How do you know when it is a good time for another grey? We have had Molly for five years and she is seven. We also have three year old twins (human) and no fenced yard. And my husband and I work all day out of the home. Molly is thriving, but is it too much to ask to take in another baby? I would like one who is older and has been in a home (but still needs to be good with kids, etc.) Cat safe not necessary. What do you all think? TIA!

-Carrie

The answer of WHEN is very subjective to the situation of the family. Rick and I do not have human kids at home and he works from the house so having more than one is easy for us.

Having twins who are still dependent on parents to watch them closely and not having a backyard are two big factors in your decision. You would have to determine if you can walk two greyhounds and two children. Would Molly be open to another greyhound sharing her space.

One thing you could do is invite someone who has a greyhound that is child friendly to come spend the day at your house and see how much the activity level increases with a second greyhound. You may find it is two much for right now.

Thank you! That is good advice, I'm sure.

i was wondering the same thing... when is a good time to get another? i know i have only had odie for a little over a month and i can't wait to get another. i also know that i should probably have odie as the only grey for at least 6 months but is that the only criteria for getting another? i only work 6 hours max a day and i only work 180 days a year so i am not gone a lot. also, when it is the right time, do you usually get a girl and a boy or do you keep the sexes the same? what else should i know?

As I understand, in general, if you have a female, you may want a male. If you have a male already, it is not as important to get another of the opposite gender. If you have one of each, adding a male is a good idea (rather than another female). I'm not even sure where I read this--it has been a while since I researched. We just celebrated the 5th anniversary of Molly coming to her forever home. She has been there for me through my grad school years and a difficult pregnancy, and she was my study buddy and walk buddy when I was finishing my PhD exams while staying home with my twins. She is a shameless daddy's girl and a very easy greyhound to have around. I would love to provide a forever home for older boy, but my husband thinks I have lost my mind. I would try to talk him into visiting the kennel, but I'm sure a grey would "choose" us and we would probably have to say no, which would just be too hard. It really isn't as if I don't have enough "critters" underfoot; I just have such a soft spot for greys.

thanks for the info! when i got odie (january 11), my husband was very unsure about the whole thing. he kept asking me "are you sure?" over and over and over. now that odie is in our family, my husband wants another. i was so shocked when he mentioned it but odie has become a part of the family and is such a wonderful pet/friend. we look forward to the summer when we can pick out a new "baby"...

Hey! If Odie is settled in and confident in his new home I don't see any reason to delay getting a second grey. Greys are accustomed to being with other greys. Most of them enjoy the doggie company, although a few prefer to be loners. Lots of folks say two are easier than one. I've found that to be true. Two entertain and exercise each other.

Females tend to be dominant. If you have an alpha female you probably want a male for a second dog. Or a submissive female. On the other hand, we have three females and two males. The girls are submissive and the oldest boy is in charge of our pack. Go figure.

It's always nice to adopt a grey that has been in a home before. Many of these poor critters are returned through no fault of their own. How sad for them to be in a home and then go back to life in a kennel.

I highly recommend allowing your rescue organization to assist you in choosing a second dog. Those folks know what they are doing and they know the dogs. When we were ready to get a second grey I called GFNC. I told them about the temperment of dog I had, explained my living situation and asked them to recommend a few dogs for me to choose from. They did and we went with their first recommendation. It was a great fit. Two years ago they chose another dog for me. Again, it was a great fit.

Best of luck to you! Karen

I think it is rare that you find a greyhound that wants to be an only hound. Most really enjoy having brothers or sisters and I agree it is easier to have 2 (or more) than 1.
If Odie is settled in and doing fine, get him a buddy!!!

I don't think it matters so much what sex your combinations are, it depends upon the dominance of the dog. If you get 2 dominant ones that can be trouble.
Some boys dont like other boys and some girls dont like other girls. My alpha male has always liked girls. They can do anything and he doesn't get crabby with them, but other boys he can get an attitude with.

Odie is such a wonderful dog... no SA, no issues at all really... except the fact that he gets a little nervous in the car. he is getting better though and he just jumps right in and out now. i just saw how happy he was with other greys and he was so confident and it made me feel that he needs a friend. these animals are so wonderful!!!! i really want one that has been returned... that breaks my heart.

Sounds like everybody wants You to hurry and get another hound. I have three and waited 7 months before getting number 2. I wanted to be sure that My hound was well settled and I was sure of what I was doing before adding a new dog. I wasn't new to dogs but I was new to Greyhounds and Greys aren't just any dog. My first was a female so I knew that number two was going to be a male. He was the Alfa until I added My senior female, She doesn't take any crap off of anybody !!!
If You're going to add another dog be sure whoever You get it from knows the temperment of the existing dog so they can match up the right dog for Your situation. You've only had Your hound a month and his personality hasn't fully blossomed yet. If it were Me I'd wait a few months but that's JMHO. Good luck.

Gary

yes, i agree that we should wait at least a few more months... i really want to foster more than anything but i think i may live a little too far from an adoption agency to be a good candidate.

I just have to jump in with one more suggestion ...whenever it is that you decide the time is right for another greythound, I always say, "let your already-in-the-family-dog make the final choice". In other words, if you can, narrow your choices down to a couple of greyhounds you (or your adoption folks) feel good about and then let Odie make the final choice. After all, he's the one who has to share the water bowl. and the dog beds, and the ear rubs, and... you get the idea!
Aren't greyhounds the greytest!!

Good advice Carol. When we got our first greyhound we took our Irish Wolfhound and Maggie-Mae to the kennel. Gizmo the wolfhound didn't care which dog we looked at but Maggie was (is) a sensitive girl and was scared of several that Jack brought out to visit. Jack then brought out Jasmine a bit of a shy girl and when Maggie backed away from her Jasmine turned and walked in the other direction. We then had the two of them following behind each other. Maggie would run over to us as if to say, I like this one. Now the two of them are inseparable.