Wheeling Island Greyhound Adoptions

12/04/2025

"How do you make a greyhound run?" You just let go of them!

🐾 Debunking another Ridiculous Myth: “Greyhounds are forced to race and don’t enjoy it”

This one always makes me shake my head. Greyhounds are born to run — it’s in their nature and they absolutely love it. Racing isn’t about forcing them, it’s about giving them the chance to do what they were bred to do.

- 🏃 Natural athletes: Greyhounds are one of the fastest dog breeds in the world, capable of reaching speeds over 60 km/h. Running is instinctive joy for them.

- 🐕 Tail wags at the track: Anyone who’s seen greyhounds before a race knows the excitement — bouncing, wagging, eager to get going.

- 🎯 Choice matters: If a greyhound doesn’t want to run, they simply won’t. Trainers can’t “make” a dog sprint at full speed; it only happens when the dog is keen.

- 💕 Enrichment and fun: Racing is structured play. Greyhounds thrive on the chase, whether it’s a lure at the track or a ball in the backyard.

- 🛡️ Welfare first: Strict regulations and mandatory veterinary checks ensure greyhounds are well cared for, properly rested and only allowed to race when fit and healthy.

👉 Greyhounds aren’t “forced” to race — it’s joy, not obligation. And when their racing days are over, they transition beautifully into retirement, swapping the track for the couch.

📸 credit: Greyhounds WA

12/02/2025

Today's big snow was met with mixed reactions from our pups. Some loved to romp around in it, others preferred to stay out of it! Does your greyhound like or hate the snow?

12/01/2025

NEW DOG

HALO
HATETOBTHEONE
DOB 05/20/2022
FEMALE

12/01/2025

Today is the first of December! That means it's time to get the in the Christmas spirit here at the Wheeling Kennels!

11/27/2025

Our Greys say Happy Thanksgiving! They had a fancy meal today to celebrate. Rotisserie chicken (no bones, skin, seasonings), peas, green beans, and cooked yams!

11/25/2025

Do you remember our post about happy tail? Well, Harlem is our model for that! This is one happy boy and he wags his half-tail so much that his b***y dances. When you first meet Harlem, it is going to take a few minutes for him to warm up to you. He is initially cautious and shy of strangers, but by the end of his first day with us, his personality was showing! Harlem loves to lean on his human friends and wants as much attention as you will give him. He doesn't do a lot of jumping, nor does he do a lot of playing. Toys aren't as interesting to him as the people are! He does amazing out in the yard with the other dogs, and when we open the gate to let them all in, he is always the last one to go through. We believe Harlem may also be cat safe. He found the cat to be rather intimidating and didn't want to go near it. He sniffed from afar and then turned his attention to the people in the room. The cat was also hissing at him, though!

Harlem
Unequivocally
DOB 05/20/2022

11/24/2025

As some as you may know, our dogs are kept in a kennel and may not have experienced home life before. So here are a few tips and reminders if you plan on taking a dog home!

Though we do our best to potty train the pups, there are 20 of them here! No matter how perfect they are in the pottying here, we always recommend that when you take the dog home, you act like they are not trained at all. This will help you and the dog develop a routine and will prevent accidents in the house. They may not know to tell you they need to go potty, too! You will have to work together to get into that routine.

Crates - some people hate to use them, and some people love to use them. These dogs are the same way. Some dogs love the crates and it is their safe space, and some dogs hate the confinement. It will be up to you and your dog to determine if you are going to use the crate at home. Crates are used for quiet time (naps) and feeding here. During our nap time, the humans turn on the radio and leave the kennel so the dogs could nap in peace. Usually, they are quiet and peaceful during this time. At home, though, the dog might react differently because you are in the same space as the dog and they don't want to be separated in the crate.

There are no stairs in our kennel, so we cannot promise a dog you adopt from us will be able to use the stairs directly upon adoption. Most of these greyhounds will do about anything for some cheese or hot dog pieces, so when you take your hound home, bribery is always a great way to get them up and down those stairs. If you have another dog, use them to show the new hound how to go up and down. Dogs learn best when they can copy another.

And now you brought your dog home and the new dog and your original dog are having some issues. Patience is key here! Your original dog needs to learn that they have to share everything in the house now. They are both going to set boundaries with each other, which may result in a few snaps and growls, and learn how to coexist. They are like toddlers in this sense - they have to learn how to share toys, beds, attention, etc. and that requires you, the human "parent" to guide them through this process with patience.

And finally, manners. Again, we try our best to teach the dogs manners, like to not jump on people, not to get into things, etc., but since they outnumber us so much, we are limited in our capabilities. You will have to continue this training when the dog gets home so they are not counter surfing, getting into the trash, or other naughty things.

None of these hounds are going to act perfect when you take them home, and it's up to you to shape their behavior into how YOU want it. We start the process here, and it's up to you to finish it. But if you have any questions about your grey's behavior, we are always happy to help!

11/23/2025

WOW! We only have FIVE DOGS available at the moment! Our December is full of appointments and dogs coming in and out, so keep an eye on our "Available" folder for new dogs throughout the month of December. If you are wanting a dog from us, it is possible that we may not get an appointment in until January! So if a dog catches your attention, act fast!

11/19/2025

HELD

ZIGGY (OR IG)
INTERGALACTIC
DOB 09/08/2022
MALE

11/17/2025

What is Happy Tail? Well, it's a not-so-happy tail, in fact. Happy tail occurs when a greyhound (or other dog, it's not greyhound specific) hits their tails against something and the tip rips open. Why? Because dogs like this have long, thin, and bony tails with little to no padding on it to cushion hits against walls, furniture, counters, etc. When this happens, blood can end up covering everything because they will still wag that tail and throw droplets everywhere! Tail tips also tend to bleed quite more than other places on the body. In some cases, when it appears to be a repeated issue, the vet may suggest docking the tail a few segments to lessen the likelihood of more incidents. Harlem is an example of that -about 1/3rd of his tail has been removed to prevent further happy tail incidents. It has no affect on him at all and he still wags that tail like crazy!

11/16/2025

This sweet boy (unless you are a cat!) is Elliot. After only 4 races, Elliot retired to us because he decided running wasn't really his thing. Even though he is only 2 years old, Elliot still doesn't really run around the kennel. He prefers to trot outside and back inside, though sometimes he will run inside for snack time! This tall boy is mostly calm and likes to sit outside when the sun is out to bake. He doesn't really participate when the other boys get rowdy and he didn't have an interest in toys when we brought him in to play. Instead, he wanted to curiously investigate everything in the office and then have us scratch his head. He played a little, but it didn't hold his interest. At first, Elliot might seem a little stand-offish and shy, but he warms up pretty quickly and will still greet you with a calm demeanor. Surprisingly, Elliot failed our cat test immediately. The cat was very enticing and upsetting and he growled and barked at it, so we would suggest he go to a home with no small animals or a home without loose cats in the neighborhood! We definitely think he will treat a cat or other small animals as prey.

Oshkosh Elliot
DOB 7/27/2023

11/14/2025

Meet a dog who is as sweet as his name suggests - Berry! Berry is definitely the happiest boy in our kennel. All you have to do is look at him and that tail starts wagging! In fact, it hardly ever stops wagging. He loves everyone he meets pretty immediately and wants them to pet him. Berry also loves to play and though he likes it when you join in, he is plenty happy to play with a toy by himself. Though he gets along great with the dogs in his play group, he doesn't really play with them. He is happy to have their company but he doesn't seem to want to be chased or chase them. Humans are his preferred company and he'll ignore the other dogs in the yard if one of us steps into it. He loves food almost as much as he loves people, too! Berry has not turned down a bowl of kibble or any treats since he has been here. He's like a little vacuum. And did we mention how bright he is? It only took two days for Berry to learn how to flip the latch on the gate and let himself inside (we clip it now!). Small animals, however, are not his thing. He should stay away from them!

Coach Berry
Male
DOB 08/12/2022