GeorgeofNE

I'd personally skip taking him to someone else's house with a yard (except maybe on the weekend?) and just walk him until you get your fence up. That's a great way for him to get to know the new neighborhood, and you to meet some neighbors! A dog doesn't NEED a fenced in yard, and I know it's nice not to have to walk them, but it's actually probably a really great way to help with the transition as well. The extra exercise will chill him out. The alone time with you will be great for him.

Two weeks is nothing. Before you worry about exposing him to too many things, work on bonding and settling. I don't know what you mean about you going out the door first and him waiting to be invited--you said he's on a leash. I'm confused how what you describe would work, and why it matters. As long as he's not yanking you through the door. Maybe I missed something? They say the best thing to do is totally ignore your dog when he jumps. I personally find it rather charming that my dog is so happy to see me, but your dog is much larger than mine and he could flatten you! Turn your back when he jumps and ignore him until he stops. That should help. Remember, you JUST got him. Everything is new to him, and it sounds like he's doing really, really well. A little bit of patience and I'm sure you'll work out the kinks!

Jennifer, I'm not sure.

Uhm, just curious. Why do you have a three year old who isn't neutered yet? Are you in the UK by any chance?

P.S. My vet won't even prescribe Sentinal because they believe it's not as effective in preventing heartworm as the other choices.

My experience with Kramer (major orthopedic surgery survivor, bad arthritis) and myself (ditto!) is that NONE of the nutraceuticals really do much of anything except in very mild, early cases of arthritis. A swollen toe? I don't think they'd help, and most of them say right in the packaging they take up to six weeks to work. Neither Kramer nor George had any problem with either Rimadyl or Deramaxx though. The vets did run blood work after 6 months, and then annually, to check his liver.

Unless they did a urine sample at his checkup, he could have a UTI. Worth getting checked for as the test is short money. Assuming he's OK, a belly band provides negative, immediate feedback! Just make sure you use a human incontinence pad in it (Poise pad, as noted above) and something else, as those are meant to hold urine.

As a future vet, you should know that a dog doesn't "throw a fit" and poop just to annoy a person. She probably hates the crate, or has some SA. She is very new to you, she got used to the idea you would be there, and now you're gone. You need to start fresh with some alone training. You can search the forum for a jillion discussions on it, or buy the booklet "I'll be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell (available as an e-book, I believe,on Amazon.com) My dog is alone Mon-Fri for 9 hours and there are zero issues with him not being in a crate. I have a camera in my condo, and I know for a fact that he is sound asleep for at least 8 hours of the 9 I am gone! Make sure you get up early and take her for a LONG walk on days you have class. A tired dog is a happy dog!

SanTanSnuggles, there is really no reason you need to do anything different with a Greyhound than any other dog with regard to the flea/tick treatments. That's not one of the "issues" with Greyhounds. I used K9 Advantix on my George, no problem, but I stopped because of the potential issue with my cat, who loved to snuggle with him. I used Frontline Plus for years. Never an issue. I've used Soresto collar on Buck--no issue with him, but he did come home from being baby sat with FLEAS! Only a few, but still....

I have cats, and Buck spent exactly two days crated while I was at work. He didn't like his crate, he shows zero interest in the cats. I ditched the crate. Crates are great when you have a brand new dog in the house, or a puppy. Sounds like your guy will do great without the crate!

Clearly the dog doesn't need to be crated. No, it won't hurt him, and no, it's not mean or anything. But why not let him enjoy his new home and couch and such if he's proven himself to be a good fellow? My first hound was 5 when I got him. Never chewed a thing, tried to steal food, nothing. As to your direct question--no, there is no reason NOT to toss a cookie in the crate. He's used to being in a crate at the track, and since he's quite once he gets in, he doesn't hate it. But as I said, I'd ditch they crate if he were mine!

I think your vet doesn't understand basic canine behavior. He needs to build a bond and trust with you, not be banished to the outdoors and left to sleep alone.

I'm sorry this happened, but I don't think this is a greyhound specific thing. My pit bull mix got sick after taking several different things. Some dogs are just more sensitive to chemicals than others, just like people.

But is there concrete UNDER the carpet? Enzyme cleaners are pretty good, but if urine soaked into the floor.... I know of what I speak. My last greyhound peed ALL THE TIME on my carpet. When I sold my condo, even though there were no stains at all on the carpet, I'm sure the concrete underneath was stained. The new owner ripped out the carpet on day one to install hardwood floors and I was glad our transaction was complete because I'm sure she was probably horrified when she saw the stains that must have been there. The powder from www.planeturine.com is excellent, by the way. Sucks the urine out of the carpet rather than diluting and spreading it, like all liquid cleaners do.

Assuming the floor is concrete, urine WILL soak in and it will be very, very difficult to get out the smell so that a dog cannot smell it. I hate to say the simple solution is the obvious one--close the door--but it is. Some people have good luck starting to feed a dog in the spot they're urinating on. Never worked for me.

Have you considered sleeping with ear plugs? It might be easier to stop the noise from your end! Of course my dog doesn't move once it's bed time--so I'm having a hard time imagining what the dog is doing that is contributing to your inability to sleep.

Buck says, "Lots of ice cream!"

You really don't need to go home at lunch time. Clearly he's just fine. As most dogs are.

Your vet REALLY should have warned you about the side effects.

Stop feeding him pig ears and "chews" for a bit. My pit bull mix had terrible poos when he ate those. That might take care of the loose poop! Don't rely on the scale--George lost weight when he retired, but he was never skinny. I attributed it to lose of muscle. Unless you dog looks too thin, don't worry too much about the numbers.

Freeze dried liver? Seriously, most treats are small enough that MOST dogs just swallow them whole. I think you might be suprised how little dogs actually use their teeth to eat!

You might have more success with Dermacool spray from the vet. It has a bit of steroids in it. It stops the itching fast.

I'm so sorry you're going through this. And as painful as it can be, I agree. There is no shame in returning a hound who simply is not working out. I thought I was prepared when I got my first Greyhound--and I tell you, without the support of my GT friends and some terrific people, I would never have gotten a SECOND Greyhound after George. No one had any way of knowing before I adopted him that he would have SA and never ending urinary issues. I did stick with him, and I'm glad for that, but I sigh with relief every day when I go home to my current hound. When George passed away, I told the group I was working with that my new dog, which I was prepared to wait for as long as needed, MUST be OK alone. MUST have a bladder the size of Texas. And of course be cat safe. It was pure luck that one of their devoted volunteers saw through a spooky little boy that had been cowering in their kennel for nine months and asked me to give him a try. My point is this: you've tried. It seems like you've tried really hard. And clearly it's not working too well. If nothing pops on the medical exam, no reasonable person is going to flame you for returning him and asking for a different dog. Whatever you do, good luck!