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Feefee147

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Grey Pup

Grey Pup (4/9)

  1. Hey! I have no helpful advice at all, particularly for the issue you are having with him personally - sorry! All I wanted to say is that when we first got our grey 12 months ago he was a mess! Anxious, resource guarding, snappy, unable to be left alone even in a separate room without crying his heart out, terrified outdoors, lunging at squirrels, trying to grab small dogs, terrified of bigger dogs.... so I hear you. It's hard and there were times I cried my heart out wondering if I could ever give him a happy life! The one good thing is that we could always identify his triggers though, so didn't have the problem you are having with random aggression towards you for no obvious reason. However, we did find that (as everyone said although I didnt really believe it at the time) it really does take a long time for these lovely big creatures to adjust and relax. So whilst I'm not suggesting that you should keep him if you are fearful he will bite you (that's something you will have to decide), I can honestly say that with time, patience and some good bonding/boundary instilling training we have come a hell of a long way and we now after a year have a gorgeous, big, tail waggly grey. Training helped immensely - all sorts from 'off' (beds and sofas if he was resource guarding), leave it, find it, wait...etc all helped to engage him, build up trust and a bond between us all, and also taught him that both my partner and I were here to guide and love him (I agree pack training is debunked generally but they still need to learn boundaries and right from wrong). It sounds as though you are incredibly keen and dedicated, which is absolutely lovely. And it's nice to read that you're keen to continue rather than hand him back. And I just wanted to send a hug and say 'chin-up'. Things WILL get better!
  2. I'm a tiny 5ft 1 size 8 sort, my grey is around 38kgs. I absolutely prefer a harness and actually find I have more control. I know, as stated above, this is always a contentious subject. But personally I feel more confident and have no trouble keeping him from lunging, pulling and leaping. I have the Ruffwear Webmaster. When we first got our grey he was reactive to everything and would do anything to get a squirrel, including lunging (and screaming!). Watching him backflip on a collar when I pulled him back was terrifying, no idea how I didn't break his neck, so I switched to harnesses after that. I also like that he'd have to be Houdini to get out of the three part harness (he's slipped a previous one) and the handle is brilliant if I need to hold him for any reason (eg to move him out of the way....etc).
  3. Poor Benny! And poor you! It's not easy to see them anxious or struggling. We found our dog was very meek and shut down when outdoors initially, so no problem with small dogs or other fluffies. It was only once he started feeling more relaxed and confident that his prey drive kicked in. We live in a VERY busy area with small 'handbag' dogs running around off lead all over the place so luckily we had kept him muzzled on all walks anyway. We still do, a year later, but that's also because he's a food monster and people around here leave takeaway food detritus all over the place "Leave it" training has helped hugely with this, and also if we encounter squirrels, cats, foxes...etc. It's not perfect, he will still get excited, but he will walk on and doesn't lunge or howl like a banshee now. As 1Moregrey has said - freezing is very common with greys initially. You may find some days he's ok, others he will be fearful and statue. And sometimes something scary can set them back a little. I spent a long time in the first few months standing still waiting for my grey to move. It's frustrating at times, but is what it is. We've all been there. Our grey was a lot better at walking and then, around bonfire night, some little Herbert's chucked a firework in the street near us. Scared all of us, and took a few weeks before our boy was comfortable outdoors again. Even now he can panic and freeze if he hears something loud and unusual (and we've had him a year!) A lot of time, patience and gentle encouragement are all I can suggest. If it helps, it IS possible to get treats through a muzzle but takes a fair bit of practice to get it them in first time ;-) Good luck and let us know how you get on!
  4. Hey! Congratulations on your new boy As you have already identified - he has different reactions to small dogs compared to other dogs so thats a great start. It's hard to say without seeing, but it sounds as though with bigger non-prey drive stimulating dogs he's just wanting to go and say hello. Ignoring the whole small dog reactions (that's going to take time, patience and a lot of training) how is he when you do encounter other breeds in close contact? Personally I would suggest, if he's not nervous, agitated or trying to get away, following his lead (ha - sorry!) and letting him dictate the greetings. As you have said, he's on lead and muzzled so can't do any damage. And, whilst doing that, working on some good lead etiquette training to teach him not to pull would help over time. As someone who initially had a very nervous dog who wouldn't go anywhere near other breeds (now he's the same as yours - gets excited and wants to go say hello) I would definitely recommend letting him get close and socialise if he wants to. I would start with other on-lead dogs so there's no chance of him being overwhelmed or crowded, and see how he gets on. I'm sure other owners you encounter wouldn't mind as you're clearly a sensible owner. And if he gets antsy or reactive, you've got him close and safely muzzled and can re-evaluate/go back to basics (work up from a distance). Obviously that's just my opinion, and I reckoned some of the more seasoned pros will have some better advice. Good luck!
  5. Definitely. He is just not comfortable being alone, even now (a year in). That said, he's a lovely boy and is a lot more relaxed and has done brilliantly in all other areas so time, gentle patience and training have done wonders for his confidence overall. I really wanted to get another once he settled a bit (he was rehomed elsewhere previously and attacked by another dog so was very nervous of other dogs initially). But, alas, a surprise pregnancy put that on hold as I don't think I could cope with another greyhound AND a baby. Maybe one day....
  6. Just to be the party pooper - our grey was a very anxious boy for a LONG time. I started on SA training straight away and had to go from scratch and build up very slowly - 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 12 minutes....etc and it took months before he could be left alone even for an hour or so without agonising and crying his eyeballs out (poor neighbours!) He was (and still is sometimes) a very clingy, anxious chap so perhaps I got a 'duff' one in that respect and they usually adjust quicker, it sounds as though that is the case looking at previous comments. Whatever happens - good luck and enjoy :-)
  7. Hey Overwhelmed! How are you getting on? Hopefully it’s all going ok? 🐾
  8. Aw bless her! Firstly - congratulations on your new addition! Secondly....stop blaming yourselves! Three days is absolutely no time at all and it's completely normal (albeit frustrating at times) for new greys to be incredibly nervous and anxious outside. Especially in busy areas with traffic, people ...etc. If you search all the forums you'll see many posts on statuing and freezing. It's going to take time to build up her confidence with all these strange new things. I'm lucky in that I have a small garden area for toilet trips, which was a godsend initially and saved me doing the 20 minute (but would have been 2 minutes without freezing) walk to the park area every time my boy needed the toilet. He was absolutely terrified being plucked from his life and being shoved into a big loud city and I did have a few moments initially when I wondered if it was fair to keep him, or if he should be rehomed somewhere quiet. We built it up slowly (he's too heavy to carry so we had to just plough forward with routine - the same routes so he could start to feel comfortable - encouragement, cheery voices and positive reinforcement) and he's now generally fine with walking and noise. So it does get better. It just takes a lot of time and patience. There's not a lot I can add to the replies above. Plenty of good advice Except ... It's very early days and you're all learning. She WILL get used to everything and, as she starts to relax and bond with you, things will improve. You'll have a couple of steps forward, and then the odd frustrating step back. Trust yourselves, take it all on the chin and don't beat yourselves up!
  9. Awww. A TEN MINUTE bath?! Well done! Sometimes the small victories can seem huge You must be about two weeks in now? You're doing well to be able to leave him alone in a room - so well done for that. What was the situation with the bite last night? Was it similar to the last one (eg you leant over him?)
  10. You poor thing. It sounds as though it's all very stressful. Firstly.... breathe! You're not doing anything wrong. You're not making him miserable. You're not at fault! He's just overwhelmed, anxious and struggling with his new environment. Completely normal and you'll find a lot of grey newbies go through exactly the same things. I know I did and recall the first month of so was incredibly stresfull and I worried about all the same things (was I doing what he needed? Would he ever be happy?...etc etc). It's a tough time when you first bring them home and takes a lot of adjusting (for you too). Not knowing his past as well, "change of circumstances" isn't helpful at all. Sometimes the adoption centres put a good spin on things as obviously they need to rehome dogs, but it would be helpful to get a full honest history so you are completely aware of what you are dealing with. I'm sure you'll get a lot of good advice along the way. Just reading through the posts on Greytalk will help. Separation anxiety is a VERY common issue. It is 'fixable' and you will, in time, be able to leave him. It will take patience, time and training to build it up but you will get there.... honest. Also sleep startle is definitely something to be aware of. I found that my grey was very nervous and startled a lot initially, I was snapped at a few times in the first few months. Again, time and patience can help with this (again, lots of threads on this topic). It's very early days and greys take a long time to adjust - a LOT longer than other breeds. So I'm not surprised you're struggling, especially in comparison to other dogs you've dogs you have had. I felt the same and genuinely couldn't understand how a grey could be so different. For what it's worth - I've had my boy 11 months now and he's gone from an anxious, snappy, introverted dog who couldn't bear to be left alone for even a minute and was VERY difficult on walks to a lovely, cheery, fun bag of farty sweetness. It hasn't always been easy and has involved a lot of training. But if you are willing to put the work in and persevere it is worth it. Good luck!
  11. Personally, I think he's going to get upset initially until, as you said, he realises you always come back. They're used to kennels and company 247 so it's all a big change for him to get used to. I used to (rightly or wrongly) shut him out the bathroom and could hear him pacing and crying outside the door. Or if the doorbell went and I received a delivery I would shut him in the lounge and he would just stand in front of the door whining. I felt absolutely horrible about it at the time, genuinely sick at hearing him upset. But he had to get used to the those two basic bits of time alone as a starting point. I persevered and very quickly he got used to me going for a shower and shutting him out - he'd just go and snooze nearby. And then I moved on to leaving the house in small increments. They get used to routine pretty quickly, *need* it even. So (and I know everyone does things differently - I'm not suggesting I'm right!) I would carry on as you are, be pragmatic about it and if he cries for a few minutes when you've left the room then just grit your teeth, rationalise that you are doing the right thing, don't beat yourself up and just carry on. He WILL get used to gradually having some alone time and before you know it you'll be pottering about and realise he hasn't panicked and run around after you for 5/10/15 minutes.... My grey is still clingy and loves to be sprawled out nearby. I don't envisage a time when he will every be completely happy being left alone, but at least after building it up I can go out for a few hours and not feel like the worst person on the planet
  12. This! Couldn't agree more! My grey is not a tactile, affectionate boy. He'll roll over for tummy tickles if I sit beside him and ask if he wants a tickle, but for quite some time - months - he couldn't bear being touched. I found when out walking just chatting to him really helped with freezing and panicking. And indoors too - if he was anxious or struggling I would just talk to him and he'd calm down. And if he peed on his feet (daily occurrence) I'd chat to him about cleaning his paws and he'd shift his weight and pass them up to me without panicking. Sounds daft and I must have (and still do) look nuts but if I sit and chat to him he'll crawl on the other sofa and gaze at me while I babble away. I have no idea if he understands me, I suspect not as he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. But talking to him has definitely helped.
  13. It's hard! I had foster dogs (Jack Russells, Staffys, Bulldogs ...etc) and people were so much friendlier with them! Even people I used to see and say hello to give me and this boy a wide birth now. I had a small snappy Yorkshire terrier with a *lot* of issues (snappy, shouty, fear reactive) and yet people were friendlier with her than my big, gentle giant. I guess a small cranky dog is much less scary than a big 38kg muzzled dog! Mine has snapped a few times at little dogs (muzzle on, no problems) so I appreciate they may think he needs to be avoided, but as for everyone else ... *shrugs* It makes me sad, particularly when my grey sees another dog and wants to go over and say hello (it's taken a long time to build up his confidence so he's comfortable doing this), but before we get a chance they've whisked their dog away rapidly and strutted off with not even a smile. I beam, chat, make us look as friendly and cheery as possible but unless the other person has had involvement with greys (in which case they make a point of going out of their way to come over and chat) it's fruitless. Then the people who do interact tend to either do the whole "track number 4 please...haha" (sighs) or just quiz me on if he ever gets off lead time (yes!) and look disapproving about how he's always on lead (in the small park by my house with busy roads all around it). I do think where I am (UK) there aren't many greyhounds and it's mainly the muzzle - people don't really use them unless they have aggressive dogs. Shame.
  14. You're doing really well! You know they are relaxed when they start rolling over for belly rubs. It's the little things like this that make it all worthwhile :-)
  15. Hey! Welcome! As everyone above has said - TAKE A BREATH! Have a nice cup of tea (or a huge bottle of vodka ) and relax. I've said it before and I'll say it again - although I may get grief for it - greys are NOT easy dogs. In my experience, and I've had/fostered a fair few breeds, my grey has possibly been the most difficult I've had. The adjustment times, issues and size make them (IMO) quite a challenge at times, particularly in the early days. I fostered mine pending permanent rehoming. That fell through and a month or so later I got the point where I just couldn't bear the idea of turfing my big, gentle, nervous, clingy boy out into the unknown where I knew he would be frightened and agitated. So I adopted him. Even after all that I still had a period of time where I though "holy crap. What have I done?!". You're not going to instantly bond and fall in love with him after a week. It takes time to build a bond, trust and love. That said, I'm 11 months in now and adore the boney backside off him. Warts and all It hasn't been easy at all and has taken a HUGE amount of bonding and training for snapping, resource guarding, freezing, reacting to other dogs, snapping at small dogs, reacting to children.... etc. Slow progress and we still have issues. But once I made the decision to keep him there was no way I was going to give up and send him off. He may not be easy, cuddly, playful and issue free like other dogs, but when he charges around the room flinging his toys about with his tail helicoptering around about in excitement because I've been out for an hour (which started happening about 6 weeks in) it makes it worthwhile. And when he waggles his tail manically and prances around waiting for me to throw his ball (took a couple of months of training for him to fetch and start to enjoy toys) I laugh in delight. And then 6 months in I found out I was pregnant (accidental pregnancy - I would never have intentionally got a grey if I was intending to have kids) and one again went through a whole myriad of worries regarding safety, his happiness, a child's safety..... However, it is what it is and I'm confident I can manage it all carefully and make it work. I think you genuinely need to sit back, take a break and rationally think 'can I do this? Do I WANT to do this?' - and I mean that kindly with no judgement. You've got to *want* to continue. If your heart isn't in it and you don't feel you have the inclination to carry on it will be detrimental to all of you. Dog included - he needs love, patience, time and training. And you need to be comfortable with your choice and have good days as well as bad. A week is very early days in terms of greyhound rehoming. As someone once said to me - the dog you have now is nothing like the dog you will have in a month, 3 months, 6 months and a year. And that is absolutely true. Separation anxiety is a big issue with greys - they just aren't used to being alone. We've all been there. There are plenty of resources and guidance available and it WILL get better with time. We have our grey sleep on a separate bed in our room, and that works for us, but you don't have to. Even simple things like keeping your bedroom door open and putting a baby gate across can help - he can see and hear you still so doesn't feel alone at night and get upset. But whatever you decide he will take time to get used to it and you will have sleepless nights to start with. Similarly you just have to start being a little ruthless at times (which is hard, I agonised over all of this initially) eg shutting the bathroom door, starting leaving him alone for a few minutes and building it up slowly. It's worth noting that our grey cried and ran around trying to find me (heartbreaking) when I left him (even though my partner was home) and absolutely howled the place down (I have a good neighbour) if we both went out. But I made sure right from the start that I started to deal with the SA. Now I can go out for hours (he'll mope a bit, peer out the window and then fall asleep) and if my partner and I both go out (difficult during lockdown) he'll usually do the same. But that took months of slowly building up. There is no quick fix. Sorry - it's a long one! Just wanted you to know that it's very early days, completely fine to feel panicky and reassure you that IT WILL GET BETTER!
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