their bed or crate is a great habit to have. It allows you to reward them every time they are in that space, and it can also help create a safe space for your dog to go to when they need to calm down.

This can be especially helpful when you need some space to do something important. By having a designated safe space, your dog will associate positive experiences with that area, making it easier for them to relax and feel comfortable.

Importantly, name recognition isn't necessarily the same thing as recall because it is quite difficult to guarantee a reliable recall for any dog in public, especially for a sighthound.

Name recognition refers to a dog responding to their name by looking at you and, in some instances, approaching. It is a great skill because it teaches your dog to switch their attention between things in their environment and you.

When you first adopt a greyhound, it's essential to create as many positive experiences as possible. Contrary to what some may think, it's best to keep things low-key at first. This is because the transition from a kennel or yard to an indoor home can be overwhelming for your new dog.

By keeping things calm and positive, you can help them adjust and create a strong bond with you. This is especially important in the beginning stages of your relationship with your new greyhound.

As previously mentioned, introducing a new dog, especially one from a kennel, should be done slowly and gradually. If you have a large house, it's best to introduce your dog to a small portion of the house, the yard, and maybe one or two rooms. This prevents overwhelming them with too many new sights, smells, and sounds all at once.

When it comes to introducing your dog to your family, it's important to let them settle into their new home first.

Once they're comfortable with their surroundings, you can begin to introduce them to new people. For your immediate family, it's best to keep things calm and relaxed.

Let your dog explore and interact with everyone at their own pace, without anyone being overly effusive or trying too hard to engage them. This will help create a positive and comfortable environment for your new dog.

Basic obedience is a common training goal for dog owners, but it's important to consider your dog's learning history. If your dog hasn't had much basic obedience training, it may be better to focus on helping them get comfortable in their new environment and responding to their name or going to their bed before starting more formal obedience training.

Once your dog has settled in, you can start working on commands like sit, stay, and come. We have many resources available for these cues. It's crucial to use positive reinforcement when training and to be mindful of your dog's behaviour. Keep training sessions brief and positive. If your dog shows signs of discomfort, take a break and try again later.

Remember, training should always be a positive experience for both you and your dog, so take your time and be patient. With consistent training and positive reinforcement, your dog will learn to follow commands and become a well-behaved companion.

Transitioning a greyhound from kennels to a domestic household can be challenging, and you may encounter behaviours that are frustrating or confusing. One of the most common is your dog soiling or urinating inside, which is often just due to unfamiliarity with their new environment and routine. Establishing a consistent routine and rewarding them for going outside can help address this issue.

Another issue is the dog freezing on lead, which is a sign of stress and can happen after a week or two of walks. If this happens, it's best to dial back walks and focus on enrichment activities and mental stimulation at home until your dog is calm and confident. When you resume walks, start with low-key activities like walking around the front yard and adjust the pace based on your dog's personality and recovery time. Remember to take it slow and be patient as your dog adjusts to their new home.

Socialisation is a process in a puppy's early development that helps determine their ability to interact with people and other dogs. However, when adopting an adult greyhound, they may already have established preferences for social interaction. If a dog is not inclined to socialise, it may be challenging to change their behaviour.

If your dog displays signs of discomfort or disinterest in meeting new people or dogs, it's best not to force them to socialise, especially during the settling-in period. However, with time and effort, it's possible to improve their social skills. Seeking the assistance of a behaviourist or GAPNSW trainer can be helpful.

When introducing your greyhound to new people or dogs, it's crucial to go at their pace and in a safe environment. Initially, it's recommended to introduce them only to people and dogs that you know and trust.

Interactions with unfamiliar dogs or people can potentially lead to traumatic experiences, causing negative associations that may be difficult to undo.

In terms of exercise, most greyhounds will only need one or two 20 to 30-minute walks a day. There are some odd energizer bunnies who might want a bit more than that, but generally speaking, that's what most greyhounds will like.

Enrichment activities should depend on your dog, but typically most feeders will get the dog sniffing, chewing and licking.

Enrichment feeders are great because they the dog to slow down, sniff, and can act as a calming activity that lowers the heart rate. Puzzle toys are quite common for people wanting to give dogs a mental outlet.

However, they aren’t suited to all dog personalities. If your dog is very hungry and you're providing their entire meal in puzzle toys, that can cause a lot of frustration for dogs that aren't in an emotional headspace where they will enjoy having to work at a device in order to get their daily meal.

To ensure your greyhound is happy and safe at home, it's important to practice reflective dogmanship.

This means observing your dog's behaviour and doing what's best for them.

The goal is to keep your dog in a positive emotional state as much as possible. Of course, it's not always possible to keep them happy all the time, as stress is a part of life. But if you're familiar with your dog's signs of positive and negative emotions, you can intervene early and increase your greyhound’s happiness :)