Feisty49

I am so sorry about your friend Michael. Boo was so good for him. And now Boo is good for you. She is totally **gorgeous** and she is one lucky momma to go from the love of Michael to the love of your household seamlessly. Greyhounds are loved by so many people. In February the husband of my friend was dying of cancer. Annie Bella and I visited him 3 days before he passed, at home. When we walked into his bedroom, it took all his strength, but Gary lifted his hand to touch her soft ears and smiled. Barbara said it the first smile he'd had in a month. We stood there, his hand on her head, until he fell asleep, and he had the smile on his face the entire time.

I have no AC on the first floor of my house. What helped Annie last night was a cool hand towel laid on her side/belly as she was lying down. She didn't much like it but it helped a little. I then wrapped her paws in the same towel. She pulled them out and placed them on top of the towel, which had the same positive effect. Thankfully the humidity is much less today and the temp is in the 80s instead of 90s. We're both recuperating quicker from our walks: she from the general heat and me from the arthritis flare that this weather brings on. Makes me understand why people with inflammatory diseases live in dry places like Arizona.

With this heat in the northeast, we’re walking early in the morning and late in the evening. The walks are much shorter than when the temp is comfy. I also take Annie Bella out a few other times to the woods behind the house for an interim P&P opportunity. I expect Annie Bella to come in panting, even on the short trip back to the woods for a quick pee, but she seems stressed long after we’ve returned and she’s stretched out on her bed in front of the fan. She eventually stops panting, but it takes quite a while. For more than an hour, though, her respiration stays fast and heavy. It’s so fast that I don’t know why she isn’t hyperventilating – apparently dogs don’t hyperventilate. So I’m curious how quickly your dogs recover from being outside in this weather.

Administering meds: If a pill is hidden in enough good stuff, your boy shouldn't even know he's getting it. My Annie Bella loves peanut butter, as do most dogs, so I hide a pill in a small mound of PB, plop the PB on a plate, put it in front of her and walk away. She licks it up in about 10 seconds. There are a lot of other things that will work the same way, such as a piece of hot dog or a ravioli with the pill shoved inside. Wrapping a pill in a piece of deli meat, such as bologna or ham, etc., works too. Some of this stuff wouldn't normally be given to your boy (such as hot dogs.. yeach.. LOL) but we do what we gotta do to get meds in 'em. Regarding recall: Wellllll... some learn it, some don't, and you'll find that the parents of those that do might say they trust their Greyhound 99.99% of the time. The advice you'll read on this forum is to never let your dog off leash unless in a secure, fenced area. Annie Bella is deaf to my saying, "Come, Annie," unless she feels like it. Oh, if I get real insistent and use "that" tone of voice, she'll come to me, probably. LOL

:-( So sorry for your loss. She's a beautiful girl.

My girl pretty much does her business wherever she wants, as long as it's not on the backyard grass. I have almost 12 acres of land, most of which is woods and none of which is fenced. Because she's on a leash, I lead her to the back of the driveway, about 500 feet, to the barn and she'll go along there. If we're walking on a sidewalk in the neighborhood, I don't mind where she pees because it's never the same lawn twice so there's no permanent burn. For poo, though, if we're walking off the property, I do lead her to the grassy area between the road and sidewalk, thus keeping the grass close to someone's home clean and less likely someone will step in any leftovers. (I always pick up but if it's a "soft" moment, something is always left behind.) It's very obvious when Annie Bella's gotta go poo. She has a certain walk (like she's got a load in a diaper.. LOL) and her head starts swinging back and forth looking for just the right spot. So I guess I have no advice as to how to "make" him go in just one area.

Annie Bella does it to me mostly when we're on our walks and she gets excited cause it's a cool day or she saw a human friend or she saw a groundhog! I allow it for a very short period of time because while it doesn't hurt me, and I know how to control her, I don't think it's a good idea to encourage it. I don't want her nitting my 6-year-old granddaughter. My GD doesn't walk Annie Bella by herself, of course, but I put a second leash on and my GD calls herself a walker in training. LOL

LOL about dog costume. Let us know how it works out teaching Stanis to play. My girl does not play with her stuffies except for the 30 seconds before we walk out the door for a walk or a car ride. That's when she expresses her excitement about going out. Other than that, she doesn't even look at them. I've tried playing with her. Hiding them. Running around with them and coaxing her to run after me. I've tossed them to her. I've piled them on her bed. She has no interest and from what I've read here, sometimes this is the way it is. She also does not much like a kong or any other object that requires a lot of work. She doesn't even roach! She takes retirement seriously, which isn't bad because she also never goes in the garbage, never cruises counter tops, and if I drop food on the floor, she doesn't go after it, unless it's within reach of her tongue.

Beautiful Greys and a real nice story. I have one question: Your subject is "Previously Lurking on Long Island." Where are you lurking from now?

Great looking back yard and sandbox. I have no idea if he'll ever use it. Being that sometimes it has shade, he may think it's a great place to be outside but be out of the sun! LOL I doubt I could get my Annie Bella to pee/poo in one spot. She likes to walk, sniff, turn, sniff, walk some more to find just the right spot and then do her thing. I suspect any odor he has will fade as he spends more time in his new environment, especially now that his teeth have been cleaned and you're attending to brushing them regularly so I'm wondering if once Stanis is used to the house and being your boy, will you still crate him at night? I think most of us don't crate at night, or if we do, the door is left open. I stopped using the crate with my girl 3 days after I got her because she didn't need it. Somebody else with more crate experience will have to give you advice as to whether he'll calm down out of sight of you and in the crate. If I had to make a bet, I'd bet he won't, but who knows.

I'm still learning myself, but, assuming there's no physical issue, it appears to me that she's having a lot of anxiety about the new place. I'd give her a lot of special attention, including walks with just one of you and her and lots of good chatter where you use her name often so she knows it's all about her. Good luck!

Is there a special or significant reason why Stanis can't stay near you at night? Dogs are social animals and Greyhounds especially need to be with their pack. Remember, they have never been alone from the day they were whelped. I would not separate him from you at night. He will be very unhappy and I think the bond you're forming will slow down dramatically. It can take months for a Greyhound to settle in and feel totally secure. Separating him from you at night won't help that feeling of security.

Stanis sounds like he's making himself at home. You'll get lots of good suggestions -- and very different ones too -- from this forum. My girl is very very heat sensitive and pants quickly when the temp is 60 with the sun out. Our summer walks are done early and late and are shorter than in cooler weather. She loves the cold and is most happy trotting along when the temp is below 50. You won't need boots at 30 F but you'll probably need a light-weight coat, especially after coming off a hot summer. My Annie Bella does fine with a fleece coat for most of the winter unless it is very very cold and windy, when I switch to a heavier coat with a snood. Stanis should be fine on your upcoming trip but of course never ever leave him alone in a car in the heat unless the AC is running. He'll probably sleep most of the trip on the bed or blankets you set up for him. Two hours isn't very long so there shouldn't be a need to stop for a pee break or to stretch. Bad breath: He probably does need a cleaning but you can help a little by brushing his teeth every day. We need pictures of your guy!

I tried a couple of dog parks a few times each and really wanted to continue but it just doesn't work. Annie Bella herself gets a bit snarkish with other dogs. She runs with them but cuts them off in mid-stride and sometimes nips at them if they don't get out of her way quick enough. Other dog parents tell me that she's just playing but I get worried that the play nipping from the other dog(s) will result in injury to Annie Bella. Therefore, I just don't go any more.

Annie Bella doesn't go nuts over any food. She is so not food motivated that if she's laying down and I toss something she likes and it's out of reach of her tongue, she sighs and lets it lie there. She does like, but has never begged for them or begged for any food: Wheat Thins (with cream cheese if I've got it) Popcorn Cheerios Ice cream Gosh, my list is really really short but she doesn't like fruit or veggies and to be honest, I just don't feed my dog much people food, which is why she never begs. :--)

My fussy and intestine-sensitive Annie Bella was liking Iams in the Green Bag (not the greatest kibble but she had good poos on it). A couple of things happened that put her off eating anything, and when all was said and done, she would not go back to eating the Iams. I introduced her to Nutro Venison with Brown Rice and she *loves* it. Just tossing an idea out here for food to try that many consider good quality. BTW, I had no problem giving Annie Bella Iams, though many look down their noses at it, but when she wouldn't eat, after months of enjoying it, I moved on.

My Annie Bella often dreams where she yips, sometimes barks softly and makes other "I'm dreaming" sounds. Her feet will move. Her ears will flicker. Her mouth may quiver.

Bad breath can also be caused by stomach issues. Did you change food recently or is she not wanting to eat or something like that?

Annie Bella got stung on a rear paw last week, yelped once, limped twice and then was fine. I was gonna put the baking soda paste on it (which does work to take away the pain -- ask my granddaughter), but since she was fine I didn't bother. IMHO, I don't think there's any need to jump to the conclusion your boy will have an allergic reaction. Sure, some mammals are allergic to bee stings but the percentage, at least among humans, is very low. Also, I think that if he were allergic, he'd be in extreme respiratory distress by now. P.S. You really need to have a vet and have your boy looked at within a week or two from adoption. Many of us had vets lined up before we got our first pups.

Re cat or kitten: I'd go for an older cat adopted from a rescue group that knows some of the cat's background, including whether it is dog tolerant. Older cats are much less likely to climb curtains, rip through the house and think the dog is a good thing on which to sharpen its claws. :--) I adopted my current cat 4 years ago when she was 8 years old. She's strictly an indoor cat and as my previous cats did, I expect her to live until she's 17 or 18. She is totally dog tolerant and Annie Bella is totally cat tolerant, but I know a kitten would have driven Annie Bella up the wall.

I have a pup with food issues so if something works, I don't change. I'd drive to get it or buy the food on line. I live in a small town with few shopping choices so driving miles is what we do. I drive 20 miles (30 minutes) to the nearest PetSmart (not my favorite pet store) and 25 miles (40 minutes) to my favorite specialty pet store. If you bought enough in one trip, you'd only have to make it every couple of months. If your dog has no poo issues, change food.

Switch the tooth brushing time around. He knows that a certain amount of time after he's settled down for the evening, mom's gonna call him. Catch him by surprise and do it right after supper or late afternoon, or early morning. As long as it's done regularly, it's all good.

I live in New York State so can't offer help. I am surprised that your group hasn't offered suggestions, even if you've adopted out of their immediate area. If indeed you adopted out of their immediate area, you could ask someone from your group to ask their vet for a recommendation. ::shrug:: Ya never know where good info will spring from.

She was special.

My Annie Bella did this a few months ago. Kind of shaking her head and trying to get her long leg, with paw, up to her ear to scratch. It was so awkward and funny looking when she did this. I just knew that it was an ear thing and something requiring the attention of a vet because I could see nothing in sight (and I don't go digging in ears). Sure enough, one ear had bacteria and yeast and the other ear had just a bit of bacteria. An antibiotic and ear drops cleared it up in no time.