Scoutsmom

Some people I know make a point of walking their dog around the edges of the field before letting their dog off leash. I don't know if it makes a difference or not. Accidents will happen no matter how safety conscious you are. We could protect them from everything that might possibly be dangerous or we can take obvious steps and let them run as they were born to.

I find an old ladle works best.

My 12 year-old Henry does this sometimes. He asks to go out every night around 3 am, If it is a warm night, he often refuses to come back in when I call him and goes to one of the outside beds and snoozes. When he is ready to come in, he gives a soft bark under my window. We don't have bad mosquitoes so I have no problem with letting him enjoy the night.

You also ask about hiking. All 7 greys that I have had loved hiking in their younger years and could easily do an 8 mile hike. You do have to be careful because, lacking the fat insulation, they are more prone to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. And I find their paws are more tender than some other dogs. I would never ask them to walk on a lava field, or hot rocks/sand up on Mt. Hood on a sunny day.

A big differnece you will find between your sporting/retrieving dogs and greyhounds is in how they relate to your commands and how they think. Sporting/retrieving and herding dogs had to obey their masters to get their job done. Greyhounds had to be able to think for themselves. When chasing a rabbit, if they looked back to their masters for orders, they would lose the rabbit. This tends to transfer into today's world in that greyhounds are different when it comes to obedience training. It's not that they don't learn it, it's just that they learn differently and have to see what is in it for them. There are greys that are agility stars and some that learn tricks, but most of us are satisfied if the dog just learns basic manners. In addition, don't expect the tennis ball to be a favorite toy. Greys are not natural retrievers--running is their game. If you throw the ball and ask them to bring it back, they will look at you as if to say "You threw it away so you clearly don't want it-I'm not going to bring it back to you." That said, I know of one grey that is crazy about retrieving tennis balls---I think he is a lab in grey's clothing. And my greys enjoy chasing labs that are chasing tennis balls. Labs don't always understand that my dogs have no interest in stealing the ball, they just want to run. Re swimming: Greys have much less fat than other dogs so they are not buoyant and swimming is difficult. Also they lack the insulation that fat provides so they really feel cold water. One of my current greys loves to wade and splash in water. My other is scared of water--when she was young she ran on to what she thought was solid ground and it turned out to be deep water with plants on top. She made it to shore but the experience left an impression.

Another thought: Do the boyfriends smoke? I have had several dogs that didn't like people who smoked. No one in my immediate family smokes and I think those who do, just smell strange to my dogs (and me).

I think you are making the right decision even though it is hard. Back when I used to place greyhounds, I doubt I would have placed one in a home where not everyone was taking responsibility for helping the dog adjust. If the roommates are waking her up, but not getting her outside to pee, there are going to be problems. I don't know about you, but when I wake up from a sound sleep, first thing I need to do is visit the bathroom and it would be torture if I wasn't able to. That is what your girl is going thru.

Even if your vet can't find anything wrong, it is clear that something is absolutely not right. If you trust your vet and he/she is grey savvy, I would ask them to do an ultrasound or an MRI of her body. (MRIs are much more expensive and an ultrasound will show most tumors). If nothing is found, I would look into finding a vet that does acupuncture as that might help her improve and doesn't cost that much. It has really helped some of my dogs. Gentle ear scritches and love to Ms. Dorie.

Is the boyfriend loud? That can be scary. Have the bf walk by your dog (as close as he can without upsetting her) and drop the treat without even looking at the dog. Do this several times and she will begin to look forward to him walking by. Also, if he is around at dinner time, have him be the one to put down her dinner.

Something scared her on your front walk. It may have been something so minor that you didn't even notice it. But in her mind it has turned into a giant monster just waiting to eat her. It sounds like you've done all of the usual techniques to deal with this. I do have 2 additional suggestions; 1. Stand directly behind her when she statues and walk forward, gently forcing her to move her rump. Once she starts moving keep going until you are past the "scary area". 2. Ask someone with a confident Grey or a dog she knows to join you for your walks. The confident dog will help show her that there is nothing to be afraid of.

I usually have a frriend watch my hounds but I did board them once--at a vet that had a small boarding kennel. I was very worried about one of them as he was extremely shy and nervous. Turned out he loved it! I think it reminded him of being back in the racing kennel with regular meals and turnouts. We met his trainer once and it was clear that he loved her and I think loved the whole kennel/racing environment. So boarding was a fun trip down memory lane for him. My other dog was bomb-proof and was fine with being boarded.

Check that she is not cold by putting a blanket on her when she is curled up at bedtime. If she shakes it off, she is not cold. And check that she is not sleeping in a cold draft. Next make sure she isn't hungry by giving her a bedtime snack. If neither work, concentrate on learning to sleep thru the noise. My sister uses earplugs.

Wonderful news!

I agree he is doing great! When your time away is longer, he will either collapse where he is by the door to sleep or he will move to the sofa.

If you are planning to get two dogs, I would recommend starting with one and then adding the second. My reason? Rather than trying to train 2 dogs at once, you can concentrate on training one, get house training, no-cat training, stair training etc. down. Then in a month or two get your second dog. The first will help train that second dog by being an example. I can't imagine trying to train 2 dogs at once to handle stairs or that the cars on the street will not jump the curb and attack them. The dogs would feed on each other's nervousness. The only way I would do 2 at once is if one is a re-home and had been in homes for a while.

If you want to try doggie ice cream, it is much cheaper to make your own. I don't have a recipe handy but it is basically yogurt and peanut butter and whatever else you want to add, frozen overnight.

Good Dog, Ollie!!!!!

She permits the puppy more leeway than she allows the older dog, because it is a puppy. Dogs are hardwired to treat puppies differently--they expect adults to have manners. When the puppy gets too exuberant you may see your dog growling and correcting the pup. Don't interfere as Darla is just teaching the pup manners.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/canineflu/keyfacts.htm This site gives information about the types of canine flu that have appeared. I remember when it first appeared in the greyhound racing kennels. There are also links that you should probably pursue. I see you are in Chicago which is listed as one of the outbreak sites. I don't know much about these diseases--I don't think it is a real problem here in Portland. If I were you, I would talk to your vet as he/she would know the local conditions. You might want to keep your dog away from dog parks/ play groups until he is vaccinated, but talk to your vet. Do remember that the medical community has lots of experience with flu vaccines so it is probably safe.

Yucky question here: Did you actually see them come out of the dog's hind end?

The tapeworm segments I have seen are white. I agree they look like dried earthworms.

One technique I have heard of for getting a dog to accept someone is to use treats. Have your husband drop a treat near Ollie without looking at Ollie every time he (your husband) walks by. Soon Ollie will look forward to your husband being near. Bribery works!

Run free, without pain, sweet Nattie. You are loved and will be missed.

I agree with what you have been told so far, but I wanted to comment on Ollie's relationship with your husband. My timid Henry was terrified of men when I got him, to the point where he would try to bolt if they approached him. It was not that he had been abused by men--he just had not been around many men and they are big, loud and scary! I met his trainer at my group's picnic and she confirmed my suspicions that all his attendants (servants) had been women. If your husband is large, have him kneel down or sit on the floor by Ollie. DO NOT let him lean over Ollie as that IS VERY SCARY. If your husband is loud, have him speak softly around Ollie. Bribing with yummy treats is always good. And have your husband be the person who sets dinner down for Ollie. These actions and patience will bring Ollie around. Henry's favorite person in the world (after me) is now his Uncle Don. But he is still a little nervous meeting big, loud strange guys and probably always will be. He likes to hide behind me when strange guys are around. Have fun. Ollie sounds like a great dog!