You can own a greyhound as an individual, in a partnership of up to four or as a syndicate involving an unlimited number of people. Obviously, the more of you there are, the less you will pay. On this page we will deal primarily with syndicate ownership but the principles are very similar.

1. Get your group together, pick a group name and a syndicate head who will sign the paperwork.
You may be a sports club, share a common interest, work for the same employer, it may be because you want to remember a person or event or just for the sake of it!

2. Work out how much you want to spend/can afford.
With modest registration and set up fees you can get a racing greyhound for anywhere between £1,000 and £50,000! Some people like to pay more up front and never pay again, others like to pay less by way of lump sum then pay a small amount each month for the dog’s training, food and board. This takes us on to the next point.

3. Pick a trainer.
There are greyhound tracks up and down the country. Here is a list GBGB Racecourses . Most people start by buying a dog to race at their local track. That way they can go and watch it run and get the most enjoyment. Each track has licensed trainers attached to it who race their dogs there. Most tracks have a website which also lists their trainers’ names and contact details. Here is a list of all of them [insert list]. Select a trainer you like the look/sound of. Speak to as many as you like then, when you’ve made your selection, why not visit their kennels and see the set-up?

4. Pick a dog.
If you’re new to racing it is very important that you rely on your chosen trainer to do this. Dogs can be acquired in many ways and your trainer will advise you within your price bracket. He/she will also talk you through what monthly charges there will be for them to look after your dog if you haven’t chosen to pay a bigger lump sum up front to cover this. Your trainer will also provide you with some forms for the syndicate head to complete and sign since all dogs and their owners have to be registered with the GBGB.

5. Receive your dog.
Not personally – your dog will arrive at your trainer’s kennels. It may have been there already, especially if you have bought it from them (most trainers will have some dogs of their own for sale). If it has been bought from elsewhere it may take up to a couple of weeks to arrive.

6. Your dog trials.
In order to be able to run at a GBGB track every dog must complete a number of trial races so that the Racing Manager can see how it runs – how fast, on the inside of the track, the outside etc. This will eventually enable the RM to place the dog in an appropriate trap in a suitable race. Most dogs need to complete three such trials but it can occasionally be more. You are welcome to visit the track to watch your dog trial. Many tracks now publish trials and races on social media such as YouTube so you can watch it there if you can’t get to the track.

7. Your dog races.
Once qualified as in 6 above, your dog will be listed to run in a proper race. Depending on the track you have chosen this may be in the evening, in the afternoon or even in the morning! You can see when dogs are running by monitoring lists on your stadium website, on other popular websites and your trainer may also let you know. Provided your syndicate head has opened an account on the GBGB website he/she will also receive an email early on the day of every run. Your dog will then run every six to ten days or thereabouts.

8. Your dog receives prize money.
Each time a dog runs it is awarded prize money which is paid to your trainer. The amount varies from track to track and depends on which grade of race your dog is in. The money is appreciably higher when it wins. If you have agreed with your trainer to pay kennel bills on an ongoing basis then the total of that month’s prize money is set against the kennel charges. If the dog earns more than it costs in a month then the surplus is usually carried forward so you pay less in future.

That’s it!