Feisty49

Annie gets 1.5 cups of Green Iams twice a day plus a half a dozen very small treats and a Milk Bone. She gets no people food. She weighs 65-66 pounds and has the required ribs and hip bones showing. We also walk 1.5 to 2 miles a day.

Handsome guy!

ROFL. Don't 'cha just love poop topics? It sure can reassure anybody who questions that each houndie is different and that even a hound with a regular schedule changes it up when her day changes. My girl, who weighs 66 pounds, gets Green-bag Iams, 1.5 cups AM and again in PM, with a few small treats and one Milk Bone during the day. If we're having a regular day, she poos when we get up about 6:30. She'll poo again on our walk about 8 AM and then she'll poo again any time from 2ish to 4ish, depending when we take another walk. Occasionally she has a day with only 2 poos, and then she'll have a day with 4 poos. Yet if we are at a Greyhound event, such as our recent group picnic, she pushes out those poos like it's growing on trees.

A non-Rooooer here. I just played the video above and Annie didn't even lift her head to acknowledge she heard it, let alone join in. LOL

Almost twins and both beautiful. People and dogs are all lucky to be a part of this family.

If he's done it with no problem, and nothing has happened, such as a fall, to scare him, personally I think he's being stubborn. You don't say how often you take him out but unless there's a health issue, more than every 4 or 5 hours isn't necessary. I bet he won't refuse to do the stairs when he really has to go potty. As far as planting himself, my Annie Bella did this ALL the time the first week I had her. I dreaded walks and was practically in tears. A trainer gave me the tip of walking her in a circle. Keep the leash tight, hold the dog next to your thigh and start walking in a circle, with your thigh pushing on his shoulder. When the circle is complete, just keep on walking. Don't hesitate. That worked for me until I got tired of doing it 4 or 5 times a walk. I resorted to just giving her a firm push with my thigh on her shoulder area. It's quicker and got her feet moving immediately. Once the feet are moving, don't hesitate to walk. Also, don't let your boy control the walk. He pees. He poos. If he wants to stop at every flower to sniff, which may result in his planting himself, don't let him by not slowing down just because he does. A lot of people tend to walk at the dog's pace. The dog should be walking at the human's pace.

What a horrible experience and of course you feel bad and want to know the condition of the other dog, but as others have said, it's not your fault and not Prince's fault. It's not just Greyhounds that might go after a smaller dog. Any dog if so inclined or not trained might attack a littler dog and nobody talks about muzzling them. Frankly I would not punish my dog by muzzling because of someone else's lack of responsibility.

There are lots and lots of food posts. What many of us will recommend is Iams in the Green Bag (proactive Iams). It has done the trick of firming up poos for many, many dogs. Is it the best food? ::shrug:: What's the best? Some will swear only raw will do. Some want something that is grain free. For me, and others, it's what my dog tolerates well without soft serve poo. Iams in the Green Bag is it. Annie usually goes poo 3 times a day. Every few days she goes only 2 times.

I've heard of people spreading kibble out on a cookie sheet, which slows down the dog. I have a friend who has used a large ball or a tuna-size can (anything like that) placed in the feeding bowl so the dog has to eat around the obstacle, thus slowing him down. Also, adding a lot of water slows down a gulping dog.

Great!!! If the Iams continues to work, stick with it, no matter how tempting a "better" food may grab your attention. Some Greys just have innards that don't do well on much of anything. My Annie is one of them, and every time I tried a "better" food, her poo deteriorated. Once back on Iams, it was fine. I am no longer tempted.

Welcome. Love your girl's name. I'd be concerned about peeing only once a day too. Has she been checked by the vet? Crates: You'll get a lot of responses from people who will ask why Venus is being crated. I'm one of them. Some dogs need and really want a crate but a lot of us put the crate away in just a few days after adoption. My girl *hated* her crate, and since there was no reason to use it, I put it away on day 3 post-adoption. Have you considered not using a crate but having a couple of comfy beds around the house for her? If you want or need the crate, have you considered closing the bedroom crate door so she can't go into it when you're downstairs? Finally, if you want to have a second crate, go for it. You can have as many as you want! If's your home and your dog.

At the age of 9, I think it's a nice thing to do for our dogs. If you're concerned about the additional cost of babying her, maybe cut back on the tuna and sprinkle a few bits over the top of her food instead of a third of a can. Just a thought.

Such good advice and ideas. My girl is extremely laid back. I could probably do anything with and to her but I don't because she's a dog with teeth that I never want to feel on my body. I hug her. I kiss her (not on her belly though.. LOL). I give her full rub downs. I can touch her all over her body, brush her teeth and dremel her nails, but the hugging and kissing occurs only when she's come to me seeking attention, which she does several times a day, and I keep it short in duration. I do reach out and give her a quick pet or scritch behind her ears without her seeking the attention but it's only in passing. BTW, Annie does not come on my bed -- her choice -- but I would not allow it anyway. I toss and turn and wake up and read, etc., and I don't want to ever wonder if I'm disturbing the dog so much she'd react negatively.

No no no to electric fencing. It won't work with a Greyhound, and actually other dogs too at times. Once a Greyhound starts running, she'll go through the "fence" so quickly she'll barely be zapped. It's not a deterrent. Also, it doesn't keep other animals -- human and 4-legged -- out. Other dogs and non-domestic animals can wander in with no problem. As an aside, a friend has a "mutt" who she fenced with an electric fence. One day her dog saw a rabbit in the yard next door and took off at a run, barely pausing when she got zapped.

Iams in Green Bag because it is the only thing that Annie processes into poos that aren't terribly soft. Also, she poos 2-3 times a day without much volume. Other, "better/best" foods have always given her diarrhea, pudding poo or plain ole' soft poo that is close to pudding. Over the past 2 years, we have tried many "good" foods and I have given up trying.

Annie does not like yappy small dogs. On our walks, she'll pull to cross the street if we pass a yard with yappy dogs. They are annoying to both of us. The only dogs Annie plays with are other Greyhounds and it's usually at the annual picnic of my group. About a year ago I was at local park walking the trail and in the fenced dog park there were 3 Greyhounds. Turns out they were adopted from the same group I work with. She was excited to see them and 2 of the 3 ran with her but not for long. Bottom line is that I think most Greys aren't into other dogs.

Me too. My girl has gotten on my sofa a total of 3 times in the 2 years I've had her. I was OK with it, but don't encourage it. She's never gotten on the bed, and I would not allow it. Since my husband passed away, I like sleeping alone. I toss and turn and like to use the entire bed. A dog on it would not work for me.

Do you think her teeth/gums are so bad that even the softest food might not appeal to her? Has the vet looked at her teeth? Maybe she needs some removed. In the meantime, what about using totally canned food rather than a kibble?

I use Advantix II and I have a cat. Annie has never had an issue with it, and since my cat and Annie don't interact, it's not a problem for the cat.

As with so many things regarding being a dog parent, feeding schedule will be what works for you and your household. Annie gets fed twice a day, 1.5 cups of kibble each time. Her breakfast is between 6 and 7 AM (depending on when she gets up). Her supper is about 4 PM. By then, she is starving and lets me know it. That's kind of early, but once she's had supper, she settles down for the night and I often have to insist we either take a walk later on or at least she go out for a final P&P. A little bit off topic and maybe it's been addressed elsewhere: I'd start right away leaving him a few times each day while you're on vacation so he doesn't get used to you being home all the time. Even if you get in your car and drive to a park to read a book for a half an hour, do it so he knows you come and go.

This is so sad. No judging from me because I suspect I'd take the same track. I hope he has a month free of pain. I know he'll have a month filled with lots of love and spoiling.

This is so sad. There aren't words to give that express how you must feel. One of the foster dogs of my group went the same way. He was a totally healthy appearing hound. His foster mom let him out in the (fenced) yard to do a P&P and he collapsed. The vet said it was probably a heart attack. There is nothing anybody can do to anticipate this. It comes totally out of the blue.

I see a tongue! LOL She's a beauty.

Bully sticks don't totally agree with Annie's digestion -- they give her really mushy poo -- so I give them maybe once a week if I remember. I don't give rawhide anything because she chokes on it all. She gets kibble. She eats one of the available dental sticks. I find that I can't and don't worry about covering everything. I do the best I can and that's good enough.

Pretty much I agree with this. I taught Annie to go down by walking beside her, leash around my hand so it was out of the way, hand on her collar and gently pushing/pulling her, while at the same time, bringing one leg down to the next step, if necessary. Much like the way I got her to walk when she decided to plant herself when walking, to start her off, I'd give her shoulder a slight push with my knee. Once their feet are moving in some way, it's easier to continue on with the task, so do what you have to do to get his feet going: a push on a shoulder; a push from behind; a tug on the collar. Greyhounds are best at PLANTING themselves when they don't want to move, and their bodies will turn to concrete. Gotta break that planting however you can.