PrairieProf

Just seeing this -- sending good thoughts to Ace! Sorry she's having problems, but at least it's not the Terrible Thing.

Make your returns and departures very calm and low-key. As Patricia McConnell says, if you fall all over the dog when you leave or return it sends the message that there's something big and scary about your being away. Is there any doggie daycare where you live? That might be something to look into while you're working on the alone training, though you'd want to be careful about the conditions (my girl can be a little too intense with submissive dogs so I've never wanted to try it). Or someone who could come over as a house-sitter for a few hours? I'd also suggest you be in touch with your adoption group -- they are a great resource and should be there to support you.

I was just thinking the same thing as I was driving home after last reading the thread at the office. If you're planning on taking your dog and crate to where you'll be for the weekend, that's one thing. But if you're thinking you'll leave the dog in the crate day and night for a long weekend except, presumably, when a pet-sitter comes . . . I don't think anyone on this board would EVER EVER EVER do that. Yes, they're crated most of the time at the track etc., but a kennel situation with other dogs is different. About nine hours is the longest I ever leave Beth in the crate -- with a dog-walker visit in the middle -- even though she is not new and is fine crated. If you're going out of town without your dog, you need to find someone he can stay with in a home (your adoption group may be able to help with this -- I think most of us would infinitely prefer our hounds to stay with someone who has/knows greys), or find a local boarding kennel (not an ideal option in many ways, but better than nothing -- many vets also offer boarding). Of course if he's staying in someone else's house, they're going to need to leave sometimes too!

Beth's teeth were quite good before (daily brushing) but after about eight weeks of using Petzlife are close to flawless, even on the side where she has a malocclusion and doesn't chew her raw bones.

You really do need to practice "alone training" -- do a search for it on the forum [+alone +training]. Just sticking them in the crate and leaving is asking for a problem. I second the McConnell book, but you need to start alone training TODAY, not wait for a book. In my view getting a second hound (when the first one is so new) is an overkill solution to what may be a small problem that hasn't even begun to be addressed yet. Not everyone wants multiple dogs, although I know I'm in the minority here.

I do Beth's teeth (brushing and/or Petzlife) religiously after our last pee call of the evening -- I march her directly into the bathroom and we do it there. I don't give her any treats afterward, just as I don't eat after brushing my own teeth before bed.

Congratulations! She looks very sweet, I'll look forward to more pics! And I bet you can get the cutest daisy-patterned martingales for her....

I am so, so sorry.

Raw beef or bison (whenever I'm cooking it for myself, which is fairly often), canned green tripe (half a can of Tripett), jack mackerel, sardines, chicken hearts/gizzards, yogurt, cottage cheese, pumpkin -- add-ins only at dinner, so she doesn't get fussy about eating plain kibble, which is all she gets in the morning. I cut back a bit on the portion of kibble when the amount of add-in is substantial. Several times a week she gets raw meaty bones for dinner.

I am so sorry -- how terrible to lose their boy so suddenly, it seems like the worst nightmare. He looks like such a sweet and happy boy.

I'm so sorry. What a beautiful girl, and a wonderful name ... "Koontuckey" makes me smile.

I am so sorry, I can't imagine what you're going through.

Good thoughts for Get Em -- and for you as you wait for news. P.S. have you seen the current thread on TNT Star Wars pups? You've got one too!

I would think the toleration concerns the action of brushing, not the toothpaste (my girl loves Petrodex Poultry flavor). You could try something that doesn't involve brushing, like Petzlife spray, that a lot of people here have had good luck with. There's also Wysong Dentatreat, that is sort of a powdered cheese substance they love ... hard to tell how well it works; now I mostly use it for my cat.

The only issues are things I consider to be quite minor and easy to deal with. Jimmy does have sleep aggression, but that's easy enough. He's just not allowed on the bed with me (I let him up once, he woke 20 minutes in snarling and lunging at me, I made him get off, and that's that), and the girls give him plenty of space when he's sleeping and don't bother him. We're having a few issues with him allowing me to do grooming things like his nails. I just ask a friend to come by and help hold and distract him while I take care of it. I have to do the same with Lene anyway, because that's one of the areas where she still challenges me on a regular basis. *G* We're also still having some digestive issues, but he's put back on the weight he lost initially, and then some I believe (all muscle), and he's doing fine in spite not having solid stools yet. But compared to what I've had to deal with in other rescue dogs, this is all extremely blow-off-able. He's happy, he plays, and so far he hasn't hurt himself during any of the insane play he partakes in, beyond a few scratches. Beth has no sleep aggression and is good with the nails (I do them while she's sacked out). She does have a sensitive tummy though. Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream is what has worked best for her. Like Jimmy she is a happy, happy girl. There are quite a few half-sibs on the forum here!

Welcome! Search the archives and I believe you'll find that the former McGregor has already been admired on the forum and had pics posted. My Beth has the same daddy, but did not inherit the TNT Star Wars roman nose, although it appears at least one of her littermates did! [Edited to add, it sounds like Beth and Jimmy have quite similar personalities -- she also was issue-free, and lives to snuggle every human being she can get to and charms everyone (and also plays a bit rough and is vocal doing it!).] I love IWs ... my parents' neighbor in NY has them and is a contact for wolfhound rescue there. Hope you'll post lots of more pictures!

So sorry for your loss -- but happy for all the wonderful years you had together.

Mine is on TOTW and the few times I've fed her a bland diet (my vet doesn't recommend it despite people here being so focused on it, so I'm always torn) I've just used mashed potatoes -- with boiled ground beef. Potato and sweet potato are the main carbs in TOTW after all.

Also, know that Evo may or may not work for your hound ... some people here have had good luck with it, some (me included) have had nothing but runny poop. Greys have sensitive stomachs often and if you don't go to raw right off (which might be a fine idea) you may find that finding a kibble that agrees with your dog is the main task -- and may have little to do with your abstract ideas of an ideal feeding regimen! And yes, kibble already has veggies in so there's no benefit to adding more. Lots of us add things like sardines or canned tripe or raw meat on top of kibble sometimes or all the time, if your main goal is supplementing with fresh food.

I am so, so sorry, Heather. What a gorgeous boy.

This is a great thread, very reassuring. I think my vet only sees two greyhounds, but he's smart and caring and appears super up-to-date on the latest research, and his clinic does advanced procedures like laser surgery you'd otherwise have to go to the state vet school for (and he does acupuncture too!). I do check to make sure he's aware of the greyhound-specific things, but he always seems to know them already. It occurs to me that anyone who reads widely on this forum is probably as greyhound-savvy as most vets you could hope to find other than super-specialists. We can help our vets learn greyhound stuff -- we can't teach them to be great vets if they aren't already.

My vet has their floor scale right out at the edge of the waiting area, so I usually cruise by every few weeks and step Beth on it. She loves to go in and say hi to her peeps there anyway.

I was told by the adoption coordinator at my group that using a raised feeder wasn't necessary/desirable, so I don't. (I also like being able to take the food bowl up between meals -- I don't need it cluttering up my living room [we feed on a rug, less slippery for her feet as she bends down] all the time for the three minutes or so a day Beth spends actually eating.) And after all, they've never had raised feeders before they're adopted, I don't think! I might use one if Beth seems uncomfortable reaching down to the bowl when she gets older.

One of the benefits of TOTW is that it's grain free. I'm not sure I'd want to spend the $ for TOTW only to add back in grains, which are inappropriate for dogs to begin with. +1 here. Rice or even more so, wheat products, is pretty much empty carbs/calories -- you're not doing your dogs any nutritional favor by adding it. Anything I add to my dog's food is to give her more nutrition (protein and fat!) and fresh food. The point about monitoring the amount you feed is also good -- and I agree, my dog (58-59 pounds) would get 3 cups a day if I wasn't doing meat/fish/tripe as an evening add-in.

Congrats, he's very handsome and sweet looking! Beth is also four and started at Dubuque.