First time around the track...hopefully. Now time to chill out.
Greyhounds are individuals and depending on the dog's confidence, aptitude and desire to chase the breaking in period can be as short as several weeks or as long as six weeks.
The breaking in period is one of the first real time opportunities owners and trainers get to see how the dogs personality and desire will match up with a racing career...not.
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Completing a full lap of the track and learning to use starting boxes are two of the main skills to be learned and this the first time that a stopwatch and times will be used to check their progress and influence their future.
The breaking in period is the first time young dogs are introduced to racing and the new activities of starting and chasing bring new stresses on the body, legs, ligaments, tendons and joints. So once the dogs are finished breaking in, or are returned to their property, they are immediately spelled for eight weeks and go back to routine they had when they first came into kennels.
It is a vital time to let the dogs recover, chill out, and get over any soreness or niggling injury that they may have incurred in their new endeavours.
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Once their spelling is complete their education continues and they begin the slow build up with pre race training to get them fit and prepared for their first experience of trialing.