Greyhounds are fairly low energy dogs, but they still need and enjoy a daily walk. If they aren't exercised regularly, they can become bored, which may lead to destructive behavior.

Greyhound have an inborn drive to chase prey, and owners need a solid fence to keep their dogs from taking off after small animals. Underground electronic fencing is not recommended with this breed, as their desire to chase is far stronger than any fear of a temporary shock.

Greyhounds should also be kept on leash during walks. That strong prey drive will have them ignoring commands if something interesting catches their eye. And with their speed, they can easily outdistance a distraught owner and become lost.

Greyhounds can become overweight, which is bad for their health. It's common for a retired racing Greyhound to gain roughly 5 pounds after retirement, but he shouldn't be allowed to gain any more than that. Because he's tall, provide him with raised feeding dishes to make dining more comfortable.

Training your Greyhound, whether adopted as an adult or bought as a puppy, should begin as soon as he's home. Greyhounds can have a stubborn streak and often approach training with a "what do I get out of it?" mentality. They're independent and need a confident, consistent owner.

However, they also have a sensitive side, which makes harsh training the worst fit for the breed. They do better with patience, consistency, and training methods that use rewards rather than punishment--they like food rewards best.

Greyhounds sometimes have difficulty with the sit command as it's not a natural position for them, and you will often see them sort of balancing on their tail.

Greyhounds need to be exposed to many different people, places, and situations--a process that trainers call socialization--to prevent them from becoming timid or fearful. Many obedience schools offer socialization classes, which are also a wonderful start to obedience basics.

Other ways to socialize your Greyhound include visits to dog-friendly public places and stores, walks in the neighborhood, and inviting people to your home. Introduce new social situations gradually.

Greyhounds are generally easy to housetrain. Retired racing greyhounds are especially amenable to crate training and will do well as long as you keep them on a regular potty schedule.

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