greysmom

Awesome shot! But look how white his face has gotten!

House humidity - before you invest in a humidifier try setting a big pot of water on your cooker or stove. Watch it to make sure it doesn't get dry and ruin your pot. Yawning - sometimes yawns happen and they mean just what a yawn normally means. From your video, most dogs will open their mouths when you scratch or pet them on the side of the mouth, like a reflex. FWIW, my dogs yawn all the time. Dogs will also yawn in reaction to *seeing* another human or dog yawn, like people do. Licking - some racing dogs can develop a licking habit - it can develop into an OCD sort of thing if done too often. Many greyhound owners complain their dogs lick the couch or chair or beds, and it's just that - a habit they develop in the kennels. BUT - if he's licking/biting enough to discolor his fur, he needs to be seen by a vet. There may be an underlying issue like a food allergy/intolerance, dry/itchy skin (you can try adding a high omega 3 oil like salmon oil gradually to his food to help that), a contact dermatitis, or something else that your vet can talk with you about.

Thyroid issues can cause anxiety and unexpected aggression. But greyhounds are often misdiagnosed due to having very low normal levels. This is why you need to have greyhound thyroid evaluated with an expanded test through Michigan State. Your vet can help you submit samples for testing.

Awesome update!!! :yay :yay

It's called "pica" (I think), and he's trying to sooth his stomach. Probably related to the hooks. If you can get him to eat anything that's actually food it will help. Then try and make sure he always has a little something on his stomach, especially throughout his treatment. Pasta, oatmeal, overcooked rice, non-seedy bread (like plain white bread) soaked in broth, and low- or non-fat protein (boiled ground meats, or pan fried and rinsed ground meats, chicken breast prepared at home) are all good choices. If he starts vomiting and/or has any blood in either vomit or stool, get him in to the vet asap.

Forgot a couple things: Get a couple DAP diffusers (Dog Appeasing Pheromones) for the house, and maybe a collar for her to wear as well. It will sometimes help take the edge off. There are also plenty of OTC calming products out there if you want to give them a try. I believe Patricia McConnell's books are all available as e-books so you can download and have them today. Respectfully, what you're doing is not Alone Training. It's just leaving her with no warning. Of course she's going to get upset with a surprise like that. Even with the two puppies we've had, a strict daily schedule and routine is *extremely* important. They need to be able to count on it day to day, so unless you take the trash out every day at the same time, it does NOT count as desensitization training. Her anxiety level when you leave is too high for her to focus on any distraction techniques. She's scared and she's doesn't believe you will ever come back to her. SA isn't a quick fix or something that's going to be cured overnight. It takes a good concerted effort. And even then, there are just some dogs that can never be "only" dogs in a home. If you feel like this issue is going to be beyond your capabilities, time , or patience level (no judgement - it's not for everyone), it would be best to return her sooner rather than later.

Very cool!

Stop forcing her in the crate. It's counter productive and will make her hate it even more. Your going to have to find another solution until you can get a handle on her SA. No where in your list do you say you've done any Alone Training. This is likely the first and only time your very young puppy has been left alone in her entire life, so you need to accustom her to being OK when she's by herself. Pick up "I'll Be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell. It's a good primer and she gives easy, step-by-step instructions for getting your dog used to being alone. You can also see if your adoption group can recommend a positive reinforcement only animal behaviorist to work with you all one on one. In the meantime, try and discover when in your leaving routine she begins to become anxious. Write out the steps you take if it helps. Then begin at the beginning and do that action over and over again until she becomes bored with it. Then add the next thing - repeat both steps together until bored. Add the next and the next until you can do your whole schedule and she doesn't get upset. If she starts getting anxious go back a step and start again. Yes, it takes time. Lots of time. But you have her whole lifetime to overcome. Be patient and structured. Since you can't crate her for the time being, puppy proof a room in your house and baby gate her there. If you're in an apartment or condo make sure you visit all your neighbors (including above and below) and let them know you have a new dog and are working on the issue. You may need to talk with your vet about a short course of a fast acting anti anxiety med such as Trazadone to get you through the tough parts in the beginning. This is NOT a miracle cure. You still have to do Alone Training and get her desensitized to your leaving routine. While your doing this, you can also try and rehabilitate the crate for her. Leave the door open and put really YUMMY treats inside for her to find on her own. When she will go inside on her own again, feed her her meals in the crate. Make it a fun thing and a good place. Good luck!

Prey drive isn't dependent on gender. It's as much a personality trait as activity level or friendliness. Socialization and obedience training will help but their full prey drive won't kick in until later on. Up until then you simply won't know if your pup is truly cat and/or small dog tolerant. Two things to keep in mind regarding puppies in general: 1) most daycares won't take in puppies until they are done with their puppy shots; 2) rabies can't be given until 6 months of age. Also a daycare *may* not take unaltered puppies over 6 months, while rescues/breeders are now recommending to wait until 18 months (give or take) until after the puppy's boney growth plates have sealed (indicating most growth is complete). It's a discussion you should have with your vet and whoever you get your puppy from.

Fuzzy slippers and a nice blanket!

Where are they?? Where are they???

Couple different things come to mind, in no particular order: At 2 years old, as stated above, he's still basically a puppy in an adult body. He will be more active and need more exercise than an older adult. He also won't be entirely potty trained and many of the issues you've had with him peeing in his crate just sound like you've asked him to go too long - especially overnight. 9:30pm to 6:45 am is more than 9 hours and it just may be beyond his capabilities right now. Once he wakes up - which he will as soon as he hears moving around upstairs - he has to go NOW. He also is probably really lonely down there. It's natural for dogs to want to sleep with their packmates at night. It's comforting and it helps with bonding. If you can work out a way for him to sleep in your bedroom it would be best. Borrow another crate for a while (or move yours upstairs), or use an xpen or baby gates to keep him a little confined. Muzzle him if needed. It's just going to take a while for him and the cats to get accustomed to one another. It's also totally fine to leave him muzzled during the day if you leave him out of the crate. Dog proof a room where he's comfortable and use baby gates to keep him there. You can stack them in the doorways and leave them 3-4 inches off the ground so the cats can get in and out easily. If he's destroying things inside his crate he will soon move on to trying to get out. It's time to see if he can be out of the crate on his own while you're gone. Same thing applies - dog proof his place and use baby gates. Again, if he's destructive you can leave his muzzle on. He needs more exercise. Longer walks morning and night to try and tire him out. I say try because it's next to impossible to truly tire out a 2 year old puppy! Use caution at the dog park. Monitor him and his play buddies closely to make sure things don't get out of hand. Congrats and good luck!

Puppies are puppies. Sighthound puppies of whichever breed are not that different than other large breed puppies. BUT - you need to commit to taking them out every hour or two - day and night - for a good six months until they are potty trained. And you need to commit to regular exercise as least as much. They need to run and play and bite and chew a LOT. For many months. Our currant puppy is 11 months old. He's finally up to about 4 hours between potty trips outside, and can go all night without going out. He plays with our other three greyhounds, and we play with him the rest of the time - three play sessions outside and at least 2-3 hours of indoor play a day. We've had two greyhound puppies and two Great Dane puppies and puppies are a handful. It's much, much, much simpler to adopt a young retired racer if you want a young dog. At two or even three years old they are still very much a puppy in an adult body, but they will already be potty trained, have a good base for learning, and be beyond many of the most annoying bits of puppyhood. Still, there's nothing like watching a puppy learn and grow. They can be sweet and annoying and snuggly and bitey. They can destroy a shoe faster than a mechanical shredder then fall asleep in your lap. Then wake up and chew the corners off all your end tables. So you *can* have a puppy in an apartment - people do it all the time - but think very very carefully about the time you will need to commit for the first couple years, and if you are able to give them what they need to grow up happy and healthy.

Sweet!

Hemangioma. More like a big blood blister. They can be trouble so your vet should look at it.

If he's just vomiting liquid and not uneaten/undigested food, it's probably as Don said - a too empty stomach. It might be from anxiety from moving to your house, and/or he may be getting more exercise with you, or a number of other factors. Personally, I would split his meals differently so that he has a consistent amount to eat morning and night - kibble and canned food at both meals. You may also need to increase his food a little, or add a snack before bed. No matter what I would get him to the vet and keep an eye on his hydration level.

You will likely get some responses, but these kinds of things are really best dealt with in person and not by us. I suggest you contact the canine behaviorist you worked with before to help you sort out this issue. FWIW, he is giving you warning signs (head down, not looking at you, he may be lifting his lip and/or growling that you can't see due to his posture). Apparently he is still resource guarding things he considers his. Your behaviorsit can help you recognize the signs and his body language. Also talk with them about your future plans and what you can do to help Ragnar (great name!) get ready for a baby.

You may need to bite the bullet and see if theres an emergency vet near you. If she refuses to put weight on the leg, there could be something serious going on that needs attention sooner rather than later. Put her muzzle on with some peanut butter smeared on the front bars so you can get a look at her injury and get some ice on it. If she still won't let you, it's evet time. Alternatively, you can ask your vet if it's possible for you to drop her off so they can take a look at her when they have time. They may want/need to do an xray, so ask them to call you first if so. Most greyhounds will be fine without sedation unless they have to be put in a weird position. Lastly, FWIW, her nervousness is likely due to her anxiety at her new living situation, not to being an ex racer. She could also be genetically predisposed to anxiety, again, not related to her racing career. She should calm down as she settles into your home and routine.

Lexie! Fashion Icon!! :wub: :wub:

Pay attention to the salt content in what he's getting to eat. Another GTer had this issue and she noticed the peanut butter she was giving him as a treat (in Kongs and such) had a huge amount of salt in it. She changed to a natural brand and the issue resolved.

You're already doing or starting eveyrthing I would have suggested. There's just no cure for old age... The one thing you might look into is amping that toe if he would be OK to go under anesthesia. The surgery itself is fairly basic and recovery time minimal. You'd have to keep very clean and dry bandaging as his skin is really thin and vulnerable - with changes every two or three days, but it could really help his mobility once healed. Do you have some sort of support harness or sling to be able to help him up and getting around? {{{hugs}}}

It depends on your dog, their age, and their natural activity level. It's also not always just a static answer. What's acceptable will change over time. I don't walk my dogs - our neighborhood is dangerous with lots of loose, unsupervised dogs, no sidewalks, and lots of traffic. But we do have a nice big yard, and they have each other, to play in and with. We go out for usually three 20 minute sessions a day. Sometimes they play, sometimes digging, sometimes a race, sometimes I get out the lure pole or kick a ball around for them to chase. That has always worked for us. So I would say you're all right, generally, for right now. Once she's healed up and a little more settled in, she may need longer walks and/or more exercise.

Stop pushing him. If there's no reason for him to go upstairs, just let him figure it out on his own. Rewarding him for coming to the area of the stairs is a great idea, but don't try and lure him up until he's more comfortable. Keep a little bowl of treats near the stairs and toss him one whenever he makes the decision to investigate. After a few months (or maybe longer), when he's calmed down and forgotten his trauma, you can try again to get him upstairs.