Most professional athletes retire to a big home in Florida, but that is not always the case for the beloved canine athlete- the Greyhound.

Greyhounds were originally bred to hunt hare, foxes, and deer. To keep up with the quick game Greyhounds were bred to run and run fast. On average, Greyhounds have the ability to reach speeds up-to 45 miles per hour.

I have heard them called the Ferraris of the dog world. But because of their speed and athleticism they are now mostly known for racing. They are bet on at race tracks around the world.

There are only a hand full of states that still allow Greyhound racing.

Thousands of dollars are spent breeding, raising, and training Greyhounds by multiple kennels to create a money making athlete for them and the race track.

After their racing career comes to an end, due to injury or age, most kennels are ready to find the athletes new homes.

There are various Greyhound rescue and adoption groups throughout the country.

Generally, they keep close contact with the race tracks and kennels and aid in finding them new forever homes.

Sadly, not all Greyhounds find forever homes and some have to be euthanized.

Don’t let their speed on the track fool you in to thinking they are hyper active, they normally make great pets.

Most families find that the couch is their new favorite bed.

There will be a transition period and patience will be needed on your part. Most racing Greyhounds have never been outside of the racing world.

Because of this, most have never seen another breed of dog, navigated a set of stairs, or know they cannot walk through a shut sliding glass door.

If you commit to adopting a retired Greyhound you will need to get advice from the group you rescue from on how to get your dog acclimated to your life.

The biggest challenge with retired Greyhounds is that many have a high prey drive.

Greyhounds were trained to chase small game so they will quickly follow the electronic rabbit around the track.

Because of this, they will want to chase cats, small dogs, and sometimes small children. They will need a lot of supervision and this means they are not for everyone or every household.

Recently, we adopted a retried Greyhound. He spent his racing career locally at the Cross Lanes gaming center. He is doing great, but he is still in the transition period.

Every day he is learning how to adapt to his new lifestyle. He enjoys being part of our family and his new life.

For more information on making a Greyhound part of your life visit www.adoptagreyhound.org.

We are happy that we added “Speedo” to our pack. Remember, every dog deserves to be treated like a show dog.

Tony Barker, The BARKer Shop