h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well yes, so long as the dogs are allowed to fire the guns.

All these clever deterrents do rely on having them handy. If you're doing a job, like delivering post, you'll be carrying letters etc. Now I realise you could just drop these & go for the belt/lemon/whatever but those precious seconds could see your arm gripped by the attacking canine.

It's like carrying an alarm in your handbag. Do you really think you'd get it out in time if attacked? No, these gadgets have to be ready in your hand PLUS you need an aggressive instinct rather than classic British reserve.

Racing greyhounds are considered objects to perform a function and little else. Much the same as with racehorses. While they are good enough to make money for their owner, they are kept and used, if they aren't up to the job, they are destroyed.

Now I'm going to be controversial here and say that in a MAJORITY of cases, this is the kinder option. Better than rehoming an emotionally damaged dog into a situation that will distress it without proper re-education, socialising etc. Remember these dogs are generally bred for purpose and not treated like pets at any point. This makes preparing them for rehoming extremely complicated. Now, if one in 100 is saved, successfully rehomed then I am all for it, dont get me wrong, but where it is the option of a half-assed job being done, thereby delivering an unready and therefore highly likely to be misunderstood animal into a home as a pet is the ticket to a hard, difficult and confusing life, I cannot condone it. I think saving a 'life' in order to keep the animal in an environment that is hard, scary and stressful is not ethically right in certain circumstances.

Of course, that opinion is purely based on what *does* happen, not on what I would like to *see* happen (animals bred for and destroyed for sport, or their lack of ability for it should be stopped... But it wont be.)

I think I agree in part, from my polar-opposite viewpoint.

I've been dog racing once (with a group from the office), and I have to say that I really enjoyed it and I'd probably go again if the opportunity arose. Of course you don't see what goes on behind the scenes, but I didn't see any distressed dogs in and around the track.

In the end I don't see racing dogs as pets, more as farm animals, and I don't really see why we should need to retrain them as pets.

Im very surprised at your response re greyhounds being difficult to rehabilitate into a home situation. Having 2 of my own and having fostered many many more Im always amazed at how easy they take to lounging round on a sofa, having cuddles of humans and generally chilling out I always thought this was just another amazing aspect of these very special gentle animals.

Ive never had a problem with any of those that I have had the privilege to share a part of their life with. One of mine spent 7 years of her life racing only to be given up the day I bought her home she had a wander round picked a sofa and has been rather difficult to get off it ever since.

Of course you have to aware of some of the quirks of these breed, very few can be trusted with small furry animals for obvious reasons, its not recommended that you let them off lead unless in a secure area, you aint gonna catch one of these hounds, some have a tendancy to smile at you - they really do - which can be a bit scary.

I could go on and on about the wonders of sharing your home with one or two or three of these dogs - please give them a chance

Greyhounds,

Sorry if I was a little harsh. I think an experience dog/greyhound-type dog owner would be fine, but they are not well socialised, stable pets that a beginner would be fine with necessarily.

I have to admit most of my experience has been with horses from the racing industry who are, well... Loopy! I think I may have attributed some of this to the dogs as well and if I'm completely mistaken I apologise!

Also, though, not enough potential homes exist to home ex or failed racing 'hounds... So the problem of them being bred then discarded by the industry still could do with some looking at...

If I were to have a dog I would love a greyhound or whippet cross for quick runs and cuddles... Or perhaps a couple of dalmations to come hacking with me for miles....

Robyn I'd also completely disagree with you. Most racing greyhounds are treated better than pet dogs - while they live and either make money or have the potential to make money - because they are treated like dogs and not like small chilren or cuddly toys.

Having worked briefly at a racing greyhound trainers there is no way any of dogs were emotionally damaged and he loved them all to the extent that if the owners didn't want the dogs at the end of their racing lives he'd take them on and keep them. Although the next door trainer who kept his dogs two and three to a kennel and muzzled all of the time was clearly not so emotionally attached.

I can't think of any rescue, who deal with greyhounds, or any other dog who do a 'half-assed' job of rehoming them and to be honest posts like yours do a hell of a lot of damage to a breed which is already suffering!

"they are not well socialised, stable pets that a beginner would be fine with necessarily"

Who says? On what experience do you base that?

Greyhounds are extremely well socialised, having lived with other dogs and being in close contact with people all of their lives. They are extremely gentle and very stable!

Whilst you buy into this sport you are buying into the cruelty that does go on behind the scenes - just because you dont see it does not make it not happen.

You may see dogs as farm animals but at least farm animals have to be destroyed and even kept in acceptable conditions. Ripping ears off and dumping would be considered cruel by the vast majority of the farming industry. Thousands of these dogs dont even make it to the track a spade usually does for those. Others are sold to spain for the hunting season after which they are traditionally hung. Its something I myself find unacceptable of course others may disagree with me and think its fine for animals of any discription to be treated like this.

Woah, woah woah, ok, first part of that I was backing down quite happily with my tail between my legs... I was wrong.

But to accuse me of 'damaging' a breed because I have been led to believe certain things about racing greyhounds (and because I made an assumption or two according to areas I AM more aware of... I know.. never assume!) is somewhat harsh. I'm not going around saying they should be treated as dangerous animals, I am suggesting that an animal that has no real potential life ahead of it (through 'market' saturation if nothing else) is sometimes better off humanely destroyed than kept alive and not dealt with properly.

Of course rehoming centres dont do 'half assed jobs' but if every single failed racing dog had to be rehomed, can you guarantee that this wouldn't be the case? It was an extrapolation, i.e. if all dogs HAD to be rehomed, shortcuts would be taken, it's the nature of the business. How else do people get caught and convicted for running cheap dog-cemeteries for the racing industry? Again, I'm not saying that everyone does this, but it DOES happen and where there's money and gambling involved you will get people who are less than 'clean' and quite happy to get away with whatever they can to make a buck and more importantly, to keep it.

I'm sorry for repeating what I have heard (actually, I took what I heard, from various sources, with a pinch of salt... Which was evidently still wrong) but I dont understand how putting forward what I have heard, (which you are more than welcome to argue against, I'd rather know the truth than live in ignorance) and thereby showing an example of what people think about the racing industry can be damaging rather than helpful. Until you know what you need to fight, how can you fight it?

I have met successfully rehomed rescued racing dogs. I know it happens. I have been told they aren't entirely as reliable and stable as dogs that were brought up differently. That's not to say they are inherently dangerous, it's saying that you have to be aware of their background and know them. Which, to a point, is a good way to be around any dogs in fairness.

My ex-racer is more stable that most of the dogs I know - including my other dog! I'd ban the industry tomorrow if I could, and rehome every single one of the 10,000 dogs that are bred each year, rather than the majority disappearing, or being buried in a landfill site after a bolt to the head which may or may not do the job properly, and if a bolt is too expensive (at a tenner) then the dogs get their ears cut off and are just dumped.

I hate it that these dogs are used to make money for owners and track owners, while ignorant people are suckered into betting on them. I hate gambling, and I hate dogs being used to continue it. I was just trying to get the point across that greyhounds are not the emotionally damaged creatures you said they are and I'd hate for anyone to read your message and instantly dismiss them as tainted.

I'm so angry.

"That's not to say they are inherently dangerous, it's saying that you have to be aware of their background and know them. Which, to a point, is a good way to be around any dogs in fairness."

That's why I wrote an entry on greyhounds.

I'm sorry you got angry, that certainly wasn't the intended result. Thank you for putting me straight. On the plus side, this is the sort of forum where you CAN respond and put me straight, and therefore anyone else who is reading. Isn't that the point? Isn't that a good thing?

Now, bear with me for a moment if I may make a point that is probably not the case with racing greyhounds, but is often the case with racing thoroughbreds. People will swear until they are blue in the face (from inside the industry) that the animals are perfectly fine, stable and suitable for any reasonably competent rider to take on. This is not the case with a majority of ex racers who are brought up in such strange environments and are trained very differently to standard riding horses that they are not instantly suitable riding/competition horses outside of the racing area.

It's because of this that I assumed there were more problems with racing dogs than I was being told, mixed with the views of my friend who HAD rehomed racing dogs. These were successful track dogs who had raced before being retired, so I dont know if that makes any difference or if they were also misinformed.

For the record, I'd never say 'oh greyhounds are nasty' or 'german shepherds are viscious' or 'all thoroughbreds are unrideable'... Generalisations dont help anyone when it comes to discriminating against specific groups of animals or people. I'm not that stupid. unfortunately not being stupid doesn't stop people from having bad information. Getting angry about that wont help, telling people where and why they are wrong DOES.

if you had squirrel racing you could use a part of the proceeds to fund the eradication of american squirrels from britain.

if this is too cruel to animals, and i really don't know if it is or not, might i suggest racing gingers? they don't need to be ridden, but should be appropriately handicapped. lead weights in the kilt or such.

I dont think that one should put that many gingers in a confined space without direct control over each one of the,. Perhaps we could train up toddlers to ride them?

perhaps i gave you the wrong impression with the kilt reference. i hadn't intended to use dangerous ginger breeds from scotland. i cannot imagine having to supply an entire race course of spectators with lemon jif in case any went crazy.

welsh and english gingers should be safe enough.

how would you attach the dwarfs...sorry...children, to the gingers?

Gaffer tape?

Have we strayed off topic, somewhat?

are you suggesting that the scots ginger is not an inherently more dangerous breed?

or am i cruelling the satirical analogy by asking...?

"These were successful track dogs who had raced before being retired, so I dont know if that makes any difference or if they were also misinformed."

Most of the greyhounds around today have raced - mine raced at Peterborough. Most problems with dogs come from the owners, plus even when I rescued mine I wasn't told how these dogs are led by routine, and it took me over two years to fully understand everything she does - it's why I went to work with the trainer for a short while in autumn, I wanted to see first hand what happens to the dog, and it's there I realised.

So we're talking misinformation and perhaps a little misunderstanding.

Goes to show a little information can be a very dangerous thing. I can only apologise for inadvertently causing offense.

Forms of euthenasia and their effectiveness is a different subject entirely, but suffice it to say it's virtually impossible to 100% guarantee that a death will be stress-free and 'perfectly' clean, so yes, maiming a dog and not bothering to do everything possible to humanely kill it is deplorable, but the concerns expressed over the methods used, when they are the most accepted veterinary tools available add an unhelpful 'emotional proaganda' edge to otherwise good examples of badly-kept/dealt with animals. I dont mean to cause offense here either, but I get turned off when people put things that are relatively neutral into a sided argument.
If the animals MUST (which is not necessarily the case) be put to sleep, there are not many options available and death is never a pleasant experience. This is not the fault of the industry, the owner or the vet.