Feisty49

Love this! I'm a senior. Annie is not but we've taught each other very well how to do retirement.

I'm of the opinion that your dog, you do what you want. That sounds cruel knowing what can happen to a dog who gets loose, but it's the truth, if only because people do it. I've been on searches for dogs that, thankfully, had happy endings, but the worry and terror of knowing a Grey is out there lost is horrible. I don't off leash because, like others, I haven't drilled recall into Annie's brain enough so that I trust her. Even if I had, I know for a fact that if she were loose and saw a person 50 feet ahead of us, she'd run like crazy to say, "Hi. How are ya? I'm here. Pet me pet me. I lovvvvve you." What I haven't seen mentioned in the posts -- perhaps I missed it -- is the speed at which a Greyhound can take off. Any dog can run away, but not every dog can gain the momentum and speed a Greyhound can in seconds. How far can a Golden run in 30 seconds compared to a Greyhound? Is the Golden still within hearing distance? Is the Greyhound? Recall can obviously work if the dog can hear it.

This is on Amazon at $58.99 for 30 pills but only in a 225 mg. dose, but hey, gift wrapping is available.

Is it necessary to crate him? I know some groups emphasize using a crate, sometimes to the point of making it seem unacceptable not to use one, but some Greyhounds just don't like them. My Annie, whom I adopted July 2011, hated her crate. She was never destructive, but she just hated going into it. On day 3 of post-adoption, I pretty much said to myself, "Screw it. I'll never know if she can be alone out of the crate if I don't try it," and that was the last time she was in a crate. So unless you know there's an issue with your boy destroying the house, why put him in it? ETA: Annie is an only dog, and she's very happy having the whole of me and the house to herself. (I do have a cat but she sleeps 25 hours a day LOL.)

In the picture above, Iker takes my breath away. Just look at that face!!

She's so pretty and looks particularly lovely on pink. I don't think there's any one on this board who isn't aware of the plight of Galgos and many of us sponsor Galgos in their foster homes in Spain.

Bag Balm has been around for over hundred years and was originally made for cow udders to keep them supple and have milking be more comfortable for them. I use it on my hands in deep winter when nothing else works.

I've used Bag Balm on Annie's pads a few times this winter when her pads looked pretty beat up. It helped but it made me feel better more than making her feel better. She didn't care at all.

I'm with you in that T. shouldn't be allowed on the couch. For how long? ::shrug:: Maybe forever or maybe until you're sure he won't startle so easily. Your husband is sweet, but there may come a time when you two aren't the only ones sitting near him and he could snap at them. Also, frankly, we all love our Greys to bits but you're the people and he's the dog. If he can't share *your* space nicely, then, IMO, he shouldn't be given the privilege. His spaces are his beds and wherever he's sleeping at the moment. You respect him and his spaces. He has to respect yours.

I'm on the side of if it ain't broke, don't fix it because it took me months after adopting Annie to find something that worked well... not perfectly but but better than pudding (and that is... ta da .... Iams in Green Bag). As far as Brooks pooing less, it's probably because TOTW is being digested better than the previous food, thus more being retained by his body, so less output. Now for what you really want to know: How to loosen up his poo so he isn't straining. Is he drinking enough water? Dehydration can cause constipation. I put water in Annie's kibble with each meal to slow her eating down a bit and to help add water to her diet. Maybe Brooks needs more fiber in his diet. Plain pumpkin, recommended to help diarrhea, is also recommended for constipation. A couple of tablespoons of bran a day may also work, but be careful not to use too much, or use both, so as to avoid going the other way! Good luck.

If you're more comfortable using the services of a dog trainer, by all means do so. A person has to do what works for them, not what others think should work for you. I hired trainers for a couple of reasons (see below) and am glad I did. IMO, you're over thinking who you should use/hire, but then I've had good luck with both trainers I used (#1 was hired six weeks after adopting Annie and used just for a couple of ideas in changing behavior, and #2 was hired a year after adoption with the idea of Annie becoming a pet therapy dog). Both trainers were highly recommended by other dog people. Neither had extra ordinary knowledge about Greyhounds, but they were both dog people who were aware that not all dogs, just like people, respond to the same way of being taught and learning. I haven't read the references in your post so am writing this with ignorance with that regard, but I can't imagine why training a Greyhound is different from any other dog. If kind, positive, consistent reinforcement is used for, say, a Lab, why would training be different for a sight hound? Annie and I did six weeks of pre-pet theraphy training just to see how she'd do to responding to me in a controlled situation. Annie learned to do everything the other dogs did (some she already knew) in the same way as other dogs with no problem, other than sit. My girl will not sit and while the trainer gave me several good suggestions, in the end it was up to me not to pursue the task because obviously Annie was very unhappy with the attempts and the trainer had no problem with it, but then why should she... she worked for me. In the end, your common sense and instincts will tell you whether a trainer is someone with whom you can work and who can work with your dog. Good luck!!

Terrific article. I like her perspective. Thanks for sharing.

Yep -- Greyhounds and cats can get along just fine. I have one Greyhound and one cat. Penny-the-cat tries to get Annie to cuddle and will lick Annie's ears and rub against her face. Annie has no interest at all. I knew from the beginning that they would be OK together, and within 30 minutes after arriving home on adoption day, had removed Annie's muzzle and it hasn't been on since, at least in the house. Annie is totally low/no-prey drive. She has no interest in squirrels, chipmunks or small, fuzzy dogs. If I didn't know better, I'd say she never raced. LOL

I still wonder because the amount of PB Annie's getting is small; maybe a tablespoon. I *wish* she'd use a Kong for something. She ignores it completely, no matter what I've put in it. An interesting aside: I did some Googling and came up with the fact that smooth peanut butter can aide humans in having firmer stools. (I have no idea the legitimacy of the below sites.) "...eating many types of food not rich in fiber will also harden your stools, including as follows: White bread, rice, lean meats, iron supplements, boiled eggs, tapioca, smooth peanut butter, black tea, potatoes." The above was taken from: http://www.healthqas.org/health-condition/what-can-cause-your-stool-hardener/ Also regarding humans: "Eat foods that make stool bulkier. Foods that contain soluble, or digestible, fiber slow the emptying of the bowels. Examples are bananas, rice, tapioca, bread, potatoes, applesauce, cheese, smooth peanut butter, yogurt, pasta, and oatmeal." The above was taken from: http://www.mamashealth.com/stomach/feconst.asp

With all the chat about how to firm up dogs' poo, and lots of good recommendations such as pumpkin, fortiflora, etc., has there ever been a recommendation of using peanut butter? I ask because a couple of weeks ago Annie was on a pain med for 10 days that had to be taken with food. I put the pill in a dollop of peanut butter and put it in with her supper kibble. Within a couple of days, her poo, which is always formed but very soft, firmed up just enough to make it a clean and easy pick up. I thought it was the pain med but not being sure, when the round of medicine was over, I continued mixing peanut butter in with her supper kibble, and her poo continued to be a clean and easy pick up. I give her a little less than a tablespoon of peanut butter once a day. Has anybody else used this for the reason of firming up poo or is Annie's firmer poo just a nice coincidence?

Pictures!! And description...and names.... and Welcome!

The only thing that will get to you is feeling guilty because you think he wants more than he's got. More: walks, food, treats, play, sleep, attention, toys, etc. As I mentioned above, my girl is one of the most easiest dogs. A problem for me is I tend to get caught up in her big brown eyes and see things that aren't there. Mostly I wonder if she's bored or depressed. They do get these sad looks on their faces and those eyes are so expressive. No doubt when I think she's bored she's wishing I'd stop staring at her so she could just take a nap. As CJ settles in, he may let you know his desires so you don't have to guess. When Annie wants to go for a walk, she whines and tosses a stuffy around (about the only time she does play). If I'm not willing right at the moment, she goes down into the sphinx position and watches my every move with her eyes boring into me. When she thinks it's time for supper, she'll stand in front of me, brow furrowed, head tilted just a bit and again stare with those big brown eyes. How nice that CJ will run after a ball! Annie has no interest in anything like that and I've tried. They're all different, which is why I love Greys so much.

Sounds like my Annie. My Greyhound friends tell me I'm lucky. About the only thing Annie did to try limits was at the very beginning when she either wanted to pull on the leash while walking or planted herself, refusing to move. Those two things were easy fixes and truly, she is a perfect dog. No barking. No garbage diving. No counter cruising. No furniture sleeping. No chewing on things she shouldn't. She's even becoming more and more affectionate as time goes by (I adopted her over 2-1/2 years ago). Oh, and she likes being an only dog. The few times I've fostered, she totally ignored the other Greyhound in the house. I think if your boy were going to push some buttons, he would have started already. Congrats!

He's wonderful to look at. I love B/W animals.

He could be cold, have to go potty, be in pain, be lonely. He could be sensing an upcoming change and is worried about it. We all know that Greyhound personalities change as time goes by, even if they've been a part of the family for years. I'd be wondering if he's just tired of sleeping alone. If he's lonely, can you put a gate across the doorway to your bedroom instead of closing the door? That way he could see you and be a part of you sleeping but not be in the bedroom. Is your bedroom small? Is that why you don't want to have a bed for him in there?

Yep, it is. Lots of Greys like veggies and fruit. I'll have to try apples again to see if they help Annie's poo. She's always turned her nose up at fruit & veggies but I haven't tried them in a long time. Maybe an apple cut up with her watered kibble would go unnoticed. ETA: Didn't work. I have nice, sweet apples in the house. I cut part of one up into small bites, mixed thoroughly with kibble and watched my sweet bratty girl pick each apple piece out with her lips and drop on the floor. When she fished 'em all out, she ate the kibble and then brought 4 apple pieces, one at a time, to me and dropped them at my feet as if to say, "You eat them."

Our regular vet thought Annie had Pannus so sent us to an animal ophthalmologist. We went today, and Annie was diagnosed with Nodular Granulomatous Episcleritis Keratitis, NGEK for short. It's an auto-immune disease of the eye very similar to Pannus. Tthe same eye drops to treat Pannus are used for NGEK. She's starting off with two types of eye drops: a steroid that runs a six-week course, with weaning starting at the end of week 2, and Tacrolimus, which Annie will be on for the rest of her life. While examining Annie, the ophthalmologist also saw that she has Micropapilla in her right eye. Micropapilla is a congenital eye disease resulting in a shrunken optic nerve. It can't be repaired but won't get worse. Abbie probably has reduced vision in that eye but doesn't know any difference since she'sf had it from birth. Does anybody have experience with NGEK? I've ordered the Tacrolimus from a place in N.C., a place the specialty vet practice uses and to whom they had already faxed the 'script before I even left the building. It cost $45 but I don't how big the bottle is. Does anybody have experience with the cost of Tacrolimus? And just because I like to show her off.... This was taken last spring with her new Daisy collar from Crown Collars. Maybe we'll have spring some day this year. :-) This was taken last week. I love to see Greyhound feet in pretty positions.

I'm not a trainer in any way, but IMO if this isn't a fixable issue, you'll need to muzzle him whenever he's around other dogs. I know that when Annie and I arrange to meet up with other Greyhounds in an enclosed backyard, they're all muzzled just to protect from the normal snarkiness that can happen during play.

I don't care whether Annie sits and stays in that sit but then she waits quietly and patiently while I fix her food and put it down. Admittedly I'm not one to train a dog unless there is an issue to correct, and Annie has no issues. I wouldn't like someone I've hired, such as a dog trainer, insisting on something that goes against the grain of what you feel your dog is capable of doing. Sitting, sure lots of houndies do it, but what's the need for sitting for 5-10 minutes?

This is so sad. I can only imagine how sorrowful you are.