Scoutsmom

You might want to make a lure pole to help tire him out. Basically it is a long pole with a stuffed toy on a string tied to it (think fishing pole). Some folks use horse lunge whips to make these. If you search for "lure pole" you will find instructions. Once made you take it to the yard and swing the toy. Your dog should go crazy and try to catch it.

What greysmom said. You've got an overgrown puppy!

My Bree recently developed corns on her hind feet. I contacted my adoption group (Greyhound Pet Adoption-NW) and this is what they recommended: "Corns- we (gpa) have had great success with Hot Hoof II (there is a Hot Hoof I so they need to be sure to get the II) in helping loosen and get the corns to come out and then prevents regrowth. It has worked with 4 dogs so far. It is an equine product. They should get her started on it asap. It is an herb so they need a vet that uses Chinese medicine. Because it's an herb it takes a period of time to build up in there system. This is a life long addition to keep the corns from regrowing. To help get them out, they should soak the foot twice a day in Epsom salt, Chlorhex, betadine....they rub either coconut oil or essential oil should into the pad. Some have also used human corn remover on it which has also worked but it does take some time." My vet has ordered Hot Hoof II for me and I have started the soaks (1/2 cup salts/gallon of water + enough Betadine to make it look like weak tea). I soak a piece of an old washcloth in this, wrap it around her foot, put a baggie over it, and use a Velcro strip (from Home Depot)to hold it on for about 15 minutes. I've been doing this once a day for about 4 days and the corns are definitely loosening. I expect that I will soon be able to pry most of the corn out. The problem is that they will come back because you don't get the entire corn with this method. That is where the Hot Hoof II comes in.

As someone who suffers from IBD, let me tell you that prednisone or Budesonide are miracle workers--at least from a human perspective. Yes, there are side effects, but they can be monitored and are manageable. It is a lifesaver to not have constant diarrhea and cramps and to feel like eating something. When I was first diagnosed 30 years ago, I was given a long list of what I could and could not eat. Recently my doctor (a gastroenterologist) has advised me to just try to eat a healthy diet and what appeals to me, and to note what causes cramps (onions, and raw veggies) and avoid those. IBD may cause poor nutrition because you don't feel like eating anything, but it is not caused by poor nutrition or by emotional stress as was once thought. I hope this can give you some insight into what your poor pup is going thru. You do need a vet that understands IBD. Best wishes to you and your pup.

You don't say where you are. Here in Portland, the Oregon Humane Society gives classes for "the reactive dog". You might want to see if there is something similar where you live.

How about putting her food in a muffin pan?

Just a couple thoughts: Freezing is very normal for a newly retired greyhound. The world is just overwhelming for the poor dog. It will get better. Be careful not to try to comfort him when he freezes. Instead be very upbeat and cheerful-you don't want him to think that there is a good reason for him to be afraid. Also do not "reward" him with a treat when he freezes. The time for a treat is just before he freezes or after he has taken one step out of his freeze. Is there another dog that could walk with him? Another confident grey or a neighbor's dog that he knows. He will relax if he sees the other dog is enjoying the walk and is not scared. If the location is safe and you are not pressed for time, you could just wait for him to unfreeze. He is not going to spend the rest of his life frozen! When he does take a step, treat and praise him. Finally remember "this too shall pass."

I find that the amount my pups shed varies from year to year, with no pattern that I can see. So, you may be right that he hasn't shed like this before. Variety is good!

I think lots of soft cookies are called for (after the ice cream)!

Echogrey, I am sorry people got snarky with you. That is not the usual tone of this site. People: Please take time to read the person's message thoroughly and digest it before you reply. And consider the tone of your message. Readers cannot see you or hear the tone of your voice so some things that might be okay to say in person come off as very snarky on the internet. We want this to remain a pleasant place to come. Echogrey, You have gotten some good advice here, especially from Greymom--she knows her dogs. As others have said, your dog is playing too rough and needs to learn to tone it done. One thing I would add is have your child routinely give Echo treats and be the person who puts down the food bowl at mealtimes (if she is physically able to). This will help show Echo that Belle is not another puppy, but a young leader of the pack and needs to be treated as such.

Something similar happened to a friends dog. They were told it was a massive stroke but the vet could not give them any reasons why it happened. The dog was just about 7 years old. I am very sorry Clifford is gone. Chase the wind sweet boy.

Chase the wind and sleep in the sun, Miss Brin. You are missed.

While I totally agree with keeping the dogs away from the pool when they are not supervised, I think one of the first things you should do is take them into the pool (perhaps with doggy life preservers) and have them use the steps into and out of the pool. Reenforce this regularly, because accidents do happen and they need to know how to get out of the pool.

Moonscapes do have their own charm! When you mentioned getting the hedgehogs in the bushes, my thought was "why do you have a problem with your pup getting her toys out of the bushes?" and "why does this involve digging unless someone has buried her toys?". Then I saw that you are in the UK and are blessed with real live hedgehogs, not grunting hedgemahogs! I am envious.

If it is his muzzle that is rubbing his poor nose raw, put some moleskin on the inside of the nose piece. For those that don't know, moleskin does not come from moles! It is a soft padding found in the footcare section of stores and I believe is often made by Dr. Scholls. It is used for blisters on people's feet.

Hello from Oregon! In addition to what Goofydog2 says above, don't forget the invaluable medical advice you can get here for when London doesn't feel well. Also, please tell us about London. What color is he/she? How is he/she adapting to retirement? Has s/he found the couch yet? Inquiring minds want to know.

I agree. He is just very excited you are home.

I am so very sorry. It sounds like Kentucky is leaving a giant hole in your heart. Or maybe it is a very large paw print. It never goes away no matter how many other beloved dogs you have. You had to make one of the hardest decisions there is and you chose his comfort and allowed him to keep his dignity which I think was the right decision. Run free sweet pup.

This is definitely something for a vet to deal with. That doesn't mean that it is deadly just that a vet will be able to find out what exactly is wrong and how to deal with it. If you don't have an 24 hour vet nearby, get him in tomorrow morning. This might be something like doggy flu, or an inner ear infection.

Hello and welcome from Portland, Oregon. Congratulations on your new girl and welcome to the greyhound fan club. You have quite the busy/full household. Hopefully your current dogs are showing her how to be a pet--where to potty, sleeping on the couch, begging for treats, chasing squirrels, etc.. What is her name? We would love to see a picture. And where are you located?

I used to use them on my previous dogs. I'm not sure why I stopped using them on my current dogs--Maybe because they were young and healthy and it was a hassle to order them. Did they work? I don't know. Neither previous dog developed arthritis problems.

At her age I would not consider reducing the number of times she is fed. Increase if needed, decrease no. If she is not hungry one morning, don't worry unless it continues. After all some mornings, I'm not hungry for breakfast. I've also heard, but don't know if it is true, that giving a large meal once a day can lead to bloat.

When I did interviews and home visits, my major concern was had the people thought thru what it actually meant to adopt a dog and where they prepared to care for the dog for its entire life? I didn't want homes where as soon as the kids left home, they would get rid of the dog. Or where they would be asking to return the dog after the first house accident or first growl. Also did they realize the cost of keeping a dog? And that they wouldn't be able to go out after work as they needed to get home to walk the dog.

Some dogs arrive at adoption groups without any information as to what their call name is. The groups give them a name, sometimes based on their racing name and sometimes just a name that seems to fit. When you get the dog, you can name them anything you want. Just make sure it is something you can yell without the neighbors laughing at you and that it doesn't sound like a command (Nomad and "NO"). Also make it something that is easy to say. Keep the call name if you like it. Change it if you hate it or if it is too close to another pet/person's name in the family. I changed Chrissy to Lizzy because my sister had a cat named Chrissy. My Henry's call name was Dude--I refuse to call a dog Dude (apologies to those who named their dogs "Dude"). So do what you want. Another thought: Make the name something the dog can be proud of. My group once got a little girl in named "Dodo". Talk about setting a dog up to fail. She was immediately renamed "Deedee.

Lovely, handsome boy! I'm not quite clear on your message. Is he pooping in the house, or is he following the other dogs out and pooping in the yard? If the second, Great! If the first, you need to work on housetraining. Is it that you want to take him on a walk on the leash? Put a collar and leash on him, and enthusiastically go toward's the door. If you can take one of your other dogs at the same time, it will help him see what is wanted. You can also bribe him with treats and give him gentle nudges. You also might want to just walk around inside the house at first, then go thru the door to the porch, then back in--small steps.