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Legendaryfrank
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Posts posted by Legendaryfrank
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When I got Starry 2 years ago, my 10 year old cat who is completely docile and sweet to humans gave him a good slap to the face on their first meeting. Since then, Starrys been scared of her ever since. Only after about a year did Starry start figuring out that if he ignores her, she won't swat him for no reason. They have come as close to sniffing each other and tolerate each other when they are close by or in close quarters. If Starry is sniffy at all towards her or curious she give him a nasty sounding meow or hisses at him and he will either go in another room or just look away and pretend she isn't there.
I've done a lot of research and it's usually the dog going after the cat, but not the other way around. I had them separated via baby gate for that first initial year between upstairs and downstairs (the dog had upstairs) and then when I was confident enough that they won't eat each other, I let the gate open giving the cat a way to escape just in case, but usually it's the dog that needs an escape route, LOL.
As for outside, he gets alerted by bunnies and squirrels, but he's never lunged at them. Usually he just ignores them or does some light pulling at the most. He's scared and timid around cats he sees outside. He's never really pulled at me to get to a critter. Although when I let him off leash in our backyard, he has been known to chase a squirrel up a tree or fence.As for his racing career, he's only done less than 15 races and never won one, I've talked to one of his handlers before and they have confirmed he was not interested in chasing a lure haha
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I think your dog is incredibly lucky to have caring and thoughtful caregivers like you. I hope you make some progress and live in harmony!
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Starry doesn't have this problem, but I've read that keeping super high-value treats with you on walks, and redirecting your dog immediately by calling for their attention and giving them a treat right when they see a little critter might work
Again I have no experience in this, this is only what I've read!
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at least I think it means they like you
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...we've given up. he has so much fun digging, our yard is just like a crater now. he hasn't tripped over the little holes hes made or the one large main one he digs. As long as hes happy haha
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On 9/4/2021 at 5:43 PM, NewGreyMum said:
Great, thanks! He pulled a muscle in his leg a little while ago so I haven't been able to exercise him much unfortunately. But hopefully we will be back to walks again soon, I'm sure that being tired would help a lot!
Keep us posted!
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8 hours ago, NewGreyMum said:
Thats good to know, thanks! Do you remember how long it took you to go from 30 secs to a longer time (or how did you pace it?) Ours has gone back to being stuck on about 20 seconds before he comes over to the door to cry, so I'm not sure if we took it too fast at the beginning. I'm scaling it back to just small 5-10 second departures, but I am just hoping that he will be more comfortable with a little longer soon.
Each little jump if I recall correctly maybe took anywhere from 2-4 weeks. You can also exercise your dog before you start this practice so that they are really tired and don't even the energy to keep getting up to whine after settling down, if you haven't been doing that already.
Best of luck!! Also I froze peanut butter and cottage cheese stuffed kongs and gave those to him when I knew I had to be gone for a bit longer, that usually kept him busy for a good 30 minutes but he's considered quick, I've read that this can keep them busy for over an hour
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FWIW, I would annoy the crap out of Starry when he did this the first month of coming home by repeatedly getting up and out of the room as much as I can throughout the day and come back before he started to whine. The whole time I would completely ignore him, and eventually he either got the message I'd be coming back, or was tired of being interrupted. Even if he did whine, I would let him go until he was quiet for a minute, and once he quiet I would immediately come back.
It started out as like 30 seconds, then a minute, then slowly progressed over 3-4 months to the point where he couldnt care less about what I do around the house really besides when leaving for work and coming home.
As others said, it's still been only 2 weeks so your hound is still settling in, I can't speak about leaving the dog outside though since I have no clue whether or not that would be beneficial. Good luck!
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- When I was doing this with Starry, I'd bring a treat with me in my pocket (high value) and I would keep him on leash and walk to the place where I'd want him to poo, and then just stand there and be really boring. if he tries to walk, I usually just twirl around in a 360 until he finds a good enough spot. Once he does his business, I act really happy, tell him good poo and give him a treat immediately.
Sometimes it took 5-10 minutes and if he doesn't go by then I usually tried again another day. It took a month or two before he realized thats the place I want him to poo for the most part, now I don't even have to do the whole routine, usually he gets the picture that it's turnout time.
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Congratulations! I can give you a little advice at least what works with my hound
Teeth
I won't lie, I probably get around to brushing my boys teeth once a month. Otherwise I give him Greenies/Some equivalent dental chew once a day after dinner everyday to help keeps things clean. He usually only has a little plaque buildup but nothing too crazy or nothing that looks like it has to be scaled. Admittedly I need to start bushing at least once a week!
Toys
My hound goes quite nuts over plushies with squeakies in them, he does well with these heavier duty ones I get from petco:
They are his absolute favorite, it took him a good couple of months before he was even able to make a small tear on one of the plushes. Otherwise they have lasted for over 6 months of daily playing. A close second is chasing a rubber kong ball you can stuff treats inside of. You may just have to get heavier duty plushes for your dog to enjoy, or ones without any stuffing
Farts
Yeah not much you can do about this
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To add to greysmom's points, Starry will bark at me when he's "talking" with me sometimes. Starry has never been a quiet grey, he definitelyhappy to bark to talk back to you or to give you a heads up.
Sometimes if the day has been dragging, when I ask him if he's HUNGRY or ready for DINNER (capitalized the words that make him go off), Starry will bark back at me, almost as if he's saying YES! YES! It's quite a scary sounding deep bark as well but I've gotten used to it. By no means is it an aggressive bark, like I mentioned more so as a response to me asking him a question. Perhaps your neighbors grey is just sad they're being but back in the crate and letting you know?
Also like what racindog said, if there isn't any problem otherwise, this could just be a quirky thing that dog does in particular.
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On 8/1/2021 at 2:57 AM, HeyRunDog said:
I think the last option is the way to go. Separating them before either gets over stressed.
Thanks for the input! It takes a lot of close monitoring and it's a pain to keep an eye on them at all times and be afraid to even run to the bathroom without them in sight of each other, but I think you're right, it's going to keep taking small baby steps and a small leap of faith per day.
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On 8/1/2021 at 10:15 AM, LBass said:
What an interesting situation. I'm more used to hearing about hounds being too interested/threatening to cats rather than the cat being the aggressor. I think you are quite right to avoid letting your confident cat push your hound too far. My bet is that if you can calm the cat and give her a chance to check out the dog without feeling threatened things will sort themselves out. You dog is doing just what I'd want to see in a hound living with cats.
Things I might try:
1) For a while, set up a crate large enough for your hound. This setup allows you to give them some time in the same room--I'd prefer something like a LR or BR where you can hang out with them so it's the family all together and you're there to supervise. Change up who is in the crate--sometimes the cat and sometimes the dog. That gives each time with the scent of the other, and keeps everyone safe while allowing them close to each other. I'm hoping that there will be lots of sniffing rather than swatting. It may be that the cat's aggression is driven by a bit of fear and if the dog is clearly not a threat (crate), the need to prove that cat's have fangs and claws my diminish for her.
2) If your cat will wear a harness and leash that might be a way after, the crate experiment, to transition to having them together while still giving you control of your cat's aggression. It could also be a substitute if the crate is an impossibility.
3) The other thing I would probably do even if they become safe together when you are home, is to separate them when you leave. I have provided my cats with several areas babygated with gates that have a cat sized opening in them so the cats can always get away from the dogs if something goes wrong. It may be more difficult to find a way to confine a cat but it can absolutely be done.
My first Greyhound, Piper the Perfect, was a gentle sweetie who was no threat to my confident, assertive Oriental Shorthair cat, Yoda. They mostly ignored each other initially. A few weeks after Piper came home, I was sitting on the floor petting him. Suddenly Yoda, a large muscular cat, came racing through the length of the house, bounded onto Piper, dug in, and bounded off.
Yoda had done that to me and I knew it hurt a bit and was quite startling. Poor Piper was startled and puzzled and a bit worried. I think that Yoda, who had lived with dogs before, felt the need to demo to Piper just exactly who the boss was. After that incident they continued to ignore each other. I did DIY a door across the hallway that lead to the bedrooms and the cat's bath with litter box ,in order to keep them apart when I was not home--and additionally to keep Yoda from utilizing the dog door to get outside. The DIY door had to cover every inch of the width and height of the hall opening because Yoda was an extraordinary athlete and a cat firmly determined to get what he wanted.
I think you have the building blocks of a peaceful house. Good luck!
Thank you so much for the long and thoughtful reply and sharing your story!
I've been exchanging bedding and items the whole year so I'm sure they both get the idea that they are not going to be going anywhere
I have had them swap crates in the first couple of months as well to get them used to each others scent. They will actually coexist with each other as long as one of them is lying down and not active/playful. If they are lowkey and chilling then they will keep an eye on each other but won't bother getting up to do anything, and the cat hasn't tried giving him a swipe yet if he's been calmly laying down/sleeping and I'm around.
The story you shared with Piper and Yoda is hilarious; it's exactly what my Luna did with Starry. I was sitting with him and petting him in one corner of the house, when my slightly overweight unathletic 10 year old rescue cat decided it'd be fun to run up and give him a good claw, then run away. She seemed like such a jerk! Since then I haven't tried the same scenario since but maybe it's worth another try seeing as it looked like Yoda only did it once to show PIper whos boss. Starry doesn't even try to fight or bark back he will just shirk into the corner and start yelping or howling because he's so scared. I feel so bad for him but it's almost comical to see such a big dog intimidated by my otherwise sweet cat. My biggest fear is if he decides enough is enough and just goes at her. The winner of that fight would be pretty clear, unfortunately and I'm not trying to find out!
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On 7/30/2021 at 12:41 PM, okslater said:
My dog Badger is like this. He goes up to everyone, wagging his tail and sticking his nose in their crotch. By and large, everyone seems to love it, and I've been getting to know all my neighbours through him. They stop and give him a pat and have a chat. My other grey looks very standoffish and everyone ignores her. I feel sorry for her, she's very misunderstood.
Oh thats so sad for your girl haha. Good to know most people receive the sniff attack well, as I've seen too when I'm out and about although I don't try to let him do it all the time
I tried standing off to the side in the grass and letting another dog and owner by on my way back to my house, what happened was the other dog started to statue and freeze at the sight of Starry in the middle of the street while the owner tried to pull them away haha. Now I know to just start moving again in case that happens because I was standing there for about 15 seconds while she kept trying to tell him to come and cross the street to no avail until she pulled a treat out LOL
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I've had my 3 yr old greyhound Starry I adopted just about 1 year ago as well as my 10 year old rescue cat at home, and I'm wondering what the next best step is to get them to meet. He's my first dog and I've done a lot of reading online and can't seem to find the right solution.
Their first meeting at our home visit, my cat gave him a good swat to the nose and absolutely terrified him. Since then, We've had the dog have access to upstairs and the living room, the cat gets the basement up to the kitchen. They are seperated via baby gates.
They've been separate from each other until now, the dog always stays away from the gates and if the cat comes running up to the gate he will get scared and run away. I've tried to have them meet in the same room but what will happen is my cat will corner/stalk the dog and charge at him making him yelp and howl, then she'll back off. IDK if she's just reminding him whos boss or if shes actually trying to fight him. I know that the dog will clearly win that fight and it's not one I'm trying to have happen.
If the dog is upstairs in my room laying down and I let the cat come upstairs, he will be wary but he will continue laying down and even dare to sleep when shes roaming and sniffing around. Here it doesn't seem like she's trying to attack or stalk him but it seems like she could at any moment.
I have no idea what I should do next. Do I just let them be animals and hash it out and try to stop anything from happening before it's too late before it happens? Or do I keep taking tiny baby steps and have them get closer and more comfortable with eachother?
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1 hour ago, Time4ANap said:
Rocket loved to meet everyone on our walks. He was also a big boy and I'm sure that even with his tail wagging there were people walking toward us who were intimidated by his size. Anytime someone would be coming toward us, I would tell him to "WAIT" and put him on the grass if there was any available, basically standing against me on a tight leash so that the walkway was clear for the person. People couldn;t believe that he would just stand there and wait, and many of them would stop and pet him when they realized that he was well behaved.
I would try to teach him to wait and see if that helps on your walks.
Thanks, thats a great idea! I already put him in a sit and stay position every single meal time to practice his patience, shouldn't be too much different to do it while standing
Definitely going to give this a shot! -
Sometimes when out for a walk and someone is walking/jogging/running towards us, I will always try to cross as to not get in their way. However sometimes it's not possible with busy roads so I usually shorten the least right up and have my dog stick close to me while trying to give them room.
The problem is that Starry just LOVES to say hi to people and see if they have treats. He's quite rude and I don't want him to be obnoxious or startle anyone who isn't comfortable with dogs. Even with a short leash hold and keeping him close he will get super excited and want to say hello. The neighbors that know him love it but the strangers not so much, haha. It's pretty bad when people are jogging/running in our direction, he will think it's play time and start doing 360s taking up even more room on the sidewalk.
What I've been doing is to try and keep walking non chalantly to try and get him to realize it's not a big event, and if he gives any attention to the people trying to walk by I try to redirect his attention to me right away using our "hey pay attention" call.
Is it just going to take more and more time and practice? Or is there anything additional I can do to help me realize that walking strangers is not the time to say hello! FWIW, he is a little over 3 years old now and I've had him for just about a year (gotcha day coming up next week!!)
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This makes me feel much better, haha. Didn't think about the whole picture of most dogs not being able to socialize because of the pandemic, and our hounds are used to being with other hounds and can behave (usually!)
@racindog thank you for the long post and sharing your experience!! -
2 minutes ago, Jerilyn said:
I think most family pet dogs have not had proper socialization and/or training. Our greyhounds excel in dog commutation due to the way they are raised around lots of dogs and people. So it’s them, not you.
I do make a point of praising Wiki loudly for being calm and ignoring the other dog that is going crazy. 
That said, I think there is something about the shape and style of greyhounds that confuses or worries other breeds. The low-set tail and ears pinned back as a default could be read as fear or aggression by another dog. There is a dog in my neighborhood that went full on Cujo as Wiki and I walked past just minding our own business. I seriously thought it was going to attack us and Wiki did too. My neighbors who walk other breeds of dogs all love this Cujo and say he’s nothing but sweet.
Starry sounds lovely. Keep doing what you're doing and tell him he's a good boy.
Thank you for the kind words! I'll make it a point to keep praising Starry when he stays calm on our walks.
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Does this happen to anyone else as well?
Around my neighborhood we've been walking around now for almost a year since I've gotten my hound; and without fail most dogs will get fixated to him and start pulling their owners leash and lunging at us. Small dogs, big dogs, you name it and they will usually start barking. It makes it feel like something is wrong with us or we are doing something wrong..
Starry doesn't react too much, he will play bow but he's never barked or fixated on another dog on our walks. He's never pulled me to try and say hi to other dogs either. We've met other dogs on leash that were much more low key without any issues.
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18 minutes ago, Time4ANap said:
For the most part, no one here will suggest taking a greyhound to a dog park. Ever. You've covered the reasons.
Obviously there will always be a dog or two who do just fine at a dog park, but greyhounds are simply being greyhounds when they get around other dogs, and they are used to playing hard with other greyhounds. What's construed by others as bad behavior is simply a dog that has some prey drive playing normally. You'll note that when most greyhound groups get together that muzzles are required for these same reasons. Injuries can happen quickly due to thin skin, and what might provoke a fight with other breeds is often just rough greyhound play. The muzzles protect all involved. The dog park is always a no-go in this house.
Great points. I thought my grey would be different but that is clearly not the case, and I put absolutely zero blame on him. Thanks for the reply! Will be on the lookout if my agency sets up any greyhound only meets.
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For context, he is turning 3 years old this month, retired for a year now.
Here is a summarized timeline of our dog park adventures:
1 Month in - Too nervous/scared to leave the parking lot, wouldn't go up to the gate while leashed.
2 months in - Able to walk up to the gate, but refused to go inside
3 months in - Able to go into the dog park now, but stands right next to the gate and looks like he wants to go back into the car and go home
4 months in - Hooray, he's playing with the other dogs! Running around, play fighting, having a great time.
5-7 Months in - Going to the dog park 1-4x/week, getting to know other dogs. Becoming very confident inside of the dog park. Actively greeting new dogs and people.
Just recently - The past couple of days where I've taken my grey to the dog park, there was one instance where someone brought in a (suspected) intact samoyed. Right when the owner brought this dog in, the 6-7 dogs in the park including my grey made a beeline right up to the gate, and a fight broke out. It seemed like my grey was the main instigator, I had to go and pull him off of the other dog.
After that day, I took a couple of days off of the dog park since that was the first time I've ever seen him act aggressive and actually going after another dog with what looked like ill intent.
Couple of days pass, I go back to the dog park. This time I notice that he is really getting into chasing other dogs and nipping at them now and tumbling into them with his body and making them fall over and get knocked down while running. This seems incredibly jerkish of him and I've never seen him chase other dogs like that to this extent after that day with the Samoyed.
It got to the point where he got really fixated on this probably ~20 lb dog and literally chased him around until he caught him and bit down on his scruff. I ran up to him right away, got him off of the little dog and apologized to the owner, leashed him up and haven't been back since.
On leash walking around the neighborhood, he is not reactive in any sort of way.
Has anyone had similar stories of this kind of behavior changing suddenly? Even if he's not a dog's dog, he is perfectly happy going on walks on his own or having fun in my fenced in yard. It wouldn't be fair for me to keep bringing him to the dog park and make other owners anxious about their dog getting grabbed
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3 hours ago, Jerilyn said:
Never realized that, but it makes total sense!
Lila definitely was more orange than red. Coincidentally, I am also a redhead whose hair is not really red.
the more you know, huh?
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From what I can see, it's more orange than red, unless the naming is talking about the dogs skin which is actually a bit red.
for reference
Yoda had done that to me and I knew it hurt a bit and was quite startling. Poor Piper was startled and puzzled and a bit worried. I think that Yoda, who had lived with dogs before, felt the need to demo to Piper just exactly who the boss was. After that incident they continued to ignore each other. I did DIY a door across the hallway that lead to the bedrooms and the cat's bath with litter box ,in order to keep them apart when I was not home--and additionally to keep Yoda from utilizing the dog door to get outside. The DIY door had to cover every inch of the width and height of the hall opening because Yoda was an extraordinary athlete and a cat firmly determined to get what he wanted. 
Greyhounds in bedroom and door
in Training and Behavior discussion
Posted · Edited by Legendaryfrank
im not an expert at greyhound care or dog care for that matter, but it might help to keep trying to desensitize him perhaps?
I would maybe get a flashlight to mimic car lights.. and find a video that plays random noises and see if that will set him off (assuming of course it's not causing him a huge amount of distress). I would keep high value treats on hand. Anytime you can flash a light like a car, or play a loud noise and your hound is quiet, treat him right away and praise.
That what I would do at least. Anyone feel free to correct me on correct training methods!