My son and his girl have had a rescued greyhound for a couple years now. Their biggest fear is that the dog will get loose and run free, since he tends to forget where he is and who they are if he gets any distance away. Rather dim, but they love him. He spent 5 years in crates and kennels, so had trouble with ordinary things - stairs, random rocks, most people - all frighten him. When they take him to a fenced dog park, he's gentle and sociable when playing with other, usually much smaller, dogs. In the past few months, he's delighted them by actually playing with toys and romping around their apartment for about an hour in the morning. Since they both work, his tendency to sleep a full day and full night is perfect. He behaves very well on a leash. From what I can see, it's all about the dog in their relationship - worry about the dog, teaching him about the world, bringing him to the happy places to play. Pleasing or even playing with people hasn't occurred to this dog, so there are no games or tricks. At almost 8, he's beginning to be old, since the lifespan of a greyhound, like many large breeds, isn't as long as other breeds.

With all that said, they're doing a good thing for the dog and probably for themselves. They do say that visiting a shelter and knowing a dog before you bring it home is absolutely mandatory. Each dog reacted to the crate/kennel environment individually. No retired greyhound is young. They volunteered at a local shelter, walking dogs several times a week before choosing their own. If any of this sounds like you can handle it, go for it.