We're new to the dog ownership club, having just adopted our first greyhound. Otto is a retired racer with a very sweet personality. To prepare for his arrival, we had to do some dog-proofing throughout our apartment. Click below to see what we've learned so far about making our home dog-friendly...
Finding a Spot for Your Dog: Although it's not the most stylish addition to our apartment, we bought a crate for Otto and put it in the area where we spend most of our time: the living room. Having grown up on a track, greyhounds require crate training to deal with separation issues and adjust to apartment life. All dogs, regardless of type, need a space of their own in a home, whether it's a dog bed, crate, or just a soft rug.
Toys and Other Items: We put Otto's toys inside an Umbra trash can. This way, all his things have a place and he can fish his toys out when he wants.
Rugs and Floors: Until your dog is housebroken, it's a good idea to roll up any rugs or carpets if you can. Once we discovered that Otto is pretty meticulous about not going to the bathroom in the house, we put the rugs back. (This is also a fairly inexpensive rug from Urban Outfitters, so it won't be a tragedy if it gets ruined.) To deal with accidents when they do happen, we stocked up on Nature's Miracle. We also moved things like shoes and laundry baskets off the floors.
Food and Water: For Otto's food and water dishes, we chose a spot in the kitchen that's easy to clean. We also moved any food off the tabletops to keep him from counter surfing. Our dry goods are stored inside a closed-off pantry.
Trash Cans: Even the best dogs have a hard time resisting the trash can, so we invested in a tall model with a closed top: the White Big Bin from the Container Store. We also moved our recycling bins inside our closed pantry.
Pet Gates and First Aid: While training Otto, we're using baby gates to section off parts of the apartment and keep him in our sight. It's also very important to have a first-aid kit for your pet should anything happen to them. Click here for a good example of a greyhound first-aid kit.
For more information about making your home greyhound-friendly, see this article from Greyhounds Only. For more on general pet safety in the home, see this article from the Humane Society.
Other suggestions for dog-proofing a home? Let us know in the comments below.
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Otto is adorable!! Best of luck with the training process, he looks like he will definitely be worth the headaches :)
view mollybb's profile
Otto looks like a sweetie...
...but there are better solutions for his crates and gates that won't make the living room look like a kennel.
Doggy Gates:
http://www.orvis.com/store/product_directory_tnail.asp?dir_id=1633&Group_ID=12985&cat_id=12986&subcat_id=12987
...and Crates and Cage covers:
http://www.orvis.com/store/product_directory_tnail.asp?dir_id=1633&Group_ID=12985&cat_id=12986&subcat_id=15471
view bepsf's profile
I keep a plastic place mat under the water dish for my dogs. My dachshund has an overbite so he tends to drip water after getting a drink. It really helps to keep the wood floor dry.
view whitexb's profile
not to sound like a jerk, but can we stop it with all the animal posts already?! or make a seperate website for them? the site's not 'pettherapy.com' is it?
view Matt. M's profile
@Matt. M - You do realize it's Pet Month, right?
view hmr's profile
Matt, each month has a theme and September is pets so...until october there will be an increased number of pet-related posts...
view Enamorada's profile
sarahc, have you already posted a house tour of your apartment? if so, can you give me a link?
view lalonde44's profile
Just want to hug this dog to no end---give it a lot of love indeed.
view poptart's profile
Otto is just as cute as cute can be!
view sarahrae's profile
you can see in his eyes, he is a sweetie.
how can anyone that looks at apartment therapy have missed that september is "pets" month? get with the program!
view dM's profile
Congratulations, from a foster mom of Colorado Greyhound Adoption!! Is your greyhound into stuffed animals, like so many of them are?
view Elle B's profile
Thank you for the tips, especially the one about the garbage can with the lid. Wouldn't have thought of that, but its so important!
view tahitianpearl's profile
I've always wanted to adopt a retired greyhound (especially after Coronation Street's Monica), but I've heard that they are cat chasers. Is that true? I've also seen retired greyhounds in homes with cats, so I'm wondering...
He looks like such a wonderful dog -- I'm in love already...
view mschatelaine's profile
fastman otto! glad to see he's transitioning so well. give him a snuzzle for me.
view lesliehamer 's profile
Otto is a very handsome boy! Congratulations! I have a red brindle girl greyhound who looks very similar.
Monika1, yes, some greyhounds have a high enough prey drive that they are not cat safe and never will be. It is a small minority. Most adoption groups do some sort of cat testing so you know before you adopt a particular dog. Here is a link from Colorado Greyhound Adoption on their process.
http://www.coloradogreyhoundadoption.org/content/view/73/118/
(Elle B, I volunteer with CGA too. Small world!)
We have the coolest cat named Broadway, who has tested over 2000 greyhounds. He is a rock star, and loves his "job" in keeping those pesky hounds in line.
Congratulations again. Retired racing greyhounds are very special souls. Enjoy spoiling him!
view susan-marie's profile
Otto is beautiful, congrats! Looks like you're doing everything right. Have you tried trowing some fabric over the top and sides of the crate? Most dogs prefer the crate to be cave-like. From all i've heard greyhounds are wonderful apt dogs.
view DahliaCactus's profile
Congrats on your new family member. I have two rescued greys and they are the best pet! I tried the cage for the first few weeks but neither of them really liked it. Even though the adoption people said it would make them more comfortable...they were always PLENTY comfortable on a cushy dog bed and the crate was donated back to the local SPCA.
view stpetecoyote's profile
adorable! congrats. p.s. - those toys in a bin is a great idea, but they end up all over the house anyway :)
view design milk's profile
We keep our dogs' toys in a little basket on the floor but by the end of the day our living room looks as though we are running a doggie daycare.
view snoopy's profile
Congratulations from another greyhound owner. Some unsolicited advice: you might want to keep him in the crate even after you think he's ready to come out. We were told again and again that most behavioral issues with greys come from de-crating too early. You will one day get to reclaim yr living room.
Also, they're bony critters, so if he seems to like padded places like yr rug, why not get him a really cozy bed? We found a great bumper bed from West Paw that has an organic cotton cover and filling made from recycled plastic. They're not the cheapest, but considering that greys have a lifespan of 12-14 years, so why not invest in a good bed and give him a comfortable place to sleep? (Am not affiliated w/ West Paw except for having bought two of their beds.)
view CJL's profile
Otto's a beautiful dog. My dog (beagle/pit mix) has exactly the same color brindle coat. I hear Greyhounds are great in apartments. Best of luck with him!
view GHB's profile
Keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide around in case you need to induce vomiting. Saved my dogs from some very well-hidden (from me) rat poison that a previous tenant left behind.
view Rosalyn's profile
Aw, Otto's sweet. You are lucky to have found him and he's lucky to have found you.
view brittanykate's profile
I want a Greyhound!!! :)
view VeryDelishVeg's profile
I love the pet posts!!!
view danasays's profile
Otto is adorable -- and if he's like other greyhounds (which I'm sure he is), he'll make himself right at home right away. Our rescue, Rocketdog, was with us for 12 years until she had to leave us to chase that great mechanical rabbit in the sky last summer. It took lots of little adjustments by my husband and me to create a home that would keep everyone happy (like don't leave a loaf of bread or any other food you don't want to suddenly disappear on the counter or tabletop to tempt a very tall dog... don't bag the garbage and then leave it on the floor until you decide to take it out later, etc.), but in the end it was well worth it. We have memories of her that we'll chuckle over forever. So enjoy the moments... even the occasionally trying ones!
view 5iveVincent's profile
I must say, pet month is my favourite time on apartment therapy. Might not be a bad thing to have a separate sub-area like the kitchn for the pet happy all the time.
view pbblythe's profile
Great looking dog!
view penelope's profile
I love his white toes!
view Shilo's profile
did you mention where you found that elevated dog dish setup? thanks!
view meredith's profile