cleptogrey

i like nacho- in spain all the ignacios are called nacho. it's cute and my son-in-law's name! think recall, see what rolls off you tounge. the dog will start to look and act like any name you choose.

that is one of the many exercises we did in the more advance obedience classes. the goal was for our dogs to learn their where their bodies are and have more control. kudos to that pup, it's really difficult. i should try it again now that felix is older.

opps..... simcorgi@aol.com her name is mary elizabeth simpson, tell her felix and andrea sent you as to using a "long line" for training" it worked well for one of my salukis. i stood still, called the dog, someone behind me reeled him in, then the light bulb went on...."oh, that's what you do!" but that was in a class many many moons(early 70s) ago with another experinced trainer.

i agree that you can not train out instinct, but one can work on recalls, it's much deeper than just calling them and they come. a relationship needs to be established and that can take a while. the trainer in ct. that i mentioned works on targeting and focusing first, then other things start to fall into place including a recall, which can be tentitive at times, but worth while teaching.it can save their life. last night in obedience training we worked on recalls, we did multiple dog recalls which were fun, keeping them directed and focused on you not the other loose dog.we did parallel recalls in different directions and as usual i nearly got knocked over when my boy felix came bounding in. practice make perfect for most dogs, sight hounds.....that's another story.

nunzio, my dh would not go for nuzio when we adopted out male(he didn't have a name for 3 or 4 weeks). i will most definately call my next male, nunzio. felix got his name since dh refused to call willie wonka our late welsh terrier:felix, so i saved it- and now i finally have my felix.

i don't know if you cross referrene your posts, but i mentioned in your 50 ft leash post a wonderful trainer in greenwhich ct- mary elizabeth simpson whose bio is at portchester obedience club, (teachrover.com??) and wpsat.net as well. she has a good sense of humor and i have personally worked w/ her for 18 years(i'm well trained these days- right foot forward on a stay). she believes in play, play, play and more play while you train, lots of praise and fun. knows every trick in the book and your $$ will be well spent. look up her kennel, reinwood corgi- don't be discouraged since she doesn't have sight hounds. she has experience plus!

there is a fantastic trainer in greenwich ct.- not that far from you who i have worked with for many, many years(18 years now that i think about it). her name is mary elizabeth simpson, rienwood corgi. she has worked with felix since he was 4 months old and has fantastic dog sense and is a great person. her bio can be found at portchester obedience club and white plain school of animal training. m.e. does privates as well and speaks not only dog but horse.i would contact her about some training.do a google search, and find her and check out her bio. mary elizabeth is deaf, so i always email her even though she has her phone hooked up w/ accomodations. she responds really quickly. simicorgi@aol.com is her email, tell her andrea and felix have sent you! you will really learn a lot and have fun , check out her training moto. i have tried using a 20ft leash, way to long.

allergies or fungus. both of mine have had black cruddy fungus on their feet, but it was inbetween the webbing. at one point, when it first started i noticed licking and it was red. with in 2 days it changed and there were some blotches of black/brown, sorta like the stuff behind the large pad. remember athletic's foot really itches. i always try the soak first, but it looked really inflamed very quickly, who would think athletic's foot on a dog? i ended up checking your posting after my pup was running like a madman- as usual. he skinned his front leg right above the ankle, yikes!!!! looked pretty nasty and i was ready to take him to the vet this morning. but i irrigated it really well-applied a ton of antibiotic ointment and bandaged it up last night and sent him to bed after some metacam. it's closed! no swelling, but i'll keep it bandaged since it was quite a deep scrape and the ankle is sore. organic gray sea salt from france is one of the better salts to make saline solution, but plain old kosher salt- which is pure salt works almost as well.

i boil water in the microwave- 3 minutes, add the epsom's salts and then let it cool. i think it's 1/4c salts to 16 oz water. i make more than enough and have it sitting and waiting. you can make a concentrate and dilute w/ cold water so it's room temp. put a towel down on the floor, have some bread or other treats...graham crackers and let the pup nibble the treat while the paw is in the bowl of epsom's salts. sit down next to your hound, feed and hold the collar. most likely your dog will step out of the bowl.it really helps heal the pads.

i use interceptor monthly, no worms! the stuff is great. talk to your vet about options.

has she been running at the beach or could she have been stung by an insect?hs she been running really hard and skidding to a stop(usually it's the stop pads that get beat up)? hard to see how swollen they are from the pic. my first instict is to soak in epsom's salts 2-3xs a day. up to 10 min in each soak. that works wonders and the salts dry things out and pull foreign irritants out as well. if it's sand burns, which my male always gets when he runs at the beach, tuff paw was recommended on greytalk. w/ sandburns the webbing gets pretty raw and keeping it dry is necessary. when i didn't have the spray i used medicated powder to keep them dry(my greyhound rep's suggestion). putting a bottie on will keep the paws and pads moist, watch out for fungus. been there...after having the fungus scrapped out (inbetween the pads, on the webbing-not at all comfortable for the pup) i used desitin to keep the areas dry for two weeks and they were back to normal. i always talk to my vet when i am concerned, a quick phone call. in my book the paws really don't look bad, try to figure out if there is an irritant that she was in contact w/.epsom's salts are cheap and always good to have on hand. http://www.tuffoot.com/index.htm

annie started sticking her head inbetween my legs and being very very submissive even with the teeniest amount of homework! i spoke to my old adoption rep(also a vet) who in her past life had sheppards and other breeds and has done extensive obedience work with her greys. she too had a female, a wonderful therapy dog, the dog she took on homevisits and then some who shut down totally in class.my rep said, let felix have fun and leave annie alone. so, annie stayed home w/ dh and hung out, felix yodelled in class,hugged and smiled at his long lost instuctor(he loves all the instructors he has had) played w/ his tennis ball inbetween activities and had a BLAST! he loved reviewing everything, it's been beastly hot here and he can't really run, so the workout was much needed. for the last week is the last class in the series, i'll bring both and have dh work annie or just let her watch.- i'll give it a shot in the future, she has come a long way, but this just isn't for her. so, felix gets to do quarter turns to the left(he finally found his butt) and agility when it starts again! can't wait

i use a rubber/silicone pot holder under my metal bowls so they don't skid. i also found these wierd rubbery woven mats(small but like shelf liner) in the cheapy store that are sold to but under lamps and other items on wood furniture to prevent marking or skidding, they work well.also, you can try a heavier bowl(ceramic) bowl. jilly'sfullhouse said it all and don't baby and pamper, feed, close a gate and leave.

"We did get another dog. We weren't dying to have another dog but I felt badly as we adopted him as a young puppy, he was very attached to our old lady, and he'd never been without canine companionship. " this is exactly the situation w/ both willie and felix. after willie wonka lost velcro it took me nearly 9 months of a having a really depressed dog to finally get our first greyhound. willie came back to life. felix was alone for a short period when emily died, he too was brought up w/ emily showing him the ropes. with another dog in the house he is back to being that wild and crazy felix we all love so much. i fostered first, wanted to continue doing a good service for the dogs by fostering, but felix bonded with our new gal and that was it!

mmmm....could there be a chipmunk hole somewhere and she is waiting for a snack? my terriers were BIG hunters and used to stare at the stone wall or bushes if the smelled the scent of vermin.

fresh cuts i irrigate with saline solution, i try to avoid bandaging it if at all possible. older cuts, i leave them alone, unless the dog is a licker, then i will irrigate and bandage lightly. i change the bandage daily, a licker/chewer can make a mountain out of a mole hill. i generally have not seen older crusty cuts punctures- take quite a while to heal, i found out. but a couple of staples and they are closed and healed within 2 weeks. they need to heal from the inside-out. my vet staples really quickly after he shaves the hair, 1-2-3- it's done. they are removed even faster. signs to see the vet: if there is a tear the skin dies really quickly. it takes me around 45min to get up to my vet. within that time a 2 inch triangle of skin hanging that died by the time i made it there. my vet did some nice handy work with the staple gun and all i see is a small ridge in his hair. antibiotics: if another animal bites them generally antibiotics have been prescribed. it depends upon the intensity of the wound. my pup has had too many cuts, nicks and dings while he was maturing. i went thru more saline solution washing and irrigating the dings. his stop pads were cut to shreds numerous times. saline, bandage and time and they seem to look fine now. pads take about 2 weeks to heal.the cut in his hock, down to just about the bone took nearly a month to heal. when my vet looked at it, he complimented my dressing the wound and said just keep it clean. that took forever, it's the bandaging that's difficult since greyhounds have such paper thin skin. generally i have a bag with saline solution, vet wrap, a scissor, triple antibiotic ointment, gauze pads, gauze wrap, cotton wrap(used under a cast, found it at a good pharmacy), a heavy sock or two, duct tape(a must). that bag travels with me and is always handy in the kitchen pantry. remember to bandage loosely.

we went thru annie freaking out and hiding with my son-in-law and daughter here. they initially came for a week, annie hid in the bedroom. between ignacio's heavy spanish accent and deep voice, a cello, and a viola being practiced and strange deep sounds and weird high sounds she was besides herself. this visit she is a tad calmer, listening to them practice(both professional musicians)and getting used to the noise of their lifestyle(we have the on and off for the summer). annie has been off the track for 6 months now and there is marked change in her sociability. as to the boys, all of the suggestions are excellent, always remember that your pup needs a safe spot to get away from the chaos of life. they are not ruff-n-tuff terriers who can go all day, take lots of physical interaction and come back for more. the bathroom floor might be the coolest spot in the house. annie sleeps on the wood floor directly above the ac piping(we have central ac). when they like it cool, they find their spot.

will try ALL of the suggestions mentioned above. treats are only for class and training. i'm one of those strict people who does kibble and a couple of dog biscuits when i leave or put them to bed.(there are kongs, marrow bones and toys to keep them busy.) trust me, the good stuff is under lock and key so dh doesn't give it out! mean while felix is working away when i try to practice. annie butts her nose in and tries to sit, i'm letting her want it, working on anything that can be praised for and hoping for the best. i might just bring felix along on monday in reserve and do a switch and give annie a break. if she looks interested, i'll bring her back down on the floor and let her participate. if anyone think of any other suggestions before monday, do post it. i'll check in after class...

cheese, raw meat,kibble, dehydrated liver, marshmallows, cereal, bread, cooked chicken, cooked pork/beef, home made dog cookies(the owner of the school bakes for dogs) and hot dogs are in our treat menu.the instructors are really supportive and use annie as an example of "set backs", they laugh and say, "she will get it, don't worry!" it's getting over this hump. i do let her zone out if the class seems too long. i also take her there "hungry". i found out a while ago, a greyhound can't digest and think at the same time. they need to sleep off the food! so, she always goes hungry.

i have tried most of the suggestions mentioned above, all except taking annie out for a break as batmom has suggested. that will be tried out next week. treats are varied, exercises mixed up, targeting, quarter turns,puppy push ups, toys(she ignores them out of the house)and lots of praise and good rub downs. anything to keep it a positive experience. i guess i'm doing the bad mom thing, comparing siblings! felix who did 60 weeks of classes used to yodell at the instructors, greet all the incoming members of the class and worked like a maniac! emily who was as reserved as can be was a spit fire in class, the fasted down and sit i've even seen a greyhound do. she was a real workaholic. emily was also a therapy dog and had her cgc after being off the track for 3 months. so, that's where i am coming from greyhound wise. my salukis had stink eye down to perfection! so, the independent hound thing is not new to me, i like it. i am looking for saftey,bonding and most of all fun. we are getting the first two goals accomplished, it's the fun part i want to have annie experience. this week the junk food junkie(gimme candy post) has a craving for angle food cake... will try that if dh hasn't devoured all of it.

training sessions are ALWAYS short and informal, while we walk, while i cook, whenever i can sneak it in.i pop in a quick down, stay or whatever and always praise big time. that much i learned many, many moons ago. bonding and trusting is increasing. i'm not sure if it's the work at classes or what, for the first time ever annie slept at the foot of the bed! that was until she fell out somewhere around 3 am. for a pup who hid when company came(posted a thread on her freaking out w/ my son-in-law from spain a month ago)there are improvements. i am just wondering if i should continue working with her or come back at a latter date. it's just weird, not getting the "connection" that i have been able to get in the past. the instructors talk about hitting a plateau, well ours is around 1k miles long!

what can i say, i was really lucky with all my other dogs, they loved obedience classes. my salukis learned to look me in the eye, my scottie- got it and used it, my welsh terrier- the demo dog extraodnairre, my first retired racer- i'll do it first and win!, my greyhound pup- yeah, let's do it and do some more and then there is my newbee, annie(we have had her since feb). annie just looks the other way, will do a fast sit, fast down and pops right up. her recall is fantastic as she barrels right into me wagging her tail a mile a minute. down stay- if there is a dog bed or mat, sit say- you gotta be kidding, heel and tight turns- now that's fun. i have put MY breaks on not pushing her at all. when she turns off in around 15 seconds, off to something more pleasurable and yes there are BIG rewards for her positive behavior in following the script. practicing with her in between classes, well that is the look of pain! she is really motivated by food, raw meat, liver treats, marshmallows, kibble,you name it,( she's a chow hound) those are her rewards! any suggestions besides laying low and maybe sneaking in some training at a later date? i have been returning from class feeling as if i have wasted an hour. the first time ever in training a pup! do i take my fun loving felix to class and just bite the bullet, she doesn't want to do it and review w/ felix,the king of fun? i have seen some positive changes in annie's self esteem, she is a far more positive less fearful memeber of our house. but is it just her, me, a combo? i remember reading the intro in controll unleashed, the author purchased a dog for obedience and it just wasn't their thing. she moved on to another dog. is that what i have or is there an other key to unlock this block. annie is not panting, stressing or showing any signs of distress. she wags her tail going into class, wags in the heeling, figure 8, recall exercises as well. just has regressed big time and i am stuck!

REMEMBER BABIES SLEEP A LOT, LOTS OF TIME TO CATCH UP ON AFFECTION!YOU WILL BE EXHAUSTED AND IT WILL BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SNUGGLE UP W/ THE DOGS. I ALSO TOOK MY SALUKI EVERYWHERE I TOOK MY DAUGHTER WHEN SHE WAS A NEWBORN, HE WAS GOING ON 7. TRYING TO WALK OFF THOSE EXTRA POUNDS AFTER DELIVERY ALL THREE OF US, AZIM, MARISA AND MYSELF WALKED, WALKED, WALKED AND WALKED. HE NEVER FELT LEFT OUT SINCE HE WAS ALWAYS AROUND. I KNOW YOU HAVE TWO DOGS, SO IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT GETTING USED TO WALKING BOTH AND THE BABY, BUT IT CAN BE DONE. HE STAYED OUT OF THE BABY'S ROOM AND SEPERATED IN A CONTAINED AREA WHEN I SHOWERED- THAT WAS A BIG CONCERN, BUT IN THE ACTION OTHER WISE. AS I SAID BEFORE IN ANOTHER POST SOMEWHERE, MARISA'S FIRST WORD-"GOOD-DOG"

she looks disoriented, as all the other post have mentioned it might just be the tramadol. if she is still uncomfortable she will get up and pace as well so it can be a combo of the two. emily used to wander during the night when she was on tramadol for her osteo when the dosage needed to be increased. she also used to pee as well. willie wonka(@age 14) had dimentia at the end, (no oseto- no drugs,unless i sedated him) wandered and cried since he was confused(he started to freak out if he was confined in a crate), especially in the dark his vision was failing. but it looks like she might still be a tad uncomfortable.

emily was on kirkland chicken and rice after a long period of eagle pack and nature's variety(i never use canned food). with in a month i had to cut her back since she had gained a pound or two and i am really strict about keeping my dog's weights down.(my vet also likes thinner dogs) it's richer than some of the other foods. so, she was reduced from 2 cups per day to 1 & 3/4 and then maintained her 60lbs. i was just at a greyhound picnic and noticed that the greys bodies really looked like trim labs, not running machines. but that's my fettish, i like a thinner dog, hip bones, some spine, at least 3 ribs and well defined muscles. aside from the wonderful temperment of the greyhound i love the sleek lines. as a senior, ages 10-14 and up i used the canidade senior food for my welsh terrier. he did really well on it, easy to digest, good coat and kept his weight stable even though he did slow down a tad...but just a tad.