jenn8

You need to shorten the trips so he can see you leave and come back before he has a chance to freak out. Then you gradually work up from there. Your neighbors might think you are nuts but literally, you walk out, close the door, open it and walk back in. Then grab a magazine or whatever, turn back around and walk out again. Go to your car, then turn around and come back. No barking? Good. Wait a few minutes, go back out, get in the car, start it, turn it off, get back out and walk back in the house. By now, Rogue should be thoroughly confused or bored to tears with your coming and going. Walk back out, get in the car and drive around the block, come back home, etc., etc. After a bunch of these trips, Rogue should start to get the idea it's okay when you leave because you always come back. Ir really helps though, if you leave him where he wants to be in the house. The signs he is showing seem more indicitive of anxiety from the crate and seclusion. Muzzling in the crate could add to his risk of injury because it could get caught on something while he is trying to push himself out. And yes, there have been greyhounds who managed to squeeze completely out.... not all good endings either. By the way, kudos to you for recording Rogue while you train him. To me, it just seems so important. Jenn

After reading your post more carefully, I think you may just need to work more on alone training, meaning more trips out and back for shorter periods of time. This can entail a whole bunch of trips in one day but it is more effective than say, two today and three tomorrow, etc. The idea is to get your dog to a point where he is so used to (or bored with) you coming and going that he quits worrying that you will never come back. You leave for just a few seconds the first time and then a few minutes, then 10 minutes, 15, 30, 1 hour, 2 hours and so on. If when you return, you see that your dog is crying or in distress, that's your sign to go back and shorten the trips again until you return to a quiet dog. Jenn

Give him a good walk in the morning and leave him muzzled in the living room. It will work much better if you spend the whole weekend alone training as well. Jenn ETA: All night and all day is too much time in a crate. He is giving you clear signs of this. He can hurt himself very badly trying to get out.

Me too. Jenn

For who? Jenn

I had one and didn't like it for the reasons stated above. Plus, I always dreaded opening the lid, fearing some big, green poop monster would reach out and pull me in. The digestive additives were expensive too. I finally buried it. Jenn

You are doing the right thing for your boy. I wish there was something more I could say to make it easier on you. I have been there, I understand and I am so sorry. Jenn

I think it's both. I recently watched Grey14me's pup, Holly, for a few weeks and decided that I was seeing a slight limp that could be cancer and blah, blah, blah. So I just had to get in touch with Michelle who was out of town and ruin the last day of her trip with the possible bad news and what should we do about it? My vet, her vet, should we wait, what about pain, and all that stuff. And I packed up all Onyx's unused remedies like Duralactin and Milk Thistle and details of the pain meds that did and didn't work. So Holly goes back with a big cancer care package and my list of questions for Michelle to ask the vet. Turns out it was nothing. Jenn

Holly, it looks like you have everyone on GT stumped, you little rascal. Jenn

These stories really show the love we have for these special pups. I am surprised at how many there are, bless their hearts... every one of them. Jenn

Some greys need to be housetrained when you first bring them home. Have you tried that yet?

Can you ask your vet for the super-duper, kill all worms pill, just in case? You may not ever know what it was. Jenn

Aww, Ryan, you're in good hands. Try to stick around for a good long while. They are so sweet when they get older. Jenn