The Essential Needs of a Greyhound

(or any dog….)

Dogs have been known as man’s best friend for centuries now, and it easy to see why. They are loyal, loving and devoted companions. Like with humans, our dogs are at their happiest, and healthiest, when all their essential needs are being met. Staying happy and healthy increases theirs, and our, chances of living longer. 

A dog's basic needs are the same as our own. They are; food and water, shelter and comfort, exercise and play, a sense of belonging and, of course, love and affection. All these needs should be met by dog owners daily. Whilst the aforementioned are a generic set of needs, each dog will have their own individual levels or specific requirements. And on top of this, they will have personal wants and desires.

Food and Water

All creatures need food and water to survive. Domesticated dogs rely on their owners to be the providers of a healthy, well-balanced diet. We know that eating fast food regularly can have a negative impact on our bodies. We see this in our skin, hair, weight and overall well-being. It is the same for dogs. 

Taking the time to put together a nutritious, and delicious, source of food is essential for a happy hound. A dog who eats regularly, enjoys their food, and is fed a varied and balanced diet will be healthy in both mind and body. Their skin will be in good condition and their coats shiny. They will be bright-eyed and have clean, well-maintained teeth. Their weight should be optimal for their breed and height. Energy levels will be good and they will have an infectious thirst for life. 

Most adult dogs should be fed twice a day, once in the morning and again in the evening. Two feeds, rather than one, is better for a stable metabolism and aids with digestion. It can be a strain on the digestive system to go 24hrs between meals. Dogs love routine. They will quickly pick up on scheduled meal times and will feel safe in the knowledge that they will be fed again. 

Always ensure there is fresh, clean water available. Refresh the water bowl each morning and evening, even if the water has not be drunk - drinking stale water is not nice. 

Shelter and Comfort

All dogs need shelter. They need a space where they will be shielded from the elements and where they can feel safe. I am a firm believer that dogs should be kept in the family home, rather than outside. This is because dogs are extremely social and are happier when in the company of their human family. My personal opinion is that forcing a dog to live outside in it's own mental isolation is physiologically damaging. However, I know there are owners who believe a dog belongs outside. The most important thing is that they are properly provided for, whatever the home set up. 

Some breeds are stouter than others. My greyhound is extremely sensitive. He feels the cold and is uncomfortable on hard surfaces for prolonged periods of time. He needs warm, soft bedding and if I don’t provide it then I am likely to lose any chance of a seat on the sofa. 

It is important for dogs that live inside the family home, to have a personal space that is their “safe haven”. Crates, kennels and beds should be kept in a quiet area where a dog can retreat to. We all need our own space from time to time and the same is true for dogs. When snuggled away, their peaceful sanctuary should not be intruded. It should be respected and they should be left alone to enjoy their nap time. 

A dog's bed or crate should not be used as a form of punishment for bad behaviour. Dogs will start to form negative connections with their bedding area if used in this way. They will start to feel unsettled and become reluctant to go there. Some owners may confuse their unwillingness to go to bed, settle and sleep as disobedience when actually they are just worried. Always use a separate area for correcting behaviour. 

Exercise & Play

Regular exercise and mental stimulation through physical play is important for dogs. Adequate exercise has an extensive list of benefits and is essential for well-being and social skills. Failure to maintain a good routine of exercise can lead to a host of health issues such as obesity, muscle degeneration, arthritis and heart disease, to name a few. 

The above-mentioned conditions are obvious consequences to a lack of exercise, but interestingly, behavioural issues also come from an inactive lifestyle and are often not considered. A bored dog is quite often a disruptive dog, or even worse, a depressed dog. 

Dedicating some time and effort to "playtime" will reduce behavioural problems and result in a happy healthy dog. Being ignored and left to sit around all day with little or no interaction with others would not be enjoyable for a child, or us, and it is exactly the same for a dog.

Interactive toys are also good mental stimulation for dogs when owners may not have the time they want to interact, or are away from the house. Some dogs will sleep the day away, whereas some breeds are more active and demanding. All need exercise and play. Generally, the more that is provided the more harmonious home life with a dog will be. 

Sense of Belonging

Dogs have a natural urge to want to belong to a family unit. When in the wild, most will remain with their parents and siblings until the time comes to mate and have their own family. Even when born straight into domesticated life this sense of belonging is still strong. 

The loyalty and love that makes dog “man’s best friend” is genuine and unwavering. They have the capacity for the kind of unconditional love that is otherwise only seen between humans and their children. Dogs do not just see their owners as just their source of food and occasion playmate they see them as their parents and companions through life.

Studies have shown that people are happiest when they feel connected to social groups and have good connections with others around them. The feeling of not belonging or being lonely leads to unhappiness and depression. This is the same for dogs. They thrive, as humans do, from interaction, attention and feeling wanted and liked. Our dogs feel a lot of the same emotions we do, I think this is why they understand us so well.

Love and Affection

Every dog craves love and affection! It’s been scientifically proven. Studies have shown that when dogs are in physical contact with their owners or families, their brains release the ‘pleasure chemical’ dopamine in exactly the same way as our human brains do when we feel happy and relaxed and with the people we love. 

The love I have for my greyhounds goes beyond a meer fondness for my walking companion. I worry about them, do all I can to ensure their comfort and take pleasure in seeing them happy and content. We all know that humans are capable of love but are dogs? 

Some argue that dogs do not have the emotional awareness to really love. The proof, they say, is that if a pet dog were to be handed to new owners they would transfer their emotions of “love” to the new family and be just as content if treated the same way. I find this argument rather silly. 

Do people not endure failed relationships but learn to love again? 

Thankfully, we see adopted children love a new family and lead happy lives. Comparing dogs to humans works both ways. Yes, they would eventually grow to love their new owners. However, I am convinced they will pine for their old family before moving on and mourn the loss of their people they loved.

It is with this belief that I know my greyhounds loves me too, They worry about me and want to protect me. Granted, they probably aren’t as keen to give up their spot on the sofa for my comfort, but we have a bond based on love for one another. I understand them like no other and they can read my feelings. If a dog can love than they undoubtedly need love in return.

The Importance of A Healthy Diet

Deciding what to feed a dog can be a difficult task if we really start to think about what is going into their bodies. Dogs cannot decide for themselves what to eat. My greyhounds has very poor judgement; left unattended one decided a pack of tealight candles seemed a good meal, foil and all. It is the owners’ responsibility to provide a meal that provides all of the nutritional values. However, this isn’t as easy as you may think.

Good nutrition and a well-balanced diet are essential for any animals’ health and will support a happy and long life - something I know you want for your dogs. A poor diet can result in both physical and mental health issues. Providing a good source of food, which meets a pets needs AND combining this with an exercise regime suitable for a pets age and ability, is important.

Like with humans, dogs are what they eat. It is difficult to know the quality of commercially produced dog food but, in most cases, we can think of them as the “fast food” options of the dog world. Take a goo look at the ingredients in your current dog food. It might help explain some physical or behavioural conditions.. It is always worth exploring whether their diet could be affecting them negatively. 

Many you know if we were to fill our bellies with processed foods that are high in carbohydrates, saturated fats and added sugars every day, we would almost certainly run into health issues. What you might not be as aware of is that the resulting health issues are not just physical such as gaining weight. It is now well known, that poor diet can have a significant negative impact on emotional well-being too. This is the same for dogs.

A good food source will strengthen a dog's immune system and keep them in good health but I also firmly believe that diet can affect a dog's behaviour too. Some dogs have dietary requirements, if these are not met they could change a dog's behaviour in a variety of ways. Many are lactose intolerant, some have diabetes or suffer from irritable bowel syndrome and finding this out is important. Some are just plain fussy and finding the right combination of taste, nutrients and calories to suit their individual needs could be the key to unlocking a happy and content pet. 

Parasites

Parasites are a common cause of disease and health problems in dogs. Whilst some provide a mere mild irritation, others can be seriously harmful to dogs. Parasites are organisms that live on (external) or inside (internal) a host. They survive by getting their food from (or at the expense of) their host. Unfortunately for dog owners, some parasites can move from dogs to people and cause similar symptoms. Its well worth looking up the  different types of parasites and how to treat them. 

The most commonly known parasites, or at least the ones most commonly known to dog owners, are fleas, ticks and lice. These, along with mites, are all external parasites and most can be treated simply with regular grooming, removal and treatment solutions on prescription from your vet. Modern medicines make treatment, control and prevention of these nasty critters much easier than in the past. It is likely that at some point in their lives, dogs will experience one of these, if not all but it can be prevented and control by keeping up with regularly treatment. 

Fleas 

Fleas are small, around the size of a sesame seed. They move rapidly, jumping distances 150x their own body length and breed at an alarming rate. A female flea will lay around 50 eggs a day. These eggs can fall from a dog’s body onto floor, carpets, sofas and when hatched can soon infest a house. Eggs can lay dormant for an astonishingly long time and could hatch after the first outbreak has been treated. For this reason, prevention is much easier than elimination. Fleas suck blood from a dog, Their bite causes skin irritation, making a dog itchy and scratch. Some dogs can be allergic to flea saliva and react severely to their bites and even people are not off bounds to fleas. They will bite people too. 

Ticks

Ticks are usually found during warmer months in long grass, woody areas and often under leaves where they find rodents to attach themselves to as well as our beloved dogs. Ticks do not bite, get their fill and leave. They remain attached, continually drawing blood and growing in size. While ticks themselves only cause mild irritation, they carry diseases that pose a serious threat to dogs and humans. Ticks will happily jump to a human host as much as they will a canine one. These diseases include lymes disease and rocky mountain spotted fever which have serious long-lasting health issues. 

Lice 

Dog lice, although not as common as dog fleas, are also external parasites. There are two types - those that chew on the skin and those that suck blood. Both irritate causing itchiness, scratching and restlessness. Lice are species-specific. They do not move from one species to another. Owners do not get lice from their dogs, nor dogs from their owners. Simply put dog lice require dog blood to survive and human lice require only human blood. Pet lice cannot survive on human blood. 

Mites

Mites are probably the less commonly known of the external parasites. There are four main species of mites that affect our dogs in different ways. Ear mites, which are typically referred to as an internal parasite, burrow deep into the ear. They cause infection and in the worst cases can cause a dog to go deaf. The external mites are; 

Sarcoptes scabiei - a burrowing mite that causes sarcoptic mange also known as canine scabies. These mites burrow into the skin and lay their eggs. They can create a variety of skin problems but the most common is hair loss and severe itchiness. These mites can also be transferred to human, although their effect on us is not so serious. People will experience mild, temporary itchiness. 

The Cheyletiella mite which is also referred to as “walking dandruff” due to the fairly large Cheyletiella parasites being seen scurrying along a dog’s skin or coat. This gives the illusion that the dandruff is moving. They live on the surface of the skin and feed off of dead and dying skin flakes. They do not usually cause as much irritation as burrowing mites, or fleas but they can and do bite humans. 

Demodex canis is a parasite that lives on the hair follicles of dogs. This mite causes the most common form of mange, Red Mange. All dogs have a few of these mites on their skin and if the immune system is functioning properly. It is when the immune system is comprised that that this mite thrives and spread rapidly causing hair loss, skin scaling and redness. It can sometimes produce oily smelly substance making a dog smell somewhat pungent. They do o pose a threat to a healthy dog, or human. Puppies often contract them from their mothers in the first few days but with a healthy immune system fend them off. 

Internal Parasites 

There are a number of intestinal worms that can infect dogs These are: roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, tapeworm, heartworms. Other internal parasites include toxoplasma, giardia and coccidia. Dog generally pick them up by inadvertently digesting parasite eggs or spores in contaminated food, water, soil of faeces. Although deadly if left untreated or not identified in time, many of these internal parasites can be treated with medicines. 

It is preventing a second bout from occurring that is the tricky bit. Identifying where the contaminated area is to prevent more accidental digestion is not always easy. Once in the environment, some parasite eggs can remain infective and present a health risk for your pet for years. 

Humans can contract internal parasites from dogs. It can be passed via their saliva without an owner knowledge or from their infected dog poop. Once in the intestine they will grow rapidly and can cause major problems, like blockages. if they form a ball within the body. There are medicines to flush out the worms but in extreme cases surgery is needed to remove them. 

Vets provide vaccinations, and flea, tick and worming treatment which should be taken regularly as a preventative. 

If you have any questions about the above or anything else for your dog, please do not hesitate to contact me on emma@fourlonglegs.co.uk