When a person assumes pack leadership these are the responsibilities that go with the position. Much of the media surrounding greyhound adoption focusing on the more negative aspects of the breeding, training and handling of the dogs leads many adopters to conclude that normal transitional behavior is symptomatic of the environment from which the dogs come. In the attempt to make the new dog comfortable in its new home, they very often over compensate and fail to demonstrate clear signals that they are the leader in the house. In trying to show care and compassion, they end up doing a real disservice to their new pet and contributing to the stress of the change. More troublesome, however, is the effect of uncertainty over the family alpha on the longer term behavior of the new dog.
Greyhounds are very aware of pack order whether it is within the family or among other dogs.
On the other hand, a shy or spooky greyhound who does not have the security of knowing who is the leader in the household may become even more confused, apprehensive, withdrawn and timid. Many of the problems new adopters have with their dogs could really be just plain alpha problems. In its most extreme form, a dog may growl or snap. It is important to realize what is going on, and to begin to take the alpha position right away. The dog cannot be allowed to get away with this behavior - it is a dangerous situation for all involved.