My niece is on her second Greyhound. She likes the breed. But the availability in the future for Greyhounds is going to be spotty. There are just two tracks still in service, and West Virginia is considering banning them which would make just one track.
The reasons given are cruelty to the dogs and declining revenue. Of the two, I suspect that revenue is the only factor being considered.
My niece’s dogs were both very nice right from the beginning. But judging from Woodbutcher’s son’s experience, the cruelty is in human contact deprivation.
Dogs are social animals. They need to be included in the family. When they are not, they look like dogs, but are incomplete and are not “fully dogs” until they are integrated in a family.
The latest thinking (from what I have read) is that dog breeds that are susceptible to bloat, eating off of a tray instead of out of a bowl is preferred. Apparently the dogs eat slower from a shallow flat surface.
I had German Shepherds, a Doberman, and a couple of other breeds that were susceptible to bloat. I always sat and watched as they ate to watch out for it.
Once it occurs you have just a very few hours to get emergency surgery done, or the dog dies.
Great Danes are at the top of the list of dogs that are at risk. According to this article nearly 4 out of 10 Danes will get bloat in their lifetimes.
https://animalemergencyhospital.net/dog-breeds-with-high-risk-of-bloat/
