Greyhound racing is a sport measured in hundredths of a second
Like any sport that involves speed it all comes down to finding ways to progressively shave valuable time. But surprisingly it is not always the fastest runner who wins. Whether you are an Olympic sprinter or a greyhound, you are in a very quick business but there is often more to winning than recording the fastest time.
Both human and canine elite athletes have to be able to handle the pressure and produce their personal best times under the stress of competition. Not every talented athlete is capable of performing when it counts and in a sport like greyhound racing, where dogs are running at 17 metres/per second, being a couple of hundredths of a second off the pace can be the difference between being first or out of the placings.
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The stop watch tells the dogs capabilities. Is it a good box dog and does it have initial speed or not? Does it have strength in the mid section and is it accelerating or a one pace dog? And the run home time tells whether the dog is fading or hitting the line hard. It also indicate if the dog has the potential to run further, if the dog is on its distance, or if it is unfit or injured. This is important data to determine the potential of the dog, its strengths and weaknesses and how its training should progress.
Potential is important but for a greyhound to be successful, it has to be more than just quick, it has to know how to race, it has to enjoy racing and it has to love the pressure of competition. Producing track records in a trial situation is one thing, but the fastest dog doesn’t always win in a full race field.
There are numerous reasons why a healthy, quick and fit dog doesn’t want to run. Some don’t like the closeness of the racing, the pressure, don’t like the field pressing down on them, or don’t want to be near the rail. Whatever the reason a dog's performance and behaviour on the track will make it very clear if it wants to run or not...and there is no way you can force a dog to run. If it doesn't want to run it simply wont.
The inescapable facts are that every race bred greyhound is going to retire at some stage, whether as an adolescent dog or as a veteran racer. A sound, loved and well cared for greyhound can go on to live for another ten years after it finishes racing. So, the preparation for the retirement phase of a dog’s life needs to be as important as the meticulous planning for racing.
Thankfully we now have very clear pathways and strict codes of practice governing how dogs are transitioned from racing to retirement.
Preparation for retirement should occur as a part of the planning of the race career, before it starts. What will an owner do with your greyhound(s) when it finishes racing? Where will it be prepared for re-homing? Also trainer receiving a racing greyhound, should know what the owners' retirement plans are, for the dog and how much time the owner needs to implement that plan when the racing career comes to a close.
The codes are very clear that every effort must be made to rehome every retired greyhound to an appropriate home: either privately, through an industry funded adoption program, through a volunteer rehoming group or community foster care network, or kept as a pet. The vast majority of private rehomings are very successful and have wonderful benefits, with participants and the adopting families often forging strong lasting relationships, and new owners gaining insight and an understanding of the racing lives of their pet.
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There is plenty of evidence to prove that racing greyhounds are some of the best cared for and loved animals on the planet. Many adjust easily and simply to post racing life and Planet Pet exactly because of the care and attention given to them by participants.
As the adoption numbers continue to increase annually, and the retired racing greyhound becomes a regular sight on the streets of cities and town across the world, we are all sharing the benefits of the work of thousands of greyhound people, over hundreds of years, who have kept kept this wonderful breed of dog in its purest form.
All greyhound people, racing and pet owners, are the custodians of these amazing dogs and while society around them changes it is our responsibility to see that they continue to flourish and maintain their place in the world as one of the regal working dog breeds.
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