deboosh

Welcome from Toronto! Vinnie sure is one handsome boy; I know my Bonnie would definitely bat her eyes his way!

I used to think that dogs ate anything and everything, until we adopted our girl, lol. There are so many opinions on what we should feed; raw, home-cooked, commercial; there's so much choice and schools of thought, it can be mind-boggling, if not guilt-inducing. We had trouble with fussiness and pudding poops at the time of adoption and after a trip to the vet, and a clean bill of health, we went the trial and error route. There are some days when Bonnie just isn't all that hungry, and others when she eats her meal and then some, lol. She gets bored with repetition, so I mix it up for her. One meal she gets raw, and another she gets her home-cooked doggy meatloaf. If she's still looking for more, she gets about a 1/2 cup of Nutro's Sensitive Skin & Stomach. Occasionally she gets kibble, but I also mix in a can of salmon or sardines, and I'll break a raw egg on top. And I always mix in about 3 tbsps. of canned green tripe no matter what the entre is, just for the nutritional/health benefit. In the beginning, it seemed like a monumental challenge, but finding what turned her crank was more of a process of elimination, but for now, everything is copasetic, lol. One thought I just had ~~ could your Morty possibly have a toothache? I wish you lots of luck in finding what works for him. Please let us know how things are going.

Congratulations on adopting your first greyhound and welcome to the forum! You sound very level-headed, at least much more so than I was when we adopted Bonnie a year ago last Christmas, lol. I was very nervous, as Bonnie was our first dog. You will get lots of great information, but in the end, no matter the subject, you will make a decision that's best for you and your grey. Take things one day at a time, and remind yourself that life will eventually get back to a new normal. The transition will be stressful, but more so for your grey, as there is a lot to learn in retirement. Learning stairs, a new diet, and new routines are bound to make your grey feel out of sorts. He may also experience digestive upsets, so you may need to be extra vigilant about reading the bathroom signs. Pacing, panting and standing by the door are all signs that your grey needs to go outside. Establishing a routine will help acclimate your dog, and he will quickly learn what to expect and when. I think you would be wise to at least wait until your grey is more settled before considering a 2nd dog. Staying connected with forum members will be of great support. There are many here who are very experienced and with great advice to share. In the end, please know that getting to know your grey will be fun and rewarding. Wishing you a smooth transition!

You've written a beautiful tribute. Your love shines through, and it is very evident that your gave your girlie a wonderful home. I'm so sorry for your loss. I wish they could stay with us forever. (((Hugs)))

I haven't been on here lately either, but my heart goes out to you; I am so sorry. You've just experienced what we all hope won't happen. I wish you strength and wisdom when telling your family. Many (((hugs))).

Zoesmommy: I tried to send you a PM, to thank you for the friend request, but you need to have made 50 posts before you are given the private messaging privilege, so Thanks again!

Thank you for the link, LunaTheGreyt, I will definitely order it for the arsenal, lol. Much appreciated!!!

What a great idea! Are they specifically for dogs or are they people pills? My guess is it's people, in which case, how do you determine the dosage? I'm asking so as to stock my own home pharmacy, lol.

Wish I could take your advice but our bedroom is in no way a master being 10 x 10, lol. I tried keeping her in with the suggestion from morannicole, but the she became panicky. There is only about a 2 1/2 x 4 ft space that she could go, which is way too small. Love your idea though, if we ever move. :-) Did your girlie have accidents nightly? Bonnie doesn't do it every night; it's more like once or twice a month, so that's why I'm leaning towards a behaviour issue, unless a UTI can manifest infrequently?

Thank you Zoesmommy, all excellent thoughts! I have an inkling it's got something to do with not wanting to be left on her own. Bonnie had another accident when we stepped out a few days ago. And thinking back, there have been some previous accidents that have happened either while we were out, or when we were in our family room watching a movie (she won't set foot down to the basement). I am at home, so she is accustomed to always having someone around but when I volunteer and am gone for 5 hours one day a week, she's been fine and there's been no accidents. It's a bit of a head scratcher. To Morannicole: We tried keeping Bonnie baby gated in our bedroom, but she was afraid of the gate and became panicky. Thanks again for the idea.

Never thought of that; our bedroom is quite small, but there's enough room to fit her dog bed. I will try it out tonight~~a very helpful suggestion. Thanks!

Oh okay, thanks; it was starting to bug me that I couldn't figure it out, lol.

Great idea about the bath mat, but what's a "tuner backed" bath mat, or is that a typo? For the record, I used to think this dog was a camel, she could hold it so long. Regarding cold weather, Bonnie doesn't think twice about going out in the rain, wind, snow.

Sorry, should have thought of that. Last call is 10 p.m., and she's walked for no less than 15 minutes. After the 2nd incident, I started emptying her water bowl before bed.

We're coming up on Bonnie's first gotcha day, and have not had any incidents of peeing in the house until now. For the last couple of weeks, she's been peeing overnight in one spot on my 60 yr old LIVING ROOM HARDWOOD FLOOR, (which has since turned black!). She's not doing it every night, it's more like 3x/week, but before I set up her kennel again, I'd like to rule out a medical problem and will take a urine sample to the vet's. There have been no changes in her routine or environment, so I hesitate to consider her behaviour as something psychological. Would anybody care to share how they handled this problem?

What a bittersweet occasion. I'm so sorry for your loss; it's still very fresh, I'm sure. What a beautiful girlie your Sara was! I'm sure you have some wonderful memories of her. Take solace in the fact that you gave her the best of all possible homes, and loved her very much. Big Hugs, xo

That was a great little read! Bonnie's not afraid of the vacuum. Hmmm.........now, if it would only THUNDER every night.........anyone know any rain dances?

I understand what it's like when you don't have a frame of reference to go by; I too have never been a dog owner until we adopted our girl last Christmas. (I just found a trainer and will start training shortly as well.) In situations where I'm unsure, I go by my gut; it never fails me. I would think you should have an opinion formed about her by now. if I liked my trainer in terms of her experience and effectiveness, then I would talk to her about my feelings in an attempt to clear the air between us. But if you don't think she's all that great, and you think that Ami could do better, move on.

Hope your Stewie's doing much better in the next couple of days. I hate how the big "C" word can roll so easily off of some docs' tongues. There's a way to say things and be upfront about it, without socking someone between the eyes. Sending healing thoughts for Stewie.

Thank you so much for your thoughts and experiences everybody. Bonnie's much more like herself now. This is her 3rd day home, and she had a few moments of foolishness last night. She roached this morning and just finished tearing around the park with her usual grey friends like a fiend. Looks like there was no need to fret, but I'm thankful I can come here when I do. I never would have made the connection that Little Miss Confidence's moping around would have anything to do with missing the other greys, but it does make sense considering her history, as I'm sure it felt familiar and comforting to be on the go with a pack again. As always, you've been most helpful. Many Thanks!

Wish I could take her to the run Lisa but tomorrow I'm at my volunteeri job; however, I meet with about 6 other greys/owners early on every Saturday morning so I'll check out her reaction there. I'm leaning towards tired, as I'm not ready for a chip, lol.

I did ask, and she said she was "fine". Bonnie is an only dog, but she seemed very happy and content prior to camp and was never mopey. I was thinking back to the time when we first got her, and she was more like her old self even back then. Will just have to wait it out I guess.

We've had Bonnie for 7 months and last week we went away and boarded her at a greyhound camp for 10 days. We picked her up yesterday, and although she greeted us with excited wiggles and kisses, she's been very quiet and subdued at home, and to me, she looks depressed. She also seemed to have dropped some weight, so I took her to the vet's office to use their scale and it confirmed a 2 lb. loss. Her appetite has been very good however, so she should easily regain the loss, but I'm more concerned about her wellbeing. Maybe we shouldn't have boarded her so soon after the adoption, but what's done is done now. I just hope this is temporary and that I'll get my happy, sassy little girlie back. Has anyone else experienced a similar reaction? Thanks!

You both look so happy with both your puppers! Welcome & Congratulations!

I'm going to try and desensitize the startle response and see if makes any difference. As for the training, yes, I'm sure there are a ton of positive reinforcement trainers in my city and I know the class doesn't need to be for greyhounds only, but I do want a trainer who's had the experience of working with at least one greyhound.