KickReturn

Roger that on the muzzle. Heading to the vet. Hester is 90 lbs but I can lift him. I don't know exactly what a "kennel lift" is. I see sometimes the person will get one arm under the mid section but this never worked for me. I am a big guy and just scoop him up:

Wow on the trainer. Teasing a dog with cheese? Trying to force a sit? Forcing stairs? Good grief. Obviously absolutely no understanding of the retired racing greyhound. I wish we knew where in Canada this person is. If on Vancouver Island by some chance there is lots of great support here. Amis_Ma please do show your face here again. The right dog is out there and he/she really needs you. (And I think you might need them).

Poor Hester woke up last night with the Greyhound Scream of Death and a neck problem. He is obviously in spasm. The poor fellow can hardly move his neck and it is stuck curved to the left. He spent a good part of the night standing near me imploring me to help him. He is so sad. He can only walk in circles to the left. It was an ordeal for him just to get out of our bedroom this morning because the entrance is a long corridor. He managed by walking sort of sideways. He is so confused. He screams if I try to move his head at all, although he will take a gentle massage. I put a dose of Metacam in his breakfast (which he ate by walking in circles to the left around his bowl). He had full body x-rays recently and his spine was pronounced to be in excellent condition for a dog with his long race history. Apparently we have an excellent chiropractor in town. Is that the way to go? Has anyone had similar problems? Advice is welcome. I have no idea how I will be able to get him into my vehicle if I have to transport him.

Glad your having some success. In a similar vein to what others are advising about training, please try and remember how emotionally sensitive some Greyhounds can be. There are some where even raising your voice to them would be a mistake. Always try to be positive, even when things go bad. FWIW we had occasional growling for almost two years in what is as close to a perfect dog as you will find. At first I was terrified but then I became very proud that my dog had so much spirit that it was willing to tell the other household members when he wanted his space. It is his right afterall.

For a while we have been working on getting Hester to go for walks with other members of the family (without me). Normally he gets to the end of the driveway, does some business, and then heads back to the house to find me. This week I think we finally solved it. As long as at least two other family members are with him he will go for his walk. Yay, now I can let my plantar fasciitis heal a bit. The whole scenario is so silly.

I admire your efforts. If you have to give back the dog you may feel sad but please don't feel guilty about anything. Your safety must be a priority. Also I have serious questions about an agency that would allow a dog with these issues to end up in the home of a first time dog owner. Somebody goofed up IMO. This is quite unfair because of course we fall in love with our dogs regardless of their challenges and then face these terrible decisions. I was a first time owner and was assured that the dog I was getting was a good "starter" dog. That's the way it should be.

This is upsetting, I feel sorry for the poor fellow. I would give him some of the meat.

This is great and things are certain to get better still. I went through nearly an identical situation but with even more intense reactions with a dog that scared the absolute daylights out of other dogs. It was steady progress for two years and now our boy is perfectly relaxed in nearly all situations. The other day a poodle tried to mount him and he didn't kill it (seriously he barely mustered a growl). It seemed that with each dog encounter, he began to learn that nothing bad ever happened and that it wasn't necessary to go on "offense" if an approaching dog didn't follow his rules. Remember that it is always difficult for dogs to control their body language when they are on leash, so this make things more challenging. If you have the opportunity to go for walks where there are many off leash dogs and where Audrey can also be off leash you will probably see even faster improvement.

There have been various discussion on this board regarding the meaning or motivation for certain canine behaviours, notably the topic of dominance appears with regularity. Occasionally a "study", article, or book is referenced. Unfortunatley most of these simply do not qualify as proper research and consequently add little or nothing to our understanding (the somewhat ridiculous Semenova "study" comes to mind). Recently Dr. Giorgio Vallortigara, a neuroscientist from the University of Trento published some interesting research findings regarding canine behaviour in the journal Current Biology. While this study doesn't directly address dominance/submissiveness, it does examine some peculiarities of tail wagging. For those in a hurry, here is a link to a news report on the research as found in the Economist: http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21588841-canines-have-lateralised-brainsjust-people-wag-dog And here is a link to the actual research team's study report: http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0960982213011433/1-s2.0-S0960982213011433-main.pdf?_tid=1a4cc5b0-56dd-11e3-ba90-00000aacb35e&acdnat=1385499518_11ca21cbb9c0a992fcfe6642edf1a067 If you have never read any academic research papers before, I urge you to give this one a shot. It is not that the findings are so important, rather it is very accessible and represents a proper standard of research. (And it should be darn interesting to a dog owner/lover.)

You got a warning nip. Don't mess with the baby when Corinna is on guard. Fascinating.

Just be sure you can live without it before you try and stop it. For a couple of weeks when Hester was starting to really bond he played bitey face with me and did some nitting. Then for whatever reason he decided that it was wrong to touch a human and will only occasionally give me a gentle peck on the cheek. I miss it and have tried to encourage him to engage but no luck.

Please don't crate that dog again. We assume that a Greyhound can tolerate a crate because that is how they live at the track. But unless you have greyhounds in crates on both sides, above, below etc., than you are not simulating the same experience. It is the single warning I needed when I adopted and yet it was not given. I learned the hard way that my Grey can never be crated. At this point if given a choice between leaving him in a crate or leaving the front door wide open when I am away, I would choose the front door option every time - no exageration. It's time to trust your dog. Dog proof the house, close doors to rooms that are off limits, and cross your fingers. Make sure there are comfortable beds in all the prime locations. If you need to keep the muzzle on it can be attached to the collar but it sounds like not even that is necessary. There may be the odd accident but don't stress about it. The more walking you can do before you leave the more relaxed your dog is likely to be. Also leaving the dog during the night may bring a different reaction than leaving it during the day. Finally, just because the dog is out of the crate doesn't mean the end of separation anxiety. Working on alone training can be helpful.

We started with nightmares (crying, growling) the first few months which gradually disipated and were replaced by happy dreams with tail wagging, licking, chewing, and of course running. The scream sounds like some pain though.

Yes, this is the trauma of the transition to a new world. Also she may never have been away from other dogs and this can be hard for some. Please be very patient and allow her all the time she needs to adjust. She doesn't know you, she doesn't trust you. Allow her to dictate your interactions at first. You will see changes every day. Were are at year two and things are still evolving.

And besides, what difference does it make? Excited, submissive, polite? She sounds fantastic. (My take is she is just thrilled with her new situation.) And a dog this interested in you should be easy to train. Oh, and she is stunning.

We need to control also. There are all sorts of hazards no matter where you are, and that is when control must be exercised. I just don't believe in physically dominating a dog, even with a leash, on principle (I am not suggesting anyone here feels that way). But we see it all the time. A relatively well behaved dog gets distracted by something and the owner responds with a hard yank on the leash - it seems for these owners it is based on the principle that their dog must obey them regardless. If you gently control (positive reinforcement) a dog when you must, and allow it freedom when you can, the dog will eventually learn the appropriate times and places for sniffing and peeing and when its time to just march. The dog and the owner can really get in synch and everyone is happy. My dog is allowed 6 feet off the sidewalk and no more. He used to try and take more but that was the end of his leash so 6 feet it is and he no longer pulls for more. He controls pace, and route and is granted freedom within the 6 feet wherever possible. Interesting thing is we are able to walk off leash most of the time and he still will stray no more than 6 feet from the sidewalk. They are interesting creatures indeed.

Thank you!!! Especially at the start of a walk most males will go nuts sniffing and peeing. Why in heavens name is there any reason to try to stop this? You only frustrate the dog and the smart ones will try things like a surprise pull. Mine will exagerate his direction to a target if he suspects I will try to steer him away hoping that our combined effort will end right at his target. When possible let the dog sniff. Once the dogs bladder is empty the sniffing will decrease and the exercise can begin. I have settled on a technique where I keep a short lead and watch my guy closely, When he indicates a target I loosen up and let him lead and do his business. He has learned that he only needs to give a gentle pull to get his way. When I don't want him to stop for some reason, I hold a very short lead and move in a brisk and determined manner. In this mode he never even tries to stop.

Many Greyhounds (and their owners) are better off if the Greyhound has his own bed. Put it right beside yours or at least somewhere he can see you at night if it makes him and you feel better. Two months is a very short period of time. Our Grey occasionally growled for for almost two years when approached when lying in his own bed. We were always thankful for his warnings and acted accordingly - never scolding. The growling is probably to let you know that he is claiming a bit of real estate on your bed. (In this case even bumping him at night could be a disaster.) Please don't take the growling personally, his genetics compel him. Instead celebrate the spirit of the animal that is not afraid to "speak up" and accomodate him by giving him a space free of concern. If you think he is bonded to you now - just wait another 6 months or year. Enjoy the ride. Maybe post a photo for us to have a look at the big fellow.

You didn't say at what time or how long she is walked before bed.

9 months, sounds like she certainly is a committed puller. The only other thing I would add is to echo NeylasMom's comment. It sounds like you have a very eager high energy girl there. Some Greyhounds do fit the stereotype of lazy but many are not. What happens if you take her on a major hike/adventure? Maybe drive to a forested area and spend a couple of hours wandering. Does she change? And as noted it would be interesting to see if some high intensity off leash running changes things. Good luck, still sounds like a terrific dog.

How long has this dog been with you? If she is just new it just may be a matter of time until she realizes that she will ultimately get to everything and will be in less of a rush. She sounds like a fabulous dog just excited to engage with the world. My Grey is allowed to pull when he feels so inclined but granted it is a rare occurance for him. He is very sensitive to the leash and responds to the slightest pressure but sometimes he is in a hurry so why not let him dictate pace. Usually I just deal with it by moving faster, I'll run if I have to - ridiculous I know and not for everybody but hey, no more pulling problem.

The fact that he settles down is a good sign. You'll get good advice here. I just want to chime in with my usual warning: please be aware that some dogs are better off out of the crate. If the dog is not having accidents or destroying your home (and even then you can use a muzzle) then why use a crate? If the dog is happier being able to roam and find the spot that makes him most comfortable and secure, than try to accomodate him. By all means leave the crate set up, but leave it open. Cover it with a large blanket and make sure there is comfortable bedding inside. Rook then has the option to choose the crate.

I have not of heard of a Grey being used in this manner. From what I understand of the breed I suspect a Grey would not be your best choice although there are likely examples that are capable. But please share with us anything you learn on this issue as it is quite fascinating.

That's a good reminder - thanks for the link. Probably why the "everything in life is free" phylosophy has worked so well in this house.

Sorry you are facing this challenge. I would only add to some of the advice above that situations like yours often improve as the dog has more positive experiences with other breeds as time passes. There are training techniques that can speed this but it can also happen naturally. Of course it is extremely important to avoid negative experiences as they can lead to a setback in behaviour. My Hester was much like you describe at first, a real terror toward any dog that didn't "speak" Greyhound. He would warn them all with a fairly ferocious display. Even other male Greyhounds had to mind their behaviour. Fast forward two years and he routinely endures being swarmed by packs of dogs without so much as a grumble. This morning a pack of 7 off leash large assorted breeds greeted him simultaneously. A year ago and there might have been real trouble. He seems almost to enjoy it now. I put it down to an accumulation of positive experiences and an absence of negative ones. Perhaps you could walk him with some of these dogs with which he has trouble. Maybe he'll learn that everything is really OK and as a bonus he will have more pee to mark on top.