Losing everything familiar and adjusting to a strange new world
After living with your pack in a rural environment and your only contact with the domestic world is a trip to the track, the McDonald's drive thru on the way home from racing or the occasional visit to the vet, the transition to the suburbs or city life can be a shock.
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No matter how well socialised a greyhound is in its formative months and years, the facts are that they are very much dogs who enjoy and thrive on routine and structure.
When the time comes for retirement and rehoming there is naturally going to be a period of adjustment that, depending on the personality and adaptability of the individual dog, will last a few days, a week or two, or possibly months.
The best way to think about the dislocation and the changes to a racing dog's life is to imagine you have been picked up by a space craft and overnight dropped on a brand new and very strange planet. A planet where nothing is familiar, everything smells different, and all your friends and everything you know has disappeared.
On Planet Pet you don't know the rules, don't know what is expected of you and despite the best efforts of your new family it is a scary place.
The best thing new owners can do is to park their expectations and not overwhelm the newly adopted family member.
While it is important establish a new routine from day one, it is also vital to let the new dog find its own safe place, and explore the new house and settle in at its own pace.
Every dog will adapt differently but initially there will be a lot of pacing and panting and some dogs may even go off their food temporarily. But if you stick to the plan and let the dog know it is safe and loved, day by day you will start to see its true personality emerge.
Eventually your new family member will start to relax and realise that it is not moving again and it is in its forever home with its forever family.
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