brianamac

Wow, some awesome advice here. Thanks! I think the lure pole will be a great way to get him some extra exercise and stimulation within our backyard. I watched some youtube videos (cute!) and I think I will visit home depot then fashion one up this weekend. Also funny to hear that other hounds do this too. !! That is EXACTLY how he acts. Too funny.

I have to say, huge thanks to the greytalk community for putting up with my incessant posts about behaviour. Greyhounds are in a whole league of their own, and my husband and I are so unfamiliar with this and appreciate all the advice we can get. Anyways, one more post I hope to get advice on. We got our boy, Boo, 3 months ago. He has had some setbacks and is often spooky and shy, but is starting to come into his personality within the house. We have discovered that he has a SUPER silly side. When we first got him, he ignored ALL toys. Then, he started carrying them around with him and hoarding them. Once in a while, he would play when he knew we weren't looking. No matter how hard we tried to sneak up, we have creaky old floors and he always knew when we were peeking and would stop playing (even though we could hear it). Now he is more comfortable and will play with stuffies when we are in the next room and can see him, but aren't directly with him. It's so great! He throws them around and has a fun time. He usually does this in between walks and other times when I think he is bored. He LOVES his secret stuffy playing time though. He will usually continue playing if we walk into the room during the act and keep our distance, and he seems to always want to play when he is bored. But when we walk anywhere near him, he acts like he is ashamed of playing and stops immediately. When we try and throw or play with stuffies with him, he stops and retreats. We are happy to respect his 'private play time' if that is what he needs, but because it seems to result from boredom (after being crated, or a big nap), we would like to show him that playing with toys while we are around can be fun and interactive. Does anyone have any insights or advice? It is so hard to not watch or play with him, but he seems to not know how to continue as soon as he has eyes on him.

I have been practicing stay/come training with Boo inside the house. I usually keep a few treats in my hand, and start on one side of the room. Then I hold up a 'stay' hand signal, and slowly back away while saying stay. Sometimes (rarely) I can even leave the room before he moves. Once he 'stays', I take a few steps back, then I call him to me by name and 'come' and offer lots of treats and praise. The issue is when he gets it wrong. I have done this training a couple of times a day for the last three months, however, sometimes while I am delivering the hand signal and saying stay, he will start walking to me anyways. I don't treat him when this happens and I just start over at the other end of the room. But when he gets it wrong a couple of times in a row (he usually only lasts 3-4 times, even when he is doing it well and getting treats), he gets bored and starts ignoring me. After 2 or 3 times of not 'staying' and not getting treats, no amount of showing him the treats or squeaky mama voice will get him to pay attention to me. I can't figure out how to properly train anything when he loses all food and mama interest as soon as he doesn't get an immediate reward. Does anyone have tips or advice?

We tried multiple high end foods (Acana, Horizon Legacy) trying to firm up Boo's poo, to no avail. Finally we started mixing half and half Nutreco Lifetime with Iams green bag and it helped a lot. He was on medication for a while that sent us right back to cowpie square one, so we started mixing a tablespoon or two of pure pumpkin in with every meal. Can't say he likes the taste, but I never thought I would say I'm SO HAPPY to pick up dog poo. It's easy! Even bordering on fun (in relation to the last couple of months, anyways). Maybe you could try pumpkin?

If it helps ease your worry about waiting until Monday, think about it this way: if they remove it and send it for tests, most labs work monday-friday... so going today vs. going on Monday probably won't make a difference about when you hear results. Good luck!

Do you crate your dog when you're gone? My husband and I did the same thing when we got Boo. At first he would NOT jump on the bed, ever, but once he discovered it there was no turning back. Initially, we wanted him to sleep in our bed with us, but a few nights in, he became a giant bed hog. Our realization that he shouldn't be a night time bed dog was when he started sneaking away in the night to steal items from around the house and collect them in his crate... then he began to chew them. So, we decided crating him at night (like we used to do at first) was the way to go. He seems happy to sleep in his crate right outside the bedroom, we get a good sleep, and when we are home he is allowed to sleep in bed all day if he wants to... which he usually does. If Gigi does well being crated, perhaps you could do that at night and let her enjoy the bed when you are home but not sleeping.

Until you hear back from your foster about how scared he is alone, you might be overestimating the concern. It is nice that you want to be prepared for his alone time. However, we didn't practice any of the 'alone training' that the greyhounds for dummies book suggested, and our boy has never needed it (he is shy and spooky, if that offers insight). After reading the book, I thought the SA would be hell. It wasn't. He enjoyed being in his crate anyways, so we made sure we crated him and treated him appropriately at bedtime and work time and he doesn't seem to mind at all. Mind you, he is only crated for a MAXIMUM of 4 hours at a time. But, I'm sure practicing leaving for 5-10 minutes at a time his first couple of days will help. Good luck, can't wait to hear how he does!

LOVE this advice and the analogy. No matter how many people told me "Just keep walking and be confident when he is scared", once he saw the trigger (dogs, certain people), he was already too fearful and resistant to take treats, keep walking, whatever... the only way he wanted to walk (more like jog at the end of the leash) was HOME. Such a great idea to begin 'look at me' command when I see a trigger coming, rather than attempt it after he already sees it. At that point he is always past the point of listening to a command or taking a treat. Thanks, I will try this!

FWIW, I find this message board to be, for the most part, very supportive and respectful, even about emotive issues (like dog parks or what to feed your dog or whatever). You haven't received the endorsement and support for your position on dog parks that you might have been hoping for here. That's perhaps to be expected - your dog provoked a fight by not accepting a correction from another dog. So people are suggesting that you find other ways to harness your dog's energy and build a better sense of self-control and a bit more socialised into your dog before taking him back to a situation where another fight is possible. That might not be the message you want to hear, but becoming defensive when everyone is coming from a position of concern for you and your dog isn't all that productive. As for dog parks, I do them only when we are there by ourselves or with a couple of other greys. it's just too hard otherwise. My two young ones need an hour's brisk walk in the morning and half an hour in the evening with a little bit of playing as well. We'll be getting back to obedience classes soon as well. Good luck! I doubt ceeboymama was all that upset about people taking different stances on the dog park issue itself... some people on this board post in a downright condescending way. Of course, all the experienced greyhound owners are speaking from concern and experience. However, when a greyhound owner (new or not) is asking for advice on an issue/situation, they are clearly admitting they don't know the answer and need help. Telling someone how wrong they are or how little they know about greyhounds serves absolutely no purpose, and isn't productive either. It's great when people give the support, advice, and words the OP are looking for and move on. EVERYONE, even the people who have fostered 100s, started somewhere. And they probably made similar mistakes and had similar questions. Experience doesn't mean anyone has to talk down to another. /rant.

Thanks for the good advice. Getting him to trade up for a higher value item certainly seems like the best option. When I see my dog in the midst of something he isn't supposed to be doing, 'no' is a fairly automatic response. I guess I didn't think about the fact that 'no' should have been for taking the item in the first place, not for chewing it as it's true he does not differentiate between that and other items he is allowed to chew. At least his 'living in the moment' mindset means that while he did not understand why I said no, he probably associated being given a kong with the fact that he went to his crate when I asked. Good to know, thanks.

If you are quite set on him needing to run off leash, maybe you can find a fully fenced ball diamond or soft-floored tennis court to run him in instead? Granted, they all seem to have 'No Dogs' signs, but we just use them on off hours and ensure we clean up after our boy. Or scout around different neighbourhoods for old outdoor hocker arenas that are now grassy inside the boards. That way you can avoid potential problems/injuries and he still gets his running fix.

My husband and I keep valuables off low shelves as we know our boy is prone to steal. However, we still keep silly objects of no value around within reach. He doesn't take stuff if we are around or watching, which we usually are. Tonight I was in the computer room and my husband was in bed. Boo stole an empty wood cigar box of the shelf and was chewing on it on the couch. I came out and we had a face off: I said 'NO!' and he would growl. "No!" again and he would growl again. I know better than to take it away as he will snap at me. We did the 'no'/'growl' back and forth until I finally told him to 'go crate', where he sleeps (it was pretty much bed time for him anyways). He went immediately. I crated him, but then assumed he probably needed to chew or something, so I gave him a kong stuffed with kibble and plugged with peanut butter so he has a toy, since he clearly was bored or needed to chew. But I am wondering.... did I just reward him for growling?

Congrats! Being in a similar situation, I totally understand the back and forth you go through, emotionally, trying to figure out if the dog you have bonded with (but might not be the right dog for you and your experience/lifestyle) is a dog you are able to hang on to and make happy... as well as be happy WITH. It is a such a huge and hard decision. It is a weird, tough situation you no doubt have been thinking about ALL the time I bet. I'm happy you and your husband feel you have made the right choice; I'm sure you have. As much as he might not be the perfect dog for you guys right now, I bet you will both (the dog and you/husband) adapt and be great for each other. Even if he is not a perfect match, I'm sure you will both learn and make yourselves right for each other as time passes. Good luck and happy dog trails. Please message me if you need to commiserate about sometimes aggressive/spooky weird greys. My husband and I (first time dog owners) are still trying to figure out if we are the right home that will make our boy happy.

Whoa, so crazy that they didn't have to sedate her to do that! What a brave dog. I'm in shock! Our boy has to be sedated to have even surface wounds touched at all. Those do indeed look painful... good luck with the healing process! Aw, Bell Walker! Cute picture. Our boys grandmother!

Jenniferk, I can't PM you but would love it if you would send me an email when you have time canyoufeelthat@hotmail.com

I think this board has been such a saving grace for us throughout this experience. Thanks to everyone, JJgrey, racindog, and cleptogrey for taking the time to consider the situation and give advice. Good to know how to handle the aggression/behaviour. I've read so much conflicting advice on the subject but this sounds like it makes sense. I was feeling guilty for not walking him as much, but now I agree this may be best for him. We do have a small yard for him to do his business and get fresh air. He is so petrified of everything (dogs, noises, people) on walks now that he doesn't seem to be enjoying them at all-- and nor am I as I am always on high alert lookout. I will try just having more backyard time with him instead and slowly reintroduce walks once he has healed up a bit. We have been in contact with our adoption group and they have been great in offering us different advice and techniques for cleaning his wounds, dealing with the aggression, and his dog fear. After reading responses here, we decided to take him back to the vet to have his wounds checked (specifically the one that re-opened). Good thing we did, as he had developed two large abscesses that needed to be cut into and drained. Of course, he had to be sedated and is now on additional painkillers. The vet said not to worry about cleaning it, but he has to go back for a check on Monday. If it is healing healthily, hopefully life will just go back to normal. If not, she will do surgery to go into the wounds and remove all the dead tissue. Please cross your fingers! Thanks again guys.

Just want to say I'm so sorry you have to make this decision. With some decisions you can just follow your heart, but this sounds like a situation where you might have to follow your head instead. Not easy either way, I hope it all goes well.

Hello again! Thanks to everyone that previously responded to my other topic regarding Boo and his attack by a rottweiler last week. We are now pursuing legal action for the vet bills he has incurred and is about to incur even more of (wound seems infected). I am seeking advice or stories from anyone who has dealt with dog aggression. This story has two different issues, dog on dog aggression and dog on people aggression. Since the attack, he has developed an entire set of issues that were not present (to this extent) before... When we originally took Boo to have his wounds examined, he (muzzled, of course) became quite aggressive with the vet touching his wounds, so we were told he would need to be sedated. Very expensive. They offered us the option to take him home and try and clean them ourselves where he might be more calm. That didn't happen at all. We tried cleaning the wounds 3 times, and each time got worse. The last time, he was not just snapping, but making serious bite attempts at my husband (I was holding his leash and trying to restrain his head, though somewhat unsuccessfully, and he was muzzled). It was very scary, and we had to stop. He continued to bare his teeth and growl at my husband for a time even when we both backed off. He then retreated and seemed aggressive enough that we were scared to unmuzzle him until he calmed down. His wound seemed to be healing and we decided it was okay not to clean it anymore. Two days passed, and he opened it back up and another wound that had already healed... I think by scratching. Tonight we looked at him while he was lying on our bed. About two feet away... we didn't touch the wound, didn't get near it, but he began baring is teeth at us and growling. We told him, 'NO!' sharply, as we do anytime this had happened but he continued the aggression until we walked away. We were not even touching him. In addition towards us, we are very scared of his aggression towards other dogs. Before the attack, he had once growled and snapped at a puppy that wouldn't leave him alone. We understood this as normal dog behaviour, though we know he has the inclination to get snappy when backed into a corner. He is now TERRIFIED of other dogs he meets on walks. He has only seen two since the attack, both calm, smaller dogs that retreated when he ran away and hid behind me/husband. Tail so far between legs it touched his ribs, and very tense. Both dogs left him alone when I explained the situation to the owners, however, there are many friendly dogs that run off leash in my neighbourhood that have bad manners. They mean well but will chase and pester even when another dog is giving signals to back off. Before the attack, his fear was manageable. Now it is so extreme, I think he will snap or bite. I am carrying a stick on walks for protection, but am scared based on how Boo has responded post-attack. We are wondering whether to muzzle him and carry a stick. I know he cannot defend himself if attacked when muzzled, but based on his body language I think he might snap or bite at a friendly dog out of pure fear, as he is scared of even friendly dogs. Since every dog we meet is essentially an 'experiment' in how he will react, I don't want any other dog sustaining injury. Is it wrong to muzzle in this circumstance? Has anyone had a dog aggressive dog and know what to do during walks? Avoiding dogs, including unleashed ones, in our neighbourhood is unavoidable. Would love to hear any insights.

Thank you for your response... I fully agree that aggressive dogs still deserve love and good homes. I just think owners of aggressive dogs need to take EXTRA special care to not allow them to get loose or pose a threat. As first time dog owners, I have questioned whether we have over reacted at all. Some of our neighbors mentioned the other dog should be euthanized, however, that was one of my husband's main concerns. He was SO scared that reporting the dog would mean that would happen. He is very into animal rights and fully believes (based on owner behaviour) that the owner has raised the dog this way and the dog should not be punished. Either way, law in our province says that it isn't even an option until a bite on a human is involved. Even then, when humans are attacked (but not seriously injured) it usually just results in a 'dangerous dog' designation... which just means higher licensing fees. Unfortunately, the system here seems to be a b!tch. It pisses me off too that all he got was a fine. I don't even know how much, but my research shows maybe $500... max $800. No more, but maybe less. Hopefully it teaches the dog owner to be more responsible, but unfortunately, I doubt it will. We have seen his beautiful extendi-cab truck and motorcycle.. don't think money is a concern to him. Since he used his dog as an intimidation tool against another person, I am assuming he got that dog knowing and fully fostering its aggression as a 'tough dog'. Ruins the reputation of those breeds, unfortunately. I contacted the landlord of the house today to let her know the owner paid his fines, and she confirmed that dog and owner are not the residents of the house... it was a friend visiting. The landlord of that house has been an angel through this. She is the only reason the owner contacted the Bylaw people (by threatening her tenants with eviction). She also stipulated that that dog was banned from ever being on the premises again. The renters that do indeed live there also own a pitbull, and she said they have to build a fence and even then, never let their dog run free, even within the fence. Penalty is eviction. In this case, I think the only justice that will be served is that the owner of the rottweiler was fined. I feel saddened that we don't know where he lives and I am afraid of who else will be the victim of this poor ownership. As we do not know this man's name, address, or any personal information since he was a friend of the residents, and not the resident himself, I think we are unlikely to recoup any vet costs. We can go through the city who will send him a letter asking him to pay the costs. They cannot release his information to us. Considering he took NO responsibility that his dog even did anything wrong until his friends were threatened with eviction, I already know he will not respond. Pursuing small claims court will cost us half the amount of the vet bills, plus all the time we need to put into our case. I want him to learn a lesson but not sure the time and money it will take to bring him to court will be worth it. Unfortunately. Word has already spread in the community. The landlord is so nice and I don't want her to lose her paying tenants, however, I won't feel bad if they feel unwelcome and move out soon. There was another man present and watching during the whole ordeal (we assume the tenant), and he took no responsibility either. If I had a friend over and my dog attacked a dog on the street, I would feel terrible and accept the charges even if my friend wouldn't. Cross your fingers they move out soon, and cross the fingers even more that the rottweiler doesn't inflict any more damage on his own community, wherever it may be.

Great article, that is extremely helpful. I'm bookmarking that one!

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone that replied. The support means a lot as we were in such a state of disbelief regarding the whole thing. Boo is mending, the one set of puncture wounds is proving to be extremely painful for him but his leg is getting better every day it seems. He is having some trust and fear issues that have come up as well, but that is a whole other post. Letting the media know is an excellent idea. We have a strong community association and I know they will DEFINITELY put it in the newsletter... great way to spread the word so people can avoid the area. We filed a police report and they offered to go by the guy's house. My husband declined. He thinks a report will be enough that if anything ever happens with that guy again, we have enough evidence on record to press charges. I decided I didn't want to sit back and allow this guy to be unresponsive to Animal Services and escape with no repercussions. So I did some sleuthing on the internet and found that the house was put up as a rental a few days ago. So I called up the number listed on the ad and spoke to the landlord. She said they just moved in 5 days ago, and she knew they had a large dog that they said was really sweet. I told her what happened and she was horrified... and very sympathetic. She phoned them and gave them warning that they needed to call animal services. Anyways, the owner did call and was fined. Our bylaw officer couldn't tell us how much. She also said we will need to pursue small claims court in order to get reimbursed for our vet bills. I'm not hopeful that we will have any success with that, but I'm going to keep trying. So all in all, I guess we are going to just have to watch our backs a bit... not leave Boo in the yard alone, not go by that house (our favorite walk! :-( ), and always carry a stick. All we are hoping for now is for Boo's wounds to heal infection free, and that we can slowly work him out of the trauma and trust issues that have come from this. Thank you for all the wonderful advice and support, we really needed it!

This is going to be long post, and I guess we aren't really looking for advice or anything... I don't post often but so enjoy reading the tips, tricks, and insights on this board. Husband and I are both new greyhound owners (coming up on two months!) and have learned a lot from reading here. But now I just want to vent and share a story as I learned a lesson I had read about in previous posts (carry a stick on walks!) but thought nothing of. We have had our boy, Boo, for a short time. He is very shy with people, and shy with other dogs. He is calm with other greyhounds and seems to find certain other dogs, maybe 1/4 of them, interesting. Otherwise, he is scared of other dogs, even small ones. He also gets spooked easily, so we are trying to build up his confidence with basic life situations. Walks were a bit scary at first, and now he gets so excited, they are his favorite thing. Good progress! Tonight my husband Mike took Boo on his usual walk, a few neighbourhood blocks and by the river. It is a very quiet neighbourhood, mostly older people and young families. On the block towards the river, he went by a house that just recently was sold to new owners. It has no fence at all, and a rottweiler can running out of the back yard onto the sidewalk and literally jumped on our dog and attacked. No barking, growling, or warning. Just jumped right on and started biting. My husband kicked the other dog off Boo and got in between them, and the owner came out after his dog. The owner had to kneel on his dog and restrain him by the collar, meanwhile the rottweiler kept lunging after our dog trying to attack. My husband told the man that if his dog is that aggressive, he needs to keep him leashed/restrained. The owner responded by saying "Meh, dogs are dogs!". Meanwhile, Boo was bleeding and clearly wounded. Mike explained that if it had been a small dog or child in the attack, it likely would have been seriously mauled or killed by the attack and his dog would have to be put down. The owner got aggressive and told my husband that he would kill anyone who called Animal Bylaw on him to get his dog put down. Mike proceeded to leave the situation as the other dog was still lunging and the owner obviously had a TERRIBLE attitude. He walked down the block and took out his phone to call me (I was at work), but the other man clearly thought he was calling police or Animal Bylaw and proceed to walk towards Mike and Boo, with his (still lunging and aggressive) dog, just holding him by the collar, and make threatening hand gestures. My husband left the block, called Animal Bylaw, and they took photos and reports. They also had us call the police to report the threat of bodily harm for calling Bylaw. Anyways, we took Boo to the emergency vet. He has some bite wounds but as they are bites, are not to be stitched, just antibiotics and cleaning and painkillers. He also has a leg injury which makes him cry, whine, howl, and not walk around. We can't really afford the xrays and sedatives it will take to diagnose it properly, yet. The vet said it is okay to wait a couple days and see if it gets better or worse... if worse, we will find the money, of course. Either way doggy is in a lot of pain. The really unfortunate part is the bylaw officer that helped us went to the house and the dog and the owner were not around. She said she would keep trying, but of course the owner won't answer the door when he sees an officer in uniform on his front step. I have so much anger that a dog owner would respond this way. Of course, if an aggressive dog escaped and the owner apologized, we would have still had the vet bills/seeing the physical and emotional pain of our boy. But we would have walked away and understood that mistakes happen. But as it stands, this man continued to threaten by going after my husband with his aggressive dog and himself after the attack, and will feel no repercussions. It makes me sick. What makes me feel most sick is that this dog (whether the owner is a resident of that house or a visitor), will continue this behaviour as his owner clearly has something to prove by owning and supporting (rather than working with) very aggressive dog behaviour. Not knowing whether this person lives at the house or was just visiting, I am unsure whether to: a) Put up signs detailing the owner and dog's physical descriptions and attack/threats around the neighbourhood... so no other dogs have to go through the pain Boo is and can avoid that street. We are worried about doing this as Mike was threatened with physical harm and the owner would know it was us (only greyhound in the neighbourhood). Make a similar notice and just put it in the mailboxes of people we know with dogs, so they can avoid the street or protect themselves when on it. Again, worried about repercussions of 'tattling' on dog and his large aggressive owner. c) Do nothing. Not provoke a clearly aggressive dog owner and his dog. Any insights are appreciated. We know the home address, what the dog looks like, and what the owner looks like. But we suspect they will continue to evade Animal Services and we just feel so helpless.

Ouch. I can see how once the dog seems cat safe for a while, its so easy to forget about ingrained behaviors from his previous life. I'm so sorry for your cat, and I hope you don't have a guilty conscience for it. It is one of those situations that carries a very high price. On a different note, it is indeed a lesson that you can now share with other grey + cat owners for everyones safety. Our grey has never shown interest in our cats, but I know after reading this I will be extra cautious to muzzle him when I'm not around, just in case. Sorry for your loss but thank you for sharing.

@Time4anap: HAHAHA!! Cute to hear this is just something they do... at first I was sad that he gives presents to my mom and not to my husband or I. This morning, however, he came jumping into bed with a can of beer he found on the counter. Granted it was empty (and morning!), but I can see that trick becoming useful. Once I figure out how to post photos I will add the ones I caught of his beer fetching skills!

This behaviour is not concerning, I'm just very curious as to why he does it. Most google/greytalk searches on this don't really answer my question. We brought our new 2 year old grey Boo home 2 weeks ago. He is very shy and reserved but is slowly settling in. We brought him out to visit my parents at their cabin with a huge fully fenced yard this past weekend. They also have a small dog and he was ecstatic to run, play, and even wagged his tail (which we've never seen before!). Anyways, we left him with my parents for a day at the cabin and my mom said that during that time, he would pick up items (laptop case, etc) and bring them to her, drop them at her feet, and walk away. He has never exhibited that behaviour before or with anyone else. Does anyone elses hound bring them household items? And and insights as to why? Thanks!