Rijnbeek

Thank you guys for your responses! Looks like feeding it raw is the way to go I have also found liver cake recipe for dogs, so I will try this as well. Not looking forward to cutting up raw heart and liver, but anything for our beautiful girl!

Hi all. It has been 6 months since our beautiful girl came into our lives and we have realized that she can be a bit picky with food. So we try to add different things like sardines, cooked egg, chicken, beef, veges to her normal kibble. We also give her barf which she loves. The other day I found raw beef heart at a supermarket but I didn't get it as it looked a bit scary....! Does anyone have experience with cooking and feeding beef heart to your grey? I have read that beef heart needs to be either frozen for more than 24 hours or cooked well to kill bacteria etc. but some people feed it raw as well. How do you cook yours and how often do you give it to your grey? Any opinions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Thanks guys for your replies. Most of the people who talk to me on walks are either grey lovers or just interested in the breed, yet there are unfortunately some silly people as well. Some grey owners in the area told me that greyhounds are so misunderstood and I used to wonder why they said that. Thinking about it now, maybe they have had similar experiences. I think it is so true that you get a lot of attention when you walk a grey! I kind of enjoy that A primary school girl said to me the other day how beautiful my girl is and that melted my heart

Hi all. Thanks for all your responses and apologies for the late reply. I needed to cool down a bit! Since the unpleasant encounter with the lady, I have heard from people around that are that there is one greyhound that goes off leash in a park somewhere close. Apparently that grey chases small fluffy ones and other dog owners don't appreciate it. Greys are not allowed to go off leash in the state I live, so maybe people get a bit scared when they see greyhounds because of that experience. Well, that is at least what I try to think to convince myself that people would not act in that way otherwise. Anyway, I will stay away from that area for a while and will practice better answers you guys shared in the meantime! Thanks again for your responses. Can't imagine my life without Greytalk now!

Thanks for your reply! Yes, my girl is completely black. Actually, someone said the other day that it was her first time seeing such a black greyhound I think I need to be more tolerating of other people with different views. Most of the people who actively ask about my dog are either grey lovers or purely interested in greyhounds, so I was shocked when the lady was like that. If I see her next time, I will say hi and just keep walking! Thanks for your reply and the kind words! That is a good idea to turn the conversation. I couldn't believe people could be so judgy. Lucky that it is not somewhere we regularly go to...it was not a pleasant experience...

Hi all. Thanks for reading my post. This may not be exactly about training and behavior but I need opinions of fellow grey owners. Sorry for my rather poor English skill in advance. Today, I took my grey to a park we usually don't go just for a change. She had a good sniff and was all happy but got extremely tired and all she wanted to do was just going home. So, we were walking back home and saw an old lady with small white terrier looking dog. I crossed the street so my grey doesn't scare the little white one. My girl was so tired that she didn't even look at the white dog and just kept walking. Then my grey found a cat and decided to stop and look at it, so I redirected her with treats but still stayed on the same side of the street. Then, the old lady with the little dog on the other side of the street asked me if it is a greyhound and I said yes. The conversation went like this. Lady: Is that a greyhound? Me: Yes. Lady: Oh, you should put a muzzle on it because they can bite. My dog is very docile. Me: Well, you know that the muzzling law was lifted in January this year and pet greyhounds don't have to wear a muzzle anymore? Lady: Oh, really. Well, I heard a story of a greyhound that bit other dog. Did yours race? Me: No, she never raced. Lady: Oh, a lot of them do though, and they are trained to chase and kill rabbits and things like that. (I think she was talking about the illegal live baiting that came out few years ago in Australia.) Me: Mine didn't race though, and any dog can bite given the right circumstance. Lady: Yes, any dog can bite but greyhounds think that my dog looks like a rabbit. Me: Sound like you don't like greyhounds, huh Lady: I love all the dogs. It's just that greyhounds are different Me: (got upset and just walked off) This person clearly had no idea what greyhounds are like yet decided to throw some unfair comments at me just because I was walking a greyhound. My husband thinks I was an easy target because I am small and Asian. All I could tell was that for whatever reason she was so stuck-up and arrogant. I don't really care whether I was an easy target or not. I wish I have handled the situation better. If you were in a situation like this, what would you say to that person? My English is not perfect so that made me frustrated at myself, too. I got a bit upset as I had never had such experience until today. Any opinions are appreciated. Thanks.

Just thought I would share my experience with my first and current grey my husband and I have adopted in October last year. Although she only barks once a week or so, it took her about three months to settle! I totally understand how you feel, but your grey will settle one day I was so close to give up on her but I am so happy that I didnt. Hang in there!

Thanks all for your replies! We have tried crispy cat treats (fish flavored "party mix" to be exact) and mini marshmallows. They hold our girl's attention for a while but she not when the other dog comes too close to walk pass. She refuses to take the treat and just looks at dogs... So, we are now thinking of trying cheese and hot dogs. Not sure if anyone would be interested in the progress and what works etc, but will come back to post update in few days or so

Thanks for more ideas! Babybel cheese sounds great but they are quite pricey here in Australia... So, I ended buying mini marshmallows, fish flavor crispy cat treat and turkey ball looking thing. She seems to love the cat treat the most, mini marshmallows were way too small for her to chew Hopefully the desensitisation will go well with those treats! Thanks all again for your input

Thanks all for your replies! Cheese and hot dog sound great. Do you just get ones for humans or are there any made specially for dogs?? Mini marshmallows sound interesting, too....! Our girl has never had anything that sweet so it is going to be interesting to see how she goes. Keep more ideas coming please

Hi all. It has been more than four months since we adopted our 5 year-old grey, and she has started showing somewhat uncontrollable interest towards other dogs, especially fluffy small ones. We have read how to distract with high value treats when there is other dog in sight and eventually desensitize. Our girl is food motivated so we think this is going to work well, but we are wondering what we could use as high value treat and how big they should be cut into. Any inputs would be appreciated Thank you!

Not much to add to the wonderful advises from the experienced grey people but just wanted to share my experience. I have felt EXACTLY the same way when my husband and I adopted our girl, so I understand how you feel and what you guys are going through. I kept asking myself if we were the right people. It is not easy and it could be challenging both mentally and physically. Hang in there and don't be so harsh on yourself. You never know what your boy will be like after 6 months. It took our girl almost 3 and a bit months to stop whining when left alone. What changed her was us taking her for a longer walk (about 45 minutes walk in a park) before leaving the house, and letting her sleep in the same room at night. We were hesitant about letting her sleep in the same room with us for the same reason you mentioned, but we were wrong. She has gotten much happier and more confident just by moving her bed into our bedroom. The change doesn't happen in one night but it really does help. Also, don't worry if it takes time to bond with your boy. Be playful and affectionate with him but let him come out of his shell at his pace. One day, he will come to you for a pet, kiss, cuddle etc. It may take time but it will happen Try look at the positive things your boy brought into your lives. I am an immigrant and never felt like a part of the community where I live before, but now random people talk to me when I walk her and I feel like I truly belong here for the first time! I am so grateful that she did her best to fit in our lifestyle and all the joy she brings us. It took me a while to feel this way, but I am so happy that I didn't give up on her. Take a big breath, be nice to yourself first, and enjoy each day as it comes Oh, and we also live in a humble-sized apartment with just a balcony, and she is energetic for a greyhound. We can't let her go off leash in public where we live, so we feel guilty that she can't have a free run. What we are doing is we are planning to take her to a slip track every now and then so she can run to her heart content. We also take her out four times a day (20 min morning walk, mid-day 45 min walk, 20 min evening walk & 5 min potty break before going to bed). As long as those walks happen, she really don't care exactly when they happen.

I actually did the same when she didn't get up for the first time. I thought she was sick or something and straight went to her asking "What is wrong? Are you feeling okay?" Wow, my girl also does this sometimes! I found it super cute

Thank you for all your replies! Wow, I didn't expect to hear that it is actually a good sign. I feel a bit proud of her and myself

Hi all. This place has been a hige help for me over the last four months! So thank you so much!! I have another question about my greys behaviour. Its been about 4 months since adopted her and my husband and I have been doing a lot of alone training with her. She used to get overly excited when we came home separately or together but now she sometimes just doesnt even move from the couch when I return. This makes me feel a bit worried if we are bonding well. When my husband returns from his work after 10 hours or so, she gets excited and runs to the door to say hi to him. When I return usually after 3 or 4 hours (Im working from home), she sometimes just moves her head to check if it is me and just stays on the couch.Then I say hi to her in an upbeat tone and pet her. Is she just sleepy, upset, or simply Im not her favourite...? I know it is a good thing that a dog doesnt get too excited when it comes to tackling separation anxiety, but it makes me think if I am not doing something right. Do you have any experience like this? She comes up to both me and my husband for attention and kisses when we sit on the couch watching tv etc. Any opinions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys for your responses! Yeah, it does seem like it is a gradual process. Our girl smiles more often these days and I personally feel like we have just started bonding although she was roaching on the second day She has started showing her “drama queen” side as well, which we find cute and funny.

Hi all. Our girls has turned five the other week and its been about 15 weeks since we adopted her. I have heard that it could take a year for a new grey to completely settle in a new environment but how can one tell that? Is there any signs (I know how silly I sound!)? Any stories and opinions are appreciated Thank you.

We are going through somewhat similar situations with our girl, so I understand how you feel. It can get all too puzzling! We are getting a professional advice from a greyhound specialist/trainer and she said similar thing to what Rakete said above. I tend to worry too much about everything, and she said that such attitude can make a dog feel anxious. Now I understand why everyone here says that time and patience play huge role

Hahahaha! I just had a good laugh imagining Grace signing and receiving parcels!

Thanks DocsDoctor and BatterseaBrindl! Our bedroom is also a study so there is not much space left, so we decided to move her bed to the entrance of our bedroom. We left the bedroom door open and she slept on her bed whole night. She normally moves back and forth between bed and couch, so it was a surprise. We will see how she goes in the next few weeks. We also noticed that she “talks” quite a bit in her sleep! Not sure if it has anything to do with the new sleeping arrangement but she seems to be hyper active this morning and bolted out the front door into the enclosed communal corridor for the first time...lucky she can’t get outside unless she knows how to use the elevator.

We are still not really sure about letting her sleep in the same room....will she be more dependent on us? She did well on Tuesday afternoon (I am in Australia so hours ahead of you guys). Just a bit of whining and started sleeping in about 10 minutes after finishing her treats. Today I decided to leave her in the morning. Since she’s more used to spending afternoon all by herself, I thought I should give it a go. It was our fifth time leaving her in the morning. She had her breakfast on snuffle mat, had treat then went to the front door and whined only for a second. However, she did smallest pee inside and made her bed rather aggressively. Then started sleeping after 10 minutes after finishing breakfast & treat. I would like to think that once she gets used to us leaving her in the morning, she would not soil inside...but I honestly don’t know if this will be the case So many ups and downs!

Thanks for your reply! My girl does something similar too. She occasionally lays by the bedroom door at night time (she sleeps in a separate room) and eventually goes back to her bed / couch. She doesnt whine at nighttime, it is more like she is listening to us....! How did you stop your boy from pacing and whining? How long did it take?

Thanks for your reply! She does howl a bit on some bad days and did pee inside last Sunday She yelps sometimes (maybe just two times a week?) but never destroy anything. She does okay during weekdays but weekends especially Sundays are different story. Maybe she is more attached to my husband or she thinks she is missing out on some fun activities? She does try join us when my husband and I are hugging standing in a room, so she doesn’t like to be left out. Very confused...!

Thank you for your reply! The odd thing is that she never pee inside during weekdays when left alone. However, she did pee inside during her alone time on Sunday just gone. Her anxiety is worse when my husband and I leave together. She also gets very excited when my husband comes home. This makes me think that maybe she is more attached to my husband...? But she doesn’t react when he leaves in the morning although I am always at home when that happens, so that is why she doesn’t get anxicious? I am so confused...! She has never been destructive but she does howl on some bad days. Bad days are normally Sundays and Mondays. Then she gets more relaxed during weekdays. Severe SA only on weekends is something that some people who adopted greyhound go through...? We haven’t given our neighbors biscuits or anything nice (!) but posted a letter explaining that she whines when left alone and about alone training when we adopted her. We are very lucky that they are understanding. We own our apartment so it is nice to know no one can kick us out but I really don’t want to annoy our neighbours...

Hi. I have posted two topics here already (thanks for those who have replied btw!) but I thought I would make a new one instead of adding updates to the old ones. About 8 weeks into adoption, our four-year-old girl seems to be more stressed than before during her alone time.She gets a frozen Kong and a treat (pig ear, frozen halved banana, greenie etc) when we leave. Usually my husband leaves first (she just stays on her bed or couch to see him off) at around 7am and then I give her treats right before leaving anywhere between 9am to 3pm depending on my schedule. It used to take about 10 minutes for her to start sleeping or at least start relaxing after finishing her treats, but these days she looks more anxious and sometimes takes 30 minutes to settle down. After she finishes her treats, she goes to the front door, whines for few seconds, goes to bed or couch usually looking at the door for about 10 minutes (and whines on and off some days), goes to the door again, whines for few sec, back to bed or couch, and whines on and off until she gives up and falls asleep. Also, she seems to get very stressed when seeing us leaving together on weekends, mostly Sundays.She starts whining after 5 minutes of our departure until we come home. I know 8 weeks is only a short time but I am worried that she may have severe separation anxiety. Is there anything I could do to help her cope better? She gets two 20 - 30 minute walks & two potty breaks at lunch and before bed. She usually greets me calmly upon my return but sometimes she cant be bothered getting up to say hi and just stays on bed/couch looking at me. Any advise would be appreciated.