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brianamac

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Everything posted by brianamac

  1. Just curious about how to tell the difference between greyhounds showing their teeth as a smile, or baring them as a prelude to snapping? Our grey Boo doesn't like being handled sometimes (his feet especially), and without even showing calming signals, he will sometimes bare his teeth if we handle his feet too intensively or pet/massage him too hard. With his feet, he will snap quickly after. When he bares his teeth before a snap, he usually shows canines and just a bit of his front teeth. He has been really into belly rubs lately, especially from DH. Sometimes he lets his lips relax and teeth show a small amount. This morning, however, he had fully rolled sideways to get his belly rub from DH and halfway into it he suddenly showed us EVERY tooth in his mouth! Much more than we get when he snarls, but husband got scared and backed off. We petted his head for a bit then tried a belly rub and again, the full tooth show! He literally looked like he was displaying every tooth in his mouth. We left him alone to be safe, but other than the teeth display he seemed happy. We don't want to quit the belly rubs if this is indeed a smile, but we aren't sure! How do you know the difference between your dog baring his teeth to tell you to back off or if he is giving a greyhound 'smile'?
  2. Yup, same thing! No change in our routine, but for some reason our guy has stopped eating breakfast for the most part in the last month. We started feeding him less at breakfast, sometimes taking it away after 45 mins... but for some reason he only sometimes eats his morning (12pm) meal, but always eats his nighttime (12am) meal with great happiness... no rhyme or reason to when we eats in the morning. We don't worry too much about it; when we doesn't eat his morning meal we know we can do more clicker training with treats at some point during the day. Guess he is picky...
  3. This is my biggest nightmare. So glad you got her back.
  4. Another clepto grey here! You should see the xmas tree this year... only the top half is decorated! But aside from exercise, I agree that teaching a really good 'trade' or 'drop it' command will be invaluable. I would guess if Achilles only just started stealing things like the xbox controller, it will likely increase as time goes on.
  5. Thanks for all the amazing advice guys! We have set up a meeting so the dogs can meet each before, and then will definitely muzzle for the first while and when they are outside. Feeding separately is smart too, so I got a babygate... wooohoo! Thanks again!
  6. We got our first greyhound in July. He is very very shy and scared with unfamiliar people and dogs, but absolutely flourishes with other greys around. He is 2.5 years and is a bundle of energy in our home now, as long as it is just my husband and I present. We are going to have two older female greyhounds stay with us for a few days at the end of December. One is also extremely shy, while the other is more dominant and extroverted. We live in a small (750 sq. ft.) house with a very small backyard. Boo has never had any other greyhounds at 'his' house, and therefore we are wondering... Does anyone have any tips about bringing new dogs into a home? Should we muzzle them all at first, even when they are inside, or is that overkill? Is it okay to let bones/toys be available or will that invite conflict? Any tips at all about bringing new greys into a home are appreciated.
  7. I went to a sporting goods store but was confused about which animal call to get... Which is the right one? I pm'd this lady, and she believes that she bought the rabbit one. Fantastic, thanks!!
  8. I went to a sporting goods store but was confused about which animal call to get... Which is the right one?
  9. If she's being crated at night, probably not. That would be one of the benefits to crating- the chances of her sneaking off and going to the bathroom are minimized. So much in agreement on this.
  10. thank you for that . I usually get the 2 foot ones and take them away when they get smaller, for evening chews. Do you have any recommendations for a long lasting safer chew? Himalayan dog chews! They are hard enough to last a very long time, but not so hard I feel a dog would crack a tooth on them. I got Boo a large one and he will chew for half an hour at a time, usually leaving it and then going back for more an hour or two later. He has had it for 3 days and seems to be chewing out it several times a day but is still only 1/4 of the way through it. I would supervise at first though, in case your dog goes through them faster than Boo. thanks! I also live in Calgary and recognize your dogs name from the adoption website! ( I'm pretty sure its the same one, what would be the odds!) where did you get the Himalayan chews from? Oh my goodness, how cool! You just made my day! I didn't realize your Raven was the SAGA Raven! Did you come to the Christmas party last weekend? I creeped your girl's greyhound-data profile before she even arrived. She used to race at Palm Beach, my favorite track. Look forward to meeting her someday! Not sure where in town you live, but I got the Himalayan dog chew from Tailblazers in Inglewood. I'm almost positive that 100 Acre Wood in Forest Lawn has them too. It was expensive in Inglewood (of course!), $10, but considering how long I anticipate it lasting and how well it quells his boredom, I think it was a good investment that I feel safe leaving him in his crate with.
  11. thank you for that . I usually get the 2 foot ones and take them away when they get smaller, for evening chews. Do you have any recommendations for a long lasting safer chew? Himalayan dog chews! They are hard enough to last a very long time, but not so hard I feel a dog would crack a tooth on them. I got Boo a large one and he will chew for half an hour at a time, usually leaving it and then going back for more an hour or two later. He has had it for 3 days and seems to be chewing out it several times a day but is still only 1/4 of the way through it. I would supervise at first though, in case your dog goes through them faster than Boo.
  12. Sounds and looks like a bruise, although I don't have much experience. But MAN is he cute! What a gorgeous pup!
  13. SO COOL! That is one of my favorite shows! Hope to catch a rerun one day.
  14. What adoption group did you get your grey from? I know ours maintains a list of dog-sitters you can contact. When we went away our GH stayed with a dog sitter and his GHs.
  15. As Brandiandwe noted, once she's started reacting, she's too aroused and beyond learning. Don't try to train at that point, and just try to get her farther away from the trigger. Rather than better treats and going when she's hungry, find some locations where you can work with her at a distance from passing dogs - far enough away that she can remain fairly calm and you can get her attention back on you fairly easily. As you make progress, you can gradually decrease the distance. Actually, it sounds like you may need to back up a step and not work on desensitizing to triggers at all yet. First, build a foundation by working with her in a quiet, non-distracting environment (like inside your home) to teach her to respond to you when you give her a specific cue. The cue should be a distinct, neutral sound that you can make quickly even in a stressful situation. Something like the clucking sound you make with your tongue to get a dog's attention, or to get a horse to move. Start by pairing the sound with a special treat reward by making the sound and immediately giving her the treat. Repeat this several times while standing right next to her. Then from a few steps away so that she has to come to you. Keep the sessions short and always give her a treat after the sound. After a few sessions, her response when she hears the sound should be to immediately and almost automatically look at and come to you. After you've established this response, you can start to use it in other situations, but it is important to build the level of difficulty very gradually. Take her to places that she might find a little more interesting but not be totally distracted (like outside your house, around your yard and neighboring yards). Then move on to more distracting areas, like parks and other public places, but still without her strongest triggers (other dogs). If you build up gradually enough, this cued attention response can become so ingrained that it can eventually be used to refocus her attention away from other dogs (but still best done before she starts to react). Until you get to this point, it's best to try to avoid triggers by walking at non-peak times, taking routes that are less likely to have other dogs, and go the opposite way if you see a dog approaching. Each time she practices the reactive behavior, the more that response becomes ingrained. The above technique is something I've learned from Norwegian trainer Turid Rugaas. She's been able to successfully call her dog off of a deer that jumped across the trail in front of them, but that was after years of practice. I would highly recommend Rugaas' books My Dog Pulls, What Do I Do? and Barking: The Sound of a Language. Both are very relevant to on-leash reactive behavior and can be found through Amazon.com or Dogwise.com. One final note, if this is a new behavior and her response on leash had gradually got worse with time, I suspect your reaction may have contributed. It is very natural for us to tense up and pull back on the leash when anticipating a response, but this can actually make the dog worse because they sense our stress and anxiety. I've made this mistake with a dog myself. Try to stay calm and relaxed when you walk her, and pay attention to your body language and what you're transmitting to her through the leash. Keep the leash loose if at all possible, and rely more on your voice rather than the leash to get her attention. You seriously always give great advice. We are still working with Boo to get him to go for walks again (he REFUSES), and you put this into a really nice, clear, and concise guide. Thanks! I always try and read your responses to topics.
  16. A friend had told me about this two-syllable dog name theory before we got our guy. I'm sure it depends on the individual dog, but Boo will respond to just 'Boo' most of the time... when he isn't doing something more interesting. But if we call "Boo radLEYYY!" he ALWAYS pays attention. I think there might actually be something to that theory.
  17. That picture was so gross I had to look at it three separate times.... I had no idea dog worms looked like THAT!
  18. Well, panic for no reason I think. The vet said glass likely wouldn't show up on an x-ray. He said feeding bread was right and to monitor him closely for the next 48 hours. He has antibiotics too.... fingers crossed I was wrong in guessing he may have swallowed some. The peace of mind of taking him to the vet to check is really nice. So far, he has been his normal self today. Thanks for all the tips!
  19. Thanks for checking in and the advice guys. I fed him a some bread last night and kept an eye on him. I slept on the couch so I could watch him and we are on our way to the vet now.... I'll update soon.
  20. KickReturn, I've looked at your pictures and you live in my dream area of Canada.... Ahhhhh! Someday DH and I will live there and our dogs can have runs together. I did the math on your $5000/year for food for your boy a few times to make sure it wasn't a mistake, but..... $400 a month on dog food?! INSANE!!! We spend that much on ourselves for food! Surely there must be some better raw food options if you enquire with the local butcher. If you need suggestions in the Courtenay/Comox area PM me.
  21. Hello again, I was writing a paper in the study with the door closed while Boo slept on the couch and DH was in bed. I heard some regular 'dog playing' noise and didn't think much of it until it sounded like glass breaking--- sh%&t. I ran out and Boo had stolen a stemless wine glass DH had left on the counter by the dishwasher. It was smashed into multiple pieces on the couch. I tried not to freak out as I didn't want the dog to get upset and cut himself. I told him to 'drop it' for the large piece he had in his mouth, and he did. But he then picked up a smaller glass fragment and carried it to his bed. I was picking up many glass pieces at this time trying to mitigate damage to his paws and mouth. I told him to drop the piece he had. It disappeared. I think he might have swallowed it, but I don't know. He might have dropped it along with the many pieces I picked up from his bed, the couch, etc, and I can't be sure. Once I picked up all the pieces, I tried placing them together to see if they made a whole, so I could ensure he didn't swallow any. I can't make a whole. I have scoured the house for extra pieces and can't find any. I think he might have swallowed some glass but can't be sure. He is acting normal. Do I take him to the e-vet, or wait and see? I don't want to freak out and bring him for xrays when nothing is wrong. However, I am very scared of a piece of glass in his system. Any advice?
  22. I don't have any really good advice because we are still dealing with the same problem with our 2.5 year old male (had him for 4 months now). The only thing we have found that really helps is taking him for a walk with another dog. He refuses otherwise but seems to get over his fear almost completely when he is with our neighbours border collie. Do you have any friends or neighbours in your building whose dog you could borrow for walks or desensitization training?
  23. I had the same problem with certain training issues because I don't have pockets (usually wear skirts), and therefore never have treats on me. I got great advice from other GT people on how to 'trade up' for food, so I practice it anytime he has something, even things he is allowed to play with. This gives me the opportunity to go get treats and let him continue playing. I can then trade, and offer the toy back a couple minutes later. It has helped immensely with situations where he actually has something he isn't supposed to have.
  24. Ooooo I love Izzy. But otherwise Wally is my favorite, I agree with others that its very approachable sounding. Our boy was 'Willie' when we got him, and he seemed to know it. But we changed it to something more fitting and he learned it within a couple of days... he doesn't respond to his old name at all now. No regrets!
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