They are usually about a year old when they are kenneled and their preparation for life on the racetrack commences.
They are taught to chase the "lure" and chase counter clockwise. Around this time it will also be determined whether or not a dog will become a racer.
Trainers usually care for 2-40 dogs within a kennel. Greyhounds are usually let out up to five times a day, depending on the kennel, to relieve themselves.
Once their racing life has commenced, their exercise is disciplined to conserve energy for race days. Walking is the preferred form of exercise used to keep them at their peak fitness. Greyhounds are usually fed once a day on soft but varied diet, high in protein. During the day they may also be massaged and groomed, their teeth and ears cleaned, and their feet checked.
This is what an ex-racer knows as its life until he is adopted and brought home.
An ex-racer has often not any contact with life in a house and the ordinary things such as stairs, vacuum cleaners and shiny floors. But what they do have is intelligence and experience with routines which can easily be adapted to the routines in a family home.
|
