Denise: Here’s from an email that makes me have second thoughts – I could not bear the thought of anything happening to our lovely cats, or our hens, or our sheep …

These ex racing dogs can cause chaos and blood baths. Our next door neighbour started homing them, what was soon learnt was these dogs will chase anything that moves quickly. As you have 7 cats around the house you may see a dramatic decline in the family,also chichens if they start flapping wings and running round they to would become a target, possibly even the sheep. All these dogs are breed to do is run, so they are trained to chase things from early age, and that is all their’s no sit and stay fetch my slippers etc it is purely for the race and after 3-4 years they are retired either given away to people willing to give them a home, or they are put down. It is good that people are  willing to take them on as on the whole they are lovely dogs. usually very friendly. b ut when they see something moving they are on it in a flash. The first day Kay (next door) had her first one. One cat died, she had 2 others plus 2 dogs (ok) and indoors they all fine together but outside if greyhound see cat, Trouble. they both lived, her mother took them. Several other cats died or had serious frights in that garden. The other problem being they are to old to do any serious training with. Also knew other people who had the same problem, with these x racing dogs.I don’t want to put you off getting one but maybe think about these things.

What do you think of that?  Maybe I should abandon the idea …