Brandiandwe

It's a New Zealand brand :K9. We can't buy it any other way easily. They got some more thus morning and actually left their beef bones to have it which is unheard of.

Unfortunately fresh frozen or frozen isn't available here at all. This freeze dried stuff is the only type I've found and it needs some warm water to reconstitute it. I might need to feed them outside on tripe days!!!!

Green tripe. The only way I could get it here was in a freeze dried form. Perhaps I should have been warned when I opened the package and a smell wafted out. Four greyhound noses appeared at the bench and I was transported back to my time in dairies. Following the direction on the packet, I scooped 2.5 scoops out and put it in a bowl. The smell got stronger and I was grateful that DH is away. Then I added some hot water. At this point, Hermon and Benny exited the kitchen. Feeling somewhat lightheaded, I waited for the water to absorb and opened the windows and door. I then added the tripe to their dinner where it mingled with the chicken and sweet potato. The smell did not improve. While the dogs ate, I scrubbed the bench down and washed the bowl. The smell started to dissipate. I then ate some of my dinner. At which point Benny and Paige both walked up and burped in my face. I ask myself, is it worth it?

My four run together. Three are muzzled and always will be because of competitiveness. And they're always supervised outside. We also never play with other breeds. Too much can go wrong.

And we're in Sydney, so now all we need is the NT and we're covered....

This particular dog was in a foster home with another grey though. Although there are still changes from home to home, and there will be changes over time, I'd still expect there to be some consistency in a case like this.

Just to add, as a reminder for Australians, none of the above is for us. For me, at least, tick = panic and vet visit in case of it being a paralysis tick. But then I'm a bit paranoid.....

You may well be with the wrong hound. As others have noted, he's being exactly the dog he was advertised as. I'm curious: what was it about him that made you think he was the right one? What features of his personality? What do you NEED in a dog? What is desireable? What is completely unworkable? I'm not suggesting that you shoukd return him necessarily, but I do think you would benefit from sitting down and being very honest about the personality you require, and see whether he fits it. There is no shame in letting him go to a family where he has another dog, and company for confidence. And you need to be clear about what drew you to your current hound despite the advice given. Keep in mind that the right hound may come in an unexpected package. I know of one adopter who wanted a small 25kg black female to live with her nine cats, rescue bats and hamsters. She wound up with a 35kg white male who fits in beautifully, and has just taken over babysitting a new kitten. The key was listening to the adoption advisor and taking a punt on a hound who really wasn't what she wanted but is now beloved.

I love that you're walking him for that long in the morning. I firmly believe that mine do much better if they get that much exercise, in part because they do all then sleep when I'm out. Looking forward to hearing more....

As for bathroom breaks in sync..... my four don't. Benny needs to go out after eating, but otherwise is fine, Hermon would rather not get up at all and pees twice a day - the second time only because I think peeing once a day is not good for him, and it takes the united efforts of DH and I to get to Ol' Iron Bladder outside to do his business (where he pees copiously for a minute or so) - Paige can and does hold it for 12 - 16 hours, but will pee if given the chance. Brandi, on the other hand, can hold it for only about 5 hours. So it depends on the dog. We love having multiples, and wouldn't be without at least two.

Sometimes I find that Paige won't eat if she hasn't been eating. I've found that sometimes I have to 'remind' her that she's hungry. I tend to do this by getting gravy, or diluted Vegemite, or yoghurt (though savoury works better) on my finger, and then smearing a little of it on her chin or lips. The lick reflex causes her to lick it off, then I do it again. Something about the flavour in her mouth seems to stimulate drool and a bit of interest, and she starts looking for some food, and she then gets a few little bits before she goes to her bowl. Obviously this works only if she isn't sick, but yeah, a stressy dog who refuses to eat is a pain.

I'm so sorry. Run free Cinnibuns.

Brandi is the worst for doing this, I've just learnt to adjust my stride then carry on forwards. She ends up with a twisted up leash around the other dogs... You could try carrying the leash in both hands so the loop is in your right hand, and the slack between them, with your left hand down towards his collar. When he tries to cut sideqways, extend your left arm out sideways and move him physically away from you till he starts moving fowards again. Does that make sense? My brain is a little mush right now.

I just don't see how a dog of any kind would get all of the minerals and vitamins, let alone the protein, they need from vegetables. Mine eat cooked veg regularly and Brandi loves fruit, but they're designed to be carnivores. I do know a vegan who feeds her grey a lot of pasta, veges with a little bit of meat. He looks flabby and 'soft'. We shall see.

Apart from the obvious, mine whine when they need a cuddle or some attention, if they're cold, or if they're a bit bored. I'd check to make sure he's warm enough, check the comfort factor of his bed (does it need to be remade?) and see if he needs a cuddle or some attention.

I would also suggest talking to your butcher to see if they can do anything for you. If they are a smaller family run company, and are dog lovers they might be able to help you out, particularly if they can see there's a market there for them. I know my butcher chrgers $3 per kilo for pet mince but only charges me $1.50 because I buy a lot of it, and because he can make the profit on others. But then, others believe it's good enough and cheap enough that he really can't get enough of it!

Personally I'd remove the oats but I suspect this is just his system returning to normal.

What treats dies she go completely insane for? I'd try having a massive handful of them and just letting her eat them while crouching beside her, talking to her as another thing to try. You're doing all the right things. It just takes time.

The other thing to think about is what type of treat you are giving. I like jerky because Paige couldn't (or didn't) just chew and swallow. She actually has to chew it a good few times before she can swallow which makes her mouth full for longer so she doesn't react. Can you get her another treat as she starts to statue? This rewards her for 'not' reacting. So it looks like: 'Winnie' (looks at you). Treat. She statues. "Winnie' (looks at you). Treat. Back to dog while chewing. Let's go! Or if she doesn't look back at you, wedge a treat into her mouth at the side where there is a little gap in the teeth.

For a loooong time, Paige was my top dog. She taught Brandi how to be reactive. Joy. Paige has settled a lot since she's grown up, but also since we got Hermon. He's definitely a nice calm leader where Paige is more high energy. When he arrived, he took charge and I think that helped Paige relax, but that's only been in the last 12 months. I had two years of coping with PK before him. Another dog might help assuming that yours will take cues from it. Paige didn't till she met Hermon.

Yeah. Fixation is too late to be doing anything. With Paige she used to froth at the mouth, tremble and make this very frightening high pitched noise which makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. In that state she was a danger as she would have killed whatever it was she was fixated on which could have been up to 500 metres away. I used to nudge her shoulder, pushing her sideways with my knee as soon as I saw it starting, swing her round in a tight circle and keep her moving, and just be happy. This generally pushed her either back to me mentally or, if I didn't do it fast enough or she had already fixed, used to push her into an explosion of frustration. She'd also explode if she fixated too long but couldn't go anywhere - if she moved, found herself restrained. So then I had a whirling, snarling, barking bundle on the leash. Then all I could do is move her away, staying calm. After the initial explosion, she would be barking, which is when a treat would be dropped into her mouth. I'd also begin wedging treats if she fixed and was licking her lips I'd just had her mouth open slightly. It used to be that they'd just get dropped, but gradually she started to chew on the treats while fixating (jerky worked well for this), and her reactions became less intense. I could move her away. I don't know but I suspect the chewing and the food released (endorphins? Calming hormones?) something which slowed her escalation. After years, she got to the point where she would react by barking then looking to me for a treat. Now she just looks at me for her reward. Msometimes she prances to the end of the leash, bounces about, barks once then returns to me - I don't know who's in charge in those instances! So, I know it can be done, but I also know it isn't a quick fix.

Do you carry treats? Let her sniff nicely, then immediately call her attention to you, give her a treat and tell her she's fabulous, say 'Let's go!' Happily and head away. Reward the good behaviour. But make sure the treats are awesome, like roast chicken. Some in irresistible.

We also have an issue sometimes with my going to bed earlier than DH and DH needing crowbar one or the other greyhound off the bed. They seem to rotate through. Tonight, I believe, Benny will be joining me. But we don't mind it, and enjoy snuggling with them. Brandi also joins us in bed if she gets cold. Paige if she's sick, or I am, Benny if he's scared...... Just be consistent. He'll get there. I also think that the sleep startle MIGHT decrease over time. Hermon has bitten DH in the past in his sleep. Now we have no problems, but he accepts that he will be shoved in his sleep if he's on our bed./ He's now very careful, and I trust him, just not as much as I do Brandi.

Can I just say that it has taken me three years of constant work to get Paige to where she can hold it together near other dogs. Three years. Of daily walks, sometimes twice or three times a day, with exposure to others, training classes, building a relationship. Three years. That's a lot of miles and hours to put into a dog. Now, admittedly, Paige is also high prey, a dominant bitch and very independent. She's quirky. But the reality is that this takes time. Not just a week, or a month. But a serious amount of time and energy. So I'd be settling in for the long haul.

This won't help but I feed four hounds on raw for about $40 Australian a week. That's about $31 US. I get pet mince from my butcher which is 50/50 chicken meat and bone for $1.50 per kilo AUD (21 kilos per week) then organs, giblets and meaty bones as well. I'd suggest schmoozing with your butcher.....