Customer Reviews

Adopting the Racing Greyhound

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If you're thinking about adopting a retired racing Greyhound,there are many great resources for you on the web and in hardcopy. This book is probably the best of them. It is inclusive and informative on virtually all topics of general interest to Greyhound owners, and is a good starting place for more specialized Greyhound-related topics. (In addition, any adoption group will be more inclined to regard you favorably if you've already read this book!)

Adopting the Racing Greyhound covers everything from track life to pet health. With this book in your hand and your mind, you can avoid some of the pitfalls of Greyhound ownership, and locate and develop the best relationship possible with your very own needlenose. There's simply no other resource available in any format that can provide such a good overview of Greyhounds in pet life.

This will not be the only book you'll need once you have your hound. (You may want to purchase, for example, Care of the Racing Greyhound by Blythe for medical topics, and Playtraining Your Dog by Burnham for training topics.) But it will teach you enough about hounds to decide if one is truly right for you, and it will help you get through the first days, weeks, and months of ownership, too.

In short, this book is a necessity for every Greyhound owner or owner wannabe... END

This is, by far, the best book on greyhound adoption that I have read. Cynthia Branigan does an excellent job of translating her 10+ years of greyhound adoption experience into a manual that is clear, concise and very easy to read. She takes you through the adoption and adjustment process practically step-by-step, from choosing the right dog to helping both you and your new pet adjust to life away from the track. I especially appreciated the information concerning insecticides and anesthesia - I don't believe my veterinarian expected me to have as many questions on the subject as I did! I don't believe that Cynthia glosses over the racing industry or the abuses these wonderful dogs often face, as the purpose of this book is not an expose on the horrors of greyhound racing. (As anyone who is involved in greyhound adoption will tell you, you will learn about all of that soon enough the minute you take an interest in these dogs.) What this book WILL provide is the best information you will find on how to welcome these "greyt" dogs into your life. As a volunteer with Make Peace With Animals and the owner of three greyhounds, I highly recommend this book to anyone who currently owns or has considered adopting an ex-racer.

Several years ago my partner and I were looking for a large sized dog to keep in an apartment. After quite a bit of research we learned about racing greyhounds. We ended up acquiring two of them. Then we got a house and had three. The original two got old and passed away and we now own our fourth and fifth. Greyhounds can be kind of addicting.

I've read pretty much every book ever written on Greyhounds and one time or another, and have searched the web extensively. When greyhound adoption first became popular Branigan's book was the only published reliable source. Since then other good books have been written, but I still think anyone interested in greyhounds should start here.

The book provides good advice on dealing with the greyhound when you first get it home and get it accustomed to living in a house. However, I'm not a big fan of crating my dogs. In our home we have actually made the dogs their own area where we sometimes confine them, although it is more of an in-house kennel complete with couch dog beds and doggy door (and windows for squirrel watching). They do actually like having some degree of confinement, and Branigan is correct in suggesting that the dog needs time to adjust and a degree of confinement. After all, they lived in a crate until they came to the house.

She also provides, as others have noted, quite a bit of good medical information. Not only is the thyroid information important, but I have spoken with every vet about the greyhound's sensitivity to anesthesia.

Every greyhound owner, or anyone thinking about owning a greyhound, should read this book.

Adopting the Racing Geyhound has given the most comprehensive and complete(as well as compassionate)guide to determining whether a racing greyhound is right for you or you for them! An inexpensive investment to avoid heart ache and head ache or start you on an increadilble journey to happiness and wagging tails!! As a dedicated greyhound rescue volunteer, I have seen the positive results this book has had in guiding perspective adopters and owners.

Ms. Branigan's book offers a lot of wonderful information for anyone considering adopting an ex-racing greyhound. She explains many of the different scenarios you can expect when you first bring your new dog home and offers advice as to how to acclimate your greyhound to life in a home. The book is very informative and easy to read. I strongly recommend it to anyone considering a greyhound as a pet.

I had adopted a very shy Greyhound and the adoption group I got him from recommended putting him on thyroid medication. They told me it wasn't necessary to even test him for an underactive thyroid--his shyness alone was proof of the disorder. Well, they gave me the thyroid supplements and I assumed they knew best. What a mistake! Within a week he was pacing and panting. Within two weeks he was agitated and becoming very aggressive.
Thank God I happened across the book Adopting The Racing Greyhound. In it I read all about the myth that most Greyhounds have an underactive thyroid gland. I took my Greyhound to the vet right away and he, too, assured me that what the group recommended was very dangerous and could have lead to my dog having a heart attack. We did a proper thyroid test (it came back normal), and we weaned my dog off the supplements. I took him for some basic obedience training to get him socialized, and I am giving him more time, and more love, to get him over his shyness. Guess what? It is working!
Thanks to Ms. Branigan's book, my Greyhound and I are really enjoying each other's company.

The book Adopting the racing Greyhound was recommended to me and so I went to Amazon to buy it. Based on customer reviews, it looked like the book was out of print. Then I saw the word edition and clicked on that. Am I glad I did, as there is a new third edition of the book out that just came out this past summer. It is great. It answered all of my questions about my dog and then some. So, don't give up! The new book is available, but Amazon just has it listed in a hard to find way.

Branigan's excellent book is a wonderful resource for anyone who has thought about adopting a Greyhound. Even for those with a passing interest in dogs, 'Adopting the Racing Greyhound' is very interesting reading.

Branigan gives the potential Greyhound owner a very clear, very readable account of the breed. The book includes a history of the Greyhound, what took place during their racing careers, and how it will affect the dog when he reaches you. The author also addresses special needs that Greyhound owners should know. Many organizations are listed so that you can contact them for further information. Highly recommended!

Anyone who's ever seen, fallen in love with and now owns or is thinking of owning a greyhound will thoroughly enjoy this book. With practical tips on training, behaviour/disposition of the breed, sporting, and critically adjustment to home life, Branigan has written an extremely illustrious and informative, well-researched and thought out book describing the life and ownership of a retired racer.

I was touched most by the quirky 'urban legend' Branigan writes about the gratefulness shown by these magnificent dogs. Told by greyhounds at the track to their puppies and their puppies' puppies there was a secret place called "home" where everything was warm and soft and comfortable...

I loved this book and am overjoyed to be bringing my greyhound to his final home soon in December, a home filled with light and space and love. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who owns or is considering owning one of these special animals. There truly is no breed more remarkable than the greyhound!

Have you ever considered the possibility of adopting a racing greyhound but didn't know where to begin? Cynthis Branigan takes away all of the anxieties and worries about adopting these wonderful royal canines.
In a simple format Branigan lays out the history of the breed, the training of the dogs, their care and the steps you need to consider in adopting a grehound for your household. I found the book easy to follow and it opened up the possibility of considering an ex-racer as a pet for my household.
Adopting The Racing Greyhound should be your number one primer in finding out how to acquire these remarkable dogs. The author is highly enthusiastic in sharing the information and is also one who has adopted greyhounds. Her informative style and commitment to the dogs is remarkable. Cynthia Branigan is also very clear in presenting the challenges of having an ex-racer in your home. She tells about their quirks and habits which can be overcome if you are patient with your dog and are willing to spend the time to incorporate this pet in your household.