GeorgeofNE

My Buck is very purple. It's because his skin is actually so pale that the purple is the blood beneath the surface. Nothing to worry about.

I think you might be overthinking all these signs and symbols. She's a DOG. Enjoy her. It sounds like she is wonderful and fond of you, and rather than disect every breath or eyelid flutter, go with your gut. You got a happy, relaxed dog. Now carry on and have fun!

I got my dog from Greyhound Welfare when they still had a Mass. branch. My dog was fostered. His foster had NO CLUE he had pretty serious sleep aggression, so don't be overly confident about the fostering process. There are, of course, mostly fantastic people who foster. But they one who had my dog was not. She never fostered for them again after I told them some of the things she had been doing (and not doing). Their branch in MD has been around longer, I believe, and is supposed to be a good, strong group!

You didn't say it, but when I read your second post I see the "locked in my room" note. So your dog is in a house, but locked up in your room alone? Not too many dogs of any breed would tolerate that. The very simple and to me totally obvious answer is stop locking her up in your room. I had a period when I had to move back home with my folks. I had four pet birds and a dog. My parents were saints to allow me to return with my menagerie. Luckily, my parents are "dog people." The dog just integrated into the household. The birds? Nope. Mom wanted nothing to do with learning how to take care of them--I get that. So maybe your folks aren't dog people? I do "get it," but it's going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get a social creature like a dog to wait contentedly in your closed room while the household carries on around her.

If her weight is normal, and everything else is normal, might I suggest you try relaxing and letting her regulate for a bit and see what happens? I don't see (read) ANY reason for medication including Pepcid. If she was old, ill, or feeble, I'd be worried. I'd also be looking for a new vet since yours seems to be simply trying to placate you without having any clue what, if anything, is actually wrong. How long ago did this start? Any changes? Things you might not even think about--crazy stuff like a new stove and she can see her reflection and she couldn't before? A new dog dish? A new floor? The strangest things can throw off any creature of habit, like a dog. Have you tried moving her dish? A different type of dish? Warm water in the kibble?

There is no reason to be concerned about a small bruise. My greyhounds have both been bruisers, but not bleeders, so don't panic.

"Calming treats" are not a substitute for attention, exercise, training, etc. and unless I know EXACTLY what the ingredients are in anything, I don't give it to my dog. "All natural" does not mean "safe, effective, and harmless." I gave my dog herbal supplements on my vet's advice and 30 days later his liver enzymes were sky high. Stopped the treats, liver values returned to normal! ANYTHING he is ingesting could be making him pee. Any time a dog eats, he usually has to urinate within an hour. He needs a strict routine, not to make his own decisions when it comes time to potty breaks. Pick times that work for you--and take him out FIRST THING when you get up. Take him out after every meal. Take him out after every play session (not forever, just until he's housebroken).

I would let them adjust at their own pace. It's only important to YOU right now! I'm sure they're both doing ok.

I've had my own dog and live on my own since the 90s. I haven't slept past 7 AM since the 90s. I consider it part of owning a dog.

Well, relax, first of all. You're talking about the events of one day. It can take a while for family dynamics to work out. As long as the cat isn't attacking the dog, and the dog has the ability to get up and walk away, it should be fine. Obviously you need to be vigilant for now, but the fact that your dog was scared and not attacking works to your benefit. As far as I know, my guy never even saw a cat (except for two nights in foster care) and while he wasn't, and isn't, crazy about them, he has never tried to harm them. I don't really mind if he likes them or not, as long as we can all co-exist, and we do. Give it some more time. If your dog is still afraid after a couple of months, then you might be right, but a day or so...just a blip! Deep breaths!!

Unless you're madly in love with this dog, I personally feel a TOTALLY fresh start would benefit her. Doesn't sound like a good fit at all. And honestly, whoever sent you home with a greyhound and a regular old collar should not be allowed to be around greyhounds. Although reading any basic book on greyhounds in advance would have taught you never to use a regular collar on a greyhound. I'm really sorry for all of you that this happened, but sometimes it's best to just start over--for her, and for you. I readily admit this could be completely wrong--but I'm guessing you'll never really trust her, that her fear of men is actually a fairly big problem since you have a man in your house (see, I don't, so it wouldn't bother me, and in fact my male dog is afraid of men, and children. I don't have either, so I don't care!). I'd also suggest that allowing her to use your house as a toilet is a horrible mixed message. And it sounds like your leaving her alone in a room for sleep? What a lonely, unhappy girl she sounds. Not your fault, but I don't hear a lot to grab onto as positives. Please prove me totally wrong and go on to have a wonderful happy relationship with her--but remember, not every dog is right for every situation. New hound owners should really go through an established group who will match up the right dog with the right family. I would never put a spook with firsttime hound owners.

Very few dogs are fed three times a day, and I guarantee you, he didn't get fed every time he wanted to anywhere in his prior life! Pick a schedule, pick a food. You;re the one with thumbs. I would 1) Eliminate the noon meal, 2) cut back on the treats. There is nothing wrong with saying "not now" to a dog acting hungry. In my experience of living with dogs my entire darned life is ALL dogs act like they're starving pretty much all the time. It's when they don't act hungry you need to worry.

I'd suggest you reread Patricia McConnell's book, because there is NO WHERE in it that talks about needing day care, a nanny, a car, a house, or lots of friends at home. I live alone. In an apartment. My first greyhound had SEVERE separation anxiety. Yes, the book talks about leaving and driving around the block. Use your imagination. Leave and WALK around the block. Or do what I did: leave, walk down the hallway, and sit by the elevator, weeping quietly and wondering what the HELL you were thinking adopting a greyhound!!! Two things that worked: 1) ditch the crate if you're using one, and 2) ditch the dog walker. You're traumatizing him twice a day instead of once. True SA is not helped by a dog walker. That helps with housebreaking, but seriously, if you have an adult dog and you're giving him sufficient morning exercise, holding it for the work day is NOT an issue despite people ranting about it being "cruel." There are probably millions of dogs left alone all day, every day, and they do just fine. I also used a DAP diffuser for George, I DOUBLED our morning exercise, and I left him completely loose in my condo. Surprise surprise, after MANY complaints, one day a neighbor came over nearly in tears, upset that I got rid of the greyhound. Wasn't she shocked when he came to the door to say hello! Once I stopped crating my guy he stopped howling. I also wrote a cute note and put it under the door of everyone in my building within earshot of my unit. I explained he was a retired racer, that he needed time to adjust, that I was aware of the noise, and I gave them my cell phone number and asked that they call ME if they were upset and not the property manager. To be fair I was chairman of the condo board, so there was nothing anyone could really do to me, but it did make everyone else feel like I did really care. I also invited them to come meet a real life racing dog. Three weeks is NOTHING in the grand scheme of things, and you sound really frustrated, and I get that. Stop worrying about "never" going out at night for now. You just got this dog. You're leaving him alone ALL DAY. He has never been alone in his entire life. It's not the time to also be going out at night. Cats are good at that: dogs, not so much. Especially not three weeks in to what SHOULD be a lifelong relationship (at least for the dog). You can do this!! You've actually got it easy. My dog expressed his SA in a liquid manner...which is to say for the entire 7 years I had that wonderful, handsome, frustrating dog he peed in my condo despite THOUSANDS of dollars in medical tests. I just never did get him to be a "regular" dog.

Why would you want to change EVERY possible thing your dog is familiar with? He's used to meals. The 5 minutes twice a day it takes me to feed my dog on a schedule, at meal time, so he knows exactly when it's time to eat, doesn't tax me a lot. Maybe try that?

Awww, Miss Kerry, Merlin was as lucky to have you as you to have him. Many would have returned him after the first few difficult weeks, but you didn't. Many more would have tried everything humanly possible to keep him alive DESPITE how that plays out for the dog. You didn't. Your grief is unbearable, but you carry on. And you were able to open your heart to a new friend. I'm super proud of you for doing that. Experiencing grief is one thing but letting it take over your whole life--you didn't do that, and Merlin would not want that. None of us know where we go when we die. But won't it be great if we DO see our loved ones again?

You're talking about a dog, remember, not a hairy person. She's not going to meet the upstairs neighbors and put two and two together and think, "Oh! Those incredibly annoying and scary noises are just a kid running around." I refused to look at any condo units in my complex that were not the top floor because I find noise above my head to be extremely annoying. I'd be destructive too! But that's just me... Crating makes somedogs worse, not better. If she's four years old, she should be housebroken and well past puppy chewing. If it were my dog, I'd see how she did with the crate door open, giving her the choice. You don't mention how much exercise she is getting, but with an anxious dog, there is no such thing as too much exercise. A tired dog is a calm dog.

Depends on the dog, I guess, but I would NOT bet on it. They're too steep and with the steps alternating like that...it could be done, but not when they get older. But that should not sway you. It's not absolutely necessary the dog sleep with you, and frankly I don't know that any dog would be interested in those steps (although they are really cool). I know if I visited you, I'd sleep downstairs!

Do you mean your dog has a bald butt? Many, many greyhounds do. It has nothing to do with "grooming." It's thought to be genetic. When you're breeding for speed, you don't worry about things like "that dog had a bald rump, maybe we should reconsider breeding it?" My dog is at least 1/2 TOTALLY bald. Came that way, stayed that way. It's part of greyhounds. I refer to it as greyhound pattern baldness!

George always had pudding poo after his heartworm--but just once. To me that's not really an "adverse reaction." Puking once is nothing to be concerned about really. Dogs can puke at the drop of a hat, and if it's just once, I think that the benefits of the drug far outweigh the single barf!

That's twice as much food as I give my dog, and he maintains his weight. Every dog is different.

Yes. There are a lot of things you could obsess about, but why? No reason to believe that the dog you pick will have sleep aggression, particulary if it's cat safe. Just be totally frank with whatever adoption group you work with, and hopefully you'll end up with one of the many retired racers who don't have that issue!

We need some background. Where are you? We don't typically walk our greyhounds muzzled in the USA. There is NO reason, right now, to be worrying about "socializing" with strangers and their dogs. You need to be forming a bond, housebreaking, etc. Socializing can come later. You should not be letting your dog right up in the face of other dogs wearing a muzzle. If the other dog snaps, your dog will likely snap back, a fight may start, and your dog will lose, being muzzled. The rule, generally, is all dogs are muzzled, or no dogs are muzzled (and my dog isn't going anywhere near a group of unmuzzled dogs while I'm around!).

A mixed breed dog, greyhound or not, is not any different from any other dog. Most of what makes greyhounds unique as pets is their racing upbringing, training, and kennel life. A mongrel will not ever have experienced anything in any way like a greyhound life from birth until now, so whatever the mix is, it doesn't matter much. Hounds, in general, are a bit bull headed. But ever shelter is just guessing.

Don't we already have a "sticky post" of sorts called, "I'll Be Home Soon" by Cynthia Brannigan? Which should be hand delivered to every new adopter a week before finalizing their adoption!

I'm with Pam on the jammies issue. Yes, they're very cute. Yes, I own a drawerful. My current hound HATES wearing anything. I have taken him out for 5 minute walks in VERY cold temps and NOTHING HAPPENED. And for all those who love to say, "But MY dog is from Florida so..." Yeah. My dog is from Florida. He has almost no fur. He still hates wearing anything. So I don't make him. Now, your boy sounds like he was just nervous. He might be OK with them, really, but don't try again for a while. He'll be fine without them. It's going to be OK!