Willowsmum

Our boy turned 6 right after we got him! Anyone who passed him by sorely missed out, he's a hunk-a, hunk-a burnin' love. (Seriously, Shadow has a fan club, he's just so sweet.) Congrats! Give her time to settle in. Keep reading and posting here, it's a wealth of knowledge and support! Welcome to greytalk!

We have been using Quarterpole supplements: http://www.quarterpole.net/dog-joint-supplement.html Dog doesn't mind, it's a largely tasteless, odorless powder we sprinkle on his feed--nothing extra. It's pricey, but we've been dosing him twice daily since July and we're barely half done with the first container. If need be, you could mix it with any add-ins like peanut butter, pumpkin or yogurt. I was surprised, he gobbles it down with his Purina Proplan and a little water and fish oil swirled on it all. Our 9-year-old grey had much less leg shaking on standing and more pep in his step a month in on them. :-) We had been using the Trader Joe's glucosamine bites, with less dramatic results, I think the dosage of those was too low to do much good (more tasty stuff and filler, less glucosamine)

Kristen, what an awful way to lose your sweet Peanut! I am so very sorry for your loss and the trauma. Have you spoken to your vet? It might give you some peace to hear from him or her that there was likely nothing you could do. It must seem like it was your fault, because it happened when you brushed her, but there was obviously something wrong that was hidden-- it could have happened to her the next time she got up from a nap and stretched, if you hadn't brushed her, and wouldn't have had you by her side. I hope you eventually find some answers and peace. We're all thinking of you.

It might help to take him for a LOONG pack walk before you go out to make sure he's fully potted out before you leave. I'd also pick up an enzyme cleaner from the pet store (We have something called "EWWW") to thoroughly remove the remaining smell--dogs will potty where they smell urine or feces, and their noses are much better than ours. Greyhounds have little body fat and not much fur--I would not lock one out in the yard for any period of time. In warm weather they can also overheat pretty quickly. I'd go with the crate training mentioned above, do a keyword search for "alone training" and "crate training" here, there are a lot of threads where good advice has been given. Some greys don't like smooth flooring as they can slip on it. I wouldn't gate him into the kitchen. If you must, put down a non-slip area rug and one of his beds or folded blankets so have has a place to rest. Leaving a stuffed Kong (Dog toy you can put bits of kibble or stuff with peanut butter--something it will take your dog awhile to get the food out of) or rawhide to chew on sometimes keeps them distracted. They prefer a room they associate with you and hanging out with you. Do you have a family room, tv room, or den you can gate him into and leave the living room off limits? For some dogs 8 hours is a long time, especially if he's not used to it. Can you get someone you trust to give him a walk and some love mid-day to make it easier for him to hold it?

I'm no expert, but 2 things: 1. Not all hounds are highly food-motivated. The ones that are might not be food motivated if nervous or stressed in a situation. 2. Can she find a foothold? Our boy has been reluctant to get into my car, a 4-door Civic. It helps to put his front feet somewhere where he can get up from. We now transport him in my husband's car, a 2-door Civic, because the front seat rolls forward and the dog can securely plant 2 feet on floor of the car and then step up to the back seat. I would have thought the 4-door car would be better, but street to car seat is harder for him than street to floor to seat--more secure for him. 3. Greyhounds can be stubborn, and often don't find training interesting. It's "I did that once, now I'm bored and want to nap in the sun, thank you very much" Where a golden retriever would be like "Can we do it again? Huh? Again! Again! Oh boy!!!!" My husband taught our dog "go to bed!" by physically walking him over there and standing there until he sat down. If need be, doing it 2 or 3 times in a row (stubborn dog kept returning to beg at table) He will do it now just from voice, but it took awhile.

My male dog seems to have figured out our daily schedule. He will only fully empty by the side of the house if it's last turnout, he's been holding it a long time, or if he sees we're going out. I think he can tell. I put on makeup, we put on shoes, turn on radio barricade kitchen and get a treat out. Every other time, we only get a "courtesy squirt" because he wants to be ready for walks at any moment. He will pee multiple times on a walk. Don't fret, he'll get used to your schedule and settle in. Did your rescue give you a belly band? It's a fabric strip with velcro that you wrap around him, being sure to cover his bits. If he tries to mark, it should spare your wall in the time it'd take to correct him, (Uh Uh!) snap on a leash and take him outside. That might make the both of you a little less anxious until everyone gets acclimated.

Yes about calming signals. Our dog doesn't growl, but I now know he yawns, licks, or looks away when he's really uncomfortable or unhappy--I didn't recognize that when we first got him, and I'm damned lucky I was never bit. Some greys apparently really don't like their ears handled, I've heard. I tell my husband often "remind me if we ever get another dog, not to try this…" because our boy really mellowed once he settled in with us. I can pedi paws him, Q-tip his ears, anything--as long as he gets a treat. :-) Think about your habits, too. My house is small and I'm a klutz, I can't count the times I've tripped over, nearly stepped on, or kicked Shadow with a sock, especially in nightly trips to the bathroom. When he startles, which is rare, he just lifts his head up and stares as if to say, "what are you doing here??" . A dog that bites on startle would probably cover me in wounds. Know yourselves and your home.

Oh, I feel for you! An emotional time and a tough decision. I hope your husband is ok. I can't tell you what to do, but don't get down on yourselves. Someone really should have told you about sleep startle. I was warned from the get-go to not pet dogs on their own bed. I suggest Greyhounds for Dummies, we bought it before we got our dog. Our first dog had severe separation anxiety and nothing we did helped and we had to return her. We got an older mellower dog who was returned and he was the right one for us. There is a home for every dog, but the right home may not be yours and you need to be honest about whether you have what it takes to make things work with Lester. I'm no expert, but it does sound like he was startled. They really do sleep with eyes open sometimes, so it's hard to tell if they are awake. If Lester was startled, he could have been as scared as you and your husband were. OTOH, I'm not sure if I could behave normally around a dog that had bitten me, especially when I was new to living with dogs, and unsure about the whole thing. Hopefully your rescue has a behaviorist you can consult with. If you decide you can't trust Lester again, and he'll feel your anxiety, please don't give up on the breed. There might be a dog who isn't right off the track and has been mentored by some more seasoned people (and dogs) and they can tell you more about the dog before you bring him home, so you can make it work. In time, with better information, you might be the perfect home for a different greyhound--it sound alike you've learned a lot already. Hang in there! :-)

Welcome! I'll second or third…. what the others said. It's totally normal. Shadow layer around like a lump, a wary lump and didn't eat much at first, and he does eat less in the summer. Give your dog time. He'll eat when he's hungry. Keep posting here, there's a lot of information available for new adopters! (And for not new adopters when something unexpected happens!)

We do 1 or two depending on the weather and the energy level of our dog. If he gets sassy, he needs a walk. If he's limping, panting excessively, or starting to show wear spots on his paw pads, we shorten walks or limit to one a day. He NEEDS one #2 walk every 24 hours, he LIKES 2 if we have time and the scary wind isn't making the trees swish too much (freaks the dog out). We discovered when he was recovering from an injured paw that although he almost always needs a walk to go # 2, gods bless him, he'll drop a deuce by the side of the house if he's hurting (Good doggie!). As our dog has gotten older, he seems to be as excited for walks as ever, but he gets tired sooner once he gets out there. Sort answer, you'll know what works best for your dog. If he's still too sassy, walk (or do zoomies) more, if he's tired and you have to drag him home, or you see signs of him being sore, lay off a bit.

I have through a dog's ear. I don't think it did much for either of my dogs at all. We now leave on talk radio (NPR) and plenty of fans to make white noise. The CD was lovely, I play it for my students at work. I don't know about them, but it calms me, LOL. :-) If at all possible, borrow a copy before you (possibly) waste the money. It's a classical/piano music cd, I did not personally find it to be anything special.

Congrats on the new grey! You're in the right place, GT is a wealth of knowledge! Our dog is a drama queen, too. We run to screams (on this board called GSOD-Greyhound scream of death) and make sure he isn't stuck on something. He's snagged a nail on throw rugs, and once got his lip caught in a crevice of a rawhide--painful but easily solved. If he limps, or holds up the paw in "I'll never walk again" angst, we yell "treat" or "cookie!" and dash into the kitchen to get one. 99% of the time, he forgets about the drama and runs/gallops/trots in for a cookie. (This works best if you can have one person lag behind as a "spotter" to see if there's a limp while going for the cookie.) If he doesn't go for the cookie, is still favoring the limb later in the day, is red, swollen, puffy or bleeding, then we call the vet.

We give our grey 1 TB plain low fat yogurt with dinner, a drizzle of kefir if that's all we have in the house. I think it helps with paint-peeling farts. That and canned pumpkin.

We had decent results from regular people dramamine and ginger snap cookies. I'd check the vet for dosage for a puppy. Husband also had success with daily taking a short trip around the block, to a park nearby… "Fun" trips to make the car not just for trips to the vet. Good luck. Dog barf in car is no fun. :-(

Congrats! You don't get a full view of a grey's personality for a few months, it will unfold a little at a time. We have dog beds in the family (tv) room, my husband's office and upstairs hallway (outside bedroom door) and dog will still flop (seemingly) uncomfortably in random places. Give her time. And treats. :-) My mom spoils the dog most of all and she gets a happy dance every time she drops by, LOL. PS Kitchen smells like food. Logical place to "stake out"!

UPDATE: I've started a bedtime cookie ritual, so far, so good. Output is normal, dog acts fine. I guess the old man gets hungry sooner now. ;-)

I have baby gas-x (Mylicon?) in liquid for the guinea pig (works great when their tummies get out of sorts!) that would probably be fine on a biscuit? I keep gas-x gelcaps for myself. I believe it's just simethicone. Thanks for the replies.

I didn't want to respond to any of the threads I read at 5 AM, as they were several years old, but let me add my tale to the archives, perhaps it will comfort someone else at all hours. My grey sleeps in the hall outside our room, usually 5-10 ft away from my bed. This morning, Shadow woke me out of a sound sleep. His stomach or GI tract was making these incredibly loud, space-aliens like noises. I was waiting for something to explode out of the poor guy from one end, the other, or the middle, Sigourney Weaver-style. I woke husband who said he has heard gurgles after dog eats or drinks a lot, then paused and said... "but never for that long". I sat there over dog, dead asleep and looking rather cozy make noises for a good 5-10 minutes. DH got dressed and took dog for walk in case the worst was about to happen (preferably not on new rug) and reported he walked happily,peed a few times, trotted tail up and dropped a lovely, firm #2. We didn't see evidence of him eating anything strange, and haven't changed his food... but both being home over winter break, his hours have been odd and he was getting a lot of treats from guests. He ripped off a toenail over the break and while it was healing we had him on reduced exercise. Yesterday he got the longest walk he'd had in a week, and I made a point of feeding him on time (5pm) and not giving him too many snacks through the evening. I went with my gut instinct which bolstered by similar tales, said he might be really hungry and out of sorts, so we gave him an early breakfast of kibble with a few tablespoons yogurt on top. He ate like a champ, the noise abruptly stopped, and he went back to bed, unlike either of his parents. (*sigh* Welcome back from Christmas break!!) DH stayed home and dog had normal walk eliminations later in the day. Perhaps he got used to the spoiling and was "starving" on his normal rations, perhaps getting back to more "walkies" got his gut going, or perhaps he'd gone too long without yogurt. (He sometimes loves it, sometimes will eat around it, it varies). Thank you greytalkers for being there for me at arse-o'clock when a senior I'd had for almost 3 years did something new and scared the bejesus out of me. (Same thing a week ago when think we figured out he may have SLO--we have a vet appointment to get a prof'l opinion 1 pulled off nail is a freak happenstance, 2 more cracked hollow nails is downright odd). ***For those of you who suggested tums, gas-x or pepsid, what dosage would you use for a 74 lb male hound? Good to know for future reference.

So sorry this is going on! I second a getting a once-over at the vet to see if something is off, but there were times I thought Shadow was nuts, as he was acting scared and I didn't hear anything and later on found out there *were* scary sounds outside, (fireworks, fire truck sirens, etc) but I didn't hear them. (Too far away) Good luck getting to the bottom of things!

I use the pedipaws dremel. I trained him with cheese sticks. It's the only time he gets them. if I even pick up pedipaws to put it away, he assumes the position and waits for cheese. :-) The first few times I had DH pet and soothe dog and give cheese while I worked. When they get too long I pay the vet. *sigh* I don't have the nerve to try to avoid quick in black nails and the dog is a sissy and cries before I ever cut anything, so no clippers for me.

I am so sorry you are going through this. I researched greys, read the book, and was heartbroken that Willow was not the right dog for us. She needed a home with other dogs or someone who didn't go out. Training, medication, and time would not change that. Our rescue's behaviorist said I tried everything she would have and advised me to return the poor dog to be rehomed. My husband was ready to give up on his dream to have a dog (due to may allergies), and greyhounds in particular as "spooky". The behaviorist told me *her* tale of needing to rehome a dog, and the foster dad who popped a dog in her back seat for the ride home--a dog that turned out to be one of her favorites. They essentially did the same to me, (after I had time to think about it and say I'd try). They gave me a bounce who had been an only dog and who had lived happily with an elderly couple who could no longer keep up with him. I will never forget being at the foster home's back yard and Willow trotting off away from us without a glance back to be with the pack of dogs there. Just then a big black goofy dog trotted up to us of his own accord to say hi, and it was almost a sign that taking him home was the right thing to do. It was the best leap of faith I ever took. I love him to bits! He has his quirks, but honestly, I don't think I'll ever be lucky enough to have a dog so gentle, tolerant, sweet *and* clean in the house. We love "the old man". I echo the poster who said ask about a bounce. Many dogs are rehomed through no fault of their own--people get divorced, move to apartments that don't allow pets, lose jobs and can't afford to feed a large dog, get too frail to care for a dog, a dog with a good "track record" off the track might be a better fit for you. I admire people who can work wonders with misunderstood or difficult dogs, but I have accepted I am not that person. I provide a good loving home to a forgiving dog who has taught me so much about how to interact with dogs without having to bite me for it. Even with the knowledge and experience I have now, I don't think we'd be the right home for an off-the-track dog. When the time comes that Shadow leaves us, and may it be a *very* long time, I want to wait for another older, good, goofy boy who had known and appreciated a good home and lost it due to bad luck. There are many people who with time, patience, training (of people and dog) have turned around hard-to-handle dogs, and maybe that could be you. But if it isn't, there's no shame in it. You shouldn't live in a home with dogs you are afraid of. It just won't end well for anyone, man or beast.

Our boy sat in front of the china cabinet with a " What the ...?" caption over his head his first few weeks and we just let him be. My husband recalls I was worried he wouldn't bond with us. 2 years later, he's not a "cuddler", but he will whimper for pets, will flop over for more, and will play air snap or swat his paw if we stop and he wants more. When " the interview is over" he gets up and goes to his bed. We don't pet him on the bed, only on his many varied floor spots. He follows us around either in body or with his eyeballs (which I find adorable) and does welcome home greetings, occasionally a happy dance. We also get head butts or nosey-pokes when he wants to play. I think that's pretty affectionate for a grey. I'm sure there are some who cuddle, but I think grey-love comes in its own forms, and takes time. There's nothing wrong with wanting a pet to snuggle up with, but your dog may not be that type. OTOH, if you give him time he might show you fondness in his own way if you know what to look for. One great thing about an adopted dog is you don't have to wait for them to grow several years to see what type of dog they will be. Don't keep a dog that doesn't do it for you, but you might want to pull back a bit and give him time to trust you before you decide.

My dog once woke us up in the middle of the night, rooing. Freaked me ut, it's not at all like him. I did hear one siren way in the distance, but he never yowled at one siren before. I went back to bed and when checking the news the next morning found out there had been a 4 or 5 alarm fire in the area (huge house fire) and every fire truck in the county was probably there. I only heard one, but I bet with his huge ears he heard a whole lot more. They hear a lot of things we don't.

Angelav: Welcome to the forum! You'll find a lot of advice here, some empathy, some sympathy and some judgement. Take what you can use and try to ignore the rest. I understand wanting a phone with you. I usually walk with my husband, and he's the one with pockets. (Why doesn't women's clothing come with more pockets?) Last time I walked the dog alone, I needed my asthma inhaler, a flashlight, phone and keys. I gave up and found a handbag/purse that I could wear diagonally across my chest, and put all but the flashlight in there, so I had may hands free to scoop. Maybe you can find a small go bag you can wear across so it doesn't slide off your shoulder, or one of those arm or wrist wallets for your phone and keys. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Phubby-active-wearWrist-Wallet-technology/dp/B00A8NACVG/ref=pd_sim_sg_3"> like this</a> Good luck. If you have a big boy and are a small lady, I can see how a sudden battle of wills could take you off guard. Hopefully a trainer can help you handle him better. Luckily the biggest problem I get with my big boy is occasional statue-ing, but our behaviorist taught me some ways around that, and I can get him moving when I have to. In case my coding doesn't work: http://www.amazon.com/Phubby-active-wearWrist-Wallet-technology/dp/B00A8NACVG/ref=pd_sim_sg_3

>Never let yourself be guilted into a pet that you can't handle or are afraid of.< Excellent advice, iconsmum. Just because some people are willing and able to handle a dog with certain issues does not mean everyone can or should. You shouldn't be afraid of someone sharing your home, man or beast.