philospher77

I was just at my vet today to do a follow-up on Pixie's blepharitis (methicillin-resistant staph infection… oh joy!… but after 4 weeks of the appropriate antibiotic she is looking much better, and we are going to do another 4 weeks just to be safe), and to get a lump on Katie's foot looked at. The vet was very careful NOT to call it a tumor, since she says that when she does that, people automatically think "cancer" and freak out. A "lump" or "mass" doesn't have the same reaction. I thought that was interesting. Right now she's leaning towards saying it's a histiocytoma, but yes, I am having the biopsy sent out to a pathologist to be sure. As to vaccines, I do rabies every three years, because I have to by law. I am now in the dicey area of being at 3 years on all the other vaccines, and the vet and I have agreed that we will titer instead of vaccinate. My trainer and the place I board will take titers as acceptable proof, but some places won't. And, just in case someone else is thinking of doing this, it costs MORE to titer than it does to get vaccinated. Especially since you have to titer every year, since no one knows for sure when the vaccine will wear off, while the vaccines can be done every three years. So titer if you are worried about over-vaccinating, not if you want to save money!

Here's my tips for finding a good trainer: Ask people you know with well-behaved dogs who they use, and what kinds of methods the trainer uses. Ask if you can go watch a class (without your dog) once you have narrowed the list down. If they say no, I'd scratch them off the list. I want a trainer who is open and doesn't mind people watching what's going on. Is there a limit on the class size (mine limits it to 10 dogs)? What's the ratio of dogs/trainer and assistants? If your dog has any particular issues, have they dealt with that before and how? One reason I went with the trainer I did is because she managed to get agility titles on a shy Irish wolfhound, so I figured she would be able to give good advice on a spook greyhound. How do they deal with "problem" dogs, the reactive and aggressive ones, or the timid and fearful? Mine uses a system of visual barriers (and assistants) to allow them to participate in class while still remaining below threshold. Do the people and dogs in class seem to be enjoying themselves? You may want to ask about their requirements on vaccinations, if you titer your dogs instead of following the vaccine protocols. What kind of follow-up do they provide? Here is a good article as well: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_9/features/Dog-Training-Professionals_20063-1.html

You will also notice that I try and follow a "five second rule", where I stop petting frequently so that the dog can let me know whether or not I should continue.

I have taught Katie to give a clear signal for when she wants to be petted. It helps clear up situations like this, as long as the human is willing to follow the dog's lead. Which, to be aboveboard and everything, isn't always easy, because there are times when I just want to pet her! I just have to remind myself sometimes that there are two living, feeling beings in this relationship, and it's not always about what I want. Here is a video that I did tat demonstrates the idea: http://youtu.be/u7Yep9zOHNY I hope that helps!

Are those salukis in the video?

Same as any other scary thing: pair the presence of the scary object with high-value treats. If the cats are anywhere near him, and he's calm, he gets something super-tasty. At first, that may be just being in the same room as a cat. But the basic idea is that you want him to start associating the cats with super good things, which will make happy endorphins flow when he starts seeing them.

Personally, I think I would work on teaching him to trade up with everyone in the house, and then still not allow the kids to bother him when he's eating. If he learns that having humans around his food is no big deal, it will lower his stress levels. And it will help protect the human in the case a situation arises where he might otherwise feel like he needs to protect his food (someone stumbles near him, kids coming running through, etc.). I just generally think that the more the dog LIKES having someone near his food, the better.

The other thing to be aware of is that, if he isn't a dominant dog, he may find making and maintaining eye contact with you intimidating. That can be a challenging gesture in the dog world, so if he is turning his head away, it may be that he is trying to show you that he doesn't want any sort of confrontation with you. This can be a hard thing to do, but when you ask him to focus on you, try and make your eyes "soft", not hard and focussed on him. That is less intimidating, but counter-intuitive when you are trying to get a focussed stare.

I would have to see the behavior to be sure of what it meant. It could be excitement, but it edges into a dangerous level of it, in my thinking. I am partly basing this off my little rattie, who stomps at things (lizards, bugs, etc) to make them run so that she can chase them. So I think that there could be a bit of prey-drive mixed into that excitement. WIth dogs similar to yours in size, it's probably not an issue. With smaller dogs, I could see it turning bad. But, as I said, I would have to see exactly what it looked like to be sure of how I would respond to it.

To be fair and transparent, it hasn't been "worth" it for my greyhound, Katie. It's more than paid for itself for my rat terrier, Pixie, with her 8K in vet bills her first year with me. I'm keeping it on both of them, because of that!

My first greyhound (up there in the avatar photo) died of osteo. That cost me around 14K to treat. I was lucky, I had that much cash sitting in a bank account, and I didn't really do the math until after it was all over. So, when I got Katie, I decided to bite the bullet and get insurance on her, "just in case". She had already been diagnosed with really early pannus in one eye, so it was important to me to find an insurance plan that covers bilateral conditions. Be careful of that... a lot of them don't. If your dog gets pannus in the right eye, they won't cover it in the left. If they get hip dysplasia on the left side, they won't cover the right. So, I went with Healthy Paws, because the only bilateral thing that they exclude is ACL, if I recall correctly. And I added insurance for Pixie, since I figured if I was going to cover one dog, I should cover both. There is a 15-day waiting period with Healthy Paws, where anything that is diagnosed during that time is considered "pre-existing". I think I was about 20 days out from enrolling when I took Pixie to the vet because her leg was "clicking" when I lifted her onto the bed. Diagnosis: bilateral luxating patellas. Recommended treatment: surgery, at 3.5K per leg. Well, that is when I started sweating. I looked at my savings, and figured I could cover the cost of one leg, if I were willing to put off some other projects that I have been saving for. But the second leg? That would either mean hitting the emergency savings, or drastically cutting lifestyle while I tried to save it up. So I submitted the estimate to HP to see what they would cover, since I had mentioned to the vet when I first got her that she "walked funny sometimes", and I was worried that they would use that to say it was pre-existing, and fretted and stressed until I got the answer: not pre-existing, and they would cover 90% after the vet visit, so roughly 6K of it. That made what would have been a very stressful situation bearable. She's also managed to run up about 1.5K in other bills, for a grand total of 8K in vet bills in her first year with me. Unless you make more money than me, that amount of money is very hard to save up in a year. And now, every time I go to the vet for my cat who is approaching the end of her life, I think about how much easier it would be if I didn't have to worry about how much everything is costing. I find myself doing the math, and have to remind myself that the cats don't have insurance, so I have to pay the full amount. But, at the end of the day, it's insurance. If you have a pet that has something major go wrong, it's worth every penny you spent on it. If you have a nice, healthy pet with minimal issues, it's a very expensive waste of money. The problem is, you don't know which pet you have when you are starting out, and by the time you figure out you NEED insurance, you have a lot of pre-existing conditions. Only you can figure out which way you want to gamble. Bet that your pet is healthy, and save the money, or bet that your pet will need the insurance, and waste the money if they don't? It's up to you.

Also, since a lot of your discomfort with Ami may just be due to not "getting" the messages she is trying to tell you, I have included some links to videos of canine body language. They may give you a better feel for what your dog is trying to convey. (For example, is she barking at you when the other dogs are around because she is excited, stressed, or fearful? Body language will help clarify that.) These first two are very short over-views: And if you are really interested, here is a much more in-depth (45 minute) discussion of canine body language:

I will second, third, and fourth the idea of finding a new trainer. I have become quite addicted to dog training, because the trainer I work with has the belief that "dog training is fun!" Personal sessions can get pricy, but she as unlimited phone support for students in her group training classes (much cheaper), and I took full advantage of that when I was starting out with Katie. It's been a learning experience for both of us, but mostly it's about me learning from the trainer and then working with Katie. I go to a different trainer for a specialty class, who I am not as thrilled with on a personal level, but I am at a stage where I can take what she teaches and apply it, and don't need to "like" her as much. My personal thought: start interviewing some trainers. See if they will let you sit in on classes to see if you like their training style. Talk to the people in their class, if you can, and see if they would recommend the trainer. If you post your location, some people here may even be able to recommend some for you to go talk to.

I agree that it is very hard to tell what is going on without more information. To give you a brief example, I am constantly reinforcing good leash manners with Pixie. She will lunge and bark at other dogs, and at people moving inside partly-open garages. But simply saying that isn't enough... I have had to learn the difference between her barking at dogs because she thinks they are a threat and she's blustering (deep chesty barks) or because she wants to go greet/play (higher yippy barks). And the people are an entirely different "stranger alert" bark. The way I handle these situations is pretty much the same, but I am much more alert in the first case, since that can escalate in a negative manner pretty easily if things go wrong. Which is why I would definitely second getting a good trainer to work with you. This may be a situation where some personal training would be very helpful. That's how I learned that I had a split second where Pixie would look at me before lunging, and if I could get her attention at that point, I could short-circuit the entire cycle. It's worked to the point where she now looks up at me with a very expectant look whenever she hears a barking dog, because she knows that I will give her treats!

I agree with not taking all the toys away. (My trainer's advice: put 5 toys out, and rotate them frequently, daily if possible.) Katie growled at me the first time I tried to take her bully stick away. When I got Pixie, I was more experienced, so she didn't have to growl at me since I correctly interpreted her freezing over the bully stick as an indication of discomfort. Now, when I give out bully sticks, I put out 3 or 4. The dogs grab one and go lie down on beds next to each other and chew away peacefully. Although they will immediately take the other dog's bully stick if they walk away from it! Something about whatever the other one has being better, I guess. But when the other dog comes back, there are other ones available (including the one that was abandoned when the dog stole the other one), so there's no snarking. And I can take them away, although I do generally trade for them, just so we all stay trusting. Trade easy-to-eat things, so that you aren't stuck trying to figure out how to get THAT away from the dog!

Some very wise words from Patricia McConnell's blog (https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/love-guilt-putting-dogs-down) about when she had to euthanize her heart dog: But as he always had, Luke left me with a gift. It took awhile, but I slowly began to notice how EVERYONE I talked to who loved their dog, like we all love ours, was guilty about something related to the dog's death. It didn't matter how or why they died: hundreds of owners, from professional trainers and behaviorists to the dog loving public, found something to feel guilty about. "I should have seen the symptoms sooner," or "How could I have not known that the lock on the door was faulty and allowed my dog to run out the door?" or "Surely I could somehow have prevented the bite if I just hadn't...." Here's what Luke taught me, along with the wise comments of a psychologist friend: It is easier to believe that we are always responsible ("if only I had done/not done this one thing....") than it is to accept this painful truth: We are not in control of the world. Stuff happens. Bad stuff. As brilliant and responsible and hard working and control-freaky that we are, sometimes, bad stuff just happens. Good people die when they shouldn't. Gorgeous dogs brimming with health, except for that tumor or those crappy kidneys, die long before their time. Dogs who are otherwise healthy but are a severe health risk to others end up being put down. It's not fair, it's not right, and it hurts like hell. But please, please, if you've moved heaven and earth to save a dog and haven't been able to... just remember: Stuff happens. We can't control everything. (Difficult words to dog trainers I know... Aren't we all control freaks to some extent?) You didn't fail. You tried as hard as you could. It's okay. To all of us: Try folding up that guilt and pain like a pile of dirty, ripped clothing and throwing it away. Remember: Much of what we love about dogs is that they live in the present and accept what happens. That's our job, to accept what happens sometimes, even though it's the hardest job of all.

Osteo sucks. I found that I just "knew" when it was time to let Trinkett go. There is a look that she gave me, which I can't describe, but you will know when you see it. As to burial: number one, make sure it's legal to do in your area. The odds that someone actually comes by and stops you are low, I will admit, but you can never tell. And number two.... you run the risk of something finding the body and digging it up. Possums, skunks, coyote, other dogs, all love carrion. Which I would find pretty distressing if it happened. In your case, you might want to think about cremating, planting something, and sprinkling/burying the ashes at the plant. That way you will have a living reminder of Arrow.

I agree with all the others that this dog needs to be rehomed. An attack to the back of the neck is an attack to kill. There's no way that was accidental, or just a warning or correction. Inter-female aggression issues are very difficult to resolve, since it's all about one dog saving resources for her and her potential offspring. Two bitches with litters means that resources would need to be shared. Yes, your dogs will never have litters, but they don't that. If you don't rehome JJ, you are looking at managing this situation for the rest of the dogs' lives by ensuring that the two females are never in a situation where they can be loose together. At that point, I personally feel it's best to rehome, so that each dog can live a fulfilling life.

Just a warning: dogs can still kill small animals while muzzled. They may not be able to bite easily, but they can still bash the prey, and do some serious, if not fatal, damage that way. So it will help with this situation, but don't let it make you complacent. I agree with everyone else that dealing with a good, preferably positive reinforcement, trainer is a very good idea. Trainers who use dominance methods in a situation like this are likely to make the situation worse.

Good to hear that he is coming around. As to the fly thing.... those things HURT when they bite! Or at least some of the big horseflies do. And they tend to go after the tips of dog's ears and their bellies. So it is quite possible that your dog is reasonably paranoid about flies, especially if he's been bitten before.

I took Pixie there to see an orthopedic surgeon, so I don't know if that counts for what you want. The building is very nice (they had just moved into it when she went in for her second surgery). Dr. Charette is excellent, if you need an ortho surgeon.

While I can sort of see where you are coming from.... why does a dog need to sit to show that they are of "sound temperament", "listen to their owner", and are a "good citizen"? If I, as an owner, train my dog to do a down (or a stand, or a handstand, or some other controlled act) in all the situations where a different dog would do a sit, how are they any less well-behaved or sound tempered than the dog that sits? That, to me, seems to put the letter of the rules over the intent of the rules. In terms of human behavior, it would be the same as saying someone who has learned to handle their silverware "continental style" is unmannered and uncouth, just because you eat American style. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-mirza-grotts/table-etiquette-two-diffe_b_594518.html I had one greyhound, who I did actually get CGC tested, because she was a perfectly sweet, well-behaved, bomb-proof broodie. Thankfully, that instructor did not require her to sit. At the time I tested, she had LS, and bulging discs at C4/C5, and sitting was (as far as I could tell) actually painful for her. She might also have been in the early stages of osteo, but that is hard to judge since I only know when it was diagnosed, not when it started growing. She would stand patiently by my side, or, if I knew I was going to be a while, would lie down on whatever I put down for her. This was a dog who let a vet tech draw her leg with a broken femur into a full extension and only indicated her discomfort by raising her head off the ground, and who tolerated any sort of foolishness from other dogs. She was the kind of dog who makes a perfect poster child for why greyhounds make awesome pets, and who was always being praised by the people who met her for how well-behaved she was. She was so well-behaved, the vets I took her to gave her special dispensation to hang out uncaged on days that she had to spend the day there for testing because she would just settle on her bed and stay there. To think that she might have been disqualified for a "Canine Good Citizen" award because I didn't require her to sit seems to me to be absurd. My spook Katie, on the other hand, will sit, and I could probably get her through the CGC testing, if I really wanted to and made it a goal. But I know, in my heart, that she is not the well-rounded, poster child dog that Trinkett was, and that she would find it an incredibly stressful situation. So I don't try and make her do it, just so that I can say that she CGC certified, when I know that she isn't really a CGC dog, since there is always a chance that something is going to spook her. I guess (now that I have written all this out) I'd rather see dogs that were actually well-behaved and of sound temperament getting the CGC, even if they don't meet the letter of the test, as opposed to simply saying that any dog that passes the letter of the tests is of good temper and well-behaved.

Just some more tips: when I did pill pockets, I would get the capsule size, and that would hold generally two tablets. So if you need to get four tablets into Sagan, I would do 2 pill pockets. Also, I now make homemade pill pockets (liverwurst, cream cheese, and pulverized shredded wheat mixed to a playdough consistency), which my two love a lot more than the commercial version.

I have no clue about this dog, but I will say that my pied rattie has "different" textured hair in her black spots as opposed to the white background. The white hairs are coarser, while the black ones are sleeker and tighter to the skin. Which makes them look shorter, although I am not sure if they actually are.

I'd say "don't worry" and add (or move) a dog bed in there so she can be out of the way while you work. Mostly because when I have, say, a pot of freshly made jelly at the insanely hot temperature that sugar gets when cooked (Alton Brown calls it "kitchen napalm"), I don't want to have to worry about her suddenly moving, throwing me off of what I am doing, and potentially causing really bad burns to one or both of us. My two will wait in the hallway door unless specifically called in with a "find it" command to go clean up something dropped. It's a handy trick to have.