3greytjoys

Nice to see your reply. Yes, I agree with adding a runner rug type floor mat ASAP. Weather safe outdoor rug material manufactured with non-slip rubber backing is available to cut from rolls at home improvement stores. Cut to length depending on the length of slippery floor space. Thereafter, you may not need counter-conditioning through that space. It's nice when counter-conditioning works for slippery floors, but many, many Greyhounds are uneasy walking on smooth floors. It's common for them to long remember if they've had a slip/fall before, especially scary when their paws are wet after a walk. Their fear reaction is real with good reason. Slippery floors can be dangerous enough to break long greyhound legs, or worse. Good luck and please let us know how it goes.

I'm so sorry for your terribly sad loss of your beloved Nattie. Our caring thoughts are with you through this difficult time. Godspeed sweet Nattie.

Helps to keep in mind that racing Greyhounds are bred to be professional athletes. They are not reared in family homes, and have no experience being a cuddly pet. They are accustomed to having their own private and undisturbed space. That undisturbed space becomes more important when racing Greyhounds are suddenly removed from the only life they've known, and dropped into what feels like a scary alien planet. Humans leaning over to pet, or attempting to hug/cuddle dogs is considered threatening behavior in canines' language. If adopting a Greyhound, I'd encourage you to not allow the hound on human furniture for the first 6+ months, and to wait until the Greyhound stands up and walks away from his/her dog bed before petting. Most important is for humans to focus on respectfully earning a dog's trust; then allowing enough time for the hound to reveal their true temperament, and potential desire for touch. There are some Greyhounds who are medically limited to a lifetime of walking exercise only, which might be a nice option to consider.

What is Ruby's racing name? If your adoption group is located nearby, consider asking them to provide a small, fluffy dog test for Ruby at your house (or their location, if needed). Otherwise, Ruby's reaction to a young, fluffy, highly active, toy-like intruder in her own long-established house/family is unpredictable in advance. She might be fine with a small dog, or not. It could take work, but "small animal friendly" or "small animal workable hounds" usually learn to view small animals inside the house as family members, eventually. It's possible Ruby might view a cat-sized fluffy dog as prey throughout her life, but if she's not highly prey driven chances for peace improve. (All of our hounds are cat-friendly, yet our 15 year old hound still attempts to chase our 8 year old indoor cat.) As the adage goes: Whenever Greyhounds are outside = game on!! It's like their sighthound chase-to-hunt prey instinct switches on inside their head. Any small animals outside could be at high risk including family cats or small dogs. Adopters with cats/small animals are cautioned to not let their hounds outside at the same time with small animals. Even if Ruby were muzzled for every yard outing, the force of her size/body weight or zoomie/race propulsion could cause her to trip over or crush a small, darting dog causing both dogs significant harm. Some people get lucky with unusually gentle Greyhounds playing with small dogs who've lived together for a long time, but the accident potential remains, as does switching from play to prey. Our rule is that all dogs must be basket muzzled whenever there is more than one dog in an outside enclosure large enough to run/play. (I'll never forget a young teen with a small puppy mistakenly entering a fenced enclosure during a "Greyhounds only" event. The instant she put the puppy on the ground, puppy yelped once (like a squeaky toy), and 18-20 Greyhounds FLEW from the opposite side of the enclosure to descend on that pup within 2-3 seconds.) I'd treat small puppy safety similarly to kitten safety -- whenever Ruby and pup are supervised and roaming free in same room together, muzzle until you're sure Ruby won't chase or lose her cool with the puppy. It could take weeks, months or longer. Don't leave them free in same room together if unsupervised.

Agree. A similarity of fluffy puppies and kittens is that they run around quickly and look similar to a lure or squeaky toy. Safety measures will be your friend (e.g., muzzle; baby gate; crate; secured ex-pen); very close supervision; and please ensure the dogs are safely separated by a physical barrier before feeding time.

Sounds good. Your initial extra effort should help set her up for long-term success. As mentioned, each newly adopted dog's urine holding time limit is different due to their physical body; medical condition; environmental stress level; previous kennel schedule; food/water; etc. (Generally, our well-settled, healthy hounds' comfortable overnight limit has been about 7 (or up to 8) hours.) If interested in a potential temporary solution until your garden can be fully fenced (if your hound is not high prey or a jumper): For quick supervised elimination outings, a couple of 48" tall metal exercise pens could be configured into one larger U-shape surrounding a house door with the exterior house wall as one side of the enclosure. Ex-pens come with a ready-made gate, and can be secured to 5' tall metal fence posts (1' of post in-ground). https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Pet-Supplies/MidWest-Exercise-Pen-Door-48-Inch-Gold/B00063KG46 (We find our 48" tall ex-pens valuable as an indoor medical recovery space; dog enclosure inside hotel rooms; Greyhound events; air-lock safety surround for main fence gate or house door; to fence off a deep pond; separate visiting dogs while eating, etc.) Good luck, and please let us know what ends up working best for your girl.

A home video of Jammer coughing (dry cough and gagging water) could help your vet determine a diagnosis if Jammer happens to be quiet during the vet visit. It might be a from different cause. (A couple of our hounds had a throat condition that I mentioned during a prior vet visit, but it wasn't diagnosed until the vet happened to see them performing the action during a later visit.)

This is a good mention for other adopters too. A golden rule to remember for dogs: Let sleeping dogs lie undisturbed, meaning humans should consider a dog's bed the dog's personal undisturbed "safe zone". Better for humans to wait for dogs to stand up and walk away from the dog's bed before approaching or petting the dog. Also, leaning over a dog's body or reaching over the dog's head is considered threatening in dogs' language. Gently stroking a dog's shoulder, side, or thigh (in same direction as fur grows) while dog is standing and away from dog's bed is much preferred. Resource guarding: If a human needs to take away something a dog is chewing, it's safest to "trade up" by happily tossing yummy meat treats or a toy of higher value near the dog (as a distraction) to encourage dog to stand up and leave the unsafe item behind. Thereafter, a human can quickly remove the unsafe item the dog left behind on the floor. Please keep newly adopted dogs off of humans' furniture: Safest to not allow dogs on humans' furniture. At the very least, please consider waiting at least 6 months or more before allowing a dog on humans' furniture. It often takes that long or longer for a Greyhound to begin revealing his/her true personality and personal space needs. Adopters with younger children would be smart to never allow dogs on humans' furniture. These tips will help your new Greyhound settle nicely into his forever home. Hope your adoption went well on Sunday.

Welcome to GreyTalk! I agree with Krissy. First, I'd work on alone training to evaluate the root of Lily's anxiety level. You may have already determined the most important considerations before adding a second dog: Can you afford to double the lifetime expenses of food; heartworm preventative; veterinary care; dog clothing; supplies; etc., and can you commit to the responsibility of a second dog for the life of the dog? Do you expect to stay in your current home long-term, and would two dogs be legal to stay with you there forever (if it's a rental)? No need to answer these questions here, just food for your thought. I'm not sure how long you've been in your new home, but I'm not surprised that Lily is struggling with this third major change within a short time (not to mention previous changes before her retirement). Retired racing Greyhounds are strongly accustomed to living in large packs (they've never been alone until retirement), and most enjoy the company of other Greyhounds more than other breeds. Fine if you were to consider a different breed, but I'd suggest a similar size dog with a similar respectful temperament and play style if you decide to get another dog. (Many of us with multiple Greyhounds use basket muzzles on all our dogs when they play/run together in a fenced enclosure outside because retired racers are often competitive play mates. Muzzles prevent injuries from a tooth snagging their thin skin, etc. General rule: If one dog is muzzled, all dogs must be muzzled; otherwise, a single muzzled dog can't defend him/herself from a non-muzzled dog. If not too far away, perhaps Lily could enjoy play dates with her Poodle friends, and/or ask your Greyhound group if they arrange Greyhound only play dates. "I'll Be Home Soon" is a short booklet by Patricia McConnell that could help you with Lily's separation anxiety: https://www.amazon.com/Ill-Home-Soon-Separation-Anxiety/dp/1891767054 One of our hounds has separation anxiety. In her case, I am her most important target. She's had 3 hound mates, two of which did very little to support her emotionally, but she is joined at the hip with one other hound. They do everything together; one won't go out in the yard for a potty break without the other. Positive reward reinforcement obedience training helped our SA hound a lot by increasing her self-confidence and helping her understand the workings of the family household. "Go to your bed/place" was an important action for her to learn so she could learn to be okay independently (vs. being underfoot at all times). Our SA hound excels as my top obedience hound because she's so eager to please her human. In case you missed this recent thread, you might pick up some helpful tips for your situation: http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/320026-started-peeing-in-the-house-crate-after-6-months/ Good luck, and please let us know whatever you decide.

I believe the time between her final night outing and first morning outing is too long. None of our hounds can hold urine for 9+ hours, even during overnight darkness. Your best bet would be to anticipate her body's current functional needs, and intercept by providing her a quick outing before she reaches her holding limit. Then go back to sleep, if needed. Is any water added to her kibble meals? If not, I would suggest doing so. Moistened kibble is swallowed more easily, and it could reduce her need for drinking as much water from her water bowl close to bedtime. A 42 inch long crate is not too large for a Greyhound. Dogs are supposed to be able to stand up, turn around easily, and lie down without folding their legs when crated. Actually, 42" crates don't even allow Greyhounds to stand up erectly. (Racing kennel crates are larger.) During winter, she may be curling up more frequently at one end while trying to keep warm (or when trying to avoid a urine accident!) but she will need that 42" crate size in summer. BTW, since Greyhounds are temperature sensitive and our house is fairly cool in winter; our (open door) crates are partially covered with a blanket or sheet, and our hounds wear Greyhound jammies to help them stay warm. (One exception: Avoid covering crates with fabric for hounds who are known chewers likely to ingest the material.) Positive thoughts to your partner after having broken both ankles! Recovering from one fracture is difficult but both at once must have been awful!

Welcome to GreyTalk! Congratulations on both of your Greyhound additions! Yes, it's wonderful to be surprised by their blossoming progress -- often noticeable at 3 weeks, 3 months, 3 years, and beyond. You're fortunate to be able to adopt hounds from the same family. (We've brought in four family members.) What is Banksy's racing name? It's fine to ask your adoption group about his activity during his past 2 months. They may or may not know that information. Just take everything slowly. Give him plenty of time to rest, and adjust to his new forever home and family. Soft paw pads are very common with newly retired Greyhounds. They're accustomed to soft sand tracks and turn-out pens. When health permits, we usually start new fosters from the track with 5 minute walks, gradually increasing time duration over the first 2-3 months. This allows hounds to adjust slowly to their strange new environment, and allows paw pads to begin building toughness without causing sores (which can happen if hounds are over-walked too soon). Also allows walking muscles and endurance to be built gradually. Building endurance is different from their 30-second race sprinting condition, and it's possible your boy may not have had much (if any) recent measurable exercise. Your vet should be able to guide you re: improving his skin. Please do get a fecal test, and TBD test (tick borne disease) if not tested upon his arrival into CO(?). The adoption group should let you know which kibble he's been eating. Helps to start them on the same kibble until he's been home and settled for a while. It you want to change kibble later, do so gradually over 3-4 weeks (unless he has a severe reaction to current kibble). Enjoy your litter mates!

It's tough to determine a potential cause for this accident with limited information. I'm unclear if she already had her initial wake up outing prior to her accident, or if her bladder was simply full from holding urine through the night, time duration since her previous outing, or what her humans were doing just prior to her accident. By the way, it may seem odd, but a Greyhound "standing up" after resting is a warning signal. Some thoughts: 1. Some other medical infection as o_rooly mentioned, or a rare long shot possibility of a lingering spay surgery complication, etc. 2. Many dogs (and humans) naturally need to urinate immediately upon awakening. 3. If her humans were already preparing to depart for work (shower, dressing,cooking breakfast, etc.), she's likely learned her humans' predeparture signals on work days. Anticipation of her humans' long work day often increases a dog's anxiety, meaning they need extra outings before your departure. Example: If hound and humans awaken at 5:00 AM and humans leave at 8:00 AM, hound may need 3 outings before humans depart for work: - Quick outing upon awakening. - Exercise walk with eliminations (after waiting 1 hour after her breakfast to reduce risk of bloat). - Last quick outing within 10-15 minutes or so of human's departure for work. (Human needs to feel calm, otherwise dog might become too stressed to eliminate.) 4. Consider adding an extra large puppy wee wee pad on top of her bed for now (unless she's a chewer), to help ease your clean up. After an accident, it's important that her skin and fur is at least very well rinsed with fresh water and then dried off, and her wet puppy pad replaced with a dry pad. Keeping her clean and dry is important and will prevent urine scald/burn. 5. BTW, alone training includes desensitizing dogs to predeparture signals. (Sessions of picking up and putting down keys repeatedly; putting on and taking off work day shoes/jacket when you don't have to leave, etc.) Our hounds sleep in the same room with humans, so it's easy to bounce up the moment the first hound awakens/stands up (15 year old hound awakens first now), so all hounds are rushed outside to eliminate immediately. Outings thereafter as noted in post #10. For your girl, I'd focus on housebreaking 101 (so to speak) by escorting her outside more frequently, and watching her like a hawk inside; doing alone training; and if you or your partner can't swing by the house to give her an elimination outing during your lunch break, try to arrange for a dog walker or dog experienced neighbor to take her out to eliminate mid-day during your work week. There's a learning curve, as U.S. racers have never had to learn to give "signals" to humans when they need to eliminate because they've been on a kennel schedule where someone just appears to take them outside regularly. When I get new fosters, I begin taking them outside every hour the first day (though they don't eliminate every time, they begin getting the idea of housebreaking); increasing to every 2 hours the second or third day; 3 hours the next several days/weeks, eventually to every 4 hours. After their housebreaking is solidified, and they've settled into their new home well, some hounds can last a bit longer. You mentioned getting a behaviorist -- I'd suggest anyone working with the sensitive Greyhound breed should be using positive reward reinforcement methods only.

What is her typical crate schedule? How often is she taken outside to eliminate? One of our hounds' separation anxiety increased when the routine suddenly changed (human was home after family member's accident). I agree with others' suggestion to work on "alone training" to help ease your girl back into being alone. Please do a search for alone training specifics but in a nutshell: human leaves her sight for very brief periods (one minute or two initially) with a yummy Kong treat (smear the inside with plain peanut butter). Human returns before dog reaches comfort threshold (i.e., return before dog shows any sign of anxiety) and human picks up Kong immediately. Repeat, repeat, repeat -- gradually increase time human is out of dog's sight (but timing is strictly dependent on dog's comfort level). If signs of anxiety surface during the session, drop back to previous time limit dog remained relaxed/comfortable. Separation anxiety is fear-based. Consider a time when you may have felt especially nervous about a presentation, meeting, performance, flying, etc. Dogs, like humans, often need to eliminate more frequently when feeling stressed or anxious. Dogs are not spiteful. Please understand that when dogs are feeling very anxious many can't physically hold urine/bowel as well as they can when feeling calm/relaxed. As frustrating as potty accidents are, please be very careful to not scold her for potty accidents, or anything else she does based from fear. Scolding magnifies the initial problems tenfold+, creates new issues, damages a dog's trust in humans, etc. Better to calmly and silently clean up the mess. If catching her about to squat/pee, happily and swiftly escort her outside then praise for eliminating outside. Aside from elimination accidents, if she happened to be scolded for crying/barking, it may have curbed her only communication option to alert a human that she desperately needs to eliminate, especially when she's crated. Our adoption group recommends hounds' elimination outings a minimum of every 4 hours during day/evening (similar to racing kennels). Our own hounds and canine visitors are taken outside a minimum of 5 to 7 times per day: i.e., when they awaken in AM, before and after meals, again immediately before human departure/s, after a nap, last minute before bedtime, or whenever they pace, sniff the floor, look out a window, go to the door, approach a human, etc. Good luck.

Welcome to GreyTalk! Depends on how many hours he's being left alone without being taken outside for a potty break? If 12 hours, that would be too long for dogs to physically be able to hold their urine repeatedly. (That could eventually cause urinary tract/kidney problems.) Is he fully emptying his bladder before being left alone, and before bed? Is he being leash walked, or does he eliminate in his own fenced yard? (Males are notorious for holding back a little extra urine for marking purposes during walks.) I've been having good success using Nature's Miracle "Advanced Formula" severe stain and odor remover. If a pet store doesn't stock it, it can be ordered from stores that carry regular Nature's Miracle. We buy the 1.5 gallon size, including the battery-operated sprayer nozzle -- which saves a lot product waste. That said, I just noticed the manufacturer might have made a formula change with a stronger scent(?), so you might ask about unscented, if preferred. My last purchase of "advanced" formula" was over a year ago, likely the previous formula. (Regular Nature's Miracle has not worked well here for many years having multiple cats and hounds.) We don't have a carpet shampooer, so no advice on that option.

I'm so sorry to see that you lost your sweet Mary last year. She was one special brood matron (if I recall correctly). Her caring tolerance of Fencetop was remarkable. I hope Fencetop has adjusted okay. to you and Fencetop.

Oh thank goodness she was able to vomit the sock!! What a HUGE relief that you decided previously to cancel her euthanasia appointment!! I knew a Greyhound that died from ingesting a ladies sock.

Quote: "Is this kind of behavior typical for Greyhounds? My wife and I decided on a retired racer because we'd read that they were low-maintenance dogs that didn't require lots of long walks (though I don't have a problem with that, if needs be) and slept most of the day. As our work schedules now leave an eight hour gap where a dog would be home alone and we live in condos, we can't have a dog that can't stand any alone time - it's not fair to our neighbors, and it's not fair to the dog." End quote. Newly retired Greyhounds from the track or kennel require an adjustment period. Time varies. Everything about solo home life is completely foreign (and often scary) to a new hound suddenly separated from his/her kennel full of hounds and people. Every Greyhound's reaction is individual. Generally, youngsters are like full grown puppies, and usually don't begin showing maturity until at least age 3. New dogs (who may feel they're being abandoned when humans walk out the door) often need extra potty outings during the day, sometimes their body can't physically hold urine/bowel as long as they can while humans are home when dogs are feeling safe/relaxed within their family unit. They also need extra outings before humans' departure. Quote: "I'd like to find a dog that will fit well with our environment, but I think it might take a while before my wife and I are both ready again. As I said earlier, we're both pretty upset and feel like we failed, despite hours and hours of research and desensitization & alone training." End quote. Often, SA is mild and simply linked to environmental changes, other times it could be linked to genetics. (Only one of our hounds has had genetic SA.) In your case, I would recommend waiting until your group can find an older, more independent, proven confident Greyhound perhaps between ages 6-8, or a brood matron, etc. (Our wonderfully confident, current brood matron is 15; they can live a long, healthy life.) Of course, all dogs require some maintenance: Greyhounds' adjustment period to an urban home/family life; and since you're in a condo -- likely at least 4-5 daily elimination walks in all weather (our younger hounds ask for 5-7 yard potty outings); a lifetime of daily tooth brushing; regular veterinary care, including fecal and blood tests; full professional dentals (Greys often have poor teeth); nail trimming, etc. Yes, most Greyhounds snooze often but hounds with severe SA may not be able to fully rest until their people are safely home to sleep for the night. All dogs (regardless of activity level) are pack animals and desire to be with family, whether animal or human. I don't know your reasons for wanting a dog (aside from lower energy level than your previous Border Collies), but perhaps another option worthy of consideration might be an indoor cat who could be toilet trained (eliminating the need for a litter box). Many cats can be walked with harness and leash, but walks wouldn't be a multi-outing daily commitment like dogs. Under the circumstances, please try to remember that you are doing what's best for Ace. Greyhounds are a wonderful breed. Best of luck to you and your wife.

A couple of my fosters behaved in a similar manner. Our rule: Greyhound was ALWAYS inside a fully locked crate if any human even needed to open a door to enter the cats' enclosed safe room (resident cats are especially alert to darting out of the tiniest door opening from their safe room, even if human's foot and leg are used as a block). We use 4' tall ex-pens as an extra air-lock safety zone to give humans an extra split second to collect an escaped cat -- before cat and (muzzled) hound might connect. (Muzzled hounds can still kill cats.) Hound was always crated whenever supervised cats had their turn walking freely in the house. IME, a baby-gate is not safe enough to keep cats out of a room, nor is a baby-gate strong enough to keep a prey driven dog inside the dog's room. (My cats jumped over the top of the baby-gate while banking off the wall just for fun.) Also, a cat maneuvering a baby-gate takes extra time which could become more dangerous if a prey driven dog is chasing the cat. Those fosters were placed in non-cat homes. Please do not take chances. Dogs can snag cats in one split second. Hounds have snagged cats when hounds and cats were right at a human's feet, or within easy arm's reach. There is simply not enough time to intervene. Hounds will jump up to snag cats walking across the top of a 6' fence-line. While experts can try to determine if a hound might be "cat workable" with extensive work, deeply-rooted prey instinct cannot be trained out of a highly prey driven dog, regardless of time and effort. As one who did cat testing for Greyhounds arriving from the track, I agree with others that hounds' reactions can be variable depending on the hound's state during the time of testing (e.g., some hounds are confused by a new environment, or tired after travel, etc.). Bottom line: I would ensure new hound is locked inside the crate whenever cats have a turn to walk freely in the house, and do not leave cats roaming the house when humans are absent, even if new hound is crated (some dogs escape from crates), cats should be behind a closed and fully latched door. That sort of management could take months or years for prey driven hounds. If the latter, it's not fair to the Greyhound or the stressed cats. Better to exchange the hound earlier in the process. An Akita jumped through a closed window from outside the house to get inside to attack a crated cat. (Cat's travel crate was mangled but cat survived in crate while being dragged throughout the house.) Good luck.

If there is subcutaneous growth, it may be deeper than it appears. I'd would take photos of what is visible next to a measuring tape.

Just thought I'd add that we had a pack of hounds in the house while only one hound was suffering terribly from nasal mites. Fortunately, the nasal mites never spread to the other hounds during the many months of trying to learn her diagnosis. I'd agree with culturing Oz's discharge (and if needed, other tests too). Hope the Keflex resolves the problem! Oz seems to be a smart boy!

I'm not a vet, nor do I know your region. Your hound's unilateral nasal problem might be different (growth, fungal, bacterial, etc.), but one of our hounds suffered terribly with reverse sneezing and nasal discharge for many months. After seeing multiple vets and initial treatments didn't work, I diagnosed her symptoms through the source below. Turned out to be nasal mites.Treatment series listed on same page worked perfectly. Ten years later and still no recurrence. http://www.merckvetmanual.com/respiratory-system/respiratory-diseases-of-small-animals/canine-nasal-mites Perhaps a slim possibility, but since your boy's sneezing started months ago, I'll mention that foxtail grass awns can enter and disturb the nasal passage cause infection, and continue traveling more deeply into the body. https://www.petcarerx.com/article/why-foxtails-and-dogs-dont-mix/1236 Good luck and please let us know whenever your boy's diagnosis is determined.

I'm sorry that you're all going through this situation. Sadly, I agree with macoduck's post #2 and others with similar recommendations. Since you are pregnant, returning your Greyhound back to your "Greyhound only" adoption group ASAP is the safest thing you could do for all concerned. They could rehome your girl to a quiet, adult only household with Greyhound experience, plus a requirement to never allow her on humans' furniture, and to ensure her undisturbed personal resting space. Being able to focus freely on a child until after the child starts grade school would be a safer option. Thereafter, perhaps consider a child-friendly breed suited to your child's personality, and set them up for success by keeping humans on human furniture, and a dog on dog beds on floor level. Many Greyhound groups will not adopt to families with young children because in a nutshell, a toddler or small child's brain has not developed/matured enough to control their natural behavior around large dogs. Many Greyhounds are not used to being around children, especially in restricted indoor spaces. As a side note: Infants/babies should never be placed on same/floor level with any dog of any breed. Re: Greysmom's mention of "positive-reinforcement only" training: this means positive reward based training only (no punishment whatsoever). That can be helpful for some dogs and their family; however, considering the extent of your husband's injury and that you're expecting a baby, I would be hesitant to suggest that route for your situation. I was severely bitten by our family dog (different large breed) at age 5 (not my fault, nor the dog's fault), and have seen many dog bites since then. The wrong trainer (outdated dominate methods) can destroy a dog's successful chance at life. I would encourage you to contact the Lexus Project ASAP for a quick chat (before Animal Control reaches out to you) for your hound's best interest: http://www.thelexusproject.org/content/origin-lexus-project Good luck.