GeorgeofNE

My dog growls at me from time to time. I just say something to him like, "Really? Are you serious?" and then I ignore him. I don't think there is any aggression behind it. I think he, like me, occasionally gets grumpy. And I'm OK with that. No one is happy to see you 100% of the time!

Please be realistic about your available time/energy. Dealing with a toddler is hard enough. As your child grows and you are more and more busy taking him here, there, and everywhere, what is your plan for the dog? Too often people have this fantasy in their head about their child and a dog. And the reality is this: you will be 100% responsible for the dog. And you're already responsible for a little boy. When will you have time to exercise a dog? Don't let the "couch potato" name fool you into thinking a greyhound doesn't need regular exercise. Most greyhounds do not do things like fetch, and many of them do not even play with toys. I would guess most children find them rather boring, compared to a dog they can go throw a frisbee to. So....just think it over, and make sure the fiance is on board too.

Please don't assume that dogs have their ears yanked or otherwise roughly handled at the track. I have lived with many non greyhounds in my life, all of whom behave in the exact same manner regarding the occasional ear yelp. Don't read too much into it.

If your dog NEEDS an NSAID, then with proper monitoring there is no reason he can't take Rimadyl.

I guess because I am a leash-walk only dog owner, to me the most important thing to teach a newly adopted dog is "heel." I rarely see people walking their dogs in what I would call a "proper" manner anymore, so maybe people don't teach this any more? George was an absolute beast to walk on a leash when I got him. I don't believe George was stupid--just incredibly stubborn! It took a lot of work to teach him that he had to stay on my left--but it really paid off because eventually he walked like a dream. He leaned sit and down, but never did master stay. He was never off leash except in a fenced in field, and he was a velcro dog inside so "come" remained a mystery too. Buck is a fearful boy, so I didn't really have to teach him to walk nicely on a leash--he was glued to my leg anyway! Now that he's come out of his shell, he has a bad habit of running in a circle around me and then jumping on me. He has kind of gotten the hang of "go lie down" when I point to the couch, and he can sit and lie down.

It's a myth that greyhounds can't or "won't" sit. My George was incredibly resistant to training, but I taught him to sit in three days. My Buck learned it really quickly. Their butts don't actually touch the ground, but they assume the position, so to speak. Never forget you adopted a DOG, and while he can run faster than the rest, and may prefer to lie down to sitting, he can do it.

Typically when an adoption group sends a dog to the vet it's for a very basic exam or vaccinations. Every new pet should be taken to the vet, in my opinion, within a week or two of being adopted/purchased. First, your vet benefits from seeing the dog healthy. Second, baseline blood work is a good idea, and MANY newly adopted pets have parasites. I don't know how common it is for adoption groups to pay for fecal exams... My dog was neutered at the track. I'm sure the vet who did it was a vet and all, but I'm equally sure that they didn't do much other than knock him out and cut his nuts off! A routine vet visit in my area is $65 to walk in the door, and then tests are anywhere from $25-$150. Vet care here in New England is very expensive. Don't try to save money by avoiding the vet. A simple thing can get worse and worse until you HAVE to go, and often it's harder to treat something that isn't taken care of in a prompt manner. For me, with a very healthy (so far, knock on wood) 4 year old, my annual visit and test, plus any shots he might need, run me a minimum of $250/year. My first greyhound cost me almost $4,000 the first year...and we never did figure out what his problem was!

Running will make her sore, short term, but it won't cause the inevitable progression of arthritis to speed up. My personal feeling with dogs is that if their greatest joy in life is the occasional wild romp, who are we to deny them? For what it's worth, providing your vet does the proper periodic blood work, many dogs do just great using an NSAID on a daily basis (probably what you're calling "pain meds.")

I'd have the vet look at that. Itchy eyes can be a sign of allergies. It also appears to be round, and I would be suspicious of something like that.

Do not physically manhandle her to get her outside. Instead, clip her leash to her collar and coax her out that way. Seems like you got yourself a mostly "plug and play" dog, but you are rushing her adjustment a bit!

Listen, I LOVE pit bulls. I had a dog who was half pit bull. So this warning applies to ANY unmuzzled dog you let your dog rough house with. If no one has told you yet, greyhound skin is extremely fragile. That's one of the reasons why they ALL wear muzzles in the turnout pens at the tracks and the farms. Because even normal play can result in a trip to the e-vet. So totally innocently, her new pit bull pal could do what ALL dogs do when they play, nip at her, and rip her open like a piece a of cheap cloth. She's your dog, do what you feel comfortable with. Just find out where the closest e-vet is, and be prepared. I don't mean to sound alarmist--but if you search the forum you'll find lots and lots of pictures of ghastly wounds inflicted by friends, enemies, housemates. Doesn't matter. When tooth hits fragile greyhound skin, it's usually a disaster.

Any time a housebroken dog starts relieving himself in the house your first course of action should be a check up with the vet. Bring a urine sample in. My first greyhound had LS, and Gabapentin was a great help.

I always giggle when I see the bedtime snack suggestion. I think it's cute, and I'm not denying my dog would LOVE that, but Millions of dogs all over the world make it through the night without a bed time snack. There really is no reason to start on that path unless you have one of those dogs who vomits bile in the middle of the night, and you don't. Ignore her is the only thing that is going to work. I don't let my dog decide where he is going to sleep. I have cats, and I don't want them in the bedroom when I sleep (cause the fat one likes to sleep ON me) and so I keep my bedroom door closed from about 6 PM until I go to bed. I FORCE (yes, I am a horribly mean greyhound owner) my dog to walk from the couch to the Tempur-Pedic and sleep there so I can close the door and not have him on the wrong side of it, cause I know he would eventually come to the door and insist I open it if he was allowed to stay on the couch.

It's not a dumb question--but dogs who are typically a pain with children are herding dogs, not sighthounds! Herding dogs will nip and push and try and herd children. A sighthound isn't really "turned on" by something that can't get up any speed!

Wait, you don't have a coat? That's half the fun of having a greyhound--buying them clothes! Some dogs, like mine, are just fearful dogs for no other reason than they were born that way. I know everyone I meet who sees his fearful reaction to men assumes he was abused at the track. Which is simply not true. I've made online friends with people who knew him at the track, and he's always been the way he is. Sounds like you're doing really well. That's great!

Any basic obedience book covers how to teach "heel," which is what you're really describing. You'll need a collar on him to do it effectively. A properly fitted martingale, snugged up under the chin where it really belongs for walking/training should be almost impossible to get out of. If you've never trained a dog, it might be worth taking a class. Often pet stores sponsor group classes for minimal amounts of money--usually around six sessions. Might be fun for both of you!

You need to contact the group you got the dog from and share with them your concerns. Just because they should be kept in the loop with her progress and your feelings about her. Did you specifically ask for a very young dog? Older dogs are generally a lot easier to deal with for someone like you who is clearly unsure of herself! You can't have the only two people in the house with two different sets of rules. If you don't want the dog on the furniture, but your husband allows it, she's going to be very confused quite quickly. She will also sense that you are afraid of her. I am lucky; my parents had dogs before they had kids so I literally grew up with large dogs, and I'll share a secret with you--the only dog who ever bit me was a 7 pound Chihuahua! If you don't like playing tug of war with the dog, don't. But fetch is a fun game for her, and the more you bond with her, the more your fears will ease. But please sit down with hubby and agree on what is and isn't OK before a problem develops! Deep breath!!

If the stairs are not carpeted, that's kind of a game changer. Are they? If not, you probably really need to consider those little stair runner things. You can get stick on ones. If they're seniors, and unsure, any chance that they slip on hard wood could sour your chances for good (not to mention they could get hurt).

A bit of advice--do NOT take a dog to an offleash park when you've only had her for a short time. If she were to get out--odds are you won't be able to get her back by calling her, and far too many greyhound are lost when they're newly adopted. Walking her is a better way to exercise her. Make it fun. Use a happy, upbeat tone of voice. Explore the neighborhood. Take the snood off and see how she does. My dogs both hate them. If you're in Canada, a fleece coat is ok for chilly temps, but not for real cold. Chilly Dogs makes a great coat, and it's a Canadian company.

Whatever group you are fostering for should be helping to support you and this dog. I ran into a big problem with my first dog because the foster person was NOT doing what they told her to do. So they told me he had been crated, but she wasn't crating him, and it was a nightmare for me because I assumed he was used to it, when she had been letting him do whatever he wanted. It's important that everyone involved is on the same page is what I'm saying! If he doesn't like the coat, it's perfectly find to take him out for a pee break without it, but I hope that you're also taking him on walks for exercise. If it's cold, he probably does need to wear the coat when you're out for a walk.

I found that George hated being confined IN ANY WAY and that a baby gate was no less evil to him that the crate, or the wirey box of doom as I took to calling it. Sounds to me that after six months he has announced loud and clear he is done with being crated. How long is he being walked before you leave for work?

There really isn't any good excuse for not walking them in the cold. They can certainly handle it. A nice winter coat for them, a nice winter coat for you, and off you go! The only time I skip walks is if there is dangerous ice everywhere. Cold, rain, wind. Doesn't matter. Dog needs his exercise. Does it suck? Sure. Is it also good for me? No doubt! If I didn't have to walk Buck, there are plenty of weekends I could see never even putting clothes on! But alas, I made a commitment, and off I go.

Just a warning--I expect you know that beagles are VERY vocal. A greyhound is actually way better suited to city/apartment life than a beagle mix. He will need tons of exercise, and if he ever decides to start using that beagle voice, your neighbors are going to be very unhappy about it. Cute dog. Go with your gut--if neither one of you is currently working, seems like a bad time TO ME to add another financial responsibility to the mix, but only you can know for sure!

It's just cosmetic, and I know it doesn't bother her, so perhaps just accept that it's part of owning a white dog? They do make a product for show dogs who need sparkly white fur, as this is a very common issue with white dogs--can't remember what it's called. But if she were mine, I'd just consider it part of her charm.

Please don't assume ANY of those physical/fur issues are because of mistreatment. Trust me. My dog sleeps in my Tempur-Pedic with me, and he has bald elbows, a totally bald neck, a bald butt, and a bald chest! I've had him for over a year, and none of those things have changed since he left the kennel (where I know for a fact he was treated well). You need to establish a routine. Get up earlier than you normally would, and walk your dog for as long as she'll tolerate--at least 30 minutes. When it's time to go, just give her the Kong and say "See ya!" and walk out. It won't be long before she understands you always come home. A radio is helpful for some dogs. Also some dogs do well with a D.A.P. (pheremones) diffuser, available online or at bigger pet stores. The booklet "I'll Be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell is sort of the gold standard of "alone training." See if you can get a copy from someone, or get it from Amazon.com