I want a quiet dog that doesn't stink with minimal shedding and that is great with kids. The dog should also be low-maintenance and apartment-friendly. Is the Vizsla or the Wirehaired Vizsla better suited for me? Would another breed be even better?
Oooo hoo hoo I love these questions! Have you considered a retired greyhound?!
This is my therapy dog Rattles. Wanna hear why a retired greyhound would be an amazing choice? Buckle in folks, the information train is about to roll!
Greyhounds shed minimal amounts of hair. They are mostly hypo-allergenic and they don’t secrete the oils that most dogs do. What does this mean you may wonder; It means, even when wet, they don't have that wet dog smell! They don't leave dog stink on your furniture or clothes and although yes, some hair shed occurs, a once a day wipe with a baby cloth leaves you AND your clothes dog hair free. They are also one of the more asthmatic friendly breeds because of this!
They don't require a lot of maintenence or a large area. They also are not bouncy and overly energetic, meaning they are more than happy to sleep all day, and go out for a walk with you when the family gets home. Most greyhounds are quiet dogs. In fact, my boy has only ever really barked when he is protecting the house. They aren’t yappy dogs. Greyhounds can literally sleep for up to 18 hours a day if there is no activity required of them. They are not always on sprint mode. Yes, they do like to have their moments of “zoomies”, but no, it is not every moment of the day. They are often called 65km/h-couch potatoes. They love nothing more than cuddles and sleep.
They are apartment friendly, again, walks will be required but that is a requisite for every dog. They like to be lazy. This also means they won't jump on your children and knock them over!
They looooovve cuddles and you can adopt a racer who was fostered with children around the age of your kids, so you can be sure they are good with that age group. This means it's not “they've never been exposed to the age group, but they are gentle. It'll probably work out”, its “they have lived and been temperament tested with kids the same age as my kids. That makes sense”. The local greyhound adoption program will not send you home with a dog that is unsuitable to your needs.
They are verrrry gentle and emotionally aware. My boy was not trained to be a therapy animal. He was trained to be a racer. From the moment he came home with me, my mental health has improved. He always knows if I'm not right, even if I don't recognize it yet. He is registered with the “Mind” association here in Aus.
They do require their teeth to be brushed, as hounds in general all have horrible teeth. But you can buy doggy toothpaste that is flavoured, and a greyhounds favourite thing after you and sleeping is food.
Unfortunately you will not get the cute little puppy you probably have dreamed about owning. Yes, they are usually aged 3 and onwards. But trust me, the first few months of you having a greyhound from a track is like watching a cat turn into a dog. They go from never being treated like a family member to being like another limb on your body. Sometimes it's awkward, but soon you realize just how weird it was not having one.
I honestly ask you to look into a retired greyhound as a family pet. Research them, everything I have said here is the truth. They are amazing pets and an amazing addition to your family.
Plus, a lot of people pay thousands of dollars for purebreeds. My boys total adoption fee came to $58. I have his lineage right back to his great grandparents, I have information on where he was born and how many were in his litter, and the coolest part about it all is I can google my dog and have pictures of him and his race winnings displayed to me. How many other people can say that?!
If you have any questions, I would love to answer them! How can you say no to these beautiful eyes?
