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KickReturn

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  1. One more vote for Olewo carrots. After trying everything and resorting to raw, I gave Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Salmon and Rice with Olewo carrots and hallelujah, decent poops. Still not as firm as raw, and usually one soft one (though not quite diarrhea) on longer walks but more than acceptable. My only fear it that availability in Canada seems to be through Amazon.ca only and can be intermittent. Anybody have other sources in Canada?
  2. Thanks for the reply. The cocker is a senior. Just ambling along in a straight line. No noise, no playful movement, and these are dogs that know each other and had been walking together for around 15 minutes at that point. That's why this is so strange. And my dog has never shown any sort of fun police behaviours. His general disposition is that he tends to mirror whatever other dogs are doing. Matches play with play, calm with calm, etc.
  3. Nearing the end of a walk, my two year old male greyhound and I met up with my neighbour and her senior female cocker spaniel. The dogs greeted and we walked the last two blocks together. The dogs have met many times. The spaniel was on a flexi lead and was a few feet ahead and off to one side, just trotting along. My greyhound was at my heel. Suddenly my greyhound lunged toward the spaniel barking very aggressively. Could this be frustration at wanting to engage and not getting there? If so, why not whining or a less intense bark? He just seemed so aggressive. I gave a very severe correction and the he was immediately responsive – cooled down real fast. When we arrived at our homes and stopped to chat, he just stood around in typical greyhound fashion and even avoided the spaniel a bit when the owner brought it closer to him. He did something similar previously. He lunged at another dog but was stopped before he could get out a bark and I didn’t think much of it – thought maybe he wanted to play. I have also seen similar aggressive behaviour but only in response to large nervous and reactive dogs. He has had zero reaction to small dogs regardless of their behaviour. They can absolutely savage him and he just wants to sniff them. I should note that my greyhound is very eager to meet every dog he sees and has run and played with every imaginable type of dog from wolfhounds to chihuahuas and has had no incidents. Any ideas?
  4. Last two meals have been raw. As of this morning poop is perfect. So I guess that rules out parasites. The peanut butter is peanuts only - that other crap (hydrogenated fat, icing sugar, artificial sweeteners, etc.) is simply not allowed in the house. I have tried a few different foods with various protein sources. I will try Purina Pro Plan at some point but raw just works. I mind the cost less then the fact that it is a total PIA to handle, store, defrost, prepare, clean, etc., etc.
  5. Having a problem with my two year old boy. Soft poop with some diarrhea. I have been feeding Natural Balance lamb and rice. We got there because it has the shortest ingredients list. Basically lamb and rice. Previous foods I had tried (various sensitive stomach options) seemed to have a broader range on starches so I was attracted to the rice only option. He started OK and then gradually deteriorated. The pattern has been mostly the same with anything I have tried - OK the first few days and then gets softer. The only other food he gets is a Kong with about three tablespoons of peanut butter daily. Could the peanut butter be the problem? I am starting to wonder that as he is maturing, he is just one of those greys that must be fed raw. Not excited about spending $3000 a year on food. Ideas?
  6. Ha! I yelled in his face and chased him to his bed the last time he barked. Hasn't barked at me since. Obviously got the message. He now asks for attention with a barely audible whimper or rubbing against my leg like a cat. He has also learned that if he holds a roach position long enough, sooner or later someone will rub his belly.
  7. @Hubcitypam, thoughtful of you to ask about my young boy Tommy. He is doing well. We keep him confined to a dog-proofed portion of the house when we are away - kitchen, family room, about half of the main floor. The house is glass so he has good views in all directions. The door is left open to the yard so he can come and go, sun bathe etc. He is never alone for more then 5 hours and seem to spend the time sleeping. The exercise routine is now a one hour walk after breakfast and a one hour walk, after dinner. The after-dinner walk includes 30 minutes out to the local high school to meet up with about a dozen other dogs all of whom are young and energetic. Tommy will run and play with the other dogs on the football field for a solid hour. And then the 30 minute walk back home. Adds up to about 3 hours of exercise per day - so plenty. Even though Tommy runs a great deal while at the school, he will run some very hard zoomies on the lower level of the house when we get back. I have decided to keep the running in the house as he seems to manage it well. I worry he could injure a foot on a sprinkler head in the yard. Here he is in action: We are also making progress on prey drive. Tommy has strong reactions to rabbits and in particular deer, and we see many of each on every walk. He has stopped lunging and barking, and I have now taken the approach of allowing Tommy to stand and observe the deer as opposed to giving a correction to his interest in them. This morning we had a very good introduction to three deer on a neighbour's lawn. Tommy was able to stand quite relaxed about 15 - 20 feet from the deer - yes, super close!. I just gently stroked his chin and belly and he became quite relaxed. The deer for their part seemed to be equally curious about Tommy and took a couple of steps toward him to get a closer look. Tommy was able to move on with the slightest encouragement. This is huge progress. Tonight we ran into four massive bucks, and Tommy was again able to maintain his composure although, it being nearly nightfall, he was a bit more in hunting mode and two of the bucks were rutting - so movement. Still no lunging or barking - just peaceful if somewhat tense observation, and again very close - no more then 30 feet away. Overall things are going well and moving in the right direction.
  8. Hello Everyone, I have been down this road with a greyhound that has extreme prey drive. He learned that if he would spin and thrash backward away from the leash, simply tucking in his elbows would allow him to get out or almost any harness, including several mentioned above. Think of Houdini getting out of a straight-jacket. The only harness that would keep him secure was this one: It is the PetSafe Surefit Harness. The only way the dog can escape is if his head comes off! It is the only one I have found that is designed in this way Here he is in his prime. Some of you here will remember this fellow. You can imagine what it would be like to have him thrashing at 100% effort to get to a rabbit or deer.
  9. My young (20 month) boy barks at me for attention. There is no pattern as to time of day. Sometime he wants a belly rub, sometimes play. I get that responding to the barking trains it, but he won't quit if I ignore him. He begins with a gentle ask but escalates if I don't respond. I once yelled at him and he stopped but I hated myself for it. He gets lots of belly rubs and play but there are times when I simply can't give him the attention he desires Lest anyone think this dog is lacking in exercise, let me assure you that he is exercised to the extreme. Daily, at least two hours of high paced leash walking, one hour of galloping with other dogs in a large field, and at least one and often two rounds of insanely intense zoomies in the yard. Not just 30 seconds of butt-tuck hopping around, I am talking about full acceleration, ground thumping laps that can last 3 or 4 minutes. When he's done he collapses in exhaustion. Tips to stop the barking? Thanks.
  10. Thanks greysmom. Yes in fact he does get a second running session at the park after a about 10 minutes of recovery. Today he had three good ball sessions, that's why today's indoor rocket launch was so shocking. I use multiple balls so when he gets the furthest from me while retrieving the first, I throw another in the opposite direction. He ends up running many hard 100 yard sprints. I'm on top of the puppy proof thing (mostly). The challenge with this guy is that nothing scares him. A can of pennies that would terrify and traumatize most, is just another interesting thing to this dog - even if it falls on his head lol. You think you have the place secure only to find some item you overlooked, that he has ignored for weeks, being turned into the latest greatest toy. I worry that one day I will return home to find the furniture stacked to aid access to the interesting things I have placed up high. This guy seems that crafty. The training and NILIF will be the hardest part for me. I have had two greyhounds and they both died not knowing a single command. They had zero restrictions placed on them, were granted total freedom indoors and outside, and not once did they put a toe out of line. (To be fair, they were both 6 years old when they came to me). This is new territory for me.
  11. Hello All, My 18 month old boy is an absolute sweetheart - the type of affectionate, engaged personality that every greyhound owner hopes for. Plus, no startle or fears of any kind, no SA, good with other all other dogs, cats, etc., roacher, snuggler, nitter, and sleeps silently 9 hours through the night. Perfect dog right? But WOW, the energy and curiosity present two problems. First problem is the running in the house. Every single morning without fail we travel to a massive field of perfectly mowed grass - greyhound heaven, and my boy runs his guts out. He will chase and retrieve a ball or chase other dogs with his ball in his mouth. He goes until he ends up flopped on his side in the middle of the field. I leash him up and drag him for a 20 minute walk in the area and then short car ride home. That's where it gets exciting. Some days he appears to get so happy that he literally explodes in a fit of high speed zoomies around the house. Our house is a large multi-level open plan affair with good wall to wall carpeting in many areas which only makes things worse. It is the most insane and dangerous thing imaginable - a greyhound going 100% in a house. It's all I can do to get him out of the house and into the yard which he turns into chopped up sod in a matter of minutes. My question is will I be waiting until he is 3, 4, or 5 years old for this to wind down. Second problem is this guy gets into everything and he is quite crafty about it. He is so smart (not a desirable attribute in a greyhound), that he has figured out that rules only apply when the person who makes them is present. Nothing on a counter or anywhere else is safe. Yesterday he scored a quarter pound of butter by pulling the edge of a table cloth just enough to shift the butter dish from the center of the table where it was out of reach, to the edge of the table and within easy reach. He then gently lowered the dish onto the floor. I was in the next room and heard the soft clunk of the dish being placed on the floor. Suspicious I checked and spotted him in the kitchen without noticing the butter dish concealed under the kitchen table by the now lower hanging tablecloth. The amazing part is that when I called him out of the kitchen, the dog calmly accompanied me to my room where I was dressing to depart, lay down on his bed, and waited for me to go. When I was gone he simply returned to the kitchen to enjoy the fruits of his larceny. Food items are of course understandably tempting but everything within reach is a potential toy. My wife's pantyhose are a particular favourite. Question: Any chance of this dog abandoning this behaviour? Or am I doomed? I admit that part of the problem is that I prefer a soft touch with dogs and struggle to be the disciplinarian type - I can do it but it's not my preference. I also wonder if a young dog must be allowed to be a young dog. I don't want to crush natural behaviours to which he is entitled. I would love to hear from anyone who has had younger greyhounds about how their dogs' energy level and behaviour evolved and any strategies that helped. Thanks.
  12. hmm... reading this I have a sense that what occurred may not be so straightforward. As to who is responsible that is clear - the owner of the off-leash dog. But as to the dogs themselves, there are a range of possibilities. The dog that ran up to Buddy may have just been running over to say hi and try and engage in some play. It's possible that the dog had poor skills when it came to letting Buddy know that he was not a threat, and just wanted to play. Alternately Buddy may have missed the friendly cues and reacted as if the dog was a threat when in fact it wasn't. It doesn't take much to go from a few missed cues to a full brawl. Dogs with poor communication and perception skills often get their signals crossed when meeting other similar dogs. When they happen to get it right they suddenly seem like they are just fine with other dogs and it becomes hard to explain the inconsistency. This also explains why a dog with superior communication and perception skills will rarely if ever have a problem, even with other communication challenged dogs.The best "communicators" can even calm quite aggressive dogs. If you have ever had the good fortune to have one of these, and they are not that common, they can be a marvel to watch in a crowded dog park.
  13. Thanks all. He is improving day-by-day. Maybe he is a quick learner (fingers crossed). He seems to have got it that ultimately he will get to meet dogs that he sees so it's OK to be patient. Yesterday without being held he waited patiently at the edge of someones property until the resident dog sauntered over to say hello. He really is a super fellow. Just very young and super curious and eager about everything. Next up, prey drive - this new guy is a bit exuberant. If anyone remembers, I live in a neighbourhood that is overloaded with wildlife. Rabbits on every lawn, at least a couple of deer on every block. A subject for another post in a few days. Here is the late greyt Hester getting along with the wildlife:
  14. OK, so it's possible that this dog is as young as 18 months (he may even have been born with that white spot on his chin). That is reassuring as the energy level is puppy-like. That behaviour in a four year old would suggest a problem dog. With no tatto you never can be sure. I had the opportunity to spend time with two 10 month old greyhound puppies and their intensity and endless energy terrified me. A non-stop ball of wrestling dogs. Thanks everyone. I think I have a real gem on my hands. For an 18 month old he is relatively chill.
  15. Is it possible for an 18 month - 2 year old to have this much grey? No ear tattoo - sorry. The body, behaviour, and teeth, resemble the average two year old. But he was raw fed so the mouth should be good.
  16. Can we get more specifics? Stubborn about what? Is there a problem? What are you trying to train the dog to do exactly? Of course anything that makes the dog's life happier and more interesting is a good thing and training regardless of need can accomplish this. However, there are other "philosophies" of greyhound ownership that are worth considering. If you do not have a behavioral crisis on your hands, why not start from the position that you are now the custodian of a fully mature and proud animal that knows what it is, knows what it wants, and maybe even knows better than you what is best for it. After all, he has been a dog all his life. Maybe if you just focus on doing a good job of looking after its physical health with nutrition and lots of exercise, and it's mental stimulation with fun play and by taking it to different, interesting places, interacting with other dogs, other people etc., you my find that in time a very special bond will form naturally. When this happens your dog may have a great interest in trying to do what you feel is the right thing - to please you. While you are waiting for your greyhound to become a good companion to you, try to be a good companion to it - he really needs that at this stage in his life.
  17. I have a new boy (it's only been two days) who's greatest joy in life is meeting other dogs. As soon as he lays eyes on a new dog, he goes into locomotive mode and pulls like mad to engage. At contact he is perfectly gentle and reasonably polite if a bit too bum sniffy. If he is denied contact he will bark an invitation to play. The other dog knows what the bark means, but the other people assume he is being fierce. My approach has been to kneel down and hold him back with an arm around his chest and ask the other dogs owner to bring their dog over. I'm trying to teach him delayed gratification. It seems to work and he was better today during several greetings. No squirming, lunging, or barking, but there is still a long way to go. What else should I be doing? He is not food motivated, so distraction options are limited. As per usual the presence of a leash complicates the whole thing. I prefer to control him with my hands. I just don't like the impact on the dogs body language of their straining against their collar. Worth noting he is young - less then two years old. My previous two greyhounds never barked or even required any corrections, so this is a bit new.
  18. Be careful with the crate. If Spirit panics and tries to chew his way out of the crate, he could do serious damage to his teeth and mouth. And using a muzzle to protect the teeth may result in damaged paws from trying to dig his way out. Too many believe that because a retired racer was in a crate at the track that it would work at home. There is a big difference between being in a crate with 20 other greyhounds beside you and being locked in a crate in a strange house completely alone.
  19. Muzzle and guide the foot through by holding the upper leg, maybe lower leg. My house will look like a dungeon with a pulley system hanging from the ceiling.
  20. Thanks for all this info. A body sling is a great thing that I have always kept in the back of my mind. Previous dogs have simply never needed anything like that. I have to be careful here. This is a dog that bit somebody that was wiping its feet. I don't think it's and anxiety issue. My guess is a fear reaction. Desensitization is a given but will take time and does not guarantee success. Muzzle for sure regardless of who is doing the work. I still am curious to know if there is a doggie sedative, valium, ativan, or the like that would put a dog in a totally chilled out state.
  21. OK, so I am thinking of adopting a dog that will bite if its feet are touched. What are my options for trimming nails? Is there a mild sedation without intubation that a vet can do? Or better yet that I can administer? I can muzzle and physically control any dog and do its nails, but with this one I do not want to do anything that will hurt our relationship. This dogs future depends on my ability to earn its trust.
  22. Please pay close attention to the stories and advice offered here. Your greyhound should not be touched when lying down. This behaviour may decline as he becomes more comfortable with life in your home or it may not. Every time he growls, you should smile and be thankful that you have a dog that is proud enough and confident enough to tell you that he'd rather not be touched when lying down. Growling? He is simply talking to you in his language. Don't take it personally. I always positively reinforced the growling with a "good boy" and then I would back off.
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