Eficiencia Relativa

Most trainers will take their young greyhounds to visit a race track before they begin

their racing career. Trainers do this because they want to expose their greyhounds to

the racing environment. This is so that their first-time racing is not such a shock.

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training; however, Nigel does not do this because he does not want to overwhelm his

greyhounds before they begin their racing career.

Each trainer has their own methods as to how they will expose their greyhounds to

the race track. Some trainers, for example, will put their dogs in the pens so they get

used to what they are like. Other trainers, however, find that this only causes their

greyhounds to become bored. Instead, they prefer their dogs watch the lure go

around the track once. After this, they get their dogs to put their paws on the lure so

they know what it feels like.

Some trainers will also have their greyhounds run around the track. This is so they

not only get used to the feel of the sand loam race track, but also learn how to corner.

To teach his greyhounds how to corner, Nigel stops the lure before the corner. As

they get better and better at hitting the corner, he will increase the speed of the lure.

Doing this teaches the dogs how to run around the corner safely, for instance they

learn not to run around it at full speed. The corners of race tracks, like the one in the

photograph (figure 21.) below, are where most injuries happen so teaching them how

to corner reduces the risk of this happening during a race.

Figure 21: The corner of a race track, which is where most injuries happen (Source: Formproratings, 2017).

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To get to the race track greyhounds either travel in a car or a trailer. All racing

greyhounds become used to travelling in a vehicle because they travel to race tracks

all around the country. Their first time in a trailer is not always easy for a greyhound.

Some greyhounds may vomit or defecate. They quickly learn not to do this again

because they have to sit in it for the rest of their journey.

How greyhounds get in the vehicle depends on each individual dog and their trainer.

Some greyhounds will jump into vehicles themselves. Conversely, some greyhounds

have been taught by their trainers not to jump into a car or trailer themselves. This is

to prevent any injuries. Instead, these greyhounds will put their front paws onto the

vehicle and their trainers will then lift their rear end.

According to Nigel, greyhounds love going to the races. They know when they are

going to race and become excited. The greyhounds show this by jumping around and

running to the car before Nigel can get there. Greyhounds become more excited

when they get close to the race track; thus, showing they know where they are. They

communicate this by whining and beginning to move around. If greyhounds do not

like racing or do not want to do so then they will not race. They may not leave the

starting box, for instance. They may also show this by running through the middle of

the track or in the opposite direction they are supposed to.

Every racing greyhound knows their race day routine. It is repetitive and happens,

depending on how often their trainer decides to race them, once or more a week. As

soon as they arrive at the race track, trainers take their dogs straight to their kennels.

There greyhounds are given water. Some trainers try to force their greyhounds to

drink, whilst others let them decide if they want to. Each greyhound is weighed and

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kennel for a few hours before their race begins. Before each race begins, greyhounds

also know that they need to be dressed. They wear a racing vest, which has their race

number on it, and a wire muzzle is put over their mouth and nose. This is in case a

greyhound decides to attack another dog in the competitive racing environment.

Right before a race, some greyhounds need to be stirred up. These greyhounds are

the “chasers”. “Chasers” are taken to the side of the track where they watch the lure go around once and become excited. They will jump around and bark loudly.

Trainers hold on tight to their greyhound’s leash because if they do not, the greyhounds will run off to catch the lure.

Other greyhounds do not need to be teased. Thus, they stay in the kennel until their

race is about to begin. These greyhounds tend to be “racers”. They do not like to be bothered before a race. One of Nigel’s greyhounds, for example, dislikes being talked to before a race. She shows this by staring ahead and ignoring everything that

is happening, including her trainer, until a race is over.

Whilst racing, not all greyhounds show interest in the lure. At the end of each race,

the “chasers” will leap on the lure. The “racers” do the opposite. They are more interested in what the other greyhounds are doing and beating them. At the end of the

race these greyhounds run past the lure. They stand and watch their running mates

play with it.

However, no matter whether a greyhound is a chaser or a racer, each dog gives

everything they have whilst racing. They use their muscular legs to take long strides

around the track as sand flies out from under their feet, which is shown in this

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(Greyhound Racing, 2013). It looks as if they are flying. The photographs on page

below (figure, 22-24.) show their power. After the race, all greyhounds are tired and

puffing. However, some still want to race again. They try and pull back to the

starting boxes, which the photographs on page 126 display (figure 25-26.).

After the race, trainers will go and get their greyhounds, hook them to the leash, and

take them back to the kennels. Once there, trainers take off their muzzles and let

them drink water. They also hose the sand of their feet to prevent infection

occurring. At the end of the racing day, most trainers drive straight home. Nigel

gives them their dinner when they return. Some trainers stop at McDonalds on the

way home after a race to get their greyhounds a soft serve ice cream. One of Nigel’s

pervious greyhounds was once given an ice cream on the way back from a race,

since he would always whine when near McDonalds, or if he did not get, a soft serve

125 | P a g e Figure 22, 23, 24: Greyhounds run around an oval sand loam track. These photographs show the power they have whilst racing (Sources: Google Images, n.d; Mercer, 2016; Wilson, 2016)

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Figures 25, 26: Greyhounds start racing from starting boxes like these ones (Sources: Google Images, n.d; Palmerston North Greyhound Racing Club, n,d)

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Conclusion

Racing greyhounds have a structured and mostly sheltered life. They go from the

kennels to the race track and back again. Most racing greyhounds have never visited

anywhere else before, including a house. Furthermore, racing greyhounds know what

happens when as their routines have been the same since they were puppies due to

indices that occur. This is because even before they start racing at two years old,

greyhounds have been prepared for the racing life. They eat at the same time every

day. They exercise at the same time each day. Additionally, almost every week

greyhounds race with other greyhounds.

Greyhounds are shaped through the relationships that they have. These relationships,

or lack thereof, are with their trainers, other humans, other greyhounds, different dog

breeds, and other animals such as cats. The strongest of these relationships are with

their trainers. Their trainers are the people with whom they have the most contact,

seeing them every day. Since most trainers breed their own dogs, greyhounds have

seen trainers from birth. Apart from their trainers, the only other living beings that

most racing greyhounds know are other greyhounds. Few greyhounds have

encountered other breeds of dogs or other animals before their rite of passage begins.

Most greyhounds enjoy their time racing. If they do not want to race, greyhounds

will not do so. Every dog approaches races in different ways. Some greyhounds,

“chasers”, are interested in the lure and want to catch it. Other greyhounds, “racers”, are more focused on the greyhounds they are racing against and they try to beat

them. These are characteristics that will remain with greyhounds throughout their

transition and are likely to influence the encounters they have in the proceeding life

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When greyhounds retire at around five years old many are physically separated from

racing life, which is the only life that they know, by being taken to the adoption

agency. They will never see a race track or race again. They will never see their

trainers again. Thus, begins their rite of passage into life as a domestic pet. In the

next chapter, I discuss what happens at an adoption agency and the subsequent

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