Sighthounds4me

It's pretty common dog behavior. This is not their home, and they need to get to know it. The more often you go, the more likely he is to open up, and start playing. Our older boys did that when we had a smaller yard, but would take them to our local kennel club's big field. Eventually, they'd play, but they had to sniff the scents first. If you are alone at the park, consider taking toys to get him to play. Naples loves chasing moving objects (I have to retrieve them, of course; she loses interest as soon as they stop moving), and that often gets her running wildly, for the pure joy of running. If you are able to do that, please do - I bet you'll have fun!

Understandable. But to the dog, that is being a bully - the dog only knows that you are trying to take away something very high value, that you gave them. This is confusing. Rather than bullying the dog, train them using the "trade-up" method. With time and practice, the dog should willingly give up any prize, expecting something better! Carl would do this with bones, too. I would "trade" him for a cookie. Now he lets me take away bones, if needed. It just took some practice. Unfortunately, in her mind, there was nothing worth trading for. We tried treats, etc. What is the "etc?" Regular, biscuit type treats are useless for this. The bully stick is MUCH better. Try cold-cut meats, cheese, tuna, peanut butter, cream cheese, or anything else nice and smelly that is only brought out for things like this. Dry biscuits would not get my attention, but peanut butter might!

We had this sort of trouble with Naples too. First thing I would do is a FULL vet check. Have a urinalysis done to check for a UTI. Make sure he is healthy. It is possible there is something physical going on, and that is easy to rule out. I hesitate to call this separation anxiety, if there are no other symptoms. If he is not vocalizing, drooling, chewing things apart, it is unlikely this is true SA. For more info on what SA is (and is not), read I'll Be Home Soon by Patricia McConnell, PhD. Do you leave a radio or TV on for him? If not, consider this. He may not have true SA, but may get a little anxious if he can hear too many unidentified noise around your home. In addition, most track kennels play some sort of constant noise at all times, so this is what many ex-racers are used to. Other than that, dogs that mark need to urinate many times to empty out completely. Many males are champion markers, and some females are too (Naples is one!). they reserve urine to mark many things, so if they don't urinate several times before being left for the day, they WILL have to go during the day, and probably will. So they learn to fight instinct, and mess in the crate if that's where they are. This may mean longer walks so he can empty, or more time in the yard in the morning. It may also mean that after he eats breakfast, he goes out again. That's what Naples needs: she urinates first thing outside in the morning, but defecates after eating. So she needs to go out twice in the morning. BUT, this means she does not mess throughout the day, either. Your question about walking longer in the morning, or a play session in the yard - YES! A tired dog is a happy dog! If he is too tired to pee, he probably won't. AND, all that activity is likely to get things moving, y'know? As far as "a crate is a crate," I disagree with this. If you find that the dog messes in an airline crate (solid plastic), try a wire crate. That's the way Naples was: she'd mess in an airline crate almost every day. But once we got her a wire crate, she messed far less frequently. Sometimes, being more open helps. Sometimes the opposite is true. It can take some experimentation.

HAVE FUN! Expect bumps in the road...sighthounds can be "creative" about how they learn. They are not unintelligent, but have interesting ways to learn new things. So, approach with a sense of humor, stay positive, expect roadblocks, and HAVE FUN! The more relaxed and happy you are, the more relaxed and receptive Lucy will be! I have made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I think the biggest ones are expecting too much too fast, then getting frustrated when I don't see results. Keep training sessions at home short (no more than 10 minutes), POSITIVE, and upbeat. Along that line, I have taken a different approach to Henley's training. I look at it more as bonding/socializing/playtime. I want him to look forward to going to kennel club with me, rather than dread it as my others have. Because I was too business-like, and did not allow them to socialize as much as I should have, they dislike kennel club. So this time, I am taking Henley to the same class many times, without the goal of moving on at this time - there will be time for that later. Right now, I want him to play, have fun, and develop a trust and respect for me, so he WANTS to do well for me. And, always end on a positive note. Have her do something she knows well, then praise, and end the session. If she is having an off-day, it's even more important to do this, so she will look forward to the next time, and not dread her training sessions with you.

We've always just done well-soaked kibble, so it's very soft. We do this for about a week. Of course, remember that the first day back from the vet, no food. It's not good after the anesthesia. Sometimes they don't eat the next day either, but that is their choice.

Another thought - grab rear legs, wheelbarrow style, and pull the hounds off each other. They can't fight you if you do this - they have no control. And they can't whip around and bite you - you are too far behind them. This helps break up many a fight.

I completely agree with this one. I have one that likes to bark, and has some fence-fighting tendencies. The barking is a family thing: she has a brother and sister still with the breeder that bark a lot too. (This is not a Greyhound, so we know her family well). The breeder has actually used bark collars on them! I think the fence-fighting came from poor socialization. She had gone to a different home when she was 6 months old, and I suspect she was not well-socialized there. When we got her as a foster after she came back to the breeder (she was 5), we had some issues to work out, including this one. We were going to borrow one of the collars for Indigo, but then i started to notice progress with an unintentional technique I used. She LOVES being outside, especially if the weather is cool/cold. I would put all the Borzoi out in that kind of weather, as long as possible, so they could have exercise. She would bark, and I'd shush her a couple times. After a couple times, I'd bring her in the house: she was driving me crazy, and I'm sure the neighbors didn't like it! What ended up happening was that she learned that her outside fun would stop if she didn't keep quiet! I had unintentionally trained her to silence herself! She gets a little mouthy still, but when she does, I remind her to quiet, and she usually does. If not, I bring her in.

I don't think that would be what you are teaching her. In stead, if you use the treat before she growls, you are teaching her "If I listen to the humans, and give up my prize, I get something even better!" The key is, though, to phase out the treats gradually, over time, or she will start to pick things up, in hopes of receiving a treat. I'm no training expert, but I think all of these are silly and unnecessary. I've also read you should always eat before your dog. My dogs break all these rules, but they never question my "authority." Next time, don't wait until she growls. Say she has a toy or treat - walk up to her without trying to grab it away, and present something high-value to her and say "drop" or "trade" or whatever. Then you take the first thing away, while she is busy with the trade-up. I've been able to take turkey necks and bones (VERY high-value) from Molly doing this. These kind of things have their place. But generally, for most Greyhounds, this is not necessary. Unless there is a problem, like a dog who REALLY pushes the boundaries, these things are overkill. They just don't need it. That said, I have banned dogs from our bedroom, if I deemed it necessary. Manero and Naples sleep in our bedroom at night. Manero can push his limits at times...One time he growled at me just before be d(I don't remember the issue - it was a while ago!), so he was not allowed in the bedroom for a couple nights. He learned, and has not done it again!

In addition, I never like seeing "animal fat" or "poultry by-product." Stating "animal" is too vague: could be beef, could be chicken, could be road-kill. AND, it can vary significantly from batch to batch. Who knows what your pet is getting? And any by-products should be avoided. Again, who knows what your pet is getting?

The thing is, the dog does not have to be "sensitive" to react badly to harsh training. Pain is simply NO LONGER a legitimate training technique. And anyway, if you think about it, why would you want your dog to respond to you out of fear? I would prefer to foster respect and love - it's a lot easier to get a dog to do the right thing if they respect the trainer. I also agree that corrections have a place. I suspect you meant this, Heather: mild corrections can be effective. A leash-pop for a dog that's pulling on the leash, for example. But the key is, PRAISE the dog *IMMEDIATELY* when he/she does the right thing. And, as Heather stated, DO NOT EVER discipline a dog for coming to you, even if he/she broke a stay command, or otherwise misbehaved. You want the dog to ALWAYS be happy to come to you!

Another good point!

NO, no, no!!!!!! You should not need an electronic collar to train recall. Instead, use positive methods, like having a mini-party when the dogs does what you want him or her to do. I do not think electronic collars are inhumane. Many of them use tones rather than a shock. But as long as the shock is not too intense, it's not inhumane. BUT, with most sighthounds, it's unnecessary! I MUCH prefer positive methods - have fun with your dog! Rather than training consequences of an action you don't want, build a relationship that encourages your dog to please you out of respect. I have gone through beginner's obedience MANY times with my newest addition, because I am not demanding perfect obedience. I simply want him to enjoy going to kennel club, and enjoy spending time with me! I make sure to correct gently, and praise profusely!

We love Plum Silky from Nature's Specialties.It's a very good conditioning shampoo (therefore good for dry skin), smells amazing, cleans extremely well, and dilutes a tremendous amount. I usually buy a 16 oz. bottle, to dilute into 2 full gallons! I also love their bluing shampoo (for white coats). Many bluing shampoos are very drying, but this one is not. Their neem shampoo is also very good for skin conditions, and rids the dog of fleas (though it cannot be labeled as such, because, as a natural ingredient, neem cannot be regulated by the FDA). They have amazing conditioners, too. The Aloe Remoisturizer is good for dry skin, and I LOVE their Quicker Slicker for a grooming spray/leave-on conditioner. The products can be tough to find, because not many stores carry it. But you can now order directly from the manufacturer.

You can order them from Pet Edge for less than $10, too! I like having more than one for the space, but I have comfortably fit two adult male Borzoi in one. Just sayin'!

To save money, search Craigslist and Ebay. I have three ex-pens that I bought used off those sites, and paid about what I would have for one brand new one. On has a little rust on it, but it's not too bad. I have two 42" pens, one 48". I would not recommend one that is less than 42", but that is JMHO. They are all the 24" wide wire panels, eight panels per pen. I agree, though - DO NOT leave her unattended in the ex-pen. When we use ours, it's when we are at shows or the like, and want our hands free (thus no leashes), but do not want to confine the dogs to a crate - the ex-pen gives them a little more room, especially if we use two or more together.

Many bitches will hump if in season or coming in. Keep an eye on her!

Could she have nicked her nose on something? Manero had a spot like that after he caught a squirrel and it fought back! (except his was on the *very top* of his nose) I had to touch it up with cheap mascara to show him, but he finished his CH the next weekend!

The "what-ifs" will always be there. Even after a prolonged illness, you'll ask yourself, "could he have hung on another day?" or "should I have done it sooner?" It's a VERY tough thing to accept, when these guys rely on us for everything. I pray for your peace!

I did not read all the responses, but I have to ask...was he given prophylactic antibiotics before the dental? This sounds like a similar reaction that Naples had a few years ago, when she went into septic shock following a dental. IV antibiotics and supportive care pulled her through, but it was VERY touchy. I am SO SORRY for your loss!

Another thing to think about, though this is not something the OP would have to worry about too much in GA: they don't work in temperatures lower than 40* Fahrenheit. So for those of us that get cold in winter - not worth it.

I prefer evaproative cooling. If you have ever put a cooling blanket or other such device on a dog, then slipped your hand under it, it's rather warm, meaning these things don't really do any good. Instead, just use plain water, and soak him down, allowing the water to evaporate. it's the same principle as human sweat. Just make sure NOT to use cold water - that could cool too fast, and cause other problems. Use tepid to lukewarm water.

My goodness, Bill! You put a TON of work into this! THANKS SO MUCH for all you have done!

I suspect that it was an isolated case of an upset stomach. The fact that she moved the soiled blanket away from herself is a good sign. I have one that does that, too. This is a dog that WILL NOT mess his crate unless he has NO OTHER OPTION. I joke that he would hold it for days if he had to, rather than mess his crate. But if he has to, he puts it in a corner, then rolls his blankets onto it, so he does not get any on him. In the almost-six years we've had him, I can count on one hand, with fingers left over, how many times he's had accidents! What's most ironic about it is, he is my dirtiest dog! I swear, he could get dirty, immediately following a bath, while standing still in a surgical suite. He'd find a way!

For me, it depends on what I want to do. For training, I use collars that are no more than 1" wide. I usually stick to 3/4". I feel this gives me better control, and gets the dog's attention better - the narrower an area on the neck, the more they feel it. If the collar is wider, a pop correction will be spread out over more area, thus reducing its effectiveness. For general use, especially when out in public, I use 1" - 1 1/2" on the smaller dogs, and up to 2" on the larger dogs. I like the look.