GeorgeofNE

I would not be so blase about it and just assume it will go away. Keep an eye on it (hahahaha) and if it continues, a quick vet check is in order. He could have something in there, and you don't want him to scratch his cornea.

George didn't end up who he is now until I had him for 18 months. : ^ )

What did your vet say? I'm surprised he didn't prescribe something.

Yeah, but he's a guy. My guess is he does something annoying that your dog doesn't like and he'd rather walk with you!

Well done!! I tried smearing liverwurst all over the stairs and it still didn't get my stubborn boy up them....

When the experts talk about "exercise" and not eating too soon before or after a meal, they mean VIGOROUS exercise that makes the dog pant. Panting can make the dog suck in more air. Air that could contribute to bloat. My George NEVER, EVER, EVER just walks. He bounces and trots along like a guy half his age. I do not consider our 30-40 minute walks "vigorous exercise" for a professional athlete! (For the record, my family lost a dog to bloat. We did nothing wrong. None of the "don't" were done. Sometimes bloat just happens, and I don't think there is a lot of evidence proving any of the theories on bloat and how to prevent it.) My rule on eating is if they're PANTING, you wait. But it's not likely a walk is going to cause that unless it's really hot out. I am at my desk by 7 AM, so yes, it IS possible to walk your dog before work! I'm also alone, and it's very dark out when we walk. I have a fabulous collection of lights; one that I wear around my neck, another that George wears around his neck. They provide plenty of light. I also have those camping headlamps which are great during snow storms! I also carry my cell phone in case some scary goes on. People ask me all the time "Aren't you scared?" Well, what if I was? I chose to be a single woman who lives in a condo with no yard and own a large dog. I have a full time job. When I took on a dog, I accepted every unpleasant aspect of it, including getting up earlier than I need to so that both George and I have time to get up, pee, he eats, I take my medications that enable me to walk him, and then I need time for coffee and for them to kick in. So I'm up at 5 AM. Outside (sometimes with pajama pants and a jacket!) immediately. Back inside, feed animals. Changing into dog walking clothes, take medications. Have coffee--two cups if possible. Catch up on my WWF games, clean litter boxes, etc. 5:45, out the door for our walk. 6:15 or so, back inside. Put on "big girl" clothes (dress for work), brush teeth, attempt to make hair look civilized, make lunch, toss cookies at dog and out the door. Arrive at office 7 AM. Work until 3:30. Return home. Take dog out. Inside for our favorite part of the day when I scream "Cuddles!" and we run and jump on the bed. Feed animals. Clean litter boxes again. Relax with some Judge Judy. And so on! He goes out again at 5 PM (1 hour after he eats!) and then the last time at 7:30 or 8. That sounds early until you remember we get up at 5. George has had ongoing issues with peeing in the house. I have tried EVERYTHING, and only after FIVE YEARS of giving him a Kong with peanut butter in it every single day did I think, "Huh. Maybe it's the peanut butter?" and stop that. He hasn't peed since... How stupid do I feel???? Anyway, I'm happy to hear the extra outing seemed to have helped! Keep it up, and maybe look into this light for your dog: http://www.amazon.com/PupLight-Dog-Safety-Light-Red/dp/B0002XUHYO/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1381406683&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Pup+light

The dog is part of the family. Your child will survive if the dog wakes him or her up. Perhaps he or she could also start learning basic pet care? The only way to work through SA is work through it. Your dog will learn that you WILL come back.

Could be bleaching from the sun, lick staining, etc. I would not worry about it even a tiny bit!

Stop anything that's not necessary. I'm having surgery tomorrow morning. They told me to stop all supplements and such.

The squirt bottle is your best bet, I think. You need to try training the cats, 'cause the dog isn't doing anything "wrong," per se. Growling is his only means of communicating, and the cats are obviously like mine and just don't care. But we know they HATE the squirt bottle! So fill 'er up and keep it by your chair! Since your new, you probably haven't seen any of these pictures. I call this one "Tiny Jockey" What can you even say about this? Rated R! Cracking a joke? Ticking his feet! Brothers!

Funny--it took weeks of painful practice to get George to go UP stairs (literally I had to place each paw on each step--and we had three flights to go at my old condo). Then when the pain in my lower back go so severe I thought I was going to die, I decided it was actually most important he learn to go down them (we had elevators, but frequent fire alarms in which you cannot use the elevators). I braced myself for what I just KNEW was going to be nightmare battle of wills. I approached the stairwell from the third floor door, and heaved a great sigh, and just hoped we survived. And that stinker pranced down three flights of stairs like a debutante at her coming out party! All three flights without a pause, misstep, or any sign of fear. And he STILL wouldn't go up!!!!!!! I could have just killed him--but elected to laugh instead. He never did master those stairs going up (they were metal, painted black,and in an enclosed stairwell), but when I moved a few months later, he just followed the moving men right up three flights of stairs at the new condo (carpeted and well lit)! Be patient. He'll figure it out when you least expect it!

Not a practical solution for a lot of people. If it were me, I'd take the dog with me when I escorted my teenager to the bus stop. Or more likely I'd just send the kid off on his own...I would have rather died than be seen with my mother when I was 14! Taking the dog with you not only gives the dog some exercise, which I expect he doesn't get a lot of, it also shows the dog where you're doing, and he learns that you both go BACK. It's very bonding to have a dog be part of things.

Wait-- You give her ONE 20 minute walk before leaving her all day? Dogs hold it at night because they're sleeping. They naturally just sort of go into a mini hibernate type mode--just like most of us humans don't get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom (until you get to be my age!). It's perfectly normal to sleep through the night once you're not baby! But how often do you go during the day? Imagine, if you would, you have ONE chance at the bathroom, and then you go to work and spend the entire day there, and don't get another chance. I would suggest before you panic you adopt a new routine in the morning. Take her out for a piddle break BEFORE you feed her. Then after she eats, take her for a nice long walk--depending on her age, 30-40 minutes. See if she makes it through the day then. The goal is to 1) empty her bladder after she eats (most dogs have to go to the bathroom about 30-60 minutes after they eat), and 2) tire her out so she's more inclined to sleep more. You might also take a urine sample to the vet to rule out any UTI.

I personally believe skittish dogs are born that way. Sometimes an entire litter is skittish. Those dogs rarely do well at the track. Maybe you should do a little more research since your questions, above, are all answered in any book about adopting a retired Greyhound? I know it's a little too late now, but knowledge is always a good thing!

Obviously it's the crate he hates! My dog hated his crate with a passion. One I ditched the crate, everything was just fine. I never muzzled him. He's an adult dog. Puppies are virtually 100% guaranteed to be destructive, but an adult dog who has had sufficient exercise in the morning before you leave (and that does not mean he goes out in the yard for 20 minutes by himself) will probably sleep for at least 7 of the 8 hours of your workday. Dog proof (and that means absolutely NOTHING that is food is out on a counter, top of fridge, anywhere but inside the fridge, cupboard, microwave, pantry, etc.) your house, provide him with a comfy bed in a central location, and see what happens. If he destroys stuff, they sure, use the muzzle.

Sounds like you're on track--not leaving them unsupervised alone. I also have a very "forward" cat, Mister Bigglesworth (an Oriental Shorthair--same personality as a Siamese, only more active), whose other names include YLB (You Little Bastard) and Da Ebil Won. No amount of growling or snapping bothers him. He simply isn't afraid of George because he has been with us since I got him as a 14 week old. George was the only household animal member who accepted him at first (my other two cats wanted nothing to do with him) so he thinks he is a tiny Greyhound. My other cat, a Siamese I adopted at 11 years of age, was TERRIFIED of dogs when he arrived. He now knows George is no threat and will sunbath on George's bed with George on it. If George intended to hurt Mister Bigglesworth, he would already be dead. George will go at it with any type of dog (except Greyhounds)--he is pretty aggressive for a Greyhound. But he understands that the cat is part of the "pack" and I do not believe he would EVER hurt him. I do keep a water squirt bottle in the house for those times when George seems extra grumpy. I use it on the CAT, not the dog! I often remove Mister Bigglesworth from George's space since the growling doesn't work. The problem is that Mister B. actually uses his claws on George's tummy when he does that "making biscuits" thing so many cats (particularly Oriental types) do. I'd growl too!

My old dog tore his ACL. It was a traumatic total rupture (all he was doing was running on a flat grassy surface!). He had a procedure called a TPLO (tibial plateau leveling ostemy). It cost a fortune. He also ended up with a bone infection, and almost died from that. However, rare as his outcome was, he was actually just fine after the infection was cleared up a YEAR after the surgery. It was a tough time. And the total cost was around $10,000, which my darling father paid. All I could have afforded was amputation or euthanasia. Given he was only 5 when it tore, neither was a good option. He was also uninsurable after the diagnosis. Something like 50% of all dogs who tear one will tear the other within 6 months.

My mixed breed had major surgery and had to be confined for 12 weeks. He also had part of his tail amputated at the same time, so he could not be in his crate (which he loved). I used an x-pen, but I anchored all the "corners" with heavy stuff since he DID knock it over the first day. Worked out well enough. Gave him a little wagging room so as not to reinjure his tail.

Please don't go to a dog park yet. You don't know this dog well enough yet, and she doesn't know you.

SOME of them know their names. George was almost 5 when I got him. His name was Chile. He did not, and does not, respond in any way, shape, or form to Chile, Chilly, Chee-lay, etc. I recently made contact with his actual kennel keeper. Yes, his name was Chile, but he was called Chilly Cheese Fries in the kennel. And he doesn't respond to that either! There is one school of thought that when a dog starts a new life, it's actually BEST to give it a new name. I don't happen to think dogs give a darn what you call them as long as you're kind, and feed them! So just pick a name YOU like, and go for it!

He's a hound. I think their mentality is different. For what it's worth, "focus training" is a relatively new thing. In the "old days," you knew a dog was paying attention to you because he was focused on you. You didn't teach that as a sort of trick. It was all about establishing a relationship of trust where the dog knew to look to you for direction.

It always blows me away when I read about a Greyhound ADOPTION GROUP furthering the B.S. myths about Greyhounds! I am flabbergasted. My George is, well, let's just say he's very handsome and he was pretty fast, but he isn't the sharpest tool in the toolbox. If he can learn to sit, ANY dog can learn to sit. And I taught him the exact same way I've taught every other dog we've ever had (English Setters and one Lab) how to sit, the tried and true "tuck and fold" method.

Deer Vinny, my brudder from anudder mudder. NOCK IT OFF. It is very rood to beat up the elderly. Yur brudder, George (who only tries to attack dogs who are KNOT Greyhounds)

Tommy is so handsome! I'm betting since the dog in question is a "retired show dog" he is not a BIT timid. He's spoiled. And like most Goldens, a love sponge! My Kramer didn't EVER want to be alone. I couldn't leave him on the "spy platform" by himself or he'd cry and cry. George is perfectly happy to be out there all alone, sometimes for hours (I'm always right inside--I don't leave the condo). George is even OK if I got to the dumpster and he sees me leave the apartment and then sees me the parking lot! I think Kramer would have jumped off the balcony if I walked out the door without him! Kramer was the LEAST timid dog I've ever known. He was just very, very attached to me.

Well.... He's a pampered and beloved second hand dog. They should try to think of this as an adorable quirk! With time and more trust, he'll probably be OK. If the worst issue they have is having to stand outside for five minutes with a beautiful sweet dog while he relieves himself.... You see where I'm going, don't you Lucy? Maybe they should do some leash walks out of the yard? Helps with bonding. Great exercise for all as well!