Greyhounds (or, another breed?)

As my other thread may have hinted at...hahaha...I'm *really* starting to like the idea of potentially adding a retired racing Grey to the family in the next few years. As life continues to move forward, the "type" of dog I want is gradually shifting from the more entergetic, "harder" dogs to the more easy going, more amniable dogs. And while I'm always going to want a larger, protective, boisterous, serious derp of a dog around, I really think I'm starting to lean towards a different type of dog to be my go-anywhere, do-anything dog. Whether a Grey fits this or not, I don't know, but they've piqued my interest. And I'm sure other breeds will as well over the course of time...hahaha

So, my specific questions about Greyhounds (more particularly, the typical Greyhound that can be adopted as a retired racer):
1.) Do they tend to have any toy drive at all?
2.) Do they tend to be sound sensitive/storm phobic?
3.) How are they with children, particularly young children?
4.) Suitable to go on day hiking/camping trips? Mild jogging?
5.) Do they tend to be food motivated? Any drive to learn "stupid pet tricks"?

Here is kind of what I'm looking for. I have a bit of a range, with one end being more ideal than the other, but all would be acceptable. Below is my "ideal":

* 30-70 pounds
* wash and wear coat (or can be groomed to wash and wear status)
* low-moderate shedding
* calm, quiet indoors
* active, animated outside
* no inter-house aggression with housemates, polite disinterest towards strange dogs
* calm, polite towards strangers in public, accepting of strangers in the home
* not prone to barking, reactivity, or sound sensitivity (gun shots, fireworks, storms)
* "weekend warrior" type, athletic, happy to just exercise in the backyard but equally happy to go out for a day of hiking or walking
* good with kids
* good with cats/small animals inside the home

I'm okay with a dog that isn't toy or food driven so long as they're polite/mild mannered enough to not require tons of obedience training. I prefer a dog that likes to play with toys, and/or likes to physically engage with their handler, but again...not a deal breaker as I always plan on having at least one dog around that is my rough and tumble food driven ball obsessed maniac. I'd also highly prefer a dog that can be off lead...but not a deal breaker. Bonus points if they like water.

I realize my "ideal" is hard/nigh impossible to come by (unless you're Cynder), but I am definitely willing to compromise on quite a few of those traits.

I've volunteered with a greyhound rescue and my friends just adopted from them- most of the dogs I met there fit nearly all of your requirenments. For the cats/small animals, we had several dogs that washed out because their prey drive was too low. My friends that just adopted have 2 cats and they all get along really well.

I don't think it would be hard to find an adult that would be a bear perfect fit for what you want. They're definitely on my list of breed wants as well.

One thing to consider is propensity for separation anxiety. When I was considering a retired greyhound, I spoke to several owners who have resorted to medicating their dogs for separation anxiety. They seemed to think it was a common problem with retired greyhounds, but I have no personal knowledge of this. Something to consider, anyway.

I suspect I'm going to be of no help at all, LOL. I have three retired racing greyhounds at the moment, have lost two over the years.

1.) Do they tend to have any toy drive at all?

Some do, some don't. One of mine is an avid stuffy and shoe collector. All shoes, all stuffies, are by default hers. The other two accept this. Except Honkey Pig, nobody likes poor Honkey Pig except my daughter's parrot.

2.) Do they tend to be sound sensitive/storm phobic?

Some are, some aren't. Not as a die hard breed rule. Even my "spook" isn't afraid of thunder or fireworks (but is petrified of Honkey Pig). He will, however, bark like a madman at the drunken yahoos hooting and hollering while setting them off.

3.) How are they with children, particularly young children?

Most are fine. Sleep aggression is common in their first bit in a home because they've never shared space so are unused to being disturbed while they're sleeping. That fades in time for the most part. As long as you're aware of that, and your children are aware of that, there shouldn't be a problem. Oh yeah, supervised play in the backyard because the dog always wins the race.

4.) Suitable to go on day hiking/camping trips? Mild jogging?

They've been trained for races that last 2 minutes, not endurance hikes. They need to be "trained up" for hiking/running, just like a puppy. That whole "45 mph Couch Potato" thing is a bit off. While they do love to sprawl on a couch, they also love being with their people. We took one of ours camping last year but I don't think he enjoyed it. What he did like was being with us so it was all good in the end.

5.) Do they tend to be food motivated? Any drive to learn "stupid pet tricks"?

Mine are all very food motivated and quite trainable. Don't let anybody tell you greyhounds can't sit. They look pretty awkward doing it, but all mine do.

Separation Anxiety can be an issue, but again, not a die-hard rule. These dogs have never really been alone. In the kennel there's always somebody and other dogs around even though they don't have to share their immediate space. Sometimes it does take a bit of alone time training.

Talk to your local greyhound adoption group, they'll be able to give you much more information that would be tailored to your family. Personally, we will always have a retired racing greyhound or two in our lives, there's just something about them that just "fits".

Thanks! Those answers did help! Definitely makes me think that they'd be a good fit. Like I said, they aren't my "perfect" dog (I prefer a more physical, animated, bouncy, happy dog), but I think they'd definitely fit in well in their own way. A good compliment, so to speak. Especially since I've come to realize I only care to have one physical happy bouncy dog at a time. Hahaha

Honestly, "physical, animated, bouncy, happy" describes my Holly perfectly. She's got the spunk and sense of humour of a 2 year old greyhound. She's nearly 12, LOL.

I have seen more animated Greyhounds, but as Michael said, "They just always look like they're getting yelled at." Lol An old neighbor of mine had a retired racer whom I adored - he was very much full of himself and a happy, sounky guy, although still a good enough boy that she was able to handle him well and she was a 70 year old petite woman.

Greyhounds are awesome. A lot of other sighthounds would fit very well with what you're looking for. Ibizans would be a great fit, plus the bouncy happy, lol. Borzois would fit too, provided you don't mind seasonal dust buffalo (mine are very much wash and wear, we live in a wet muddy climate).

Care to elaborate a bit more on Ibizans? They've always been a breed I've admired and when I was younger I swore I'd have one one day! How do they compare to the other sighthounds?

They're typical sighthounds with a jolly prankster streak. They bounce, A LOT. They bark more than other sighthounds, from what I understand (and I could be wrong so people please correct me) their hunting style is to bounce and bark on top of rabbit burrows to flush the bunnies out before coursing them. They're also slightly more scent driven, so you can potentially do a little more in the nosework arena if that's appealing to you.

They are a good medium size, between a saluki and a small borzoi. Have klepto tendencies. Folks with beezers say that if you lose something, check under the dog beds. They're more into stealing and hoarding rather than chewing stuff. I really like them.

They sound super fun. I will definitely have to look more in to them for FutureDog. Doubt it will be NextDog because Michael will likely be rescuing (thus my Greyhound interest), but a Beezer may be an interesting option for my next dog!