VivaStPauli

If she's a fan of paper/shredding in general, have you tried giving her kibble/treats wrapped up in something for her to destroy? A brown paper bag is the easiest option, but I've also hidden kibble in crumpled-up tissue paper or scrap paper, empty cardboard egg cartons, etc. Pauli LOVES shredding (and is very good about eating only the treats, not the paper), so this is one of our favorite (and free!) "enrichment" games.

If you're on Instagram, DM me (@pauliindc)--I'm in DC and know several people with greys in NoVa, happy to connect you. (In case you'd like to connect with some folks one-on-one outside of the organized playgroup.)

We really like the boots from Voyagers K9 Apparel--Pauli now refuses to step outside without them when she sees white stuff on the ground! (https://www.instagram.com/p/CLeuhONBRPQ/)

I've decided emerald green is the color for my light brindle girl! I think this silly video from her Instagram is the best full body + collar view: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLFYDsCAgUq/ (no idea how to embed pics here!)

I got the collar online, but from Chewy which is a verified retailer so can't imagine it's a fake--might well just be a dud though. Will give Bayer a call on Monday. Thanks for the tips! (And good to know this is not normal!)

Oh dear, you've somehow managed to make me more paranoid!! I don't *think* I have an actual tick infestation in the house vs. ones just dropping off the dog once she comes inside, but I will be vacuuming every crevice and spraying Adams Flea & Tick Spray just in case!! (I can at least confidently say it's not the vacuum cleaner as mine is bagless and I clean out the plastic canister after every use--what a nightmare that must have been!) Brushing/lint rolling before coming inside is a great tip though, thank you! From my other research, it seems like tick season drops off in November--hopefully it'll become less of an issue before I even have a chance to get the prescription and make the switch. In that case, I'll stick with the Seresto collar for now and plan on switching to Nexgard in February. Also going to pick up a bottle of Wondercide--not usually a fan of "natural" when it comes to bug killing as I want them as dead as possible as fast as possible, but figured it would be nice to have a less toxic option I can use more liberally in addition to the Adams and Seresto collar. If anyone else has any products/tips that have worked for them, I'm all ears!

Hi amazing forum folks, hoping you can help me out with some tick advice. I've had a Seresto collar on Pauli since August 1, shortly after adopting her, and she hasn't taken it off/been bathed/gone swimming at any point since then. At first it seemed to be working well, as I was finding a number of dead ticks on her bed--unpleasant, but if they're dead the collar is doing its job! I noticed more dead ticks seemed to appear when we walked in a certain area, so started avoiding that area, and things were going well. Starting in mid-September, however, things started getting much worse. I check her for ticks daily, and since then, I've been finding about 2-3 attached ticks per week. I've also found fully engorged dead ticks in the corners while vacuuming (suggesting ones I've missed have been able to remain attached to her for quite some time), and on three separate occasions I have now found very alive ticks crawling around my apartment (which is so horrifying I cannot even put it into words). I know it's the worst season for them right now, but this is too much, right??? I should mention that we live in Washington, DC, so although it's a part of the country with a high tick problem, we're in the city, and not regularly spending time in the woods or in parks--most days are just long walks through the neighborhood. I keep her away from the long grass and piles of leaves, but she has to pee somewhere! None of my other friends with dogs in DC report any tick problems (just an occasional tick if they go into the woods). I tried tightening her Seresto collar a few days ago (it was snug but now it's snug higher on her neck?), but since then I have found one more attached tick and one more tick loose in my house, so that doesn't seem to be helping. I sent an email to my (not especially greyhound savvy) vet and she said she likes Nexgard for ticks, but it is SO much more expensive and from research it seems like a lot of people have better results with the Seresto collar, so wanted to hear some other folks' experiences. HELP! Is this just a normal number of ticks for a greyhound and I'm going to have to get over my horror of them? Thoughts on Seresto vs. Nexgard? Ways to prevent her from carrying ticks into my apartment? Therapy so I stop jumping six feet in the air every time my leg itches?? Any advice much appreciated.

Just chiming in with a bit of optimism re: the alarm method! I had this issue when I adopted Pauli back in July, and the alarm trick worked for me. The first couple of weeks were tough, pushing the time back 5-10 minutes every few days, but by the time we got to 6am, it was easy to get to 6:30, then 7, and now she lets me sleep in until 8am and doesn't even mind if I hit the snooze button A couple of other things I did that might have helped (based on helpful suggestions from past threads by the amazing people in this forum): - Bedtime snack (her last half-cup of kibble) to keep her full through the night. - I pushed her breakfast back to 8am (my goal wake-up time), and when the alarm went off at 5:30 or whenever, I just took her out for a quick potty break then went back to sleep until breakfast time (or tried to at least, i.e. laid down with lights off and ignored her). She tended to be very hyper and playful in the morning, so my goal was to make mornings as boring as possible so she wouldn't be quite so excited to get up. (This was really tough right at the beginning but as she started to get more used to the routine she would settle back down and it let me get a little bit extra sleep + sanity!!) Wishing you luck, you'll make it through this!

Thank you both! Was looking for a fit guide but couldn't find it on their website, glad you're a better internet sleuth than I am! Her name is Pauli--I can't figure out how to post a picture, but her Instagram is @pauliindc for the photo tax

Hi all! First off I want to say a quick thank you to everybody, both the newbies posting tons of questions and the experienced folks answering. This forum has been an amazing resource for the first few months of greyhound ownership, and it's so reassuring to see that almost every question/issue I've had has been asked, answered, and overcome by lots of people before me. Finally, a question that I don't think has been answered before, though! My girl has gained some weight (a good thing, she was underweight at adoption and is now back up to her racing weight!) and I'm concerned that her harness is getting too tight, but I've realized I'm not sure what the correct fit is. I have the 2 Hounds Freedom No Pull Harness that lots of folks here recommend. Can anyone offer some tips on how the harness should fit? (There are so many adjustment points, which is helpful but overwhelming!) Should it be snug around her belly, or loose enough to fit a finger or two? Should that strap sit right up under her armpits or further back? Should the strap around the front of her chest be snug or have some wiggle room? If it makes a difference, I use a single attachment leash clipped to the front hook. I sometimes have to give her a gentle but firm tug (when she is fixated on a squirrel, or decides she is absolutely NOT interested in going whichever way I wanted her to walk) so I want to be absolutely sure it fits well and I'm not hurting her. Thanks for any insights you might have!

Wow, so jealous! Was hoping my girl would be a soccer fan (named her Pauli after FC St Pauli), but she goes and sleeps in the other room every time I have a game on... I think she doesn't like it when I yell at the TV