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Riverhound

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Everything posted by Riverhound

  1. I like the x-pen idea, I think piling "stuff" on the bed might work, and carpet runners sound workable (and I have one shoved in a closet somewhere). Joe is pretty sensitive, so the scat-mat isn't an option, but thanks for the idea. He's getting a junk heap tomorrow, and I'll go from there. It'd be ideal if he'd go back to hanging out on his beds in our room during the day, but I know that won't happen overnight. I get that he may be trying his boundaries, or that we're sending mixed signals by changing the places where he's allowed to be. I'm kinda surprised it took him this long to realize that if we're not around, we can't boot his rear-end off the bed!
  2. I like the storage container idea!! My husband could handle that! Or a pile of cardboard boxes (hubby has an Amazon problem). I actually wouldn't care if he was just sleeping on the bed; I just don't want it destroyed. I feel so darned guilty being back at work and leaving him alone. I'd be miserable if I left him in a nice, comfy crate with a well-stuffed kong every day (and the kong would be refilled at lunch, cause I'm a sucker!).
  3. We’ve had Joe for about a year. At first, he was not allowed on furniture at all & was always crated when we weren’t home. After a few months, I “graduated” him to being allowed to take naps with me in the guest room when I had a migraine. Shortly thereafter, I went back to work full-time and we decided Joe was ready to stay in our bedroom during the workday. (I come home at lunch, there’s a teenage dog-walker after school, and we’re pigs with a messy kitchen full of nice trash that Joe really wants! Messy kitchen is staying as-is. Non-negotiable. Joe needs to be elsewhere, and the bedroom is what works.) We’ve recently started letting Joe on the sofa, cause I want more cuddle-time since I’m at work all day. He’s decided that being allowed on the sofa = being allowed on our bed, even though we’ve told him on no uncertain terms that’s not the case (he gets led off whenever we catch him up there). Thing is, he’s a MAJOR nester. He destroyed the comforter in the guest room. Has killed 4+ beds. Rips big holes in his dog blankies and has torn up my (thankfully nasty, old) carpet. Last weekend, we left him home with the dog sitter & went away for a few days. Came home, he’d been on our bed, shredded the sheets, and tore a small hole in the mattress. I don’t want to go back to crating him during the day. He tries to nest in the sofa, too, but I can correct him when I see it and he settles. I’m not sure if the “super-nesting” was stress ‘cause we weren’t home, or is likely to continue (I caught him on the bed one day last week, and he’d booted the pillows onto the floor). I can’t afford a new bed as comfy as this one is if he decides to “kill” the mattress. How do you prevent a normal behavior, like nesting, from being destructive? How can I keep him off the bed when we aren’t home? (That’s not a priority if he doesn’t destroy it – just don’t tell my DH!) Would something like aluminum foil keep His Majesty off the bed, so we can continue to confine him in our room when we aren’t home? (He loves that room, and is fine behind closed doors.) Would boots let him nest & prevent destruction? (He does sometimes use teeth, but not too often!) He likes not being in a crate; I like not crating him. He gets a morning walk, an afternoon walk, and usually an evening walk. I don’t think this is an exercise issue. I think he wants to be comfy. Halp!?!?
  4. Joe doesn't like to eat until evening when DH and I are both home. He may nibble a little when I get home for lunch, and he'll eat his duck jerky any time, but his real meal has to wait until the whole family is in one place. The bowl is KNOT, however, "allowed" to be empty at any time. If the kibble gets below a certain level, he stands in front of it and STARES until Mommy fills it back up. Then he walks away for another nap! Doofus.
  5. Oh, is that why Joe *must* poop on every walk? He's giving me presents! I'd rather have one of those nice nose-print necklaces someone here was showing off recently!
  6. You are so freakin' lucky!!!!! Joe poops twice in the morning, twice at night, and will force a poop on any extra walks he gets.
  7. I'm so very sorry. She was a lovely girl.
  8. Joe seemed just fine, for weeks, when I took stuff away from him. Could reach right in and take anything away. Then, one evening he let me know with a great big growl that he was KNOT done with his chewy yet -- didn't care that his gums were bleeding all over it, it was his! We started practicing trading up that night, and he got it fast. They really need to know they can give you stuff and get something better. Trust is all-important.
  9. Joe wasn't thrilled by the Himalayan chew. He gnawed on it for about 1/2 an hour, then was done. The thing sat, untouched, in my living room until I babysat a friend's Aussie. He loved it! Ten minutes & GONE! A determined dog can get through those fast.
  10. Going through something similar (Joe's exam is tomorrow); I very much understand how hopeful you are for a touch of arthritis! Joe has also gotten a bit gimpy after zoomies, then recovered in a day or so; this time it seems weird, so to the vet we go! Hubby's upset that I want it to be arthritis -- he hasn't read GT! Fingers crossed for the "good" diagnosis for both boys! Best of luck for Joe's visit tomorrow as well :goodluck Thank you!
  11. Going through something similar (Joe's exam is tomorrow); I very much understand how hopeful you are for a touch of arthritis! Joe has also gotten a bit gimpy after zoomies, then recovered in a day or so; this time it seems weird, so to the vet we go! Hubby's upset that I want it to be arthritis -- he hasn't read GT! Fingers crossed for the "good" diagnosis for both boys!
  12. Why thank you! I think I've gone a little nuts now that I can post . . . So I'd put him in a sit/down stay, someone else would hold/step on leash, I'd call dog, other person would release dog, I'd treat and throw a party? That sounds so sensible I'm ashamed of myself! I've been doing the "throw treats at dog while dog is in bed" thing, but as soon as I move he follows me and starts offering behaviors that have earned treats other times. Like, whack Mommy with paw (over and over)! He's almost excessively food motivated, and really enjoys training sessions. And the "WHUMP!" when I ask for a "down" is quite impressive! I think we'll be doing a Sunday class at Petsmart this winter, just to get him out of the house and keep him stimulated.
  13. My family has used this office since the beginning of time, but only for cats. This doc has always seemed like she was pretty decent, but certainly not perfect all the time. (Ten or so years ago, she had Mom vaccinate a cancer-cat that was seemingly in remission, and well, gosh-golly-gee, the cancer came back with a vengeance!) That said, her bedside manner is awesome, she'll prescribe over the phone, and she at least read the greyhound lit. I brought her on Joe's first visit. He'll be going to NGAP for his dental, for sure! The price is very right, and it's one of their specialities. I'm inclined to use NGAP for any major procedures, and the local vet for routine stuff, like the UTI he had last winter. Oh, and Greytalk; the collective knowledge here is overwhelming!
  14. I've read recently that Flying Penske's kids are usually very sweet, people oriented hounds, and Joe is certainly that! DH and I walk him separately (and there's a dog-walker some days), and it's not unusual for either of us to hear a total stranger holler, "Hey, wait! I wanna say hi to Joe." It really freaked me out the first few times, but I've gotten used to it. In a neighborhood full of Pitties and Chi's, Joe is very much a standout!
  15. Vet said she was giving him a lower than normal dose of Xanax because he reacted so strongly to the Ace (which seems to be greyhound normal, from what I've read!). I called during the last nasty storm to see if I could give him an extra, and was told "No", but by a different vet. He's had 2 Xanax today, at about 2:30, and is doing reasonably well right now. We're having heavy rain and a little wind, but nothing major yet. The rain was light enough a while ago that we got a quick walk in, so his bladder should be good for hours. He's an 85 pounder; would another Xanax around 10 be reasonable? And/or some benedryl to help him sleep? (Benedryl gives me terrible nightmares, so I hesitate to give it to him as a sedative.) Tonight may be the night DH gives in and lets the dog sleep with us.
  16. Yeah. I have no idea how I'm going to get him to potty. He's such a good boy that he won't "go" on the covered porch. I know he won't have an accident in the house, but he's likely to be pretty uncomfortable from holding it. I think I'm probably going to be leash-walking during the freakin' storm. Love this dog!
  17. Ohhh, did somebody just ask for more pictures? I can do that! Mastered Roaching 101 on his first day home. Mother! Put the camera away and take me for a walk! I know I look good in my new coat, and I want to show the neighbors. Falling asleep inside hide-a-squirrel on Christmas morning. Doesn't he have great ears?
  18. Thanks for the welcomes! Joe is thrilled that Summer's Mom called him handsome; she's such a lovely girl. @o_rooley: Yup, totally spoiled by this dog. He's just so easy to live with! The eventual plan is to have him certified as a therapy dog, then start a READ program at the library where DH and I work. Joe loves kids and would really like all that attention. (And I want to take my dog to work with me! ) He'd be able to pass most of the CGC test, but "stay" is a problem. He can't seem to wrap his mind around a trick that involves doing nothing. Funny, you'd think that would be easy for a dog who sleeps 27 hours a day!
  19. Hi, I've been obsessively lurking for about a year, but hadn't joined since I use free e-mail. Saw a post yesterday suggesting someone else send a support ticket to the Mods asking to be signed up, and decided it was time for Joe and I to come out of the shadows. Hubby (then-fiance) and I went to NGAP about a year ago, "just to look". We'd been talking about a dog for about 2 years, and figured we'd get one in a few months. I also wasn't totally sold on Greys -- I had a Dobie as a teenager and was trying to convince Rob we should get one. We met lots of sweet dogs at the kennel, including a pair of slightly older girls that were real dolls, but we just weren't quite ready to take the plunge. Then, one of the volunteers said, "Would you walk this one, he's my baby?" Can't say no to a line like that, right? She walked us to the very end of the row, where this GIANT black and white dog was bouncing up and down like he was on springs. When she let him out, he leapt straight at me, jumped up on his hind legs, and kissed me on the nose. SOLD! While we walked him around, Rob kept saying things like, "But he's so big!", and "Man, he pulls a lot!" But of all the dogs we'd met, Joe was the only one who was more interested in us than in peeing on every blade of grass. So we filled out an application, and I "stole" his picture from their website to use as wallpaper on my computer. I would have been devastated if we hadn't gotten to bring him home. This past year has been wonderful, and GT has been a big help in making it that way. You folks taught me how to teach him not to pull on the leash, have helped me work toward making him safer around small fuzzies, and let me know that his resource guarding was MY fault for taking his stuff away before he trusted me to give it back (or give him something better). Thank you all so much! Rachael [
  20. Sounds like an idea! He's a big fan of being wrapped in a blankie, and is fine with wearing clothes. He also likes it when I lay on top of him ; but I have to get up once in awhile.
  21. Hi all, Hubby and I have had Joe for a little over a year; he wasn't a fan of thunderstorms last summer/fall, but has been really spazzy this year during any inclement weather. Like, it drizzles and he's panting & pacing! I should buy him a Thundercoat, but I've been hoping that he'd improve with time and light medication. (I'm not a fan of heavy drugs long term for something like this, since I won't always be around exactly 2 hours before it storms to medicate him. I also wouldn't want to leave him alone, freaked out, and wearing a Thundercoat -- I get the GSOD when his foot is resting in one of my sandals, if a coat caught on something while I wasn't around I can see him going pretty nuts!) Anyhow, the first drug the vet gave me was Ace, 25mg every 12 hours. I read about it here, and had mixed feelings about giving it to him. I tried him with half a dose, and wasn't happy with how out of it he seemed. Zombie-dog! He was able to get up when I asked him to go upstairs for bed, so I don't feel like it was dangerous for him. I just didn't think it was something I wanted him on regularly. The vet has since given him generic Xanax, .25mg/tablet, 1-2 tablets every 12 hours. After the Ace experience, I started him REAL LOW, but have since worked up to the maximum dose. In general, I like it. He's still not happy about storms, but can lay in his bed and pant, instead of pacing and panting with drool strings hanging off his jaw. I'm hoping that he's starting to learn that storms suck, but they won't hurt him. We've gotten through several shorter storms drug-free. Thing is, I'm worried that this nasty Hurricane (hopefully tropical storm when it gets here!), will undo the progress he's made this summer and set the poor guy back to being a quivering heap of Jello like he was this past spring. I'm wondering if using this Ace, just this once, to help him sleep through most of it might be a reasonable thing to do. What do you think? Rachael I'll introduce us properly later, but here's a picture of my baby-boy so I'm in compliance with the
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