Hard to Believe – But Some People Shouldn’t Adopt a Greyhound (or Galgo)

With permission, we adapted a wonderful piece that ran last spring on the blog “Yes I Know, My Dogs Look Funny."

This “Public Service Announcement” reminds us all that Greyhounds (and Galgos) are special creatures that, frankly, are too good for some people. You should NOT adopt one if . . .

1. You hate to laugh. If you have no sense of humor and spend much of your time grumpy. Do not get a Greyhound.
2. You want privacy. I suppose if you are this sort of person you shouldn’t have kids or a spouse either. But definitely do not get a Greyhound. They don’t respect bathrooms, bedrooms or closed doors of any kind.
3. You don’t like physical contact. The majority of Greyhounds lean. They also like to curl up next to you. Or on you. Some must be touching you at almost all times. They are not called Velcro dogs for nothing.
4. You don’t believe that animals have souls. Greyhounds have soul spilling out their ears. And personality coming out of every other orifice. Get thee away from the hound if this is you.
5. You are fussy neat. This is probably true of any canine. Nose print art on all your windows, pounds of fur found in places you never would dream of, including most of your food, dog poop in your yard, vomit, urine, and drool. All of these things are yours with a Greyhound.
6. You like to wear black or white. Forget it. If you consider yourself chic and black is the new black, don’t bother with a Greyhound. You will never wear another item of clothing that doesn’t have some reminder of your black, white or multi-colored hound.
7. You hate dog smell. Well, wait a minute. You’d probably be all right on this one since Greyhounds do not typically smell like dogs, even when wet. Still, if you hate dog smell, you really need to consider why you would get one of any kind.
8. You like to save all your money. Vet bills, food, treats, coats, collars, fancy collars, fancy coats, bowls, beds, blankets, toys, a special Greyhound-sized car and all the other things you’ll buy for your hounds add up. In fact, never add it up if you want to stay in denial and thus, happy.
9. You are a super athlete looking for your next marathon partner. There certainly are cases of Greyhounds that go jogging – and Galgos are more endurance than sprinter. But the vast majority of Greyhounds are better at holding down the couch then going for a jog.
10. You intend to reach the end of your life with a completely intact heart. When they leave you, and they ultimately must, they’ll take a giant chunk of your heart with them. The next one will help fill the hole but it never fills in completely. At the end of your road there will be pieces missing. And it’s all in with Greyhounds. There is no half way. Love them or let them be.