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With high value rewards like Kongs, I would definitely separate them. Let them work on the Kongs in their crates or gate them in separate rooms. My boys are extremely bonded and loving, but all bets are off when big treats are involved. They've never made contact, but they definitely turn into mean, growly, hoarders when it comes to bones or chewies. I wouldn't freak out just yet.

He actually grew a lot after 8 months and at 18 months, he's still continuing to fill out. He definitely doubled his four month weight (he was 40 pounds then, 83 now). Then, he hit another major growth spurt between 12-14 months. Even now, he's still very skinny, and you can see all his hip plates and spinal vertebrae. I expect him to be about 90 lbs. by the time he reaches two years old. I keep in contact with his breeder, and I always tell her what a huge dinosaur he is. She kept one of his sisters, and the female was more petite and way less interested in food. So I think there's a definite difference between the males and females, and even marked variations between dogs in the same litter. The AKC/CKC dogs are bigger, in general, so I would expect Kili to be in the 60's (unless she is really just a tiny girl). At least for Truman, his growth patterns were very long, spread out, and didn't really follow textbook development at all.

Oh my goodness, Kristie!! This sounds like deja vu. I think I posted about this somewhere a few months ago. Truman went through a VERY exaggerated fear phase. His happened a little bit later, sometime after he was neutered which was right at 12 months. Around Christmas, I took him to a greyhound holiday bazaar, and it absolutely shocked me how differently he acted. He was leash aggressive, very uncertain in new environments. As you said, he was still interested, but reluctant to be petted by strange people. Out of nowhere, he started guarding his food bowl. His confidence with other dogs went out the window. I was terrified, because it was such a drastic change from the spunky, fearless puppy I had known for so long. It really does get better. I did the same thing you're doing- lots of desensitization, and I amped up his obedience classes. I didn't want to "overexpose" him, so there we repeatedly went to a lot of different, but familiar places, and I made sure I rewarded him like crazy. At this point, Truman really responded to verbal praise and encouragement (even more so than treats). I would just softly and calmly reassure him, then make a huge deal of telling him what a good boy he was when I got my desired response. He's 18-months-old now, and while he is definitely more "quirky" than he was as a puppy, he's almost totally back to normal. This was BY FAR the most stressful developmental period for me, because I didn't know how to predict the behaviors and how far to push him... But you just do the best you can. She'll come out of it eventually. There was an article I read from Manners Unleashed that described The Second Fear Imprint Stage like this (it helped me immensely). This stage leaves owners scratching their head at their dogs' weird behaviors. This fear period corresponds with hormonal changes & growth spurts. To many owners' dismay, (and even with stellar socialization early on) your usually confident pup may display fearfulness of new situations, objects, people or other dogs. Many dogs will show a rise in their level of aggression or reactivity during this time. They may become protective and territorial, and may make a new attempt to test owners. Some individuals will pass through this period faster than others, often with no noticeable problems. Others may display marked changes in behavior in strange situations. Reinforce the behaviors you want; do not inadvertantly reinforce fearfulness by coddling, but also avoid punishing timidness or "forcing" them to face their fears. A firm, patient leader is always what we should strive to be in any stage of our dogs' development, but that resolve will never be put to the test more than this time in your relationship with your dog. Postpone extremely stressful or traumatic experiences for dogs that appear to be in this fear imprint period.

As long as there are no medical problems evident, the best thing you can do is let her go. She'll eat when she's hungry enough. We went through this with my older boy, and I had to take his bowl up after 20 minutes, otherwise, he'd just fart around waiting for something tastier. Now, he gets a ravioli for his pills, and he absolutely refuses to touch his kibble unless I get the ravioli ready first! Greys can be quite stubborn!

I haven't used the bathroom privately for the better part of three years. My dogs follow me EVERYWHERE.

Unfortunately, a lot of them do swallow the kibble whole without chewing. We feed the 'large breed' formula because the chunks are bigger and sort of forces them to chew. You can also go a long way with a water additive if you're concerned about dental health... Greyhounds' teeth issues are more about controlling oral bacteria and less about the actual plaque.

For most obedience training, yes. Of course, you scale the treats back after the dog begins to associate the command word with the behavior. Gradually, the treat can be replaced by a marker, like saying 'yes!' or 'good!.' But because recall is SO important, the dog needs to understand that coming to you is ALWAYS positive (whether with treats, pets, verbal praise, whatever). Therefore, it is not recommended to call your dog for negative things, for example, a bath. It takes a long time and practice under many different distractions to have a sighthound with a solid and reliable recall. That's why June advised the OP to always reward a recall- I recommend using treats as a reward for much longer than other, regular commands (I.e sit, down).

Take this as an excellent learning experience and an opportunity to work on recall training. High value treats, only good things when you call her name. You can also do an emergency recall command (I use a whistle) for circumstances when there are distractions present. SO glad you were able to get her back. Lots of other dogs aren't as fortunate.

Here's the thing. The crating process involves you gradually expanding their area of freedom as they gain trust. It sounds like you basically gave him free reign of the house after he showed a little bit of reliability. While a dog can view certain areas of the house as 'his den' or 'his territory,' that doesn't necessarily cover the entire house. My advice is to go back to the crate, then expand his area room by room. If he regresses, take a step back. It's not cruel or punishing... You may have given too much freedom too fast, and now he needs some more structure. By the way, this is a very easy mistake to make. Even when my puppy was 95% housebroken, he would sometimes have accidents in the basement. We don't spend much time in the basement, and it's close to the dog door, so it's almost as if he said, 'Alright! Close enough!' Any place with different sights and smells may seem okay as a potty place, especially if you've never explicitly taught them it isn't. Good luck with Eddie.

Agree with Giselle and Jen. I'm less concerned about Hester's behavior and more concerned that you're taking him to an area that is clearly marked as off limits to dogs and does not appear to be fenced.

If it makes you feel better, you can try a slow feeder bowl. Some people have luck putting a tennis ball in the dog's bowl. http://www.amazon.com/Skid-Stop-Slow-Feed-Bowl/dp/B00251EPL2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364703094&sr=8-1&keywords=Slow+feeder

Just want to emphasize that Trifexis DOES NOT CONTROL TICKS. Please look into a tick preventative, as tick borne diseases have been really rampant in the last year.

I have to agree with the others. You're putting a big target on the dog's back and making her more vulnerable if she's the only dog in the park wearing a muzzle. It's similar to leash dynamics.

Agree with everything Giselle said. I taught my guys recall training by using their names, but when we go to a dog park or they're playing hard in the yard, I use a whistle. I find that It sort of brings them back to earth and allows them to more easily preform the command when other distractions are present. For the first few months, I rewarded them EVERY time they came. Your treats for recall training need to be high value, since this is absolutely the most important command they'll ever learn. Also, I haven't experienced bonafide aggression, but my older guy used to bully the puppy during play. Time outs are a good tool. Start separating them for one to two minutes when it gets too rough, but BEFORE it breaks out in a fight. If they start understanding that aggression results in a time out (a punishment), they'll be less inclined to let it escalate. It sounds like both of them are strong, competitive, females who obviously live together peacefully, but have a hard time backing down during play. That's an encouraging sign that the behavior can be reduced, if not eliminated.

I can't really comment on a 2 1/2 year old, but we've had Truman since 15 weeks old. He's now 18 months and eats A LOT... About 6 cups of kibble a day with various mix-ins and canned food. I wouldn't over feed, as it takes them a long time to fill out. I'd try 3-4 cups a day (depending on the food) and tailor it as needed.

Way too new. I don't recommend dog parks for anyone who doesn't know their dog's temperament in different situations, or a dog who doesn't know basic obedience commands like recall and 'leave it.' Even dog parks that have a separate area for small dogs aren't a good idea, as owners do not always obey the rules. If, in fact, your dog is high prey, dog parks are just a bad idea. You would be 100% responsible if your grey hurts or kills another dog. Too risky.

Truman will steal anything off the counter, even if it's something he doesn't necessarily want. He's stolen banana peels, empty tupperware, plastic Ramen noodle wrappers. For the hardcore counter surfers, I think it becomes less about the reward and more about the chance that the thing they steal "might" be a reward. It's like a game.

Aww, poor guy. You're not alone. I swear, my guys create ways to get injured! Try a muzzle with a stool guard instead of the e-collar. Much more efficient.

This. I've tried everything, including a Scat Mat, cans with pennies, and a squirt bottle. As soon as they get one good reward for surfing, it's very hard to get them to stop (especially the fearless dogs who aren't deterred by noise). Unless you have mad housekeeping skills and can keep that area clean and dog-proofed 24-7 (I don't), save yourself the headache and gate that room off.

My "puppy" is 18 months old now, and he still hasn't filled out. We call him "the dinosaur" because you can still see all the vertebrae in his spine. He eats a TON too. Six cups a day with various treats and mix-ins. I think some of them just take a longer time to fill out. He was neutered as soon as he turned a year... Glad you found a food that works!

Henry has been on Zoni since December and has been seizure-free. Seizures are definitely scary! It's good that your vet is testing for TBDs. Make sure they also run a full thyroid panel. And definitely consider doing a consult with a veterinary neurologist... I feel like many regular vets over-prescribe Pheno when there are a lot of options out there. If you decide to keep him on Pheno, consider a liver support supplement like Denamarin or milk thistle. Good thoughts for your boy.

Phew! I thought I was the only one who dedicated entire rooms to my cats!

No special advice, just want to say that my Henry was the same way. It took him many months, several obedience classes, and a TON of desensitization before his true personality started coming out. Almost three years later, he's still surprising me. I hope that in time, you'll share my belief that the shy ones are completely worth it.

Good thoughts for your Do Bee!! Truman was a cryptorchid too... one of his testicles was way up inside, so his incision was really long. It looked worse than it actually was though.