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We will want your galgo to be safe and secure so we
ask all adopters to use a harness right from adoption
day and onwards. The harness pictured has an extra
strap under the belly and this style is called a 3 point
harness. This type of harness has proven to be
very effective and makes it almost impossible
for your galgo to escape. This is the only type
used by GIN and the rescues in Spain. It’s vital
that your galgo is kept safe on the journey home
and of course during all those early experiences
while you and your new companion get to know each other. Many of the galgos
are nervous in the early days, after all they’ve never been in a home before or
experienced many of the sights and sounds that we will expect them to cope
with. They can react very quickly if taken by surprise, leaping about with
excitement or pulling back in fear. When fitted correctly a harness is
comfortable for the dog but also gives you secure control, much safer than only
using a collar where all the force is on the neck. Although it may seem hard to
believe, Greyhounds and Galgos are well known for slipping out of a standard
greyhound collar and they can wriggle out of anything other than a 3 point
harness, I know this from personal experience!
The harness pictured is available to purchase from GIN either on adoption
day or from the online shop. They’re reasonably priced, come in more than
one colour and are very adjustable enabling a good fit.
Now you have a harness if travelling by
car all you need to add is a security strap
that either plugs into the seat belt clip or
that secures around the headrest. This
will prevent that unexpected leap from
the car when a door or the boot is opened
and acts as a safety restraint. NEVER attach this strap to
the collar only to a harness as it could cause serious injury
if you were to brake suddenly. The seat belt strap is
available in the GIN shop and we usually have the headrest option available
on adoption days.
Once adopted your galgo will go home with a standard
leather greyhound collar, fitted with a GIN ID tag,
matching leather lead and a greyhound muzzle.
Another collar we recommend you use is a house collar. The house collar
should be fitted loosely around the neck and should also have an ID tag
attached and it can be left on all the time. This way you can remove the
walking out collar when indoors making it more comfortable for your galgo
but you’ll always have something to get hold of if you need to guide your dog
away from something or maybe hold onto as you answer the front door. Don’t
underestimate how quick they can be slipping past you if they spot the
neighbour’s cat as it strolls past unexpectedly! I must add that a house
collar should not normally be used with a lead as they are too narrow to be
suitable for your galgos neck. The house collar pictured is one of several
designs available in the GIN online shop.
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