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There is stuff called Halt! spray that is has the same effect as pepper spray, but it's safer for dogs (God forbid your dog ever attack, or get caught up in the melee). Fortunately, I've not had to use it, but it's supposed to be good.

I have the Three Dog Bakery doggie cookbook. I've made about 5 or 6 recipes out of it, all with good success.

Henry starts doing bitey-face and trying to distract Truman from the other dog. He will body block and put himself in between them. Is this what Boone does? Or does he bark and police from a distance?

Henry is sort of a fun police. He does NOT like it when Truman plays rough with other dogs. I tend not to give human feelings to dogs, but it really does look like he's jealous! I'm sure it's either a hyper-arousal or some type of protectiveness instinct over his brother. With any other dogs, he could care less. Anyway, when I see it happening, I give him a time out and lead him away. I distract him and talk to him in a comforting (but no coddling) tone. After about two minutes, I let him go. Sometimes, I have to repeat it three or four times before he lets up. But I think he's halfway to understanding that being a fun police ends his play. It's a tough habit to break.

...and some of them don't. We fostered Henry's littermate, who unfortunately killed one of my cats. It was devastating and very unpredictable, as Payne would let the cats walk near him, play with toys in his vicinity, even swat at his tail without showing much interest. Then, as soon as I decided, "He must be cat safe" and stopped muzzling, that's when he attacked. You can never be too careful. Take it slow and be vigilant about muzzling.

On his birthday!?! Poor guy. Get well soon, Neko.

I'm sure they would growl or snap if they were in imminent danger or serious pain. But I can't really think of a situation in typical, day-to-day life where I would consider it acceptable to growl at another human being. Just last week, a dog from my obedience class got an automatic fail on his CGC test because he growled at another dog during an introduction. Obviously, he was uncomfortable (and the other dog was much larger than him). But that's the difference. If they trust you to protect them AND they're well rounded and have been desensitized to most things, then they know the difference between "slightly uncomfortable" and "imminent danger" and will not resort to growling.

Various training strategies. Henry used to have space aggression on my bed. Anytime he growled or snarked, I took him by the collar and removed him. He quickly understood that growling = getting kicked off. So now, I can touch him anyway I want to, and he's fine. He also will also jump off the bed on his own when I give him the command. Truman used to growl if someone touched his belly. I used positive reinforcement training so that I would touch his belly, then give him a treat. Touch his belly and hold my hand there, then give him a treat. Have a friend touch his belly, then give him a treat. He started to learn that having his belly touched was a good thing. Both of my dogs have also been through at least five formal obedience classes a piece, so they've been extensively desensitized with strangers, other dogs, medical equipment, noise distractions, etc. Not much phases them anymore. Growling really isn't an issue. I can't remember the last time they growled at a person.

That's really good news. I'm thinking TBD, or maybe autoimmune. Did the tick panel come back yet?

No, they're not. Because otherwise, they'd be growling and snapping during every nail trim, vet exam, blood draw, wound cleaning, etc. They have learned to put enough trust in me that I will protect them from major harm and danger. And if something is making them uncomfortable in an unmanagable way, they know more appropriate ways to convey it (silent cues like posture, tail position, ears, eye movements, walking away). Honestly though, those situations are few and far between. We take our dogs out in public all the time, go on vacation with them, take them to therapy dog events and the like. It would be inappropriate (not to mention embarrassing) for them to show signs of aggression toward strangers.

I agree... to a point. I don't punish growling/snapping in a brand new dog because they don't know much in terms of role expectation. But for my two dogs (who have been with me a long time and have had extensive training), I don't tolerate those types of responses toward myself or any other human. And you are exactly right- humans have attached a rather "threatening" meaning toward such behaviors, when in actuality, they are just a form of communication. Ultimately, the goal is for your dog to have enough trust in your leadership that they can look to you for reassurance when they're stressed or uncomfortable. It's also important to know your particular dog's body language (like tail and ear positions) and triggers, so hopefully it never gets to that point. For example, I take my dogs to the groomer for nail trims. Of course, they don't like it, but they are still not allowed to act out. Whereas, I know one of my dogs is uncomfortable around kids. Henry has learned through desensitization to accept pets from them. But if he gives me "the look," I know he's had enough, and I will tell the children to back off. Be an advocate for your dog, and always set them up for success.

Your thread reminds me a lot of this one... http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/293006-pugsley-has-bruisingblood-pooling-on-her-abdomen-what-is-this/ There are four major causes for thrombocytopenia, and your vet is correct (usually autoimmune, TBD, cancer, or spleen issue). Fingers crossed it's TBD... just wondering did anything come up on the spleen?

Good news! Kristie, if this one can't do agility, you could always add ANOTHER puppy! I'm sure Summit would love that.

We all make mistakes. It's good that you are taking steps to work with him.

Rachel, you are the Big D expert!

My friend went through this for months with her greyhound. The diarrhea did not stop until he had a round of sulfasalazine (he didn't tolerate Flagyl) and switched to Iams green bag. She gradually introduced him to Nutro but still mixes in Iams. My advice is to try those things, or a prescription food like Hills I/D before doing all kinds of unneccessary testing.

Crating is not cruel! I agree with everyone else- greyhounds do not come housebroken. You have to teach them where to go and when. If you prefer not to crate, that's fine. But your guy needs a structured food-water-elimination schedule and some type of housebreaking method. If not a crate, then confinement or umbilical method. He cannot be out of your sight in the house. Period.

Sending good thoughts for your boy. Looks like thrombocytopenia.

Sending good thoughts for you, big brother Summit, and baby girl Kili.

Oh God, this makes me sick to my stomach. Thoughts and prayers for both you and your boy. What a nightmare experience.

Keep in mind that greyhounds at the track have never had belongings of their own before, so guarding and space aggression are typical. Definitely work on "trading up" and NILF training (there are several threads here that detail these things extensively). Also, no furniture privileges yet. It's far too soon, as your dog doesn't yet understand the concept of "my space" and "your space." It's my two cents that it's also probably too early to be taking Kota to the dog park. He does not have impulse control or recall skills yet, which is very dangerous for dogs who are off leash and unmuzzled in a group of other dogs. You don't want to be liable if he chomps down on another human or dog, like he does with his toys. ETA: This behavior likely has nothing to do with being "alpha" or pack order. Don't buy into the harsh, Cesar Milan training methods to make your dog more "submissive" to you. Aggression only begets aggression. Greyhounds do much better with positive reinforcement training.

I would definitely muzzle both dogs if they're anywhere near the cats. It's a good sign that you were able to distract Hutch. It sounds like he's more cat trainable/workable than cat "safe." If he whines, paces, and gets persistent around the cats, he will need a good deal of training before he can fully be trusted.

Susan, what are mud rugs, and can you recommend a good one? OP, we also have a dog door. My dogs aren't diggers, but with the snow melting they track mud in the house constantly.

He looks amazing!!

Me neither!! That's why I was convinced they were something else. Hahaha!