Feisty49

Your dog and your cat roach. I'm envious! What a lovely animal family you have. I've got my Annie Bella and one cat, Henny Penny, neither of whom roach.

I agree with the above about cutting back on regular food. Of course, the question is: how much do you feed them now, including treats? Do you look at the caloric content of dog food? It could be that 1.5 cups of "this" food has more calories (good or bad) than 1.5 cups of "that" food. I've never compared so I don't know. My girl weighs 67-68 pounds and she gets 1.5 cups of food twice a day plus a few mini-size biscuits and some small training treats when we do training. She very seldom gets people food in order to help keep her weight down. If I can't see those two back ribs and her hip bones, I play back in my mind what she's had the past week in the line of treats and cut back if necessary.

So glad for you. If one suggestion doesn't work, there's always something else to try.

Off topic: But some of us have had problems with our dogs eating bully sticks (choking on the small piece at the end or in my case, my girl got a length of a stringy part caught in her teeth and kept trying to swallow it all the while gagging on it). It's not recommended letting a dog have a bully stick with nobody at home.

She's beautiful. My Annie Bella's (PG Digger) grandfather is Gable Dodge.

First thought was not to let him have a bone at bedtime?? Second thought was to offer him an alternative. You want the bone? In your other hand have a real neat treat that he gets only when you're looking to switch out. Filet Mignon comes to mind. LOL

My Annie would do the 9 outside steps, which are blue stone, to get into the house, but it was 6 months before she would go up the carpeted stairs to the bedrooms. I tried to teach her when I adopted her. She freaked, so she stayed downstairs, alone, but she didn't whine or cry.... until the night she did, about 6 months post adoption. That one night, I slept on the couch to keep her company, but I like my bed and was unwilling to spend more nights on the couch. The day after her whining/crying, I gave her a good talking to about the rules of the house -- the talk was more for my benefit and confidence... LOL -- and proceeded to teach her to do stairs. Front paw, front paw, back paw, back paw, gentle nudge on her bottom. I did this to the top of the stairs, showed her the bed in my bedroom and then did the stairs with her going down. I admit, going down was nerve wracking for me but it had to be done. I did this 4 times in a row: up the stairs, turn around and go down the stairs, with major food rewards each way (she's a sucker for sharp cheese). The 5th time I started the lesson, she just walked up the stairs herself, got her treat, and turned around and went down to get yet more cheese. That was that. As somebody else asked: Are your stairs carpeted? Mine weren't but when I adopted Annie, I carpeted them because she didn't like bare wood. Also, you have to have confidence that teaching your boy is more than a possibility. It can be done and it has to be done because you don't want him to keep you awake whining and you want to sleep in your bed. You have to look at it in a way that says, "This is not negotiable as learning how to sit may be." It took me a few months before I felt confident enough with my wonderful girl to understand that I'm the person in charge of my household and certain behavior is not acceptable. Good luck. If my Annie B will do it, your boy can too.

She's a beautiful girl and settling in so sweetly. I love it when our Greys get along with other household animals. And yes, she's got a very long, expressive tail.

I bought my dremel on Amazon and love it. It is cordless and has 2 speeds. The higher speed does the job on Annie Bella's nails perfectly. It has a removable, rechargeable "battery," and a charge, which only takes 3 hours anyway, lasts a long time. I dremel my girl's nails every 3 days and probably recharge only every 3 weeks or so. If interested, the link is here: http://www.amazon.co...et grooming kit Re introducing it to your girl: She may have no issue with it. I introduced Annie to it by letting her sniff it and then, standing about a foot away, turning it on. She had no issues with it so I just started on her nails. She doesn't jump for joy when I say, "Time to dremel," but she does lay quietly, looking like the martyr Greyhounds do so well. :--) ETA: The description on Amazon calls it a Pet Grooming Kit.

Thanks, and good luck to you too! I take the house off the market for the winter 'cause I need a break. It went on the market in April 2010, three years ago from this April. ::big sigh:: The economy back then was very bad, and it takes a special person to want a house this old. No matter how well kept, old houses have issues and problems that a new one doesn't, but a new-house person wouldn't be interested in something this old and vice versa. Again, good luck with your sale. As my RE agent tells me: It only takes one.

Gorgeous brindle and she likes her stuffies. That's always fun!

I've had a child and I've had a dog, but not at the same time. While you need to protect your houndies from your toddler (and as tiring as this age is, it's also one of the best, IMO), I was greatly concerned to read about the nipping. We love our dogs and hate to separate them and make them unhappy but honestly, protecting your child is your #1 priority. I know you know that, but don't let your love and feelings for your pups get in the way -- ever.

I think you've hit it on the nail. He's excited or even a bit nervous in new places and it's shown by his intestines working quickly and overtime. This is, of course, just my opinion, but in the 16 months I've had my girl, new things can often create a temporary issue with her poo.

So sorry.

Annie had bad ear goo in both ears once but was also rubbing them on her bed and trying to scratch at them with a foot. She had yeast or something in them which drops took care of.

Doing almost anything positive with our Greyhounds is, IMO, a good thing. It makes the bond stronger. It teaches them to trust us. It *is* mentally stimulating. It's just fun. If retrievers did only what they were born to do, they'd spend their lives retrieving and doing nothing else. If Greyhounds only did what they were born to do, they'd only race and run. We'd never have to walk them, play with them or buy them reindeer hats . Don't be discouraged by negative comments about trying to teach your boy to learn and have fun. He's your Greyhound. Do what you want.

A plug.

I get mine from bestbullysticks.com. They last me a long time because Annie Bella gets one only about every 2 weeks. It's the type of treat that can change her poos to the negative so I'm careful with it.

One-Greyhound household here and it is terrific. I'm retired and home a lot. When I go out, I make sure Annie is left alone no more than 5 hours. Annie never had an adjustment to being an only. I adopted her in July 2011 and it's been smooth sailing in that respect ever since. When I bring a Grey home after a M&G while waiting for his foster mom to pick him up, Annie almost gets put out that I am paying attention to another dog and either goes upstairs to her bedroom bed or snarks just once at the "intruder" to let him know she's the queen. She's fine with other dogs as long as we're not at home. Life is easier with one dog. I'm a person who likes peace, quiet and calm. I also don't want double the vet bills that might come with a second dog.

Thanks for the documentation. It is interesting and will be helpful. Poor sweet boy of yours looks so broken. I hope he gets better quickly.

Wow. You'd think one person in 120 years would have been smart enough to insulate the walls! 52? Inside?? I'm pretty hardy, but that's just too cold for inside!!! It's not an issue of being smart, indicating somebody is dumb?? Nice. The problem with insulating old houses is that most of them -- at least mine at 220 years old -- can't have insulation blown in between the outside walls and inside walls because there is no room. From outside in, my house is clapboard, lathe, inside wall (plaster, with one room knotty pine). If insulation were blown in, it would blow all the lathe apart, and that's what outside and inside walls are attached to. One could cover the original clapboard with siding (ewwwww) over insulation, but I won't cover the wood of a house built in 1792 with siding. When my husband passed, I did have insulation blown around the sill in the cellar and in the attic, covering the ceiling and walls entirely. It has cut way down on drafts and just a little bit on heating costs.

My house is for sale, or it will be again come spring. I take it off the market during the winter. If anybody is interested in seeing it, it's still listed at this site: http://www.trulia.com/property/3087368048-11290-Route-32-Greenville-NY-12083.

Beautiful girl. Congrats, and January 2 is only 7 weeks away? Yeow!! LOL You'll get lots of advice on here but also have your sister-in-law. That is wonderful. Enjoy!

Congrats on your adoption! I'm a volunteer with Forever Home Greyhound Adoptions, which is out of Middleburgh, NY, not Amsterdam, and our president, Paula, has a heart as big as all outdoors when it comes to Greyhounds that have been left behind. So glad you took him, and lots of good wishes that he is healthy.

I live in a house that is 220 years old, with no insulation in the walls, so no matter what the thermometer says, it always feels colder. I keep the thermostat at 66 or 68 during the day and put it down to 62 at night, even in the dead of winter. I prefer to sleep in a cold room, and if Annie B gets cold at night in my bedroom, she lets me know and I cover her with a blanket where she snuggles until morning.