greytdogsks

Well, for me, housebreaking 101: If/when I will be leaving them - they go out immediately before I leave. Might need to go out with him/them to witness them actually 'going'. When I come home, they go out immediately and directly. While I did still slip up on occasion with my girl, it became more and more rare that I screwed up on my side .. Basically, all the rest of the time, I either have the dog leashed to me so they can't 'sneak' off or behind a chair or couch .. or I don't let myself get so distracted as to not notice if the dog gets up/moves around. When the dog gets up when leashed or being observant, ask if they need to go out (or whatever word/phrase you choose to use), then take them out. Then, any and every time they potty outside, treat/reward/praise them for doing the 'right' thing - even at the above leaving or coming home times. A big part of it is being observant enough to set the dog up for success and rewarding that. If/when she brings Miles to your house, just don't let him off his leash in the house, period --- and/or bellyband him. I knew my girl was also absolutely a marker. So, when I had her at someone else's house, I kept her on leash unless I had panties on her. THough, even with the panties, I would watch closely to try to head off any marking. If we were staying with someone, she would have to wear the panties for possibly several days before I felt she had settled in enough to go without. Here is one, sort of humorous, story about my marker girl. It did take, I think, visiting 2 houses for me to 'know' my girl. Well, I took my 2 girls, at the time, to another friend's house. It was my/our first time to visit her house, so first, I had failed to have panties on hand for my girl, so she was going to have to stay on leash. She was showing me around the house, and indeed, it was a bit cumbersome to have my one girl on leash with 3 or 4 other dogs loose, trying to go through doorways. She kept telling me to let her off the leash. I kept refusing. Eventually, I gave in .. which I KNEW better! I bet it was within moments of me releasing her, she went right over to her nice 'oriental' rug promptly marked it. I looked at my friend said that is why I didn't want to let her loose! I listened to myself better from then on! But again, it's mostly being observant and setting them up for success.

Someone earlier mentioned what she is standing on when you are trying to have her get/jump in the car.. I had a girl who would quite willingly jump in the car (I have a SUV, so it was a bit higher). But, as she got older, one time her feet slipped a little on my smooth concrete garage floor as she was jumping in, causing her to 'miss' a little... and it scared her. After that, when she was on that smooth floor, she was reluctant. She would do it, with my encouragement and I learned to stand right by her to help her on in if she slipped. At my mother's, I would get a rubber backed throw rug and put it where she could use it and it helped. She also didn't like anything too close behind her when trying to jump, I guess she felt it was in her way. Just a couple more thoughts... Right now I have 3 who won't jump in the car.. >sigh<

I'm "late to the party" as usual but ... there was a question earlier regarding having difficulty potty training 9 months after adoption ... One of my experiences: I had off and on issues with one of my girls for about her first 2 years. First, she didn't give any obvious (to me initially) signal when she needed to go out - so it was up to ME to watch her very closely 100% of the time so I could learn her signal and get her outside and get her to associate me saying 'outside' with what she needed to do .... She was one who would get up an pace/move around, so, if you weren't 'in tune' with her, you could easily miss/overlook this signal. So, Miles owner needs to be super observant, even at home, to be sure she's not just missing something... since you said he is having accidents at home. If necessary, she needs to keep him leashed at home so she can catch him before the accident happens. This same girl, for me, also took a while to understand that she needed to 'hold it' until I got her signal - though there comes a time that no one can hold it any longer if the dog is being ignored. She would get up and pace/move around, I would miss this signal, then she would just 'go'. So, it took me first being more observant and never, NEVER letting her out of my sight when I was home so I could see this signal and get her out before an accident happened, then it took her understanding that she needed to hold it and let me know 'again' that she needed something. Eventually, she would still initially just get up and move around, if I didn't happen to notice that, she would come over and intently stare at me. Then, when I would ask if she needed to go out, she would bounce, get excited and wag her tail. But this took close to 2 years for us to fully understand each other. Ruling out medical issues is very important, because if it is a medical issue, it needs to be resolved. But being super observant and going back to house training 101 might be helpful since she's not wanting to go further medically at this time.

I've been watching him ... wish they would have had a webcam way back (2001) when I was taking my first greyhound to day care.. . Wonder if they put something softer on a cot if he'd be more likely to lay down ... don't know if mine would either, but guessing, as 'spoiled' as MINE are, they would probably think that the bare cot was just to 'hard' !

I am so very, very sorry. I grasp what you are saying about taking most of your heart yet still being here and being numb but feeling so much pain. I felt very similar when I lost my girl on the 11th. Waterproof hasn't roo'd, but she has been a bit lost and more whiny. Hugs to you heart ....

I'm so very sorry Robin. Run free beautiful girl ...

I'm so very sorry .... Hugs to you all ...

I really don't have any advice or ... whatever, just going to ask a couple of questions to compare to the way one of my girls reacts at different times... First--- has he always only met unknown little dogs while wearing a muzzle before? You said he met the teacup yorkie while wearing a muzzle .... (this is just a curiosity question)... Second -- and I think I saw the answer in another of your replies, but I'm going to ask to be sure ---- was this puppy last night on the ground walking or being carried? This one I ask because .... I had my girls at an event. Someone was there with an Italian greyhound and a little white poodle (I think it was a toy, but can't remember for sure). While one of my girls was sorta curious about them, she wasn't OVERLY curious or excited to get to them until the owner picked the poodle up --- then she wanted it. She did this to me when I first got her and was introducing her to my then cats ... when I picked the cat up ... she lunged, prior to that, only mild curiosity. My GUESS is that when the poodle (and the cat) was picked up, she maybe thought it was a toy or something so she wanted it --- sometimes when I pick up her toys she tends to lunge for them. Whatever the 'reason' for more curiosity ... others with much more knowledge have given what sounds like good advice.. always better to be safe than sorry !

My only experience with this is with my second greyhound.. not a retired racer, has a whole story behind her but ... when I first got her, many times, for no apparent reason, she would scream. I would run to check on her and she would just look at me like 'what?'. If anyone would gently touch her collar, like to try to get her up (or off the couch or whatever) to go out or something, she would SCREAM. The vet's suggested she not be adopted out because she was such a risk to bite. They muzzled her to draw blood for heartworm test, etc. Well, before too long, I 'learned' her ... and didn't react anymore. The most obvious thing I did ... I put my thumb and finger in a circle around her leg .. not touching her at all. She screamed and turned her head towards me as if to threaten to bite. When she saw I wasn't going to react, she stopped. So, I tightened the circle enough to just touch her leg. Scream, etc. again, yet, I didn't move... That was pretty much the last time she tried it on me. Except when it came to clipping nails --- I couldn't get that done because she would jerk away at the same time. However, she kept pretty much everyone else she was ever around or who kept her for me on occasion bamboosled! I friend was even 'afraid' to keep her for me she had the friend so spooked by the screaming! Can't speak for Slayer, but could try something like I did to see how she reacts.

I did, though, I admit that it ended up being an incorrect diagnosis. Before bringing the dog home, I talked to the vet several times about the situation and how things might progress and ways I could deal with things. It could have been quite a challenge, but I couldn't let him stay in the kennel with me thinking/imagining him possibly suffering alone then dying alone. But, as first mentioned, luckily it was an incorrect diagnosis and while I did bring the dog home to die in my home .... it wasn't a matter of months, it was just shy of,, darn, I'm having a challenge remembering what year I brought him home... I know it was February, just before his March birthday .. I think it was 2004. I lost him December 2009, just shy of his 6th gotcha day with me... thankfully the vet was WAY wrong with the diagnosis.

I used a belly band with an incontinence pad in it for my boy. He wore it pretty much all the time because he was very unpredictably incontinent ... he never seemed to mind it at all. I just changed it when it was wet and would wipe him off, just like a baby. Wish girls were so easy to handle in this way!

I'm so very sorry.... Hugs to your heart...

I'm so very sorry for your loss. Run free beautiful boy....

Others may have more/better info, but here is this link ... http://www.greythealth.com/lumbosacral.html

It sounds much like how my mother's boy's legs acted when he had LS ... Though, he could manage to take care of his 'business' on his own... but .. if he stood still too long, his legs would just sorta sink. As long as he was moving - even trotting at times - he seemed to be ok. Just couldn't seem to hold himself up if he stood still. He did get the depo shots on occasion and they seemed to help some for a while. Hopefully it will be something similar and nothing more serious with Norm. Good luck .. hugs to all...