Feefee147
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Posts posted by Feefee147
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44 minutes ago, lulah62 said:
Good info on the harness!
Also, amazing name - Samson! Such an appropriate grey name
Part of his racing name, he turned up with it. He was incredibly shut down and introverted - couldn't have changed it even if we wanted to :-)
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39 minutes ago, lulah62 said:
Thank you, FeeFee147! And congratulations on your new grey
I see you're London based too, shame Sighthound Sundays are on hiatus
My boy is the apple of my eye - he's had such a journey and I'm very protective over his happiness as it didn't come to him easy. It's lovely to see the other side of rehomed racers, where she's so enthusiastic and has no fear at all - so I know she will find a loving home one way or another- but my boy is the other half of my soul! He has his own issues but I couldn't be without him- the awkward, anxious, singing, endlessly paw-wounded, baldy butted weirdo that he is.When I collected our boy from Battersea, they told me "all greyhounds are basically the same" and every time I meet a new one I wonder how on earth they could imagine that!
"the awkward, anxious, singing, endlessly paw-wounded, baldy butted weirdo that he is" - awwwwwwww!!
We got Samson just before lockdown hit so never made it to a Sighthound Sunday walk. I can't wait for them to start up again - he lights up when he (on the rare occasion he sees one) meets another grey rather than the usual aloof, non eye contact nervy shuffling. Soon hopefully.....
I've found harness advice tends to be quite mixed. Mine is still cautious outside, generally more meek and ploddy than a puller. But as he's gained a bit of confidence he's had a few squirrel lunges that caught me by surprise resulting in scary backflips (him not me!) so I switched to a harness. Much easier if he does have a boisterous walk (I'm 50kg, he's 36kg!) and I don't worry about him damaging himself, or me damaging him if I have to pull him firmly away from something.
Good luck with the little madam
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On 7/24/2020 at 4:44 PM, RachaelM said:
Hello,
We adopted our greyhound one month ago today. One of the reasons we picked her was that she ran up to us in the kennels with a big waggy tail. However, since coming home she just looks miserable all the time. We've been giving her lots of praise and treats but making sure she also gets peace and quiet so as not to overwhelm her. She still looks uncomfortable whenever we come near her, moving her body away, licking her lips, yawning etc. At first we had to physically pick her up to go on walks because she was so terrified of outside but now she'll get herself up after coaxing, which is an improvement. She doesn't like any toys and doesn't want to go anywhere in our house other than her corner spot. It just feels like she was so much happier back at the kennels. All videos and advice online seems to show greyhounds adjusting for a week or two and then jumping all over the sofa, but ours is nothing like that.
Are we doing something wrong? We've been in touch with the kennels and they seem concerned as if it's not normal behaviour. They suggested another dog may help but I don't think we'd be able to look after two greyhounds. Is it cruel to be separating her from other greyhounds if that's where she gets her confidence from?
Thanks
A month really is nothing in the greyhound world. I spent at least two or so months convinced my grey hated his new life and was miserable (and felt terrible for him).
I think the best advice I saw was on here - your dog now is nothing like the dog you will have in 3, 6 or 12 months. When I saw that I relaxed, stopped panicking that I wasn't giving him what he needed and just left him to come out of his aloof, shell at his own pace.
Even now, the change between 3 and 6 months here has been huge (barking playfully when he wants to go for a walk, helicopter tail regularly whizzing around, learning 'find it' games, climbing onto our bed in the morning and snuggling up, excitable zoomies - some of these didn't happen for at least 5 or 6 months).
I personally wouldn't introduce another dog yet. Give her more time to settle and relax. But I reckon a lot of more seasoned grey owners will have some good advice re that :-)
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On 8/18/2020 at 12:19 PM, racindog said:
Dogs bite-they just do. Don't take it personal. It doesn't mean the same thing to you as it does to him. In his mind he was just communicating hehe. Just be aware that sometimes these hounds can have quirps that will result in the behavior you described. Sometimes they actually have a sore place in their back that will cause pain when manipulated in a certain way. Sometimes they will behave like that because in their whole entire life no one has EVER disturbed them while they are resting and thats the way their mind is now programmed. So when someone moves or manipulates, or in some cases even touches them, when they are resting, it sets off kind of an auto reaction where they will strike out like that. The important thing is don't worry about it. All is well. Chalk it up to a normal 'difference of opinion' so to speak and move on. It won't or should not have any negative impact on ya'lls happy future. Just give him a wide bearth when he is resting and don't forget he has made 'adjustments' to conform to you guys to :). BTW I am on my 10th greyhound and have fostered many as well.
10th?? Wow, that's amazing! :-)
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I don't really have any hints and tips - so not helpful! I'd love to start fostering dogs again if/when the time is right but at the moment our grey is still settling in so it is far too soon.
But I just wanted to say I think it's absolutely superb how you are handling this - particularly in respect of your boy. So many people take a new dog in, have no regard for the dog already there and then get cross if things start to go downhill or wonder why their current dog is suddenly showing upset, destructive or strange behaviour. I've even known people eventually get rid of the older pet and keep the new one because of behaviour changes
The care and thought you have put into this is lovely and I hope it all, in time, works out.
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It's incredible how many times another dog owner (whilst putting their dog on lead and avoiding my grey) have said "he hates greyhounds", "she can't stand them..." or something similar.
My boy is on lead and muzzled when out and about. Plus he's so shy around bigger non-sighthounds that at best he looks away meekly, at worst he drags and hides behind me.
I personally think it's just because they don't give off the 'normal' dog signals, particularly ex racers that have only ever socialised with other greyhounds, and for some reason other breeds just don't understand them and their signals.
That said, he could be walking around glaring and muttering obscenities for all I know :-)
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Hi Rae,
You poor thing! Something like that does shake you and you can’t help feeling wary and disappointed after that.
My boy snapped around 5 or 6 times at me or my partner during the first few months. I think it’s just pure luck we managed to pull out of the way quickly enough.
I learnt very quickly not to push him or try to move him when he was asleep or staking his claim to something (eg my bed) - I was so upset when he snapped viciously after a couple of weeks (I gently pushed his back to stop him falling off the bed). Working on ‘down’ or ‘bed’ with lots of positivity/rewards and pointing to his own bed has solved that, so now I don’t have to touch him I can just tell him and he’ll sigh, scowl, get up and move.6 months on.... he will still growl and eventually snap if I take some tasty food away from him. But ‘leave it’ and trading up has helped wonders in emergency (stolen food he shouldn’t have) situations.
It takes a while to relax and trust again after a bite or angry moment, but try not to obsess over it or let it jade your relationship with Jumper. He’s still the same lovely boy, he just needs a bit of guidance to let him know what is and isn’t acceptable.
Good luck
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My boy was the same. The screaming when he saw a squirrel and I wouldn't let him get it was horrendous. People genuinely must have though I was torturing him. And small dogs were a huge challenge - darting and trying to grab. Not good when trying to socialise :-)
I switched to a good strong harness as the pulling and twisting was worrying, I didn't want him to damage his neck. That has helped a great deal, I have more control and can pull him quite firmly without worrying about him back flipping.
I also spent a lot of time with 'leave it' training indoors - a LOT! Six months in and he's not perfect by any stretch (nor would I expect or want him to be) but we can now walk near a squirrel, small dog, other fluffy creature without him creating a huge fuss. He will still zone out, ignore treats and fixate a little but nowhere near as badly as he did.
It takes time, and also takes a while to work out all the triggers and reactions. But once it all clicks it's much easier.
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7 hours ago, DocsDoctor said:
Please - never, never take him on a moving escalator! The TfL Journey Planner has an option to find escalator-free routes, and it's actually getting easier all the time, as lifts are installed to improve accessibility.
Once or twice I've been caught out, and had to ask a member of staff to switch an escalator off, so we can use it as a fixed stairway. That will mean a few minutes wait, because they have to put someone at the top and the bottom, but as the nice chap who I had to ask the first time said, "That's all right, my dear; I'd much rather organise this than have to sort out a dog who's got a paw trapped, and maybe his claws ripped out - I've had to do that before now, and it was awful!"
Ow! Thats dreadful! That poor dog.
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On 3/15/2020 at 10:23 AM, DocsDoctor said:
No mine wouldn't fit under a table either but if there is a free disabled/ bike/ luggage bay as there often is on a train that provides a good space for the dog to lie down. Or a space at the end of the carriage. There is the aisle/ area between seats too but then you will have to remain on alert for anyone needing to go past! I've taken mine on mainline as well as tube trains and always found room for them, travelling at less busy times - the only journey I wouldn't want to repeat was on one of those fast Pendolino trains, which are so streamlined that there is very little spare space. On buses we go upstairs and to the back, or if there isn't an upstairs stand near the exit.
As well as looking out for free spaces you also need to look out for your neighbours, of course. By and large I have always found fellow passengers and indeed train guards really pleased to see a dog, and wanting to make a fuss of it, ask questions about greyhound racing, etc. - I always say that if I am travelling with a greyhound there is no need to take a book to read! I am still walking Tiger in a muzzle and am amazed how many people come up and admire him even so.
BUT you also need to remain aware that some people are scared of dogs, some are allergic to them, and some (e.g. Muslims) don't want to come into contact with them because they regard them as unclean. I am polite and smiley and accommodating, and so is my dog, but just occasionally we have needed to stand our ground. Once somebody started telling me we shouldn't be on a train - but it was a fellow-passenger, not a member of staff. She seemed quite panicky and was I suspect severely dog-phobic, and startled by seeing us. Dealt with that one by getting the dog to stand up and move right away to face the window, and inviting her politely to pass us, while pointing out that actually, so long as we behaved ourselves we had just as good a right to be there as she did. She scuttled along into another carriage, and that was that!
London black taxi-cabs also work really well for transporting dogs, because of the big floor area, and again I have always found most drivers will take us.
Thanks everyone for your nice messages about Tiger! He is continuing to settle in and relax.
In time I'd love to get my chap on buses and the tube. How does Doc find the escalators??
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Just now, sarahskye said:
Yes he'll only do zoomies in the living room, so just waiting for him to crash into the radiator or dresser! But it is cute, and makes me laugh, which makes him do things even more!
Tried again today luring him up the stairs with stinky cheese, with the harness on to support him, and he did much better on his second attempt, both up and down, still quite a way to go though I think, but we will get there and I might get my bed back!
He might change his mind about the sofa, at the minute its just something to rest his chews on or toys on while hes chewing them!For delicate dogs they seem quite durable with bangs (luckily). We have a small home so zooming around often results in skating on the wooden floor and donking his head on furniture - poor thing.
Mine didn't get excited, zoom around or tail waggle for about the first 4 weeks so you're doing really well! And brilliant regarding the stairs! You'll back in bed in now time :-)
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11 hours ago, Aelfa said:
Hi one and all.
We are adopting today. Our boy has been with us two weeks and at the beginning he was doing great on walks and now he refuses to leave the house. We have tried our three exits. He is extremely fearful. We have a court yard which is adjacent to the road so he can hear the noises of the cars etc but on walk he put the breaks on immediately.
I am trying distractions, food reward if he makes one step....anything else I should try? I have read people have had the same issues but I don't know if they cracked it in the end. We will not be returning him but at the same time we want him to be relaxed and happy. Otherwise there is very little sign of stress. He has a few bold patches where he has scratched but nothing that tells me he is constantly stressed. He eats sleeps poops and plays well.
Thank you.
There's hope! We cracked it and if you read the other threads you can see everyone manages it eventually.
It takes a few weeks and is a gradual thing but you will get there. He just needs to get used to all the new sights and sounds at his own pace.
Patient, gentle encouragement. Sternly dragging will just result in more stress and statuing. I found routine, the same walk, lots of soothing encouragement and letting my boy know I have treats worked wonders. And also (even now this works if my boy does get stressed which is rare after 4 months) if he digs his heels in I go and stand next to him, let him look around and assess for a moment and then very gently lead him forward (a good strong harness helps with that) a step or two and he picks up again.
Good luck! He'll get there :-)
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On 6/10/2020 at 6:31 AM, HeyRunDog said:
Unless you know any small dog owner who is prepared to help with his socialising I think all you can do is keep on with the leave it training. It took Grace several months to learn that everything small and furry isn't prey. Now she even ignores cats
Ah great! Good to know you had success with the small furries issues. Thank you!
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4 hours ago, sarahskye said:
6 days in and theres definite improvement already, hes starting to come out of his shell for small parts of the day, doing zoomies and playing with his soft toys
He's ok going for a walk in the morning, he quite enjoys it when its nice and early and no one is around (except for a few scary crows and pigeons!). In fact he is like a different dog for the first few hours of the day, then seems to go back into his shell a bit, but its very early days!
So my main issue now is that I still cant sleep upstairs yet, as he wont be left downstairs alone! Im going to start his alone training, not feeling very confident about it! I can manage to get a shower in the evening now if I sneak up while hes flat out asleep, but any other time if i go up to the loo the crying starts within seconds! I feel he will either never want to use the stairs, or its going to take a very long time to get him to, so he may always need to sleep downstairs. Any tips on how I can start to sleep in my own bed again while he sleeps downstairs? He wont get on the couch or anything, just likes to be on his bed on the floor, and even if hes asleep he will realise im gone very quickly and freak out! And I have caught him trying to chew at the couch a few times now just through the day when im working at my desk across the room!
Otherwise he is being a very good boy, and is such a gorgeous gentle dog
I LOVE zoomies! It's perilous sometimes with those giant bony elbows flying around but oh so cute!!
Our grey zooms around like a lunatic and then still looks surprised at himself - like he's excited but doesn't quite know what to with it :-D
I know you've probably tried it but have you attempted just sitting at the top of the stairs with some smelly treats and not paying him attention - so he can see you nearby, hopefully won't get upset and start chewing things, and hopefully will attempt the stairs more. You could try encouraging him up that way? Once he's done it a few times he'll be fine.
And as far as the sofa goes I reckon once he's inspected it, got rid of his 'woah.....what is this strange moving surface' suspicion he'll be on it and claiming it! We couldn't get our grey on the sofa or bed for at least a week, he just had no idea what they were. No we can't get him off them!
Well done - you're doing brilliantly by the sound of things.
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14 hours ago, NeuroticGrey said:
I learned that 8 hours of NYC traffic playback makes ME anxious
Hahaha! I can imagine that would make anyone anxious :-D!
It really is just time and patience, sadly no quick fix. Greyhounds are funny creatures, nothing like other breeds.
As she gradually trusts you (which she absolutely will) she'll slowly start to be able to cope with scary situations and you'll be able to build it up.
The other thing I do (whilst looking bonkers outdoors) is chat away a LOT to my grey. I find soothing chatter outdoors keeps him engaged 'with me' and stops him receding into a nervous statue.
How is she getting on indoors now?
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2 hours ago, sarahskye said:
Thanks
Yes im in the UK so he wouldnt have been kept in a crate before, and I dont really like the idea of putting him in one really when he's not used to it! I want him to be able to roam freely round the house, all he needs to do is master the stairs! Tried to help him today using a harness with a handle and cheese laid up the steps, we got him up there and he was so happy to finally see whats upstairs! Coming back down was another matter! Hopefully he isnt too traumatised to try again! He seems to be a bit livelier in general today which is great 
WELL DONE SKYE!!!! And you did well too!
The next step will be where he gets more confident with stairs, thunders up and down them but (bless!) is a bit clumsy and often misjudges..... :-D
(We still have a pillow at the bottom of ours as there is a wall and he still after 4 months occasionally misjudges *facepalm*)
He's a gorgeous boy. Beautiful face.
If you are on Facebook there is a UK sighthound group called sighthound Sundays - well worth a look if you aren't aware of it.
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2 hours ago, sarahskye said:
Thanks for the advice! I dont have a crate. Ive had a greyhound in the past who we didnt have any of these problems with, so i naively thought everything might be the same! He has only been in a home before for 2 days then was returned to the kennels, so i know that will have traumatised him even more the poor thing. My stairs do have carpet, I've tried going behind him to help but that just freaked him out more! Will try the treats, he doesnt seem very willing to do anything for treats though! The kennels advised against using a harness for walking, hes actually good on the lead, and if he pulls they showed me how to wrap the leather lead round him to act as a harness, which works fine. I just want to help him get over all his fears so he can enjoy going on his walks and in the garden!
Aww. The early days are tough.
Mine was the same, especially with stairs. It took me sitting up/down a couple, a gentle pull on the lead, lots of gentle calm encouragement and some *very* smelly treats placed on each step (cheese and ham work wonders) before I could even get him to step on one.
I found once I’d wafted various treats under his nose I found some he reacted to and that made things much easier. He wasn’t a fan of treats when he was nervous and first arrived, despite being a food monster, but when I found cheese everything became much easier
It may take an hour of coaching, gentle tugs and a lot of patience but once he’s done it a couple of times he’ll be clumsily running up and down them.
Good luck!
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On 5/21/2020 at 5:46 PM, MerseyGrey said:
Progress! Hopefully by the weekend we might have hound on a new bed
🤞
Just... hahahahahaha!! That made me smile D;
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8 minutes ago, DocsDoctor said:
What a trainer might do I guess is to suggest a one-to-one session first, to assess the dog first, though mine was happy for us just to turn up, having worked with lots of greyhounds already.
She's moved away I think and now Winkie Spiers is the one I most often hear being recommended, here in South London. NB I have no personal experience of her, however.
The training school near me (North London) says no muzzled dogs which I thought was a bit unfair. I'll see what else is available.
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26 minutes ago, DocsDoctor said:
Hi there - I'm also in London! Doc, my first greyhound had a very high prey drive and got much too excited about puppies initially; with their squirmy movements they can look very like prey....
What worked for us was finding a good, all-breeds, positive reinforcement dog training class. Here Doc got to learn that all those other funny-looking creatures he kept meeting in the streets were just other dogs, like him! The trainer also invited us to come along to a puppy class, and sniff a few puppies under carefully-controlled conditions - again, once he realised that they too were dogs, no more problems. And it was an education for me too, in learning to read doggy body language.
I doubt such classes are running in lockdown, but they would be worth seeking out when they resume - maybe your vet can recommend someone local. You could also go to a trainer one-on-one, of course, that might be helpful initially, but the brilliant thing about classes is that you automatically get to meet and work with all those other dogs.
PS: meanwhile, I would continue to walk him in a muzzle; better safe than sorry!
A fellow Londoner :-)
I've had a look around at classes - gawd knows when they will start up again. I assumed I wouldn't be allowed to take along a muzzled, prey-driven greyhound to dog glasses so it's great to know I can! Can you recommend any in particular?
I'll scour the London options. THANK YOU!!
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So we're four months in now with Samson.
He's brilliant, an absolutely lovely boy. Indoors he has turned into a gentle, sweet giant with a bit of an affectionate, playful nature (amidst all the snoozing). He's also surprisingly (after a lot of blank stares) doing quite well with training - down, wait, up, sit...etc are cheerily done for a treat. And the excitement when a squeaky ball comes out - the smile and waggling ears melt my heart. I know it's only been four months so I can't wait to see how he changes over the next four.
However outside he is turning into a tricky chap. He's much more confident and really happy to go out for walks. Still a bit nervous here and there, particularly with big dogs and noise, but overall he's doing really well.
Now he's more relaxed a high chase/prey drive is rapidly coming out. If he sees a squirrel and can't get it he goes from meek gentle giant to screaming diva (if I heard those noises in a park I'd assume a dog was being tortured!) but it is manageable so far - we're doing 'leave-it' training and working on getting his focus back when he has zoned out. As long as I make sure I have a good grip on his lead he can't get anywhere. He will dig his heels in at any 'prey' (squirrel/cat/fox/some birds) and refuse to budge which, again, we're working on.
BUT the one thing I am genuinely concerned about is his behaviour with small dogs. He has stopped being nervous and started getting that look (stiff, ears up, darting towards). A week or so ago a small dog ran up and he very quickly turned and nose butted it. Yesterday a small puppy came running over. The reaction was not playful, but snappy and very quick. No warning at all, just lunge.
We muzzle him, and have been contemplating if he actually needs it or not. I do worry that muzzling him has a detrimental impact on his confidence around the bigger dogs. But i'm very glad we continued with it - yesterday would have had a very nasty outcome. I don't want to avoid parks but also cannot control dogs running over. I also want to make sure our walks are relaxed and that I don't start worrying and giving off the wrong signals.
I know this is a regular topic and I've read countless articles and suggestions in training manuals - does anyone have any suggestions on this that they have tried and tested?
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On 6/8/2020 at 3:10 AM, Trudy said:
Start small. It sounds like she's not wearing a collar in the house.
So do some fun things in the house, treat her, then put her collar on and treat her again. Take it off.
Try again, but leave the collar on longer. Then add in leashing up, but just walk around the apartment. Then maybe down the hall. Get her used to good things happening when she is collared and leashed up.
Anybody else in the building have a dog? Maybe you can go out together and another 4 legged pal will help give her some confidence.
If you haven't yet, try hot dogs. If hot dogs are awesome to her, use them while getting her used to the routine to go out and potty. Even if she doesn't take them while going out. Give them to her when you get back in.
Unfortunately, you can't not take her out, so she's going to have to get out, even while working on making that routine easier for both of you.
... and cheese! Good smelly cheese wafted under my chap's nose will usually draw his attention to me and get him doing what is needed. He's a stubborn lad but he would probably clean the flat, do some ironing and sew my buttons on for cheese ;-)
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Ahhh. I feel your frustration.
I live about 50 seconds from a small green park. When we got our grey 4 months ago it took me 10 to 15 minutes from front door to entering the park!
It's slow progress, don't expect miracles instantly. I found that trying to drag him along or being stern with him was absolutely not the way to go - he just statued and panicked more. And if anyone was walking towards us, it was particularly noisy, kids were screaming or there were other dogs nearby it took even longer.
I found gentle, calm coaxing was the way to go. And everything people say about about retired racers is true - it really is as though they have been chucked onto an alien planet with no clue. We built it up slowly, eventually he started trusting me and after a little while he even started taking treats from me outside. If you stick to a routine and do the same walk each day she WILL get used to it and you'll see tiny improvements.
I also found once we'd formed some semblance of a bond that if he stopped and wouldn't move I would go and stand next to him, facing the way I wanted to move, chatted to him gently and he would take small steps with me. If he is nervous he will stick to my side. Now, 4 months later, he's a little devil outside - confident, prowling for small fluffies to stalk and comfortable enough to push all the boundaries!
Personally I absolutely wouldn't encourage her to go to the toilet inside - you'll be setting an unwanted trend there.
Good luck and believe everyone when they say it DOES get better, it just takes ex-racers a bit longer than you'd think to adjust.
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On 5/2/2020 at 7:10 PM, dante2zoe said:
We just brought home a 2.5 YO greyhound. He loves going for walks, which is great, but at some point (distance is not relevant) he flat out refuses to move because we are not going where he wants to go. He is 75 pounds of stubborn puppy muscle, I haven't figured out what to do. Your typical circling, waiting it out, coaxing, switching directions, does not work. I realize it should ease up with time, but meanwhile I need to do something. Dragging him isn't good for either of us. He is this way with a martingale harness or collar.
Suggestions? He will even do this walking in our yard.
Thanks, Cindy
Ours was (and still is sometimes) the same. And when these big chaps dig their heels in it can be impossible to move them ;-)
I thought at first it was stubborn behaviour but quickly realised form his stance he was just nervous, a bit lazy and had really sore feet. As Time4ANap says above - could be a foot issue? The fact he's fine for a bit and then stops...
Have you had a look at his pads and between his toes?
I see you're London based too, shame Sighthound Sundays are on hiatus
My greyhound bit me...
in Training and Behavior discussion
Posted
Yeah, they're lovely (and addictive) - I suspect I'll end up with more. I'm being restrained as we've only had my boy 6 months and he's quite a shy meek chap but if I had my way I'd have another
onesevenNot sure I'd ever get to ten though. Well done @racindog