greysmom

Oh Claudia! I'm just seeing this now! With all these people praying for her, Ekko just has to get better!

I would always use the harness with her - just safer all the way around. I put Cash's on several weeks before we were traveling and just let her wear it around the house. Started with just a few minutes and worked up to full time as she got comfortable with it. If one of your other dogs is very calm, and/or Layla's best buddy, you might try using a coupler leash to get her the idea. Having the other dog to help keep her moving forward might help.

My two thoughts have been mentioned - either he inadvertantly hurt her (stepping on or putting a knee on a toe or foot), or she was just playing. So much about her intention would have been seen in her body language and posture, any vocaizations, etc.,. My Toni can be quite scary when she lunges and snaps, plus she growls and makes very outlandish vocalizations. All that could be mistaken for her attacking when she is really playing. If Lexi's been fine before with cuddling, and she seems to not be in pain of any kind, I would urge you to reassure your BF that it was nothing personal and she was most lkely playing with him - although, a little roughly. Given her issues, this could be viewed as a good thing - her playing with a person other than you!

Just from the description, it's certainly possible he hurt himself sliding around a slick table. A muscle pull would be my first thought. Second thought - check over his feet very carefully for cuts and infections. It's not a usual occurence (I've quicked my dogs and stopped the bleeding with stiptic powder many times with no residual problems), but it *could* happen. One way or another, if he's not markedly better by the weekend I would get him to a vet. In the meantime, let him be a bit and don't fuss at him. He's probably picking up on your anxiety and that will make him unsettled too. And Welcome to GT!

Ffffeeeeyyyeeeeewwwwww! Glad everything's OK!

I agree. Some greys LOVE their crate, some tolerate it and do OK, some HATE it. Sounds like Augie is the latter. Give him a go outside the crate - muzzle him if he might chew - and see how he does. Baby gate him into a dog-proofed space, or baby gate him OUT of places you don't want him to go. Greys can seriously hurt themselves trying to get out of crates, so it's best to be flexible. It's just not necessary in every case.

Dominance theory- what your trainer is advocating- has pretty much been debunked. Especially with greyhounds. Just doesn't seem to apply so much. Somebody recently posted a good tip: don't tell them what not to do, tell her what TO do. If you really need her to stop, give her something else to focus on. A command is good, but not long enough. Re-direct her to another object to bite- a toy or ball - so she learns not to do that to you. Don't use your hands to push or pull her to start zoomies, and don't run with her. That just includes you in her game and leads to biting. Throw her a ball to get her started. Be consistent no matter how cute she is!

YOU GO GIRL!

It can be hard to say one way or another if an anxious or fearful dog prefers to be on their own. They can shut down so completely that they exhibit really no emotional attachment or involvement with anything or anyone. This detachment from life is their only coping mechanism. I would say that most do better with a companion (obviously there are exceptions but I don't think your boy is one). Melatonin is a natural supplement that can be bought at health food stores here in the States. Rescue Remedy is good but is often not strong enough. If you don't feel that adding another grey is feasible, you may want to discuss a stronger prescription anti-anxiety medication (clopiramine, prozac, etc.,.) with your vet.

The drugs aren't a miracle. What they *will* do is help her brain chemistry become more balanced, so she is able to calm herself and accept behavior modification training. Don't expect to just begin giving her the medicine and POOF! it will all be better. She needs to learn to trust you and to gain some much needed confidence. I saw big strides in my spook when I was finally able to teach her some obedience commands that helped build her confidence. The "watch me" command was very important. Most fearful or anxious dogs will not meet the gaze of a more dominant pack member. Teaching her that it was OK and that she got rewarded for doing it really boosted her confidence level. Once she was able to learn, I could teach her more ways to be successful, and she began to blossom. Good luck and keep us posted!

Your dog doesn't sound aggressive, he sounds afraid and anxious. A lot of aggression is overcompensation for fear and lack of confidence. His expression of separation anxiety is a classic. He has just lost the one thing in his life that he trusted and doesn't have the skills to cope by himself. He needs to be seen b y a vet to rule out any medical problem. Then you need to decide on a course of action that will give him confidence and help both of you cope better. Locate a competent animal behaviorist. This person can help you with training and any medical intervention that might be needed. You can try melatonin, rescue remedy and other over the counter remedies in the meantime. Search the forum here for anxiety and thunder storm phobia as many suggestions will be similar. Good luck.

Dude was in a splint for an extended time after his broken toe, and he was quite adept at hopping around at the end of that time - he even scooted up and down the stairs with it on! After it came off, he didn't really begin using his leg normally for 2-3 *months* afterward. He had lost a lot of muscle tone and it took a while to rebuild, but now you can't even tel a difference between his two hind legs. Toni had a broken hock and came to us three months post-cast-removal. She was still favoring that leg a bit. This resolved itself within another 2 or 3 months too and now she uses that leg completely normally. If you feel like you want to do something, I second the swim therapy. Most dogs seem to really like it after they get used to it. It helps build muscle with no weight bearing. We also had a foster with a torn tendon. He went to water treadmill therapy and did very well.

As the mom of another spook I can totally relate. I remember the original post about Eve and am so glad she's found a wonderful forever home with you. Thank you for giving her a chance.

Interesting. I don't think the generalization holds true - at least in our household. Dude - male, TOTAL Daddy's boy. I mean total Copper - male, shows no preference Toni - female, shows no preference (except for our neighbor Herm who is her favorite person in the whole world) Cash - female, Is my dog, but I'm the one who takes care of my spooky girl more Both males LOVE LOVE LOVE little girls. Little boys? Meh. Though they will both readily accept pets and attention from both adult genders. Toni loves everyone, male and female, young and old. Cash doesn't even acknowledge the existence of people other than me and DH - though oddly enough, she will run to the fence when Herm walks by instead of running away. She even took a treat from him once.

It will heal faster than you think. In a couple days it'll look so much better! Glad Beth is doing well!

Awesome way to beat the odds again! Darcy is truly a miracle!

I haven't gone to the bathroom by myself for years (unless DH is home!). They seem to feel a closed door is breaking some greyhound rule!

I have several thoughts, in no particular order. Sometimes a growl is just a growl. A "OK I'm done now" or "OK I didn't like that" - it's the only way he has to communicate what pushes his boundaries. A simple growl is not the end of the world and people oftentimes take them too personally. You need to consider the circumstances for every growl reaction, and discipline or not accordingly. You know he has space issues - which he has come a long way with - but his bed should be off limits until he is even better. Call him to you for pets and attention (DH should definitely). Make sure his bed is not directly in the flow of traffic. Use treats to tell him it's OK for people to be near him - throw them from the couch and gradually move closer. You already know that grabbing his collar is a no-no. DH got what he deserved for that. Use treats again to lure him to a different place. Teach him commands like "Off" and "Down" so that you can control his movements without touching him. Many dogs react differently to men vs women. Your DH should try, again, to not take this personally. While seven months seems like a long time to you, he seems to still be settling in and learning the ropes. His personality is changing, very natural for greyhounds who often will take a year or more for their personalities to emerge. DH needs to become the Bearer-Of-All-Good-Things guy. He needs to feed him, take him for walks, play appropriately in the yard - basically everything that your hound find good and fun your DH needs to beinvolved in. As far as having *this* particular greyhound when you have your baby, only you can tell how much time and energy you feel able to devote to keeping both your dog and your child safe and happy. It can be done, but it takes extreme diligence on your part. It means teaching your dog good manners around children. It means teaching your child to respect your dog's space and enforcing the rules about when and where they can interact. There are many people here who have children and greyhounds, and I hope they will chime in here for you. Good luck and please keep us posted.

Both are common greyhound traits. Time and patience and the judicious use of treats will help. Use treats as both lure on walks and a reward for calm behavior around other breeds. Welcome!

No swelling here post-amp. Dude's incision and foot were basically healed up after the bandage came off (we did have a skin infection, but that was entirely caused by the bandaging). Culture and blood work to see if he has a more resistant infection would be in order. He's on antibiotics now???

My two guys both loved day care when they were younger and had energy to burn. We had a good set-up similar to above where they also offered boarding, so we did use them to go on vacation a cuple times. They came home happy and exhausted, which was what we wanted! However, as they became older and they got more "potato-y" they enjoyed it less. Also, the place grew in popularity very quickly and it got too noisy and too crowded for the boys. Plus, the staffing levels were too low for real supervision with that many dogs. Bottom-line is you'll have to see how Zero does. He may LOVE it! He may not. Depends.

Muzzles are much safer than leaving them alone without them. If they are typical open basket muzzles, both dogs should be very familiar with them. They can drink and pant, and even have treats through them, so there isn't a problem leaving them on while you're gone. As to the larger issue, you can try and correct this behavior, but I don't think I've ever heard of enyone successfully doing it. It's her instinctive reaction to play behavior. Some greys do it more than others. I don't muzzle mine in the house or when we leave, but we are muzzled in the yard due to the same issue.

Hope Tessa's still doing well today. Maybe she just had a bit of gas or something.

I generally have a "no tolerance" policy for snarking, no matter what the cause. There's a big difference though between snarking and teaching manners and expressing themselves. No resource guarding of anything - beds, toys, treats, space, people, anything. I supervise all meals and they are never left alone with something of high value. BUT - If my wild child Toni starts getting uppity and in somebody's face (and I don't stop her first) they are absolutely allowed to tell her to knock it off. Same deal if somebody gets stepped on and they growl a bit. I don't ever let an incident go without changing the dynamic myself so mostly they never get beyond a comment or two. Basically, it comes to knowing your dogs, their individual comfort zones, and each ones' response to pressure on those zones. I think you did the right thing.

When she gets the bandages off you might try rubbing some Bag Balm on her pads at night. It will help them heal and make them a bit more flexible. Are we going to see the new addition at the Picnic on Sunday???