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ArrowOwner

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  1. ArrowOwner
    Yes, I think lifting the chest up with a harness or hand has been the best option when mine's in a deep freeze. We also bribe with treats, which can really help get her started sometimes. We also decided to take her to doggie daycare all day twice a week. Then we try to take her for a run at a dog park or fenced area once a week. So if she's having a bad freeze day or two, we can skip the walks without worrying about her missing too much exercise. Also, I feel like if she's worn out from daycare or a run, she's a little less likely to be willful and freeze. Hope the harness helps!
  2. ArrowOwner
    I feel your pain! We have had our new grey (our first) for going on three months. She did not statue at all the first week or so, but then it started and it seems to not be improving (if not getting worse). Everything else is so great, but this is very frustrating and confounding. I feel like it is mainly out of curiosity, she wants to go find another dog or check out a smell or a place she remembers from a previous walk. It is my real hope that this improves when the weather gets warm again (as many have suggested it will). She does much better in groups, especially if there are other dogs. I have found that a harness helps, you can swing her away from distractions without harming her. And if she does a major freeze, I can pick up the handle and lift her chest up while walking forward. This causes her to kind of skip along and after two or three of these, she often gets the picture and starts walking again. Other owners recommended this and this seems to be working the best right now. But I certainly understand your frustration. I'm hoping the freezing improves for both of us!!
  3. ArrowOwner
    I have a similar question. We just adopted our grey, she's 6.5 years old and weighs about 58 pounds. Our adoption agency gave their guidelines 1.5 cup in the morning with some protein sprinkled on top and then 1 cup in the evening again with some protein added. We also give her at least 3-4 treats during the day (greenies, jerky, peanut butter kong). Are we feeding her the right amount of food? Her weight seems stable and the vet said the weight was good, but sometimes I feel like she looks a bit skinny (though it's hard to tell with a greyhound, especially compared to other breeds). Thoughts? Thank you!
  4. ArrowOwner
    I feel your pain! We have had our new grey Arrow for about 2.5 months. We love her and it's going great in every way except for her freezing/statue-ing on walks. It doesn't seem to be getting much better a few months in. Our current approach is to just let her mainly walk in the yard and adjacent yards near the house (on leash), it let's her wander around a bit but we don't get so far that it's a nightmare if she does a big freeze. She also loves other dogs and it feels like a lot of the statue-ing results from her hearing/seeing a dog in the distance and wanting desperately to go find it. We have started taking her to doggy day care two days a week. She gets to hang out with other dogs all day (always supervised) and she seems to love it (never wants to leave when I come pick her up). It gives her a lot of activity, and she's generally zonked for the next 24 hours afterwards. I think it means frequent walks are less of a necessity, though sometimes I worry we're indulging her preference for pack life rather than teaching her to adapt to being an only dog in a domestic setting. But if it seems to make her happy, that's the main thing. So you might consider that option... One thing I hope is that part of this behavior is indeed the winter. We've only had her in the winter so far, and I'm really hoping things improve in the summer. Do greyhounds dislike winter in general? I feel like she seems cooped up and wants more activity, but then when we go outside she's usually not that excited about it. Our Arrow DEFINITELY does better on walks if there is another dog or even a larger group of humans. The fewer walking companions, the more she freezes, every time. PS Also, a new thing we just started trying is an adaptil collar. An owner of a former freezer highly recommended it. It's only been a few days, but I do sense that her freezing has perhaps improved a tiny bit (too early to tell though likely). But it might be worth a try...
  5. ArrowOwner
    Ah, I see the difference. The harness is actually working quite well when she get's obsessed with a smell, I can gently swing her back on track. However, when she freezes, I have to lift up on the harness (like a briefcase) and pull her forward. I think this is working a lot better than the martingale (not pulling on her neck), but I do worry about the straps rubbing against the back of her legs. She's quite willful. I think it's mostly that she's super curious and just wants to explore everything and not leave a single stone unturned, but I feel I should establish that she needs to follow my lead when she's on leash. I don't want to be overly forceful, but I feel like she needs to eventually learn to follow along on walks, otherwise it's just going to be an endless struggle. Still feeling a bit frustrated, but trying to be optimistic about improvement. Does anyone else worry about the harness hurting the back of their front legs? Thank you so much for fielding our questions - we're about two months in and still learning!
  6. ArrowOwner
    The walking in different directions does sometimes work, though not always. It also can be tricky if we're almost home and she suddenly wants to go off in another direction. I think the harness is helping, but the one I got doesn't have a handle. Is there a brand/model you recommend? Another issue is that I have a second residence for work, so she's getting used to two new homes, which I think is part of what's making her slow to come out of the freezing tendency. Everything else is absolutely wonderful! One thing we've realized is that she is an incredibly social dog, both with humans and other dogs. Part of the freezing is that she constantly wants to go up and greet every person/animal she sees. We tend to let her do this, but some people don't want to interact and we have to respect that, though it will cause her to freeze every time. For now, we're keeping walks very short and very nearby our house. 10-15 minutes maybe 3 times a day. To give her more exercise and interaction we're doing all day doggy day care two days a week, which she seems to love and is totally zonked afterwards into the next day. Also, we try to take her to run once a week. With the doggy day care replacing longer walks, does it sound like she's getting enough exercise? She's 6 and a half, raced 60 races and had three litters of pups, so she's a little older than some new adoptees. Any thoughts? Thank you for your input! It's such a help...
  7. ArrowOwner
    Hi All, Update, I'm still trying to give her two good walks a day, but the freezing is still quite an issue. Does anyone have thoughts on Martingale collar vs, harness. There are times when she's really dug in that tugging at the Martingale collar (as gently as possible) is the only option. I wonder if a harness might make it a little easier until this issue (hopefully) resolves. Thanks!
  8. ArrowOwner
    Update on Arrow: She is doing great! Responded to the anti-inflammatories. Now she is off them, the limp is totally gone and she seems very healthy. Very relieved! Probably just a sprain. Back to a normal walk schedule - which brings me to a perhaps slightly off-topic subject. The freezing/statue-ing is back with a vengeance! We've now had her for almost two months. We were hoping for the freezing to be improving by now, but it almost seems to be getting worse. We are feeling a bit disheartened at the moment. We love her so much and everything else is so great, but the walks have become very tedious and frustrating. We've spent probably too much time theorizing as to why it's happening. One thing we do know is that she is very social and always wants to be around new people and other dogs. Any time we see a new dog or person across or down the street she is either stuck staring at them or desperate to change directions and get to them. Once she meets them she loses interest in a minute or two. We are so hoping to enjoy normal walks. We do know that it's much better with both of us (with just one walker it's almost impossible). Any words of insight or encouragement?
  9. ArrowOwner
    Yes, definitely won't take her on long walks till her prescribed healing period is over. But generally speaking, are two or three 10-15 minute walks a day plus a run once a week enough for a six year old grey?
  10. ArrowOwner
    Hi All, Our first new grey Arrow (7 weeks) is doing wonderfully overall, but her one issue (as I've posted about previously) is statueing. It's not improved much yet, and then she got a limp when we let her do zoomies in the back yard. So she's been resting and on anti-inflamatories for the last 4 days or so. She has cabin fever for sure, and we are gradually getting her walks going again. But because of the statueing, I'm hesitant to go on big long walks and get stuck. Thus her walks end up being relatively short - 10-15 minutes (2-3 times a day). We also try and let her run in the yard or at a park once a week or so. Is she getting enough exercise? She is 6.5 years old and had three litters of pups; so she's a tad bit on the older side for a new adoptee but is still very outgoing, energetic and curious. Should I just take her on longer walks and roll the dice that we'll have to carry her home? Thoughts are much appreciated!
  11. ArrowOwner
    Hi, We are new first time adopters of a beautiful female grey (6 yrs old). We've had her just six weeks and she is wonderful. She started limping 3-4 days ago. She's very energetic and loves doing zoomies and sprints in the back yard, and after one of these sessions the limping started. Today, we took her to the vet for the first time and he identified the pain in her back left hip. We have her on anti-inflamatories, but he said if it doesn't improve in 3-4 days we need to do x-rays to look for bone cancer. We are obviously very worried and a bit freaked out having only had her six weeks. Does anyone have insight or advice for brand new owners on this topic? Thanks so much...
  12. ArrowOwner
    Wow, that's exactly what's happening: Limping on hardwood floor and sidewalk but not on grass. If it's a corn, is this something that the vet needs to deal with, or is it something we need to just wait out? Thanks again! Also, this morning (second day of limping) she went out and was obsessed with eating grass/plants and is not showing her typical interest in her food. Could that be related to the limping?
  13. ArrowOwner
    Hi All, New owner of Arrow (six weeks) with new question about limping: Ours had a nice run of circles and zoomies in our small back yard yesterday. She took a walk last night and did great. Then this morning she had a slight limp. It seemed to go away after a few minutes so we thought it might just be that her leg was asleep or a cramp, etc. But she froze worse than every before on her walk this morning, then when we got home she started limping again. It seems to kind of go away after a while of walking, but it's been persisting all day, particularly right when she gets up. We suspect it may be a cracked nail, but not completely sure. When do you all decide a limp means a vet visit? Also, we keep finding different bits of advice as to how often to clip: every two weeks, 6-8 weeks. Any thoughts? Thank you all so much - this forum has been priceless for a new grey owner!
  14. ArrowOwner
    Thank you for the encouragement and interesting about the Adaptil Collar! Does anyone else have experience with these collars in relation to freezing/statue-ing on walks? Also, Is every two months the appropriate time to get her nails clipped? I noticed that one of them seems to have a little crack and am wondering if that could have a connection to the recent backslide of statue-ing. Thank you all again so much...
  15. ArrowOwner
    Hi All, Update on our new grey Arrow: We've now had her about 6 weeks. When both my wife and I walk her, she still occasionally statues, but is doing much better about coming out of it when we use one of our tricks (do a 360 turn, tap her on her back, nudge her from behind with encouragement). But on solo walks, she does not seem to be improving and may be getting worse! If she see's another animal, human, or sometimes a car, she freezes and it can be very hard to get her back on track. Everything else about her is great, but this one thing is frustrating and we were hoping for more improvement by now. Any further advice? Thank you all again...
  16. ArrowOwner
    Hi our wonderful new grey Arrow loves to run around our smallish backyard. Today she came in from the run with a little cut on her lower hind leg. Nothing major, probably a half inch long. We want to get some general advice on treating such things. We washed the leg in a bath and then put a little neosporin on it. Any thoughts or recommendations? Thank you!
  17. ArrowOwner
    Hi All, My very new grey Arrow was starting to do better with the "statue-ing" on walks, but then it got very cold and it's started back again even worse. Do you all keep walks significantly shorter when it's below freezing? We have a nice coat for her, but she just seems less willing to get moving in the cold. Anyone have thoughts on this? As far as the statue-ing motivation, I feel like it's more about detecting cats, squirrels and other dogs as well as unfamiliar smells. I believe it's less about being scared. She seems to be a pretty confident grey. If it's the case that she's getting distracted by other animals, is this something that will improve over time? I truly hope so, the walks are becoming very tedious! Still early days though (2.5 weeks). Thanks!
  18. ArrowOwner
    I feel like it's a little of both, depending on the situation. Also, I think she sometimes gets overwhelmed by traffic sights and sounds. I tried something new last night. When she freezes, I give her a little bit of time and if she doesn't get going, I gently pick her up while encouraging her and bring her along while I keep walking, as if to say, "it's okay, you're safe, but we need to keep moving." And I feel like that seemed to help - it keeps the pace more brisk and doesn't give her the opportunity to really lock in so much. I don't want to give her the sense that she is leading the expedition and can start/stop whenever and go wherever she finds most interesting. That seems like possibly a bad precedent to set. I feel like I want to walk the right line between being patient/assuring but also making sure she understands that I'm the leader and will show her the way. Thoughts?
  19. ArrowOwner
    Two more questions/thoughts about the walking/freezing: It occurs to me that the freezing started after I took her to the dog park and she was chasing the previously mentioned chihuahua through the fence. I saw a more aggressive, prey-oriented side of her I hadn't seen before. And then the freezing began after that. I wonder if they could be related? Also, she is extremely affectionate and likes to snuggle with me a lot. Sometimes I get down on the ground with her and we lay around together. A few times she has stood up and walked over me while I am laying down. I wonder if this stuff may be leading her to see me less as the pack leader and more as a peer, and thus the freezing and not taking my lead properly on walks? Today she froze up twice and also wanted to chase after a passing jogger, which was a first. Should I stop and be a little more distant and authoritative with her perhaps? Thanks again!
  20. ArrowOwner
    Great, that's a good solution. Thank you! Right now her freezing on walks is still an issue. What worries me is that sometimes these walks end up only lasting about 10 minutes, she does her business, then will only walk back toward the house. I worry she's getting cooped up too much and not getting enough exercise. Do you all think this is ok for now? Again, I've only had her two weeks so far....
  21. ArrowOwner
    Wow. That's terrible - so sorry that happened to you and your greys. If dog parks are not an option, what solutions have you all found to let your dogs run? I keep hearing they need it 1-2 times a week. And is a smallish fenced yard enough space for them to get a decent workout? Thank you all again. This is invaluable advice for a newbie.
  22. ArrowOwner
    Yes, I am a bit worried about the parks. When she was chasing the chihuahua through the fence, I felt that I was seeing a side of her I had not seen and that I don't want to encourage (she shares a home with a cat). I am in the states, where I feel like the dog park rules are not all that defined. And there is extreme encouragement to never let them off leash in an unfenced area. Muzzles are not required in public here. One thought I had was finding a friend with a big fenced area, maybe even a farm, where she could run but wouldn't be thrown into the dog lottery. Maybe also find friends with dogs, let them become buddies and let them run free in a fenced yard? Does anyone have a dog park situation that is working for them? Thanks, John
  23. ArrowOwner
    Does anyone have thoughts on dog parks? We've taken our new grey Arrow twice. I could tell she loved it so much - getting to run free and be with other dogs. And she generally did great both times. At one though, there were separate spaces for big and little dogs, and she seemed a bit obsessed with a chihuahua on the other side of the fence. Chasing it back and forth and barking. I felt like it made the dog's owner a little uncomfortable. I know she couldn't get to the dog in this instance, but I worry about her being in a shared space with a small dog. Do you all muzzle your greys when in a dog park with small dogs? The other thing that worries me a bit is the unpredictability of other dogs. I know greys' coats are thin and worry about some other dog getting too aggressive. Our grey loves to chase the other dogs, but she doesn't seem interested in anything more than sniffing and then running onto the next thing. But I can't help but feel like I'm gambling with her safety a bit every time I take her, though she so clearly loves the experience. Any insights? So grateful for this forum...
  24. ArrowOwner
    Thank you so much for your insight! Treats are helping for sure. I think with persistence this can improve and she has only been with me two weeks, so everything is still super new. Does anyone have thoughts on dog parks? We've taken her twice. She generally did great both times. At one though, there were separate spaces for big and little dogs, and she seemed a bit obsessed with a chihuahua on the other side of the fence. Chasing it back and forth and barking. I felt like it made the dog's owner a little uncomfortable. Do you all muzzle your greys when in a dog park with small dogs? So grateful for this forum...
  25. ArrowOwner
    Walking update - She is still freezing regularly, but there is one thing I've found that get's her going again. I pick her up, move her 4-6 away from where she was frozen and set her down as i'm walking briskly. I try to do this very gently with positive reinforcement. Seems to work pretty well. I don't want to be doing this forever, but of all the techniques I've been seeing, this is working the best. Is this ok? It doesn't seem to scare her or anything, it just seems to kind of reset her and get her off of whatever was distracting her. Always grateful to hear further thoughts and advice... Another quick question: What signals do your dogs give you when they want to go to the bathroom? I've yet to discern a pattern of behavior that I can read for potty time. Thanks again!
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