Meet & Greets

For many of the upcoming posts I will offer ideas for getting out and doing more with your Greyhound. Some require additional training or conditioning and for most some basic training is a plus.This post discusses Meet & Greets (M&G’s).

Meet & Greets

Of all the activities, I think M&G’s are the easiest. For those new to M&G’s, this is where we bring our own Greyhounds out for people to meet them and get to know the breed. It can also be a great social outing for a Greyhound who may not see other Greys during the week. If your hound gets along with people and can keep four on the floor then you are good to go for some of our M&G’s. For others, like those held in pet stores or at events where some pets are allowed, you need a dog who is safe around other dogs. That doesn’t mean your dog has to be safe running off-leash, hunting in the fields with a pack of Toy Poodles. However, we don’t want someone & his little dog stopping to visit only to have FooFoo leaving less a pom-pom or two nor do we want he or his owner to leave frightened of Greyhounds. That would surely not be furthering our cause.

Does your hound fit the above minimal requirements? If so, this may be just the volunteer gig you’ve been looking for. It is hard to find anything easier. Basically you just show up with your dog, hang out & chat with visitors. Even stopping by for a little while is appreciated, even if your hound isn’t with you. So if this is new to you and/or your dog, come by to check things out. You do not have to stay the whole time. Just bear in mind a few things. We actively invite people to visit and interact with the dogs. Children and other breeds of dogs, some well behaved and others not so much, are frequent visitors at many of our M&G’s. If your dog is on the reserved or timid side, as mine is, you may want to start out hanging to the back or off to the side a bit. This gives your dog a chance to observe without the pressure of interacting. If you think your dog has been fine so far around children or other dogs but still does not have a lot of experience with them yet then just keep a close eye on your dog, pay attention and be ready to body block another dog or instruct a child on how to interact. Most of us find our Greys are good with well behaved children. Still, I always ask them to pet my dog on the side & try to visually demonstrate a long, easy stroke.

Just a note here, not all Greyhounds are good, comfortable, happy or even safe at M&G’s. Some can be later, just needing time to learn more about life off track. For others, this just may not ever be their thing. There is no shame in this. Please do not feel pressured to participate in M&G’s if it is not right for your dog.

Here are my suggestions & things to keep in mind:

• Potty your dog as soon as you get to the site and again during the M&G if it is long or your dog is very excited. This is especially important indoors or where dogs are not usually invited. We want to be good guests so we will make a good impression on the public and be invited back by our hosts.
• Most of the time, all you need to do is show up with your hound on leash & bring a few pick up bags. However, you may also want to bring some water, a mat for your Grey and perhaps a chair for yourself.
• A note on retractable leads: Of course you would never bring your Greyhound on a retractable lead. Right? [Nod your head & say, “Right!”] Too bad the general public sometimes does & many fail to use the lock. Please watch carefully as this can be dangerous especially when small, fluffy visitors are involved.
• Keep your dog in view & within arm’s reach. Though you do not want to make your dog tense by keeping a tight leash, it is a bad idea to let your dog wander. It is rude to allow her to rush up to people. It is both rude and dangerous to allow her to rush up to children & dogs.
• Keep the children out of your dog’s face.
• During M&G's it is always good to watch your dog for signs of stress. This can be hard work for even the most outgoing hound. If you see stress, it may be time for a quick walk or a potty break.
• Remember that you do not always have to let someone, especially children, pet your dog. You do not ever have to let strange dogs approach your dog. If your dog or you are not comfortable with a visitor then politely intervene. Perhaps you could explain your dog is tired & resting for a few minutes & try to engage in conversation for a bit. That let’s you & your dog observe the visitor before deciding to interact.
• Even small-dog tolerant Greyhounds can be sorely tested by very active, excited, little fluffy dogs. Be watchful of the fluffies.
• Ferrets & kitties & mice, OH MY! And parrots, too. Though far rarer than little fluffies these visitors have at one time or another all made unexpected appearances at M&G’s. It definitely pays to be watchful. You just never know what may be passing by in a carrier, in someone’s arms, on their shoulders, on the handle of a shopping cart or in a stroller. If we are in a petstore I am wary of children bearing little cardboard carriers. My girly Grey now knows mice may be inside these.
• Is Rex sniffing that post or Princess investigating that spot on the floor with too much interest? Have I mentioned potty breaks enough yet? Accidents may still happen though. If so, please do not worry or make a fuss. Just ask another member of the group to hold your dog while you clean up. Even outdoors, try to prevent your dog from relieving him/herself in the M&G area.
• Remember we are here to educate people about Greyhounds. Keep an eye to the crowd & make yourself available to discuss Greys with visitors. If we chat too much with each other we will miss our ‘customers’. (That is written by a prime offender.)
• Our dogs are great athletes with wonderful qualities and a lot of life ahead of them, Please don’t play the pity card. Adoptions are more successful when dog & potential adopters match in lifestyle, personality & temperament. Playing on potential adopters’ sympathies too much can distract from that goal.
• If asked a question you do not know the answer to, just say so. This isn’t a pop quiz. You will not be graded and are certainly not expected to know all the answers. Give people facts and answer questions honestly. You can answer with your own opinion but state it as such. Please do not present speculation or rumor as fact. 

Here are a couple of very good additions posted by Lisa S. in the comments on this post:

• Brush/groom your hound prior to a meet and greet, particularly if it is shedding season. This does not mean bathe them, but just brush them, clip nails if they are too long, etc. 
• If your hound has a wound, sore, has been ill or has just not been "himself", let him stay home and plan to go without him or just plan to attend the next event.

The above are my suggestions from four years of doing M&G’s. No one has ever given me a list of rules and thank heavens, too. If these were rules I would have broken nearly every one at least once. The important thing is that we exercise good sense.

M&G’s are educational opportunities. We are there for people to meet Greyhounds and hopefully become interested enough to ask us questions. Feel free to rave about our wonderful Greyhounds if you like. It seems we all do some of that but I assure you the hounds will sell themselves without any hype.

No matter how wonderful your hound is though, she doesn’t have a driver’s license she needs someone to drive her to the M&G. Why don’t you give your Grey a ride to an M&G soon?

Edited to add an important note:
Though this blog post is intended to encourage people with suitable Greyhounds to attend an M&G or two or twelve, I feel it important to add that even if you cannot bring your hound we are always happy to have you come out to support an M&G. I always love having more people to help speak with visitors. Greyhound folks are always encouraged to attend M&G's with or without your hounds. Many times, if we are lucky enough, there are people with multiple dogs who may be happy to loan you a dog. Heck, I have been known to borrow a dog for the day from a friend who was otherwise unable to attend. And I have yet to attend an M&G when there was not a point where it would have been so nice to have an extra voice to sing our Greyhounds praises or act as leash holder while I did something else. So even if you feel your hound ill-suited or not yet ready for M&G's, please know you are not only welcome but your attendance very much wanted even without your hound.