GeorgeofNE

No. We have had dogs my entire life, my parents' entire lives, their parents' entire lives...and almost NONE of our dogs have died of "old age." I would say that besides bone cancer, Greyhounds are probably LESS prone to illness than other breeds.

There is a very simple solution; stop going. She does not "need" to run free. Leash walking will benefit you both more in the long run, particularly if she's a shy girl.

Sounds like George. The only suggestion I have is to look at what the dog is being given in the Kong! As you know, George has FINALLY stopped peeing during the day (knock on wood) since I stopped giving him peanut butter.

It simply isn't possible to relieve LS with chiropractic adjustments. If you understand what the condition is, that's simple to understand. No amount of shifting the spine will uncompress it.

I'm guessing there is more to this story. Since you're admitting to allowing your friend to annoy your dog even after the dog made it clear he was annoyed, I think you've left some things out. I would also suggest that you are not the right owner for this particular dog. I know that sounds harsh as heck, but I'm guessing this is a dog who needs a more experienced owner. There are plenty of dogs out there who are can be described as "bomb proof," meaning nothing bothers them. This dog isn't one of them. If you keep this up, and keep testing his limits, the outcome will be tragic.

I habs been too sad to read this until now. Miss Charla, da WFUBCC won't ebber be the same wiffout Gracie Rose, trabble agent to da staaaaahs. Make me a reservation in da Hall of Bacon up der in Hebben Gracie! Hopefully I won't be coming there too soon, but when I do, we'll laff about that time on da beach when yu had dat headache.... Lubs yu girl! George

If your vet never took x-rays (I'm sorry, I didn't read every reply) you need to consider a different vet. Any vet worth his or her salt knows that with the scary-high incidence of bone cancer in Greyhounds, any unexplained limp needs x-rays.

Greyhound creatinine is normally higher than other dogs. George's is even high for a Greyhound, but his BUN and his specific gravity are normal, so we just say it's George normal!

Easy for someone like me to say (happily single), but he's not your husband, it's not his house, he doesn't have to be there.

I wouldn't put a dog that old on anything unless it was to control pain. I would stick with the belly band and love him as he is for whatever time he has left! My dog is not yet 12, but he is leaking at night. I talked to the vet and she said that since he is on an NSAID for pain, Proin could cause high blood pressure and I decided it wasn't worth it. I put down hospital bed pads everywhere he's likely to sleep and do extra laundry.

Classic sign of a food allergy.

Yes, you're being too optimistic. The idea that a dog is smart enough to understand "Ok, I can stand HERE and look out the window, but not four inches further on the sill" is a bit reaching. You could probably teach her not to do it when you're there--but all bets are off if you're not around. I'd put some sort of child proofing window barrier up and call it a day.

You have to consider a dog's lifespan. 5 is not all that young for a large dog, so yes, it absolutely could be arthritis.

It's called an accident for a reason. Clean it up and move on! If that's the worst thing that's happened in 15 days, consider yourself very fortunate! Hang in there. Many of us have been there. My dog was a NIGHTMARE when I first got him, and he's a total doll now. It will all be fine!

My two cents: the command should be "come." Not "come here." Shorter is better.

I am curious to know what you saw on Greyhound Data that would indicate she was the "runt" (I assume you meant) of her litter? And yeah, if she's only 2 now, she wasn't a good racer or you wouldn't have her!

Sounds like you've already decided so I agree. Skip the vet. Return the dog to the group so she can get into a home where they know how to work with these issues, which will most likely to away anyway.

Honestly, knowing what you've go through, I think I'd just be grateful he uses the pad. At this point, I wish George would do that instead of waking me up at 3 AM. I have to get dressed, go outside into the dark/rain/snow/ice. I would much rather swap out the pad in the AM!! Perhaps just pick up the pad when you don't want him to use it?

I used the diffusers and I felt they helped. I kept one in every room. I tried the collars on my cats, but they found them incredibly annoying. I use Feliway diffusers for them--again, one in every room! They keep my naughty cat from marking.

You have to remember, "No" in and of itself means nothing. "No jumping" or "no barking" can eventually have meaning, but "No"? Not likely. "Calm down" means nothing to a dog. And screaming at an excited dog? Could not be more counterproductive! Match his enthusiasm with calm. Lower your voice, don't shriek. Redirect. And if you have a yard, stick him outside!

ANY dog can be taught to pee and poop on a leash. ANY DOG. The key would be simply do NOT let the dog out unless it's leashed. Crate or confine it in the house. Eventually the dog will go.

Walk him. I happen to think ALL dogs should be walked regularly whether you have a fenced yard or not. You would have already solved this problem (which you clearly knew about) had you been walking him! It's great exercise for you and the dog, great bonding time, and let's face it, there are some amazing pee mails out in the neighborhood!

Typically if you have a firm schedule, dogs TEND to poop at the same time every day. For example, mine poops on our morning long walk (sometimes twice) and then he poops after dinner. He eats and is walked at the same time every day, so he knows when he's going out, and feeding at the same time every day makes it so his digestion produces a poop at approximately the same time too. I agree with leash walking until she really gets the housebreaking thing!

To the person who suggested the OP needs a dog sitter: You're missing the point of the original poster's inquiry. She's WORRIED about her dog and wants to see for herself what he's doing. My dog has a mysterious bladder issue that's been ongoing for six years. I set up a camera to see if he still had SA or if it was something else. Believe me, I'm plenty busy at work, but it takes me a minute to check on him a few times a day. My boss has cameras all over his property to do the exact same thing. Unless you work for a real jerk, people understand the desire to check up on your home/family/pets.

There is nothing particularly special about feeding a Greyhound versus a regular dog. Dog food bag feeding suggestions are always wildly high. Think about it: they want you to buy their food! My 67 pound male eats 2 cups of kibble per day, and he's the perfect weight for him. I feed a premium food, but he's 11 and that's all he needs to keep his weight correct for his size/metabolism. 4 cups sounds like way too much. And your dog should not be determining when she's fed. Just pick a time and stick with it. You'll have a heck of a time getting her on a schedule if you let her tell you when she wants to eat. I think it's important that a schedule be maintained even if you are home. It's very useful knowing, in general, when your dog is going to need to go out.