NeedlenoseJake

I have heard of people who switched to grain free and the dogs did a lot better. We feed grain free Nature's Domain from Costco, but not because of allergies. It's a good food though.

I just wanted to add that we did the Petsmart training and had a really good experience. However, we met with the trainer beforehand and verified that she uses only positive reinforcement. We just skipped the sit and she tailored the class to us whenever we wanted to. Just our experience.

I wouldn't say he's wrong!

Maybe change his name? Sorry, couldn't resist! Edited to give some real advice- at our Petsmart training class the instructor told us to turn our back to the dog and ignore him/her until they settle down. She said even yelling at them and telling them down is giving attention which is what they want.

Jake has never had food aggression, but he will resource guard toys and bones. First of all, I know that it is very hard to be nice to your grey when he is growling and/or biting at you. You feel like a failure if you just let them get away with that behavior. I've had many dog owners to tell me to get in his face, spank him, etc. However, especially with sensitive greys, that will only make the problem worse in the long run and breed distrust between you. I'd second the advice to slowly throw treats into his bowl until he gets used to you. Good luck!

I'm not sure if Jake really knows that many words besides his name, but he knows inflection and hand signals very well. He knows paw, lay down, touch, wait, treat, walk, ride, and leave it (knowing is not always the same as complying...) However, unless I use my special dog voice, I don't think he could pick those words out of a normal conversation. Maybe someday.

We have a whiner too. It's probably my own fault because I give in to it. He's just so pathetic! This morning he woke us up at 3 am whining to get on the bed. I'll take that over being a barker any day.

Maybe she has a UTI?

I second the other animal theory. Jake did this- all night long!- when we stayed in a cabin one night. There was a javalina in the woods.

I'm sure some more-experienced people can chime in, but I just wanted to add that we've tried the IAMS and now feed Nature's Domain from Costco. Jake's never had consistently bouncy poo's. They are much improved from when we first got him though. I think that's fairly normal.

Welcome! I'm just a little northwest from you in Phoenix. Do you ever go to any of the GH events in the valley?

In my limited experience (just one dog), he calmed down on his own after being in the house awhile. He was in a foster home for about 2 weeks and I think it was only about another 2 weeks before he stopped waking us up and we started waking him up!

We were in the same situation as you- first "adult" dog and first ever for me. You are in for so much fun and some frustration I'm sure. This forum is so helpful! Post photos when you get him!

This is probably best. I do appreciate all of the opinions. We like to take him to the dog park to run and obviously there are a lot of balls there. Maybe I can try to find him a playmate to run muzzled with. Thanks!

Our 5-year old male likes to play with toys, but he doesn't play well with other dogs. He gets possessive of the toys or ball, even if they aren't actually his. I know greyhounds aren't usually fond of rough play, but he is like this even with other greyhounds. Is there a way to teach him how to play? It's not a deal-breaker, but I feel like he tries to play with other dogs but just doesn't get it.

I'm sorry... SHE. Pretty girl.

He was Jake's foster friend right? I never got to meet him, but I appreciate him and you showing Jake the way to retire. I'm so sorry for your loss

Welcome! What part of the state are you in? I'm originally from NE but I live in Phoenix now (it's a dry heat!) Your boy is beautiful. I'm sure you're having fun with him and should have you almost trained by now

Do vets ever pull teeth without putting the dog under? I don't know if that's even possible, just throwing out ideas. Poor girl.

Have you tried giving in and letting him down there when the workmen are there? In my experience, the dog will lose interest once it's not new and exciting. We used to keep the guest room off limits to Jake, and whenever we would open the door he would shoot in there and start getting into things. Now that we know my dad isn't allergic to him we keep it open and he doesn't usually go in there.

He's so pretty (he looks like my boy ) Have fun!

We have had good results with Nature's Domain beef and sweet potato (grain free). I know each dog is different, but that has been our experience. I feel your pain with the room clearing gas... it has woken us up at night too!

We used it every day for awhile and I think it helped. We still use it occasionally. Jake loves the taste too! When his dandruff was the worst we actually put olive oil in a sprayer and put it all over his coat. Messy, but I think it helped while we were waiting for the internal stuff to kick in.

What a pretty boy! I want to kiss his face!

I don't really have advice, but I just wanted to say that I feel for you and that is a tough situation no matter what. Whatever you decide to do there is no judgement. My sweet boy snapped at me a couple of times when I got too close to the bone he had, and thank god he has bite inhibition because I'm sure he could have done a lot of damage if he didn't. It was very scary and that was a bite with no marks. I used to think that any dog who would bite was a "bad dog" but now I'm realizing that one bite does not make a bad dog. On the other hand, you and your husbands' safety comes first. Good luck with whatever you decide.