Brandiandwe

I do dog parks but only when I can run my girls alone (but together - having problems expressing myself today) or with other greyhounds. One of mine is medium prey and the other one mimics her so other dogs are just more trouble than they're worth. Both of mine are muzzled (the law where I live and would probably muzzle anyhow due to the competitiveness issue). Recall is patchy. During the first ten/ fifteen minutes, none at all, but that's because they're running too fast to listen. Beyond that, usually it's ok, but really excellent treats help a lot.

Brandi picked us (or me) the first time we met her. She was the first grey we had ever met and it was love at first lean-and-snuggle, within 5 seconds of meeting her. Paige took us longer to warm up to, but I wouldn't trade her either. Bad news, though. You can't have Pappy. I want him, and am arranging to have him shipped over here. . He's a handsome boy! Fingers and paws crossed for you.

My picky one will also always eat boiled chicken and rice/ pasta. If you have a rice cooker, chop the chicken up, stick it in with the rice and cook. Then I mix through some yoghurt, sprinkle some cheese on top, or some scrambled eggs and let her at it.

Another option is to heat the kibble a bit. I tend to use boiling water into the kibble and leave it to cool (this is important!). My vet, after scoffing at me when I told them Paige would probably not eat after the first day of being there (such a little princess and only really eats for me!), ended up microwaving it after trying numerous other methods. That worked for one meal before she was back refusing food.

When our (trickier to toilet train) hound had a couple of accidents, we took her straight to the vet - she had the early stages of a UTI and simply couldn't hold it. It happened one morning: heard her trot downstairs,come back, then on her walk she didn't pee as much which made me a bit sus, so I went looking for and found the accident. Wrote it off as abnormal, she was fine the next morning and then the third morning, we had a repeat of morning 1. Vet confirmed a UTI. So if this is abnormal behaviour, check for medical first, make sure she's walked enough and then see what happens.

Just wanted to add, here, that it does depend on why you are at training. For me, it's less about the 'obedience' aspect, as that can be done at home, and more about the socialisation aspect - introducing my greys to the concept that other dogs aren't necessarily food or dangerous. So for anyone else reading the thread who wants to socialise their greys, a good mixed breed obedience class can be a great place as long as the trainer understands that you are just going to be 'hanging around' and doing some of the exercises and not all of them.

Paige doesn't eat when I'm not home and I usually have to hand feed her at least once a fortnight if we go out or I'm home later than normal. Unless this is a change in behaviour, this might be just how your boy is.

Posting for an update....

TAKE HIM TO THE VET!!!!!

Paige nests as well, though she will nest so that things end up in an uncomfortable looking pile and then lie on top. Or dig things around for five minutes before wandering off to lie on the floor beside them Weird little dogs!

Nearly a year and we're still seeing changes. I think they know they're home but Paige especially is still relaxing.

We carried Brandi up and down for the first 4 days. Then down for another three days. And then I realised that carrying 30kg of dog wasn't doing my back and good. We used a harness and kind of 'carried' her down by supporting her. It only took her a day. I think that it was just so much to take in that the stairs were the most difficult and so took the longest when everything else had changed.

Our best one with our non-food-motivated hound have been the Roo Fix or Beef Fix from Jollie gourmet treats. A little expensive and a lot of bumf but they are good, smell nice and Paige generally targets the treats and not the fluffies on walks now.I believe they also ship to the USA.

We adopted two who were about 20 months old. They are now just past 2 .75 years old. They have much more energy than friends' hounds who are older in terms of running, playing and general alertness on walks but this might be their personalities rather than age. There's been some chewing and mouthiest but that seems to be partly nothing as well. They both sleep about 20 hours a day, but also get 1.5 hours of exercise a day and do appreciate some extra stimulation. I lovd them!

I adopted my two girls, I did't rescue them. They both came from the organisation which is the greyhound industry's body for adoption, so my two came from trainers who wanted the best thing for their dogs. Mine have their own food bowls and only get fed in 'their' spots. I do make sure I'm within cooee of them as Brandi scoffs hers and Paige prefers to savour, and sometimes have a drink half way through - when she leaves her bowl, Brandi has tried to swoop in.They share a water bowl with no problems and will drink from the same tap at the same time. I never hand fed my dogs to bond with them, but Paige does get hand fed once a month because she won't eat for anyone else, and I have a late meeting - she gets so hungry that she ends up sick and I need to hand feed her. Growling I have no problems with except if they are stopping the other from approaching me (I get to decide who gets cuddled, not them) or if they are on 'my' furniture (on the couch or bed with me or my husband). Again, my call not theirs. I've never had space issues, food issues or sleep startle. In fact, Brandi has been known to hop into bed in the middle of the night and share my pillow - I wouldn't do that with any other dog. Both girls needs to wait outside the kitchen before being fed. They usually lie there and wait patiently. Sitting isn't as comfortable. For ours two, Brandi started off very insecure and is still a little less happy in new places than Paige, which is why we adopted Paige who isn't scared of anything or anyone. Having said that, Brandi has become more confident and will now be more assertive in dealing with humans and other dogs. Paige has taken nearly 12 months, but is finally becoming a more affectionate and outgoing dog. It took between 4 and 6 months before she'd hop up onto the couch and lean against my husband. She did that in two weeks with me. It has also only been in the past two weeks that she has been interested in interacting with other people. Brandi has always greeted people with a lunge,a nuzzle or a happy tail wag. If they stopped to talk, Brandi was right in there, while Paige stayed away at the end of the leash. Now she also wags her tail and goes forward for affection. It's just how she is and I wouldn't change her for anything. Good luck! They're wonderful dogs.

Things to think about from my experience, which is limited. The first four obedience classes I took my two girls to, I spent with one greyhound either standing quietly and confused, or the other lunging madly at every other dog there. I alternated weeks so that's 8 weeks of doing nothing. They are in a new environment, with new dogs and a lot going on. It might take time for Laika to settle in. After 4 classes each, Brandi (my stand quietly and not focus on me hound), moved towards finding out that I had food, so for another three weeks I could work on eye contact but nothing else. The fourth week, she finally learned to sit on command, and down came about four weeks after that. Asking her to sit and down were difficult in a strange place because it involved a lot of trust and familiarity with the space. After four classes, Paige had moved on to ignoring the other dogs, but we then had a break and we went back to square one. She has never learned to sit on command, down on command and is not food motivated, which makes training difficult. C'est la vie. Sit is difficult. Brandi gets it by being lured into position with food over her nose. Paige sometimes does it and mostly doesn't. Make sure you have super excellent treats. And it will take time. It's not a race. Work with Laika for five minutes a day and make it a game. Others here will have more tips than I do about the actual training,m but I do know it took months for me to get the girls accepting of obedience classes.

Jingles and hope for Darcy. Positive story, Brandi decided to be dead lame on her right rear last Thursday. Completely unable to bear weight. Family issues meant that I had to leave her for the day resting. Friday morning, absolutely no problems at all. She had banged it on something. Just a bruise, just a bruise, just a bruise.

We just bought a yoghurt maker! Cheaper than buying yoghurt and the girls can't tell the difference. Although I cheat and use the powdered kind!

Although its the norm in Australia for people to leave dogs outside, it isn't necessarily in the USA or other places, and it isn't really even the norm for many greys in Australia. The extremes of temperature especially in summer are incredibly difficult for greys to manage (mine are starting to struggle a bit now and we're still in spring), the parasites and reptiles, the potential for them to kill wandering cats or wildlife, for which in most places you will be responsible even if your dog is on your property, and the potential for injury through rough play or running into a ole or sticks, means that many people leave their greys indoors. I certainly do. Fortunately, my two tend to sleep when we're out, and all the rough play tends to happen when we're at home. With the exception of one day when all the bedclothes were on the floor. Couldn't work out why till, after re-making the bed, I watched them take it in turns to run and launch themselves onto our bed, sliding with the covers across the bed to the floor.

Welcome! Can't speak to the space or car issues, but I will say that we have two hounds in a three bed apartment and they spend all of their time either on our bed or in the living room with us. We might as well have only a two room awartment. As for leaving the hound alone, it will depend on the hound. Ours aren't left alone for more than about 8 hours. They sleep. When I'mn gone for 14 hours, and my husband comes home, they don't get off the bed till I arrive home. They won't walk for him unless I really can't. So I'd say, if you can get a dog walker, go for it!

We adopted our two at 20 months old. They were both still puppies. Now 2.5 they are gradually maturing. Sort of. Still definitely more puppy than adult, with lots of energy and playing. Both are starting to fill out a bit but they will never be huge. Chewing is normal. Make sure she has something or things to play with. Play it by ear with the food. I'd worm her again personally if you're still seeing live worms - take her to the vet and see about a session of daily wormers maybe? Otherwise, mine are on about 3 cups of kibble a day with yoghurt, treats, cheese and greyhound biscuits for their teeth. They seem to be a good weight but the amount you feed will depend on the calorie content of the food and whatever else you are giving her.

Or a bitterant spray? I have one which is antiseptic and a bitterant and it does the trick to stop most licking.

Because, you, like the rest of us are human, and are therefore not always especially intelligent? Sounds like a lot of training I've done, accidentally reinforcing the behaviour I don't want because, well, I'm human and can therefore reason. Dogs don't reason in the same way, so trying to train them verbally using abstract reasoning and logic has proved to be less than successful. Just a tip.

We didn't foster - I doubt that we could have. However, we got number 2 a fortnight after number 1 (2 weeks) to help deal with sa in number 1. It worked great. I wouldn't be without them both. Good luck!

This. Reward stay by you coming to him, not him to you.