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Huh. This is good info to have. I read that greyhounds were the first dogs to acquire the virus from horses. I wonder if that makes them more susceptible?

Oh my goodness!! He is adorable! Best of luck with him

I think it's the same, right? If so, we always get bordatella vaccines because many of the places we frequent require it.

I posted about this awhile ago, and lots of people commented saying their dogs did fine on a "cold turkey" switch. However, my current two plus two of my fosters had varying symptoms of digestive upset from switching food. The most common were diarrhea, gas, and rumbly bellies. A few times, the symptoms became severe enough that they required a vet visit and prescription Endurosyn (as even bland diet wasn't cutting it). My friend's greyhound got extremely sick and lost 10+ pounds following a food switch. I might be the minority, but I never recommend that people switch cold turkey. From my experience and all the literature I've read on the subject, the safest way to switch is a gradual transition over 10-14 days of the 25%-50%-75% method. If you can't do that, I definitely recommend a probiotic like Forti-Flora or Holistic Transition to help through the process. Also, if you could continue using a food with the same protein source (chicken, beef, lamb, whatever), your greyhound may fare better. Keep in mind that when you first bring your dog home, he or she will most likely be under a good deal of stress, which causes diarrhea anyway. Changes in the diet + stress = a recipe for disaster if you're not careful.

You may not have to ditch the crate completely. If you baby-gated off a small area/room, you could put the crate in there then leave the door open with his blankets and kong inside. I always suggest the kitchen because the floors are usually easier to clean up if he has an accident. Then, he may actually want to go inside the crate because it will be more comfortable than lying on the hard kitchen floor. Don't feel guilty for trying the meds. People who've never struggled with anxiety don't understand how beneficial meds can be- both for humans AND dogs.

Agree with everything Jennifer said. At this point, I would be concerned if they were double or triple the right amount. Probably time for another bile test.

No luck with TOTW here unfortunately... we tried High Prairie and saw an allergic reaction in Henry (itchy paws and bum). In addition to that, he had horrid diarrhea, gas, and gunked up teeth. The size of the kibble was really small, so I think that may have had something to do with it.

The Prozac takes awhile to build up in the system. If OP just started it, any changes won't be evident for at least a few weeks.

http://www.jamesrivergreyhounds.org/documents/SeparationAnxiety.pdf

I guess I was being naive and thought negative training was a thing of the past... but I recently found out that there actually are a lot of very questionable and forceful training programs in my area. I found that one of the large doggie daycare/park/training conglomerates advises the use of shock collars! They also provide a program that lets the owner send their dog away for four weeks for a "transformational" training (for a mere $2000 pricetag). You really do have to do your research on trainers. Unfortunately, anyone can say they're a trainer and start a business. It's just one of those things that isn't heavily regulated. To the OP, look for a trainer with certifications from AABP (Association of Animal Behavior Professionals), APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers), or CCPDT (Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers).

If she is a spooky girl, a lot of the behavior problems (likely even the peeing) could be solved by an actual anti-anxiety medication like Clomicalm or Prozac. Although it's usually a last resort after behavior modification training, she's 12-years-old. What could it hurt to try if the alternative is having her PTS? As for the dental, I wonder if your adoption group would help you with the cost. Our group knows that seniors are hard to adopt and will occasionally step in to help with medical costs. I understand that this is an extremely personal decision, and you will have to do what you inevitably feel is right. But If she is otherwise healthy, I think there are a few more options to try. Good luck in whatever decision you make.

Great news! I hope you're pleased with your new girl. I have acute anxiety issues that keep me at home a lot too... Having my two dogs does help in a lot of ways

Wow! Very interesting! I guess this debunks the whole "dogs are carnivores, carbs are bad" theory.

Awesome! Congratulations! I love hearing about people getting involved in obedience training. It really does help your dog become confident and well-rounded. Henry's life changed after obedience classes- he's 100% a different dog. Between our two boys, we've done 10+ classes and loved them all.

Agree! Thanks Batmom and Marion!

My Truman has light eyes, but he's a blue brindle. There's a speckly grey on GT. Look up AceyGrey. He's my favorite!

Maybe I just had a difficult one then. I created a schedule to let him out at specific intervals (and of course, after meals, naps, and playtime). Lots of positive reinforcement training. At the worst, I was taking him out 10+ times per day. But he didn't like the cold weather and decided that he liked inside better. And he was a sneaky one. He would just sneak away and pee/poop anywhere BUT outside. No warning signals, nothing. It ended up costing $1900 to remove all the carpeting, plus the cost of the dog door and installation. It was one of those things where I had done literally everything by the book, but nothing worked. That's why I'm always amazed/jealous when people say they can let new dogs roam free!

All great info... Just wondering how the free roam people managed housetraining? Especially if you worked full time? One of my guys had crate anxiety, so we gave him free roam. He was impossible to housetrain after that. The accidents didn't stop until we installed a dog door.

I love Vetericyn wound spray for superficial wounds. It used to be just for horses, but they expanded its use to dogs. Miracle stuff!

I was afraid this might happen. Physically pushing/forcing a grey into a crate is not good (even though it's easy to do when you're upset and frustrated). Some greys require a good deal of positive reinforcement crate-training before they are okay to be left alone in a crate for even short periods of time. The fact that he freaked out and injured his tooth makes me think the crate might be too stressful and traumatic at this point (maybe even forever). Letting him have free-roam won't work, considering all the trouble and destructiveness that happened the other times. Can you baby-gate him in an area like your kitchen, where the floors will be easy to clean if he has an accident? That would be my next step. And I agree with Batmom, dog-proof everything and muzzle. If it gets too severe, he may need an anti-anxiety medication to help temporarily.

I think you're correct- definitely sounds like he is starting to develop SA. Now that he is getting more comfortable in his environment and bonding with you, he's feeling insecure and anxious when you leave. There are tons of threads in T&B on "alone training." It basically involves counter-conditioning his thought process so that it's not the end of the world when you leave. There are a bunch of tips you can try to gradually work up to leaving for longer periods of time. The one thing that might end up being tricky for Ford is the crate. Because he's already pooped in it a few times and he's starting to associate the crate with you leaving, you may find that he develops an aversion to the crate. Try to make his crate a comfortable and happy place with food, treats, bones, chewies, kongs, whatever. Crate him for short periods of time while you're home, just so he doesn't start making the connection that crate = my person leaving. Always make sure he's rewarded for calm behavior in the crate. Don't force/push him inside it or otherwise use the crate as punishment. Good luck Here is a resource that has a lot of good information.

Henry had an aversion to "certain" men when he came to us. Tall men, men with facial hair, men wearing hats. His anxiety was worse when it came to men coming into our house, as opposed to men in public places. For him, it was just a matter of time and being introduced to new people. I agree with Jen, though, that it's good to just take it slow. Desensitization is a gradual process. Flooding him with a lot of different men could actually have a reverse effect and make him more fearful.

I'm glad you asked this question! I started giving fish oil pills a few days ago. They're just a generic brand from Wal-Mart that we had sitting around the house. The ingredients and dosage was really close to the "dog" fish oil capsules I found online. Both dogs started having gas. I wonder, is that normal?

Truman "pretended" like he couldn't get into the car on his own for months. I think he had me trained because he preferred being lifted! Once he started getting bigger and harder to lift, I decided it was time to do more training. I threw some treats on the floor of the backseat first, then moved the treats until he hopped up on his own. Then, once I knew he could do it, I refused to lift him. He would fart around for awhile, but eventually he learned that he had to do it on his own.

This is the part that is the most concerning. Dogs with kidney infections or in kidney failure have seemingly odorless and colorless urine because the kidneys are not concentrating it. Vet visit ASAP.