About greyhound ownership

What ownership is all about...

Everyday Australians are entering the inner sanctums of racing to experience the buzz of the occasion, excitement of the competition and bond with the animal.

Choose your experience

Whether it is a journey you embark on your own, with family, friends, teammates or with people you have never met before, owning a greyhound is sure to provide you with good times along the way

Usually, the first question is whether its better to buy a pup or one that is older and has already commenced its race career. Greyhounds are available to purchase at any age and stage of their life cycle – so ultimately the choice is yours!

It may be a puppy, sapling (age up to about 12 months), broken-in yet to race, ready to race, or one already racing.

With each option there are a number of variables to consider, so understanding exactly what those look like and how they meet your expectations is the best way to go!

Choosing a trainer

An important cog in the wheel of a Greyhound’s racing career, and your ownership experience. These people are tasked with ensuring your Greyhound has the best chance to succeed.

WA has more than 200 registered Greyhound trainers located across the state. These range from small hobby trainers (1-10 Greyhounds) to mid-range trainers (10-30 Greyhounds) and larger operations (30+ Greyhounds).

“Tommy Shelby has given us an unbelievable ride. We have been so lucky to meet some great people along the way who I am sure will become lifelong friends.”

– Kira Withers (Trainer)

Find a trainer

Finding the right trainer that suits you is important. These organisations are able to help you on your journey to finding the right greyhound and trainer for you.

What to look for?

A good start when buying a puppy is identifying proven bloodlines (pedigrees) and progeny from successful racetrack performers. Invariably breeders will utilise a well-credentialed sire (father) to mate with their dam (female) where their progeny is expected to produce Group racetrack performers on a consistent basis. Whilst most sires are domiciled in Victoria and New South Wales, their straws are most often stored in approved veterinary practices ready for insemination in all states including here in the West.

When deciding what pup to buy, it is advisable to check its pedigree, do your research on the success of past litters and/or racetrack performances and compare value for money against other pups that are for sale at the time.

As for what colour to choose or whether it is a male or female is entirely up to you. It really does not make any difference other than for gender specific feature races such as Derby (males only) and Oaks (females only).

Naming your Greyhound

Naming your Greyhound can be an existing process and one that will be shown on television screens nationally and internationally, as well as race books, newspapers, and other media outlets!

That said, there are several common-sense rules by which you have to abide:

It can’t be the same (or sound the same) as an existing Greyhound
It can’t be any more than 16 characters long, inclusive of spaces and apostrophes
It can’t include any offensive material, so no expletives or those that sound like it
It can’t be stolen from someone else, such as a famous brand or celebrity name
It may be rejected if it is too difficult to pronounce

To be safe, visit the Greyhound Recorder and type in your name in the availability search. The Greyhound Name Search should be used as a guide only. Even if a name shows as available, this is not a guarantee the name will be approved when submitted.

Glean over these Glorious Greys

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