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schultzlc

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Everything posted by schultzlc

  1. Thanks for the responses! I am making sure that I am the only one giving her water so that I can keep track of her intake. Perhaps she is drinking more since it is so dry here (I know I sure am). We are also putting a lot of effort into keeping things low-key, for example, I am now entering the house a few minutes ahead of everyone to get her outside before they come in. I hadn't realized that house training her didn't mean she'd be house trained everywhere, but that makes sense. It is a little weird that she was here for three weeks over the summer and never had a problem, but this time she has decided the house can be a toilet. The difference is that the last time she was so timid that she mainly stayed on her pillow in the corner. This time around she has been much more adventurous and playful, so perhaps her tenacity has put her in more situations that are nerve-wracking to her. I guess it's another one of those situations where I wish I could hook a radio up to her head to hear what she's thinking
  2. Nope, there haven't been any other dogs in the house between our visits, so I don't think she's being territorial. We've been going out every 2.5-3 hours during the day, and also right before I know someone will be coming home just in case their arrival causes extra nervousness. Perhaps I should be taking her out more often than that? It's just such a sharp cry from her staying home while I am at work without an issue. I've reverted back to carrying a pocket full of treats and praising her excitedly and giving her a treat for going in the proper place. We'll continue to work on it when we get back home, and hopefully she'll go back to her house-trained self within time.
  3. To give a little background information, I have six weeks off while my students are on winter break. My hound and I took a roadtrip north to spend a month with my family. We are still enjoying our time in Wisconsin, and will be returning to Virginia on Sunday. While we have been staying at my parents house, she has had 5 peeing accidents in the house. I adopted her at the beginning of last March, and the only time she had an accident was on the second day, when she walked from one end of my apartment to the other, marking her territory. Other than that, she hasn't had a single issue until these past four weeks. I already ruled out a UTI. I had kind of thought that she didn't have any kind of infection because she still goes 10 or more hours at night without a potty break (her choice, not mine, she is not a morning girl, and will usually resist getting out of bed until 8:30am) and doesn't exhibit any urgency, but I wanted medical proof to know for sure. We have kept up with her regular walking schedule, as well as her potty breaks. Her accidents have usually occurred in the late afternoon or evening when both of my parents are back home. Because she is still "new," could she still be stressed out by the extra commotion? Although she's shy, she's been getting along great with my family, has been eating well around them, and even initiates play with them. The weird thing is that when we visited last summer for three weeks, she didn't have a single accident while we were here. Could it be that she is more resistant to the cold weather in Wisconsin, even though we put a coat on her when she goes out? Any advice you have would be most welcome! My parents have been really calm about it, which has been helpful, but I really wouldn't trust bringing her into anyone else's home at this time. I am also worried that when we go back to VA she'll continue this behavior. Please send me any suggestions or ideas!!
  4. Welcome to GT, and congratulations on your very handsome boy!! His eyes are stunning
  5. That's definitely a valid concern. Luna also went through a little chewing phase (she has issues with anxiety and was wearing away her front teeth from chewing on the crate while she was in there), and when I first left her out, she did go after my coffee table. I rent too, and I understand not wanting to lose a deposit due to doggie damage. Does Bruce have a muzzle? After the coffee table incident, I muzzled Luna for about two weeks, and that pretty much took care of her anxious chewing. To be honest, she really didn't mind wearing it at all, and it gave me peace of mind that she wasn't tearing the place apart. I'm sorry that you have to go through this, but you are definitely not alone!!
  6. I would also recommend ditching the crate. I had a similar problem with Luna when I first got her, and after one week of howling, I decided to can the crate during the second week that I had her. Bruce will definitely get better as he becomes more accostomed to life in your home and realizes that you will always come back to him...I wish you all of the best!!
  7. Thank you for posting this! I would have never guessed that using cotton balls would be the correct procedure...
  8. I wonder if your hound would benefit from something like this Cooling Coat. I looked into something similar over the summer for Luna, but never got around to purchasing one.
  9. We used to put Udderly Smooth Udder Cream on Phantom's cracked feet. Udder Cream I know it sounds a bit weird, and it may show my Wisconsin roots, but it works wonderfully! It's also great on human skin too!
  10. I do not have any similar experiences or advice to offer, but I did want to offer my condolences on your loss. Run free Troublefree! I'm so sorry that you had to go through such an awful experience with your boy.
  11. Luna does this too, always when she's happy, and usually when she's herding me towards the door for a walk or towards the cupboard for some food. I've heard that some greys do this to almost show that they care or are pleased with what you're doing. If it bothers you, though, it's something you can gently correct.
  12. That was painful to watch, but important to see. Thanks for posting!
  13. Thanks for the responses! A lot of groups recommend doing a dental once per year, so I just wanted to see what other opinions are out there. Luna came to me with some pretty fantastic toofers, and even though she's really bad about letting me brush them, I use Petzlife every day. Seeing her with a full set of pearly whites is a thing of beauty, since my bridge boy was only down to 5 by the time he passed. I would hate to put her under for something unless it was absolutely necessary!
  14. I ran a search for this, but came up empty, so I apologize if this thread is already out there. How often do you take your greys in for a dental? Is it something you do annually or does it depend on the dog? Or, do you let your vet take a look during a normal check-up and decide if it's necessary to do dental work?
  15. Oh my goodness, I couldn't have said that better...I'm sure my landlord will appreciate it as well, yikes! Greyhounds have such amazing flexibility, I love seeing them stretch every which way. I always call my girl yoga dog, and love it when she combines her stretches with a nice loud yawn.
  16. Congrats on your beautiful girl!!
  17. When you ask "is time a factor," I would say absolutely yes! My Luna, who I've had for eight months, isn't as interested in treats as some hounds either. In fact, she dislikes all treats except for one brand of cookie. Everyday, as I leave for work, we go to her pillow and I ask her to sit, but she usually ignored me. I tried all the tricks, trying to get her too look up and naturally sit, quickly accosting her as she laid down to catch her in the sitting position, etc. Nothing seemed to click, but I still did it every day. Then, randomly, last week she decided she'd start sitting on command, and she's been doing it beautifully ever since! What got her going, I have no idea, and I knew that little goober could understand me all this time . Now this week she's learned to shake. On Monday, after she sat, I gently took a front paw and said "shake." On Tuesday, I said "shake" and she voluntarily gave me her paw, clever girl. I almost can't believe how quickly she is learning things now, since for the longest time she was being too stubborn. I hope for the same for you and your Annie Bella!
  18. Are you able to tell what part of your hound the odor is coming from? (i.e. if it's his teeth, does it stem from his mouth/breath?) Are you able to tell what part of your hound the odor is coming from? (i.e. if it's his teeth, does it stem from his mouth/breath?)
  19. Thank you all for the tips! I will put them in action and see what works. Luna does know "leave it." It was one of the fist things I taught her for the sake of putting down things she "finds" outside. I was particularly thankful she knew it the day she caught a squirrel (while attached to me on her 6 foot leash!) and happily walked away from it when I asked her to. I will see how that works. As I mentioned, she really is a good dog, but it's nice to have all of your advice for when the time comes that it's needed!
  20. I have also tried a soft "uh-uh," but get the same reaction from her. The worst thing is that I can't stand seeing her all freaked out so I end up soothing the dog who was just scolded for eating a chunk off of the furniture At least she's a pretty good girl (she even finally learned how to sit on command this week...I knew that stubborn goober understood the word!), so I don't have to worry about it often. Do you think this is something that will get better as I have her for longer? I feel like she is pretty confident in my position as her leader and protector, but perhaps there's still a part of her that doesn't trust me 100% yet.
  21. As some of you may know from my previous posts, my Luna is a very shy girl. She has come so far since I adopted her 8 months ago, but there are still times when she reverts back into her shell, and it's hard to get her to come back out again. Here's my situation; like most dogs, she occasionally gets herself into some trouble. The other day I walked into the living room to find her casually chomping away at the edge of the coffee table (this is the first time she has ever chewed something inappropriate). I quickly snapped my fingers, firmly said "no," and uselessly tried to hand her a chewie in exchange for the table (which she wouldn't take). I understand that most greyhounds are very sensitive to being reprimanded, but Luna absolutely freaks out. She will go into a corner and curl up into a ball and just quiver. I have certainly never yelled at her, as I cannot imagine what sort of reaction that would generate, and she never exhibits fear in any other situations. I feel terrible that she feels so bad when she gets into trouble, but I can't just sit there and allow the negative behavior to take place. I'm curious, have any others with shy hounds had the same issue? Also, do any of you have recommendations for a better way that I can refocus her attention on something positive?
  22. Another welcome from VA (south-central this time)!! Getting ready to adopt is such an exciting process, and I wish you all of the best!
  23. South-central Virginia-- Luna and her human Laura
  24. Well, no, I did not. Uh oh, this may inspire a cross-country roadtrip!!
  25. Thank you all so much for your kind words! Yes, watching Luna come out of her shell has been such a rewarding experience! jjng: Good luck with your shy foster! I am sure the perfect family will come around. The shy hounds always manage to steal away someone's heart
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