Greyhounds have to have less then a hours walk. Questions

Thats what someones vets apparently told them .

I've been told that I walk my dogs too much, that dogs like them can't cope with more then a hours walk a day, as they use to have a Greyhound, and some vet up in portsmouth apparently told them that they are walking their dog too much, as they walked him, on lead for a hour a day and its not good for them, now their dog was a healthy three year old, would anyone else be a bit worried if their three year old dog couldn't take this excercise? As I know I would.

When I first got Axel, he couldn't really cope with anything more than 10 minutes, he'd be panting for ages. He had not been racing for 6months when we got him, I have no idea of the level of exercise he got prior.
We built it up slowly and now he can go for an hour to and hour and a half with no major problems. He doesn't cope well with extreme heat though, so won't be doing this on the hottest days. He can have that long on lead, but sometimes has on and off lead and copes fine. He's muscled and fit now.
I think it's personally wrong for saying that, it's those kinds of attitudes that lead to a dog not being able to cope as they get out of shape and can get fat as some are naturally lazy. They obviously need to build up stamina, but exluding injury I don't see why a young fit dog like this shouldn't be able to have that kind of exercise if it enjoys it.

They can cope with more than an hour if they are built up to it gradually.
They are not endurance dogs they are dogs that exercise in short bursts and then sleep, so to do longer distances you would need to build up slowly.
Also greyhounds don't do well in the heat so should be kept cool and not walked miles on hot days.

Race dogs in training get 15 - 20 minutes a day at walk and one or two sprints on the gallops in a week.Gallops are normally 250 meters.I've always thought it strangely little for the sort of athleticism required of them but that's how all the trainers do it.
Madmare is on the button though as long as it's walking only I've found that dogs straight off the track will happily potter with me for hours.Out of training dogs get no exercise at all,they're only let out of their kennel to toilet.Boring life for the poor things.

Not heard that one before and I would expect an hour walk is about average with many grey owners. I met a couple with 2 greys one afternoon recently that had already done a 3mile run with them that morning and were out again as the dogs were up for another leg stretch, think both me & the dog would need a fair bit of training to manage that

I used to walk racing greyhounds and although it was only about 15-20 min they were trotting the whole way apart from loo stops, certainly a much quicker pace than i walk my own retired greys they prefer leisurely with plenty of sniffing & marking opportunities.

Surely it would be down in Portsmouth from where you live! (Any further south and you'd be in the sea).

Well I have known greyhound owners and I have known vets and vet techss in that area and I can't imagine any of them saying that. Unless it was the vet attached to the former greyhound stadium, but I know one of the kennel maids that used to work there and she has three Greys of her own - and they get a lot of walking, I can assure you!

Axel's had 2 walks over an hour this week already...and he's not suffering for it.
I think the main thing is don't take an out of condition dog for a marathon! Build up, but that's the same with any dog I think.

You hear some rubbish spouted by vets as well as anyone else. It annoyed me when I read in one of the dog magazines where they do their little bit in the back for each breed that they describe Kerries as low needs for exercise!

Parker and Cherry at 9 and 10 years have at least an hours exercise a day. They could walk for an hour and a half walk and still be willing to play with a toy when they get back.
Giving wrong info like this does not help someone get the right breed for their lifestyle which is very important.

One thing CM said that I agree with is that people should look at a dog's energy needs rather than its looks.

Yeah but it's not the cure-all he implies it is though. (Unless he was addressing the type of American owner who never walks anywhere, ever, even with the dog!).

For many dogs the more they get the more they want - so you have some people attempting to follow CM's advice because their dog is climbing the walls at home, only to end up with an extremely fit dog which is still climbing the walls!

I think though there are differences within the breed based on personality. Obviously breed is a good guide, but someone might buy a dog of a certain breed wanting a high energy dog, and get a lazy bum! (Or vice versa)

That's how the top trainers do it here.The walk is on a machine.The speed is set to human walking pace.Paul Hennessey(convicted of giving his dogs viagra and cocaine I believe but not banned) and Matt O'Donnel now retired and his dogs race under his younger wife's prefix of Skywalker.I know Matt well and he doesn't believe in letting his 'rejects' go to pet homes.I know him,didn't say I LIKE him,or Francie his cow of a wife.

Apparently this dog they had owned for about 8 months, the woman took it with her for the school run, fifteen minutes walk each way twice a day, and when the vet saw them the dog was apparently getting excercised too much, as Grey's are sprinting dogs, which true they are, and they had a garden (which was not big enough for a good run, just toliet and back in, which the dog also decided that going out, then coming back in ASAP was more then enough ) so they should limit the dogs walking time Honey and Diesel get more then that off lead in one go, I'd hate to see what I would be told by this vet lol.

Everywheres down to me lol.

When I get my grey - I even asked on here if I would be able to take it through the woods and I got told the exact same - build it up and they can and will go as far as you want. One straight from the track is better as it is still in peak physical condition, I believe.

And everywhere is Up to me

Even straight from the track they'd still need stamina building up for longer distances.
Really looking forward to you getting your Greyhound - I know I'm not as excited as you, but still pretty excited!

Chaz, I wouldn't worry, because you don't have ex-racers....and some Greyhounds I know who were brought up as pets from puppy-hood have the same stamina as most lurchers like yours

I think 8 months should of been long enough

The only place thats up to me is Scotland I think its just the way I talk, as I would even say that someones down the top shops where I use to live, to me its just saying where they are, no matter where it is on the map lol.

I wouldn't worry, you should see the energy mine have even after their walk lol, if I even tried to walk them like they were advised I'd have dogs bouncing off the walls, I mean god, when I had five cats when I was in school and college, and in the summer holidays, both dogs would be out with me all day, either around the village I lived, with the motorbikes (even racing them) or out for five walks a day, and were still ready to run, mind you I do think them being out all the time with other people is why they are so friendly, as I've heard a few people who have had their dogs since pups too but they are still a bit more reserved, apparently Honey should be more reserved, but at times will stop in the middle of a path, wagging her tail for someone to pay h er attention, apart from any strange men.

Paddy loves long walks, we do 1-2 hours regularly sometimes up steep hills too. We carry a water bottle though and stop for a couple of slurps every now and again. If it's hot we just do short walks though.

I know of a man who jogs for miles with his greyhound in tow, has done for at least 5 years that I know of.

Guinness couldn't cope with more than 30 mins when I first got him. He's much better now and I walk him for an hour every day on lead or a run on the beach. I have heard that greys need to build up their stamina, but I've never heard that they can't cope with longer walks! Just that they need to build up slowly.

When i got my ex racer i was told two 20 minute walks a day was sufficient although mine have more than that, at least an hour in the morning often more and another half and hour in the afternoon. My lurcher is much livelier than the grey, the morning walk is always offlead so they get plenty of running which the lurcher needs.

Yep-my Sister's Bichon is a right little lap dog and doesn't like walking much. This suits my Sister down to the ground as she needs a low-energy dog but is apparently not typical for Bichons.