JaneW

oh dear! Mine is a girl and none of your options quite match. She does not mark in our house. She will mark in another house if another dog has peed there. She marks outside as much as I will allow. Obedience commands will usually distract her when I get tired of stopping every 50 ft.

I wonder if the mixed signals you feel you are getting from him are the result of you giving him mixed signals? Just a suggestion to check yourself on. My Greta is appallingly alert to body language. I have to check myself all the time .

Greta sat from day one, but only for her own reasons--usually playfulness (she would sit and then roll back onto her rump, rock around, fall over, then jump up and zoom!). Once I trained her to sit on command, she quickly figured it was a way to ask for food, treats, or to met another dog. It's about the only thing she did learn quickly or well, come to think of it...

Nope! Greta comes and looks at ME and I have to guess what she wants. I usually default to first trying to let her out, since, if she needs to go badly enough to ask, I'd better do it!

Greta tried to lay down in traffic areas, too. That is absolutely not acceptable in my house--I'd break my neck for sure. I did not walk over her, I walked through her--shuffling my feet very carefully so as not to hurt her and commanded, "MOVE". She learned pretty quick to move when she saw me (or anyone) coming, and no longer ever lays down in traffic areas and now will head for her bed any time anyone tells her to move for any reason.

Train, train, train, and never place him in situations in which you can't handle him. My Greta was a lot like that when I got her, and even now, 6 years later, I do not put her into certain situations, and I watch her closely in others.

What everyone else said! As much as you want to love him, he needs time and space. And be aware that some greyhounds will never love to be cuddled. I had Greta for a year before I kissed her. I spent months resisting the urge while also getting her used to me handling her without pushing her past her tolerance. I still recall the first time I put my head down on her side while she was lying on the floor. I got her all relaxed with massage and then, with one hand resting on her neck so I would have some warning if she objected, I just put my ear to her side for a moment. I've had her 6 years now and I still don't do that with impunity (she wouldn't snap at me, but it still could stress and upset her). I do it to help ensure that she will tolerate it if someone else tries it before I can stop them. I do kiss her a lot now! She doesn't mind at all, though she might walk away if anyone else tried it.

I don't take Greta--she doesn't get along well enough with other dogs to put her in such a situation.

I'm sorry you found it traumatic. I grew up on a farm so I cannot imagine what it would be like to not be used to such things. Though I admit I was a bit unhappy to have to kill the woodchuck Greta caught but only injured in our yard...

She was fine Monday and Tuesday and then it was back today--so she spent 4 hours at the vet while they waited for her to produce a sample that they could send out for detailed analysis! Meantime she is on antibiotics again and FortiiFlora.

When it comes to bacteria, I have a "knock 'em down and stomp on them" attitude, ! Who knows what this was, and I wouldn't have even been worried immediately if she hadn't recently had a bout that went from bad to worse. This is how it usually goes--a bad day and a quick recovery with no need for the vet. And by "usually" I mean it's happened maybe 6 times in 5 years, and at least two of those were due to food changes.

She's fine this morning! Bursting with energy and BM almost normal.

Well, I gave her a bit of potato and chicken a couple hours ago and it's still in her, plus she just ran around the backyard trying to flush out squirrels, so she is feeling pretty good! I'll give her a little more potato and chicken soon.

Greta definitely had a substantial bacterial infection the first time. Vomiting right after eating is par-for-the-course for her if she ingests anything--even any dog food--that she isn't used to. She does have something weird with her digestion anyway--she often doesn't digest the food in her stomach for up to 12 hours. I'm not saying she doesn't need to go to the vet! I'm just trying to keep her comfortable till I can take her to the vet who knows her tomorrow. I'm not too happy to hear that she should have had a longer course of antibiotics--I'm a firm believer in making sure they do their job because the potential consequences of leaving a few germs to mutate is not a joke. I will try the gatorade, too--I hope she likes lemon-lime ! Tonight I'm giving her a little potato instead of rice with chicken. I don't think she tolerates rice well. She never has trouble with baked potato treats that I make for her.

paulamariez--thanks for sharing your experience. Greta loves water with broth, but is puking it up. Regurgitating food is not unusual for her, so I'm not too concerned as long as some stays down to hydrate her. She also brought up some grass--she is "starving" and was sneakily gobbling grass every time I let her out in the wee hours this morning. She apparently has a number of allergies and food has always been a problem for her--I don't usually let people even give her dog treats. She came with the name--it was her track name, and my husband is of German extraction, so we thought it was meant to be!

Greta was on meds for only 5 days, and I know of 3 other dogs in the neighborhood that have also had it, so she may have the same thing again. Or maybe the weather change has stressed her system, or maybe she ate something outside--she snaps at insects quite a lot and has been stung a few times lately...who knows. This time I will try boiled chicken with the rice, but normally she is on a special fish and potato dog food due to allergies, so I'm leery of experimenting too much.

Second time in less than 3 weeks! (last time it was bacterial). This time I'm really paying attention and will do my best to keep her hydrated and see if we can manage without a trip to the e-vet this weekend. I'm boiling chicken and plan to give her a little broth in water instead of food for 24 hours. Currently, she is perky and is drinking just fine. And of course, if she becomes lethargic or in any distress we will be off to the e-vet asap. Last time, rice and yogurt did her no good that I could see--they just went right through. She didn't really recover until I put her back on her regular food. She has very touchy digestion.

Greta is always very quiet after vacationing with my sister's dogs.

I use EnirelyPets.com for heartworm and flea. Drugstore.com for supplements such as glucosamine. I find them both entirely reliable.

Greta does it when her allergies are acting up--I think it's mucus in her throat causing it. When it's bad enough that she seems disturbed by it (can't settle down or if it is likely to cause her to regurgitate her food) I give her 2 antihistamines per vet instructions.

First Greta strained her groin (on top of chronic back problems), then she was attacked by another dog, then she got a nasty bacterial intestinal infection and had a trip to the E-Vet, and, after five years of snapping at bees without getting stung, this year she has stepped on two that stung her and has also been stung in the face! This forum is so full of stories or true woe that I'm very, very glad we have had nothing serious happen!

If it is at all hot and/or humid I wet Greta with a hose before walking her. It makes a huge difference in her tolerance for heat--and she loves it, too!

I brush Greta's teeth every day. She eats only dry dog food soaked in water. Our vet is a huge proponent of dog dental care. I've had Greta 5 years, and in that time she has has two dental cleanings and 3 back molars extracted. Her remaining teeth are in good condition.

I never muzzle Greta because she is never in an off-leash situation with other greys,and rarely with other dogs (only my sister's mutts, who stay away from Greta when they are outside together).