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krissy

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Everything posted by krissy

  1. Welcome back! Great to hear all the wonderful updates/changes in your life, and all the things that are still the same!
  2. Knowing more about your dog would be helpful. Age, sex, why you took her to the vet in the first place, etc. Greyhounds rarely tear cruciate ligaments because of the slope of their tibia. However, that doesn't mean it is impossible. One of the tech assistants who worked at my last clinic had a greyhound/whippet mix who tore both her cruciate ligaments in a year and had bilateral TPLOs. If your dog is 9 years old and didn't start limping significantly and suddenly (usually after a minor trauma - running, jumping, a tumble/fall) then osteo is a likely differential. If your dog is 5 years old and came up lame after chasing a squirrel in the backyard... cruciate is probably more likely. Regardless, if you're uncertain it's probably worth a getting some x-rays done, or a second opinion since none of us here can tell you what's going on.
  3. We have Chilly Dogs, Hurtta, and Sofa Dog Wear here.
  4. Littermate syndrome is real. It's definitely more of a concern/hazard with getting two similarly aged puppies at the same time, but I don't think it's wildly inappropriate to think that it could happen at other ages. Recognize that dogs are a different species from us. Just like we love dogs, we do tend to have an easier time (most of us) communicating with other humans than with canines. It takes a little longer and it takes a little more effort. That's why most dog people will recommend one dog at a time. It gives you a chance to focus and bond with the dog before you have to divert your attention to another, newer dog. Puppies absolutely have been shown to bond strongly to each other rather than their human family when they are bought/adopted in pairs. Many good breeders and rescues will not allow people to take home littermates. I've seen it turn out okay in very dog savvy, dedicated homes. This is because each puppy is worked with individually (walked, fed, trained, played with, potty trained) and the time the puppies spend together is controlled (they are not together all of the time). Consider also, that if you have one dog with separation anxiety, a second dog doesn't necessarily do anything to alleviate that stress. In fact, the second dog who may have been okay may be influenced by the anxiety of the one with separation anxiety and also begin to struggle. It's different if you bring home a dog with separation anxiety to an established dog who is comfortable with being left alone. My group does adopt out pairs. I think greyhounds are a breed where there are fewer concerns with pairs being adopted. They tend to be laid back, if coming out of foster homes we can make sure to choose dogs that are appropriate for the home they are going to and for the other dog, and in general greyhounds do not require a lot of mental and physical stimulation which makes having a strong connection with their human as important. It sounds like you have concerns with bringing in a new dog, and that's totally fair. I personally don't want a separation anxiety dog. I've worked with enough of them to know how stressful that is. I think your best bet is to wait for the right dog. I've fostered many dogs, and although most have some mild anxiety for the first week or two as they adjust to their new life, we have not found separation anxiety to be rampant in ex-racers. In fact, we've probably fostered a dozen or so dogs over the past 5 years and none of them have had true separation anxiety. Personally, I think you just need to wait for the right dog to come along. If you want two dogs just because you want two dogs (and none of us can/will judge you for that!) then go for it. But I think if the only reason you're considering two is the separation anxiety issue... I'm not sure it's the smoking gun you're hoping it is.
  5. Here and now you need to make a decision on what you want, and stick with it. Most dogs can learn to sleep alone at night. If that's the route you're going to go then you need to go forth boldly and decisively. Use a baby gate, or crate her in the appropriate room where you want her to sleep and then ignore all attention seeking. It will be sad, upsetting, and super frustrating for probably 1-2 weeks, maybe more depending on how much you've unintentionally rewarded her attention seeking behaviour already. It will probably get worse before it gets better. But she will learn and adjust. On the flip side, maybe your partner can adjust. I am an incredibly light sleeper. I wake up for all sorts of things, including nothing at all. I sometimes have trouble getting to sleep, or if I wake up in the night I sometimes have trouble getting back to sleep. And yet, the one who complains the most about the dogs... is my boyfriend, who I joke would sleep through me being murdered with a chainsaw in bed next to him... almost nothing disturbs his sleep. Our dogs sleep in our bedroom, and typically Kenna starts out in bed with us, and then partway through the night she and Kili will trade. And then early morning about the time that my boyfriend gets up for work, they might trade again or both end up in bed. I've adjusted to this and I often don't even wake up when the dogs get in and out of the bed, or if I do I fall asleep again once they've settled. I'm not saying your partner needs to be the one to adjust. I'm just saying that both parties are potentially capable of an adjustment, and the only question is who is going to make the change. For us, it's very important to me that the dogs sleep in the bedroom with us, and since it's me that's the lighter sleeper it hasn't been an issue. Your family may decide you want the dog to sleep elsewhere, and that's fine too, but just remember that dogs are pack animals and what you are asking her to do goes against her natural inclination. There's nothing wrong with that, but realize when you embark that you will have a couple of weeks where you get far less sleep.
  6. Happy birthday! 13 looks good on you!
  7. Summit was completely renamed. We have no idea what he was called at the kennel, but he was in a home for several years before having to be rehomed due to owner illness. His original owners called him Dexter and he knew the name, but I don't do common names for my pets so it had to go. He lived to almost 14 and he was never bothered by the name change. It's like if someone suddenly started calling you Mary when your name is Christine. You'd figure it out pretty quick. Difference between humans and dogs is we tie our identity to our names, dogs don't.
  8. Kili's sister is a black and white parti colour with a full mask over each eye. She was almost completely grey by 12 months. Kili started to lose her half mask noticeably at about 2.5-3. When I picked Kenna up, her mother (who is also a brindle) was about 3.5 years old and had significant amounts of white over her eyebrows and muzzle. Kenna turned 3 in March and I'm just starting to see the white creeping in around her eyes. Greyhound are known for going grey young, but certain lines and individuals are earlier than others.
  9. I know you were kind of joking, but not necessarily. My dogs high jump for SuperDogs shows, but don't challenge our 3.5' fence. If I asked them to jump it, they could and would. If there was a rabbit on the other side they could and would. But as a general rule... no interest.
  10. I have a rubber brush. It's almost like a hound glove but the bristles are longer and more flexible/softer. It's big and oval almost like a brush for a horse. I've never really seen another one like it - mine is a Martha Stewart brand I believe.
  11. krissy

    River

    So sorry for your loss. It is never easy to love a dog so deeply, knowing that one day too soon they will be gone.
  12. Last weekend Kenna and I competed at the Alberta/Northwest Territories Regional Agility Championships. This was my third time at a Regionals competition, but it was Kenna's first. I knew we likely wouldn't have any trouble qualifying for Nationals (requires 350 points), but we had an absolutely stellar weekend with 9 perfect runs. 3 of those were Steeplechase (not part of the Regionals competition, just for fun and money) and then Regionals consists of a Jumpers, Standard and Gamble run on both Saturday and Sunday. Check out my blog post if you want to know more about how points are awarded. Long story short, Kenna won the Steeplechase final (and re-paid me for her entry fees! ) and was also the overall Champion for the 24" Regular class. The most competitive class is the one below us, but all the larger border collies and the ones that need to up jump to Worlds competition height are in our class so it's certainly no small feat. The dog that came second is an absolutely amazing border collie... I would definitely put her as one of the very top dogs, she's been to worlds multiple times and medalled. We're off to Nationals in a month and a half and will be trying out for the World team as well, just for fun. Enjoy!
  13. Remember that water is a poison in sufficient quantity, and has a chemical formula despite being natural. Natural things are not always safe. Chemicals are not always unsafe. Would I give my dogs heartworm or tick meds if there was no risk of getting diseases that could be life threatening or life altering? No, of course not. These medications are chemicals and although very safe and well researched, they do have some risks. However, when I weigh out the risks of these conditions against the risks of the medications, I'm going to pick medications. There are no safer, equally efficacious alternatives, otherwise we'd be using them. It basically comes down to personal risk assessment. Your choice may be that heartworm and ticks are less of a concern to you than giving the medications, but if heartworm and ticks ARE a big concern to you then unfortunately your effective options are to move somewhere with lower risk, or use medications like Bravecto, Simparica, Nexgard, Seresto, etc. The reality is you assume some risk to your dog regardless of your choice, you just have to decide which choice you're most comfortable with.
  14. Yes, but plenty of people aren't home for this duration of time. Pretty normal if you work a standard 8-9 hour work day to be gone almost 10 hours after you factor in even a relatively short commute. A greyhound is perhaps one of the better suited dogs for this kind of lifestyle because their exercise needs are not extreme. I am typically gone 8-9 hours per day, but arguably I spend more hands on time with my dogs than some people who work shorter days. Most of my free time is spent with the dogs, but not all as I also have sports that don't involve the dogs. I don't think anyone would argue that my dogs are under exercised or under stimulated, particularly by greyhound standards. For the OP: if you stretch past the 9-10 hour mark you will definitely need some sort of arrangement for a mid-day potty break and leg stretch. If you plan to come home to your dog and spend your evening with him/her and a good chunk of your time on weekends with the dog/around the house, then I don't see any problem with this. Just make sure you are up front with your adoption group so they can choose an appropriate individual for you... probably something 3-4+ years old and on the lower side of the energy scale... also a dog that doesn't have any separation anxiety. Personally I would probably adopt from a group that fosters their dogs so they can get an idea of these things, as well as a dog that has been exposed to elevators (or who is very confident and will likely accept an elevator with little hesitation).
  15. Not sure if that's just a US law, but that would never fly in Canada. Even the cops pre-warm their vehicles in the winter! Almost every vehicle in Edmonton has a remote starter.
  16. You can also get portable temperature monitors that you can check from an app on your phone. Some of my dog sport friends and trainer friends who do house calls have monitors for their vehicles because they almost always have to bring their dogs along for the ride. They can check the temperature and then use their remote starter to turn on the vehicle to run the AC while leaving the vehicle locked as necessary. My truck will run for 15 minutes and shut itself off when I use my remote starter, so I often do that if I need to leave the dogs in the car for short periods of time.
  17. My dogs wear their muzzles frequently. Super useful for preventing dogs from eating things they shouldn't, licking things they shouldn't, etc. I use their muzzles after any sort of surgery until their sutures come out, or if they have a wound I don't want them to lick. They're perfectly happy with the arrangement. We use a stool guard on the front, but duct tape can work too (just poke some small holes for ventilation).
  18. It’s probably worth discussing a referral to an ophthalmologist to find out if he has PRA (progressive retinal atrophy). It usually starts with poor night vision and progresses eventually to total blindness.
  19. Yes, this. Also, many of the trainers have children and bring them to the track. Our first greyhound was a retired racer and he was great with kids. Our two that we raised from 8 weeks old, less so because they had limited exposure to children with us (we don't have any, don't really know any). Yes, but also I feel like greyhound owners overstate this because they're used to retired racers. Yes, my puppies nipped and chewed and had tonnes of energy... but I also think they are on par (if not better) than many other large breed puppies. Compared to the grown up greyhound, yes, they are complete terrors. But for someone who is used to raising other large breed puppies, I would say most greyhound pups are a dream. So really it depends on what you want. If you WANT a puppy that will eventually grow up into a relaxed adult then a greyhound puppy might be perfect. Personally I love raising my guys from pups and will probably continue going that route in future, and I'll just foster racers for my adoption group. If you just want a laid back dog and don't really want the puppy raising... adopt a retired racer! Just make sure you let the adoption group know what your requirements are (namely good with children from the sounds of it) so they can match you with the appropriate dog.
  20. I'd recommend some "it's your choice" training to harness the food motivation a little. Food motivation is absolutely amazing. Although you can certainly train dogs without food, it is by far one of the easiest reinforcers to work with and is one of the main things I look for in a dog. It's important to train our dogs not to grab though. For one thing it's rude and potentially hazardous if the thing in our hand isn't actually food (pills for example) or is hot (bowl of soup). It also, as you noted, makes it a bit difficult to work if the dog can't remove its attention from the food long enough to learn anything. Now, one way to reduce that issue is don't train with food in your hand. For one thing, the food is a reward and not a bribe, so it's better to keep it out of the equation until the moment you plan to reward. This is why clicker training is great, because it buys you the extra few seconds to get the treat out and give it to the dog without the dog thinking she was wrong. Get a nice training pouch and don't open it until after the behaviour has been performed unless you are using a luring method for the behaviour in question. And then it also helps to teach the dog not to grab food just because it is there. We call this game "it's your choice" because the dog controls what happens and whether she gets the food. It's essentially an unspoken "leave it" behaviour. It can be done with toys as well as food. If the dog makes a good decision and doesn't grab at the food she gets a piece. If she tries to take it for herself, it gets covered up and becomes inaccessible to her. Her choice to leave the food alone is what results in her payoff.
  21. Last weekend Kenna and I attended the CKC Agility Team Canada tryouts for the European Open (EO) and Agility World Championship (AWC) teams. We've had some challenges recently as I had a PRP treatment about 7 weeks ago to try to heal a back injury, and hadn't been allowed to run at all until about 2 weeks before the event, which meant no training. And these courses were unlike anything we have ever seen. Some of them I thought were positively insane and undo-able... but we got through them! In spite of all these challenges, I was really happy with how we did. It felt like we had never missed a beat... didn't feel rusty or out of sync at all. We finished 25th out of 57 large dogs, and just missed being named as alternates to the EO team. The last run shown was actually the second run of the event. We ran about half-way through the order, and up to that point there had only been 1 dog who was clean. That dog is a multi world team dog, and the handler just came back from a world event in the Netherlands where she had run THREE of her dogs. We were not nearly as smooth and fast, but we were only the second team to get through it clean. That course was nuts, and it absolutely ate teams for lunch. I was so incredibly proud of us for getting through it clean. When everything was said and done only 4 teams total ran it clean, and the first three were a malinois, a greyhound, and a labrador (the fourth was a finally a border collie). Tryouts is scored on a time plus faults model to bias for fast dogs, so although she was the 4th fastest clean dog, she ended up in 7th overall. Still, 7th out of 57 dogs is absolutely incredible. I'm super excited to step up our training this year. I plan to put her in for IFCS tryouts in August as well for further experience this year knowing what to expect at these big tryout events... how things run, how things are scored, what kinds of courses to expect, etc. And I hope that next year we'll really have a shot at the team. Either way, I couldn't ask for a better teammate.
  22. Great job to both of you! What a huge milestone and what an impact in people's lives!
  23. Mine seem to really like the wind. The other day we were jogging and it was a really blustery day. They generally don't love jogging on leash in the city because it's kind of monotonous, but this particular day they were extra frisky, especially any time we got a big headwind, then they'd get all excited and pull straight into it.
  24. There are many whippets in our area that participate in Scent Hurdle Racing. It's basically flyball, but instead of a tennis ball there is a box of dumbbells. Each one coordinates to the dog's vest number and is scented by its owner. The dog retrieves it's appropriate dumbbell and the next dog gets to go. I believe a team relay is made up of 4 dogs, same as flyball.
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