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How about option 3? We go out at the same time! Mostly because Hester won't go out if I don't and when I do move he has to be right there. Sometimes we're like the Three Stooges getting stuck trying to decide who should go first. Good thing he is so narrow.

We have the same situation. Hester is an extreme velcro daddy's boy. If I am home he mostly refuses to walk with others. My sense is that these dogs define their packs in a certain way that makes them feel more secure. Certain people, probably for no other reason than the dogs own preferences and emotions provide a higher level of this secure feeling. If your BF can start the walk away from the house - drive to a park etc., then perhaps Optimus will learn that he can have fabulous, safe adventures even when you are not present.

He is/was at the University of Indiana. His specialty is in dementia but some of his summary articles provide a good explanation of the brain chemistry that makes exercise valuable. Here are two articles from Trends in Neuroscience: http://resulb.ulb.ac.be/facs/ism/docs/behaviorBDNF.pdf https://softchalkcloud.com/lesson/files/H1a0Mp8O5SCTrQ/Exercise_and_the_Brain.pdf He is just one of a group who have looked into this area, so I wouldn't consider his work to be the last word on the subject. The best part is the relationship is that its not just correlated - it's causal. Other research also shows that more is better - in theory an ultra marathoner with get more benefit than a mere marathoner. (I'm not going to test that one though.)

I think I appreciate that fact today but I stand by my position. There is an abundance of cases where more excersize is better. And if you rule out a health issue why go looking for a complex solution to a problem that would be solved by an extra walk? Top agility dogs with as little as two 15 minute session? Most of the top agility dogs I see are Border Collies. I can't imagine owning a Border Collie and limiting it to that amount of exercise. Sorry, but with all due respect to your animal behaviourist background, that just doesn't seem right to me. And BTW, the child with a reading problem or other learning disability - regular aerobic exercise will improve their learning performance. Same goes for adults. Science has shown us that. If you want to read some of the studies I recommend you look to the work of CW Cotman. His research is just a small part of a vast body of knowledge and even includes studies involving both animals and humans. Not only is the support for exercise as a enhancer of learning incontrovertable, the magnitude of the correlation is quite remarkable.

Well it is obvious that I do. We all provide our dogs with the best nutrition, shower them with love and attention, keep them safe from harm, and protect them from getting into trouble. We Greyhound owners seem to be the most caring, conscientious, and knowlegeable group of dog owners I could imagine. The only variable seems to be exercise. I have no science to back up my postioin. It is just that I am driven by terrible guilt if my dog gets one minute less of exercise or adventure than he mighrt want. And I cry for the Schnauser down the street that hasn't been walked in the five years it has been there. Hester came to me as a bounce. He was returned in frustration, described as catatonic by his first owners. Frozen, dull, completely detached, motionless and aloof. Never touched at toy, never approached a person - unable to engage or bond with anyone or anything and food agressive. You have all seen the photos and videos of his daily life - he is the opposite of that description. The difference? His first owners idea of exercise was to let him out in the yard. He had never been on a proper walk until he was six years old. Now he is eight and yesterday someone guessed his age at two. That's all I know about exercise and the well being of dogs. This is a soapbox I will never get off - sorry. Sorry for the the thread hijack. I hope Luna is doing better. If Luna and her mom ever adventure to the west coast of Canada, I have a place for her to stay and safely walk Luna at any time of day or night.

Your opinions are all very valid and Luna is well cared for I'm sure - it is just that Luna's schedule is just something I could never personally do. I appologize if I sounded harsh. I admit to having an extreme position about what a dogs life should be like and that is why I have never owned a dog (until now), and why I will probably never own another after Hester is gone. I read all the time about the many mindblowing sacrifices that so many GT'er make and yet when it comes to exercise too many of us seem to lose our commitment to the breed. I am not saying this applies to Luna, but it is all too common. Perhaps we accept it because the breed is complacent or easily content but is it really best for the animal? My oninion is no. I fear many of us adopt a Grey because they are advertised as not needing much exercise - that is why I adopted a Grey - I was afraid of feeling guilty about not giving enough exercise to any other breed I might own. The image of the Greyhound would absolve me of that guilt. And once the dog arrives our distorted perceptions complete the couch potato image. (The psychologists among us can explain how this works). The couch potato reference is a disservice to the breed. I really don't like the fact that so many agencies promote the adoption of Greyhounds by touting the "fact" that a Greyhound can get by on as little as two twenty minute walks per day. I acknowlege there are some Greyhounds that are by nature quite inactive or perhaps when they get old, but every one that I have encountered seems to thrive on much more exercise and stimulation. Many Greyhound owners are quite convinced that their dogs are just not that into going for walks and so they are walked a minimum. I believe this is merely the result of the retired racers previous experience which simply does not involve a great deal of exploring type walks. If you expose a Greyhound to exploring type walks, it will learn a new way of life and draw tremendous joy, satisfaction, and contentment from the activity. But this is a learned behaviour that requires an introduction, practice, and persistence. I have seen some Greys resist at first only to learn the joys of exploring with additional exposure. Regardless of what a dog may actually need, I believe that it is possible for anyone to give their dog two solid hours of walking per day. Even if you work full time - an hour before work and an hour when you return. Also adding a 30 minute walk before bed is not a hardship either. As a final note I wish to point out how extrememly rare it is to hear someone report that they exercise their Grey a great deal and yet still have problems in the house.

OK I'll weigh in. Perhaps my Hester is the exercise champ. A two hour major adventure every morning, then a one hour walk before dinner, and we finish up with one hour before bed. If the weather is bad (which is rare) we will cut back a bit. Once or twice per week his morning adventure will include some hard running. For the amount of time we are out we cover massive distances as he is mostly off leash which enables me to walk as fast as I can. He is in effect forced to really hustle if he hopes to cover extra ground and get all his sniffing in and still keep up with me. When he first arrived he could only handle about 30 minutes before fading. Now he is a machine. He also refuses to pee or poop in our yard because (I assume) in his mind if he does his business in the yard than he may not get his walk (completely false of course but it makes sense). As well he mostly refuses to walk with other members of the family unless I am not home. This is a real pain - I have created a bit of a monster. But he looks a lot better today at eight years of age than when he arrived at six years old.

I feel really bad for this dog. Asleep all nigh and then next to no walking and then 8 hours in a crate. Not fair. I am really sorry for your situation of not feeling safe in your neighbourhood. If it were me I would take measures so I could properly walk the dog or I would return it in the hope that it would end up in a situation where it could get proper exercise.

This is all quite fine - he needs his crate. Being able to crate a dog is a nice option to have. I don't have that option, my boy would die if crated. You have had this dog for a mere blink of an eye. As his confidence grows over the next year or two he may no longer want or need his crate. Just make sure you always have a comfortable bed in every area where you would like him to spend time. A bit of advice: please, please do not raise your voice to a Grey. Some are so sensitive it can leave a near permanent emotional dent and trust can take many months to rebuild.

I was hoping never to have to report my situation but with what others have posted, it would be negligent of me not disclose Hester's sniffing habits. He prefers young women but he won't go near them if they are overweight. You get the idea, if I take him downtown or anywhere there are crowds, he gets busy intimately checking out attractive young women. If I am not paying attention it can get very embarrassing. He will sniff men if that is all that is available (although again, not if they are overweight), but he prefers women. What I do notice is that if he does sniff someone than he is also interested in that person and will proceed to a more complete greeting, looking up at them, standing close, etc.

Wow - Licorice and Hester are very similar including the heart shaped patch. Licorice has a bit more black on his rear end but wow - that is remarkable. What is Licorice racing name? Hester's is Skidbootsahoot. The first black and white dog in his direct ancestry is Crazy Parachute - runner up in the 1959 Derby. He's a Kiowa Sweet Trey puppy.

Maybe I missed it but you didn't say how long you walked him. Ramses looks young and if he is energetic when he wakes up after the bulk of his night sleep, he may need a solid one hour walk at minimum to get him mellowed out again. Don't feel too bad, mine needs close to two hours of exercise in the morning to be at his best. Most dogs want nothing more when they wake up than to eat and then walk, pee, poo, and sniff their brains out. Considering Ramses came to you in July, now is the time when he is likely falling deeply in love with you and gaining confidence in himself. He wants you to get up and go for an adventure with him. Many greys cannot thrive without a regular schedule. Some have a preferred schedule and may resist conforming to yours. And some are more flexible. The one constant that makes them all workable is adequate exercise. I have never seen a Grey disturb their owner after a long walk,

This worked very well for me. The first day my Hester arrived, as he explored the house he attempted to enter the kitchen. I walked toward him forcing him to back out of the kitchen. My body language was firm and upright. No harsh words or sounds. He hasn't set foot in the kitchen since. Our layout is open plan so he can see the action without entering, so floor plan could be a factor.

Many dogs will always act hungry no matter how much you feed them. For some Greys their racing weight is perfect as a pet weight. Don't worry if he is skinny and a bit hungy, much healthier than the other way 'round. As for the walks...hmmm... 15 minutes, three times per day? That is pretty minimal. Try taking him by car to some forest trails or similar. The boys needs some big adventures. In a matter of a few week you can build up his stamina and he will love his walks. That will change his life.

This. Proper walks three times per day will cure a lot of issues.

Have you tried raw? Your dog is in crisis and if you haven't tried raw I think you should. Start simple. Will he eat a Turkey neck? By boy was soft with any type of kibble but craps stones with his raw diet.

Just to echo Batmom a bit - exercise may be a solution. You don't mention how long of a walk she gets before you leave.

Reading about situations like this breaks my heart. What does hanging around the yard have to do with exercise? Even a few zoomies just won't cut it for some dogs. Assuming you work, take your dog for a one to two hour walk first thing in the morning. (Yes you will have to get up crazy early). When you get home after work take it out for at least another hour. Before you go to bed take it out for yet another hour. You can pretty much forget about the yard. Allow lots of sniffing and peeing for the first half of each walk and then march at a military pace for the second half. Do this every day. After a week report back here and let us know if the dog sleeps at night. If it doesn't and it was my dog - I would return it. Missing sleep is not something that can be survived indefinitely. For many Greyhounds the couch potato analogy is a complete myth and the propogation of this myth by adoption agencies is a huge diservice to the wellbeing of many retired racers. A properly exercised dog will be calm in the house and sleep at night, but couch potato, as in doesn't need much walking? - no.

As has been pointed out you have a dog that may have never in its life been approached by any person when it was down. Please, please show the utmost respect for your dog in this situation. Never discourage the growling - you want Rocket to be able to tell you if he is uncomfortable when someone is too close. Do not be upset when he growls at you. Instead be proud of his spirit and his desire to communicate with you. You will certainly survive for the next few months without touching him or sitting on his bed when he is down. In a matter of time he will probably reach out to you with his paw and then roach and demand you rub his belly. These are special animals. Many are serious, proud creatures and should be treated accordingly. But in time they may form a bond with you that is unmatched by any other pet.

This is a bit silly. How long has Rocket been with you? How would you feel about a person who acted like your best friend after spending a small amount of time with you? It would be weird no? And here we are talking about a different species with a communication gulf much greater that that between humans that are strangers to each other. Cut the dog some slack - its early days yet. The growling? Why should the dog trust you? How long a track record do you have with this dog to earn it's complete trust? I am guessing you missed the dog asking you to keep your distance when he was down and yet you still approached. Of course he growled. There are some dogs that cozy up right away but most don't. But... you have a dog that follows you around the house. To me this is the most important sign that an incredible relationship with a Greyhound is about to begin. I have a Greyhound that when he wanted his space growled, and barked and snapped - he can be an absolutely terrifying creature. But he always followed me and to this day he will not let me out of his sight and as a result of this characteristic and his particular disposition has the manners and off leash reliability of a well trained Border Collie. As for the snuggling, it took 18 months but this finally happened: If you don't have the patience than maybe it is the wrong dog for you - nothing wrong with that. But you may also find that a longer term investment may yield a greater dividend in the end.

Lovely dog - congrats! Please be aware that some dogs cannot be crated. What they experienced at the track and what they can tolerate in a different setting (your home), may be completely different. Remember at the track there were probably 20 other dogs in crates right beside him. Some dogs will destroy themselves (teeth and paws) trying to get out of a crate. You will never forgive yourself if this happens. Monitor use of the crate closely and avoid leaving him alone in the crate if you are not certain that he is OK with it. The good news is most Greys are quite trustworthy out of the crate if the house is properly secured. You can always use a muzzle if he is a chewer.

Hilarious, but in the end you have just traded a dog for a vacuum. Although I guess it is easier to sleep with a vacuum. your lucky - I have a Grey that would go through a wall if he was separated from me. He absolutely will not touch our bed (that would be a violation of his perfect etiquette) but he must be able to see me at all times - so it's a dog bed on the floor but in the same room.

Please be patient. Ernie may be very depressed. He is in a strange place, doesn't know you and is probably missing his past life. As he gains trust and his mood improves expect his energy level to rise. Wait till he wakes up one morning and realizes he is completely in love with his new people. The best thing you can do is to walk him but of course as stated build up slowly. In the right weather up to a two hour walk should be manageable and much enjoyed by a properly conditioned Greyhound.

For the food why not just raw ground beef? That worked for Hester after his dental. We just dripped the metacam on top. Hid the antibiotic in a small ball of peanut butter.

what about a vitamin supplement?