Fruitycake

His time with you was too short, but I bet he knew he landed in the best of homes. Living with you even for that little while was a gift for him and his brother. I am glad that your other hounds are there to support his brother with his own sense of loss. Farewell, Bosco.

Wonderful news. I hope his improvement continues!

We had to say goodbye to Allie this morning after she had some sort of neurologic episode that made her unable to walk or control her bowels. She has been failing slowly over the last few few years, which started when she was put on prednisone for a miserable six months, and her world had shrunk drastically in the past year. She was a nervous dog, which got worse as her hearing and sight failed. In her prime she was an athletic dog, jumping up to four feet to the top of a neighbor's retaining wall after squirrels (or in memory of squirrels), chasing anything that moved away (squirrels were a favorite, but rabbits, birds, and tumbling leaves were also fair game), ready for a game of 'chase the greyhound' in my friend's backyard when we brought them over, and always wanted to walk for miles and sniff the next sniffs - especially if Monty was sniffing it first. She was smart as a whip, and knew her 'left' from her 'right turn' or 'straight on,' a 'wait' from an 'ok' understood that she was the 'lie' dog while Monty should 'down.' Until recently our joke was that she had a perfect GPS that made her unable to get lost, because she was always able to steer us home again no matter how far we walked her. She loved every member of the Hound group that she had ever met, and yet hated three (non-Hound) neighborhood dogs with a fiery passion that never wavered. She earned the nickname 'Princess Pushy Pants' (shortened to her alternate name of Pants) within days of arriving at our home and proving that she was not good on a leash...unless 'good' translated into 'good for strength training of one or both arms' or 'wants to be a sled dog.' And she absolutely loved the snow. And leaves. And catching mice and voles. And chasing squirrels and bopping them on the butt with her nose when they thought they were safe to stop and scold her from six feet up a tree (when she was on leash). Thank heavens she didn't think to actually grab them, because I would have been a mess of panicked squealing on my end of the leash. She did have a couple of other hilarious squirrel-watching accidents while walking, too: multiple times when I walked her she would be watching a squirrel instead of watching where she was going and walked right into a snowbank taller than she was. I did prevent her from running into more solid barriers, but letting her plow into the snowbanks was too tempting since there was little chance of injury...and much hilarity to be had. She was a carrier-of-things, and would greet you at the door with something in her mouth...and my family still laughs at the time all she could find was a store receipt but she dutifully managed to pick it up and met them at the door with it in her mouth, all grinning eyes and wiggling butt. She liked to rearrange our shoes in the house, so we often would need to wander everywhere asking her where she had put them *this* time. Long ago we bought and framed a painted tile which seemed to be made with her in mind: "I have information pertaining to the whereabouts of your shoe." It is sad to look back at all of the cute, funny, and core characteristics that had disappeared over the past couple of years. I will try to remember those long-ago days when I think of her, because that was the true Allie Dog. Farewell, Pants. We hope you had a good enough life with us. (best guess ~January 2005-October 15, 2017)

I wouldn't be terribly worried about her stressing about food if she is securely sequestered from your other dogs and is still learning that she and her food is safe from them. Maybe try to keep your dogs from getting too close to her around food time, but if they are separated and your dogs don't push her and her food is all hers, she will likely learn that her space and food is safe from them. If there are other times where you fear there may be problems (you are fixing your own food, or there are treats, or she discovers that she wants to eat that jar of flour tucked on the back of the counter...), keep her in a muzzle. Monty was defensive of his food when we first got him when we fed him in his kennel and our original cats would walk by, but now we have to protect his dish from our new cat - who will stick her head in his dish with him as he is eating and he just angles his head and eats around her until we scoop her up!

The sharp, sudden sound that we hear may not be the only noise that happens, and even I jump when someone uses an aerosol can and I am unprepared. Maybe there is a higher pitched noise that he can hear, or maybe he just doesn't like the suddenness of it. Does he have the same reaction when a different aerosol can is used (cooking spray, for example)? You may never be able to make him like the sound, but perhaps he will learn to be calmer about it if he learns it is harmless. (Though there are many hounds that don't learn that sounds are harmless - there are those that are thunderphobic to the point of trembling with the sound of rain. I've got one.)

Do not make him feel like he has to guard his food by continuing to test him. His gulping frantically was already showing that he was super worried and the pushing him harder made the increase of his defensiveness inevitable. You now know he has the issue, so now you need to make sure that he feels comfortable and has the space he needs while he eats. Make sure he is separated from your dog around food. Keep him out of the kitchen and food prep areas, too, just in case. You might try trading up, or you may want to make the fact that you are the *giver* of food by breaking his meal into smaller portions and using different bowls to continue his meal after he's finished the first bit. Give a bowl, and walk away to give him space. As he gets more comfortable, you could move less until you can stand motionless next to him.

Leash, treats and happy party time when he potties outside. Getting him out by leashing him up will help and yet be easier on him and you than nudging, pushing, or bringing him by collar. And instead of luring (bribing) with treats, they only come out after his business is completed. Also, can you light up the yard so it is brighter for him? Going from bright house into darkness has to be upsetting to a *sight* hound who has been made nervous by horrible, scary noises. (My sympathies for your firework problem. We have it too, only we start in May with the Cinco de Mayo 'festivities.')

For something that is as vile as some medicines are, we've done the back-of-throat-toss after wrapping the pill in 'pill goop' - just in case it gets tasted or the dog moves at the wrong time and my aim sucks. Then a piece of pill goop of about the same size and pill-free given as a treat, with accompanying party/celebration. Luckily Monty isn't a chewer, but our first dog was. And there it was lucky she rarely needed pills anyway so our pilling dance was infrequent. I feel for all who have suspicious, hard-to-pill dogs that take regular medication!

Monty wouldn't even venture into that narrow space, and even if he did, there's not a lot of room to turn and walk past any droppings without risking stepping in them. At least our two dogs aren't terribly concerned about ensuring they avoid their own poop. (Yuck!) That said, there are also those of us that don't even have fenced areas so all pottying happens on walks. It did take Monty a while before he felt comfortable doing that, though, so just being proactive about picking up immediately and using even just a gallon or so of water with some baking soda dumped on the pee spots can help with urine stink. A dog will have his favored locations and pottying scenarios, so it will be a learning experience for everyone. Using treats for the 'proper' placement can help, and just trying to figure out your dog's preferences and trying to meet them part way can help. Even a location with sand could make cleanup easier, especially if things get soft. (Our first dog, a nongrey, came to our house at nine years old and was absolutely adamant that poop and pee *NEVER* went on pavement or pavers, so things got difficult in winter when we'd have snow higher than her head and yet any shoveled areas were 'sidewalks' to her. She'd go bounding into deep snow and often get stuck, but no way was she going to use the partially-shoveled paths we'd created specifically for her use in our yard. What a character she was....)

We have found that adding a small amount - quarter cup at most - of water to the bottom of our dogs' bowls has drastically reduced the noise when food is dumped in. It has drastically reduced Al's reactivity, so it might help.

When we first adopted Allie (nongrey) she didn't eat for almost two days. We did as suggested above and put her food down when it was feeding time, then pulled up after our other dog was done and mealtime was over. The new house and new food was all so strange that she probably didn't have much of an appetite, and we knew she wasn't going to starve so we didn't want to train in bad behaviors or fussy eating by trying her on multiple types of food until she found one good enough. She started eating in her own time as she learned the scedule and routines here. Good luck! Hope he settles in well.

We changed food from Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream, which was ~mostly~ ok, but Monty could still clear a room a few times a week, to Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet Venison and Sweet Potato and the air has been clear for months! We switched him because the other dog needed lower fat food and it was easier to switch both than keep them on separate foods, but this side effect has been wonderful (and was completely unexpected). You may need to try different foods, and watch (or eliminate entirely) treats that he gets. Our experience shows that a fix may well be out there. Good luck.

Monty only barks when excited and you ask him if he's hungry. Wait...he also barks when you ask him if he wants to 'go to Grandma's' but not 'to go for a car ride'. Apparently Grandma's is better than a generic car ride. It is a big bark, but not triggered by anything but excitement. One might be able to train a grey to bark on command like that if you were nervous about someone at the door, but relying on it happening regularly? I wouldn't. I did know a tiny (55 lb maybe) greyhound girl who was a good alert dog with a positively HUGE bark when people came to the door, though.

The one we used didn't recommend refrigeration. 4 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons flour 3/4 teaspoon oil (we used olive oil) 2 Tablespoons molasses Mix well and place in an airtight container. It seems a bit dry at first, but as you mix it by kneading with your fingers it comes together pretty nicely. The flour amount can be tweaked a bit depending on type and humidity in your area, but this recipe worked well for us for years. Cost was probably pennies per batch!

I am so sorry to hear about your loss of your beautiful girl Passion. The love you feel for her was always so obvious in your posts, and she sounded like such a wonderful character. I am glad that you found one another and shared so many years together. She will be missed by many, even those of us that never met her in person. Take care, and know that many of us mourn with you.

I had to make the same decision for my (heart) kitty, and my husband wasn't ready so I delayed for his benefit. I wish I hadn't. I also think a day too early is better than an hour too late, because the pet doesn't fear death as we do. Delaying because *we* are not ready doesn't seem fair because *they* are the ones in pain, or afraid to do things they could once do, or are just unable to do the things they love anymore. It is a hard decision, and every situation is different. There are 'pet quality of life' questionnaires out there, which may help you and your husband discuss where the two of you see your pet's situation as it is now in comparison to where it used to be and where each of you feel you should make that final vet appointment. In my situation with my cat Fruity, I was the one who did almost everything for her so I knew how very bad she had gotten. My husband loved her too, but didn't have the same intimate knowledge and experience with how bad she was since I was primary caretaker. (We are having similar concerns with our nongrey at this point, where I would have made the call before now...but he isn't ready and doesn't think it is time 'because she still gets happy sometimes.' Since she is way more his dog than mine, I'm not pushing it too hard. But I will insist with my cats and Monty, since they are more mine than his.) I'm always sorry to hear that people are having to make this hard decision, especially when the family members have different perspectives. That makes everything so much harder. :~(

Monty only likes to dig in nicely loose soil (a freshly tilled garden is the best!) and sends up a huge arc of soil behind him before getting that wild look in his eye and taking off in a dash around the yard. Our nongrey digs herself a little hole to lie in and makes small adjustments as needed later on. Both are in my friend's yard, who luckily doesn't mind...unless Monty digs and throws dirt at us when we're working in the garden ourselves.

She's a dog, with some prey/play drive. Not excessive, unless she focuses hard on anything that might be prey (birds, animals at a distance, etc.). Personally, I think almost any dog when given a chance at an awkward, small moving thing would think it was a toy. Our nongrey caught voles while walked on a 6-foot leash repeatedly one year - we must have had a large number of stupid ones in the neighborhood for a while. Other than those and squirrels and cheeky chipmunks, she paid no attention to creatures, and wasn't really in it to kill, just play. If she actually ate it, there might be some tummy gurgles, but depending on the size maybe not even that. Dogs are pretty hardy...even the relatively delicate-stomached ones.

Monty never wanted up on the couch or bed. We have a loveseat that the other dog lies on, but the only time Monty got up there was when we were using treats to encourage the other dog up there (rather than 'our' couch) and he shoved her out of the way and jumped up there with enthusiasm...solely for the treats. I think they were dried lamb lung, and apparently good enough to expend effort for, but he hasn't gone up there since. But, I suppose, having three cushy dog beds in the same room is good enough for him.

I like to say that Monty is "the saddest sad dog ever to be sad."

Have you seen how he is behaving immediately prior to and during his messing in the house? Can you set up a camera to see what he's doing if he only does it when alone? Our Monty is...how to say it...not always getting a clear message from his back end and sometimes doesn't realize he's dropping something until it's already on its way out (tail is up and out of the way but he doesn't necessarily squat to poop until the first bit has fallen, and he seems to look surprised that it's happening). If he's feeling anxious, maybe that's causing his immediate need to pee and poop. Alternately, maybe he had been anxious about something and started messing in the house and by now it is an engrained behavior (habit) because it is easier. It sounds frustrating, whatever the cause, and I hope you can find a solution!

Teeth that close are intimidating, aren't they! Sounds very like a smile, but do be aware of the rest of his facial expression to be sure. And also be aware that some dogs will also do 'bitey face' play moves toward their humans as well. We have a 35 pound nongrey that does this and if it happened to anyone but us I'm sure they'd soil their pants. Thankfully our grey has never done this toward our face - he does it in air snaps not aimed at us - because he has absolutely no concept of the length of his muzzle and might injure us!

The quick outs-and-ins that your group is talking about is what we had to do with Monty that first, brutally cold winter we had him, but he also didn't like walks particularly much so getting him in again wasn't our problem, it was just getting him to do his business outside. So, somewhat similar but his resistance was for a different reason. Can you do tiny walks or is your area not set up with easily circumnavigated small city blocks? We kept going around one block here with only 18 total houses on it, so it was short enough to do multiple loops in an hour (or longer, as necessary). But we're city dwellers, and not suburbs where blocks are large and nice walking paths (instead of city sidewalks) abound.

It sounds like Annie is talking, but the pup wasn't listening so she increased her 'volume' to get her point across. Completely normal and understandable. When Annie has indicated she is done, you're going to have to support her decision and keep the pup from pestering her with a barrier of some kind (leadh, kennel, or babygate). Greys tend to play and romp for shorter periods than a lot of dogs, especially puppies, so she's going to be done before the pup has had enough. It just seems that she gets irritated at the pup more quickly than many dogs might, but by preventing the escalation to her feeling like she absolutely needs to make a physical correction will probably help her relation with the pup long-term.

I don't think this situation is particularly fair to the cats. It sounds like the dog "lied" on his cat test, which some dogs do, and has decided that your cats are indeed prey. The lunging, barking and intense sniffing and searching after the cat is gone is about as clear a signal as a non-cat-safe dog can give. Yes, some experienced people have trained dogs that showed these signals have had luck in taming that trait, but all it takes is one mistake (cat on the wrong side of a door or gate, dog breaks through door or gate, visitor or child makes mistake and leaves gate or door unlatched) and there might be a death. I, personally, think the risks are too great for the cats. All it takes is one mistake. Could you live with yourself if something happened?