GeorgeofNE

First of all, not every Greyhound has separation anxiety. Unfortunately, you won't really know until you pick the dog and bring it home! If you decide to adopt while you're on break, make sure you don't spend 24/7 with the dog. I'd suggest that you buy the "I'll Be Home Soon" pamphlet/book (Patricia McConnell, you can get it on Amazon.com) right now. Most of us don't EVER have a month off. Imagine if the only suitable way to get a dog was to quit your job to spend time with it! I lost my dog of 12 years on a Thursday. Brought home my Greyhound on a Saturday. Went back to work on Monday. We had a rough adjustment patch, but we got through it, and that was six years ago, and it's all good!

Glad you figured it out so quickly! My prior dog had several SA (not a Greyhound) and was crated daily for 2 years. When I assumed he had outgrown his need for the crate, I put it away and he went absolutely nuts! It took several months for me to get him used to the idea of no crate. First I stopped locking the door, and propped it closed with a stuffy. Then I got rid of the stuffy. Then I stopped closing the door. Then I folded it up and leaned it against the wall where he could see it. FINALLY I was able to put it under the bed! I disagree with the need to baby Greyhounds. I most certainly do NOT have a comfy bed in every possibly place. It's my home too. And we're all human. Very few dogs are so emotionally fragile that they'll have permanent damage if you lose your temper from time to time and raise your voice. Shouting at a dog for having an accident is never a good idea, but don't beat yourself up over it. He'll get over it. He's NOT a person. Dogs don't hold grudges.

I already commented, but I will address your direct request for dealing with true sleep aggression. My dog had sleep aggression when I first got him. I have been around dogs my entire life, but never a Greyhound, so it surprised me, but I wasn't overly alarmed. He snapped at me more than once. I took to ALWAYS calling his name before I touched him (loudly) because he used to sleep with his eyes open! He got over it after about 2 years (George is a very, very handsome, sweet dog, but frankly not all that bright! He also was 5 when he left kennel living, so...). My big concern was not a child, but my very, very senile father who LOVES dogs. I had to tell him to never, ever touch the dog. Fortunately, he became pretty immobile not long after I got George so it was no longer a problem. Your mileage may vary, but if it IS sleep aggression, odds are she'll get over it.

Possum, you cast a spell on me, and I am terribly sad you had to leave. Run free and pain free. And know that you were loved.

Don't count on not having any symtoms. My sister in law was quite ill and she had the rash. My brother has been hospitalized twice from tick borne diseases. They live on Nantucket, one of the epicenters of tick diseases.

I don't know where you read that. Some dogs are gassy, some aren't. This applies to ALL breeds of dog.

Kudos to you for not being more freaked out-- I agree with what the others have said: probably NOT an isolated incident, and a toddler should not be near a dog that's laying down. Sure, you see photos all the time of kids choking the life out of passive dogs--but there are enough "accidents" like this that the general advice given about children and greyhounds is NEVER approach when they're laying down. I'm glad your little girl wasn't badly injured, and that you seem willing to work with the dog! Good luck.

If it were my dog, I'd pick him up and take him out. I'm of the opinion that every little "battle" you let your dog win is a potential problem in the making.

I've never heard anyone suggest you should avoid two of the same sex. I have heard MANY people say two boys get along better than two girls. One of each is a toss up. I just prefer males as pets, so I'd get another boy. Marking MIGHT happen in any case, but a belly band as a temporary measure alone with correcting if it's done (verbal, and a good clean up!) should take care of that.

It won't do any good. You'd need to buy cranberry extract in pill form. It will NOT cure a UTI, but it may help prevent future ones.

You'd be suprised what sissies Greyhounds can be. The first time George limped, I was still a newbie, and didn't realize this fact--but you would have imagined his leg had just snapped. It was actually the top of an acorn stuck to his foot!

My guess is you're feeding him too much.

What are you expecting to happen? An apology? A refund? I'd personally write a letter, air my grievance, and find a new vet.

You don't have enough information for anyone to give you an informed answer, I'm afraid.

I feed cat Weruva canned and they LOVE it! Seems like a quality product to me. No issues with the cats, but really, anything you can do to get moisture into a cat is considered a good thing! Maybe try another flavor for your dog?

Totally agree on the notion that a harness actually enables pulling! I have one, but I only use it on those rare occasions that I think George might freak out because he did pop out of his collar once even though I was sure it was snug enough! But George has leash aggression, and allowing the biting end the freedom a harness allows is just not a good idea!

I live in the Boston area, and can tell you that even for Boston, you are paying WAY too much if your vet actually charges $120 for an office visit. And $60 for antibiotics that are cheap as dirt at the real pharmacy. Find a new clinic! I pay $52 to walk in the door, and I either get my medications online, or at the human pharmacy.

I think for dogs with "terrible teeth," brushing is simply not going to help much unless you start off with a professional cleaning. George has great teeth. I don't brush them, and I never have. He gets bones on the weekends. I

Vaseline is the first ingredient listed, so my guess is anything else in that cream is strictly for scent, etc. "Petrolatum" = vaseline

Oh no!! Well, I guess if Dad were alive, I'd have to break the news to him! Thanks. Learn something new every day!

The big fuzzy bees commonly known as bumblebees don't have stingers. How do I know this? Because my father and his brothers, when they were little boys, used to catch them and tie a piece of thread around them, and fly them! True story! What can I say? They were apparently those kinds of boys. You know, when kids used to play with frogs and throw worms at each other, and no one used hand santizer on them afterward.

You won't like my answer much--but dogs thrive on a schedule. Doesn't sound like yours has one at all. They can adjust to most any schedule, but it needs to be consistent.

Three cups of TOW for a 50 pound older hound is too much. George eats TOW pacific stream. He is 11, 64 pounds, and he gets one cup in the AM, one in the PM. She's probably just not hungry!

If you can, take him to a specialist before you even consider any sort of procedure.

Don't just "bring him out." WALK HIM. It'll be good for both of you, and it'll be great for bonding. Male does love to mark new things. The more you walk, the more most of them pee! My boy gets a 45 minute walk every morning before work. Are you leaving anything for him in the crate? I recently found, after giving my dog a Kong with peanut butter in it every work day for six years, that peanut butter apparently makes it more difficult for him to hold it! He hasn't had an accident in the house since I stopped his peanut butter! And I cannot believe it took me so darn long to try that--since I had proclaimed "I've tried everything!" a hundred times!