GreytNut

That sounds like Argus and Raven's relationship, and to a lesser extent Tiny and Raven's relationship. Argus would stand over her, shove her out of bed, take her toys and treats and refuse to let her play in the yard. If she started running he would body slam her. She loved him beyond all reason. It was like he was the controlling, narcissistic boyfriend and she was the doormat girlfriend. Tiny deals similarly with her, though he's not as big a bully as Argus was. He just knows what he wants, and if Raven happens to have it he's willing to take it. Some greyhounds just wear "Kick Me" signs and are destined to be pushed around by more confident, dominant dogs. It's their lot in life as omegas and it doesn't upset them nearly as much as it upsets us. We have a sense of justice and fairness, and they don't understand those concepts. What helped for us was distracting Argus in the yard so that Raven could get some quality play time. Sometimes we'd send him back in the house and let her run around by herself, though Lola doesn't sound too keen on that. We would also have other greyhound friends come over to play. Argus was so busy trying to herd any females into a corner (a harem of his very own!) that he didn't notice Raven sneaking off to play with someone else.

That's about the size the vet said his scar would be. She said I'll be shocked by how large it is when the growth itself is so little, but that it's necessary to make sure no cancerous tissue is missed and left behind to regrow. I hope you're doing well after your treatment!

I checked Tiny's growth today and was horrified. Before it was aspirated it looked like a tick. Now that it's been partially-deflated and the area around it has been cleaned/trimmed so that it's easy to see, it's obvious what it is. It's a nasty black evil-looking thing that's now oozing a vile black fluid. There's no question that it's cancer. Tiny keeps trying to tear it off, so I have had to muzzle him. It's not that I'd mind seeing the thing go, but that I seriously doubt he'd achieve "clean margins" and the risk of infection would be ridiculously high. So we'll leave it to the professionals, OK buddy? The vet's office called to tell me the Pekingese lived and is going to be OK. All of her puppies died.

Hot dogs. Argus loved the Ballpark all-beef franks. They were the very last thing he stopped eating when he was sick. You can also hide medicines inside them.

We wanted to adopt a pannus dog, but the group wouldn't let us have him because at the time we lived at 7,000 feet in the mountains. Apparently elevation greatly aggravates pannus. So that's something to keep in mind if you like to go up to the high country.

They are never here long enough. I'm sorry she wasn't able to stay with you. She had an awesome life with you, that much is clear from her pictures.

The vet wants to take out not only the growth but a sizable chunk of surrounding tissue just to be sure that she gets every bit of cancerous tissue, so it isn't something that could be done locally. If we need to we'll do the growth first and then come back for the dental, but at his age I very much hesitate to put him under twice if we can avoid it. For his part, Tiny thoroughly enjoyed his vet visit. The dork loves going to the vet... his tail wags the entire time he's there and he insists on leaning on all the doctors and techs, lapping up the attention while Raven tries to disappear behind him. I thought DH was going to hit the ceiling when I told him I ran up our Care Credit when we've been trying to pay off all our bills, but he approved. Not sure how the Pekingese is doing, but will call tomorrow to find out. She mated with a Beagle. Those are going to be some godawful ugly puppies. I was upset because it was a preventable situation, but it didn't seem like an appropriate time to give a lecture on the virtues of spaying one's pet. I suspect she was unspayed due to financial considerations. Didn't expect repayment, but the guy followed me out to the car and insisted on getting contact info so he could pay us back. They really don't appear to have two nickels to rub together, so I'm not holding my breath, but maybe we'll be pleasantly surprised.

Ducks are great for tick control, as are turkeys and chickens. They love them and will gobble them as fast as they find them. Guineas are useful for the same purpose, but they are loud, annoying and dumber than a box of rocks. You may try using diatomaceous earth in your yard if you choose not to go the poultry route (though fresh eggs from free-range chickens or ducks are about the best things on earth... just sayin'....) Jey is right in that you have to treat your yard to really control the problem. I wouldn't give up on Frontline just yet.

Tiny went to the vet today and they aspirated the "thing." It is melanoma. They think as long as it's removed within a few months with clean margins it should be OK and progress no further. Left to its own devices, it will likely metastasize and do very bad things. He also has some kind of weird infection in his sheath that keeps recurring, and a possible low-grade liver infection (!) so we went home with a small pharmacy in a bag. So we have a little bit of time to come up with the money, as we're going to have a dental done at the same time with likely extractions and it's going to be very $$$. I didn't help matters by spontaneously maxing out our Care Credit card. We were checking out when a couple came in with a crying Pekingese that had been in labor since 4 am. They didn't qualify for Care Credit and every vet in town (including this one) turned them away because they won't make payment arrangements. They actually told the couple to take their dog home. That dog was going to die, and so were her pups if they weren't already dead. So I told them to charge it to my Care Credit. The courteous thing to do, perhaps, but it wasn't financially a very smart move. Their bill was NOT small. Oops.

Greyhounds tend to have notoriously bad teeth. Tiny's aren't all that bad, but Raven's are awful. She's very cagey about having her teeth brushed, but I've discovered that giving her a chewie of some sort every night (usually alternating between CET chews and pig ears/bully sticks) works wonders. Though I'm not crazy about rawhide products, those CET chews are marvelous for cleaning teeth... and I don't have to hog-tie her to get her to "brush."

I was giving the hounds baths today when I noticed something round, swollen and purplish-black right behind Tiny's left elbow, not far from his sternum. I wouldn't have noticed it at all if he hadn't been wet so that it stuck out of his fur. At first I thought it was a tick. Coming from an area where ticks aren't all that prevalent, I admit to not having seen very many engorged ones and am not 100% sure of what they look like after they've been in a dog for a while. I grabbed some tweezers and tried to pull the sucker out. It didn't come, and Tiny was thoroughly unimpressed with my attempts to de-tick him. I couldn't see any legs, just a round bulbous mass. I gave up because I didn't want to hurt him. If this was really a tick, there would be visible legs and it would yield to the pull of tweezers, yes? Could it be that this is some kind of growth, such as a hematoma?

I agree that a solid fence is best. That new engineered wood which lasts forever is fantastic if you're made of money. In our case it looks like we may be moving out on the prairie, where the wind would shove a solid fence right over. Depending on how large an area we have to fence, it might also be prohibitively expensive. Chain link allows wind and snow to pass through with little resistance. But it has occurred to me that there will be problems with jackrabbits, deer, coyotes, antelope and the like passing by. Our workaround is to have a separately enclosed dog run with a top on it, and only allow the dogs in the yard when we're out there with them. If anyone's got any suggestions on how to build a solid fence for severe wind/snow areas, I'm all ears.

Give him his space, be patient and try not to worry. He will gradually come to trust you, but it takes time. Ironically, it will happen faster if you relax and don't try to hurry him along. Raven was very spooky when she came to us and it took a particularly long time to win her over. I found that ignoring her and going on about my day helped. I'd be in the kitchen, for example, and spot her looking at me out of the corner of my eye. I would pretend not to notice her and just keep working. Eventually I'd feel a little cold nose brush my hand, and then she'd retreat. After a while she didn't retreat anymore. But the key seemed to be allowing her to approach me rather than initiating contact myself. Bribery also helped a great deal. She quickly learned that treats, meals, toys and all good things came from the humans.

Their recall is pretty close to 100% in the house. In the yard that drops to 80%, as sometimes they're fascinated with something or stalking a critter and will completely ignore me. I haven't had a chance to work with them in a large confined area like a baseball field, but would guess the percentage would drop further as there are more stimuli and things to investigate in a larger area. I wouldn't trust them off-lead in an unenclosed area for all the tea in China. Of the two, Tiny seems to be more reliable, probably because he's a velcro dog. He behaves a bit like Elsie in that it can be hard to get him to run or play sometimes because he just wants to stay glued to my leg. Raven, our spook, is more likely to take off and not come back.

We have a solid 6-foot wooden privacy fence at this house, though it's seen better days. When we have our own place it'll probably be 6-foot chain link with a bar across the top. I'm uncomfortable with less than 6 feet because I know that either of the dogs, properly motivated, could clear anything shorter. In this area we also have concerns with critters jumping IN. We keep our gates padlocked. Solid brass is a good choice because it is weather-resistant and won't rust.

I suspect you may have to use a muzzle with a poop cup. Mine are incorrigible grass eaters. They eat it, come back in the house and then hoark it up not on the hard floor but on the carpet (naturally). I have noticed that some varieties of grass seem to be more irritating than others. The thick, coarse-bladed grass with lots of little barbs on it is really bad. The small, thin, smooth blades don't cause much trouble.

Yes, it's normal doggie behavior. Even if they have dog food available to them at all times, human food is just better. It's also got that allure of the forbidden. When dogproofing your kitchen, think long and hard about what they might possibly be able to reach/open. Argus learned to open the refrigerator. We had to baby gate him out of the kitchen altogether. Tiny once snagged a loaf of bread from the top of the refrigerator (I'm still not sure how). There's a dogproof trash can called the DoggySafe, which is a bit pricey but well worth it. It's a step can with a locking lid. Child locks on the cupboards and drawers will help keep your goodies safe. And if all else fails, restrict their access to the kitchen. If they can't get in, they can't get in trouble.

This could be a sticky wicket if the adoption group decides it isn't financially feasible to treat a dog and opts for euthanasia or palliative care when you might want to go all-out and do everything you can. You might want to think about what you would do in such a situation. Good luck finding a solution! These guys need and deserve a home like yours.

Dasuquin comes in chewable tablets. Raven doesn't like them enough to eat them plain, but she'll take them if I drop them into her food. The first two weeks you give a double dose (two tablets) once daily. After that initial loading period it drops to 1 tablet daily. You can give a double dose again if you're anticipating a situation that might aggravate their joints, such as a fun run, hiking trip, etc. I noticed a very dramatic improvement within the first week of use. It is expensive, about $60 for a bottle, but it does last quite a long time. I believe it is only available through your veterinarian.

Tiny almost never wets himself, but he will pee on Raven if she isn't quick enough. Raven doesn't seem to care all that much, but I get very indignant on her behalf.

Rabies vaccinations every 2 years in South Dakota, no exceptions. Vets insist on DHLPP every year. I hate it. When we lived in CA we had the dogs titered every year, and they were still showing active immunity 4 years after their rabies and DHLPP shots. The vet thought they might be able to go the rest of their lives with no more boosters.

I've had good luck with Dasuquin. Raven's on it, and it has really helped with the arthritis in her hips. She's gone from bunny-hopping around the yard to barely limping at all.

I don't particularly want or need "trick ponies" but have taught my crew a few things on an as-needed basis. The first two were "Wait" and "Leave It" for safety reasons. I need them to wait until it's safe and leashes are securely attached before they jump out of the car or go out the front door. When they find something dangerous, nasty or unsafe to eat, I need to be able to tell them not pick it up (or to drop it if they have). For my safety, I taught them to go downstairs ahead of me using "Go On Down" because they had a tendency to follow very closely and sometimes head-butt me in the small of the back as I was walking down the stairs. Raven is so mild-mannered and obedient that I ask little else of her. Tiny came pre-programmed with "Sit," "Down," "Shake," "All the Way Up," "Stay" and "Heel." He can be very pushy at times and often tests his boundaries, so I will make him go through his paces before he gets a treat or meal to help him remember who owns the food canister. He's gotten so good that when he hears me open the treat cupboard he will sit down and offer me a paw.

Raven has gone right through a screen door. She would have gone through the front window but I closed the window before I left--just a gut feeling--and came home to find the screen torn out. If I hadn't closed the window she'd have been gone. I think the trick is to only open your windows enough to let in air without leaving a large enough opening for escape. If you have a way of fixing the windows so that they can't be forced further open, that would be ideal. If the dog could force it wider, it's best to leave it closed. You'd be amazed what they can pull off when properly motivated.

Geez, that's a tough one. We've had success getting our hounds and cats to peacefully co-exist, but two of the dogs had zero interest in the cats from day one. Raven was a little too interested for my liking at the beginning, and we very aggressively managed her until we were 100% sure she was safe with them. If she so much as looked a second too long in their direction, she got "NO KITTY!" in the VOG. If she followed them, or looked like she was going to follow them, it was the squirt bottle. She was always muzzled when in the room with them, and we tethered her leash to the bed at night. It sounds a bit harsh, but within a couple of months she was bombproof with them and everyone was free to mingle. Even so, I always have a safe place in every room for the cats to go if they feel threatened. If things went sour and they had to run all the way across the house to get someplace safe, they would be caught. The extra-tall baby gate with the little door in the bottom is a great idea and we have used one. In your case, since Miles has already completed an attack on the cat, I think it will be much harder to work with him. I don't think it's impossible, but as others have said it will take time, vigilance and dedication. You may never feel entirely comfortable with him around the cats. It's possible that the cat inflicted enough pain on him to make him think twice about attacking again, but then that didn't seem to deter him at the time. Your cat will probably show fear around him now, and that's not good. If you can't train him to be reliably safe around the cats, or can't keep everyone separated without diminishing their quality of life, it may be time to consider returning him to the group and adopting a hound who has either lived with a cat (best) or who has been repeatedly tested and shown absolutely zero interest. Cat testing is an art, and sometimes even the most careful groups misjudge a dog. It's not fair to your cats to risk their lives or keep them cooped up, and it's not fair to Miles to surround him with constant temptation. It's not fair to you to be in a constant state of fear. I'm sorry you have to make such a difficult decision.