*Super long story ahead*
My husband and I adopted a greyhound almost 10 years ago. It had been something we wanted to do since we first got married.
We had a small dog at the time and knew that most greyhounds were not good with cats or small dogs. We had asked for a small female since our dog was only 15 lbs (you were allowed to request a preference on gender and size). We went through the adoption process and ended up being given an 85 lb MALE. He was the exact opposite of what we were looking for, but we were assured that he would be good with our dog. They did bring him to our home for a "meet and greet," which went well, however, that was only for a few minutes. We did agree to adopt him (he was stunning and seemed sweet).
Things went along pretty well for a while, with only minor problems here and there, but he did have separation anxiety and would tear our house apart whenever we left. He also had a TREMENDOUS amount of energy and needed to be walked for long periods of time at least 3x a day. I was out there in ALL of the elements EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR. It took a huge toll on us, but we did it because we loved him.
We LOVED the greyhound community and took part in many meet and greet events at various festivals, malls, adoption events, etc. We met so many wonderful people and really felt that we were a part of something great (which we were!). It was all volunteer work and we loved every minute of it.
However, things took a turn for the worse. A few months after adopting him, I came home from work to find my little guy acting funny. It took me a few minutes to realize that he had a HUGE gash in his side. The greyhound had apparently attacked him at some point in the day. I rushed him to the emergency vet, where he had to have surgery and stitches. I can't remember the exact cost, but it was well over $2,000.
We called the greyhound organization and told them what happened. They came over to "assess" the situation. The owner was very kind and assured us that the greyhound really loved the little guy and if he wanted to kill him that day, then he would have. We were sick over it, but we kept him. It was against our better judgment.
We ended up gating our entire home to keep the two dogs separated. We lived like prisoners. They seemed to get along fine when we were home, but we couldn't take the chance with our little guy. Things had become very difficult and we felt trapped. I literally prayed for things to get better because I knew we wouldn't be able to keep things up this way.
After a few more months of living that way, things became clear. The two dogs were standing by the front door, waiting for my husband to come home from work, when the big guy just turned to the litttle guy, picked him up in his mouth and started tearing into him and shaking him. This happened for no reason, right in front of my eyes. I had never been so scared in my entire life. I screamed, grabbed my little guy, and locked the both of us in my bedroom. I called my husband first and then the greyhound organization. We had to send him back.
We have NEVER had to return a dog before and we felt SICK about it and I cried for days. We loved that dog, but things had become too dangerous and too unpredictable. Our little guy was our first priority and that's the way it had to be. We felt better knowing that the greyhound organization had a policy that they take the dogs back if it doesn't work out. He would not be going into a shelter or anything like that. He ended up living with the owner, who had about 8 greyhounds of her own. We knew he was happy and well cared for.
My husband and I felt somewhat "duped" by this woman. We had asked for a small dog and got a huge one instead. She convinced us to keep him after he attacked our small dog the first time and we agreed to live a life that was unfair to everyone (human and animal). We later found out that the greyhound we had adopted was adopted and returned by another family because he was out of control and couldn't be trusted. How thoughtful of them to be so honest...
After all of this craziness, would we still adopt a greyhound? The answer is YES. These dogs are beautiful animals who are so deserving of a loving home and stable life. We believe in the cause whole heartedly. If we ever tried to do it again, it would be when we are retired, without young children, and without any other pets.
I also recommend that you hold fast to your request for the kind of dog you want. I'm not talking about colors or anything like that. I am talking about size, energy level, and personality. Remember, the priority of the people in the organization is the DOG. You must think of YOURSELF and your lifestyle and living situation. That's when you will find the right match.
I don't often tell this story, but since you asked, I told. I wish you the best of luck and hope you find what you are looking for.
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