Friends of the Hound Greyhound Adoption Program

Greyhounds are gentle, affectionate dogs that thrive on human companionship and their friendly, loyal nature and wonderful temperament make them an ideal family pet.

A patient and tolerant dog, the Greyhound is good with children and in many places overseas, ex-racers are quite often re-homed into Aged Care facilities as therapy pets.

Most greyhounds are very sociable and mix readily with other dogs when introduced correctly. Some dogs will get along well with cats, but others have too much prey drive to live successfully with cats or other small furry pets.

A large dog, the Greyhound stands approximately 62 to 72cm tall and weighs between 24 to 35 kilograms and has a life span of approximately 12-14 years.

They have a very fine, soft coat and because of this, and their low body fat, they tend to feel extremes in temperature more than most dogs.

They come in a vast array of coat colours: black, white, red, blue (grey), fawn and brindle, or any of these colours broken with white.

The Greyhound is a strong, muscular dog, built for sprinting over short distances. The breed are Sight hounds which hunt their quarry primarily by sight rather than scent and their natural quarry is the hare.

Greyhounds can reach speeds of nearly 70km/hour. Despite the image people have of them, they do not require a lot of exercise. A good walk each day is more than enough to keep them healthy and happy.

They tend to be "couch potatoes" and are content to laze around on their cosy bed or on the lounge beside their owners. They rarely bark, usually only when something is wrong or when they get really excited, so they are not suitable as a guard dog.

The NSW Companion Animals Act 1998 requires Greyhounds to wear a muzzle unless it is on the owner's premises, in a vehicle or at an Obedience Trial or Dog Show. in Queensland, the muzzle law differs from council to council.

Greyhounds (c.1500) Gaston Phoebus,

This law being one of the reasons misconceptions about the breed arise. Australia is the only country in the world that still requires Greyhounds to be muzzled away from the racetrack and the Greyhound Adoption Program (NSW) Inc is currently lobbying the State Government to have this archaic law amended.

Greyhounds are rather at the mercy of a betting industry that views the dog only in terms of financial gain, but through the efforts of devoted dog lovers, the idea of adopting an ex-racing Greyhound as a pet is becoming more popular, particularly in the USA and UK where the programs are very successful.

In Australia, there are now a number of greyhound adoption organisations dedicated to the Greyhound cause and it is hoped that, with education and promotion, the misconceptions surrounding the breed will be dispelled and the wonderful characteristics of the Greyhound promoted. These loyal, affectionate animals deserve to live out their lives as loved household companions.

Become a Friend of the Hound - adopt a Greyhound!

For more information, or to express your interest in supporting the Greyhound cause or in adopting a Greyhound, please contact Lisa White on 02 6677 9115 or