Roo
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Posts posted by Roo
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Such creativity! Such art!
I have a neighbor beagle who is a street pooper. Her person rolls her eyes every time and says "If it's in the street, you know it's hers." She gave up on bags and now carries a pooper scooper.
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I don't think you gave up too soon. If it's obvious that she's not happy and you're not happy, it's best to remedy the problem as soon as possible.
I think you should take a break and let yourselves breathe. For me, it's been a year since Tessa (more or less) and I'm only just now starting to feel truly prepared to take on a dog. Tessa was a lot - in addition to the SA, she had some other, uh, quirks. She didn't want me to leave her alone, but she was also extremely sensitive, so if I stubbed a toe and said "Ow!" she'd take off running and hide from me. I know two of her former trainers and know they'd never lay a hand on her in a mean way, so I'm not sure why she was so jumpy about things - probably just her brain wiring! But she was exhausting to live with. I loved her, so much, but she didn't always make it easy.
Give yourselves a little time, and then start to think about bringing home a dog.
When I was a kid, our first hound came in, laid down, and that was that. He was home. We had a couple little bumps - mom didn't want him on the sofa but he wanted on the sofa, he was determined to collect and snuggle one shoe from every pair in the house, etc. But they were easy things and, really, not things that made life with him difficult. Our next hound was fresh off the track. At the suggestion of the adoption group, we kept her crated (except for potty breaks) for the first couple of days, then slowly started letting her stay out longer and longer. That was the extent of her adjustment - she just settled right in. We discovered later that she had an extremely high prey drive - she wanted to chase everything from squirrels (normal) to large horses that she jumped a fence to get after (not normal!). That was pretty much her only vice, though. She was great. Bit of a diva, but great!
Not every hound takes a lot of time and effort, but there are some that require more handling than others. You might try looking at a bounce when you decide to look again. That way, you should have a pretty good idea of how that dog behaves in a home, any quirks, etc.
For what it's worth, I'm a lot like you sound. I realized after Tessa that I'm just not the kind of person who can take in just any dog. For my own mental health/sanity/whatever, I need a calm, low-stress dog. I'm happy to work on issues (I can handle resource guarding, I can handle shy dogs who need gentle handling, etc) but I can't handle a dog who can't be left alone or one who has a ton of drive and energy. There's no shame in it (or so I tell myself
) - it's just how I'm wired. -
I've been where you are, and it's incredibly difficult, but try not to be too hard on yourself. SA can be extremely difficult to overcome. I had my SA girl for 6 months, but I followed her race career for years before I actually adopted her. Her first month was fine. The second month had a little anxiety. It was downhill from there. I increased exercise (biking 2 miles at a run with at least a mile walk!), added meds, worked on alone training... Nothing helped. I finally made the decision to return her and then a couple months later I got in touch with her former racing trainer, who was very sorry to hear it hadn't worked out. She asked if she could adopt her. I met her somewhere between NC and WV and handed off Tessa, who immediately hopped in her car next to her small child (she was petrified of small children with me!) and was like "Cool, let's hit the road!" She joined a household of 5 other dogs and fit in immediately - all signs of SA gone.
A month later, I got a message from her that Tessa had accidentally been closed in a room all day (she was napping in the closet and didn't emerge when they stood at the door and called her, so they assumed she was elsewhere in the house and closed the door), and she had dug a giant hole in the drywall attempting to get out (she was completely uninjured!). The other dogs were in the house on the other side of the door, and she knew it, but being separated was too much and caused the SA behavior to manifest again.
I'm telling you all that as an example of how tenacious SA is. Even in the right house with the right humans and other dogs, it's never fully "cured".
There is a perfect home out there for Ruby.
Your home is perfect for another grey - you just haven't met them yet!
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Agree with the others! My neighbor gave her dog a pork chop recently and the poor pup got really sick. She bounced back in a couple days, but she was pretty miserable for a while there.
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Oh no! They need a new hauler! They broke down near here a couple years ago. Well, their AC broke. But AC, then transmission... Someone needs to donate a new vehicle for those folks.
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Another wonderful PRH pup crossed the bridge a few days ago - Rory. Osteo
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Have you tried 101 Things To Do With A Box? I've heard it can be great. Mine was afraid of the clicker and the box, so didn't work for us, but most don't have that problem
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Please add Moon (aka Blue Moon) who was a fixture at PRH for years before finally getting adopted 6 months ago. Everyone, volunteer and adopter alike, loved him. He was our go-to event dog. He was wonderful. He passed away suddenly yesterday
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You will likely get some responses, but these kinds of things are really best dealt with in person and not by us. I suggest you contact the canine behaviorist you worked with before to help you sort out this issue.
FWIW, he is giving you warning signs (head down, not looking at you, he may be lifting his lip and/or growling that you can't see due to his posture). Apparently he is still resource guarding things he considers his. Your behaviorsit can help you recognize the signs and his body language. Also talk with them about your future plans and what you can do to help Ragnar (great name!) get ready for a baby.
This.
Except it's also possible that he's not resource guarding in these instances, but is in fact reacting out of fear. His reason for being afraid doesn't have to make sense to you, but cowering, avoiding eye contact, looking away, etc are all signs that he's extremely uncomfortable (and holding up a piece of trash, sternly saying "No", and moving towards him can all definitely be seen by a dog as threatening). I shared my house with a hound who would flip out for seemingly no reason. She was more "flight" than "fight", so if something scared her, she'd take off running. I bumped my elbow on the wall once, said "Ow" quietly, and she bolted, careened through my bedroom, bounced off my bed, and cowered into her slumberball. I have no idea why me hurting myself scared her so badly, especially since I'd never (ever, ever!) hit her. It made no sense at all to me, but her fear was very real.
Also, important to note that dogs can't really feel guilty. They can display submissive and placating behaviors when they sense you're upset, but they aren't feeling "guilt" as humans feel it.
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Yeah, sleep startle and she likes her space all to herself. It's possible she wasn't "fine" when you were petting her the second time and you misinterpreted her signals. It happens! Especially with a new dog you don't really know yet.
Agree with instituting the "pet only when standing" rule for a while. That'll prevent space/sleep startle incidents and give her a change to learn to trust you. She may, in time, be a snuggler, but it's also possible she never will. One of mine was so determined to have her own space that I couldn't stand near her bed when she was laying on it. Her growls lessened over the years, but she never did want to snuggle, and that was fine. She was super sweet when she was standing and she was a great pup otherwise!
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1. I had a grey in a townhouse for a while and she would have been fine if she was the right fit. Sadly, she was very high energy and needed a yard! I know plenty of people who have greys in townhomes or condos.
2. Tessa did stairs just fine. If your stairs are open-backed or hardwood, you might be more concerned, but regular carpeted stairs are no problem as long as you train your pup how to do them without leaping.
3. Dog parks are usually a no-no. I know people who take their greys to dog parks without issue, and I know others who have had horrendous experiences. See if you can find any grey-only playdates in your area. If not, maybe ask your adoption group if there's another grey parent nearby who has a yard and can let your pup come over for playdates with their pup (muzzled, of course!). You want to muzzle when your grey runs with other greys who are muzzled. Never muzzle a dog who is running with unmuzzled dogs - they need to be able to protect themselves. That being said, it's safest to only let your pup run with muzzled hounds.
4. The right grey will be just fine, but it may take a little time to find that right hound. Many can be cat safe, but even the calmest can get worked up about a yippy little fluffball! It's definitely possible. The muzzle will be your friend in the beginning.
5. Vet bills and health vary greatly from dog to dog, and that means every dog, not just greyhounds. Our first hound was healthy his entire life until osteo took him at 12. Our second was healthy (other than a spider bite, which wasn't her fault) until a series of strokes took her at 9. My third was in and out of the vet every month. My next dog (a terrier) was pretty healthy other than age-related issues (and a nagging anal gland problem we couldn't solve) - she still cost me a ton at the vet because random little things would happen and off to the vet we'd go. And I didn't have Tessa long enough to get a good read on her, but she had a lot of little issues (yeast infections in her ears, repeatedly dislocated toe) that I was able to handle at home after the initial "What is this!?" visit
My best advice is to really talk to your group and let them know your exact concerns and needs. Most groups are more than happy to help you and work with you and offer a bunch of advice, but they can't do that unless you've very up front and open with them!
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Could you try messaging the people on Ravelry who have posted in "projects"? I've never done it, but Ithought of it the other day as a possible solution. Maybe send a couple project posters messages asking if they saved the pattern somewhere and if they wouldn't mind sharing.
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Those treat snuffle mats are great (or so I hear) for dogs who love food but aren't too motivated to work for it. It's fairly easy, but does take sniffing and nosing around to get the treats.
The box game is also a great one!
And yes, walk walk walk. Walks are the best for engaging the snoot in some sniffing exercise.
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Oh, I'm so sorry
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I'm so sorry to read this. Your beautiful tribute to your boy had me in tears.
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Can you walk another direction for the time being? Taking walks to get your confidence back up is important, but it's easier if you don't have to pass the house in question. Then, when you've been walking for a bit without incident, you can start going the other direction again. It also may help your comfort level if you can carry a walking stick. It'll give you peace of mind to know that if there's an attack, you can whack the attacker.
I know how this feels and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. My 13 year old terrier was attacked by a neighbor's rottie who broke her leash to get at us. We'd never seen the dog before that day, and I rarely saw her since (her owner decided to confine her to the backyard for the time being after the attack). But I'll never entirely get over the terror of having a large rottie loping towards my terrier, picking her up, and shaking, and the sound of Daisy's doggy screams still haunts me. I have never before intentionally kicked a dog, but I did that day, and that's the only way I got her off Daisy. Miraculously, Daisy escaped with only minor puncture wounds and minimal emotional scarring. She was already terrified of dogs (I believe there was an incident before I got her) and we'd done so much work on getting her comfortable walking by dogs, and this set her back a ways, but after some more work, she was able to pass dogs on the trail without too much of an issue. That being said, I still flinch when I see loose dogs or dogs pulling at their leashes.
I'm sorry this happened, and I wish both of you a speedy recovery
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Oh, no, I'm so, so sorry
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How could they discontinue this!? It has to be their best seller, and not just for greys - my terrier loved hers. Sheesh. What a stupid decision
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Feed him something at bedtime. Maybe he's getting dinner earlier on the nights he doesn't sleep at home? At any rate, it sounds like empty stomach troubles. Try half a cup of his kibble or a couple of whatever treats he's used to and see if that helps.
Definitely this (a lot of greys have problems with empty tummies), but it's also possible he's just nervous being elsewhere and the nerves upset his stomach. There are different smells and sounds, maybe there's an animal wandering nearby that you don't have at your house, and even though you're there frequently, it could still be upsetting to him. Have you tried melatonin or l-theanine for him when you stay at your boyfriend's place? Might take the edge off and allow you all to get some sleep!
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Just snooped around the internet and xylitol is mentioned. It appears that it's in the liquid form of Gabapentin. Is there any way of knowing whether it's in the pill form as well?
Can you call the company and ask? I honestly have no idea if this is possible, but might be worth a try.
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Nothing wrong with her esophagus? Regurgitation always makes me think megaesophagus, and the vomiting could be from an empty stomach due to food not staying down due to ME. Even if your think it may not be that, I'd still try feeding her vertically - you could sit in a chair and hold her front end up while someone else hand-feeds her, then continue to hold her upright for a little while (at least 10 minutes) after she eats. It's a fairly simple thing that might be worth trying to see if it helps.
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Our 12 year old, GH, Tosca, is also now of the age that when she needs to go she needs to go NOW. She's good about letting us know and we get her outside right away. But there have been accidents and we just get out the carpet cleaner and clean it up. She's also got me up a couple of times in the middle of the night in the last 2 months to pee. She also has little "urps", not really vomiting, but she'll spit up water if she's just had some, or some spit.
Daisy had those little urps too - she'd regurgitate a little food. Not often, maybe once or twice a week, but she'd eat, then drink, then urp. I tried pepcid and, weirdly, it made her sicker. But that was Daisy - if something was supposed to help, it usually did the opposite
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I agree with Roo. She probably has no idea she's doing it until it's happening. Especially if you were right beside her.... Now it's just a matter of taking her out more regularly to avoid it.....do belly bands work for girls?
I diapered Terrier Daisy for her incontinence - I suppose the same could be done for a doggy with dementia!
Incurin worked well for Daisy for her incontinence, so if that's the problem, it might be worth trying that.
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Could be the beginning of incontinence, but I'd lean more towards the beginnings of doggie dementia. At her age, it could be either. If it's dementia, she might not realize she needs to pee until it's an emergency, and then she has no choice but to just go because she can't hold it long enough to ask to go outside. Can you offer her more chances to potty throughout the day without her having to ask? Also, maybe take away her water bowl until her food has had a chance to digest, or lessen the amount of water in the bowl so that she can't tank.
With age comes change, whether anything in the environment changes or not.
Violet - possible seizure?
in Health and Medical discussion
Posted
Daisy the terrier had incidents - what the vet believed were either seizures or episodes of syncope. She'd stand up from her bed and then just kind of go stiff and lay back down. Sometimes shaking with stiff legs, sometimes just shaking, sometimes it just looked like she was struggling to stand up. Her eyes rolled back. She'd come out of it in a couple minutes and be a little confused for a few minutes, and then she'd recover with no post ictal phase. Sometimes she'd walk a little before this happened, and sometimes she'd stand up and go right back down on her bed.