arandomchic

Glad Ellie's feeling better! Molly just had the big-D, too. We laughed at how excited we got at firm poop

Sending hungry thoughts to Sutra!

We just started Molly on it this weekend to help grow in some of her bald spots. We noticed that she seemed a little sleepier than usual. So we just switched to giving it to her at night instead. I'm thinking that once her body adjusts, the side affect will lessen. Btw, our Molly (Blue Sky Dreamin) shares a daddy with your grey - Kiowa Sweet Trey. Not surprising since he sired something like 10,000 pups *lol*

Thanks everyone! Good advice! It's a postive reinforcement class using the clicker (which is something we've been interested in). I'll give them a class on Monday and see if I can sit in on a class before we sign up.

We've had Molly about 6 weeks, and we've started teaching some basic manners at home (like Wait). But we thought a manners class taught through our local humane society would be fun for her (she loves other dogs), as well a good bonding experience for all of us. Before we choose the class (they have several times throughout the week) --- I was planning to call and talk to the instructor to find out if she/he had any experience with greyhounds. Any other questions to ask or thing to be prepared for?

I can't help much with the dominance / male dog question. But I can say that neutering doesn't necessarily guarantee a change in any dominant behavior. While neutering does reduce the production of testosterone, it doesn't eliminate it. Also, any behavioral changes resulting from the surgery will probably not be immediate. It can take several weeks for the current hormones levels to reduce.

My prayers are with Peanut and your family. I lost two pets within three months of each other a couple of years ago, and I know how devastating it can be.

5:45am - Morning walk with me (30-45 minutes) 7:00am - Breakfast 7:30am - I leave for work and Molly sleeps 11:00am - Potty break with Hubby 3:30pm - Afternoon walk with Hubby 6:00pm - Dinner 7:00pm - Short walk with both of us (she loves the pack walk!) 10:30pm - Potty Break(last of the evening) We're lucky in that my husband is currently finishing up his PhD --- so he's home a lot of the day. Once that finishes (I pray it will one day) her schedule will change a bit, but hopefully not too much.

The most useful thing Molly knows is "wait" (stay) --- it's helpful in all sorts of situations: at doors, for food, at curbs during a stop light, keeping her calm when people approach. It's very versatile.

Hi Bob, From what I'm reading, you seem frustrated because you wanted the dog and yet she hasn't bonded with you. She's bonded more with the family members were were indifferent at the idea of a dog. I bet that stings! But people ARE giving you advice. Just a few of the pieces of advice that were provided: Be very patient, be very gentle and give the dog time to adjust Make sure all good things come from you (hand feed, treats, walks, etc) Read everything you can on greyhound behavior, like Greyhounds for Dummies, if you haven't already Get her used to your touch by gentle caressing, working up to handling the paws Take her to positive reinforcement obedience training Five months seems like a long time to us, but I've seen people say it took their dog anywhere between a week and 2+ years to really relax into home life. Instead of looking on how to change your dog, I'd probably look at how to change your own behavior to get the reaction you want from your dog. I think the majority of dog issues are human - not the dog. So if you look at your own behaviors and try to make changes (like handling her more gently, being more patient, don't force attention on her/let her come to you) --- you'll see changes. It make take awhile. It may take longer than you want, but you will see changes. If you honestly don't think it's a good match, then I'd absolutely call your adoption group. ETA - *laughing* Funny, when I saw the title "Wimp" I thought you were talking about yourself, not the dog. Greyhounds are EXTREMELY sensitive. As a dog lover, even I was surprised at just how sensitive once we brought our Molly home. If you come from the "dominant dog/show her who's boss" mindset, it usually doesn't translate that well. You can still be boss, but you don't need to be pushy or forceful to do it

Molly and I are sending prayers and healing thoughts to Red...

The Patricia McConnell book is essentially an outlined plan for alone training - she says it's about a 6 week plan for most dogs. And the biggest mistake is people rush on to the next step before the dog is ready. So my advice is to follow the steps and be patient! It took us a few weeks, and we just left Molly alone outside of our normal schedule for 3 hours (uncrated) without a problem Her SA was mild, but still troublesome because like you, we have neighbors. Also, if you have a laptop or something, it can be helpful to use the webcam to tape her behavior (someone also posted here about how to set it up to broadcast so you can watch it remotely!). That way you'll be able see what she's doing and know when it's time to move on in the training (ex: more time or back to less time, etc). We found it REALLY helpful.

You don't mention exercise, but I'm wondering if maybe Twix needs a long PM walk to tire her out (or active playtime) and empty her bladder? Molly is so wiped out by the end of the night that we have the opposite issue. Once she's asleep, we can hardly get her up to go out! Sometimes it's 10pm and we know she hasn't gone in awhile and won't be able to hold it until her morning walk. We literally have to coax her awake for her last potty of the night!

Another vote for Patricia McConnell! We bought "Family Friendly Dog Training" --- it's a 6 week training guide. So far, so good (well, except for that darned sit).

We joke that greyhounds already had their career which revolved heavily around the schedules of everybody else . In retirement they want to do their own thing! Like BlackandBrindle's Spud, our Molly will fetch stuffies only and she drops them when I say drop. She figured out quick if she drops it, it'll get thrown again. We have the most success indoors where there are less distractions. In the yard, about half the time we throw her stuffies, she grabs it and zooms around for a bit.

There are "enrichment" toys too - the balls that dogs need to work to get food out of, for example. Maybe if you can keep her mind stimulated with toys designed to do so, she'd benefit.

After Molly's first scrape (pretty minor and it happened at the vet) --- I was thinking it would be a good idea to put together a First Aid Kit for her. In looking online at ready made kits, it seems like there's a lot of stuff in them I may never need or use. We already printed out contact info for our vet and all the surrounding emergency vets. I figured in an emergency, that would be one thing I'd hate to waste time on! Since you all have probably seen and experienced nearly everything - what items do you always have on hand for greyhound first aid?

Our grey barks, too. Though we've been able to narrow down the why and when. I agree with the others that say to interrupt and then re-direct. I think it is also important to be consistent--- so whatever you guys decide to do, both you and the DH need to do it the same way, using the same terms. If you say "stop" and your DH says "Knock it off" --- it's confusing for a dog. Decide on the term (stop, hush, quiet, etc) and stick with it.

I think going up is easier than going down. So I wonder if you took her down with you (carried), and had her come up with you if just knowing she could go up would help her understand the going down aspect?

We might be one of the few who WANT their grey on the couch, but she won't go on it. *L* We figure in time she'll relax and explore the world of cushy goodness.

Any way you can record what's happening? We found it incredibly helpful in understanding our grey's separation anxiety. We used the Quick Cam on my laptop (set to motion detection) to record our alone training. We found out pretty quickly that Molly finishes her Kong in about 20 minutes, and starts whining/crying by 25 minutes in. She settles for a bit, then starts crying/whining again. So right now we know she can handle about 30 minutes alone before she gets really wigged out. It was really good to see what she was doing and how she was reacting, etc, and helped us know when we can add more time or when we have to back off a bit.

I second the recommendation to read "I'll Be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell - it's only a 40-page book and gives detailed instructions including a schedule of training. If anxiety is the cause, this book will be a lifesaver.

Hi Karen - I totally understand your fears! We've only had Molly about 10 days, and while she's the total opposite of Badger (she loves everything and everyone) --- we also worry we'll "mess up" our girl. I think that just means you want the best for your hound and are willing to work to ensure he gets it. Way better than the alternative of being clueless about what you need to do. So, it's a good thing you worry

Have you read the book "I'll be Home Soon" by Patricia McConnell? It's only about 40 pages and $7...and is EXCELLENT. Includes a training schedule that lasts about 6-8 weeks for most dogs. In the book, she talks about it may take a few weeks just to get through the first few minutes, but once they make a break-through the increasing of time can go pretty quickly. Don't get discouraged! I hope you will continue with the Alone Training in addition to the medication, so that you can eventually ween him off of it.

What's your morning schedule like? What time do you walk, what time do you feed, etc? You may just need a minor tweak in your schedule to help the situation. We've only had Molly for a 10 days, but she's gotten the schedule down for the most part. I walk Molly at 5:45am for 30-45 minutes depending on her energy level. Then we wait at least 30 minutes before feeding. Then I wait another 30-45 minutes and take her out one more time as sort of a last chance option for her until her 1pm walk. Sometimes she goes potty, sometimes she doesn't. But she hasn't had a daytime accident yet. Also for the wicked poo, you could try adding a little cooked oatmeal to the food. That was recommended by our adoption group and it worked like a charm until it leveled out on its own.