jenn8

How long have you had him? Typically, they start getting tired of their crates in 2 or 3 months. He isn't safe in there anymore if he is bending the bars. Time for a change. Do you have any baby gates? Jenn

I think the Tramadol is probably milder than Valium. Look on the bottle. There should be instructions on maximum dosage according to what your vet set up. Jenn

Honestly, you can disagree with me without being rude. I know that a lot of people may not like this method, but it is essentially the same as leaving the dog in a crate - the only difference being that he has more room. Not all of us are so fortunate as to have access to a large yard, and many pet-friendly apartment complexes have a size limit. The OP stated that he/she was at risk for being evicted, and that was the reason I suggested this method. Do I think it is the best? Not at all. I would gladly leave my dog free in my apartment if I could. The simple fact of the matter is that he makes a bigger fuss when left out and is destructive, and I can deal with minor problems, but multiple evictions because of my dog is not one of them. Please take the time to read what I am saying and reply nicely. We are all adults here. I did not mean to offend you. You said you knew that you would get some flak and I don’t think I even gave you that. My comment was more of a general grunt but not about the 8 foot pen. It bothered me to read about your attitude towards your dog for being excited when you get home. He spends all day long, obviously not real happy in his crate or pen. He is muzzled, isolated, alone and he gets no attention. Okay, fine. But when that day is finally over, he needs to blow off steam. Seeing you is going to trigger that reaction. He has been waiting for you all day. He’s excited and happy. Dogs make noise when that happens. Just let him out. He loves you and wants to show it. Don’t punish him. You are missing out on the best part of owning a dog. Have some fun with him. Jenn

Why did I have to read that? Jenn

What makes your problem so baffling is that all 3 dogs are behaving the same way. Very strange. My only suggestion is to let them hang out on the patio and hope that they start enjoying the rest of the yard in their own time.

I think what a few people are suggesting is that you may not be dealing with separation anxiety but crate anxiety instead. The fact that he has behaved well for 15 to 20 minutes is a pretty good indication that it is not separation anxiety. Alone training can be very effective if you devote a couople of days to continuous ins and outs until you have bored your dog (and yourselves) silly with it. It will show your dog that he has no reason to worry about you not coming back. It is a tedious process but well worth the effort up front. Jenn

Great idea on the ornamental grass. You could also pick a little bit up on your walks (the spot that seems to interest Lando most) and toss it in your yard. Jenn

I had the feeling you would make this decision, Lucy. I wasn’t going to encourage it but I definitely agree that it is the right thing to do… for the right reasons. In the longrun, you will be so glad you had the courage to do it. I already told you about Onyx but I didn’t mention how much I wished I could have let him go at home. Like Elizabeth said, the personality makes a big difference. He was really scared and that memory sticks with me. Other than that, it was very peaceful and painless and I was so grateful for that. My first greyhound, Bullet, had cardiomyopathy and I was told he would eventually die from a heart attack. I wasn’t about to let that happen. So after about 8 months when he started to decline, I chose to let him go early. The vet greed to do it but he suggested I schedule the appointment for one week later just to make sure I thought it all out. It worked out really well and I was confident about my decision when the time came. I would have chosen to put Bullet down at home but didn’t know a vet who could do it. He always acted healthy at the vet’s office and that was one thing that stuck in my mind afterwards. How could I let this seemingly happy dog go? Well, I knew he was putting up a front but still, the pangs of guilt set in afterwards. What was important was him and I was grateful, at least, not to be left with any regrets. I wasn’t a GreyTalk member back then but I did hang out at a Pet Loss web site for a little while after that. It was very interesting to see the percentage of people who wished they had not waited as long as they did before making the decision. I was in a very small minority of what they felt were the lucky ones. You are doing the right thing, Lucy. I know exactly where you are and it is so, so hard. Thank goodness for this message board and the support that everyone here can provide. We can see that Riley is in very good hands. Jenn

If your backyard is fenced, you could try it without the leash. Dogs usually need to run around a little to get things moving before they are ready to do the deed. I am thinking it might be better to get him housetrained first and then work on the specific place you want him to go in the yard. The corner of the couch seems to be a popular spot. Several of the greys I've had here picked it too. I'm not sure if it is marking but I think those couple of times you missed were enough to give him the idea that it's okay to go there. For that, you would need to start housetraining over again and make sure you catch him in the act like you did last time without any accidents going unnoticed. A couple of days would probably be enough. Clicker training only works after you condition your dog to understand what the clicking noise represents. So you take some yummy treats and just stand there handing them to him while clicking at the same time. It won't take long for him to start getting real excited whenever he hears the sound. Then you can start teaching him things. I think just regular "good boy" type praise will work better for peeing outside. And yes, you can wait until he is finished. Jenn

Just for the heck of it, I e-mailed Lee Livingood (author of Greyhound for Dummies) and posed the question to her. Here is her response: Jenn

I think it could be normal if she hasn't quite got the whole concept yet. I am one of those crate haters, so naturally my suggestion is to work on her housetraining a little more. She may know that going outside is the right thing to do but may not know that inside is wrong when nobody is there. If you can devote a whole weekend and keep a constant eye on her, catch any accidents before they happen and reinforce the good behavior, that may be all she needs. I am so glad to see you giving her a chance to live in the house instead of a crate. I really do believe the dogs enjoy it more that way and I think it's worth the extra effort. Jenn

It would be better if the owner could start the alone training over again in whatever room Gaston seems comfortable in. Jenn

Oh Lucy, I don't know what to say. I just went through this with Onyx. I'm so sorry. Jenn

I would say if your ultimate goal is to go without the crate, then do the alone training that way and see how she does. Jenn

5..4..3..2..1...

How long are you usually gone? She may just need a regular schedule and/or some house training or possibly alone training. You can usually tell what the problem is after trying each one of those things. Jenn

Lucy, I am hoping that good news comes quickly with Riley's test results. Jenn

Potty breaks aside, I think it's unfair to expect an only dog to stay couped up in a crate all day long. If you can videotape a typical day and still feel good after watching it, then you may have one of those dogs who prefers to be crated. I have never seen one like that though. They just seem happier and much more content in the house. You do need to train them for that and there are some dogs who still have trouble with that much freedom but at least it is worth a try. It does depend on the dog but requires effort on the owners part to find out what type of dog they have and to provide them with what they need. Jenn

Yes, I think I see a spec of dirt in the lower left hand corner but I had to look real hard to find it! Oh, and there's a tree branch obstructing the newly painted fence. Sorry, I couldn't resist. Your yard is uber-perfect. I want one! Jenn

You can try saying he is very playful and doesn't know his own size. Jenn

Also, use very small pieces so your dog will keep wanting more. Jenn

Oh Marion, this is such sad news. There are no words to make it better but I certainly do understand the pain you are going through. The pictures and stories of your beautiful dogs will always be remembered. You gave both of them a wonderful life. Jenn

Maybe it would help to give her a good walk as close to bedtime as possible. Are you taking her out less this time of year due to colder weather? Jenn

Oh dear, I couldn't even give my own arm a raspberry without Bug high-tailing it upstairs. Jenn