XTRAWLD

You might notice your grey get a little too rambunctious and want to relieve his energy somehow. But some need more or less walks and energy burns than others. In the winter when they need to release energy, we play in an open area of a basement right now, throw a ball, chase, tug of war. We can only walk outside so far until everyone is frozen! I find mind stimulation is important too, likely more so in winter than summer. Have you thought about trying mind games with a food motivated hound? There are some actual games out there where they need to move blocks out of the way to get to food - it requires some brain power and not just brute strength! Or you can always use 3 tupperware containers upside down, put a piece of kibble under one, mix em up and have him find it!

I've just looked up some used ones on Kijiji. My spidey senses are telling me something though - how can someone sell a treadmill they got for nearly $1K for $150 ? with existing warranty? and still in good condition?..... Ryder is incredibly intelligent. I do not think learning it will be an issue at all, just wondering about any previous experiences. I know a manual treadmill will not work.....that's for sure!

I brought this up on a previous post Linky but perhaps it deserves a separate topic. To help alleviate energy with Ryder, I was wondering if anyone has had any level of success in teaching a greyhound to walk on a treadmill? With winter months coming, I have been thinking more and more about this. A tired dog is a happy dog, and I was hoping that this might help control his "energy" for lack of a better word when we do a release from the house after being cooped up for too long (as depicted in the video in the previous thread). We do not have a yard, and taking him to the park or my parents yard, he just stands there. The only way to get out a lot of energy is just to walk and walk and walk. Thoughts?

Yay for me, yay for Ryder!!! Thanks everyone! I'm happy to have "turned a leaf" with more training tools! I just will try not to overuse this method.

I wanted to start another thread but decided to expand on this one because it is related. Has anyone here trained their dog to WALK on a treadmill? I don't want a treadmill to run him, but I was getting to thinking about putting him on a treadmill to walk at the fast pace we walk at to get his energy out. Especially in these winter months when we can't walk as far as we are used to. Any success? I really wonder if it would make him happier and am really willing to try it out. I bet after the Christmas rush, when people realize their treadmills are fantastic clothes hangers I might be able to pick up a used one cheaper than a new one. Thoughts?

I would only hope Ryder would tell Kasey off...what a turn of foot that would be in the house. Mr. Kasey and I Want it My Way or the Highway! Do you think Bella could make them cut it out?! LOL Oh God no! She'd egg them on. "Yeah, Yeah...fight, slap each other! Let's take our muzzles off and really get into it!", that's what she'd say. She's the crazy one at playgroup, she MUST run faster than all the greys, and if a greyhound decides to roll around on the ground, she stands over them and starts nipping them in the neck while barking LOL Kasey is a troublemaker and instigator like that too.

I know in general this is a bad practice. The dog will usually repeat the behaviour you DON'T want because you are giving him/her attention. I never do this. My training methods are positive reinforcement, treats and praise. I have had to work with Ryder since we've had him in regards to noise and getting startled on our walks, resulting in extreme pulling. I've done the "immersion" procedure to get him used to sounds (standing near and beside some activity until he calms down, with food rewards and praise - yes for up to an hour because I had the time and the patience to do so). This has worked, rewarding with food and praise has worked. Today on our walk I tried something different. We had a nice walk, everything was going fine, until a Lazy-Boy truck stopped outside of a condo building to unload furniture. We were well out of range of this truck, easily 50 metres and were walking away from it. They put down their loading ramp with a bang and uh oh here we go. Ryder immediately starts pulling desperately trying to walk away from the sound. If he were able to break free he would get loose and run and I likely would never find him again - this is how bad he is when he hears noises. Kasey has zero reaction, but his calm demeanour does nothing to settle Ryder. I kept my speed of pace and we walked to a grassy area while still in view of the truck. I grabbed Ryder and gave him a hug and held him close and secure for 30 seconds to about a minute or two. He had his coat on with a nice liner (and in doing so it reminded me of the Thunder Coat, the one that dogs can wear to make them feel more secure in a storm and less fearful). I gave him a gentle command of "relax" which is my command for working on his startling, and I just held him there, close to me and secure. He turned to look at the truck, as they continued to make some more lower sounding bangs. I felt his body grow less tense while I held him. After I noticed he was more calm, I let go and off we went. He pulled into a perfect walk stride with me as if nothing happened. What gives?

I would only hope Ryder would tell Kasey off...what a turn of foot that would be in the house. Mr. Kasey and I Want it My Way or the Highway! Do you think Bella could make them cut it out?! LOL

Thank you for this observation. It's much appreciated.

I truly believe that crating a dog makes a good dog. We've done so with both our boys. We kept Kasey in a crate probably longer than was necessary (he didn't enjoy his crate very much, but tolerated it) but he was our first, and Ryder had a few months shorter than Kasey did, but I bet he would have liked to have kept his crate up forever. Every dog is different and believe it or not, you will know when it's time to give it up, or keep it a while longer. But he's only been with you a week or so, and I'd recommend keeping him crated for a little while longer. It's his safe place in a world full of unknowns right now.

Sad to read this today, but sounded like Avalanche had a wonderful life with you while he was here.

Amazing recovery!

Thank you for the update on Paden. I'm sad to hear although the retina's reattached that he is still blind. Poor pup! I use pill pockets, because I am not as efficient as hubby to throw pills down the throat at just the right angle and not have Kasey gack like we are trying to kill him. They can be expensive if you need to use them on a daily basis though. Otherwise, if Paden is food motivated, just smearing peanut butter on it may works, but if he's fussy I have found regular Kraft Singles Cheese effective as well, or even a little bit of sliced deli - ham, salami, whatever. Soft bread is super easy too! Popular food for weight gain is the Satin Ball. There are several variations of the receipe but always contain raw hamburger - yes you can feed raw hamburger to your dog and he won't blow up - oatmeal, wheat germ and eggs. I fed them to Kasey with varying results - at the time oatmeal was not a confirmed allergen - and thus started the vicious cycle of allergies, medication (prednisone), and weight gain/loss. The best part - you can hide the pills in one of these as well! Win-Win.

Any update on the healing?

Time will certainly help. In the meantime, does he have a favorite blanket yet? If not, introduce one into the crate for him to get used to and realize it's his for a few days. When he's out and about with you, go in and take the blanket and drape it on a nearby dog bed. That's how we taught Kasey that it was ok to lay on a bed on the floor.....he had many bed fails always touching the blanket, and then eventually clued in that he could lie on the whole thing.

I second all the recommendations to soak the foot in epsom salts, 4 times a day if you can (we used a tupperware container, but because his leg is swollen I'd say get a nice big bucket). Put some warm water in it with 2 big tablespoon or so of epsom salts, mix it up so it's all dissolved and stick his foot in there for 10 minutes. It will relieve some pain, and will soften the area the foreign object is in. Who knows what exactly it is, but it will have to come out before any swelling will go down. The body is just reacting to it, and I think will continue to do so until it's gone. With every step he's been taking, whatever is lodged in there has perhaps gone deeper every time. Ryder had what we think was glass just by his back pad, it grew into a big bump, but no major swelling. We soaked it a lot, and tried to express it, much like you would a pimple. Even though every expressing session wouldn't get it out, the soft skin helped to make it come closer to the surface, until eventually a week later we think, we finally got it out. Bump gone, all healed. That will be really difficult between the toes though, and I of course don't want to go against what the vet may tell you to do. You will not believe how well soaking in epsom salts really does help and heal, even if you aren't trying to express the object. He will likely just benefit from sticking his foot in the water as well. I also had a bee sting a few years ago on the bottom of my foot, it swelled up like you wouldn't believe, had to wear sandals everywhere thankfully it was summer, and 2 weeks later I finally saw a doctor and he had to break up the stinger that was still in my foot. Once broken up, and after soaking is epsom salts to soften and try to get rid of the cut up stinger, my swelling went away. We keep epsom salts around the house and use it regularly, for small cuts and just general soreness. The poor guy, I too was hoping he would have had more progress on the swelling. Glad to hear he's on antibiotics.

YAY. HAPPY! Congrats on your progress!

Since Kasey has slept in our queen bed since 2006 and we have let him keep his spot. Unfortunately Ryder gets to sleep on his bed on the floor. Our bed is the only furniture Kasey is allowed on as well, so I don't feel too bad! They aren't the best of cuddle bugs, so I would think that 2 greys on the bed would just create issues when sleeping. We already don't get a full nights rest with Kasey in the bed as it is, I couldn't imagine sticking two in there. It's easier to start the sister off on the floor because she wouldn't know any better. That's how we do it in our house. Hubby said when Kasey goes, Ryder won't be allowed up to snuggle either, but I'll make sure that changes. Can't imagine Ryder not getting a chance to snuggle with us eventually, but as long as Kasey is around, he won't be allowed to.

OMG, this is so heartbreaking to hear.

I answered for Ryder. I have never seen a greyhound sit as much as him. He is a real dog we keep telling ourselves. Kasey doesn't sit ever for no reason! LOL But he does sit when we ask (takes a little patience and coaxing as he gets situated) and when food is around.

I'd say I get more comfortable with every injury that comes along. Especially if it is a repeat type of injury and I know how to handle it, don't sweat it treat it at home type of deal. If I really don't know what to do and the dog is in distress I make the call to go. I fortunately haven't had to visit an e-vet, and the only time we really had to go for an emergency, I called our regular vet and he stayed open for us since it happened later in the day during the "closing" hours. I do tend to wait and let time pass to see if it improves before making a call as well. However, you know what they always say - better safe than sorry.

I wonder if he's anticipating you getting home which might be why he cries so late? It looks like you are working really hard to rectify the problem, just like you worked hard through all your research to get him.

It certainly sucks for them to act that way on lead, but that wasn't really my ultimate question/problem. I have two thoughts on the walking on lead behaviour. While I don't think it's a good idea because we are walking, it's really the only time they can be "dogs" together in a controlled environment. I want Ryder to get his "frustrations" out for lack of a better word, while we are outside and they are muzzled, the problem is I lack a yard for them to do this in, therefore we have allowed it once released from the house. Kasey is the boss in the house, and Ryder doesn't dare do anything to piss him off, so outside on our walk is a neutral territory. I agree they shouldn't learn this habit on lead, but they settle right away when we tell them to, and I agree it is lessened if we shorten the leads. You should see Ryder look over at Kasey when they are walking on either side....he's just gunning for him! I was more looking for comments about their behaviour in general, and seems like the concensus is Ryder is playful and Kasey could care less. I just hope it is a Happy Ryder and not a Mad Ryder. With both those tails wipping around, I can't help but think this is play behaviour, but since they don't play together, I really have no idea what to look for or prevent escalation. So Kasey pawing him on the head is bad. Check. However, he's telling Ryder to stop, and then it pretty much cools down. Do dogs generally do this outside when released to play? My boys are complete opposites, and don't care for eachother at all when in the house. In the basement if we run around and play, Ryder chases right behind me and Kasey is right up on the back of Ryder ready to tackle him and I don't think it's play at all, I think he's trying to kill him! I'll try to capture basement playing if I am able, because I would really like to learn about their behaviour/interactions.

I agree with the blanket on the crate....it's more den like. I also wanted to add, since you are coming home late at night, are you leaving any lights on for him or is the apartment completely dark?

That's awful. I'm assuming it's an apartment building. Thus said, you would be surprised how much sound travels, especially via concrete beams and floors. Someone obviously pin-pointed the source of the noise, but it likely could have been heard 3 floors up and 2 suites over, similarly right next door. You will never find out who it was that complained, and the landlord won't tell you due to confidentiality. You might be blaming your next door neighbour but it could have been someone down the hall or across the way, etc. If it's not an apartment building, you might have better luck trying to chat up the neighbours. Clearly someone is home when you are not. To tell you the truth, if they aren't dog people, no amount of talking to them will make a difference. If he is constantly carrying on, it is a nuisance. Can you put up cameras to watch what he does? I also recommend uncrating, it might make him feel more at home. I would also guess more alone training might be necessary for his adjustment period. He's so brand new, this just sucks. I've never been in that situation of a crying greyhound - at least I don't think they do, no one ever said anything to me. What about getting someone to come in mid day to hang with him? I dunno, just throwing ideas out there. Obviously you've tried kongs, etc. Editing: I just read some of the other posts. Looks like some type of music is a trigger - did you do the music thing before, what about talk radio? Perhaps the cat is taunting him as you noticed a little when it walked by the crate.... Also, you just got home around midnight - neighbours have every right to complain about that kind of noise at that hour. Everything else is generally very still and quiet and his crying will be heightened.