Katpickles

Hiya, so we're working out whether to get a second houndie. Our girl Foxy Bubble has been with us for nearly a year now we LOVE her. To help us work it our we are houndie sitting a friends grey. We are on day 4 and things are OK, but we go back to work in a couple of days and need some advice on what to do. Foxy is established in her home, she is comfortable being alone and we have a standard leave the house routine that involves nose work, package game and distraction as we leave. We walk, then get ready, have breakfast, then ignore, before putting out her enrichment stuffs. With Squiggle staying, we're not able to do this. They happily share each others bowls, but Foxy has some high value resource guarding (working on it but SLOW, now pawrent tolerant, and lets us trade up, not OK if it's another hound). Squiggle is also more hyper than Foxy, she's a jumper and play pounces, another thing Foxy tells her "No" to. If we are in the same room and say settle then they will, but if we are not, it quickly becomes a zoomie inducing situation. Muzzles are absolutely on during play, but when we are with them and at night they co-exist well. I'm hesitant to leave them inside together as free range houndies, I worry that Foxy will crack the sh*ts or be overwhelmed by Squiggle (who doesn't seem to read the I don't want to play signals unless monitored). But maybe I'm being too cautious? My options while I am at work: 1) leave one inside, the other outside and they can have their own space. Con: will be warmer (25-27c). There is undercover areas and shade. 2) Leave both free range inside muzzled. Con: Play unmonitored. 3) Both inside, babygate seperating them (not enough jump room either side for that to be issue). Con: one houndie will have more room than the other. Would really appreciate your thoughts Xox Foxy Bubbles Mum.

Hello lovelies! I'm hopping all greyt parents in Irmas wake are safe and sound. I'm now officially the fur parent to our Foxy! Fostering period over, adoption complete 😍 Our couch ornament/cuddle machine/play bowing ball chaser is doing well in all areas of adjusting to pet life. She's responsive to name, learned how to use the dog door, happily sleeps or self entertains during the work day, copes with nail clipping and grooming by a stranger and me stealing her treats and re-hiding them. Foxy happily comes on morning and evening walks (over 40 mins each - active girl she is!), is learning how to interact with other breeds, has met lots of new people and acclimatised to short people flapping their arms and squealing (kids). So her generally lovely and cheeky awesomeness is on track with the exception of one thing... She will only walk in green areas. I have to drive her a couple of kms away for us to walk each morning/evening. Foxy just doesn't want a bar of our direct streets. Similar suburbs and she's fine, just not our street?!? I think it's due to the level of traffic near our place, she's really not a fan, the cats and trucks go by at a fair speed. I really need to get her out of this habit/reaction. Not being able to walk her in our direct area is causing me some issues, it's too dark for me to walk her in the parks etc when I get home from work, and I would like to get her used to having a walker in the event my other half is away and I can't get home before dark. Any tips / thoughts on how I can get her moving in our local area. The waiting it out works for around 200m from the front door, having us both go, with one walking ahead works for half a block, but it just doesn't seem to be progressing. She'll hit her 'no more point' turn and pull to go home. She doesn't pull or skit on our other walks unless we find an aggressive barking dog. Your advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for the support lovelies. We have good walks and bad, some I'll get her out and about for a solid 20 mins, others it's 10 minutes and all sniffing. We are keeping the routine going and making sure she knows the routine doesn't stop because she does. Foxy has been really good this week with only one digging incident (pushed the boundaries and she was home 6 hours alone - unavoidably detained in traffic), her pant sessions are limited to just before bed time and she's learning play manners, only jumps on hubby, knows I'll turn my back and cross my arms when she's too boisterous. Have to find a way for her to not climb up to the kitchen bench, she's a good little treat finder! If I have put the baggies back in the top counter it's an invitation for her to climb on the couch to the counter. Cheeky girl. We're going to take her for a drive to a quiet national park for walkies this weekend and see if the quiet helps her out.

My new houndie has started the mouthing with me too. She'll do it when I come home, during play sessions or if I've been patting her and stop - she'll grab at my hand as if to pull me back for pats! It's a bit freaky, but she's very gentle with it.

Update... she made four hours without rooing for long at all - stopped by the time I'd walked to the end of the street. She was an excitable pup on the return, but settled in again quite well after hubby ran her round the yard and played with her for a while. So today was a success. Fingers crossed she keeps this up tomorrow! I get that some days will be better than others, but I'm happy with her progress today. The sleeping through is going to be hard, hubby shift works, so she's woken by him closing the front door - as it's close to her racing start time she think it means go time, so I take her for a pee stop and then straight back to be and she'll sleep till the alarm goes off - and yes she wears her yammies, ecen if out winter is lame compared to EU or US (gets down to approx 60F at night). I'll work out how to tackle that one. 🐶

9 days in with our Foxy. She's sleeping through pretty much all night. Self entertains when in the house or yard when we are both home. I've done numerous alone training gradually over the past week (to the point I'm now concerned about how many treats she's eating). I've switched to healthy options eg. Kibble with dried liver, carrot, and only sealing with a tiny sliver of peanut butter or cream cheese). So I am back to work tomorrow. I've done as much alone training as possible, she has good times and bad times. The hardest thing is the rooing :-( She'll keep herself occupied quite happily in the beginning, then when the kongs done she howls. My neighbours are being lovely about it, and we'll only be leaving her for 4 hours but it's heart wrenching. I've had a couple of tearies, spoken to my Adoption support people's and they are telling me to persevere. Especially as she's come so far, back to being Ok with walks, not overly long, around 15 mins, but a great improvement. Routine is set. She knows not to leave bed til alarm goes off. Looks at me expectantly if I'm 5 mins late at meal time, and doing lots of zoomie and play in the yard with ropes, fluffy toys, balls and squeak pig. She is also down to one potty break a night at 6 hours in - and she lets us know when. I organised a sitter to come, but have since been told that's probably not the right thing to do, as it's adding more stimulus. So I'm going to have to suck it up, and just go to work and let her howl. So hard! I take my hat off to all those that have come before me and will come after. Love Foxy's Fam x

Our lovely girl is now one week in her new home. I've already had some greyt help from perusing all the awesomesauce stuff on this forum, and posting a question. So thought I should introduce us! The gorgeous girl in the photo is Foxy - 2.5 y/o. We live in Sydney Australia. Yes, this means we have to wear a muzzle until she's assessed as preydrive distractable. Stops unaware furry critters becoming snacks and unwitting owners having to explain. I'm Kat, and my hubby is Dave. Looking forward to being part of the greyt community 🦊

Update on Foxy. Still not doing walkies, but she's more than exhausted after a couple of zoomie and play sessions in our yard each day. We're keeping the routine, harness and leash on at the same time each day, she'll venture out and sniff till her hearts content about 50m each way, then its home time again. If anyone is in Sydney near Parramatta area and you have a greyt would love to get in contact. Cheers!

In Oz, were required to have them wearing the cage/muzzle everytime she's in public until they are Greenhound assessed. Irrelevant of if she wants to go or not, I go through the routine of putting in her harness (she's a boisterous girl) and going to the door at the same time morning and evening. She's getting further out each time, a whole 200m each way this morning! I've had German Sheppards and Collies, but never a rescue or greyhound before. I'm getting her back in the yard and letting her dance around as much as possible - she's curious again which is good.

I'll see if I can find a local grey to go walkies with that's a good suggestion. She's too uncertain for me to get her to the car, but she has ventured back into the yard a couple of times, and is relieving herself. She has a bit of the runs, so maybe I've overdone the treats! Ive also had a couple of bows, enthusiasm doesn't last long, but it was there.

Hiya - I am 5 days in with our glorious Foxy. A beautiful 2.5 y/o red fawn. She was loving walks both morning and evening and has been doing really well with alone time, happily playing with her pig, bum in air or lounging in her outdoor bed mastering the Kong. About 2/3 through her morning walk yesterday she started freezing and then decided it was home time, pulling to get me down our streets and back in the house. Once there, settled fine, but wouldn't go back to her happy place in the yard. Last night keeping the same schedule, we attempted to get her walking again, she was a bit resistant with letting us put on the cage and harness but we got there gently. Then out the door half a block down and no dice. Frozen, tremors and then pulling to go back home. Didn't want to stress her so back home we went, and she was back to her bed inside and not willing to budge (except some dramatic roachies and head nudging for pats). Then time to potty before bed, needed firm "Comes" and treats to get her there. This morning - same thing, had to bribe her outside (no leash) and follow her around to get her to do 1 & 2s. As soon as that happened she was back at the door statued waiting to go inside. Oh and as for a walk - no chance! She's also not doing the play thing, so I'm thinking she's freaked out about something. I just don't know what. I'm back in the office next week, and need to get her back outside, she's young and usually energetic, and I wouldn't want her house confined. I've ordered her a crate, but would appreciate any thoughts or guidance to help her back to feeling safe in her yard and walking again. We already love her and want the best for her, she's bonding with us and looks to us for comfort, so don't want her to regress.