Why greyhounds are easy to house train

Greyhounds are extremely intelligent dogs, making them easier to house train than other breeds. If you have adopted a retired greyhound, it’s important to allow them to familiarise themselves with your home, and then set the ground rules so they fit seamlessly into their forever home.

Retired greyhounds are accustomed to living in crates, and so will need to learn ‘simple things’ like how to walk on carpet and tiles, or how to navigate stairs - but they’re quick learners and within a short time they will get used to a new routine.

The good news is, retired greyhounds are accustomed to a strict toilet schedule. Their toilet habits become like clockwork with someone coming to let them out at regular intervals for toilet breaks. If you're the lucky owner of a new greyhound, establish a routine of scheduled toilet breaks outside from day 1. Setting these expectations will make life more harmonious for both of you from the get-go.

Greyhounds are indoor dogs, in fact they spend up to 20 hours of the day snoozing away (they’ve been nicknamed couch potatoes for a reason). Greyhounds are super clean animals and enjoy a clean space so will appreciate clean bedding and resting areas.

Greyhounds have very unique personalities which make them all the more lovable. Mostly, greyhounds provide subtle hints and are more polite or reserved than other dog breeds. For example, when they need to go outside they rarely bark and carry on to get our attention. They are more likely to pace and stare at the door until you get the hint. Watching for your greyhound's subtle cues will allow you to get to know them better, and understand their needs.

Mistakes will happen and it’s how you manage those mistakes that will make the difference. Here are a few no-nos:

-      Don’t correct a dog unless you have caught them in the act: Dogs cannot make the correlation between a historical act and being scolded for it later. When you catch your dog in the act, disrupt the action assertively with a voice command and take the dog outside to finish.

-      Never rub the dog's nose in their mistake: Rubbing your dog's nose in the mess is completely ineffective and in fact, may exacerbate the problem by calling attention to the spot which will likely make the dog return to the same spot, it also encourages them to hide away and do their business where you can't see it.

GAPNSW will walk you through the entire house-breaking process and provide support throughout your journey. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any specific questions or would like to better understand the process.