Homecheck
The homechecker is not interested in your income or how tidy your house is, just in how safe it would be for a greyhound. They also exist to make you aware of the dog's needs and to answer any questions you may have. So it's not a test of whether you are a good person to have a dog, more a chance to meet and for them to offer advice and reassurance. No need to worry!
On my homecheck, we spent the first part of the visit talking and the second part in the garden.
The two checkers (a husband and wife) began by asking why I wanted a dog, and why particularly a greyhound. They told me what it is they love about the breed, and shared their experiences. They were particularly concerned about the fact I have a cat and gave me lots of advice for dealing with the dog and cat together, and how to keep the cat safe (as greyhounds can catch and kill cats easily).
We discussed local shops and vets, and everything from the kind of coats available to how much to feed (they had brought a bowl to show me). They gave lots of useful advice such as "if you would put a coat on, the greyhound needs one too" and discussed things like where the dog would sleep, just to make sure I had thought about these things. They didn't ask to see the rest of the house but in fact I showed them the futon I envisaged as his bed, and where the food bowls would go, and all was well.
The garden was in a bit of a mess, the way it had been since we moved in. The homecheckers pointed out things that might hurt a greyhound's thin skin, such as brambles and sharp sticks, and looked to see whether the fencing was adequate. One section of fence is only 5 feet high, so I agreed the dog should only go in the garden on a lead until this is fixed - a greyhound can jump a low fence easily if they see something worth chasing like a squirrel or cat.
After an hour or so, the visit was over - and shortly afterwards I received a call to let me know they were happy to recommend me to adopt a greyhound.
After a couple of months, the homecheckers turned up on my doorstep one night, to see how it was going. The visit was very quick - they were delighted that we had followed their suggestions in the garden and that Cray was happy.
This page last updated: 01 September 2022
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