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Positive training · Adult adoption first

Greyhound Training and Adult Adoption Manual

Puppy Stages Clearly Labelled

Adult Greyhound: warmth, soft bedding and low-pressure routines support comfortable settling.

29 chapters · English / 中文

Watercolour illustration of an adult brindle Greyhound wearing a dark green fleece coat while curled on a cushioned bed indoors
Adult Greyhound: warmth, soft bedding and low-pressure routines support comfortable settling.

Breed profile

Training group
Sighthounds
Origin
An ancient sighthound developed for visual pursuit; in Australia, many Greyhounds enter homes through retired racing-dog adoption.
Shoulder height
68–76 cm
Weight
25–40 kg
Coat
Extremely short coat with low body fat
Coat care
Build calm consent for gentle coat, body, paw and nail checks. Provide soft bedding and introduce any cold-weather clothing through voluntary, low-pressure handling.
Drive keywords
Visual lock-on · High-speed pursuit · Short-burst movement
Handling practice
Use gentle, low-pressure whole-body, coat, paw and nail handling: one brief touch, marker, reward and release before avoidance begins. · For a newly adopted adult, generalise handling separately across the actual home, vehicle and care settings; familiarity in one setting does not prove familiarity in another.

General reference range only; individual dogs vary considerably.

Development has a clock

The 8–16 week window

Between eight and sixteen weeks, the puppy is learning what is safe, ordinary and worth avoiding.

You cannot pause this developmental period. The goal is not maximum exposure; it is carefully controlled experience at an intensity the puppy can process.

Adult rehome track: count from arrival, not biological puppy age.
After arrivalAdjustment focus
Arrival days 1–3Decompress in one quiet zone with predictable food, sleep and calm on-lead toilet anchors; no visitors or neighbourhood tour.
Arrival weeks 1–3Introduce glass, flooring, stairs, mirrors, vehicle entry and brief absence separately, expanding only after voluntary movement and reliable recovery.
Arrival months 1–3Generalise one successful household skill at a time and update the plan as the honeymoon fades and fuller preferences emerge.

Development timeline

Puppy-only biological window 0–3 weeks Neonatal period

Basic sensory and physical development.

Puppy-only biological window 3–8 weeks Dog-to-dog socialisation

Early dog-to-dog learning begins with littermates and stable adult dogs and continues after the puppy goes home.

Puppy-only biological window 8–16 weeks Human and environmental socialisation sensitive period

Build calm, positive or neutral associations with ordinary life.

Puppy-only biological window About 8–11 weeks First fear period

One intense fright can create a durable fear memory.

Puppy-only biological window 4–6 months Teething

Chewing needs increase as adult teeth replace puppy teeth.

Puppy-only biological window 6–12 months Adolescence

Expect a second fear period and a temporary “selective hearing” phase.

Puppy-only biological window

Sleep requirement

18–20 hours every day at eight weeks

Sleep loss often intensifies frantic biting, zooming and difficulty settling. Use scheduled, protected naps; see Chapters 7 and 19.

Attention span

2–3 minutes, 4–6 times a day

Several tiny successful sessions teach more than one exhausted 30-minute session.

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