mikefc
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Posts posted by mikefc
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My girls are both 9 y.o. now. A couple of months ago they both had a thorough dental and lost a few teeth. Unlike before the dental, I'm now bothered by how the Milk Bone Mini's stick to their teeth when I'm brushing. We use the Mini's ( often broken in half ) to reinforce good behavior during the day. I'd like to switch to something healthier now. I tried carrots and got a big "no thank you" from both girls. So I'm wondering what treats have people had good luck with. Anything approaching a meat smell and flavor is a big hit around here.
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On 1/8/2020 at 7:32 AM, racindog said:
I am a working K9 handler. 99.9% of our training and opinions are that once a dog is truly dog aggressive he will be that way his whole life. It is pointless to try and change him. The main thing it comes from is that said dog was at some point in his life attacked by another dog. From that point on they themselves become dog aggressive-even though they were not before. This is one of the reasons that it infuriates me when irresponsible people let their rogue dogs run loose and then they attack an innocent dog being leash walked etc. because it can turn a quiet social dog into a seriously dog aggressive dog just from that one occurrence. It can also come from people letting puppies play too soon and too rough with adult dogs. If that pup gets 'hurt' (bite/foot stepped on etc.) JUST ONCE it can make him dog aggressive his entire life. I don't have to tell you the implications of that and IMO it is a tragic occurrence. Your dog was most likely attacked at some point and as a result he is now dog aggressive. It is NOT his fault. He did nothing wrong and is doing nothing wrong. HE is the victim here. Now, it is a management issue for you but not a training issue for him as the damage is done. This is what our trainers have taught us and what experience has shown us. Just want you to know the truth as it would most likely be an exercise in futility to try and change that behavior now. The genie is out of the bottle.
thank you so much for this. We have sisters, 8yo. Always sweet as can be and still are with ALL humans, even humans I'd prefer they be more cool toward. Recently both have begun to show real anger at some dogs on our walks, dogs they used to pass without a notice now cause them to bark, pull and lunge. They get each other riled up tremendously. The more alpha one WAS attacked by three off leash dogs on our regular walk about six months ago. It is now on our regular walks where they exhibit this behavior. it's sad that there may be no cure but it is sure satisfying to learn (perhaps) why they have started acting this way.
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I wanted to leave a follow up reply here. Giving my sweet Frannie a little kibble before bed has stopped her rising early with an upset stomach. Thanks everyone. Of course her sister Chloe thinks this is a great idea, so we'll have to keep an eye on her svelte figure for her...
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we have littler-mate girls now 6.5 years old. Frannie has started vomiting in the past couple of weeks. She does not vomit food and has a decent appetite, she is spirited and otherwise acts normal. She vomits yellow bile, small amounts. Lot's of dry heaving. It happened about 5 times total and always while in her crate, early morning, maybe late night after we've gone to bed. She never has done this during the day. We've taken to muzzling her while she hangs out in the kennel because she like to eat roots and dirt sometimes. Anyone ever experience this?
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What makes you think they're digging for something to eat? Dogs like to dig. What else is there to do in a sand filled pen? Sniff each other, do a little running, and dig! Digging is super fun, if you're a dog!
Since it's their own space, why not let them enjoy it?
what makes me think? I watched each of them work to a spot in the hole carefully, then using their front teeth, bite it and eat it. "it" could be dirt as someone here suggested but it is a very specific "treat" they are trying to get.
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we have a 40' by 30' fenced kennel for my girls to play in. It is covered in beach sand. In one 4'x'4'area they continue to dig away to reach something to eat. I'll be damned if I can determine what it is, even when I catch them in the act and investigate I see nothing but dirt and maybe roots. I see no grubs or anything "edible" They are both obsessed with this one area and actually take turns. I re-bury the area with sand and we start over. Today I'm going to fill the holes with a bunch of rocks to slow them down but I'd appreciate any feedback, does anyone else have grey's doing this?
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We have two litter mates living with us now since the summer of 2014, they turn 6 November of this year. Over the past couple of weeks Chloe has started showing signs of being cold. Only in the morning and even in the house when she first rises. When we go out for first pee, she shivers, teeth chatter and you can see that she had goosebumps by the fur slightly risen. Now, I understand it's cold out, and over night we turn the heat down to 63f but this never happened before. By 8am she seems perfectly fine and shows no coldness on walks. Under 35 degrees they both wear coats. I've never had a Grey show being cold like this, anyone else?
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does anyone use "people" toothpaste for their grey ? My wife is in the dental field and feels this is fine, I'm not so sure.
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Hello All
While walking our girls recently, someone stopped to admire them ( happens often ) but dropped this little nugget before moving on: martingale collars can cause throat cancer in greyhounds who sometimes pull from their neck. We have a harness and used it on our big boy Lander, before he passed. If there is any truth to this at all we will purchase another and Put Frannie and Chloe in them to walk. They are good walkers about 75% of the time but you know how it is, sometimes we're just out of our minds with excitement and act a bit crazy......
Has anyone ever heard of this cancer issue?
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my Frannie has been spending a lot of down time licking and working at her bum. I notice the right cheek area is getting red now although it doesn't look like a regular rash. Any ideas?
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I'll look for Cindy Lou and you
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Hi Mike, I'm also from Rhode Island (central) and have taken my first greyhound to check out a lure coursing club in New Hampshire. Matt from GPA Mass runs his dogs there when he can, so if you want more info on it, give him a call. I thought it was a lot of fun, but just didn't have the time to commit to it. http://www.granitestategreyhounds.com/
Also, I second George's suggestion to attend the play groups at GPA. They are a lot of fun and the greys get to burn off some energy.
Good luck!!
I'm pretty central as well, Lincoln, Matt's a great guy I'll ask him about NH. What's your dog(s) name. Maybe we will meet at a play date in the spring
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Frannie and Chloe are from Middleboro, last August. That's a greyt idea I hadn't thought of. Also, the point about straight line running makes a lot of sense to me. Why increase risk of injury.
Chad, I'm well that greyhounds are sight hounds. And these sisters are not my first two. Lander, my boy who passed in July was a unique, off leash grey. There are some out there. Lander and I were deeply on the same page, there was never a doubt in my mind from the first time I let him off. He was about seven by that time. One of my favorite memories of Lander is when we would do wooded trails. If he wanted to go longer and I didn't, he would stand on the trail and obstinately tell me he wasn't going home just yet. All I had to do was return to the car and open the hatch. I encourage you to checkout Jen Bachelor, you can find her on youtube. She trains greys for agility. She proves it's the dog not the breed that has certain personality traits. I'm sure you heard that grey don't swim either? She has one that thinks it is a retriever. It is so amazing to watch him retrieve a water fowl decoy! Their instinct to chase is sometimes overruled by their instant to please you. That's what makes greyhounds not the best dog, but the best animal in the universe.
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Hello all, we live in New England with two litter mates,( Frannie and Chloe ) now just 3.5 years old. I'd love for them to have the opportunity to run for their physical and mental health. Right now their curiosity and prey drive are very strong so they must stay leashed. They do have a pretty large kennel 30' x 40' to run and play in but it's not the same as running they way they want to. Does anyone here know of a coursing lure group? We're not looking for anything all that formal or serious, just some good weekend fun.
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That's Frannie. I'll bet she irritated her airway sniffing everything in sight on the beach. Plus it was extremely cold out Saturday. Ty for feedback
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My 3.5 year old Frannie has started making this funny reverse type sneeze. I noticed it after she was sniffing beach sand last Saturday. It appears like she is snorting or trying to blow. Could she have a tickle ? Or something up her nose ? It is not constant. A few times Saturday. And a couple of times each day since. In fact just after drinking. Water up her nose ?
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ah! "bed fails" that's it, seen a few of those. like falling off the bed, stretching and knocking over a lamp table.
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This is how they slept in the den before we got them serpent day beds......
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What a beautiful story. They sound like wonderful girls. Hope they are helping you heal from the loss of your boy Lander.
Lander could never be replaced but the gaping hole is now full again. Every time I look at Lander's picture on my desk , I thank him for the memory he left. He was the total opposite of these girls, 85 pound male, raced 49 times, won more than a few and suffered tremendous scars. He displayed the mistreatment of racing greyhounds on his skin and in his heart. He gave no quarter but loved without limit. All he ever wanted was his sofa, a walk and to be with my wife and I. And boy did he like to run, right up to his declining health. he was special in that after six months, no leash was ever required. It was used in public but we ran trails in the woulds, he ran full speed on the grounds of the small airport near our home. And on beaches, that was the best....
I see him running still.........
Amazing how sensitive some of these dogs are. Very touching.
And yes, definitely spread the beds apart. It's a simple, practical safety measure that won't interfer with their affection for each other.
i'm taking the advice from the group...... ty
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to Greyaholic : you know you make a good point and I have considered this. Being new to having sisters, I'm open to suggestions. On the one hand, they are each concerned for the other, they eat at the same time, side by side, even drink side by side from the same water bowl, they sleep in their crates which are against one another and seem content. So naturally I we felt they would like to doze side by side while were watching TV or reading. But after this incident maybe I should give them space? I don't have to tell any grey owners here how "out of control" sleepers they are, 'roaching, stretching, rolling over, etc. Incidental contact with her sister is inevitable I guess..... I know I would't like a foot in the eye if I was in a deep dream state .
what do others here feel?
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I felt the need to share this with the community.
After losing our cherished boy Lander at the age of ten last July 2014, we immediately went searching for another rescue. My wife wanted a female this time and for me, with my heart so broken, any dog that needed a home was OK with me. We fell in love with Frannie a 2.5 year old from Florida who only raced seven times and did poorly. As we were contemplating taking her home, the adoption agency informed us of her sister, with whom she had spent her entire life, was also up for adoption. Chloe and Frannie had raced from the same kennel, lived together at Becker Veterinary College for a semester and had been languishing at the adoption center for over six months. The center did not want to break them up and most people only wanted one dog. My wife and I took both. Having never experienced two greys and certainly never having litter mates, we were so excited to watch them develop in their new "forever home".
Frannie and Chloe love each other dearly and it is so wonderful to see how they display that caring. Frannie is adventurous , leads on the walks and always has her ears up ready for adventure. Chloe, is her protector, quiet, following behind and keeping an eye on her sister. She only comes forward when they feel threatened by another dog, then Chloe "blocks" and barks if she has to, to warn the other dog away from Frannie. Frannie whines a bit. They share everything, even their most prized smokey bones, never possessive of toys, even the newest, coolest squeaky toy is given to her sibling if she ask for it.
This is all background for what happened last week. While sleeping on their respective beds in our Den, Chloe had a nightmare and awoke startled. She stepped on a sleeping Frannie and startled her as well. When Frannie jumped up and barked at Chloe, Chloe gave her such a reprimand as I have never seen. Not a dog fight but a real angry exchange. Frannie left the room and went to the kitchen. I found her there, trembling and heart racing. I comforted her for a bit then opened the mudroom cupboard where her treats are, she went into the room and leaned against the back door asking to leave. When I offered her a cookie, she refused and instead laid against the door to the outside and stayed there. It was clear she wanted out of the house! I would have expected that she went up to her crate ( her safe zone ) but no, she wanted to actually leave! So I asked her if she wanted me to take her out to her kennel to settle down. When we got the the kennel she stiff necked me and asked to walk down the driveway..... without a leash, my dear Frannie would have ran away from home. My heart was broken. After a short walk I insisted we return to the house where she went directly to bed. For the next three evenings she refused to lay in her TV room spot and stayed upstairs. Fearing she would no longer stay with us, two nights ago, I had an idea, I locked both crates so when she went up to hide, she found them locked I placed her day bed near me at my end of the TV room while Chloe stayed in her normal spot at the other end. Finding her crate closed she came back downstairs, noticed where I had put her day bed and immediately settled in for the next two evenings on her bed in this new location away from her sister. Yesterday I moved the bed back to where we started and last night they slept side by side, while my wife and I watched television. Back to normal.....
I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but this is why we love greyhounds.... all they want is for someone to care.
healthy training treats suggestions?
in Food and dietary discussion
Posted
ha! not only do we have them in the States, I have them in my cupboard....
thanks so much, worth a try