GeorgeofNE

Hold out the great in a closed fist. Only open your fingers when she is calmly nuzzling at your hand. In other words, don't give her your easy to nip at fingers!

Your dog is most likely not a good candidate for a dog park. That sort of behavior might be tolerated by the other dogs for a while, but eventually she'll tick off the wrong dog and because Greyhound skin is exceptionally fragile, even a mild scuffle (happens ALL THE TIME at dog parks) and your dog could easily end up at the emergency clinic being stitched or stapled up. You cannot (well, should not) EVER muzzle a dog in a situation where the other dogs are not muzzled. To do so could be very dangerous to your dog. If the basket muzzle is falling off, they you were probably given a size suitable for a male, not a small female, which is what you have. Ask them if they might trade you for one that fits her. But as I said, that's really not the answer. I would stop taking her, and work on leash walking and training.

Amazon.com You can get Denamarine without a prescription too.

My personal thoughts are that you could change jobs/apartments many times in your first few years just done with school for lots of reasons. I have experienced first hand the difficulty of finding housing with a large dog. I think waiting until you're settled is a good idea. Just my 2 cents! Also, spending too much time with a new dog can be counter productive. They get used to having you around all the time, and then you start to disappear all day--great receipe for creating separation anxiety.

I would refuse to use that vet. There are perfectly reputable online pet pharmacies. My vet even says they will price match 1-800-PETMEDS for flea/tick meds. I am a consumer when I go to the vet. Any vet who refuses to allow me to purchase what my animal needs where I choose is not going to have my business. I buy HUGE bottles of Deramaxx at 1-800-PETMEDS. They cost me about $300. At the vet's office the same amount would probably cost me $700. No thank you! It's the exact same drug in a sealed bottle from the same manufacturer with a date on the outside.

I hate to be the one to say this, but falling in love with a dog on the internet when there are plenty of dogs in your area that need homes... Including Greyhounds. You're in CT. There are a number of Greyhound adoption groups in New England where you could go an meet dogs and not just pick one because, it sounds like from your initial post, you feel sorry for it. What happens if the dog is shipped up north and it doesn't work out? What will you do? Adopt a local dog and you'll be able to take it back if it isn't cat safe. Testing is only a guideline even when done properly.

If her dog is vaccinated against rabies, it does't really matter if the cat was or not. Although cats are not common carriers of rabies to begin with. My last dog was bitten by a squirrel (in the squirrels defense, my dog was in the process of killing it), and I was hysterical about the rabies thing. My vet calmed me by telling me that my DOG was vaccinated, so I shouldn't panic, and that squirrels almost never have rabies. No booster was suggested.

Stop taking him to the dog park. It's way too early in your relationship for him to have that kind of freedom, and CLEARLY he doesn't enjoy it. Leash walking, training--those are bonding things for the two of you, and far more important that being loose at the park well before he knows and trusts you.

My dog digs and nests and it has NOTHING to do with being cold. Some dogs are heavy nesters.

Putting in a dog door is great; if the dog understands the concept! Frankly it sounds like he's not really housebroken enough to understand that he needs to go outside. You can't just clean the carpet either. If you truly have a rusty area of a media center, then it was not properly cleaned after it got splashed. You can't just use cleaners--you need a special cleaner that kills the smell of urine. There are many out there. One I have used with great success on both new and old spots is from http://www.planeturine.com It's a powder, so you don't pour additional liquid on the urine stands (which actually spreads the urine before it gets rid of it!). But before you do anything else, do like Batmom said and take him to the vet for a UTI check!

Iconsmom had the very same idea I had! I'd just let the dog drag a light leash around all day. Obviously not attached to a martingale... And I'd get a new leash. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it can't hurt. And don't go TO the dog. Call the dog to him. Stand at the door, call the dog, give him a treat, calmly take hold of the collar, fish the leash off the ground, and out you go! The real point is to TOTALLY change what he's presently doing since it clearly doesn't work. Trying to figure out a dog's mind can be challenging and sometimes not even worth it. Just do something different!

Some dogs are just devoted nesters. I would get a more "solid" dog bed (those pillow ones are good, but they're so easy to smush around!) and give her at least two things to nest with. And teach her "knock it off." George actually tore my carpet with his nesting--it was cheap builder grade, but still! I came home to find a 28 inch tear in my carpet that couldn't be repaired. I was pretty upset!

Upping the dose won't help the stumbling unless it's caused by pain, which is may well not be. Nerve damage causes numbness, and he may simply be having trouble controlling his limbs. I've noticed the same thing with George, but he does not seem to be in any extra pain.

He could also have crystals in his urine, or a partial blockage. He needs to go back to the vet. Who told you to drink baking soda? Cranberry juice I've heard of, but baking soda?

He tried something, and it worked. He barked, and you came down and he got attention. Pretty much 100% sure this would not happen if he slept with you. I understand your reasons for him being downstairs, so to put an end to it, you're going to have to ignore it. Which won't be easy!

Honestly? Stop coming home half way through the day! He has to deal with her leaving 2x more than he needs to! 5 months is not a long time. I would suggest more time and patience, up the exercise, try the DAP diffuser if she isn't already, and video him to see what he's really doing. I've had my dog for over 6 years. He follows me from room to room, and so did my last dog. I don't consider that SA.

Take a deep breath! Many of us have been where you are! It will be OK! Step one! Slow down. If you've had her 8 days, you haven't "tried" alone training. You have dabbled with it briefly! 8 days is NOTHING. Start from the beginning. And for pete's sake, if she hates the crate put it away and never look back! Crates are great--if your dog likes them! Otherwise they're just torture devices. It's TOTALLY DIFFERENT being crated alone in an apartment than it was being crated at the track surrounded by your besties! The intent of crating is good--but it doesn't always make the dog feel safe and familiar. I too had a howler, and I too live in an apartment. I happen to own mine, but the same thing happened. But I was getting complaints from the other owners. It is good fortune that I was chairman of the condo board and no one could do jack squat to me, but I took their complaints seriously. First thing I did was write up a friendly note explaining I had a newly adopted retired racer, and that a bit of anxiety was common and temporary. I left them my cell phone, and asked them to please call ME (and not the management company) if the dog was disturbing them. I invited them to come meet the dog. And I thanked them for their patience and assured them I was doing everything I could to make him comfortable. And I delivered one of those notes to the person above me, below me, on either side of me, and across the hall from me. That worked great with all but one neighbor, who was the biggest witch in the building, and she was so rude I didn't even care anymore about her! But like I said, I was the condo board chairman and she couldn't do anything. If you're a renter, you don't have that measure of security. Next: ditch the crate. Find something to occupy her for 15 minutes. It doesn't have to keep her busy all day. That's why everyone advocates Kongs. All you need is for her to stop noticing you've left, and eventually she'll realize you WILL return. The Kong is just a distraction while you depart. Exercise, exercise, exercise. Get up an hour early if you have to. DAP diffuser seemed to help George. Routine! Do everything at the same time every day to the extent possible. Dogs in general thrive on routine. Retired racers more than most. If her small brain grasps the schedule, it will help her make sense of the total chaos she perceives her life has become. And another deep breath! I video taped George when my neighbors complained because I thought they were exaggerating. He tipped back his head and started to howl like a wolf within 5 minutes of me leaving, and howled the entire 2 hours of the tape. I was horrified. He hasn't been crated since. Within a week, my next door neighbor came by and said, "Oh my God! I hope you didn't get rid of the Greyhound because of ME! I was OK with waiting a while you know!" and George poked his skinny nose out the door to say hello to her and she was astonished he was still there. It's all good six years later!

I ALWAYS agree with Batmom. There are probably two components. You're probably unable to give her very much attention right now, so she's bored/lonely/hurt/whatever. And my dog would really suffer if he only got out three times a day. Perhaps look into a dog walker on a temporary basis? Get her out and get her really tired out for a month or two while you all adjust?

My non greyhound tore his ACL--it was an instant total rupture and he was totally unable to use his leg. He had a TPLO, and he was on cage rest for 12 weeks. Got a bone infection and nearly died. Eventually (over a year total recovery) he was OK. This is a rare outcome, but man it was rough! Cost a fortune too.

You don't know me, nor I you--but anyone who has ever loved an old pet knows what you're going through, and that includes me. The very fact that you're asking yourself, "What am I waiting for?" tells me you know in your heart it's time. If you can handle a page of "houndish," George wrote a blog entry about this very difficult subject, which was shared over 1,000 times (so I guess people found it helpful?): http://wp.me/p3PIWm-27 I am of the "better a day too soon than a day too late" camp, but obviously only you can make the call. Best wishes. Susan (and George)

Sounds like perhaps you adopted from the group I did. I was told to basically keep him crated most of the time, and pretty much ignore him. Both of us were TOTALLY miserable with that arrangement. When I started to do what my good sense told me to do, we were both MUCH happier. I suggest that you have an honest conversation with whoever told you to withhold affection and they can perhaps guide you.

Maybe things are different in Canada, but if your dog was leashed, you really didn't do anything wrong or illegal. Simply avoid other dogs and there should be no problem. My George doesn't like ANY dog that isn't a Greyhound. It's not a problem for me. I simple keep him on a short leash when other dogs are around and tell people, "I'm sorry, he only likes Greyhounds" (which is less threatening than "he's not friendly"). When I'm in confined quarters with other dogs, e.g. the ferry to Nantucket, I do muzzle him. Even dogs who like small dogs sometimes don't do well when the dog is being held. It doesn't seem to register with them that it's a dog. I WOULD speak to your neighbor. I'd bring her some cookies, and ask how her dog is doing. I'd mention that you had heard a rumor that she was considering reporting the incident, and ask her to reconsider. If she's a lonely older lady, then she is probably just mad that you haven't contacted her to ask about her dog.

Good for you! I had a nightmarish beginning with my hound too, and I won't deny I considered returning him. I'm so glad I didn't! He's a great dog.

Whatever she likes and does well on, but "large breed" foods are basically a scam. They put a dab of glucosamine in them and then pretend it's good for big dogs.

See, George is SO food motivated that to him, anything edible works! When he lunged at me when he was new, I just thougth to myself "Holy 4H!T!) and walked away quietly. Got a Milk-Bone. Said, "Hey George, want a cookie"? and showed it to him. He dropped the bone, stood up, took the biscuit, and I bent over and took the bone and put it away. No drama whatsoever. Next time I gave him a bone, I made sure we had enough time so I wasn't going to have to take it away before he'd finished (by the way, I don't give rawhides or pig ears or anything else they're going to actually eat up and swallow, having picked up way to many disgusting gelatinious poops when my prior dog swallowed them). As time goes by, and trust develops, it's not even an issue for us. He knows he's going to get another bone some time. It's not the holy grail of dog noms that he'll never see again. It really depends on the dog. Don't feel that you have to give him bones at all if this is too stressful for you!