RedHead

I have given pig ears before but I don't do it often. I get ones that are "handmade" here by a person, I have heard the store bought ones contain all kinds of plastic-like preservatives (don't know if it is true?). Ham is not "poison" to dogs but I am guessing the results wouldn't be great if you fed a lot of it due to the salt content/smoke flavour, etc. If you want to feed pork as a treat, I would just buy a cheap cut, bake it up, cut into chunks and feed. Probably less trouble that way

I've had the same thing happen as well after drinking a lot of water. I think they just kind of choke it back up. I wouldn't overly worry about it unless it happens all the time.

I don't have many suggestions, but wanting to wish you all the best. Remember, a lot of lumps and bumps are non cancerous, so keep thinking positive. Teague has a wart on one of his legs that is fine, but that I keep my eye on. I freaked out last week because it was swollen, purple and about to pop and bleed. Then I noticed a scratch next to it and figured he bumped his leg on a branch running. After a few days it was back to normal (phew!). Is it possible that he chewed on something that may have irritated or made this inflamed and bleed? Just trying to throw out options while you wait

I am assuming apples would be fine to feed daily...but I would cut them in half and/or de-seed because I think the seeds are bad (I'm sure you would have to eat a lot but still...). Apples are good for cleaning human teeth as well but they only get off the loose plaque. I don't know how benefical they would be on their own for teeth cleaning, but I'm sure they are an okay option as a treat if your pup will actually eat them. Whole carrots are good too. Leave them in as big of pieces as you can. We have wild apples here from the pioneer orchards and the coyotes much gorge themselves because all the coyote poop on the trails now is almost all apple skins! I'm assuming if they can eat it a dog can!

People have different opinions, especially for puppies, but if they are still energetic and aren't looking tired or limping, I think this is fine and great for them to burn off the energy. People used to be more worried about keeping exercise to a minimum for proper joint development, etc. but a lot of the newer opinions say that it is fine to do exercise/light work and even beneficial. For me...as long as they are showing me they have lots of energy, things are likely fine. Although greys aren't known for their endurance, I do fairly long walks and hikes as long as the weather is cool. We just did a 20 km (10-11 mile?) weekend with hikes up to 6-7 miles and my grey is 5 and out of his puppy years. He consistently does 4-7 miles every day.

It sounds like (since he is fine off leash) he has picked up something or had bad experiences being on a leash, probably that he feels trapped combined with the fact that strangers are not reading what he is trying to tell them with his body language. I would try to work more with the people approaching. They need to TOTALLY ignore him, and not approach him (I know this is hard for some people to get). Even looking at a dog can make them nervous. If and when he is ready he will approach them and that will be his way of saying he is ready for attention. Dogs often send out signals that they cleary don't want attention, and unfortunately a lot of people think that talking and reaching out their hand to pet will help them. In the doggy world this is exactly what they are telling you they DON'T want. They become confused and even more anxious because people aren't understanding their communication. If he can be redirected by smelly treats, you can use those as well. If a dog is really nervous they won't respond to food so if he does it is a good thing

While I totally agree that many greyhounds do NEED off leash running and to play with other dogs, dog parks are also a very uncontrolled and sometimes chaotic off leash environment. For me, I am actually more concerned about other people's dogs than my own, but at the same time, the greyhound style of play tends to be a lot of fast running (Teague has knocked dogs over doing this) and nipping as they run by. From what I have seen, a lot of other breeds don't "get this" style of play. I do let my dogs in the park sometimes if there are a small number of dogs that are compatable but I try to stick with small number grey group runs (muzzled) or other enclosed spaces. If you could find lure coursing in your area that would also be an awesome thing for your pup by the sounds of things. I am not at all anti dog park, and I have seen many greys at the park who don't even bother with other dogs. But...going to the park with a boisterous young grey can sometimes cause problems as other dogs will try to correct this and many of them are not under full control by any means. It is a calculated risk and since you are the one who knows your park best I think you have to weigh the pros vs. cons.

It sounds like this is something he has always had, even though he has been on several foods and in different environments. I am not positive, but I would think if he had this as a severe food allergy for years it would start to show up in other places as well (?) Could it be something he sticks his nose into? Has he ever been checked for any sorts of bacterial infections that just haven't healed properly because of the constant rubbing? I knew a dog that got an infection like this from the constant rubbing of the muzzle on the skin. He kept rubbing and it made it worse and didn't allow it to heal. There is no harm in trying an allergy med to see if you notice improvement, or you could try a very simple homemade elimination diet for a few weeks. If you notice a difference from that at least you can better pinpoint what the problem is, and whether it is an allergy vs. some other sort of skin problem.

Weight bearing bones such as marrow/leg bones are the ones to most likely cause fractures...I have never heard of teeth being chipped on smaller meaty bones such as necks, backs, etc. (unless a dog's teeth were already diseased or weakened and even then it would be rare). I know people who feed these to cats. Meaty/sinew type bones actually clean teeth better than any of the smoked or raw meatless larger bones. In my experience, far superior than even brushing. When you feed larger bones frozen it also numbs the dog's mouth, which sometimes dulls the feeling so they may chomp a little harder as well.

We used the above solution (plywood) with my old dog who limped due to ACL injuries as she got older. We just got a piece of wood (maybe 2.5 feet wide?) and duct taped a cheap mat runner to it (if the mat has a rubber backing you can put it on backwards for extra grip). We leaned it on the stairs going into the back door and it worked just fine

To me crating for bad behaviour is like sending a kid to their room or for a time out. This may work with kids, but dogs don't have the ability to sit there and "think" about what they have just done. In the animal world any consequences are taken care of immediately and then things move on. I think perhaps doing some training with trading up would be a good idea. You can teach him a drop command and use something of higher value to trade up with.

Agreed. If you just want to give a neck or back a day for teeth that should be fine, but if you are looking into a half and half diet, you will need to add some boneless meat (heart, stewing beef, ground meat) and perhaps some organs.

I got a grey after already having an older, non-grey mixed breed (who is about half his size). They are totally fine, but my non grey was already very calm and polite. Teague actually follows her and learned a LOT from her. If she had been rude (ie. boisterous) he probably would have learned that, and also would have picked up that I did not have this dog under control either. So...if you are living with your BF I would be cautious of this, as dogs don't generalize between who owns what dog in a house. As a rule I wouldn't choose the greyhound breed to be the ideal dog to pair with a boisterous dog, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a grey that won't fit your situation. FYI most adoption groups will NOT adopt out to homes with unneutered dogs, unless for good reason (show dog, working dog, etc.) because they want to ensure responsible ownership.

I do 3 years for most things (although I think in most cases, the vaccines probably last way longer). I do Lepto yearly just because we do a lot of outdoor stuff and it apparently really does only last a year. I don't get anything extra like Lyme, Kennel Cough, etc. All of my vets have attempted to just go with the yearly vacs for everything, I had to tell/ask them about the 3 year. After I did this, they all said 3 year was fine and put me on that plan. If I didn't open my mouth they would have done everything, every year.

Food allergies can cause itchy feet, and also can cause redness and itchiness around the ears, head, stomach, etc. Environmental allergens are probably more common than food ones though and they can cause the same symptoms. Allergens, especially food, are often built up over time, so dogs that eat the exact same ingredients daily can all of a sudden develop an allergy to a food they had been fine on for years. This is why rotational feeding is more common nowadays. If the allergies tend to come and go they are likely environmental...if the dog is fed the same food each day and goes for periods with no symptoms it likely isn't food. The only true way to find out would be to feed an elimination or hypoallergenic diet for a period of time and see if it changes anything. Paw licking can be behavioural as well...once they start it becomes red and itchy and they keep doing it.

I always wondered what was considered "active, and less active" as well. My pups jog and hike miles daily, but other than those 2-3 hours they pretty much sleep so I wouldn't necessarily call them "active." Even when I was half marathon training with Karma I still fed her regular amounts for her weight. I guess active must mean a true working dog, or a dog with a high metabolism who just stays really skinny. I always start by feeding the lesser amount and then I up it if they aren't maintaining a good weight.

My favourite chewy is pork hocks (raw). The tough skin on them makes them really good teeth cleeners on top of all the chewy meat and bone They last way longer than any other chew I have fed, but you wouldn't want to feed them more than 2-3 times per week. I get them at the grocery store, people make soup with them.

It could be the time of year. Teague never has flakes but he is now shedding and when this happens I notice his fur gets brittle and flaky as it falls out. As soon as it is over it goes back to normal...soft with no flakes. I have been brushing him daily with a rubber glove/brush that pulls out the fur and massages the skin. He also gets fish oil daily and a can or two of oysters (zinc) per week for healthy skin. Perhaps you should wait for a good month or so, as it could be related to the season/shedding. Some greys even get flakes from stress or change (ie. a new home). Unless you see red skin, bald spots, scabs, etc. I wouldn't worry overly much about allergies or skin diseases at the moment.

I have literally fed and cut up almost every body part to feed my dogs and those feet still creep me out! They look like little witch hands or something. My favourite is when there are guests over and I sneak one to the dogs, who carry it out to the living room to eat it. I just stand in the kitchen waiting for the first comment.

If your dog is fine with all those sources of course it is fine to feed more than one! I just fed pork, chicken, beef and fish in one meal for dinner. You can make a balanced diet with only a few protein sources, but my personal opinion is that you need to include enough red meats in the diet rather than relying on boney chicken parts for everything.

I had heard that they sometimes feed bananas on the track (don't know if it is true or not) for potassium. Teague used to eat them, but now he won't eat any fruit or veggie unless I cook it with meat or puree it and mix in with meat. FYI you can just feed fruit for a treat, but if you want the dog to get nutrition from it, it is best to puree it.

I have had picky pup pill syndrome here as well. No matter how well I disguise it always gets spit out. My solution is to grind the pills into powder and mix them up with the entire meal. Usually things like smelly canned sardines, mixed with cottage cheese, eggs, etc. is enough to disguise it. I am not sure if it is okay to grind up all types of pills, but most of them you can. Also: Dogs are usually a little more cautious with their first bite of something but if they like it, and you continue feeding it, they tend to just start gulping it down without thinking. So you can give chunks of chicken (or whatever works!), and once they are being gulped down, you can try one wrapped around a pill. Sometimes you can trick them this way, as they don't really tend to chew anyways.

Personally for trick training I think a clicker is the easiest way to go. I thought Teague was impossible to train in the beginning, but I am working on him a bit with the clicker and he is slllloooowwly learning things. I started with the basic touch target on my finger and then went to shake a paw. He now also knows how to spin around. You just have to have patience and keep things short so they are having fun (from my experience anyways). It took Teague two weeks to learn to shake a paw, every other dog I have had has learned that in about 1 session! lol

It sounds like this dog is confused and perhaps thinks any pottying in front of you is a bad thing. That could be why he is holding it and then going all over the second you leave him. I would be praising ANY outside pottying now, including on walks. I could have my dogs out in the yard all day with me and they really don't pee until we walk, even if it is only 5 minutes. It doesn't mean I let them mark the whole walk, we do some heeling and then we have release areas and parks to sniff and potty in. If this dog has housebreaking and anxiety problems I would guess he should be getting a lot more than 20 minutes of walking a day to help burn off some of his anxious energy, especially before he is left alone. Once he starts to relax and understand pottying outside is the routine, he will probably be more willing to go in the backyard. For right now though, I would be focussing on getting ANY outdoor peeing. You can add a command word like "go potty" every time he pees on walks and then transfer it to the backyard to help.

In the long run a meat grinder (about $100) will save you $$ if you buy premade. I have heard a lot of people like the Maverick grinder although for small chicken bones maybe a lighter weight one would work. All the butchers here will actually grind up chicken backs and frames and sell them in boxes if you ask (I would have never known if I didn't ask...due to the fact that raw feeding is more popular now, many butchers do this). As was said above, if you have access to a lot of boneless meats, you can make up your own ground mixture and just add a multivit./calcium.