Feisty49

Boy oh boy. I vividly remember the 5 days leading up to being able to bring Annie home. I could not wait! I also like names with two syllables but I also like a first and second name, hence Annie Bella (the Bella was bestowed upon Annie by my granddaughter). If you're like a lot of us, though, you'll find yourself using names of endearment which may not sound at all like their given name. I often call Annie Whisker Face because of all the whiskers sticking out from all sorts of places.

OK.. Ya gotta remember this -- said with a big smile here -- adopting a Greyhound is not brain surgery and it involves a lot of common sense and what *you* want to do. If you want to change her name to Fluffy, she'll be your dog and you can do it, and you don't need anybody's approval or disapproval coming at ya. My girl's name, Annie, has nothing whatsoever to do with her racing name, which was PG Digger (talk about unfeminine). If she came to me with the name Digger, she would have lost it the minute I signed the adoption papers and anybody who wouldn't have liked the change -- well, too bad on them. As far as her responding to her new name, I don't think treats are necessary, but they won't hurt. (I consider treats a way to reinforce positive behavior, such as: come, stay, down, etc.) I'd just use her new name a lot, over and over and over. When you talk to her use her name 2 or 3 times in a sentence. When you call her, always use her name. When you praise her, always say her name. Use it over and over and over and within a few days she'll get it.

Congratulations! She is gorgeous. Looking forward to hearing stories about her once she's home with you.

Did you learn about each dog's personality? Are each of them able to be only dogs? Were you given any idea as to which one would probably be a better fit than another?

My Annie would be melting at 75-80. OK... she'd be panting and dragging tail within a quarter mile, even if the humidity was low. At 75 degrees, with the sun out, it's just too hot for my girl. She doesn't know it's too hot, and never wants to come back in the house, but when she's panting and her head is hanging and she's walking at a speed of less than a mile an hour, I know it's too hot for her. My suggestion is avoid long walks at temps over 65 and when the sun is high in the sky.

Lagging and panting can be a function of heat. I notice you're in FL. Most Greyhounds don't do well in the heat. I live in Upstate New York but my girl is already negatively responding to temps which are only in the 50s but with a hot sun and a higher humidity than in winter, she pants quickly on a walk. If it's not because she's hot, maybe she needs to work up to a mile. When she goes out for a potty, does she get a good walk in or is it a matter of finding somewhere green and then returning to the house? I walk Annie twice a day for at least half an hour (depends on time of day, temperature, humidity, sunny or cloudy) so she's getting in more than 2 miles a day.

:beatheart

There aren't steadfast rules about how to pick out a Greyhound. We've all talked about how we've bonded, and how she leaned, and how I loved her right away, but in my situation, if Annie had not been cat friendly, or if she had major anxiety issues, or if she didn't like children, I would not have adopted her. Yah, I want my dog to feel good about me and vice versa, but the dog has to fit into the household and your lifestyle. No matter how much you get a feeling for a dog, ask the important questions. Is there separation anxiety? Are there health issues? Can she be an only dog? Others will chime in with questions to ask. If there are issues, you need to dig deep inside, no matter how much of a feeling you have for a dog, and decide if you can work through the issues, and work it can be. Also, just as an aside, I think you're overthinking this a bit re bonding with you or your BF. What you'll find is no matter who you adopt, you will love that dog as if none other exists. While I love my Annie to bits, if I hadn't adopted her, I know I would love another Grey just as much as I do Annie.

This and this. LOL I was going to suggest that the new-born cry doesn't last long. It turns into a lustier, heavier, cry soon enough and it's less piercing, IMO.

Maybe too much activity? If a dog can actually be like a 2-year-old kid, then that's at least part of the answer. Ask any mom and she'll tell you when they get overtired, kids easily fall apart and fight naps and going to bed at night.

IMO yet another way to guilt people into spending money on something not needed. Just because somebody said it (i.e., it's good for them) doesn't make it true, and even if it's true, just how much should we spend on our animals for unnecessary things? Better to save the money for an emergency trip to the vet. BTW, It has never crossed my mind to give Annie milk in any form.

Awesome that you got to sleep in a later. Did she give you a difficult time waiting for supper till 10 PM? If it was a problem, I'd leave her on the 10 PM time for a while (at least a week) and then jiggle things around a little, such as feeding her earlier in 10-minute increments every few days. If she continues to sleep until 5:15 or later, then you're good to go. If she wakes earlier, then return to the previous feeding time and see if that works.

She is a beautiful dog. I'm sorry she left

My girl usually cuts back on her food when the weather gets real warm/hot. Every once in a while, though, she eats a lot less b'fast for a few days. No big deal. Maybe your dogs are self-regulating with regard to how much they eat. Maybe they're bored with their food. Maybe their appetite is just depressed for a few days. All of this happens and if there's no health issue involved, they get over it.

I don't know if anything is too late when it comes to training, and I seriously mean I don't know, but it never hurts to try something new. If that makes you uncomfortable, my suggestion is to feed her two meals, with breakfast being less food than being fed now, making up the reduction in her supper, and feeding her supper late.. like really late. It will be difficult. My girl starts giving me big-brown-I'm-hungry eyes an hour before her 4 PM supper time, and comes up and noses my elbow and hands. It hurts me, but I ignore her and she returns to her bed with a huge sigh. I know if I had to, I could ignore her obviously wanting supper for hours if it were necessary and for this human, not being woken in the middle of the night is necessary, other than emergencies obviously. BTW, what does she eat? Is it enough calories to keep her from getting hungry too soon?

Time and patience are often the cure. I'm so glad for you.

I am so glad I didn't Google but read all posts first. I will not Google. Don't need to see a picture of an ugly, scary thing. Your boy is a brave and good hound. He would be better had he picked it up, put it in a bad and carried out to the garbage.

Thanks for the remembrance of your boy. It was difficult for you to write but I'm glad you did because you let those of us who didn't know him feel a little bit of the joy he brought. He is so cute and handsome.

It was me -- Feisty49 -- who has Annie Bella. (My granddaughter gave Annie her second name. Now we mostly call her Annie Bananie Whisker Face -- my dog, not my granddaughter :--). I also love the story of how Annie picked me, but I don't think it's unusual. Many Grey parents will relate how their "baby" picked them. At some M&Gs volunteers will bring their own dogs, hence more dogs there than are up for adoption, so that the general public can see all sorts of personalities, sizes, colors, etc. My group tends to have a lot of Greys for adoption-- often 10 or more -- so it's seldom, if ever, we bring one of our own to a M&G. Yes, I have only one Greyhound (I also have a cat). Part of me would love to have another but it would not fit my lifestyle nor my pocketbook, so for the foreseeable future Annie is an only. (I don't know how regular middle-income people can afford multiple Greys. I just spent $98 yesterday for Annie's annual checkup: $48 for the exam and $48 for blood work, plus tax. To do that for a few dogs would require me to cut back on something else that I don't want to cut back on.) Annie is very cool about being an only, which can be a problem for some Greyhounds. She's so cool about it that I doubt she'd welcome another dog. She wouldn't be snarky, but I suspect she'd pretty much ignore it.

Leash length is a personal preference, but you can always shorten up a 6' leash by winding it around your hand but can't lengthen a 4' one. For almost everything, I use a 6' leash for Annie, and often do shorten it up when it's necessary (when other dogs come into our view for instance). I have a 4' leash for when we visit the local nursing/rehab center to make it easier for me to keep her close.

Just a quick 2 cents on my part, which is probably worth only 1 cent. LO. I have one Greyhound and it's a girl. I have, though, taken care of male Greys, right off the track, therefore not yet neutered, for a few hours once in a while, and honestly, I've never had a male lift his leg to try to mark more than once because he has responded to my "eheh -- no" command (said in firm voice) and a quick trip outside. They learn quickly that marking is for outside only, even my visitors. And ya know... I don't want to insult your BF ... but IMO opinion there's no way a dog gets back at you. If a dog reacts to something being done, it's immediate. Try to take his food? If s/he cares, s/he may growl or give an attitude. But don't take him to the dog park? Dogs don't read calendars. Sure they get used to routines, but IMO there's no way a dog knows it's 2 PM on Sunday and he should be at the dog park. That's nuts! Sounds to me the male dogs in your BF's family needed more training and attention to learn marking is not to be done. The founder/president of my group will tell you that in all her years of Greyhound adoption and always having 8 to 10 Greys of her own, she considers males more affectionate than females. But....... I think you adopt who wants you. Who speaks to your mind or spirit or heart. Who just grabs at you in ways that can't always be described. I went to a M&G just to see what was out there. I went with the intention of looking. There are a few groups in the greater Albany, NY, area so I figured I'd take my time, look at all the Greys available over a few weeks and pick one. HaHa on me! There were 4 or 5 dogs at the first, and only, M&G I went to on that mid-July Saturday in 2011. As Greys are prone to do, they all came to greet me, pushing to be the first to get close. Annie didn't win the race to be first, but she was the one who stayed with me when the others moved on. She leaned and leaned and leaned, and I pet and scratched and marveled and also thought, "If I step away, this girl will fall over." She didn't, of course, but I fell over.. errr .. in ... love with her. I spent almost 3 hours with her and never looked at another Greyhound. Exactly one week later, after being vetted as an appropriate Greyhound parent, I brought her home. She isn't a velcro dog, but she still leans and comes to me for love and affection and looks to me for approval or just to know that I'm watching her and I've got her back, so to speak. Good luck. Male or female, it's all good.

No approval from us until we see pictures. He'll come around more and more and lose more of his shyness. Congrats on the adoption and Yeah for Cupid for getting a loving home.

Love the freckles on her face. Looks like she wanted to squish her nose into your hand and give you some love. I volunteer with my group and my favorite thing is a M&G where we have 10 Greyhounds showing their stuff. Just hangin' with the houndies is satisfying.

Definitely read "Greyhounds for Dummies." I think it's a better book. Also, do more than check out a Martingale collar. Be prepared to buy one (or two or three... LOL), though your Grey will come with one on her. Martingale collars are not optional for Greyhounds if you'll be attaching the leash to a collar for walking. They are necessary. You'll read about them in all the reference material you access, including info on this site. I don't use a nylon web Martingale. I prefer those sold by one of the many vendors that cater to Greyhound stuff (specifically Crown Collars). I'm sorry to hear about having to wait longer. I only had to wait a week to adopt Annie and I could barely sleep at night I was so excited. Good luck!

Question: If a crate is used, what do you tie it down to/with? An untethered crate is a projectile, with dog inside, if the accident is bad enough. If traveling at 70 MPH and get involved in a bad accident, anything and everything in the car, including a crate, becomes a projectile unless secured to the vehicle.