greyhoundlady

Could Sailor be experiencing Idiopathic Head Tremors? My boy had this happen to him a few times and it scared me big time. Turned out he had idiopathic head tremors, which although frightening to watch, aren't too serious. (You can google this to get lots of info.). My guy didn't lose consciousness, was alert and aware of everything, just that his head kept shaking. If he gets a treat he immediately stops - maybe because he is focusing on chewing. He hasn't had any recently, but a treat always works. I did take him to the vet, and all was fine with him. I hope this is merely what Sailor is going through.

Maybe Ernie is bothered by your husband standing/bending over him. Is he very tall? Could your husband try sitting down and calling Ernie to him with a handful of very tasty treats? If he comes to him, while your husband is sitting, he could give him the treats and put his leash on, keep giving him the treats, get up and go for a walk, still giving treats. Ernie might then associate all good things happening.

I am glad to see he likes going out and meeting people/dogs and interacts well with them. Seems like he is maybe bored with things when he gets home? Have you tried giving him Kongs with stuffed treats, new toys, fun things when home? As to the food bowls - mine don't eat in the kitchen, mainly because there isn't a whole lot of room for two big greyhounds and two sets of raised feeders. One eats in a room off the kitchen and one eats in the hall. They eat everything immediately when the bowls are down, so nothing hangs about. It sounds like Luke likes carpeting better than slippery floors, and his bowls could have been sliding around on the kitchen floor, which bothered him, or as someone else mentioned, he might have slipped at some point. I would try putting some kind of rug (be sure it doesn't slide on the floor) under his raised feeder in the kitchen - and also keep the bowls in the other room for the time being. Keep feeding him in the room he likes, but put something in the kitchen bowls that might be really appealing. He may be tempted - at his own pace - to use the kitchen bowls eventually. I try to get inside the head of my dogs . They have reasons for doing things that we don't understand at times. If something medical is ruled out, then you will know it is most likely behavior and you can work with that. He sounds like a sweet dog that isn't really giving you any big problems. Just have patience and he will probably come around to being ok.

They all have different personalities. Luke sounds like he doesn't handle change well, which isn't terrible. You might just need to be patient and let him figure out his comfort zone. I wouldn't prevent him from going in the room he wants to be in. It seems that is his safe spot. I have one grey who came to me a very shy, timid little girl. I let her go at her own pace to adjust to her surroundings. At first she would always run to the back bedroom and stay there except to eat, or go outside. Now she is always where we, and our other grey, are. Do you walk Luke a lot, feed him treats, take him to meet and greets, let him meet other people? Is he okay otherwise in the house - doesn't have 'accidents', not destructive or snappy, eats his food, looks for you for treats, etc.? You said you had him for about a year and a half, but he also had a few changes happen, like moving, etc., which may have confused him. I don't think your wife about to have a baby would make him strange, except if all the newness happening in the house is having an effect, like new baby things and preparation. He may be picking up on that excitement. I don't know Luke, but, if you can, try giving him more attention without being overbearing. I think walks are great - my greys and I are out all the time. Take trips to Petco or another pet friendly places, parks, etc. it might help his confidence. Are there any greyhound get togethers in your area or with your adoption group. Some groups have weekend walks and it is a great way for the greys to be together and exchange info with other owners. Even after the baby comes, try not to ignore him too much. Good luck and congratulations on your soon to be new addition!

I have two greyhounds. When my male does this, he usually wants to go outside to pee - even at 2 am. Even if he has already gone out at the 9-10 pm break. I think he just can't sleep and needs some air . My female has done the same behavior you describe. She will pace, smell the floors like she is tracking something but act normally otherwise. She is not frightened, stressed, etc. If I attempt to let her out, she doesn't usually go. But a couple of times I saw the outside motion light go on and there were some deer outside. We also are visited by black bears on occasion. I think she picks this up somehow. She doesn't bark at them, just checks all the rooms. Maybe that is what Indy is doing. At one point I thought maybe a field mouse had gotten in and that was what she was looking for - but we found no trace of it (thank goodness!). Others may have other possible explanations, but with mine, she does this once in a while and there isn't anything medically wrong with her. Try distracting him with a treat. This works for her.

Can you try putting his coat on once you are outside? One of my greys willing lets me put his coat on. The female runs away from the coat. So, my male grey and I get our coats on and all of us go outside (with me carrying her coat). Once outside I put her coat on without a problem. Maybe she then realizes it really is cold outside!

I wouldn't do surgery if it was my grey. They like their 'thumbs' - at least I feel they do. Mine hold their yogurt cups with their 'thumbs'. I would do what others suggested and just wrap the dew claws in vet wrap. That stuff comes in lots of beautiful colors and she will look very fashionable. This way you can also see if it helps with the nicks/cuts. Just keep dremeling the nail to keep it short. I wonder if she nicked herself the same way when she raced. My little female always has nicks and cuts - and they are not due to dew claws! I just clean them up, put a little neosporin on them and that always takes care of it.

At home I feed in elevated stainless steel bowls. When we travel, both of mine will eat from bowls placed on the floor with no problem. I guess I use raised feeders at home because I 'think' they look more comfortable, but I have a feeling either way would be fine with these two. When I first brought home my shy girl, she would eat laying down on her bed with the bowl in front of her. I don't think it matters how they eat, as long as they are comfortable doing so.

Are you using a raised feeder? One of my greys is skittish. I feed both of mine with raised feeders on mats (I have hardwood floors) so the bowls don't slide and they face a plain wall. Neither has a problem eating this way. I agree the tags may have hit the bowl and frightened him. I had an incident when one of my grey's tags hooked on the bowl and when he raised his head it made all kinds of noise. He is pretty bullet proof though and a foodie so he just went back to eating You could also try holding the bowl for him since he eats from your hand. He might feel better that way for the time being.

I think you might want to keep him on a bland diet for a while - rice and boiled chicken or boiled beef. Don't change to dog food yet. I don't know his history as to how long you have had him, or how old he is, but digestive issues are usually helped by bland diets till the gut settles down. Hills never helped my boy with the poop problem - turns out he couldn't handle grains, especially corn.

I have a leaning hugger, but not a kisser. My boy, Sambuca, is the hit at all meet and greets because he will saunter up to any available human and press his body up against them. He also does this to anyone we meet on our walks - men, women, children. My little girl, Sprite, is as shy as they come. She watches from afar. If anyone comes near her, she flits away. No kissers though. Maybe snorty smells, but that is it.

Petzlife gel here. I put it on my finger and rub it on their teeth. I first use a damp gauze pad wrapped on my finger and run it over their teeth, then put the gel in their mouth. I agree with the others that brushing is best - but neither of mine cooperate with brushing and the 4 seconds I can get a toothbrush in their mouths accomplishes very little. They tolerate the gauze pad and gel. Luckily for me, the also tolerate my fingers! I also give them a tiny treat before and after the teeth cleaning to help with the cooperation factor.

You might be seeing something called ideopathic head tremors. My male grey does this occasionally. His head sort of vibrates for a few seconds, he is completely awake and interactive. If you give a treat it will snap them out of it. It is a little scary to see, but from what I have been able to determine, nothing to worry about. If you google it you will see lots of info. Seems Boxers and Dobermans are prone to it as well.

All my dogs, greys and otherwise, that I have had have had their dew claws. Never had a problem. One of my guys uses his dew claws to hold the yogurt container while enjoying it! I wouldn't remove anything from anyone unless there was really a problem.

Mine don't sleep in our bed either - they are happy with their real comfy dog beds which are right next to the side of the human bed. Neither of my greys ever showed a desire to get on our bed (or furniture) and with all the tossing and turning I do when asleep there would be lots of grouches. I would definitely wait to see if there is sleep aggression and if he wants to get on your bed. Some greys are super cuddly and love the closeness - others, like one of mine, wants his own space with no one touching him when he is asleep. When he is awake though, he loves as much mooshing as he can get!

My little female does this to my big male. He is definitely the dominant/alpha and she is my recent adopted girl (3 months) - very shy and insecure. They do this when they are standing together, usually outside in the yard, and waiting for something - like me to walk them or just gazing around. He is not bothered by it in the least so I would say - for these two - this is not a dominant move on her part. More of a security/comfortable acceptance they have. Of course if she tries to get on the bed he is on, or touches him while together in the car - growlies ensue from him! She is oblivious to his snarkiness which makes her that much more adorable to me :-). Maybe it just depends on the dogs and the vibe they give off. I am sure my guy would not like it if ALL dogs did that to him, but I have witnessed at greyhound get togethers, certain ones can get away with it.

I am so sorry you and your grey went through this. Horrible. It was painful just to read what your grey has gone through. Sending healing thoughts. I just had an experience yesterday, believe it or not, with my two greys and a huge dog - I think some type/mix St Bernard. We were at a county park on our way to the car after hiking and came across a woman holding this dog by the leash. She was almost half its size and in a split second it dragged her toward us and she fell, losing hold of the leash. Of course the beast came right at my male grey and proceeded to try to bite him on the rear leg. I am a tall woman, and know running is useless when a dog is after you - but I do carry Direct Stop spray at all times, and contrary to what some have said, I have used this successfully 3 times including yesterday. I sprayed the beast dog in the face full force and it stopped him. It seemed shocked at the stream of spray and backed away. The woman was finally there and dragged the dog to the side of the road, screaming at him to stay. Then she had the nerve to ask me what kind of chemical did I spray on her dog! I am only relating my experience and may have had a few factors in my favor. My greys were unhurt. I know I could not manage whacking a dog with any sort of stick/bat and maintain holding my two greys at the same time. I am not that coordinated and since I hike a lot, carrying that would not be convenient - just me. But I can easily reach in my pocket and spray. I also have a pepper spray. For me, in a surprise situation, this is the easiest and quickest 'weapon' I can access. Just my experience. I wish your sweetie a quick recovery and hope you are feeling better too. It is an unbelievably scary experience.

You might want to start out slowly with giving your grey only a few new things to see if she is tolerating them. I start out with the new food (unless the adoption group has told what she is on now) and a dog biscuit, etc. for treats. I have one grey who took a long time for me to find the right 'mix' - doesn't do well on chicken, or milk products like yogurt, and one who tolerated everything right from the beginning. By that I mean 'poop' - which is a whole other discussion!

I buy Taste Of The Wild on line - either wag.com or Amazon. If you want to try it, start with the small bag and see how your girl does. It is also sold at the Tractor Supply/Feed store here. Not sure if it is sold at Pet Smart.

I feed both my greys Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream - 1-1/2 cups morning and 1-1/2 evening (total 3 cups a day) (dry). Sometimes I add a little sardine on top or some cooked sugar snap peas. They are both good eaters and not picky. They also get dog biscuits - usually Milk Bones. Also, occasionally they get Kongs filled with some kibble and topped off with peanut butter. I don't moisten their food - but I have read that for some dogs it is easier for them to eat it that way. I have also seen where a lot of add ins can make them picky eaters. As Feisty49 mentioned, there are going to be adjustments as you go along, to see what works best. Congratulations on your new greyhound! You will be so happy with her - she looks beautiful!

Well, I am glad to see I am not alone! My first two greys, male and female, both jumped right into the back of the SUV always. My current male, at 82 pounds, will not in any way jump into the SUV. I have tried everything. He will not do a ramp either. Too scary! He will walk up to the back of the SUV, wait for me to put his front paws on the bumper and then I place one of my forearms under his belly and the other on his rump and lift him in. I refer to it as the 'boostamonty'. It really isn't that hard or heavy. Just adopted a female - she jumps in no problem. I thought that would give him the idea to do so as well, but no go.

So easy to see the love and affection we all have for our greys. I know it also applies to any of the breeds that are owned by 'us' because it seems to be a very special personality that brings these guys into our homes. I just hope that anyone reading this topic who doesn't yet own a grey, or is a recent adopter, doesn't get frightened that they must hire an armed guard to accompany them on their walks with greys :-). I live in a woodsy area, safe, with many dogs. All the owners love their dogs as much as I love mine, and if I had to do deathly harm to any of them, I could not live with myself. I carry Direct Stop in my pocket, which is citronella based, and have used it when a Jack Russell got out of his garage and came charging at my greys. I saw him coming, stood my ground (never run as they will just chase) and when he got in range, I sprayed him full in the face. He ran back home, the owner apologized, and said 'he' deserved it. Oh, my, if I did anything worse, I can't imagine what that reaction would have been. They are nice people. If I can avoid a loose dog situation, I will as I am always watching. If I can't then I will judge it for what it is. That being said, everyone has different scenarios, and although I don't think I need to fully arm myself, others feel different. I am so glad Chevy is doing okay. When I first read the post, tears were running down my face for all involved. Sadly, it is usually the owners that create the bad dogs. Totally understand the emotion this brings out. Continue to improve, Chevy :-)

I have tried many many different brands and proteins to try to find what would help the pudding poop with my guy. After having 3 fecal samples tested and all being negative, through trial and error it seems there must be some grain or something that bothers his system. I have had the best luck with Natures Variety Instinct Grain Free Limited Ingredient Lamb - one protein combined with one simple starch. As many of us here will testify, there is no one universal food that works for all. It is more a matter of trying different things. And then the fun begins when what worked for a while, doesn't anymore! Usually in our case it is a treat or something, but as long as I know that is the case, I don't worry about it.

We use the Zuke's Z Bones here as they have good ingredients, completely digestible, made in USA, and hard, for teeth cleaning. However, my guy is not ga ga over them - maybe the cherry flavor sometimes. (No meat flavors :-)) In the taste test department, he goes for a Greenie every time. The Zuke's lay around for a bit, but then he eventually eats it when the mood strikes. I like that they keep him busy for more than a couple of minutes :-). I get them on line, and they are pricey, but I like the natural aspect of them. One product he really loves is the Zuke's Mini Naturals - Savory Salmon Recipe. They are just tiny tidbits and great for training, filling a Kong, or keeping in your pocket (in a bag) for tiny rewards.

I have had a female and two males in the past few years. I don't think it matters who will mark or not in the house, if they understand the rules. My female peed the first day she came home, in the house, and as soon as she learned that outside was the place, she never had an accident inside again - only once. My next boy, same thing, once in the house, corrected him and showed him 'outside' and he never had an accident inside again. Both of those precious babies are now at the bridge and our newest guy had the same learning curve. He came in the house, peed on a dresser, was told 'no-no', showed the outside and he never had another 'accident' in the house. I don't think it matters whether male or female. Once they understand house rules, they are more than happy to follow them, I think. As to marking - my guy does 'mark' when we go on walks. He reads all the 'p-mail' left by other dogs and leaves his own messages. I don't stop him, if I am not in a hurry. It is one of the highlights of his day! He also hits his front paws at times, but, it doesn't bother me. He is ok, I am ok with it :-) .