GeorgeofNE

Oh, the luxury of sleeping until 6!!! May I one day achieve that! George was a 4 AM man. When I realized he was just waking me up 'cause apparently they opened up the kennel where he lived at 4 AM, I stopped taking him out and instead taught him, "Quite!" and got him to sleep until I did (which is only 5:30 anyway). They WILL manipulate you, so if you're confident this is NOT an emergency "I have to go out" sigh, feel free to tell your hound to go back to sleep! FYI, I got some REALLY BAD advice when I was a newbie; things such as to give him a snack when he whined, keep a Kong by my bed and feed it to him, etc. Don't encourage him by rewarding this behavior. Make sure he's had a nice walk before bedtime, and depending on what time that is, he should be able to make it to 6 or 7 easily enough. You can gradually get many of them to sleep later--I've had no luck, but I get up very early Mon-Fri. and I don't expect George to understand Sat. and Sun!

Ouch! Well, I think you already know--this is pretty much a mistake/accident, and not an "attack." There is no reason for you to cater to your hound. A healthy Greyhound doesn't EVER need to be carried. He's not a pocket pet; I understand you might be physically strong enough to do it, and it's kinda cute, but what's the message here? Sounds to me as if he's comfortable enough at home, and with you, to be taking over. George continued to change for over a year when I got him. Time to get back to basics! Susan L. had some good advise (which I myself need to heed) about teaching a command that means "get off the couch." My guy will growl at me if I attempt to physically manipulate him; I don't put up with it (harsh tones follow!) nor do I pick at him. We each need to learn that our particular behavior is unacceptable! I applaud you for seeming to recognize that this is not the end of the world. I hope you're cut isn't too bad.

How frustrating! All I can say is hang in there! Here's what I've done (for the past 17 years--I have no yard, so I'm am a 100% leash walker!): Upon rising (time is irrelevant): take dog out immediately. This is strictly a "do your business" outing. No "walk," per se. Some dogs will actually hold it if you walk them every time you take them out because people TYPICALLY end the walk as soon as the dog goes! Dog logic: if I DON'T go, I get a longer walk! So take him to where you want him to go, stroll about a little, encourage him to "do your business" or "let's go potty," whatever and PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE when he goes. Back inside for breakfast! About 15-30 minutes after eating, LONG walk. This is the walk/exercise portion of your morning! DO NOT under any circumstances stop the walk after the dog poops! Keep going for a while. That way you avoid the dog learning that if he poops, you go home! Back inside--right before you leave, another potty break. This is ALL BUSINESS. Then I'd consider baby gating this particular dog. They really DON'T like to poo where they live, so to speak. Upon returning home, immediately outside. AFTER DINNER another walk. This is your second round of exercise. Finally, just before bed, out for his business. I do five times a day--you can see I've suggested a sixth until your dog is reliable. The key is that he has to UNDERSTAND that going outside is to go to the bathroom, not tour the neighborhood. And FYI, a half mile is not going to tire out a healthy dog. You need to build up to a longer walk to "tire him out."

Well, my boy was on Baytril for FOURTEEN WEEKS! It was over $500. Best $500 I ever spent in my life--finally cured a mystery infection of some sort which caused him to pee in the house! But if your dog has crystals in her urine, the crystals are what is likely causing the UTI. You need to address those, or it will just come back! Never heard of the med you mentioned--perhaps it is intended to address them?? Good luck! Sounds uncomfortable.

Well, I'll throw out another possibility (and FYI, I agree with more x-rays--I heard Dr. Couto talk, and he said in a greyhound he just assumes it's bone cancer if he hears of a sudden limp)-- My boy has L.S.S. His only symptom is some trouble with stairs, and he occasionally drags one hind leg. That would require an x-ray of his lower spine, and test that basically involves putting a finger up the butt and pulling up on the tail (not you, your vet!). The compressing spinal column affects the nerves which can cause problems.

Well, I hate to say this and risk being flamed--but if your hound has a limp bad enough to need Rimadyl, he's past the point where glucosamine is likely to help. It really only helps with very mild cases. Having said that, I'd give the Greyhound Gang line a try! Good stuff and a great lady who contributes to Greyhound rescue with every purchase` I have arthritis myself. I've seen several specialists--they all say that after a point, supplements are a waste of money. I also had a dog (non Greyhound) who had major orthopedic surgery. The glucosamine (I gave it two him for a full year) did nothing. Have you had x-rays done? You don't want to ASSUME it's an old injury. It may well be, but...I'd have the leg x-rayed if you haven't already.

The kennel may have NOTHING to do with the "owner." My dog was owned by a corporation who never even met him! The kennel is where he lived, not necessarily a place his owner operates! The NGA can tell you. They're really nice and helpful!

I disagree with it being "too soon" to start training--you are ALREADY training him whether you know it or not! I may be one of the few people on GT who trained my George EXACTLY the way I've trained every other dog--at least for "sit" and "down." And I'm afraid I didn't get one of the smart ones--I got a fast handsome instead! So I haven't done well with stay or come. But he has learned how to walk very nicely on a leash (and I'm VERY fussy about that--lots of "rules" for him to learn) and he did learn sit in a couple of days using the fold and tuck method described in virtually any training book. I have also learned that George seems to be more like a cat with a mentality of "what's in it for me?"

Oh boy, have you been lucky so far! A dog tracker isn't what you need. You need to prevent him from getting away! Is it a fence issue? Sneaking out the door?

I've been leash walking a dog 5x a day for the past 17 years in New England--my dogs have never, ever worn boots. She's a dog, not a toddler, and she doesn't need them. If they aren't helping, they're not worth it. Some dogs appreciate them--and I'm not suggesting they might not be beneficial to protect her from the salt. But my dogs have certainly never suffered any ill effects from walking in the winter, and we DO encounter salt and "ice melter." Occasionally the dog might even stop and hold up a paw. I wipe it off, give the dog a little pat, and away we go! Are you saying she isn't pooping on your morning walks all the sudden? I take my dog out for a quicky, then feed him, then take him for a long walk. Have you tried that? He won't normally poop the first time, but usually has to go about 15 minutes after eating.

Well, I'll reply! You're jumping the gun a bit! I suggeste that you get the Patricia McConnell booklet entitled, "I'll Be Home Soon" which gives a blueprint, so to speak, of how to prevent SA (since preventing it is easier than curing it)? I wish I had read it before I got my hound! I ended up with the kind that HATED his crate. Howled like a wolf for hours on end in his crate! Doing research is a great idea, but you won't know what you have until you get it!

I'm so sorry for your loss. Hobbes' registered name never failed to make me chuckle when I saw your signature. Run free Hobbes.

My last dog wasn't a Greyhound, and he knew what I was thinking at all times, and he had the most expressive eyes and ears I've ever seen. George? I think his thoughts consist of: Food? Walkies? Naptime? Car ride? Food? I adore him, and he is a WONDERFUL companion, but...let's just say he's very handsome, was a fast racer, and he's very handsome!

Oh, damn! I saw this thread and opened it right away expecting happy pictures and news (it didn't show me the category it was in) and now my eyes are leaking. Is it crass to ask if maybe there is another gal who needs us??? My offer to contribute still stands. I am so sorry. Poor Jetlag. We were so looking forward to getting to know her.

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear this. I used to love your pictures and stories about Wally. Run free sweet Wally!

Hi. Sorry I didn't see this sooner. I don't know if you know that George peed in the house for most of the first year I had him, and for most of that time, the pee was ORANGE and SMELLED HORRIBLE. Test after test after test came back that aside from his urine being concentrated, there was NOTHING wrong with him. Finally after a 14 week course of Baytril, the peeing stopped and has never started again. His urine is nice and normal too. I believe we were also adviced to try the Milk thistle. I don't know if it helped, but it didn't hurt! Just an FYI--my vet never did figure out what it was, but he was not her first Greyhound patient with the problem.

I don't think anyone is judging these people harshly. Obviously the safety of the child is of the utmost importance. Sounds like a household that is WAY too busy for this particular dog. I know that when I get my next dog, I'm going to request one that cannot be placed with children since I don't have any, and it's not an issue and never will be. Surely there is SOMEONE on GT that can take this dog until a permanent home is found? One with no little kids?

That's not even a week--cold turkey is fine. I take Tramadol daily--for me I would want to taper down, but that's a really short period of time so do not worry!

Not a thing! That's really nothing to worry about. Although I'd make sure he got an extra trip outside or two!

I like the look!! Nice work!!

Could be vestibular disease! Has he got any history of ear issues? I'd sure take my dog to the vet if he displayed those symptoms!

I heard about a test that was done--DNA from KNOWN breed dogs was sent to numerous testing labs and the results were wildly inaccurate and totally different on the same dog from different labs. I can think of much better ways to spend $$, like maybe more collars?

Ouch! Well, my non-Greyhound had a surgical procedure which involved cutting his tibia and rotating his joint, then screwing and plating it back together. Not only did he get a bone infection from it, one of the screws snapped off. I suppose, had he not been very, very ill from the infection, it might have been a "simple procedure," but the second surgery to remove the hardware and drain the joint of infection cost as much as the first surgery. Then there were $750 worth of antibiotics...it was a true nightmare. Your situation doesn't sound as dire. I'd want a board certified orthopedic surgeon to work on my dog, however. There are plenty of them in New England.

Stress of racing -- well, it's certainly exercise, but if he wasn't injured a person might say that he wasn't stressed. Bad meat -- not terribly likely, if he was a successful racer. Generally no "badder" than other raw meat fed to our pets. Drugs -- resounding "no." Dog racing is perhaps the cleanest sport there is in that respect. Females get a hormone to prevent them from going into heat, and dogs are wormed regularly. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been given anything while he was racing. Lack of dental care -- depends on the kennel. Some kennels give bones and/or scale teeth regularly, some don't. At the older pup's age, teeth may need a good cleaning but should still be in good condition under the grunge. That may be true of the younger dogs as well. Beyond that, depends on what you want in a dog. The older pups are usually more settled. A 2 year old is still a puppy -- trust me on this . Well, thank goodness someone spoke up! I know there is a lot of "information" out there on how horribly racers are treated--but much of it is very old "information." I specifically wanted a dog who was good at racing! I figured he deserved a cushy home life. My dog was fortunate (for him) in that he remained in one place his entire career--nearly three years at Raynham Park. Which means it was his HOME. They were his family. An dhe missed it all desparately when I first got him. It was a huge adjustment for him--going from being surrounded by other dogs 24/7 to being alone. Once we got through that phase, he's been a great companion. I think a five year old dog is somewhat more difficult to teach certain things--or at least mine has been--but other than that, he's wonderful. Tough as nails too!

Awwwwwwww, run free sweet Melissa. We will miss you! Miss Soosan and George