Greyhound Adoption California is a chapter of Greyhound Pets of America (1-800-366-1472).

Are greyhounds housebroken? Frequently an adopted greyhound is completely housebroken right from the start. Greyhounds are kennel trained. This means that they are taught not to soil their own space. At the track greyhounds are taken three or four times a day to a turnout pen to relieve themselves. As a result, they do not learn how to tell us that they have to go out. There may be an accident or two, but this is best avoided by taking your greyhound out frequently and giving it lots of praise when it finds the right spot. Watch it closely at first, and it will quickly learn that its new home is the place it keeps clean and outside is where it relieves itself. When letting your greyhound into your yard to go, don't distract it; you want it to focus on the reason for being outside. Greyhounds, although leash trained, need to be taught to go to the bathroom while on a lead. This requires a little more time than teaching them where the door is. Frequent walks, with timely praise, teach them that their new home is the place they keep clean, and outside is the place they "go". Can they be kept outdoors? No. Greyhounds need to be indoor pets. Because of their thin coats and lack of body fat, they cannot stand temperature extremes. Even in moderate climates such as California, it gets too hot and too cold outside for greyhounds. They can't tolerate all day in the garage, either--especially in the summer. Some folks who are gone all day install dog doors, which allow their greyhound to come inside when he gets too hot or cold during the day. We require every adopter to commit to keep his or her greyhound as an indoor dog How large are greyhounds? Greyhound males stand 26 to 30 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh between 65-85 lbs. Females stand 23 to 26 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh 50 to 65 lbs. How old are retired racing greyhounds when they are available for adoption? Greyhounds placed through the adoption program are usually two to five years old. The younger dogs may not have qualified for racing. Most of the older dogs were retired from racing because they were no longer competitive but it is also possible to get older greyhounds that were brood or stud dogs or younger dogs that are racing school drop-outs. We also place dogs from families who can no longer keep their dog. What is the life expectancy of a greyhound? Retired greyhounds enjoy many years of good health. With proper care, they have a life expectancy of twelve years or more.  Genie, adopted by the GPA - Central Florida chapter lived to 21 years old. How much excercise do greyhounds need? Greyhounds are the fastest breed of dog, but they are sprinters without a lot of endurance. A retired racer is quite content to be a "couch potato" and spend most of the day sleeping. Greyhounds shouldn't be trusted off leash out of a fenced area. Raised in such a sheltered life at the track, a greyhound has no street smarts. Greyhounds can run at speeds of up to 45 mph and will chase moving objects. Because greyhounds are sighthounds (not scenthounds), a loose one would run so fast and so far that it would quickly get lost, if not hit by a car. Exercising your greyhound with walks and occasional chances to run around in a fenced area is all that's required. At the track, greyhounds are used to running every three to four days, so you may see a pattern to your dog's energy peaks. You are the best playmate your greyhound could have and it will follow your lead regarding how much exercise it gets. Most greyhounds will enjoy an occasional sprint in an enclosed, grassy area. Some of them love to run; others are simply not interested after they retire. Greyhounds also make great jogging and hiking companions once they become accustomed to longer distances and the new pace. Since they have been trained as sprinters, their endurance must be built up.