PrairieProf

Totally normal. Dog poop firmness really depends on how long it's been in the pipeline, so to speak.

Welcome ... from another "Prof" in the upper Midwest!

Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream (salmon) and the new Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain (lamb; not available everywhere yet) are the only two TOTW formulas without chicken. Lots of hounds on this site, mine included, do terrifically on TOTW Pacific Stream, and TOTW is one of most economical grain-free foods too.

I am so sorry. Diana was a beautiful kitty.

Some issues from dirty paws, but nothing from Beth's body that I've never noticed. BUT she is only off-leash for defined periods in the dog park or another fenced area I take her to and doesn't get to lie down much outside -- only on grass, and with me watching -- so there's not much contact between her body and actual dirt. Well, except when she runs through the mud, but then she gets hosed off.

Roman noses are statistically quite uncommon among greyhounds; they're a bit of an oddity, but one that has enthusiastic admirers on this board, so we get lots of pics posted! I guess overbites are rather more common. As was said above, NGA greyhounds are not bred for looks (there is no visual "breed standard" they are being judged by, as with AKC dogs), so genetic variants that don't affect speed or health get perpetuated. That's why greyhounds come in all different colors, too!

You may well need more than a fleece jacket (if you mean single-layer fleece). I'd definitely want a real winter coat -- imagine 20 degrees, windy, and snowing. (Unless you're talking about southern Ohio; I'm not so familiar with the climate there.) You may have mild days but it can also be pretty brutal. Plus your dog will not have had a chance to acclimate to cold temperatures along with the season. We potty on leash almost all the time, so I don't know about the issue of your dog's expectations -- but I'd decide on a set route if it's just a quick potty walk and stick to that; in a few days Orion should get familiar with the routine and learn he has X amount of walk to do his business in.

I've had Beth two years and aside from right after I brought her home I've taken her for baths/grooming (don't do it myself) twice a year, more or less spring and fall. She doesn't generally seem dirty but it seems like a nice idea to freshen up after the winter and summer seasons, and getting a "blowout" from a professional groomer helps with the spring shedding. She gets hosed off if she gets muddy in warm weather, and gets rubbed down sometimes with doggie bath wipes if she seems a little fragrant. She has become one of the softest, silkiest greyhounds around, and non-grey dog people sometimes ask me what I bathe her in. It's fun to shock them with the news that whatever makes her soft, it's not special shampoo.

Oh no! Sending good thoughts.

Welcome!

Yay, so happy for good news for you!

Well, you're not using that much and rubbing it into the pads, so they're not going to get a lot. You could read the ingredients list and compare with Bag Balm. They have a Canadian website btw: http://www.bagbalm.ca/bagbalm.ca/english/index.asp

In the U.S., you can get it in places like Walgreens (pharmacy). It's around very commonly, often sold with other skin lotions for humans. Or a farm or feed store -- it was originally designed for cows' udders, the "bag" of the name. I'm sure you can get it online, but I doubt you need to.

Yeah, I checked the locator - Vinton's the closest, and I ain't goin' there for dog treats. But thanks for the heads-up, I'll keep my eye out for them. (And nice to meet another Iowa resident on GT!)

Cool, Independence is about 30 miles from my house! We don't have a Theisens in my city, alas, nor do they seem to be sold elsewhere -- so in effect they're not selling them in the nearest larger city to where they're made, which is odd.

I'm so very sorry. What a beautiful wonderful boy, and a beautiful remembrance -- brings tears to my eyes.

I am so very sad and sorry that those who loved her could not have more time with beautiful, sweet, smiling Rose. But how wonderful that what turned out to be her last year was such a happy one. :f_white

He could also have thrown out something around his neck/spine, especially since that's where you notice pain. Definitely vet visit needed. If it's up in that area, acupuncture has helped lots of hounds on this board in addition to NSAIDS.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. We're going to work on it ... lots of suggestions here. The toy thing is tricky since she's not interested in toys except when she decides she is, which is pretty infrequent -- you can throw a toy, squeak it, try to put it in her mouth, and she's utterly indifferent. On our walk this evening, I tried to keep an eye out for when she was getting a little excited, and to walk more slowly or stop and turn away or ask her for a sit until she seemed calm. There was one point at which she bit my arm but I corrected her (I've decided "cut it out" in a serious but not loud voice will be the designated command, since yelling "No!" has gotten me nowhere) and turned her in a tight circle (with both hands on the leash near her collar as someone above suggested), which seems to help. Had to do it twice, but then she stayed calm for the rest of the way home. I also carried good training treats to reward her when she was calm or to keep her focused with "watch me" exercises. This wasn't a challenging walk (we weren't on grass), but it was a start ... maybe. Some days she's bitier than others. Maybe tomorrow evening we'll try it off leash. I'm the only human who works with her, but consistency for me will be the challenge ... in the past if she doesn't jump at all during a walk I start wondering if she's feeling all right! I'm really glad you all think I don't need to keep her off the bed! I really can't imagine that anymore than I can imagine not letting my cat on the bed. Greyhound princesses should sleep in whatever comfy spot suits them best -- and when I get into bed and want more room for my legs, she does hop right off.

There was an AP article in today's paper that the pumpkin shortage is now over. That was due to weather having impacted last year's crop, but this year's crop is now coming in and will be in stores shortly. (There have been only a couple of times I haven't found it in stores here, however.)

I don't know about the nails, but a lot of people find rubbing Bag Balm into the pads helps keep them moist and minimizes cracking.

Welcome! We'll be excited to see all your updates and pics!

What a sweet story! Congratulations. Feeling really bummed I never noticed any siggie action... how fun.

Interesting, it does often start during a fast walk (not necessarily heeling, but with her near me, and we always walk pretty fast). Let's see, here are the typical triggers: --Often in the second half of a walk, not so much in the beginning --If she's just greeted another dog, or been petted by strangers on a walk, or a bicycle or runners went by fast (so, things that got her a little excited) --Crossing grass or an open area, vs. walking on the sidewalk/trail or at the edge of road --Me running at all (including hustling to cross a busy street) --When I start singing to her or talking to her in an "aren't you a cute houndie" voice -- often this happens toward the end of a walk too --When I'm initiating play trying to get her to run with no other dogs present (clearly I need to cut this out, though it does facilitate her exercising!) GreyPoopon -- "settle" is a good idea; what's the command separate than one for sitting or downing? Beth will do either of those readily, but she's clearly waiting for me to move again and is still ramped up -- at least as long as I've been willing to wait before wanting to continue the walk if we're on leash.

She knows those commands quite well (except for absconding with frozen poop in winter at the dog park!). I think Batmom is on to something when she says Beth takes my yelling as a game -- I've tried yelping too. I'm going to try an intense but quieter voice to see if that makes an impact. Basically the penny can gets her attention way more than any vocal noise -- I haven't used it in a while and need to get it out again. For a while I tried redirecting her to a toy on leash, and it worked at least a bit. Off leash she has zero interest in toys or balls most of the time -- I can't get her to take her play focus off of me, even if I try to put the toy directly in her mouth, or throw it, or squeak it. Once in a while she grabs it in her mouth and drops it and then zooms in circles sort of "tagging" it, but that's uncommon. Of course the fox tail I got for a lure pole would be a different story... she's almost too intense in her focus on that. On leash, I've had some luck turning her in a tight circle when she jumps/bites -- it seems to help shift her focus. I've also gotten nipped in the butt once or twice.