Need some help deciding

ok, thx

I just want to thank EVERYBODY for giving me all this information! I can't tell you guys how thankful I am right now. I am so glad I found this place!

We're glad you found us too, Richie! You're great, and I know you'll get the dog you deserve!

Thanks! Unfortunately, the chances of me getting a greyhound is slim. My dad won't let me get a greyhound because he says those dogs are specifically bred for running, and having him in a medium sized yard is torture. I don't know right now, I told him I would let him play in Carmel Creek (a school that has a massive field), but he won't listen. He's very stubborn, I don't know what to say.

Whatever. The odds are stacked against me! (my mom is with my dad). Any help? I will look at greyhound sites to see if I can find anything.

I'm still pulling in the direction of a good mutt, Richie. In my opinion, mutts are the best "breed"!!

but ou have to think about it this way. richie seems like a boy, it may be hard for him to falll in love for the retired greyhound only to realize it only has 4 yrs left to live, i still think he should check out a rescue but for a younger dog, maybe a golden retreiver X or labX are great first dogs

what makes them special? Are they active? I was thinking about an intelligent dog, are mutts smart? How about Terriers, or do they need a lot of attention?

Yeah, I am a 12 year old boy, been wanting a companion because my friends can't hang out with me forever. Dogs seem really fun also, it's like they would do anything for their owner, unlike cats. I own a cat, but she treats me like dirt

That is SUCH a MYTH! First of all, they retire greyhounds pretty early, anyway. Second of all, you're never guaranteed how long ANY dog or pup you get will live.

Speaking of myths, are heard some owners kill, or abondon their greyhounds if they keep on losing races. Is this true?

Greyhound Stats

Just do any Google search. And, for instance:

The thousands of greyhounds that are surplus to the racing industry are more likely to end their days, not in front of a warm fire, but drowned, poisoned, beaten to death, starved, dumped on the streets or impounded and destroyed.

Greyhound puppies are killed if they fail to reach racing standards. Around two thirds are deemed fit, whilst the others will be put to death before they reach a year old.

Substantial numbers of greyhounds are exported to Spain for racing, hunting and coursing. Conditions in some Spanish kennels are appalling and many greyhounds are locked up 23 hours a day. Hunters and coursers often dispose of unwanted dogs by hanging and other horrifically cruel methods.

The natural lifespan of a greyhound is about 14 years, but the lives of most of those in racing end at 2 years old. Most greyhound owners and trainers, who are in the business to make a profit, are not prepared to pay the costs of allowing greyhound to live out their natural lives. Many are not even willing to pay the price of having the dogs humanely put to sleep by a vet.

There is just no way that good homes could ever be found for so many thousands of greyhounds every year. Greyhound racing inevitably leads to massive killing and suffering. The only real solution is abolition.

hmm... Yeah, that's what I have been hearing. I remember I was watching animal planet, with animal cops, and some guy beat (or maybe poisoned, it was a long time ago) his dog to death because he couldn't afford putting him to sleep.

Well, good luck! And yes, Labradors and Goldens are both really smart and active and are highly trainalbe. Terriers are active and smart, but they aren't highly trianable. lol They would rather do their own thing, thank you very much.
Oh, one other thing, if you do get a Greyhound, never let if offleash in an unfenced area and make sure that the fences you have are around 6ft high.

ok, thank you

To answer your question about mutts being 'smarter', everything depends on what mix the dog is and more than anything what its parents were like. Obviously you won't know those things if you get a dog from a shelter, BUT you will have many options and if you take time to interact with the dog and get a feel for its personality, you should be able to find a great companion! A plus is that many shelter dogs come already spayed/neutered or with certificates for discounts on the surgery at a local animal hospital.

Yeah I see, my dad was telling me that statisticly they are smarter, but when he owned mutts some of them were stupid. Some had a peeing problem, and other were intelligent.

I have two mixes/mutts (the tan dog, and the dog in my avatar), and they're both really smart dogs. One of Tippy's nicknames is Ms. Smartypants (because she knows a lot and thinks she knows everything). The tan dog, Colby, is a terrier/canaan dog mix. She can be stubborn at times but she is amazingly quick, both physically and mentally. Terriers tend to be pretty stubborn little things, pretty much they obey when they want to obey and don't obey when they don't want to obey.