How To Help A Fearful, Retired Racing Dog With An Abusive History

3 July 2010 No Comment

Several years ago, Elizabeth, a single mother of three teenage boys, had been in contact with the Greyhound Pets of America (a rescue group that finds homes for retired racing greyhounds). She asked the group if they had an adult dog that would get along well with cats, as Elizabeth also loved cats and had several of them.

A lovely greyhound named Bronze fit the bill. Just several days later Bronze was welcomed with loving arms into his new home.

Bronze didn’t know a lot of small things right away, such as how to climb stairs or comprehend a see-through glass doors, windows, etc. He did not know how to play and was very wary of people, particularly tall, thin males. And something especially peculiar – he was literally afraid of his own shadow!

Any of these things caused fear in Bronze, and his resulting reaction was aggression; snarling and growling. Elizabeth was worried that his behavior would go beyond this response, and develop into biting or attacking.

Soon Bronze showed fear towards another specific occurrence: Anytime Elizabeth’s brother came to visit, wearing his usual leather jacket and ball cap, Bronze would again start his aggressive stance and snarling. The same thing happened when Elizabeth’s sons came home with their noisy friends.

The Cause Of Bronze’s Fear

As you know, Bronze was an ex-race dog, so Elizabeth decided to contact a canine psychologist. The doctor was able to identify the problem right away. He had asked Elizabeth to obtain a picture of the dog’s ex-trainer, who turned out to be a very tall, skinny man who wore a long black coat, along with a hat that resembled a baseball cap.

Add to this evidence the obvious experiences of the dog having raced at the track: crowds of noisy people, confinement, guns firing, running, more confinement, lots of harsh training commands from his trainer – it was no wonder Bronze reacted the way he did when he was adopted.

Managing these issues was not going to be an easy task. It required Elizabeth to have constant vigilance. The doctor instructed her to remove the noisy teenagers from his presence, teaching Elizabeth to be cautious of how she gave commands to Bronze, as well as have her brother take off his black leather jacket and ball cap when visiting.

In time, Bronze was able to calm down. Within 12 months he was less afraid of noise and the appearance of any man resembling his past trainer became less of a threat. Bronze lived to be thirteen years old and because of his new owner’s love and care and learning how to communicate, he was a lucky dog – one that enjoyed the right that every canine has – to be loved and part of a real family.

What You Can Learn From This Story

If you are also considering bringing home an adult dog that has had a history of competing in sports, such as a racing dog, you should prepare yourself by taking lessons from the above story. It will not only teach you how to communicate with your problem dog, but could also save him or her from being sentenced to a lonely life and eventual death at a pound.

Where can you learn more about adopting an ex-racing greyhound yourself?

By far the best advice I have come across is in Regan Black’s “Adopt A Greyhound Guide”. If you want more information before deciding which greyhound to choose, or even to help you decide if you should get a greyhound, then this guide is exactly what you need. Click Here for full details.