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The first one was in December 2010, the next one was about six months later. Then the last one was a week ago. No cleaning products, paint, or stress/anxiety that would've served as an immediate trigger. Each of them occurred with varying lengths of time and side effects. After the first one (about a minute long), Henry was very disoriented for several hours afterwards. He was panting a lot and had an unfocused look in his eyes. Afterwards, he slept like he'd just run a marathon. Then, after this last one, he got up and walked away like nothing happened. It's been very sporadic and unpredictable. The vet advised us to see a neurologist if they start recurring more frequently or if he has one after another.

Oh my gosh- that is so weird. She's always very prompt in getting back to me. The next class starts 4/21/12 and you can register at http://wpahumane.com/basicedu.html. Whereabouts in Pittsburgh are you located? We're from Greensburg.

Sorry for the picture quality. The black spot looks more like a little scab.

Weird bump on Truman's tail. Raised up, a little warm to the touch, and feels hard. There's a black spot in the middle. Any idea what this could be?

We are coming up on Henry's second Gotcha Day next month. In the time we've owned him, he's had three seizures (that we know of). The most recent one happened at the lake last week. We were on a normal walk, everything seemed fine. At first I thought he got tangled up in his leash, then I realized he was going down with a seizure. It happened right in the middle of the sidewalk, so people walking by were panicking. The vet told me to never try to move him, so I had to explain that he has occasional seizures and it was best to wait it out. It lasted about 45 seconds total. Then I saw his eyes goes back into focus, he stood up, and walked back to the car like nothing happened. Our vet said that his seizures are not severe enough to medicate him. I can see no discernible pattern that would explain the cause. His bloodwork was all normal the last time we had tests done. I'm just wondering why an otherwise healthy 4-year-old would have these occasional seizures. I read that ivermectin (ingredient in Heartguard) can sometimes trigger seizures. We do use Heartguard with both dogs. Anyone have experience with this type of thing?

Truman the puppy is now six-months-old. His personality has really blossomed, and he has made great strides in the past month with housebreaking and obedience training. He doesn't have any real issues with separation anxiety, but he still seems to be very clingy. When I'm home, he has to be right next to me and usually touching me. When we go on walks, he looks back a hundred times to see where I am. He follows me everywhere. Henry is super independent, so I've never had this kind of issue before. I'd like to phase out crating him at night, but I know he would try to jump up in the bed. I don't coddle him, because I don't believe dogs should be treated like babies. However, he is used to getting a lot of attention, pets, and playtime. Should I cut back, or is this a normal stage for a pup?

Dragonfly, good luck with your situation. If you are close to Pittsburgh, WPA Humane Society offers an exclusive "greyhound only" training class taught by Lilian Akin. She's wonderful with greyhounds (because she's also a greyhound owner). It's a positive reinforcement based training that works well since greyhounds are usually a little sensitive. She helped me turn Henry (once a fearful, shy, and problematic grey) into a bonafide therapy dog. I've been through several of her classes, and kids are always welcome. And it's a TON of fun!

I once fostered a grey for two days. Although it sounded like she was going to work out, I realized almost immediately that it wasn't a good fit (namely because she wasn't safe with my cats). It happens like that sometimes. Don't beat yourself up. She'll find her forever home soon enough.

Henry was the same way until we started doing obedience training. It got him more comfortable around people and new environments. Just overall, it made him a more confident dog. He's actually a certified Therapy Dog now! I can't say enough good things about training classes. Also, socialization is a big thing. Take her to new places, meet new peoples. And always give lots of treats so she associates new experiences with positive things. Good luck!

Whatever you get, just be sure to get a puppy formula or a whole-life stage formula. The regular adult formula dog foods typically don't have enough calcium for joint development (according to our vet).

I guess I should've clarified... Henry is not fighting Truman for his food. He has plenty of time to eat while Truman is upstairs in the crate (usually 10-15 minutes). The problem is that Henry totally ignores his food when I put it out. I have tried to separate them during mealtimes, but even then, Henry will not eat his food. He usually just walks to the gate looking for the puppy. I truly believe this is a game to Henry because it is one of the only ways he can initiate play with Truman. I know it sounds backwards because Henry is the older dog, but he is the one who always wants to play. He will put his mouth on Truman's ears, face, back legs, anything to get him to play. He'll play bow and do his "little hops." Unfortunately, Truman is not very playful and usually walks away. He gets intimidated with dogs that are bigger than him. Mealtime is one of the only times in the day where Truman actually gets excited. I am confident that Henry's growls and barks are not vicious in nature. Today, for example, while all this was happening, Henry was wagging his tail and even "smiling." I definitely don't get the impression that he's being picked on. This has been going on for weeks with no fights- nothing more than a little "errrr" here and there. Also, I AM very committed to both dogs' safety. I stand in the kitchen and supervise the entire time. I'm usually making lunch and getting ready for work. I don't discipline Henry for growling or barking, because I think it's important that he correct Truman. And overall, his behavior with the puppy is always very protective and loving. He lays with Truman and licks him, cleans his ears, etc. When Truman goes to puppy class once a week, Henry looks for him and seems anxious. I really doubt Henry would ever hurt Truman on purpose. They are very bonded to one another. I think I'll try Jilly's suggestion... if Henry can learn to eat his food in a reasonable amount of time, problem solved.

My two boys are constantly playing games during mealtimes- it's becoming a problem. Here's what I mean: my usual routine is to feed my older, alpha dog Henry first. Henry is fed in the kitchen, which is on the main floor of the house. I usually have to pull Truman the puppy away by the collar, otherwise, he will run in and try to eat Henry's food. After I fill Henry's bowl, I take Truman upstairs and feed him in his crate (with the door open). Henry tends to graze on his food for a long time, while Truman is quite the opposite. He will gobble everything up as fast as possible, then run downstairs and try to move in on Henry's again. When he does this, Henry responds by chasing him away and doing a little bark or growl. Truman usually backs off at this point. But back and forth, they repeat this. As soon as Henry steps away from the bowl or leaves the room, Truman flies in towards the food bowl. Henry chases after him again and growls when he gets near the bowl. This goes on about five or six times and usually results in Truman eating all of his food and a good bit of Henry's. Sometimes I feel like the problem could be solved if Henry could JUST EAT HIS FOOD when I put it down. Honestly, I think he likes playing this game, because he likes to chase. How can I solve this problem? It's driving me crazy!

Henry used to be terrified of children. We worked through it with positive reinforcement training. We'd let our kids skip around the room, yell in high pitched voices, pretty much all things kids do. All the while, we'd give him high value treats (cheese, lunch meat, hot dogs). I know it's scary, but it sounds like Timmy is fearful due to the couple negative encounters he's had. Baby gating won't help the situation- it will cause him to continue thinking that bad things happen when children come around. Muzzle if you really feel like safety is an issue. Good luck! I wrote this before reading your last post. Very sorry things turned out this way.

Henry started obsessively licking during a food switch once. There must've been some ingredient in all the Taste of the Wild formulas that he couldn't tolerate. I wouldn't rule out food allergies or a food-related issue. Especially if she was a good racer and ate track food all her life, she might be having a hard time getting used to regular food.

What a beaut! I love your name choice. She looks like a Piper.

Yep! Here are a few suggestions. When you feel the leash tighening up, stop. Do not resume walking until she relaxes and lets up on the leash. As soon as she starts pulling, turn around and walk in the other direction. Sort of the same concept, but eventually she'll learn that she doesn't get to move forward unless she walks nicely. Invest in a front-clip harness. There is a really nice one made by Wags, Wiggles, and Whiskers. When the dog begins to pull, the front clip forces them to spin around and face you. Wait until she stops pulling and then move forward. I never had a problem with Henry "pulling," but he would constantly zig-zag during walks. In order to test for CGC/TDI, we had to have a very good loose-leash walk on my left side. I walked him around my backyard using targeting and giving treats when he was in the right position. Greyhounds usually aren't big pullers, but they are sighthounds, so they get distracted sometimes. Good luck!

I absolutely agree with this! I have had Greyhound puppies of my own, plus fosters. Housebreaking was never an issue with them. I am fortunate that I have a dog door to a fenced in yard, and from the beginning the little ones have followed the big ones outside. Pretty much no training on my part. The problem I was experiencing was that Henry would almost immediately initiate play with the puppy. Play bowing, running in circles, barking... altogether madness. I noticed that when they would start playing, the puppy would seem to forget that he needed to get down to business. I'm a little uncomfortable about a doggie door because we had an attempted break-in once. I've definitely thought about the high-tech ones that open via a sensor on the dog's collar.

With such a good track record of training I can't imagine why then you'd be looking for so many shortcuts to training your puppy. Belly bands and scat mats are inappropriate training aids for a young puppy. In no situation that you have so far represented would such aids be appropriate for your puppy. And yes, the best way to keep the dog off the counter is to not entice him to get on. Particularly when he is young and learning. So try and keep your dirties out of the sink. Maybe I shouldn't even use a crate?! I could just quit my job and just ask him nicely to not pee in the house or chew things.

You'll have people on GT who are very strongly pro- dog park and others that are against. I think the short answer is to be vigilant and learn how to interpret behavior. Personally, we love taking Henry to dog parks. He used to be sort of a breed snob, so going to dog parks got him used to dogs of all kinds of breeds and sizes. Henry is pretty good about self-regulating, meaning, he'll walk away if another dog is irritating him. However, dogs do behave differently in a pack. Here are just a few things to watch out for: A group of dogs ganging up on a smaller, weaker, or injured dog. Your dog appears to be distressed, tries to walk away, and the other dog continues to follow and instigate Your dog tenses up, begins to snarl, or growls. You can also learn a lot by observing the position of the ears and tail. If any of these apply, I would intervene. It's a good idea to bring a small squirt bottle for emergencies. Also, I'm not too sure what you mean when you say "bite." Did he bite hard, break skin, cause an injury? Snap in the other dog's general direction? Put his mouth on the other dog's neck, ears, face? My four-year-old LOVES playing "bitey-face" with our other dog, a five-month-old puppy. Sometimes biting can be playful. Dogs who were raised with their mothers until at least 8 weeks of age usually have very good bite inhibition. They know just how hard to bite in order to not cause pain or injury to the other dog. Biting is also a way of establishing dominance and pack order. I would just try to be observant, especially if your dog is known to be irritated with certain types of dogs. Also, I agree with previous posters who've said not to muzzle unless all other dogs are muzzled. Same goes for leashes. Best of luck to you! Enjoy your new addition.

Yay! So excited for you!

Wow, I wish I'd never even asked the question. Truman does participate in an obedience class once a week. We also do two training sessions everyday. My adult dog, Henry, is certified in CGC and TDI. I understand the importance of training. Sometimes training aids are helpful to streamline the process. Just like people use cans of pennies or martingale collars, there are certain situations where training aids are beneficial. I was asking for a little friendly advice, not a guilt trip. And god forbid I leave a dirty dish in the sink.

Anybody have experience with the Scat Mat strips for kitchen counters? Truman is starting to jump up and lick plates in the sink. Also, my cats are forever getting on the counters, and I hate thinking about their feet being in the litter box and then on the surface where I prepare food.

Henry is certified in both CGC (Canine Good Citizens) and TDI (Therapy Dog International). I somewhat agree that you can't turn any dog into a therapy dog. However, we had a host of problems when we first adopted Henry. He was extremely shy, terrified of children, had mild separation anxiety, problems with resource guarding. All in all, he was not confident and scared of new situations. Looking back, I never thought Henry would have made as much progress as he did. My advice is to work with your adoption group to try to find a dog that is more on the outgoing side (it's just easier). Then socialize, socialize, socialize. We took Henry EVERYWHERE with us. We had him for about a year before we started doing any type of structured therapy training. After three classes, he passed both CGC and TDI. It's important that you also be an advocate for your dog. Try to read their body language to understand what they like and don't like. Henry is certified in both, but we don't do too many TDI events because I know he'd rather be snoozing or going for a walk. From my experience, the training is really fun. Even if you don't end up with a "therapy dog," you'll still end up with a well-behaved dog. Good luck!

This is reassuring. I give him a frozen Kong in place of a lunchtime meal. I crush up chicken doggie cookies and layer with yogurt. Either that or peanut butter with oatmeal cookies. I like experimenting with recipes. Kongs are the best!

I usually find pee when I come home for lunch and again when I come home in the afternoon. He was also peeing in the middle of the night, but then I started setting an alarm for 2AM to take him out. Sometimes when I get up at that time, he's already peed. When I said he doesn't like being alone, I mean that he cries and barks when I leave. I'm sure that he settles down after a bit, but I'm thinking that the stress of me leaving is definitely a factor for our housebreaking dilemma. Too bad I can't quit my job.