Greyhound

Greyhounds are one of the better choices for a family with children. Expect a big dog that is low-energy, barely sheds and needs very little grooming. Copes with a working day.

Source: American Kennel Club breed standard.

Greyhounds are among the most ancient dog types and were bred to course game by sight rather than scent, sprinting at speeds no other dog reaches. The surprise, and it surprises nearly everyone, is what they are like at home: a couple of hard sprints and a Greyhound will sleep eighteen hours a day. They are quiet, gentle, almost catlike, and they are one of the easiest large dogs to keep in a flat. Retired racing Greyhounds are widely available through dedicated adoption groups and often make superb first dogs, already crate-trained and unbothered by much. Two quirks: very little body fat means they feel cold and want a coat in winter, and a strong sight-chase instinct means off-lead freedom needs care.

Day to day. Low-energy — short walks and a warm spot to sleep suit this breed fine, which makes it one of the easier dogs to fit around a busy family. On noise, it is quiet.

The coat, honestly. This breed barely sheds and needs very little grooming. Next to nothing to do either way — the odd brush is a treat rather than a chore, and this is about as easy as a coat gets.

Being left alone. Copes with a working day. That makes it one of the more realistic choices for a family where everyone is out during the day, as long as the walks still happen.

Training. Trains at an average pace. Consistent, reward-based training from day one does most of the work. If it is a puppy, measure for the adult — this one ends up in the biggest crate made.

• You want a dog with a reputation for putting up with children
• Your idea of a walk is twenty gentle minutes, not five miles
• You would rather brush and pay a groomer than vacuum every day
• You want a dog whose coat looks after itself
• You have room for a big dog and a car it actually fits in

• You are in a flat, or nobody can physically hold this dog on a lead

Rough running cost: $$ (middle of the pack) — because it is a big dog, so food, medicines and anaesthetics all cost more.

Those are relative bands, not live prices. For real numbers across every pet we cover, see the pet cost study and the cost calculator.

Picked for this breed’s coat, size, energy and known health issues, not a generic list.

Rescues do have Greyhounds and Greyhound crosses, usually adults whose size, coat and temperament you can see rather than guess at.

Whippet

A greyhound in miniature — quiet, gentle, clean, and a rocket in short bursts.

🐩 Medium🙂 Moderate✨ Low shed

Mastiff

A calm, enormous, deeply soppy dog. Low energy, very high everything-else.

🐘 Big😌 Low energy🧹 Some shedding

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Quiet, independent and athletic, with a stripe of backward-growing hair down its spine.

🐘 Big⚡ High energy🧹 Some shedding