Feisty49

Welcome! You will love being owned by a Greyhound. I met my first Greyhound, actually two of them, in the mid 1990s. Friends had adopted them, and I fell in love. It wasn't a good time for the family to have a dog, but I never forgot those Greyhounds and promised myself that someday I would adopt. I waited almost 20 years for the right time and adopted my Annie Banannie Whisker Face in July 2011. The group from which I adopted fostered all their hounds before putting them up for adoption, and it worked well for me because I knew Annie was cat safe (turns out she has zero prey drive -- just ask the bunnies in the backyard) and they were very optimistic that she would be fine as an only dog and probably would have no SA. They were right. The groups around my area do give potential adopters a choice of recommended dogs, with the recommendation being based on the needs of the adopter, such as cat friendly, dog friendly, willing to be an only dog, etc. I had a choice of dogs from which to choose when I adopted Annie and frankly, wouldn't have wanted it any other way for my first Greyhound. Now I have no need for that because I know any Greyhound is wonderful. Good luck!

Holy smokes! That's a lot of time and prep to cat test a hound, IMO. I've written about this in at least one other thread Annie came to me cat proof. Henny Penny the cat and Annie were introduced immediately -- because I didn't put the cat in another room because I believed my group when I was told Annie was cat safe. I had Annie's muzzle on and leash attached. Cat jumped on arm of the couch to be at Annie's head height. Cat sniffed. Annie sniffed. Annie turned away. I took off muzzle. Sniff sniff again, only this time Annie did the butt sniff on the cat 'cause cat turned around. No reaction on the part of either of them. I took off Annie's leash, so in less than an hour after getting home, Annie and the cat were living together. Cat would like to sleep with Annie, and has done so on occasion, but Annie shows no interest in cuddling... shows no interest in the cat at all.. so cat usually wanders away. Soooooooo.. honestly, if you get a dog that has been tested cat safe, but you're still uncomfortable/concerned, I'd give it a couple of hours not weeks. M experience is that a high/medium-prey Greyhound is going to show that drive immediately. If this happens, then you will have to do training. If not, go for it.

No additive in water has made a difference in Annie's teeth. Try to introduce your girl to teeth brushing by starting slowly. Pet her mouth and touch her lips on and off during a few days. If she's OK with that, slide a finger into her mouth and gently touch her teeth, move your finger back and forth. When she tolerates this type of touching, put some toothpaste on the finger. Go slowly, introducing something new as she tolerates and hopefully one day you can introduce a toothbrush.

Annie is another Grey who doesn't mind the cold weather, and I mean cold, like zero or below so doesn't have boots.

Another east coaster here and a welcome from Annie and me. Catch is a nice name.

I was going to post and ask you how Ruby was doing? You've had such problems getting her to eat. I'm wondering what's been working? I have no suggestions for the vomiting other than by day 3, I'd call the vet. Good luck and keep us up-to-date. Hugs to Ruby from Annie Banannie.

Wow. You've done a lot of thinking about this, and it's commendable. Also, for me personally, it's nice to read something that is written so well. Your Age: Some will say you're too young. I say age isn't usually a consideration. It's everything that often goes along with being young. In your case, I'm not reading negatives. You've thought long and hard about your university schedule and what you can do for back-up. There are quite a few young folk on here who are great dog parents. Even after you graduate and become employed, you'll be able to figure out how to make it work. There are many many people on this forum who work and are gone 8 to 12 hours a day. IMO, that's a lot of hours to leave a dog alone, BUT it works for them and their dog(s) and that's what counts. Cuddly/Playful: Some Greyhounds are not cuddly. Some are. Most like to get on a bed or a sofa with their human. In my situation, my girl Annie does not get on furniture and has never shown an interest in my bed. She does like me to get on the floor with her to rub her belly, scratch her neck and generally give her lots of lovin'. She's also a great leaner and will spend a lot of time just leaning against me, as long as I'm petting her. Many, if not most, Greyhounds are not interactive players. That is, they don't fetch a ball tossed to them or "wrestle" around as a Lab or Golden Retriever might. Some do, of course. I know of dogs who have been taught to fetch and dogs who barely watch a ball fly by. Most Greyhounds like to do zoomies (run in a circle of some sort) and/or run around the backyard or other -- fenced in -- area. My Annie does not do zoomies. She has a terrific, fenced-in backyard which she uses exclusively for her potty place. She just doesn't run or zoom. Going Home: This is not a problem and nothing to worry about, assuming you adopt a cat-friendly or very low-prey Greyhound. I don't know about Great Britain, but in the U.S., Greyhounds are often moved from racetrack to racetrack so they're used to not settling down. Forgetting this, though, a Greyhound isn't so special that s/he can't visit other people, whether it be for 2 days or 2 months. In the summer of 2013, I lived with my sister and BIL for four weeks while waiting to close on a new house. Annie was just fine. She quickly learned where I wanted her to P&P. She taught us where she most liked to walk. She knew who was a sucker for giving her treats. She knew who gave the best neck rubs. Greyhounds may have special needs, but honestly, they are just dogs, and I imagine you wouldn't think twice about taking another breed home. Lots of Attention: This is where Greyhounds often differ from other breeds. They love attention but they don't often demand it as a Golden Retriever might. Your dog might barely lift her head from her bed when you return from class or she may eagerly run to you and jump around. During the first 6 to 8 months after I adopted Annie, she never left her bed when I walked in the door, no matter how long I had been gone. It was her way. ::shrug:: Over the years (I've had her 3-1/2 years), though, she has become a happy camper when mom walks in the door. She now greets me and her tail often even wags. LOL (My girl is not very demonstrative so I look for signs.) Their personalities, at least in the U.S., are such that they often have to learn how very special they are to this one human/family. Being one of 40 in a kennel means each dog gets less personal attention than being part of its own family. They do need, though, to be around people. For instance, most do not like sleeping in a room away from their human(s). It's very common to have a new owner ask why their dog, who sleeps downstairs, is crying or whining at night. It's because from birth, they have never been alone and they are lonely. Other Things: You mentioned you like to run. Do you want a dog who can run off leash with you? In the U.S., very few Greyhound owners let their dogs off leash. As a matter of fact, most adoption groups have a provision in their contract that an owner will never let their hound off the leash. I know other countries aren't as strict about this. Keep watch here, you'll get a lot of good advice and suggestions. Good luck!

Yeah! What a relief for you.

Someone else recently brought up the "problem" of her Greyhound whining and barking in the middle of the night and most of us told her that dogs are social animals, with Greyhounds in particular needing to be around other breathing, living things. Deputy wants to be part of the family -- and you are his family -- but he can't be if he's sleeping by himself. Here is a link to the other recent post in which a lot of good advice was given. http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/311321-night-time-in-the-crate/

Duke is gorgeous!

I suspect your boy (name?) growled this morning because it was dark and he was unsure as to what/whom was on the street with him/you. Growling is considered OK because it's a warning. It's occurs before an emotion escalates into something more, such as biting. Your guy had a "right" to growl because he was: uncertain? frightened? insecure? just plain old didn't like the vibes he was getting from the stranger? It's important to respect his growling because he's telling you something's not right in his life. I assume when you walk him he's on a restricted leash length so he's not wandering 6 feet in front/beside you having free rein to go up to people. I consider that bad manners and in the case of him growling this morning, it's a way to keep your boy controlled and protected. The cat: Hmmm....my girl Annie came to me cat safe, so I was told, and it turned out to be true. Within half an hour of coming home after adoption, I introduced my cat and Annie, with Annie on the leash right by my side, and the cat being able to walk around her. Annie had little to no interest once she sniffed the important parts of the cat's body. :--) I'm not an expert in this just because within an hour after bringing Annie home, both animals were sharing the living room -- Annie unleashed -- with no problem, but I do think you're being overly cautious. If it were me, I'd put my hound on a leash, keep him right next to my body and let the cat in the room. There's any way to completely determine if your guy is cat safe while he's in his crate. When your boy barked the other day, he may have felt threatened by the cat. (In my house, the cat rules and if she's laying on Annie's bed, Annie comes to me with the look that says, "Mommmmmm, get her off my bed, please.") If anything, your boy may get his nose swatted by your cat if the cat is too interested but you won't know until you try it. So glad your guy is a happy, tail wagging hound. We do need a name, though, and a picture!

Statuting, or planting as I call it, is horribly frustrating. I remember being in tears when Annie did it the first few days I had her. IMO, I don't think they plant themselves because of a new environment or new family. Greyhounds can be extremely stubborn and want things done their way. When Annie would stop, she'd sort of gaze into the sky, nose sniffing. She might turn her head to look at a tree, still sniffing. She was not frightened, scared or upset. I believe she wanted to see what was next on my part. I hired a trainer to give me a few tips and one of the tips I needed was how to get Annie moving. It turned out to be easy peasy. The trick to getting a planted greyhound walking is to get his feet moving. The trainer had me hold Annie on a very short leash (no extension of the leash at all), with her head against my thigh and walk in a circle, pushing on her neck as I turned. As I came out of the circle, I kept on walking and Annie would come too. Sometimes it took two circles to get the momentum. Another way to get feet moving is to gently, but firmly, give a shove on the shoulder area, with your thigh or a hand, so that all 4 feet give a little jump and then gently pull on the leash (which is very short) and start walking. I always tossed in the word, "Come." Also when you're walking Jack keep the leash short. Don't let him wander the full length of the lease. Keep him close and in control and keep walking. Very often if a dog slows down we'll slow down too and before you know it, the dog has stopped. Unless you think he has to pee or poo, don't slow down when he does. Keep on walking and don't let him dictate when he wants to stop and sniff until you're comfortable knowing you can get him moving again. Even after 3-1/2 years, Annie occasionally will stop and stare. What DO they see? LOL I give her a few seconds and then I say, "Come now, Annie," and she moves because she knows if she doesn't the next thing will be a push on the shoulder. You can do it. It takes confidence and knowing that you are in charge, and I don't mean dominant. I mean Jack needs to know that major decisions in his life are made by the people in his life. You wouldn't not take him to the vet just because he doesn't like it. Don't let him stop and plant just because he wants to.

I'm one who tends to let my dog tell me what works for her, as long as it's not disruptive (such as getting in the basket) and isn't going to hurt her (such as ..::shrug::.. eating glass!). Your post is confusing to me. You say, "Anyway, the problem is, these walks happens when MISTER wants to walk. And that is NOT in the morning (when he needs his poo break before we go to work)." But you also say "Then from 7hish to 5ish, we are home, doing alone training, getting him out for pee breaks, training, doing our stuff..." So do you work outside the house or are you at home working? My opinion is if Jack isn't peeing or pooing in the house and goes out for quick potty breaks but doesn't want to take a worthwhile walk, don't bother. It also sounds as though you take him out for a lot of pee breaks. How many times a day do you take him out? A healthy dog doesn't need more than four times a day to do her/his business. If you do take him out frequently, I'd reduce the number of times and then maybe he'll like the idea of getting out for a walk. BTW, what Jack likes now, that is one walk a day, could change in a heartbeat. One of the wonderful things about Greyhounds is that they are always evolving.

With that much Bag Balm, things should just slide right out.

I'll repeat what others have said above. Hank is lonely. Dogs are social animals, with Greyhounds in particular needing to be around other breathing, living things. He wants to be part of the family but he can't be if he's sleeping by himself. It could also be that Hank doesn't like the crate as much as he did in the beginning. There are many posts that talk about crating. Some dogs use them as a quiet, safe place for their entire lives. Some dogs use them because their parents don't want them wandering the house when they are out. Many many Greyhounds, though, don't use crates. My Annie *hated* her crate and within 36 hours after adoption, I stopped using it and a week later, it was in the garage. BTW, I have a cat too who pretty much rules the house, including the dog. :-) It's been over six weeks since you adopted him. It's time to ramp up cat-tolerance training. It's also time to teach him stairs. That can be done in a matter of half an hour. You don't wait for him to teach himself. I assume the stairs have carpeting of some sort on them. If not, you'll have to lay something down so he doesn't slip. I do understand your love and loyalty to your cat. She was there first, but you did make the decision to adopt Hank, and it's time to get things in order between the cat and dog and the dog and stairs.

I too think a cat-accepting Greyhound will work just fine, with or without a cat with a neurological issue. My girl Annie is another Greyhound with zero prey drive. I have a cat who likes to sleep on Annie's bed in the family room (3-level house so a bed on each level). Annie does nothing to make the cat move -- other than come to me with eyes begging I do something. She's also a Greyhound who gets alone fine with the wild bunnies in the backyard. She ignores them. The bunnies barely stop munching clover when Annie goes into the backyard. I don't see any reason why you should be concerned about being able to adopt. Good luck!

I've never had this issue. My cat could take things from Annie without a problem. But what immediately came to my mind is that you should teach Travel not to bother Chase, not the other way around. It's not unusual for a retired Greyhound to guard what he's eating. Remember, he's never had to share any food with another dog. If I were in your shoes, I'd be working on teaching Travel not to steal.

Your Zinny was the best. I can only imagine how much you miss her.

To set the record straight, I do sprinkle parm once in a while but the idea didn't originate with me. Somewhere along the way I read it on here but don't remember where.

I sprinkle Parm cheese on Annie's food occasionally. It would never cross my mind to worry about sodium with a sprinkle of anything.

Love B&W houndies. He's terrific.

Annie has a few coats; most are fleece. For cold weather with no wind, she wears a single fleece (the green one in the pictures in the below link). For very cold weather, especially with wind, she wears a double fleece (the red one). Both have snoods with them but generally if it's warm enough to wear the single fleece, she doesn't need the snood. Some Greyhounds are less bothered by the cold. If it were 35 degrees, sunny with no wind, Annie would be too hot in any coat, as evidenced by her panting during the walk. She also doesn't like/need PJs and usually kicks off a blanket I toss over her in the middle of the night when the bedroom temp is only 60 degrees. http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/310457-annies-new-coats-beeee-u-tiful/ It will take getting to know your boy to determine if he runs hot or cold.

Such a sad face. Maybe he's wondering how far you'll go to see if more stuff will come out.

All good suggestions above. My suggestion is to change the additives out every couple of days. Do two days with one; two days with another; etc. Hopefully this will ensure she doesn't get tired of one thing and she'll never know what to expect next. I know you'll end up with a lot of stuff for Ruby, but don't we all have lots of stuff, from food to treats to meds? I swear Annie's stuff takes up more room than mine. Additives I put in Annie's food sometimes just 'cause (no large amounts of any of this): Cottage cheese with chives (1 big tablespoon) Mac & cheese (a couple of tablespoons) Other pastas, such as when I do something with egg noodles or spaghetti A small taste of cat food (I'll swirl water around an empty can and make a soup of the bits of food left) FortiFlora (does it taste beefy?) Sharp or American cheese Pretty much if I have something I think she'd like, I mix it in her supper. If I don't have anything, she gets nekkid food. :-)

Pretty girl. I take the path that if my dog's doing it, it's what she wants and who am I to question. Obviously there are exceptions, such as if she's limping, in obvious pain, etc., but how she lays around is her choice.