Hounds of the Heartland Fundraiser 2022
Hounds of the Heartland of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit humane greyhound adoption organization dedicated to finding loving, responsible homes for both retired racing greyhounds and young greyhounds not placed on the racetrack. Hounds of the Heartland aims to let the public know what excellent, loving pets these noble dogs make.
Our goal is to raise $1,000 by the end of July – whatever we raise through our online campaign, we will match to make the most impact we can on this cause! Donate Now!
9 Things to love about a Greyhounds
- Docile calm personalities that prefer to avoid confrontation, make them wonderful dogs to help calm a reactive dog and aid in the remedial training of these dogs. It also makes them great family dogs (though every child should be supervised and educated on the correct treatment of dogs of any breed, as dogs can still react out of self-preservation.)
- Goofy, couch potato antics. They believe they are lap dogs though the average greyhound stands 25-30 inches and weighs from 55 to 85 lbs.
- Athletes! These dogs are athletes, though they prefer to relax most of the day, they are secretly saving their energy for that one burst of energy. Greyhounds should be allowed opportunities to really stretch their legs and get a good run once a day or several times a week. But they are not hyperactive dogs like a herding or other hunting breed.
- Healthy dogs! Greyhounds are generally a healthy breed but do have anatomical differences compared to other dogs that your vet should be well versed in. Greyhounds have a higher red blood cell count, and larger heart and lungs than other breeds and this is normal.
- Aerodynamic. Greyhounds are built for speed. As such, they do not handle excess weight well. Their frames are built for a leaner body mass and excess weight can put stress on their bone structures that will cause excess wear and tear. Racing greyhounds can be susceptible to weight gain due to their reduced activity as a pet and owners should take care to keep them lean and fit.
- Teeth! Due to Greyhounds’ narrow muzzles, they can be susceptible to dental disease if their owners do not keep up with routine dental care and daily brushing/dental chews.
- Double suspension gallop. Greyhounds are true poetry in motion, their gait at a gallop is like a Cheetahs double suspension gate, where their feet barely touch the ground in powerful large strides that propel them through the air. Greyhounds can reach speeds of up to 45 mph.
- Prey Drive. The prey drive in a greyhound is immense – such that great care should be taken around small dogs and small animals. They are bred for rabbit hunting and are adept at snatching up small prey. Greyhounds are rarely reliable off-leash in unfenced areas due to their high prey drive and amazing sight – they can see a blade of grass move over ½ mile away and have a 270-degree range of vision (they can see objects behind them). Great care should be taken in training a solid recall and taking care to only have them off leash in fenced-in areas or under verbal control.
- Clean critters. Greyhounds’ short coats and clean nature mean that they are suited to indoor pet life – they do not tolerate extreme heat or extreme cold due to their lack of body fat. They shed very little, as they have very thin short coats, and they have very little doggie body odor.
Learn more about greyhound adoption and greyhounds as pets.
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