Prey Drive [1.6] 

Have two greyhounds who have happily lived with four cats at one point in time. We've been lucky, but they all get on great, in fact the cats often sniff them due to their lazy sleep patterns almost in a way to check they are still alive. We have a proper pack setup here though, structured meal times where everyone eats together and understand the rules around not eating each others food. We employ a feeding pattern when giving out the food and everyone knows their spot and who gets fed first or last. We've had to feed the dogs first now so to give them a higher status in the house for cats (including a couple of bengals) are strong in personality. Greyhounds should be most peoples dog of choice as they mould so well around your routine and activities- they are very, very lazy, but will happily go and be active so long as there's a good bed to look forward to later in the day.

I have a mixed greyhound adopted from stray dog which I found him to be the most challenging dog I have evsdopted. Your vdo is of great help for me to understand him. Thank you so much.

We fostered one hound with a high chase. Not exactly a prey drive, he HAD to see whatever caught his eye up close. He'd take off after something, and lose interest in it after he saw it. Fine if it was a plastic bag, not so fine when it was a jogger. Worked with him for a month, and he became a great walking dog. One hound didn't chase the cat, just wanted to see how fast he could walk.

I found your 2.- series first, watched all of them, then went back and found the first series. Wonderful, helpful information! Love your sense of humor and your love for the greys! My husband and I are seriously considering adopting one so I'm absorbing as much information as I can. Thanks for a great series!

Love the videos! We adopted 2 Grey's and have fostered about 22. Love the breed!

I've been enjoying your videos in preparation of our adoption of a greyhound. Thanks for sharing.

Hello, I've just adopted Murphy, a 4 year old retired racer. I've rescued border collies all my life, dogs hold no surprises for me, so this a departure from the breed. Murphy is still prey motivated and sees Jack's and other small dogs as prey. I keep his muzzle on when out on walks. His nature is very laid back, with a kind eye, and is getting used to freedom from crates/kennels/and not much human contact with humans other than at the races. He's quick on the uptake, having learnt how to come up and down the stairs in a couple of stairs....just thought u wud like to know of my journey with Murphy. Regards the code lady

very informative video. The first I've ever seen on how to help with GH prey drive around small animals. Just subscribed!

I've seen several comments and video titles calling greyhounds "40 mph couch potatoes". Love it.

These videos are a great resource for new adopters and seasoned greyhound owners alike. I hope you are able to produce another season! It's always good to see fellow midwestern greyhounds! My hounds came from REGAP of Illinois but we live about a 45 minute drive away from the Iowa Greyhound Park.

Great video - we just adopted an ex racing greyhound ad this is very useful

Thank you for publishing these videos. I have a fairly new greyhound grandpuppy and am getting to know this wonderful dog. Have just discovered your channel and will work my way through all your publications.

Thank you! This is such a great video and has put our mind at ease. my partner and I have just adopted a sweet girl Polly who doesn't appear to have any interest in our kitty. She's already been considered by the adoption program as 'small animal safe' however we have been advised to ensure she has the muzzle on her for the first 3 weeks. Hope to post cat cuddling pics soon :)

My retired grey girl has a high preydrive but she is also intelligent enough to know the different animals. She would go after (if I let her) rabbits, hedgehogs, cats, deer, and baby birds on the ground. When it comes to other dogs she is selective, the medium to big dogs she ignored when I first got her, today not always cos she has been barked and growled at so she has gotten a little leash reactive (also in the garden she will bark at other dogs outside. The snaller dogs she either ignores, looks at them like they are oddities og if the smaller dogs bark a lot she will murr at them but at no point have seen the body language she exipits when she sees wild animals. Then there are other sighthounds, those she loves, she met a whippet puppy (5 months) and her whole body language changed, she corrected the puppy when he jumped up and placed his paws on her shoulder with a low murring sound, the puppy understood and jumped down again, they were both very much communication with eachother on a whole different level. Im getting an Iggy puppy in about 7 weeks, although I trust she wont go after him I do not trust that he could acidentally trigger something being the puppy he is. So muzzels will be used and crates as well for the few times I cant take him (or her) with me.

My boys loves their cats. This is a good show 🙂

So glad I found this show! Thank you for the greyt content :D :P! I'm getting a greyhound in less than three weeks! Could you please make a video on training a greyhound? Thank you!

My grey guy can exist in harmony with the backyard chickens!

Thought I share a prey story about my 6 yr old Grey. Like all greys she loves to run and even better, chase. Best of all chase squirrels! It's probably all the taunting and tail flicking they do from the power lined in the back yard. We took her for a walk in a park and happened on a small area with a chainlink fence all around, gate was unlocked. It was perhaps no bigger than a batting cage area? Tons of squirrels! We went inside and let her loose. We love to see her run. We have done it before at school soccer fields. It must be so fun for them. At full speed she made her squirrel selection, chasing after it till they reached the fence. The squirrel ran thru it but my dog never saw the fence. She clearly could only see the squirrel, everything else disappeared. 40 mph square on hit into the fence. From start to finish was under 10 seconds. Having the addition of a squirrel instead of a tennis ball was just too much for her. She could have easily died. Her nose went thru and her body piled in on top of her noses entry point. Over 20 different bad cuts, several stitches and she could hardly move for days. Only getting up to eat, struggling to lay back down. It's making us re-assess what's a safe place to let her run! Hope we find her a safe place! She loves it so.

Thank you this is so helpful I’ve just brought an 8 month old saluki home and my cat and the dog are equally petrified of each other

Such cute pups! Love this video 🐶

I have always had to contend with a high prey drive on my whippet . Wants to go after lizards , birds and all other furry creatures . Yes that means dogs that are even larger than him. I’ll try the doggie treats and the water in the spray bottle to see if I can distract him from his prey drive (bad habit) .

Hi I am Matt and I adopted Molly Bee. She is doing greyt! I don't have any cats and can't have any dew to relatives being very allergic. Small dogs she is cool with but never left alone with them.

My Fancy is totally small animal safe. She doesn't deal with the cats or want to be around them but she totally respects their space and my black cat Midnight insists on being near her. She allows this but she'd be just fine if he left her alone. lol

My gray will chase anything small of large like a dear but, scared to deaf of humans.

After being a Greyhound owner and lover, I somehow wound up with two younger cats, both of whom bullied mercilessly on poor Diva (the Greyt). She was absolutely terrified of the kitties, and my black cat, Sheena, was famous for smacking Diva upside the head, just so she knew she wasn't the boss! After a few months, a friend bought me (groan) another cat, despite me begging her NOT TO ! After seeing this tiny blur of fur we started to care for her and hoped to adopt her out. She was so sickly I didn't believe she would live long. One illness after another and I just soldiered on, bringing the kitten who is now called MewZette, everywhere I went-except work! Had her food, her milk and an extra bottle and with every passing day I was shocked she was still with us. As time moved on, Diva and the 7 ounce kitty became besties and were always holed up at the head of my bed plotting world domination! MewZy stayed tiny, but her buddy Diva grew up to be 70 pounds. She was a year-and-a-half old when I got her, so she took the responsibility of "raising the cat." MewZette is the only one I have left and she sleeps on my foot like the dog did, licks my arms and hands like the dog did, and swats me across the leg or face, depending on what's closer when she wants anything! She is a big happy calico girl and just a big fluffball. Can't wait till we move again so we can work on getting another Greyhound-just not home without one!

I don’t know about ‘small animals’, my greyhounds caught a deer when we were walking in the woods one evening lol

Well, that was not much of a prey drive. The greyhounds I occasionally walk would have already jumped the fence.

Wow very cute dogs.

I have a Whippet who is a keen chaser, Adult son has a cat.. I need to get Whippet ''Cat safe'' so she doesn't bark or try to lunge at cat {Cat is a bolter, which is harder than if the cat stood her ground and took no nonsense!

I love to see greys with cats, they are incredibly cute together 😍😍😍 and your cats are so gorgeous and sweet 😍😍😍 I hope, one day I will be able to adopt them too (both greys and cats).

Thank you for this video. My daughter has adopted a retired racer. They only said not small dog or cat tolerance. But we introduced them early on and he has never show any interest in her except to smell her. They walk together on walks Sawyer (the greyhound) will watch squirrels and rabbit but then walks away. He never pulls on leash or focuses. But the rescue said he can never be trusted around her without a muzzle. They said he should be kept in a crate when she is around. We are quarantined and have been for a week. She walks by him and he watches where she goes but it is more like do I need to go too are we going to bark. If you say his name he turns to see what you want. I am so confused. She has had him for 2 months. He has ran in the dog park off leash with little dogs no problems. Not sure what to think. Any advice?? No we never leave them alone. I would never let them run together in the yard because she is 12 lbs. but I would not let her run or play with a golden doodle either. Because they are so much bigger.

Hi Brian I've subscribed to your channel and find the info that you put forward very interesting for me and my wife as we have just (three weeks ago) adopted an ex-racing female Greyhound here in the UK. But I would like to plead with you to remove, or leave out the loud music that I think spoils your channel. It is not necessary, because I want to hear what YOU are saying and it's difficult with that racket going on in the very near background. The rest of you channel is excellent!!

I own a lurcher..... mix of various sight hounds He is fine with small animals until they run about & then the prey drive starts

Now can you show us how to train cats to be greyhound friendly. My foster fail grey Booma is so scared of my cats that he will not enter the house if the can it in sight. Mind you he is scared of lots of things. Love your video by the way.

Very informative. Erm, I don't want to be rude but do you have another jumper. That one is horrible.

Great video. But I'm just wondering, if your cat was to be in the backyard running around, would the Greyhound (the one that is good with cats in the house) see the cat as prey and chase it or leave it alone?

Thanks for your reply to my question

Hi there! Thank you for your video! This is really helpful since me and my husband own a basenji with high prey and we just got a 6 months old sphynx cat, she is very little. How long did it take you to correct the behavior on the dog? Our dog would keep focus on me and the treats but as long as the cat starts moving he freaks out and wants to chase her. We are able to get his attention back and also they could be very close to each other but sometimes he would just go after her. I know that your videos are all related to greyhounds but basenjis behave very similar regarding their high prey drive. I would really appreciate your help and feedback! Thank you! 🙏🏻

So wouldn't a hound with stronger prey drive have statistically more wins?

Hi. I already have a 3 yr old male Whippet and am thinking of adopting a retired greyhound. Do you consider a Whippet is a small animal that the greyhound may consider prey?. Thanks for you help and advise.

Hi, I’m interested in getting a greyhound puppy, a friend of mine is giving them away, but the thing is I have a ferret and my dad is worried. He thinks that maybe when he’s a puppy he won’t hurt him but that someday if my ferret gets spooked and runs (we leave him free rein of the house for the most part) his prey drive might come to life (even though he knows he’s not supposed to) and he might chase him and kill him. And frankly I’m worried myself. Do you think it’s a possibility or do you think I won’t have any problems considering it’s a puppy and he will get used to it?

My rescue Greyhound , a Galgo from the hunters in Spain, would kill a cat, spray bottle, screams, interfering, pulling him off, I had to battle him one time to let a stray cat go! He normally is the most gentle dog imaginable and very obedient. The Galgos are forced to hunt literally for their lives, if they don't get the hare they will die a slow and painful death by the hand of the Galgueros/hunters in Spain. And they will be starved to the point of death before setting them on the hare to make them literally fight for their survival. There was no training in the world that would make my otherwise gentlemanly and sweet Greyhound 'unlearn' this, no matter how well he was fed and treated after I rescued him from hell.

WHere did you buy those coats?

My greyhound must be lazy. He has no interest in small animals squirrels ducks cats pays them no attention. Does get excited about rabbits. Small dogs, he'd rather not bothered and just seems annoyed by them

Went to the comments to see pictures of greyhounds snuggling other animals ... so disappointed. :-( come one, greyt owners, some of us don't have greyhounds to enjoy.

this makes me sick i have two grayhounds u should not make them run around a track chasing things that needs to come to a end

That’s an easy correction you have to make the act of salivating over the cat suck. Remote collar on go to the highest level for 3 seconds. And you greyhound will never chase another cat again. Or you could use food and treats for the next 5 years if you want.

greyhound racing industry is despicable. hope to see it disappear within this decade.