Great Global Greyhound Walk in der Lobau

Last Sunday Murphy and I got to take part in the Great Global Greyhound Walk. This walk has been held every year in June since 2006. The country of origin is Great Britain. And these solidarity walks have now been organised globally for five years.

Great Global Greyhound Walk Vienna

Martina told me about the "GGGW" a few weeks ago and we actually wanted to join together — but life had other plans.

Atlas recently passed his therapy dog assessment, so Martina is currently swamped with courses and training. This day was no exception: a first-aid course for Martina. Neroli, Tiago and Atlas enjoyed the cool living room in the meantime.
There will definitely be a blog post or two about the therapy dog training. Promise!

Murphy looks briefly disappointed when he can't spot Tiago (the little Frenchie simply loves his "pony"…) among the greyhounds, Podencos, Galgos and other dogs already waiting. But the assembled crowd soon convinces him that we're going to have a lovely morning together.

The spirit of the solidarity walk.

The basic idea is for as many greyhounds as possible to walk together, raising awareness of their suitability as pets. Many of these sighthounds are looking for a home because they were too slow for the races, no longer profitable, or suffered an injury that ended their racing career.

Other sighthound breeds are equally welcome, as are fans of the English sprinters and their four-legged companions.

The Greyhound — a racing machine?

A greyhound isn't just a piece of sporting equipment — it's also a couch potato that can curl up into the tiniest ball. Often misjudged and underestimated, a greyhound can adapt surprisingly well to its owner's lifestyle.

With patience, consistency and love, a former racing greyhound can become a wonderful long-nosed companion. The racing and hunting instinct shouldn't be underestimated, but it shouldn't be overestimated either. One to two hours of walking a day and one or two off-lead runs in a fenced area per week usually satisfies the exercise needs of these long-legged dogs.

Meeting point: Lobau — nature conservation meets animal welfare.

Under the motto "Love Is All Around" we meet at the car park by the Nationalparkhaus Wien lobAu.
27 dogs and their companions set off from there towards the Dechantlacke to cool paws — and a few feet too. Through the dense green of the floodplain forest, past some truly enormous trees, we make our way to the Josefssteg. This "bridge" takes us across a vast reedbed.

At the large meadow on Vorwerkstraße we take a break in the shade. We treat ourselves to all the goodies people have brought along. Coffee, cake and goulash for the two-legged, water and biscuits for the three- and four-legged — a big thank you to the generous donors!

After a good rest we head back along the same route to the starting point. The trail is flat throughout. Gravel paths and forest tracks alternate — as does sun and shade. On this Sunday there are plenty of cyclists and joggers out, as well as sun-seekers swimming at the Dechantlacke. Our group draws curious and admiring glances, as every single dog behaves impeccably.