Sighthounds4me

When we bought the house we are currently in, the fence was there, for the most part. We had to add one side, and we did that in 5', but the existing fence was 4'. We have had no problem with that. BUT, if I were installing a fence where one did not already exist, I'd go higher. At least 5'. Better to be safe than sorry! As we replace sections, we will go with 5'. (We want to do privacy fencing across the front - the section facing the road.)

Well that's good, cuz when I re-read it, I thought, "WHAT?!" I thought it would be easily misunderstood!

I just re-read my post, and want to clarify something. When I say that I work with them to not rush the door, I mean that to apply only when I am about to let them through one. If they thought the door was open, and saw something to chase without me right there to supervise, I have no doubt they'd go. Thus, I use a baby gate, so the visual barrier is there.

When we open our patio door, we put a baby gate in front of it. This lets the dogs know that there is something there. Also, I work daily to prevent them rushing the door, so when we do have the patio door open, with the screen in place, they know they are not to rush it. So when we go to let them outside, they wait for me to release them. I have not had any dogs go through the screen, but I have had one crash into it a couple times. Thankfully, the only thing injured was the screen, no living beings, but is was upset at it anyway (those things aren't cheap!). I have seen metal (aluminum, I believe) barriers designed for reinforcing screens like this. I cannot find a picture of one, but it is basically a thin metal grate that fits over the lower portion of the door. It allows air to flow, but provides a clear visual barrier, as well as protecting the screen.

My first thought is this: Was it truly unprovoked? Did the staff see every last bit of the interaction/s that led up to his snap? I don't mean to suggest they are incompetent. First of all, i was not there, and I do not know these people or the facility> I suspect they are more than competent. However, it's possible that they were watching something else, and missed a small cue that led to something larger. It happens, even among our own dogs at home. But, a full medical check, as others have mentioned, is definitely a good place to start... Good luck!

I don't see a problem AT ALL with that! Sometimes we pussyfoot a little too much with sighthounds, thinking they are sensitive creatures. They are, but they are also dogs. We need to remember to treat them as such.

That's actually very different. In human medicine, when a patient undergoes laparoscpic surgery, the abdomen is filled with CO2, to allow better visualization of the surgical field. The shoulder pain is often a result, believed to be because of the gas migrating. Last I heard (and this was a number of years ago now), that theory had not been confirmed.

I think one thing that many people forget is that we need to make sure that we are ALWAYS taking our dogs to happy places for a while, especially as we are teaching them to get into the vehicle on their own. I am NOT suggesting this applies to the OP - I have no idea. I am simply putting this out there, because I rarely see it mentioned. When training a dog that is new to you to ride in the car/get in the car(does not matter the breed), we need to make sure to take them to fun places: pet stores, parks, etc. Even better if we arrange ahead of time to meet a friend with yummy treats or a playmate. The more happy people petting the dogs, the better! Our second Greyhound was 9 when we adopted him. He had obviously not been in the vehicle much in his previous adoptive home, and if he had, I suspect it was to go to the vet. He shook like a leaf and panted heavily the whole time. So we made a commitment to him to take him to good places. We had Naples, who was happy as heck to go anywhere with us (and still is!), and she rode beautifully wherever we went. We always took her, to help him relax with another dog, to whom he felt a strong connection. We took them to Petco, other pet stores, parks, and the like. We started taking him to meet and greets, where he found MANY people to sucker into giving him pets and treats (he LOVED M&Gs!). Before long, he started shaking from excitement rather than fear when we would take them places. He LOVED it, and was a fantastic representative of his breed! My point is, if we make it pleasant for them, they are more likely to eventually learn to jump in on their own, and be happy to go places.

For injuries to the pads, or nearby, I clean well, apply EMT gel, a Telfa or other non-stick pad, and wrap with vet wrap. We always have vet wrap on hand. Usually, vet wrap does not need to be taped, but if it does, I like paper tape - you can apply that to the dog's leg, and it peels off easily, even off the hair.

Been there! A while back, Naples and Gunnar were playing in the living room, when I saw little spots of blood. Naples was the culprit, having a small cut on a rear foot. I still have no clue how it happened, but it was a really tough one to get stopped! I finally did, with copious amounts of styptic powder, then wrapped gauze and vet wrap around it. At the time, we had a really tough berber carpet, so I just scrubbed the spots with Nature's Miracle and a nylon scrub brush. The spots came out well. For the OP's case, depending on your weather right now (ours is wet and sloppy!), you may need to wrap the foot with a plastic bag, to keep things dry when outside. What I did for Manero (when he cut his foot a few years ago, requiring surgery) was use cheap sandwich bags from the dollar store, and tape to secure. It does not really matter what kind of tape if you are leash walking the dog, and just tape the bag itself to secure it. Don't tape to the dog's leg - no need to...it does not have to stay on that long!

Ah, crap! Not again! Sorry to hear, DeVon.

If she goes out to the yard, are you making sure she defacates? Naples had this problem too, and when we realized that she usually did not defacate on the first trip, she got a second trip out after breakfast, and she would defacate. After that, we have had no problems with her in the house. The first thing I would check is a stool sample. Rule out medical first. If that is not is, try two trips outside, or at least make SURE she goes on her only trip out. Sometimes they need more than one! Good luck!

First thing I would rule out is medical. It doesn't sound like a UTI, but it could be. It's an easy fix (a course of antibiotics) if it is a UTI. If it's behavioral, that is outside of my realm...

Believe me, I understand your concern! I have been there! Sounds to me like your course of action is right. Take care of the bleeder, treat with antibiotic ointment, and he should be okay (keep a close eye on it, of course). As for the limpers, I am with you - wait and see. Unless it gets worse, or does not get better, you can probably wait. My girl often hurts herself on the first good run of the spring, too. A couple years ago, it was a dewclaw. She tore and dislocated it, so we made an appointment for Monday the following week, and had her dewclaws removed, as well as a dental. Poor girl was painful over the weekend. Thankfully, I muzzled her to changed the bandage, or she'd have bitten me! She has never reacted like that before or since, rather she is VERY stoic, and would NEVER hurt a human. So I know she had to be hurting badly! Good luck!

Last weekend, my boys caught a rabbit. I am always first concerned about fleas and intestinal worms, so they get Frontlined and Interceptored if they catch something. A couple years ago, Manero caught a squirrel. The dang thing scratched him on the top of the nose. I cleaned it up, and applied triple-antibiotic ointment. Manero simply felt sorry for himself. It healed without incident, but left a lovely white scar on the top of his nose, in a spot that should have been black. I was showing him the following weekend! I tried Sharpie to touch it up, but it was the wrong shade of black. I bought some cheap black mascara, touched it up, and went into the ring. The first show of the weekend, Manero too Best of Breed over a special (for two points), the second day, he took BOB again, also over a special, to finish his championship! So no, we did not have ill effects here!

That was what I was going to say....I have never seen my other breeds do that but every greyhound does! Manero does that all the time. Naples, the Greyhound, almost never!

Nope...smiling is common in many breeds. All of my Borzoi smile. Cooper usually smiles submissively, where Manero does so when he's happy. Indigo and Henley smile when the right spots are scratched! Many family members smile, too! They roach all the time, too. I have several pictures of Indigo and Henley upside down!

Oh, and one thing I want to mention about training classes... Our trainer tells us flat-out that classes are far too long for the dogs. Training sessions should be 5-10 minutes, tops (unless you have a more advanced dog), so a class that is 30 minutes (or longer) is too long for a beginner's dog. The longer class is really so the human can get more info. Therefore, she encourages us to sit out and observe, if our dog is acting up, or losing focus. She'd rather we did not leave the building, but stay to observe - you can still learn something!

Betadine is an iodine-based surgical scrub. You can get it pretty much anywhere. I would dilute it with water or saline, myself. And expect Fuzzy to turn orange! But I agree with the others: if there is pus, he'll need antibiotics.

And this is another good point. Aside from the fact that eventually, I'd like to compete in obedience and rally with the kid, I do classes to socialize him. He gets to meet new dogs, of all sizes, and new people. But at this stage (we are in beginner's yet), most of what he knows is taught in "real life." So, if one takes his/her dog to a formal class as a socialization venue, there is nothing wrong with it. It does still help, though, to have a trainer who understands what makes Greyhounds different.

I prefer to go to our local kennel club. There are many reasons, but I will list the highlights: 1. Cost: many kennel clubs start you out at a "trainee rate." This means that you pay a yearly fee, and are able to attend any and all classes, throughout the year, with any and all dogs in your home. For us, that was nice, because we had three dogs when we started. One was a conformation (show) dog, as well as beginner's obedience. We wanted the other two in obedience. So we got our money's worth at the start. For us, the trainee's fee is $150 starting in January, and is pro-rated throughout the year. Once you are a trainee, you can attend two business meetings, get signatures of two members in good standing, and petition for membership. If you are accepted as a member, your fees drop dramatically, and you can still do any and all classes. This is very nice for us! A side bonus is the camaraderie with fellow dog-lovers! 2. The trainers are usually better. In our case, a very good friend of mine is the beginner's obedience trainer. She knows us, and knows that we know sighthounds. She asks us questions if she has any, and has learned a lot from us. She allows us to try any method to accomplish our goals, as long as they are positive. And she encourages us to have fun! What good is training, if you can't have fun? Also, she is very experienced. She has had many Keeshonden that have done VERY well in obedience and agility. Her current demo dog is her 13 year old Putter. He is hysterical, and loves to make a fool of her! He knows what she wants him to do, but regularly disobeys. He is a clown, though, and I know he does it to lighten the mood. The best part is her response. She chuckles every time. She gets a bit frustrated at times, but never shows it. 3. Most kennel clubs have VERY experienced dog people, at your disposal for questions. If you have a problem, there is probably someone who has experienced your trouble. And many of them are more than willing to share their thoughts with you!

It can take a little while. My (non-Grey) puppy was the same way...now he gets in on his own. He just needed to learn that he got to go to fun places, and get rewards when he got there. I also use the phrase "Load up!" in a happy, cheerful voice when I scoop him in. That way, he starts to make the connection that I want him inside the vehicle, and then he gets a treat. He learned! At this time, he climbs in, rather than jumping, but that's okay - he does it on his own, and that's what matters.

Actually, I don't let the small ones out with Al, he goes alone. He plays at the fence with the neighbors female German Sherpard, or plays by himself, he seems to be able to entertain himself quite well. I let the yorkie out one time when Al had his muzzle on and I thought he was going to get run over so I won't do that again. Thanks for your concern for the safety of all my dogs, I appreciate it. Okay, then I jumped the gun! Glad to hear I was wrong. In that case, I don't feel that he'd need to be muzzled when outside. My Greyhound is, but only because she eats poop, and the muzzle has a stool guard to prevent that. I don't like cleaning it up after she gets sick! Do be careful about playing at the fence, though. Many times, it's nothing, but I have seen dogs get aggressive when allowed to do that. That can lead to re-directed aggression, and get someone bitten. If at all possible, can you and your neighbor allow the two to meet, and become friends? Then you can allow them to play (closely supervised, of course), in contact with each other, not through the fence?

I did not read all the posts thoroughly. I skimmed. But I did not see this answer: What is a brand new Greyhound doing in the yard with small dogs?! If you read the Dummies book or the Branigan book, they both would tell you that a sighthound has not business being outside with small dogs!! You adoption group should have told you that too. That above paragraph is harsh, and I apologize for that. But I feel this is very important. Realize, of course, that I am assuming a lot: if he is muzzled, the small ones are out there with him. I did not actually see that written. But if they are not out there, there should be no reason for muzzling. The reason you would not want small dogs outside with the Greyhound is simple: they will elicit prey drive! And the results would be disastrous! Even my big guys, who were raised with a papillion and several cats, and who never raced (they are not Greyhounds), would NOT be allowed outside with anything that small. They are very small dog safe, but outside, all bets are off. Please be careful.

Males learn to lift their legs from watching other males. Some never do it. Of course, if your boy raced, I am sure he has seen other males leg-lifting. But that does not mean he will ever do it himself. I have one male that rarely lifts his leg. He is almost 7. Hos litter-brother lifts almost exclusively (unless he is marking where one of the girls has urinated). And one who has not quite hit puberty...