Rae

@ChipstheGreyhou I have been meaning to post an update back here, so thanks for asking. I am happy to report that Jumper and I are closer than ever, and this incident only ended up strengthening our bond. I did not punish Jumper for this incident in any way, only focussed on slowly building back our trust. We took furniture privileges slowly, gave him his personal space, and were careful not to manipulate his body, especially in a startling way (as this seemed to be his particular trigger.) We focused on bonding - training and obedience, hiking together and lots of love and pets. I can't speak for Jumper, but I think our understanding and compassionate reaction to the incident only allowed him to build stronger trust. We still take the necessary precautions to avoid this situation for all of us but since this happened, we have not had one incident -- not even a growl or a snarl -- and furniture privileges have been fully reinstated. Jumper is a big cuddle bug and he's more comfortable than ever. All hounds are different, some may always require more personal space than others. But if there's anything you can take away from my story it's this: don't lose hope. Your hound surely didn't have any malicious intent, he or she is just in a totally new and sometimes overwhelming world. Building real trust takes time. Shower them with love and compassion, and it'll get so much better. Please keep us posted on your journey @ChipstheGreyhou!

Thank you all so much for this advice. Will check out Feisty Fido as my next step, and plan to work on slow and steady introductions with calm dogs when possible.

We've had our boy (4 y/o male, retired racer) for several months now, and overall it's been glorious and smooth. He is not, however, fond of other dogs. He actively avoids interacting with them, and seems scared when they approach on the sidewalk. On one occasion, he met a higher-energy dog who wanted to play, and he responded with aggression -- no biting, but snarling, growling and barking. From you experience, is it possible to get retried racers who have this disposition comfortable with other dogs? Would you even recommend I try? If yes, how would you approach this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Caveat: I've never seen him interact with other greyhounds, and I have a gut feeling all would be fine. This problem is specific to non-greyhounds.

The support on this thread is incredibly helpful, thank you all so much for taking the time to share your experiences, perspectives and advice. I feel much better about the incident, and your stories have helped shape my understanding of Jumper's needs and motivations. It wasn't a malicious attack, it was clear communication and a very important lesson for me. I'm happy to report that we are doing very well. Jumper is happy as a clam, and I am fully recovered. We've moved on swimmingly, but I feel much more prepared to avoid this kind of situation in the future. Thank you all again. And wow, @Feefee147 10 greyhounds is amazing. I have a sneaking suspicion Jumper won't be my last.

Thanks @ramonaghan @greysmom @Time4ANap @PatricksMom for the thoughtful responses. It's reassuring to hear that his actions weren't deliberately aggressive, just communication that I need to hear and try to understand. I feel confident that there are simple changes I can make to avoid this from happening again in the future. Potential injury and pain is worth looking into as well... will make sure our vet takes a close look at him. Again, thank you, I appreciate your help.

Hi all, I'm heartbroken and seeking advice (also new here.) My partner and I adopted Jumper 3 months ago. He's a 4 year old ex-racer. Everything has gone very smoothly -- we've both bonded with the dog, he's doing well with obedience training and we've spent a lot of quality time together. We love him to pieces, and he is very affectionate, cuddly and loving. He always wants to be right next to me (classic velcro dog.) Over the weekend, Jumper bit me (or rather, nipped me pretty good) in the face. I have a black eye and one puncture near my tear duct where his tooth made contact. When it happened, he had come over to sit next to me on the couch. He laid down in a strange position, and his butt was stuck in between couch cushions. I attempted to readjust his butt to make us both more comfortable, and before I knew it... I was knocked over by my snarling dog. In hindsight, I should never have tried to manipulate his body, especially approaching him from his backside. I know this was a mistake. I also believe we granted furniture privileges too soon. Saying I adore this dog is an understatement, and I want to make the right changes to avoid these stressful situations for both of us. Moving forward, I plan to enroll in more formal obedience training classes to help rebuild and strengthen our bond and trust. Any other advice, concerns or thoughts would be very much appreciated. Greytful to have this community. - Rae (28 y/o, female)