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Henry is the seizure dog.

Yep, he was neutered when he turned 1. I also wanted to add that I supervise meal times, but he doesn't care whether or not I'm standing there. He still snarls and barks.

I've tried grabbing Henry by the collar and giving him a 2-minute time out when he starts doing this behavior... But as soon as I let go of his collar, he's back at it again. He's not aggressive, just very persistent about wanting Truman to play with only him.

Well this is reassuring. It's like Truman has hit some adolescent phase where his behavior is presenting new challenges (the resource guarding, stealing things, persistently annoying the cats, being reactive on leash at certain times). I'm freaking out a little bit because I don't want these issues to evolve into bigger problems. They all seem to stem from boredom or insecurity... so I am wondering how much of this I can chalk up to the "teenager phase" and just manage until he matures a little more. P.S. It sounds like Truman and Lilly are cut from the same cloth. Since September, he gained 9 pounds (EEK!) but is no less filled out in the middle. It seems that he went through another growth spurt and managed to get even taller and longer. He may be 100 pounds when everything's said and done.

I take Henry and Truman to the dog park often for both the socialization and exercise aspect. We've done this with both dogs for a long time. But recently, I'm noticing a weird behavior that I'm not sure how to interpret. Henry gets jealous when his housemate, Truman, plays with other dogs. I understand that dogs aren't capable of "human" emotions like jealousy and spitefulness, but I don't know how else to say it. For whatever reason, Henry does not like Truman playing with other dogs. It started back when Truman was a puppy, and Henry would insert himself in between Truman and the other dog (usually if the dog was small and Truman tried to chase). Now, it's all the time, with any and every other dog. Henry will literally body-block Truman or run alongside him with his body turned inward until he separates them. He will also start engaging Truman in bitey-face play, almost as if to say, "Hey! Play with me instead!" It wouldn't be a terrible thing, but Henry is very persistent, which makes Truman frustrated because he can't play with the other dogs. After several minutes of this type of back-and-forth, Truman becomes very agitated and starts snarling and snapping at Henry to get away. It's sort of the same scenario when the two run together in the yard at home- Henry is dominant and competitive during play. He will try to initiate play by doing bitey-play on Truman's face, neck, ears, and legs even when Truman isn't really interested. When Truman tries to re-focus his attention on a toy or stuffy, Henry still won't stop with the bitey-play. I usually end up separating them and letting Truman play fetch with his toys in peace for awhile. The downside is that Henry only really plays and runs if other dogs are involved (otherwise he just stands around). I understand that their play-styles are obviously different, but I'm wondering how I can encourage some type of play that they both enjoy. I'm also very interested in any training methods to curb Henry's jealousy at the dog park. Any help is appreciated!

I could use a little bit of help from the experienced trainers out there. We brought Truman home at 16-weeks-old. At that time, Henry, our retired racer was almost 4-years-old. Henry naturally took the role of alpha as he was older and had already been the resident dog for several years. For a long time, Truman deferred to him in almost every way. We accepted Henry's role and did all the standard things to keep pack order (feeding Henry first, showing him attention first, allowing him first choice at toys, treats, and beds). Now, both Henry and Truman are very bonded to one another, and they live harmoniously for the most part. But this is where the problem comes in. Truman, now almost 16-months-old, is now quite a bit larger than Henry and has started to challenge him more. It's almost as if he is trying to switch up the pack order. Either that, or he is sick of Henry getting first choice at everything and is trying hard to guard his resources. For example, both dogs are fed in our kitchen but on separate sides of the room. This worked fine for almost a year, but now if Henry even looks in Truman's direction while he's eating, Truman will start barking and snarling. The same thing happens when I give bones or rawhide rolls. If Truman is working on a bone and Henry tries to walk by, Truman tries to guard. I'm also finding that this has evolved to other things, like beds and toys. Keep in mind, Henry isn't bullying Truman into giving up his things. It's Truman has taken to immediately going on the defense without much provocation. I am hesitant to interfere because (1) I don't want to interfere with pack dynamics, and (2) I feel like a lot of Truman's behavior is very theatrical (i.e. he barks and makes a big fuss, but he still defers to Henry as alpha). Also, if I do interfere, I don't know what way would be appropriate for the situation. Should I give him a verbal correction for barking and snarling, or should I reward him for tolerating another dog near his resources? What are your thoughts on the root of the behavior and how I can remedy it? P.S. I would prefer some actual training methods as opposed to just separating them. I could separate them, but I don't think that's going to solve the underlying problem.

You do feel like a crappy parent for "starving" them, but it only takes a few meals before they get the point. Good work!

We have this alligator and it's one of the best toys ever!

Great news! I'm glad it worked out.

I have had him since feb of this year, so he is not so recently retired, and he has only recently begun this problem, it has happened twice (and we drive everyday.) It's weird because I just don't truly feel it is a fear response. It is just sometimes he is shaky in the car and sometimes he is fine. Yesterday we drove about 45 minutes to go to the kennels and had no problems. I am definitely going to be doing the exercises you guys have posted. But he likes getting in the car, or at least seems to like it...I would like to hold off on the meds unless the vet thinks it's necessary, as we drive frequently and he has such a wonderful happy personality I don't want to put him on something everyday.... I am definitely going to start training down... It's just harder than it looks!!! Right... I just pasted my response regarding the desensitization training from a similar thread. If the training works, then meds shouldn't be necessary... Only as a last resort. Did something happen that could be perceived as traumatic for him? Maybe the zip line? Or a stressful trip to the vets office? One of my guys was always great on leash, and one traumatic incident with another dog set him back a long way behaviorally.

I ordered mine here. http://www.gpatristate.org/store/muzzles_guards.html

Agree with everything Giselle posted. It sounds like a panic/fear response. Here was my response from a similar thread. To address your original question, it sounds like your boy is extremely fearful of riding in the car. If he was getting motion sickness, he would be throwing up, not having diarrhea. I wouldn't take it lightly- if he is so scared that he's pooping himself everytime, I would recommend a couple of things. Primarily, it's important to work on car training. Slow down his exposure to the car as not to overwhelm him. Start by walking him near/around the car and giving treats. Do that a couple times and graduate to having him get into the car and giving treats while the car is turned off. Next time, drive the car around the block. Just keep training sessions short (no more than five minutes a couple times a day) and make the process as gradual as possible. Also, if he's recently retired, stick with a very plain treat like boiled chicken, as not to upset his stomach. If you absolutely *have* to take him somewhere in the car, I would ask the vet for an anti-anxiety prescription temporarily which you can give 30 minutes prior to the car ride.

Yeah, it looks good in theory... but I doubt either of my guys would tolerate something like that. Plus, like other have said, the whole tail could get ripped off if the hardware got caught in something. After many months of dealing with happy tail, my favorite solution was the self-adhesive pipe insulation. It allowed the tip to breathe, but still protected against further trauma.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I disagree with the "let sleeping dogs lie" adage. While it's true that some greyhounds do have legitimate sleep startle, most are just not accustomed to sharing a bed. It's a form of resource guarding. I have trained both of my dogs to be used to human presence and accept petting while on their beds. In most of our training classes, we even bring the dog's bed as a target for them to lie on in between exercises. To clarify, this process obviously didn't happen overnight- we only started the training when I was 100% sure the dogs trusted me (which took several months or bonding and confidence-building). But the bottom line is, I don't think it's appropriate for a dog to guard anything. There are too many situations where people or other pets could get hurt as a result of resource guarding.

With as many bruising threads I've seen on GT that ended up very serious, I would get him to the vet ASAP. It could be nothing, but I wouldn't take the chance.

Oh yeah, worms could definitely be the cause. You'd most likely see other symptoms, like issues with poop consistency, appetite, etc. Deworm with Drontal Plus if you haven't already. If the coprophagia is the only symptom, then it would more likely be a behavioral problem. What kind of food is she on? There have also been links between high protein and puppy foods contributing to coprophagia. This also might help you: http://www.tbeah.com/coprophagia_dog.html

I know, right?! Some dogs are so determined, they will eat poop no matter what it tastes like.

There are supplements available to help with dogs who are coprophagic. You have to give them to all the dogs in the household, then it's supposed to change the taste of the poop and subsequently deter the coprophagic dog from eating it. The downside is, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I would try one of those first. Then if you don't have any success, she'll probably need a muzzle with a stool guard.

Another vote for a dental first, then you can work on ways to maintain. When we fostered Payne, he was also 4-years-old and had awful teeth. After his dental, we maintained with a water additive (Dental Fresh) and lots of good bones. Henry is 5 and had never needed a dental.

Hmmm... there are dogs who have been the same food for years, then all of a sudden develop an allergy or intolerance to it. But if she's been on TOTW for five months and still has firm poops, and the gas is the ONLY thing going on... then I'm inclined to believe it might be something else. Maybe her GI tract is having a hard time recovering from the digestive bacteria that was killed by the antibiotics. What kind of probiotics are you using? We've had luck in the past with FortiFlora.

You've gotten really good advice here. I just wanted to add that this behavior is pretty normal of a dog who is used to track life, and is now gaining some confidence after being home for a short time. They've never had anything that belongs to them, so when they do get a toy or treat (even though it may not seem that special to us), it's a huge deal. Their natural instinct is to guard that resource, and growling/snapping is how they would communicate that notion to other dogs. It really doesn't mean that your dog hates you or is unhappy. He's just saying, "Ehhh, I don't 100% trust you yet, and I'd prefer you not take my toy away." I would definitely work on trading up and hand-feeding. Those are the two best ways to train a dog that a human hand approaching = something positive. Same thing with the bed. It sounds like your guy started to equate the bed with "his space." At the track, he had a kennel of his own and was never forced to share with anyone. I would recommend setting up his crate/bed next to your bed, so he can still have his own space, but be within close proximity to you. I agree that it's also important to prohibit bed and furniture privileges until your hound completely understands the concept of space and does not feel threatened by your presence. Lots of us on GT have houndies that sleep in bed with us. If you eventually want that to happen, there are several steps that need to happen beforehand. We spent quite a bit of time sitting on the floor near Henry's bed before he was ever allowed on ours. I agree that it might be too much too fast. He is likely overwhelmed by everything that is going on. Right now, I would work less on formal training and more on bonding (i.e. learning routines, giving treats, petting, playing, making up games, etc.) Don't get me wrong, I love obedience class. Between my two greys, we've taken about a dozen of them. But real training cannot begin if your hound is feeling overwhelmed, threatened, or confused. Once your bond is airtight and your hound trusts you completely, then obedience class would be the next step.

I'd try to isolate what it could be from a dietary standpoint. How long has she been on TOTW? When we tried the TOTW High Prairie, it took awhile (probably 6-8 weeks), then Henry started having all kinds of allergy-type issues. Neither of my dogs do well on grain-free anything.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your Billy. Glad you could be there to say goodbye when he crossed the bridge.

To be honest, I wish I would've tried Iams first. I could've avoided a lot of unneccessary problems and headache.

You can get bones and chews made of pork, venison, and lamb (not as cheap or plentiful as the beef ones, but this might help). http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/smartlist_152/hypoallergenic_dog_treats_and_chews.html