Feefee147

We're 10 months in with our lovely grey, and also expecting an (unplanned - eek!) baby in a few months time. I'm trying to plan ahead and think about making any adjustments sooner so he can get used to things gradually, rather than leaving it until a baby arrives and having him associate any changes directly with the arrival of the new offending child. Sleep startle is not a huge issue compared to some greys - he sleeps on a sofa in our room and knows he has to stay on it overnight until we get him up for breakfast. However, he does occasionally get up and clamber onto our bed in the early hours of the morning (I assume he is cold, however he gets far too hot in pyjamas so I put him back to bed with a thin blanket and he's fine for the rest of the night). If he does climb onto our bed he is not particularly cheery at being kicked off. We do sometimes encounter grumbling, growling and snapping when he's half asleep and comfy so I know to stand back, rustle the duvet and be very firm vocally with him rather than touching him or letting him stay on there...etc. Not ideal at 3 in the morning but it is what it is and he does get off again, begrudgingly. Fine for us. However, obviously not so fine for a baby or young child who will need to learn pet boundaries. I've tried moving him to the hallway at nighttime but it's quite cold out there and he just cries and stands at the doorway (I block it with a gate so he can still see and hear us) for ages. Obviously after 10 months in our room he's really distressed (understandably - I know we've only ourselves to blame!) at being suddenly kicked out. Harrowing for all of us! I'm happy having him in our bedroom so I'm more concerned with creating a safer environment rather than kicking him out. So.... some sort of pen? Has anyone any hints on tried and tested x-pens or ways of creating a safe space? If I can get him used to that, and find a decent sized sturdy option, it would also be very useful in other situations (eg if I visit my parents who have two small 10 month old leaping around daschunds, or if I have guests with small dogs/children. Any other suggestions greatly received! :-)

Thats certainly an odd one - quite a head scratcher! Does it apply both ways - ie is it physically the door, and he is wary of coming *in* as well as out? If it's just going out through it that is bothering him it could well be that opening the door is the gateway to the scary outdoors (rather than being the actual door itself). It may just be the different sounds in the city suburbs - it's surprising how scary greys can find completely innocuous noises. And I can imagine living in the Dales (beautiful - you lucky thing!) was lovely and quiet compared to where you are now. If that's the case, and he's just fearful of the different sounds, it's going to have to be a time, patience and confidence building jobby - slow and steady, same routes, lots of praise and good rewards for getting up and out. Have you considered just having the door open (I know it is cold!) and perhaps just sitting in the doorway several times a day just to build his confidence up enough to wander over and look out/listen without actually having to go out? And of course lots of positive praise and great treats would be encouraging if he does so? Alternatively, do you have a different way out - try to reset using another door and a completely different route to the outside? I'm sure some more seasoned grey people may come back with more helpful suggestions. I hope you get it sorted for your poor boy!

I hear ya. I'm 5ft 1 (and a half - you know that half is important ) and about 50kg and my grey is also 37kg. It's not easy and they are big, powerful dogs for us little 'uns.. In all honesty, my horse/dog scared the cr@p out of me at times when he first arrived 10 months ago. He was incredibly nervous, a fiend to walk when small fluffies were around and turned into a resource guarding devil with my bed and stolen tasty treats. I was a fosterer for a local charity and I think that really helped, as I had the mindset with each dog (all different breeds) that I was just a stepping stone to build up their confidence, get them used to a home environment and then see them on their way. So with my boy I never felt the pressure or the commitment of 'ownership' and *having* to make it work. A potential couple were going to adopt him ... that all fell through (they wanted a smaller sighthound) and then with lockdown came a lack of potential rehomers. I adopted him about three months in and haven't looked back. But it took a lot of training (for both of us), patience and time. Now I absolutely adore him and wouldn't be without him, trust him in all situations and can easily walk him safely. But it was a long road to get there. If he's not right for you then you absolutely have to do what is best all round. Greys do have some issues that you possibly wouldn't find with other breeds and/or smaller dogs, and in my experience are a lot harder than other rescue dogs. But you've invested time, effort and love in him. You've identified his issues and can make sure the charity take these into account with a new home. As I said to Ellen a while back - don't see this as a failure and absolutely DONT (easy as it sounds) beat yourself up. If you were fostering him (lots of people do this) the outcome would be exactly the same - you'd just feel good about yourself and not agonise over it. *big hugs*

Samson's Day: * Wake around 9am and clamber onto our bed (not a big fan of cuddles but has worked out that if he sprawls his 37kg out lengthways across our legs when he wakes up we will too) * 9.30am - Breakfast, toilet (we have a small garden) and then back to bed. He's not a morning dog, likes to eat and then sleep for a few more hours. He'll generally sprawl out near wherever I am working and snooze * 12ish - Big stretches, wander around checking where the pack are located, waggly tailed greetings and then performs Operation Food Reconnaissance to see if anything is lying around that was previously missed or has magically appeared overnight * 12.15 - Walk with just me. He's less confident than when the whole 'pack' (ie partner too) take him. I (rightly or wrongly) let him dictate the pace, direction and interaction with other dogs/humans but it's usually about 20 minutes of sniffing, timid hellos, toilet and then he heads for home * 12.45 to 6pm - sleep interspersed with random 15 minute play/training/stroking periods - I'll sit next to him and stroke. If he paws for more I'll continue until he's had enough, but he's not a cuddly fan of overzealous touching, throw a squeaky ball around to fetch, play "find it", give him treat toys..etc. He'll snooze nearby around these periods whilst I work * 6pm - another walk with just me. Same as above * 6.25 - Stare at me, put his head in my face, tail waggle and try to herd me to the kitchen - how do they know it's dinner time?! * 6.30 - dinner time and then out to the toilet * 6.40 - stare at me for food tray (we give him a tray of wet food each day plus biscuits, and leave a little bit of wet food in the plastic tray as a lick treat for after he's eaten) * 6.45 - bark at me intensely with tail waggling and lead me to the kitchen for tray. Lick that and then chill out for a bit * 7.30 - partner and I eat, he has a snuffle mat with held back food biscuits * 7.30 to 10pm - more chilling on the sofa interspersed with stroking (he doesn't come to us, we go to him!) * 10pm (ish) - Get up, stretch, get increasingly hyper and bark excitedly for a walk * 10.15pm (ish) - walk with partner and I, varied route and length which we dictate whilst he cheerily prowls for foxes and cats * 11pm to midnight - snoozes in the lounge until we have "bedtime toilet". He goes in the garden and then into the bedroom onto his bed and sleeps until 9am. Rinse and repeat... We also head to an enclosed area to chase a ball several times a week for a good run around which he loves!

You had snow??!! I didn't get any. Just rain - I LOVE snow. Leave the dog.... take me out for a walk :-) It sounds as though when she IS outside she's loving the walks, so that's brilliant. Well done! You've clearly made her feel relaxed and confident enough outdoors to let her excited nature shine through. I do think greys generally just have absolutely no idea what they are supposed to do in the strange alien place now known as home. A couple of things I tried that you could give a go if you haven't already... * I trained a specific whistle (just a little set tune). It was mainly for recall when I optimistically assumed he would be off lead at some point (no chance - he'd chase a squirrel to Scotland) and he learnt that if he came he would get a lovely treat and a lot of excited praise. He was very aloof and introverted, with anxieties over being touched, so it was a good way to get him up and interacting once he realised whistle = nice treat. You could try something like this? * All sorts of different noisy toys (yep - I looked an idiot in the pet shop!) - see which ones get her interest. Mine loves one particular type of squeaky ball and will come running if he hears it, the rest he'll completely ignore * Short training and/or play sessions regularly throughout the day - enough to engage and excite her but not enough for her to think "oh god, what now. I'm tired..." :-) * I'm very vocal and chatty and put on an excited voice for absolutely everything to start with. He now knows excited voice = something good. Even if it's just a carrot from the fridge he'll come running over to excitedly investigate * Lots of treat toys - kong, licking stuff, peanut butter spread on old bone, puzzles...etc. Put nearby and her curiosity will get her up and over to it eventually! Perhaps leaving something tasty for her to investigate when she is ready, not paying her any attention and then gently praising her when she does have a sniff or a play may give her the confidence to start wandering around without thinking it will result in a walk or having to come to you? You've potentially tried this sort of thing and I'm stating the obvious! And it may well be that she's just not that fussed about getting up. Time will tell! I hope you're doing ok!

It's probably hard to imagine it now but it does all gradually get better with time. Honest! In three months you'll look back and think 'wow, it was hard to see the progress on a daily basis but she really HAS come a long way'. I used to worry about everything - was he happy, was he scared, could I give him what he needed - and I agonised over his anxieties and how hard it must be for him. I learnt over time that just being cheery and matter of fact about anything that is worrying him and, in extreme cases, excitedly showing him ham gets him moving past anything :-) Food trumps scary!

Oh bless her! Firework season was ridiculous this year - every night for weeks. We were out with our grey and some young ruffians who had got hold of fireworks were chuckling them about. One hit a car about 20 feet away, scared the crap out of all of us, and we had a similar issue - subsequent nerves on walks. Luckily he got over it relatively quickly. My grey was a *very* nervous and reluctant walker initially. He still is if only one of his 'pack' takes him out, and not both of us. It used to take 15 - 20 minutes to get him out the door and into a local park which is about 45 seconds away and this went on for months, gradually improving. That said, he was just generally nervous and not reacting to a specific event. I'm sure the greyhound 'pro' bods will give you some great tips. The only thing I can really suggest is 'time and patience' which is probably not helpful. And also smelly ham! If your girl is food orientated you may find super smelly treats are enough to distract her and encourage her along - my grey gets so focussed on staring at and following the ham that he forgets his 'I don't want to go out without the whole pack' anxieties. As the nerves kick in at the sign of the lead, have you considered perhaps popping it on at various times and just having her wear it indoors here and there with lots of praise and treats? Just so that she starts to associate it with good things and not just scary things?

Leaving her alone for 8 hours straight is a very long time, especially for a new grey settling in. It could be boredom, loneliness, anxiety OR she just can't hold it in for 8 hours (neither can I!) As MaryJane says - she'll need a toilet break at some point during the day. Hopefully you coming home at lunch will help and she will get into the routine of holding it in during the morning and afternoon periods if she knows someone is going to come, let her out and give her a tasty treat for doing it outside instead. Personally, I would definitely recommend getting a dog walker or pet sitter in for an hour or so during the day if you can't come home regularly. If nothing else, just to let her go to the toilet and give her some attention and stimulation. Good luck! I hope you crack it

Congratulations Our grey gets quite upset if he is confined (eg a crate) or separated from us. When we leave him alone - which isn't very often but we are doing it regularly for short periods to get him used to it - we just dog proof the lounge and bedroom, shut the kitchen door and let him roam. He's much better with that and, after pacing a whining for a few minutes, just settles on his sofa now...albeit a bit morosely. Have you tried giving him more space with a treat and leaving him for a short period to see if that helps? Letting him have access to his usual comfy spots may help? Counter surfing - ha! I fear we'll never get past this. A firm "no" stops him in his tracks if we see him do it, but (as Merseygrey said) if we discretely follow him in we have caught him in the act. He knows it's wrong (surprisingly!) and we don't leave anything out that he can get, but if we did I'm sure it would be too tempting for him to resist. Another good high value treat (aside from cheese - ours would do anything for cheese!) is ham. Nice and smelly! Training miraculously becomes MUCH easier when cheese or ham are involved

My 37kg grey certainly hurts if he jumps up or catches feet. So I feel your pain I’m tiny so him jumping up wasn’t an option. However I obviously didn’t want to tell him off or dissuade him - it’s been delightful watching come out of his shell and leap around happily. I found that if he didn’t keep all paws on the floor - backing away, telling him ‘no jumping’ and immediately redirecting him towards his toys (throwing them, playing with them...etc as soon as he got a bit hyper) worked wonders. Now when I come home (or when he’s having a silly moment) he’ll run up to great me and then immediately dash over to his toy box, grab a toy and fling that about nearby until he wears himself out instead. Also I yelp “ow” out loudly if he catches my toes or stands on my foot and that surprises him enough to stop and be a bit more gentle. He doesn’t have much spacial awareness but seems to be learning to stamp around me rather than *on* me. good luck 😉

If we aren't in the kitchen my grey will still sometimes counter surf. He now does it furtively (ie when we've left the room and he thinks we cant see him) because he knows it isn't allowed. He's a food monster so he probably always will! However we make sure we don't leave food out and have trained him to know that a sparingly used "NO!" means no so he stops whatever he is doing that is causing a telling off. A week and a half really isn't very long at all, it can take many months for a rescue grey to settle, relax and become their 'true' selves. So I wouldn't fixate too much on how he is now, just continue with good positive training and setting firm boundaries. It's not always easy but it will get better as you all bond and he learns some manners and to trust you. You haven't done anything wrong at all, he is just settling into his new way of life and finding his feet. I have always found that rescue dogs of any breed tend to hit a belligerent stage, rather like teenagers testing the boundaries. That said, if he is unwell it could be making him a bit stressed and cranky. I would definitely recommend NOT letting a new grey sleep on or in your bed. Do continue to make him sleep on his own bed. Particularly if he is starting to resource guard (which is not unusual) the bed with your girlfriend. It can be tiring and take a while but if you are consistent in making him get off the bed he will understand that it is not his to sleep on. Bear in mind sleep startle is a common thing with greys also, and not to be taken lightly. Good luck! Time and patience :-)

Absolutely this Can I be the odd one out and suggest you don't *have* to return him if you feel you can handle him, ie you are confident that when he's lunging you are strong enough to hold him without him either of you being put at risk? A good muzzle (again - mixed views on this) ensures that he can't do any damage, and may help you feel much calmer when walking him knowing that he can't hurt another dog. This can give you the breathing space and confidence to work on his issues. Time, patience and training when you've built a bit of a bond can work wonders. We live in London in a busy area. Ours was terrified outdoors and that, mixed with a strong chase drive, meant walking was not a fun time for any of us initially. But a good strong lead/harness, lots of leave it training and slowly building up his confidence/tolerance with other dogs (they usually haven't met other breeds and don't understand them and their signals) has worked wonders over time. Now (8 months later - it's slow progress!) we can walk cheerily amongst dogs, people, children, squirrels...etc etc and not worry too much at all. Had we lived in the country he wouldn't have had the exposure he has here, and the chance to get used to it all. And do bear in mind even if he were to be rehomed in a rural area he'd probably still be reactive and on alert - lots of wildlife running around and more off lead dogs likely to dash over. It probably depends a bit on his behaviour indoors too - how is he at home when in his comfort zone? Ours was (is) such a lovely, chilled boy at home so that gave us hope that in time we could get him to be the same outdoors However, obviously it's completely your choice and you have to do what your gut instinct says is best. If he does get rehomed you really shouldn't feel bad about it!

As others have said above - it's not that uncommon for your dog to growl at you. I find greys are pretty vocal in this respect, perhaps more so than other breeds which could be why other people are shocked about it. Mine was very growly and snappy when I first got him. He's less so now but does growl occasionally. He growls if he's uncomfortable with something I'm doing. He also growls (good naturedly) if we're playing with his ball and I take too long to throw it. Either way - I've grown to understand it's just his way of telling me something and I don't get upset or worried about it anymore. You poor boy sounds pretty unwell. Hopefully with a bit more time the meds will all help and he'll be back to his normal self soon. Ear infections are nasty

Aww bless her! She looks a lot like my grey too! Even with the white on the nose being more on one side than the other! We've all been there. It can take months of patience and encouragement to get a grey relaxed and used to anywhere that isn't their comfy, trusted home. Ours is an absolute food monster, food obsessed, but if he's nervous he won't eat at all so I do get how difficult it is trying to positively reward with tasty treats outdoors. There's no quick fix, sadly. But you'll find as time goes on she will gradually improve, with the odd small step back and then a few steps forward. We do have a harness with a handle which is useful for gently guiding forward (ours is too big to carry) occasionally. Aside from that - cheery voices, comfortable routine and letting her gradually get used to the surroundings are all you can do. You will hopefully find that as her nerves calm she may start to take treats, in which case something REALLY tasty and smelly will start to engage her and take her mind off anything scary around her. She'll get there :-)

Great suggestion! We found this too with a slip lead (completely by accident, it was the closest thing to hand so popped it on). Ours was snappy and nervous if we ever tried to move him, the second we put a slip lead on he just got up and moved. It transpired the kennel he came from them used them for training. Well worth trying!

Haha! Brilliant!

Thank you. I genuinely hope he finds a child indoors less stressful than he does outside. Sounds as though Grace is fine if it is a controlled interaction Obviously I guess I won't know until the baby arrives. My grey is just such a shy, gentle and nervy boy it is hard to know what I can do to make it easier for him (and me!)

It took us months to get our chap to even get the concept of training. He was very timid and didn't like being touched so we couldn't pat his bum, try to guide him down with treats or try to manoeuvre him into any positions without panicking him. We eventually just did what you are doing - saying "down" several times (he doesn't stand up for long ) and then when he did so giving LOTS of excited praise and a nice treat. A few days of doing that several times and he picked it up, which surprised us. He's not a fan of 'tricks' but will do anything if food makes an appearance! Also sitting - if your grey is newly retired sitting is just not a natural and comfortable position for him. Ours stands or lies down and rarely sits, unless distracted mid slump. We found over time his muscles relaxed and he could sit, so will now sit for a treat when asked (same process as training down - "sit" when he was in that position, praise, treat) but he'll only do it briefly, it's not a normal relaxed position for him. We also (which I hate! Feels gimmicky) trained ours to give us his paws. Mainly as he pees all over his feet so we needed to get him used to us handling/cleaning his paws without making him nervous. Now if I'm eating something tasty he'll come bounding over, sit in front of me and flap his smelly paws in my face.... so be careful what you start

We had a labrador when I was growing up - mischievous wotsit who would do a runner if anyone left a door or gate open. One night about midnight when my sister came home and got distracted he dashed off out into next doors garden, ran around avoiding our clutches and ripped up all their lawn and plants. He just found everything a fun game. Everyone above is correct - any dog will potentially run off through an open door, not just a grey.

I'm nearly five months pregnant. Unplanned surprise at the age of 42 (I always wanted dogs not kids ) and quite a way to go yet, but I'm trying to work out how I'm going to manage it with a big, nervy grey who avoids kids like the plague out on walks. I know obviously the big scary outdoors is different to his indoor comfy home but he backs away nervously and on the couple of occasions that a kid has lunged at him to stroke him (argh!!) has panicked, jerked and jumped out of his skin. I have had my lad for just under 9 months now and he's doing great. He was re-homed elsewhere from racing and then attacked by another dog (in that home) so was quite a nervous, aloof, stitched up mess of a chap when he came here. It's taken a lot of patience, training and confidence building to get him to this point and he's come a long way from the terrified, snappy dog that turned up. He's rapidly turning into a big gentle soul (aside from excitable air snappy zoomies) and since we've bonded I haven't been concerned with his behaviour at all indoors. I had been thinking about introducing a second sighthound into the family as he responds happily to greys when out and about. However, I won't be doing that now .... and introducing a baby into the mix is is something I'm pretty concerned about. Obviously had I been planning for a child I wouldn't have adopted a greyhound, especially not such a nervous one. Although honestly if I had known what was going to happen I would have stepped up the birth control efforts and carried on with the dog(s) Does anyone have any suggestions, ideas, personal experiences to share re this?

Exactly as greysmom says! I fostered dogs before adopting my grey. It was heartbreaking waving each of them off. But their time with me gave them time to adjust, feel some love and get used to home life before moving on to a forever home. Don't feel like a failure. Feel like a great person who gave Ally a safe home, love and training before going on to find his perfect permanent place. Had you been fostering instead of adopting the outcome would be exactly the same, you just would have mentally felt different. I doubt that helps right now - but you see the point! Big hugs!

Haha snaffles quickly.....Brilliant! I personally found using both hands was pointless as mine just tried to lick and chew the fingers off BOTH my hands in an excited effort to get the treat (apparently his nose only works when he's squirrel hunting or searching for a bit of dropped cheese, and clearly switches off during training sessions ) So I started again just using one hand, kept the treat tucked into a closed fist, said "leave it" repeatedly and then rewarded him when he stopped trying to get it. One he got the hang of that (which was surprisingly quickly) and pulled away for increasing lengths of time without touching my hand we stepped it up with different things - treat placed under an kong toy which he had to "leave" until I said ok for him to knock it over and get the treat.....etc. I did "watch" training separately - ie look at me for a treat. And to be honest I should have kept that up and used the two together but, to be honest, daft as he is he has definitely grasped what "leave it" means and is much better outdoors when he sees something he wants or goes to grab something I've dropped on the kitchen floor. That said, all bets are off if I'm not around and he has decided he wants something out of the recycling. Although I think that's down to being a cheeky chancer rather than not knowing the rules.....

Ahh that’s lovely! Zoomies are terrifying (how do they have so many flailing elbows?) but lovely. She’s obviously settling well 😀

I chatted to my parents about my dog (snappy, growly ...etc) when I first got him and they had similar comments to your sister. I think it's hard for owners of other breeds who aren't used to greys and their settling in processes to understand, so I can completely understand why she might think perhaps Cleo would be better sent elsewhere. Daft as it sounds - I took heart knowing that, whilst a growly snap coming from a big 30-odd kilogram dog is bum-squeaking scary when you aren't used to it, it was just his way of telling me that he was nervous or uncomfortable so I knew to back off a bit and rethink. If he wanted to bite me he would have done, and I'd have needed some severe stitching up! And now, 8 months later, aside from the odd accidental elbow in the face when he's doing a zoomie (owwww!) he's soft as anything. But that did come over time, with bonding and trust. It definitely wasn't an overnight thing. I do feel for you regarding the walking. I'm only tiny (5ft 2) and if you feel they can pull you over you're going to be constantly on edge and worrying. Again, as above, "leave it" is a good tool. I also find making sure mine doesn't have too much lead when approaching reactive-activating fluffies helps wonders. You may find if Cleo can't get too much purchase she cant get the momentum to pull you over. It is a very slow process, most definitely. They are not speedy adjusters! But it sounds as though you are bonding well so you just need to keep reinforcing the good behaviour and letting her know when she is not acting appropriately. In a year you'll be on here telling all the newbies exactly the same thing and saying how Cleo was super reactive but is now a big adorable softie..... :-)

Hey Anya, It's tough to start with, no question. Sounds as though you've been researching and taking time to try and resolve instead of just handing her straight back - well done for that! The above advice is superb - we've all been there, honest. You're not alone with the three issues. I just want to say that my boy was VERY growly/snappy with food (including stolen goodies), reactive and lungy with small dogs, squirrels, cats, foxes... (although timid around bigger dogs so at least I got some respite there!) and snappy if awoken or sometimes even touched (particularly on his back) when snoozing (or on our bed and being kicked off). * We've spent time and effort with "leave it" training which has proved invaluable both when out walking and he's looking as though he will react, or it he steals something I need to get back * Jiggling the duvet firmly moved him off the bed without having to touch him. We told him "bed"/rewarded him for moving to his own bed - now he will scowl, sigh and get straight off our bed when told * Once we bonded and he started to recognise my tones a good, firm "NO" also started to work wonders in very extreme circumstances (eg if he grabs something he REALLY shouldn't have or is not responding to gentle encouragement/commands). It's used very rarely so if I do say it he jumps, looks at me meekly and stops whatever he is doing. It took a good few months before I could relax and completely trust him, and probably him me. And, if I'm honest, I was quite nervous of him to start with in certain situations. Now I absolutely adore him - he's a big gentle, soppy, playful giant. Training, training, training, time and patience :-)