is this potentially traumatizing??

My sister and husband (he is in the army) are moving to Hawaii in march (i think)...and they really want to get a dog. They are pretty much decided that they want a retired greyhound, but the problem is that Hawaii has no rescues. Additionally, they do not want to move in with the dog, as it will be their first time living together. They just want to move in and settle first before getting a dog. They cannot afford to be flying back and forth however to find a dog, ya know?

What my sister wants to do, is come home from new york back to MI, and be here for a few weeks before they move. There are a lot of greyhound shelters around us, so she wants to find a dog then (this is of course assuming my parents agree, lol) So the dog will obviously have to get along with oakley. Once she moves, we'll take care of the dog until she is ready, and then somehow be faced with getting the dog over there. My sister is currently speaking to someone doing the same thing (cept she is flying the dog from california).

anyways, i know a plane ride is traumatizing to a dog, but i mean, what other way is there?

I was more wondering about Oakley...will it be traumatizing for him to have another dog in his home, make friends, and then have the dog taken away from him??

any input suggestions/advice greatly appreciated. This is still in its very beginning stages!

I used to live in Hawaii, and they are infamous for having an insanely long dog quarrantine. The quarrentine is 120 days long. That's an extremely stressfull thing for any dog to go through. If you have to put a dog through that, I wouldn't do it.

However, they have initiated a new 5-day-or-less quarrentine for qualified dogs. If you can find a dog that fits this criteria, it might be ok. Here's the criteria for the 5-day program. (sorry, it's a PDF).

http://www.hawaiiag.org/AQS/aqs-checklist-5.pdf

Here's another good site.
http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/ai_aqs_info.htm

ooh thanks so much gempress!! yeah, my sister knows about that 120 day thing, but she also knew there were exceptions. Ill definately be sending those to her.

she was thinking that since the greyhounds are purebred and used to race, that they would be well cared for, and up to date with their shots. Is that wrong of her to think that? or does that seem right? thanks again!

My opinion is that it's all too much stress on everybody involved... your sister, you, both dogs. Plus if it's their first time living together, how will they know now that a greyhound is going to work well in their life and new home? There are just too many unknowns... And I, for one, really worry about dogs on planes.

Couldn't you convince her to rescue some other kind of needy dog in Hawaii once they're settled in? Dogs go through so much stress when their environment changes... It seems unneccessary to change a dog's environment twice (or 3 times if you count the quarantine)...

Rij...thanks for your comments.

they really dont know if a greyhound will work, which is why they do not want to get one before they are settled in. My sister loves almost all dogs...her husband..well, he loves dogs too, but probably would not get one if it was not for my sister. The other day though, he met these 2 greyhounds, and my sister was saying he was so excited about it, cause he totally fell in love with how chill they were, and was going on and on about how beautiful they were, etc etc. She had just never heard him get so excited, and obviously, they want to get a dog they will both enjoy. Knowing my sister, she will probably want to look in shelters, but there don't seem to be too many in Hawaii, and none had greyhounds. Since they will probably be living in a smaller place, and have done research on good apartment dogs, they also feel a greyhound is a good match for them (her husband is a hardcore runner, and she runs quite a bit too)

i will bring these points up to her. Maybe it would be best if she did not "pre-pick" their dog before moving in. Ill ask her to consider waiting to look in the local shelters. Plus, i really dont want Oakley to be sad if his new friend disappears one day.

That's great that he loved the greyhound personality. But there are other adult dogs in shelters that just happen to also be chilled out. I hope they wait... Good luck either way!

Im my opinion it would be stressful for everyone and the dogs. If it's their first time living together I would suggest they move in together first. Take the time to get settled and make sure that they can live together happily. Then start looking for a dog. There are plenty of great dogs in shelters and I'm sure they can find one in Hawaii that fits into their life. If they really want a greyhound they can contact some of the shelters and just put them on notice that they want a greyhound and if one comes in to call them. Or how about a greyhound mix? They might be able to find one of those.
I would wait until they are moved and settled though. Some couples are great together but as soon as they move in they can't stand each other. I hope that doesn't happen though! Wish them luck for me that they find their perfect dog.

I would advise them adopting a dog that needs a home that is already in Hawaii....