A typical adoption organisation's guidelines.

The process is normally very simple:
You meet one or more dogs, discuss your preferences with us, and choose your greyhound. There are lots of different personalities and we can help you choose one to fit in with you. You can join in walks and talk to other adopters, even take a dog for an afternoon, before you decide.
We visit your home, by appointment, and help you get ready. This is generally just making sure that your garden is secure, and that there is somewhere suitable for him or her to sleep.
If it hasn't been done already, your new dog will be neutered and vaccinated.
You pick a day when you have time to devote plenty of attention, and collect your greyhound. You make a contribution towards the cost of neutering and vaccinations. ALL this money is spent on dogs, we don't pay ourselves anything.
After a few days we will phone you to see how everything is going. We will provide any support or advice that you may need.

Your commitment:
When you adopt you will sign an agreement with us, in which you make some basic commitments in the dog's interests:
You won't hand your greyhound over to anyone else without our agreement in writing.
You won't have him or her put to sleep without a vet's recommendation.
He or she will wear an identity disc at all times.
He or she will have veterinary care when necessary, including yearly inoculation and parasite control.
Your greyhound is only to be a pet, not raced or used for any form of "sport". (In fact retired greyhounds have virtually always retired for a good reason, and attempts to race them again always end in failure).

What to expect:
Most, though not all, retired greyhounds will have lived in kennels all their lives until they arrive at your house. Kennel life is very different from a domestic home life, so in the first few hours they will be stressed by the novelty, and may pant a lot. They may be reluctant to lie down, and may not be very responsive to you. Some may be nervous about going inside to start with.

All you have to do is be patient. You let them go round smelling everything, and in good time they will come to everyone in the family for reassurance and company. You dish out as much stroking and affection as they want, but no more. Some dog biscuits will help to establish your home as a good place to be.

Some dogs have more adjustments to make than others, for example if they have suffered from cruelty. We will have told you about this so it will be a choice you'll have made, and you'll be prepared for a longer haul. Over time you'll have the reward of building a stronger relationship with your special dog.

House training:
Most greyhounds don't need house training even if they have come straight from kennels, but even for those who do it's much easier than with a puppy.

Greyhounds in kennels only ever encounter food that is meant for them. You will have to teach them the concept of food that they can't have.

General guidance for keeping a greyhound: Never smack your greyhound or hit him with anything. Even the slightest hint of disappointment in your voice will reduce most greyhounds to abject desolation! The way to train greyhounds (in fact, all dogs) is to give praise and treats for doing what you want, rather than to punish for not doing it. Greyhounds are quite remarkably responsive to small changes of tone in your voice and will try very hard to please you.
Provide something soft, somewhere warm, for sleeping on. Greyhounds have thin coats and can't live outside, and their muscles are much more comfortable if they have something to sink into.
Provide food and water on a raised surface so that they don't have to reach all the way down to the floor. Their long legs make that difficult.
For exercise, two normal doggy walks a day is plenty, especially for older dogs. Like most breeds, younger dogs will appreciate the chance to have a sprint if possible, but love, security and sunshine are more important.