Recently Retired Greyhound, Learning Freedoms And Drifting Away.

[Guest AMELIAdetonated]

My greyhound Archer, who is newly rescued (nearly 2 months at home), started off very mild, house trained, sweet, and a great listener. Now that he's learning more about being a dog and having some amounts of freedom, things have gotten a bit out of hand. I believe a few turning points have caused him to start acting uncharacteristically:

 

-He started to pee and poop in the house out of separation anxiety after having him about a month. I RARELY leave him at home, he comes to work with me, goes places with me, but if I have to go to the supermarket or to a place where he couldn't go, like the mall/doctor/etc, I could expect a mess when I got home. So, even though the foster mother I adopted him from advised against a crate in his case, I decided that crating him would be safer for all of us.

He would still pee in his crate, sit in it, then when we got home, be so scared of his crate, he wouldn't eat or drink water if it were anywhere near it. He'd rather starve, and still mope. So, I got rid of the crate because I didn't want the rift in our relationship, I didn't want him to be uncomfortable, and it wasn't like he was chewing up my stuff (he isn't a chewer AT ALL) or pooping in his crate, so I hoped it would change. Now, he simply pees right in front of the door when I leave him home for even an hour. As soon as my keys jingle, he goes CRAZY in front of the door, as if it's time to leave, and if I leave him inside for even FIVE MINUTES and I'm outside, I hear him YELPING like someone is beating him. And it's just him, alone, with my cat. The two get along swimmingly.

 

-He recently had a UTI, which was causing him to pee in the house as well, so when he was put on antibiotics, and I had to administer them, he began to be afraid of me when I had a treat, or when I had a spoonful of delicious dog food, or even when I called him over because he feared he would be eating an antibiotic, I think. But he will eat it FINE, for my fiancé, from whom (or who) he will also take commands willingly and happily.

 

-Especially now that my fiancé has a new dog, which we may be fostering or keeping, we aren't sure; (he was going to be put down if SOMEONE didn't take him), it's as if Archer is constantly vying for my fiancé's attention, even though he doesn't spend very much time with him. My fiancé is just naturally the 'Alpha Dog' wherever he goes, so I feel like I don't have a chance.

 

Archer was doing so well, learning to come happily when I called him, excited to get a treat from me and follow me everywhere and enjoy my company, I just don't know what's happening or how I can fix it and be better. I wanted to soon move to training him with a clicker so I could teach him to be a service dog and be very well behaved in public, but whenever I try to work with him at all, he gets very agitated with me and will walk away, even when I have treats.

 

It's not like I haven't been frustrated with him, or told him no, or scolded him for pooping and peeing on the floor and running down the street when I asked him to come to me in the yard. I've never hit him or yelled at him, so I'm flabbergasted that he has changed so easily.

 

I know this is a training forum, and I'd like to at LEAST be able to train him to come when I call him so he can be SAFE, but he treats me as if I'm this evil person who only wants to shove pills down his throat and tell him what to do, when I, in fact, feed him, pet him, coddle him, cuddle him, and take him everywhere (including dog parks, play dates, the beach, all things he loves), and bring him all his favorite things. But when I try to become the 'Alpha Dog' and be kindly assertive (he never responded to assertive in the beginning, and we worked fine without it, but everyone and their MOTHER suggests it when they hear my dilemma), I am the bad guy. I don't want to have an estranged relationship with him because I love him like a kid, but I just don'y know what to do. Any advice from greyhound owners would really, really help. I know greyhounds are VERY different from other dogs, as I can see the VAST difference between my greyhound and my fiancé's new pit bull; they get along, but are POLAR opposites. So please, any advice or help, or even just refer me to someone who can, would be great.

[christinepi]

Can you be precise about the timing of Archer's behavior deteriorating? My alarm bells went off when you mentioned the second dog. Is is possible that the timing of this is what triggered the change in behavior? You've only had him such a short time. He may feel unmoored by the change in routine and his whole situation. I think pinpointing the time will help you find the best tack to use to counter this development, even if the new dog has nothing to do with this.

 

You say that you both worked fine without you're being assertive initially. And you say you're trying to become the Alpha Dog now (and what exactly do you do when you try that?). If being mellow worked in the past, maybe continuing that would make sense? I think it's incredibly tricky sometimes to define what, for YOUR dog, and for YOU, constitutes assertive anyways (Tone? Volume? Body language? Actions? Some dogs go to pieces when told NO in only a mildly raised voice, others will laugh at you). That's in part why I asked what exactly you do when you try being the Alpha. Could your attempts at trying to be Alpha have been making things worse? Has the seemingly easier relationship Archer has with your fiancé influenced your behavior with Archer? Has Archer changed his behavior in any way with your fiancé since you got him?

 

As for the separation anxiety, it seems going back to square one would be the thing to do, which means starting with being gone 10 seconds (or whatever he can tolerate without crying) at first and coming back, then 20 seconds, if 10 worked before etc and gradually work your way up to longer times.

[3greytjoys]

My greyhound Archer, who is newly rescued (nearly 2 months at home), started off very mild, house trained, sweet, and a great listener. Now that he's learning more about being a dog and having some amounts of freedom, things have gotten a bit out of hand. I believe a few turning points have caused him to start acting uncharacteristically:

 

Welcome to GreyTalk! Congratulations on adopting your new Greyhound boy, Archer!

Thank you for asking for help. It is fairly common for hounds in a new home to feel a bit of anxiety. It would be helpful to learn more about your mention of his possible turning points.

 

I agree to begin baby steps with "alone training". (You can try doing a search on GreyTalk for more info. or a general Internet search "Greyhound alone training".) Things like desensitizing him to your keys by picking them up and putting them down many times per day when you aren't leaving, etc.

 

Seems your boy is already accustomed to being invited to go with you most of the time, so he's not understanding why he's being left behind on rare occasions.

(Thank you for not taking him in the car when it's hot. Greyhounds are extremely temperature sensitive, and too many dogs die in hot cars.)

 

Your boy might not be fully eliminating before your departures. (Not sure if you're walking him or letting him out in a fenced yard to potty before you leave, but many dogs hold back a little reserve for outside marking purposes while on walks. After a neighborhood walk, you might see if he'll do a longer pee in his own yard.)

 

A dog who feels anxious often needs to eliminate more. Since he's reacting to your departure triggers (keys, etc.) Try giving him more opportunities to potty in between what he may perceive as triggers: i.e., before you shower, and again immediately before you leave the house. Also, please understand when a dog is feeling anxious, the dog does not have his/her own normal, non-stressed physical ability to hold urine and bowel.

 

**Please do not reprimand a dog for anything he does stemmed from FEAR.** (Anxiety is fear based.)

The dog will not understand, and it will magnify problems. It will be extremely detrimental to your relationship. The dog will lose "trust" and will become a hundred times harder to regain that lost trust.

 

Greyhounds are very sensitive dogs, and respond best to encouraging, positive training methods. Maybe another local GTer will respond to recommend a gentle "positive method" trainer in your area. If not, we will try to help from afar.

 

I was concerned to read that your boy was running down the street away from you. Since I don't know how much you already know about Greys... Greyhounds are sighthounds, often with tunnel vision. They're bred to sight and race towards movement very far away. They should only be allowed outside in a fully fenced enclosure, or be leashed to their person. They don't have a homing instinct, or any experience living with a family, living around cars, neighbors' small pets, or responding to human obedience commands. If they get loose, they often keep running until they are completely lost, or killed by a car, etc. Glad you mentioned teaching recall. Teaching recall inside a home or fenced enclosure is very important as a safety precaution, but many Greyhounds will not respond in an open setting with distractions, even after being with their humans for years, so it's never a 100% guarantee. Again, still very important to teach "come".

 

If you haven't read it yet, I'd recommend reading Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies, by Lee Livingood. It's an excellent, easy to read book (required reading by some Greyhound adoption groups).

 

Many Greyhounds take a while to adjust to living away from a racing kennel environment. Please try to be patient with your new boy as he tries to learn about this brand new life in a family home.

 

BTW, a baby-gate in the most lived-in room (maybe a family room and kitchen area) is a nice option to help limit Archer's space, and to use while you're doing alone training. (Good to not let him follow your every-single-move to the bathroom, closet, etc. This way he sees that you can leave the room without him, and you return a minute or so later.) I recommend installing the baby-gate about 5" above floor level so your cat can escape underneath, if needed. Glad your hound is getting along well with your cat, but I would be very cautious about leaving a cat alone with the hound yet. It's still very early in his retirement.

 

Here is one (of many) sources:

http://www.aspca.org...on-anxiety.aspx

Edited June 22, 2012 by 3greytjoys

[cleptogrey]

3 greytdogs has some excellent advise, i would like to add some clicker training to her suggestions. it's all positive and a win-win situation. your dog will have a job- retirement is pretty boering and even though these dogs are not in the working class of dog breeds they have had a very structured life which included a job. he needs focus and something to work for. please don't go w/ a pet store training program, the akc and apdt (not sure of the initials but it american pet dog training assoc) has lists of dog trainers and schools. you should be looking for an introductory clicker class. do talk to the owner of the school about your dog and observe classes and see if you are the type of person to carry thru w/ the exercises and practice.

 

best of luck, contact your adoption group for support- and maybe they even know of someone who has classes or someone involved w/ training. don't wait too long, bad habits need to be corrected and refocused ASAP. btw....do you leave either marrow bones or kongs for your boy to keep him busy? you really don't want him to invent something to busy himself....and do you give him a good stiff/fast walk to tucker him out before you leave? a tired dog is a good dog---- too pooped to do anything but sleep. he may have more energy than you think.

 

keep his mind and body busy, training also uses up lots of energy.

[Guest AMELIAdetonated]

Can you be precise about the timing of Archer's behavior deteriorating? My alarm bells went off when you mentioned the second dog. Is is possible that the timing of this is what triggered the change in behavior? You've only had him such a short time. He may feel unmoored by the change in routine and his whole situation. I think pinpointing the time will help you find the best tack to use to counter this development, even if the new dog has nothing to do with this.

 

You say that you both worked fine without you're being assertive initially. And you say you're trying to become the Alpha Dog now (and what exactly do you do when you try that?). If being mellow worked in the past, maybe continuing that would make sense? I think it's incredibly tricky sometimes to define what, for YOUR dog, and for YOU, constitutes assertive anyways (Tone? Volume? Body language? Actions? Some dogs go to pieces when told NO in only a mildly raised voice, others will laugh at you). That's in part why I asked what exactly you do when you try being the Alpha. Could your attempts at trying to be Alpha have been making things worse? Has the seemingly easier relationship Archer has with your fiancé influenced your behavior with Archer? Has Archer changed his behavior in any way with your fiancé since you got him?

 

As for the separation anxiety, it seems going back to square one would be the thing to do, which means starting with being gone 10 seconds (or whatever he can tolerate without crying) at first and coming back, then 20 seconds, if 10 worked before etc and gradually work your way up to longer times.

 

I suppose 'Alpha Dog' was mostly my tone. my fiancé suggested I be more stern or at least try lowering my voice a little, but you're right, he has moved from being mopey and sad over this, now he just laughs at me. The reason I tried was because he responds to this from my boyfriend, at least occasionally. I think I was just willing to try anything because I'm a woman and get over-emotional over my animals. (Lol)

 

And as for the new dog, that definitely showed a change in behavior, but each thing I mentioned caused a depending in the rift between us, and the new dog has just been the latest hurdle. After doing (a lot of) research and reading threads and replies, I'm going to create a more dependable routine (I'm a photographer who works for herself, among other things, so I have no set schedule or routine for myself) that way he can learn to trust that I will be the one who walks him, or feeds him, or trains him, that way he isn't confused by who he is supposed to trust. At least, I think? I'm still floundering a bit, but everything you're saying makes sense, thank you.

[Roo]

I, too, have a newly adopted boy - he's been with me a month! Your Archer sounds a little like my Eli - Eli is very sweet and calm and submissive and super touchy. If I feel upset about anything, he keeps his distance (even if it's only about something on my computer not working right).

 

I just ignore his uneasiness and go about whatever I'm doing, and it seems to help. If I acknowledge his anxiety, he gets more anxious, then I get more anxious, and so on. If I pretend not to notice it, he sees that it doesn't bother me and gets over it. You might try this with treats and stuff - if you offer him a treat and he walks away, just don't give it to him. And if you have to give him medicine, don't worry about it - go up to him, give it to him, give him a little love, and move on. If you make it less of an event, he may not get as freaked out by it. I'd guess that a lot of his problem with you and not with your fiance is your energy - you said your fiance is a natural "alpha dog" - so, naturally, he expects to not have any problem. He likely approaches Archer with a very "Let's get this done and move on" mentality, and Archer feels this and knows your fiance is in control. From the reaction you described, I'd guess that you're a little more anxious about giving the meds - is that right?

 

How often do you walk him, and how far? Long walks help a lot with anxiety. You might try a long walk in the morning, before the sun comes up and it gets hot. When I take Eli on 1+ mile walks in the morning, he's pretty comatose the rest of the day and he's a lot less worried about everything. When you have to leave the house without him, don't make a big deal out of leaving. I've found it helps a little if I bring my keys and purse out to the living room (where Eli stays), take him out to potty, then sit and do something for a couple of minutes, and finally get up and leave. Leaving soft music playing helps - sometimes the quiet in a home freaks them out (I use a "Liquid Mind" meditation music station on Pandora). And don't make a big deal out of coming home, either. Walk in the door, put your stuff down, and pretty much ignore him for a couple minutes. You can give him a pat, but try not talking to him and being all excited.

 

As for training him in recall, don't use any commands unless he's on leash and you can control him. Saying "Come here!" when there's no way to enforce it will just teach him that he can come when he wants and ignore you when he doesn't feel like paying attention. Take him out in the yard on a long leash (bring high value treats like hotdog or something smelly and delicious that he doesn't normally get), let him wander off, then get his attention, and say "Come here!" in a high, excited voice. If he comes, praise him like crazy (the squeakier and more excited you make it, the better) and give him a small piece of the reward. If he doesn't come right away, pull a little on the leash. If that doesn't do it, turn and start walking or jogging (this'll work especially well if he loved to race - our last girl couldn't help but follow anyone or anything that was moving away from her). No matter what you have to do to get him there, when he finally comes to you, you should praise him a lot. Training him other things will help too - maybe try a little light agility? A-frames and jumps and pause tables help to build confidence as they're learning something new, and it helps reaffirm your leadership and trustworthiness - he'll look to you for guidance when an obstacle scares him. It doesn't have to be anything serious or professional - finding a fallen log that's as high as his elbows and asking him to hop over it can do the trick (Eli was so proud when he figured out how to go over one of these - haha).

 

I know how it feels to have him run from you - Eli does the same thing to me, especially if I've instilled a new rule (this morning, it was "Don't go down the hall to visit the ratties, no matter how interesting they smell"). Your boy is still new to you, even though it's been two months - giving him some more time to adjust and working on building his confidence will help strengthen your relationship with him.

[Feisty49]

Administering meds: If a pill is hidden in enough good stuff, your boy shouldn't even know he's getting it. My Annie Bella loves peanut butter, as do most dogs, so I hide a pill in a small mound of PB, plop the PB on a plate, put it in front of her and walk away. She licks it up in about 10 seconds. There are a lot of other things that will work the same way, such as a piece of hot dog or a ravioli with the pill shoved inside. Wrapping a pill in a piece of deli meat, such as bologna or ham, etc., works too. Some of this stuff wouldn't normally be given to your boy (such as hot dogs.. yeach.. LOL) but we do what we gotta do to get meds in 'em.

 

Regarding recall: Wellllll... some learn it, some don't, and you'll find that the parents of those that do might say they trust their Greyhound 99.99% of the time. The advice you'll read on this forum is to never let your dog off leash unless in a secure, fenced area. Annie Bella is deaf to my saying, "Come, Annie," unless she feels like it. Oh, if I get real insistent and use "that" tone of voice, she'll come to me, probably. LOL

Edited June 22, 2012 by Feisty49

[jetcitywoman]

... I'm going to create a more dependable routine (I'm a photographer who works for herself, among other things, so I have no set schedule or routine for myself) that way he can learn to trust that I will be the one who walks him, or feeds him, or trains him, that way he isn't confused by who he is supposed to trust. At least, I think? I'm still floundering a bit, but everything you're saying makes sense, thank you.

 

Yes, this is a very good idea. (Along with the suggestions from the others here.) Racing greyhounds are kept in what you can think of as military school conditions - always told what to do and when to do it. They're kept on a rigid schedule every day, 360 days a year. Obviously we can't do the same thing with them when we adopt them as pets, but it means you have to have more patience, and try to give them as much schedule structure as you can (given your career/job/family obligations). Especially in the first few months. As they learn to trust and respect and depend on you, then you can throw more unexpected stuff at them, and they'll breeze through it.

[Sambuca]

I recommend starting obedience training. My shy boy loves it. Find a facility that is positive reinforcement only and bring awesome treats with you.

[Guest AMELIAdetonated]

Thank you EVERYONE for all your great advice! I had no idea there'd be this much support, I really appreciate it. To 3greytjoys, thank you a million for ALL your great advice, you seem to really have a hand on things! I'm definitely going to check out that book you mentioned. I'm wondering, is there any way I can keep him cool when we do go for car rides? I drive an old car without A/C in Florida, so even with the windows open, it isn't very cool. He pants but he never seems to get too bothered, but if I can make him more comfortable, I'll definitely go out of my way. It's just really important for me to take him with me when I go places.

 

To cleptogrey: The clicker training is something I've definitely looked into and I see people have a lot of success with it, I just don't know quite how to start out with it, getting him used to associating the clicker with treats/success/being good, etc. Do you have any suggestions for how I might go about that?

 

To Roo: Your comment about anxiety makes SO MUCH sense. You're right! Whenever he gets anxious or frustrated about something, it's because I've made an event of it, and that's definitely something I'll work on. I've had a bit more success with the stuffing the antibiotics in a small ball of wet food and leaving it in the centre of his bowl, at the advice of Feisty49 (he doesn't like hotdogs or peanut butter, weird huh?), so that has brought down some stressors. And as for recall - you're totally right about him not being on a leash so I've nothing to enforce it! It's little things like that where I just say to myself "Duh, how did you not catch that?" So, when I am teaching him to "Come here", should I have him on a long leash and use it to bring him toward me when he doesn't listen? I remember reading somewhere that I shouldn't use a long leash to 'reel him in', so I'm not quite sure where to go from there. Also, how would I go about teaching him to jump over things? He is VERY cautious not to step on ANYTHING, so he'll easily step over something, but how can I encourage him to full-on jump?

 

To jetcitywoman: The structure issue is probably our biggest disconnect, because some days I'm working on set until 2am and sleeping til noon, while other days I'm going to bed at midnight and getting up at 8. Is there a way where I could structure him the way I structure myself: eating, relieving, bathing, sleeping at the same hour increments, just not at the same actual hours? It works for me, as I get 8 hours per sleep no matter what, my day will just start and end according to that, and the rest of my routine follows suit.

 

To Sambuca: I would love to take him to obedience training, as I hope that one day, I'll be able to register him as a Paws for Friendship and Registered Service dog. I took him to my local pet smart but the woman was a complete bonehead, not just because she had no experience with greyhounds (and continuously denied that they were any different than a regular dog, HA), but also had a very weird method of letting him socialize whenever someone walked up to the training area. She said that letting him social with people then calling him to me was the first step - after 20 minutes he started to give me dirty looks and lay down on the ground. What kind of obedience training would you suggest, as many seem to be completely futile for greyhounds (or so says my research).

 

To everyone: All of your advice has been INCREDIBLE eye-opening to me, a first time dog and greyhound owner. I understand that everything needs to be taken one step at a time and now that I have way more information than I started with, I'm much more confident in the direction I want to take Archer & I's relationship. Again, thank you to everyone who replied!

[Guest Angelique]

I'm going to create a more dependable routine (I'm a photographer who works for herself, among other things, so I have no set schedule or routine for myself) that way he can learn to trust that I will be the one who walks him, or feeds him, or trains him, that way he isn't confused by who he is supposed to trust. At least, I think? I'm still floundering a bit, but everything you're saying makes sense, thank you.

 

Pictures!! Pictures!! Make a 10 minute a day photo session with your boy!! That will be great bonding and we could get a few pictures a week!!

[NeylasMom]

What kind of obedience training would you suggest, as many seem to be completely futile for greyhounds (or so says my research).

 

Such a misnomer. Greyhounds in general make excellent candidates for training classes. Your trainer may need to make some minor adjustments (for instance, Violet's butt would slip if I asked her to stay in a sit stay for any length of time so the trainer gave me a rug I could give her to sit on for those exercises) and it may take your dog a little bit of time to "catch on" to what this whole training thing is about, but with some patience and some very motivating treats (think human food) you shouldn't have any major issues. Of just the greyhounds I've owned, 1 went through basic and intermediate obedience & flyball, another went all the way through advanced obedience and shaping, as well as flyball, and Violet, who I just adopted in November has gone through basic and we'll be enrolling in something else soon. Just look for a basic obedience class that uses all positive reinforcement methods. In particular, I would recommend seeking out a school that does clicker training. Your adoption group may be able to refer you to a school, or you can just google and check out websites. Most schools will list their methods and bios for their trainers online. Once you find someone you think you'll like, go to a class without your dog to observe and be sure you're comfortable with the teaching style. And if you encounter someone who tells you greyhounds are stupid or can't learn to sit, consider finding someone else.

[Roo]

To Roo: Your comment about anxiety makes SO MUCH sense. You're right! Whenever he gets anxious or frustrated about something, it's because I've made an event of it, and that's definitely something I'll work on. I've had a bit more success with the stuffing the antibiotics in a small ball of wet food and leaving it in the centre of his bowl, at the advice of Feisty49 (he doesn't like hotdogs or peanut butter, weird huh?), so that has brought down some stressors. And as for recall - you're totally right about him not being on a leash so I've nothing to enforce it! It's little things like that where I just say to myself "Duh, how did you not catch that?" So, when I am teaching him to "Come here", should I have him on a long leash and use it to bring him toward me when he doesn't listen? I remember reading somewhere that I shouldn't use a long leash to 'reel him in', so I'm not quite sure where to go from there. Also, how would I go about teaching him to jump over things? He is VERY cautious not to step on ANYTHING, so he'll easily step over something, but how can I encourage him to full-on jump?

 

Some people say not to use the leash, others say to use it. I worked with a trainer (for a shelter dog) who said to tug gently towards you to get them started if they don't do it automatically (but your'e right, don't pull him all the way to you or he won't get the idea that he's supposed to do it on his own). You probably want to start out on a normal length leash until he gets the idea, then once he does it consistently you can start trying on a longer leash.

 

I'm still working on the jumping thing with my boy (especially into the car - Eli just shuts down)! He'll get right up to a log and stop and stare at me like "Ma, help!" It's really adorable. For the small ones, I just keep a gentle, steady pressure on the leash from the other side of the log. He eventually puts his front feet on it or over it and I praise him a lot, then pull the leash a little more and he gets it. One time he hopped right over, then the next he froze. It just takes time. For the bigger logs, I start by picking his feet up and putting them over (if he fits - if not, I just put them on top). He usually takes care of the rest. You could also make a little jump in your yard - get a pool noodle (they're nice and soft so if he runs into it, it won't hurt him) and lay it on the ground between chairs or something (the barrier on the sides encourages the "over" rather than the "around"). Step over it a couple times with him, then raise it a little (on flower pots, rocks, anything really). Once he gets used to stepping over it, then hopping over it, you can start raising it more and more (my first Grey could jump over a pool noodle propped on the arms of lawn chairs). You can use food to tempt him over (wet food would work well - easy to eat and plenty smelly), or jump over yourself if he follows you (might look silly to your neighbors - the things we do for our dogs! haha). Does he hop into your car? If he does, you can start pairing that motion with the word "Up" - any time he jumps into or onto or over something, say "Up!" and praise him. He'll catch on!

[christinepi]

Re: obedience and greyhounds: I remember one poster on GT who took her grey, Treasure, to obedience class. Well, Treasure wasn't all that interested. In order to pass the class in the end, the trainer asked Treasure to simply "look beautiful", which of course is an easy task for a greyhound. And she passed.

 

My grey will get so bored so fast with obedience he'll fall asleep in about 2 minutes. Not even the tastiest, most desirable treats will keep his interest for long. Since he's otherwise a joy to live with, I figure I can live with it. I just mention this, because there are those individuals who really don't care all that much, too. Archer will let you know what camp he belongs to...

 

How to start clicker training: the queen of CT is Karen Pryor. She's written books and you can buy her videos. There are other sources, too. One free source is youtube; there are lots of videos. One very important thing is timing. It has to be super precise, and that takes some time to learn. I would get a trainer who does CT to show you the ropes, it'll be much faster (1 hour would be plenty, as far as learning the timing goes), but you can certainly do it on your own. There's a website called dogmantics which I really like. It has oodles of 1-2 minute videos on it (free), that show you all sorts of training sessions. She doesn't explain the timing of CT per se, but she uses the clicker most of the time and you can learn about timing from that. And then there's Dr Sophia Yin's website, which I can highly recommend, same thing, free videos and CT use.

Edited June 22, 2012 by christinepi

[FountainLady]

I would also suggest an obedience class with a good trainer. They will teach you the ins and outs of positive reinforcement training, how to use a clicker correctly (if you choose to go that route), how to teach recall ...etc. A good group class will teach you how to effectively communicate with your new greyhound, and teach your dog to focus on you and listen to you.

 

Call the local kennel clubs in your area, see who has some classes starting up. It has been my experience that a 6 week basic obedience class costs less than a routine trip to the vets office. It is an excellent investment. I always take my new greyhounds to an obedience class a couple months after I adopt them.

 

I have found my greyhounds to be smart as can be, and they have typically put the other dogs in the class to shame with their good manners and ability to learn the commands. I fully know how to train a dog on my own, but attending formal classes teaches your dog to focus on you away from home, to work around dogs of other breeds. To me the cost of the classes are worth the opportunity to work with my dogs at their facilities and with all the distractions that come from working around a dozen other dogs. You have access to a professional trainer to ask questions of and work on any special things your dog may need.

 

You may also make some great professional business contacts through the people you meet at the kennel club / training facility.

[Tallgreydogmom]

You might be interested in Project Pup. I lived in St Petersburg and found the greyhounds loved to visit assisted living facilities and they are in greyt demand.

 

http://projectpup.org/

 

 

There are many greyhounds that train at Dog Training School of St Petersburg on 34th St North, just over the hump past 28 th street. I think I have that correct.

 

http://dtcsp.org/

Edited June 23, 2012 by Tallgreydogmom

[Fruitycake]

I cannot recommend Dr. Sophia Yin's resources highly enough. http://drsophiayin.com/resources She has information on her website made freely available, including videos showing her in training situations, and has done great things for the field of veterinary behavior. She is totally a postive/reward-based trainer, which I found to be exactly what our "fragile and very sensitive" Monty greyhound needs.

 

With training, you can start with something very simple: we started with "target" which for us means "touch your nose to the hand shown you and you'll get a treat." That was so simple to teach, because Monty tends to bop his nose into anything he sniffs, so all we had to do was offer our hand and he'd sniff and bop it and we'd reward him. Then we would offer the hand and tell him "target" as he was heading toward it (at first it helps if it smells like food, or he thinks there might be food there), and gave him the signal that he'd done it right (we used "good!" in a high pitched voice) and then treat. He now will rear up to do it, do a play bow to do it, walk around to do it...it helps move him around sometimes. And no coercion needed, and the only "punishment" was actually just a lack of reward when he didn't do it quite right (which isn't a punishment but just a lack of reward) and telling him he hadn't quite gotten it.

 

He also knows "down" and when our other dog gets treats for doing her variety of things he will do a "spontaneous down" or will step in to target if we're telling her to do that.

 

For videos and information on specifically teaching greyhounds, try visiting Never Say Never Greyhounds: http://neversaynevergreyhounds.net/ Her specific information on clicker training is at http://neversaynevergreyhounds.blogspot.com/2010/11/intro-to-clicker-training.html

[Guest Angelique]

Thanks all for the info, i had no idea so much was available online (my bad). Thanks for the names and links.

[Guest AMELIAdetonated]

And if you encounter someone who tells you greyhounds are stupid or can't learn to sit, consider finding someone else.

 

That is really encouraging to hear, because I'd love for Archer to be able to sit, not just because it would please me, but because it would be great for him to be able to sit by my side and not take up as much space when he's standing or lounging on the ground - it'll also be much more professional looking as a service dog. Can all of your dogs sit just fine? I can't seem to figure out how to teach him because if I try to press his butt down like we do with our pit, he yelps like it hurts! Pretty much every physical modification to the sitting position I've tried has been to no avail, so if you have ANY suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it!

[3greytjoys]

Greys are built differently from other dogs. Many Greyhounds can "sit" but some Greys may have had a racing injury that makes it painful. Those hounds should not be asked to "sit". Some hounds can "sit" for very short periods (their legs might shake, which is a clue to not force it for long periods). Other hounds are fine sitting for a slightly longer periods. Teach on carpet (not bare floor).

 

Try to set your hound up for success. Please do not use physical force with Greyhounds.

 

Here are two methods that can work well for Greyhounds.

 

1. When a hound is lying down, offer a special treat by showing it to hound, then slowly lift treat up above hound's head. Some hounds will gently move into a partial sit position as their head follows the treat. Once they are in position, immediately say the word "sit" as you give treat and verbally praise, praise, praise. After they connect the feeling with the word "sit" begin asking for a "sit" daily (before they are in sit position), but not for long sessions. They get bored very easily.

 

2. (My favorite method.) Watch for the hound to walk over to lie down naturally. (This is easy with Greys!)

Get ready with treat in hand, and quickly move closer to hound.

Once hound's rear end touches the carpet or bed, you move in to stand directly in front of the dog's body. Your body is blocking the hound (into a natural sit) while preventing dog from lying all the way down. Immediately say "sit" and treat the dog, and praise, praise, praise.

Do this whenever the dog goes to lie down naturally, and the hound will learn "sit" in no time!

 

If desired: A clicker can be used if you want to "click" immediately when the hound's rear end touches the ground (or dog bed), but just treating with food works fine in most cases.

 

I've had a number of hounds that do a side sit vs. a straight sit. This is fine as far as I'm concerned considering a Greyhound's body design. Many times they will eventually do a straight sit on their own if it's comfortable for them. Other hounds I teach a straight sit from the start. Greys learn differently than most breeds. Adapting with gentle, positive training is sooo important with Greys.

[3greytjoys]

I'm wondering, is there any way I can keep him cool when we do go for car rides? I drive an old car without A/C in Florida, so even with the windows open, it isn't very cool. He pants but he never seems to get too bothered, but if I can make him more comfortable, I'll definitely go out of my way. It's just really important for me to take him with me when I go places.

 

To answer your question:

I recommend always keeping at least 2 gallons of fresh bottled water, and a dog bowl in the car.

A portable fan, if you can find a car plug-in type. (Batteries can explode if exposed to high temperatures.)

A squirt bottle to wet his neck, arm pits, paw pads and groin if he gets overheated.

A loose cooling bandana might help a little.

Window tinting helps, and sun shades help a little.

A cool (not cold) wet towel could be used if he were seriously overheating (hyperthermia), but if it's too warm outside he should be left at home. (Remove cool wet towel within about 3 minutes, once dog's body has warmed towel.)

 

I'd be cautious about taking a hound out unnecessarily in an unairconditioned car if temps are in 80's or higher. Sitting in a traffic jam worsens the heat effect. The main question is what happens when the car stops moving? I assume he gets leashed to go with you as soon as the car is parked.

 

Greyhounds should not be tethered to any object outside (besides a human). If they "sight" something of interest (a piece of litter in the wind, a squirrel, etc.), they can gain full speed within 3 strides, and if tethered, can break their neck, choke to death by their collar, or damage their body if in a harness.

 

Not sure if you've thought about what you would do with your Greyhound if your car broke down on a hot day. Even if you have an emergency auto service, they could take an hour to arrive. (Keeping a car in good running condition becomes more important when you transport dogs and/or children.)

 

Unfortunately, it's not a good idea to open car windows too much. Many dogs jump out of wide open car windows whether car is moving or stopped.

Even allowing a dog to stick his/her head out a partially open window is dangerous. Most of us have had small rocks or road debris fly up and damage our windshield, imagine if a rock hit a dog's eye (blindness, surgery cost, etc.)

Slamming on breaks while dog's head/neck is perched outside window can be harmful too.

 

I completely understand that you want to take your hound with you, and you are dealing with separation anxiety, but your hound's life could depend on it. The flip side is summer is a great time for him to become accustomed to learning it's okay to stay home on hot summer days.

 

I usually don't recommend the following for a new hound in a new home because there is a natural adjustment time for each hound, but as a last resort, after you practice careful alone training (with peanut butter in Kong, etc.), if he's still having difficulty, you could ask your vet for a calming medication. If medication is used, it must be coupled with additional alone training to be effective.

 

Please take a peek at this thread re: dogs in cars during summer:

http://forum.greytal...ws-rolled-down/

 

BTW, I don't recommend cooling coats. As far as I know, they are not scientifically proven to help, and some may worsen the dog's heat problem. Others may have additional cooling suggestions too.

[christinepi]

Coincidentally, I came across this cooling collar today. I have no idea whether it's any good, but I actually contemplated it for walks with Tracker since, being black, he gets hot so fast. Has anyone tried this?

 

http://www.koolcollar4dogs.com/

[Guest LindsaySF]

You have gotten some great advice.

 

One thing I wanted to comment on was this:

 

He started to pee and poop in the house out of separation anxiety after having him about a month. I RARELY leave him at home, he comes to work with me, goes places with me, but if I have to go to the supermarket or to a place where he couldn't go, like the mall/doctor/etc, I could expect a mess when I got home.

 

Greyhounds are used to having a set schedule at the track. In the home, they acclimate to people going to work, they figure out what weekends mean, but generally there is a fairly predictable schedule. Archer is used to going everywhere with you, and then all of a sudden he gets left home when you go to the store, and he can't figure out why this time he didn't get to go. I would actually encourage you to leave him home more, and work on alone training. If you take him everywhere and he is overly bonded to you, he'll never figure out how to be left home at times. Have you researched alone training?

 

 

 

~Lindsay~

[jetcitywoman]

To jetcitywoman: The structure issue is probably our biggest disconnect, because some days I'm working on set until 2am and sleeping til noon, while other days I'm going to bed at midnight and getting up at 8. Is there a way where I could structure him the way I structure myself: eating, relieving, bathing, sleeping at the same hour increments, just not at the same actual hours? It works for me, as I get 8 hours per sleep no matter what, my day will just start and end according to that, and the rest of my routine follows suit.

 

Sorry for the delay responding, I've been out of pocket (on vacation with my own houndies.).

 

You know what, since you describe it at way, I bet it would be just fine. I've noticed that my dogs (and cats) learn our daily schedule not by the numbers on the clock, but by the sequence of events. You know how people always say that little fluffy always knows what time dinner is and starts yowling? I'm pretty sure animals don't know time the way we measure it, but they do know that mom comes home, takes me for a walk, we sit around a bit, then she feeds me, then she feeds herself, then it's toothbrush time, then tv time then potty then bed. (my evening schedule). They can tell when there is too much time in between events compared to normal, and if things get mixed around, but that's about it. So if the sequence of events in your day are pretty routine but at different times of day, that might not be any problem at all. I'd love to hear what others think and if they agree with this.

[Guest AMELIAdetonated]

Everyone, thank you SO MUCH for all your replies. It's good to be back on GreyTalk. (: