Scoutsmom

You can start changing over at any time. What's his poop like? The big D or nice and bouncy? The big D is very common when a dog goes to a new home due to stress. You can try to wait for his system to calm down or just go ahead and have it calm down on the new food. I am not familiar with the brand of food you are planning to use. Be aware that greys sometimes have problems with some of the high-end foods. They sound wonderful, but can be just too rich for our grey's delicate tummies. I ended up feeding my pups Iams green bag. Not fancy but I get solid bouncy poops.

6 greys here, only 1 had osteo and she was 12 so she had a good long life.

Don't worry, your grey will teach the puppy manners. It is something that adult dogs do instinctively and they know to be gentle. Several of my greys have met puppies and been quite friendly, but when the pups act like pups, my dogs will correct them. For example, there is a pittie mix pup up the street. My Henry first met her when she was about 2 months old. Being a pup, she tried to climb up his face, he immediately growled and sort of swatted her. She immediately went on her back in a submissive position. Henry sniffed her and every thing was fine. Ever since that encounter whenever they meet (she is now an adult) she is very respectful of Henry but they love to meet each other. I think your grey will love to have a whippet friend. Just don't interfere when she is teaching manners and make sure she is able to get away from the pup if it's energy just gets to be too much for her.

What is your dog sleeping on? I knew a dog an allergic reaction effecting his skin everywhere. Turned out he was allergic to the cedar in his bed. Owners got rid of the bed and the dog instantly improved.---Just a thought of something to check.

As others have said, be patient playing will come with time. But you should be aware that greyhounds do not play like other non-sight hound dogs. Retrieving is a foreign concept to most greys. Sure, they will chase if you throw a toy, but why should they bring it back? You clearly did not want it as you threw it away. Wrestling also is not a big greyhound thing and they may actually get scared if a person or another dog tries to wrestle with them. What greys like to do is race, play tag, and run. I am able to play tag with my dogs in my house--you can make a large oval going thru the rooms and I pretend to run after the dog (actually go at a fast walk pace), make sound effects, and chase the dog who is holding a stuffy. We also do "flying stuffy" where I throw a stuffy up in the air and they pounce on it as it lands. Sometimes that ends with a gentle tug-a-war. A great toy for outside is a lure pole. Take a long stick (some use horse lunge whips, I use an old bamboo fishing pole), tie one end of a string to the end of the pole and tie the other to a stuffy. Hold the pole and swing the stuffy in a circle, letting the dog chase the stuffy. Have fun.

You are angry and I am angry. He is still young and should not have this horrible disease. The universe can be so harsh. If you haven't started to make arrangements for him to leave, you need to do it now so you are ready. I am a big believer in having the dog put to sleep at home on his bed where he is comfortable--it will just be a very deep sleep for him. My town has a couple of vets (recommended by my vet) who will come to your home with only a few hours notice. A previous vet would come to my home if I was able to give her 2 days notice. Then spoil your dog rotten.

Back before the internet age, my first grey, Scout, was a chatterer. I had never heard of a dog doing this in excitment so I assumed she was cold (even on warm days). So I would put her jacket on. She must have thought I was one weird person.

What are your cats like? Will they run in terror at the first sign that the dog is interested in them? Or will they stand their ground and give the dog a good swat on the nose. If they are the first, I agree the dog should be returned as you will not be able to train him to be cat safe. If the cat is willing to stand its ground (and help train the dog) you may be able to train the dog to ignore the cat but it will take time and effort. I've owned 7 greys and all lived with cats. None were as difficult to train as it sounds yours is. I did foster for one night a non-cat safe dog and it was scary--he spent all night trying to get through the door to the cats and I could not break his concentration. I got him out of the house as quickly as I could.

You also might want to look into doggie day care. My Bree was 3 when I got her and she wanted to go non-stop. But one day a week at day care really tired her out and she would do nothing but sleep the next day. She loved going but I think liked the people more than the other dogs, although she was friends with a whippet.

Welcome Toker and Leigh! From Henry and Bree (and their mom, Ruth) in Oregon.

Welcome Lazer! You are going to love retirement.

In addition to what others have said. Is this a newly opened bag of food? It may be that it tastes different or is spoiled.

My first grey very clearly let me know on day 2 that she was retired and was never going to go into a crate again. We settled with babygating her in the kitchen until I trusted her to have the run of the house. Keep this in mind as an option with your new grey.

Welcome from Oregon, USA!

Many grey's are nervous around small kids--they just aren't used to them and they do move and act differently. He may have now become comfortable enough in your home that he feels he can express preferences and his preference is not to deal with your son. I suggest that you teach your dog to associate good things with your son. Can your son be the person that actually puts down his food dish at mealtime? He's probably a little young to actually prepare it. You also should try having your son give treats. Initially have him stand a comfortable distance from the dog and throw the treat towards the dog (but not at the dog ; )). Have him work at throwing the treat closer and closer to himself and not the dog. Eventually, have him give the treat directly to the dog. In addition, you might try using double leashes when walking your dog. Your son is much too young to actually walk the dog by himself, but he can if you are holding the other leash. Let him be the one closest to the dog's head and the one who decides where they are going and when they are going to start and stop. He needs to be seen by the dog as the leader. You mention that you are worried that there was no warning before the snap today. Have you scolded him for growling/barking at your son. That is not a good thing to do as the growling/barking is his way of warning that he is approaching a snap/bite. If you teach him not to do it, he will go directly to the snap with no warning. Also watch his body language very carefully to determine when he is upset. Greyhound body language can be a lot more subtle than other dogs, but it is there. Good luck, this can be worked out.

Have you tried baby-gating her into a room rather than using the crate? the additional freedom often helps dogs that don't like their crates.

If you absolutely cannot put something out of your dog's reach, they do make a bitter no-biting spray that you could try. It worked for me when my dog decided to start chewing wallboard, but I have heard that some dogs think it is tasty. Look for the spray at a pet store.

I am so very sorry to hear this. Your heart must be breaking. Thank you for giving her a wonderful forever home and spoil her rotten. Remember that she doesn't know what is going on -- What she knows is that she finally has a wonderful home where she is loved.

Chris is spot on with what you need to do, or was until Spelcheck modified things. She might have a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) so that needs to be ruled out. Rather than trying to thoroughly clean the strip of carpet, it might be easier to just throw it out and get a new one. I find carpet very hard to really get the smell out of (which is why I have hardwood floors and only a few throw rugs). You don't say how old your girl is. Older female dogs, like older women, can develop incontinence problems--although they are usually wetting their beds. Your vet can help with that as well.

The "Sg" is probably related to the name of his kennel or owner when he raced. It is fairly common for the dog's names to begin with initials for their kennel. Someone here may be able to tell you which kennel uses "Sg". You have a beautiful family--I love that the cat rules (that is as it should be).

If your vet doesn't see anything in the x-ray, I would suggest you ask him/her to have a radiologist take a look. My Henry had a sewing needle stuck in the lining of his stomach. My vet didn't see it in the x-ray but the radiologist noticed it and let us know. My vet then saw what it was that the radiologist had noticed and pointed it out to me--for the life of me I could not see it. The moral is that radiologists have more training/experience in interpreting x-rays than most vets. (Poor Henry did have to have surgery and I now keep the needle as a souvenier.)

So glad it wasn't Osteo and hopefully Payton has learned to leave snakes alone!

To put in simple terms what every one is saying "No, females should not smell any more than the males. If they do, something is wrong." If she is not rolling in dead skunk, a trip to the vet is in order.

He is beautiful! I want to check one item with you as I have found it to be a common mistake with new owners whose adoption groups do not supply a muzzle. DO NOT use the cloth kind that pet stores sell--they are designed to keep a dog from biting and cannot be worn for long periods of time. Make sure you are using a "Basket" or "Greyhound" muzzle. They are made of plastic or wire and allow the dog to open his mouth, pant, and drink/eat. They can be worn for long periods of time as long as there is nothing that they will catch it on. Grey's will try to convince you that they are torture, but they really aren't. They are used at the kennels anytime greys are turned out to make sure they don't nip each other.

I agree with keeping him on a leash or have him wear a belly band when he is loose inside. It sounds like you are doing everything right--he is just a bit slow to learn. I suspect he is marking, if he was just neutered recently. Make sure that you are thoroughly cleaning the drapes with an enzyme based cleaner. By the way, what is his name? If he is not responding when you tell him "no", check that you are using the VOG (Voice of God). I've known new owners who say "no" very gently as they don't want to really upset the dog. It needs to be loud enough and sharp enough that it startles the dog. If you are using the VOG, you might want to consider a spray bottle used only when he is marking. Good Luck and have fun!