Spooks & Shy Dogs Poll

[jenn8]

I am no expert and have never had a spook but for the purposes of this poll, I would describe one has the type of dog who cowers in the corner, trembles, won't look at you or let you touch them, runs and hides from everyone, seems afraid of nearly everything and takes a long time to even begin to relax in the home and let you approach them.... things like that.

 

I would describe a very shy dog as the type who has more than just the typical apprehension of new things and people when they first come into your home. They retreat but can be coaxed out with some extra effort. They do come out of their shells to a degree but it usually takes them longer and they may always have some difficulty facing certain things and just need a little help getting past them.

 

I think both types have the potential for being just as happy as any other greyhound and they possess all of the qualities we love so much about the breed. I don't think I will ever find another dog as good as my shy boy, Onyx. So I don't want to give the impression that this poll is implying anything negative about shy and spooky dogs. I am just curious about how many there are and anything else you want to share about them.

 

Jenn

 

Edited because I spelled my own dog's name wrong. Sorry, Onyx!

Edited November 12, 2008 by jenn8

[gazehund]

5 greyhounds total.

 

One super spook. Miss Pearl. I agree Pearl is just as happy as my other hounds.........IN her safe zone. Not out of it. Her safe / comfort zone is home. She can function out and about; I insisted she do so.

But she prefers home to anywhere else.

 

Interesting poll Jenn.

[greysmom]

Our last of four adoptions is a spook. Until we adopted Cash and I began researching spooky greys, I just thought they were all like the three we adopted first - adapting with very little problem, potty-trained overnight basically, happy, out-going, playful. Now, it seems to me that there are more adoptions that involve some sort of serious behavior problems - separation anxiety, inappropriate elimination, marking, chewing and other destructive behavior.

 

I don't know if that's really the case or if we just got lucky three times in a row before hitting the jackpot!

 

greysmom

[RobinM]

Chloe, my once spook is now a maniac in the privacy of her home, but reserved in the public.

 

DH used to have to crawl across the floor on all 4s to make contact with her. Now, she is all over him!

[sobesmom]

I don't think there are as many TRUE spooks among greys as some people think. Probably not a much higher percentage than in any other breed (JMO).

 

We had one foster that might have been considered a spook at first. She was afraid of everything, wouldn't leave her crate (which was open), wouldn't allow us to touch her, wouldn't take food from our hands, couldn't be off-leash in the fenced yard because she'd never come in. For 2 weeks. Then she made progress. Then, 2 weeks more, and she got friendly. Then another week - and you wouldn't think it was the same dog. She's happily adopted now, and is still not the "most" outgoing dog - but she's very loving, and affectionate, and happy.

 

Was she a spook? No. Would she have been classified as one when she first came here - yes.

 

There ARE true spooks. Definately. But I really wonder if the percentage is very high.

[AndysMom]

Our 2-year-old (Abby) came from the breeder just a few weeks after her 2nd birthday. That was back in January 2008. She'll be 3 in December 2008.

 

We brought her in for a couple who insisted they wanted a YOUNG greyhound. We told them she was shy. Long story short, they kept her ONE WEEK. Couldn't catch her. Couldn't get their hands on her. Said that when they let her out in the yard, she wouldn't come back in. Their solution was to chase her until she was so exhausted that they could catch her.

 

I fostered her a second time for several weeks. Found another home for her with a couple with experience with young Greyhounds. Thought it would be a perfect placement. They kept her two weeks. Same scenario. If they let her loose in the yard, she wouldn't come back in. They had to corner her to put their hands on her. So they brought her back to us.

 

Mike and I figured she had made up her mind and wanted to stay with us. Sure, there were times we couldn't easily put our hands on her, but I learned that the trick was not to make eye contact when I was trying to catch her to put a leash on her, etc. As for the back yard, we figured out the problem was the door and trying to catch her before she comes in. Plus we had a glass sliding door, so she could see inside. If she's covered with mud, I put up a barricade at the other side of the kitchen and let her in, which confines the mess to one room instead of the whole house. We've learned that we have to figure out ways around her "issues".

 

We've had Abby about 9 months now. She's always going to be extremely shy, but everyone who knows her says she has come a LONG way. I take her to M&Gs about once a month. She's much more confident when other hounds are around and she is not a bit "dog shy". As she matures and her confidence grows, I think she'll grow out of a lot of this, but it will always be a factor for her. She just needs a LOT of patience.

 

Lois

 

[Guest LindsaySF]

No spooky Greys yet for me. Honey is pretty shy though. She would not come to anyone when she was on the run, and she is still more spooky when loose in the yard or house. She is much more confident on a leash in public, so I would not classify her as a "true" spook.

 

 

We had one foster that might have been considered a spook at first. She was afraid of everything, wouldn't leave her crate (which was open), wouldn't allow us to touch her, wouldn't take food from our hands, couldn't be off-leash in the fenced yard because she'd never come in.

Sounds like Honey, but this only lasted a few days here.

 

 

Cody is a very nervous dog and a fear-biter, but he was up on the bed the first day home, so I wouldn't call him a true spook either. Only certain people can approach him and touch him, he won't take treats in public, etc. But he liked my aunt and I from day one.

 

 

[dante2zoe]

Our second grey was really shy. She was a bounce for other reasons and those probably caused (or contributed to it. She wouldn't come out of the crate, wouldn't eat if anyone even looked at her, wouldn't walk on a leash, nada. She also had space aggression, sleep aggression, resource guarding and was a fear biter. (Makes me wonder why we ever took her! ) 2.5 years later, she is a total LOVE - in our home and around our neighborhood. I took her to her first greyhound awareness venue this weekend and she shook for over an hour. Wanted attention from strangers but just quivered constantly. Wouldn't even eat a cookie. By the time we were leaving, though, she did eat one. As for the other shy greyhound, we don't have him yet - but are waiting for THE vet visit, etc. We are taking him because he is so shy - they have to drag him from the kennel to even go outside. However, he totally responds to my daughter and we are confident that if we could make the first one relax and stop all her bad habits, then he should be easier or at least we have the experience with all the other issues! I must admit though, I love getting them straight from the track and watching them develop and I love watching the personalities emerge from the shy ones.

[Beautybabe]

My daughter's grey, Yogi, was one of the shy ones. Lots of OCD, up and down stairs whenever anyone visited, hiding in the bedroom, pacing and circling around the dining room table. A year later, he's a laid back hound who comes around for attention and acts like he's lived there all his life. He's not the best dog on a leash--he'd rather hang around the house--but even that is getting better. Yogi turned out to be an awesome pet and we all learned a lesson in being patient.

[Guest ProudGreyMom]

Jake is a total spook as well as shy. He has overcome so much over 8 years but will always be who he is. Molly was a spook for a few months but has overcome that. The shyness and fear is still an issue after almost a year.

[GreytHoundPoet]

I've got one of each definition you listed...a textbook true spook and an extremely shy dog.

Edited May 9, 2010 by GreytHoundPoet

[Guest meakah]

Koda is a true spook but has come a long ways in the 5 years I have had her. She will never be "normal"...far from it. It took over a year just to get over that 'I have seen a ghost!' look in her eyes. But she does show confidence in some situations and IMO, the offleash park has done wonders for her confidence. It allows her to communicate with her k9 buddies on HER terms and because of that, she has made many friends and is able to be somewhat assertive at times. You would never see that at home...or around humans. Even with her quirks, she is the 'bestest' dog and I would never give her up for the world.

[Jiffer]

Uber fit your "spook" definition to a "T" when he was at the kennel. I knew him for many weeks there and figured he'd always be a fearful dog.

When he finally came home, I realized that the dog he was at the kennel, is NOT the dog he is at home. He's a shy dog in public, but a total extrovert at home.

 

He is the noisiest in our pack, the most boisterous, the most opinionated... but also the most snuggly.

 

But take out the aluminum foil and watch him scatter.

[Guest lizmego]

Dell is our spook. He was a foster at first. He wouldn't leave his crate to pee for the first 24 hours we had him in our home and there was no getting him out of the crate. Its hard to actually remember what he was like when we first had him cause he is different with us now, but still shy with strangers. It just takes a lot of time to build up a spook's confidence and get them to trust you. David and I have always said that we will always have a spook in our home.

[gazehund]

Koda is a true spook but has come a long ways in the 5 years I have had her. She will never be "normal"...far from it. It took over a year just to get over that 'I have seen a ghost!' look in her eyes. But she does show confidence in some situations and IMO, the offleash park has done wonders for her confidence. It allows her to communicate with her k9 buddies on HER terms and because of that, she has made many friends and is able to be somewhat assertive at times. You would never see that at home...or around humans. Even with her quirks, she is the 'bestest' dog and I would never give her up for the world.

 

Kathy, YES! Off leash running made a world of difference in Pearl as well. It allowed her as you said to communicate and work with her housemates in HER language. It also gave her the oppertunity to think for herself and develop some much needed confidence. She really started to blossom once she started to run.

 

 

[ElizabethGPAPS]

Hmm...at this point approximately 15% of the dogs adopted by people answering this poll are considered by their adopters to be "true spooks". I myself have seen 2 true spooks come through my group in 11 years, or about 0.005% of the dogs we've placed (PLENTY o' shy/unsocialized dogs, believe me, but only two that are just genetic wingnuts). The only explanations I can think of for this are: 1. I have a different idea of what makes a spook than others do, or 2. Greytalkers are more likely to adopt special needs dogs.

 

Maybe it's some of both!

[Jackandgrey]

Jack was very very shy but I wouldn't ever call him a spook. He is great at home;much less so away from home but so much better than when he first came home.

 

Josh is on the other end of shy. Probably more cautious than shy and he more easily overcomes his unease even after only 6 weeks home.

 

Jilly doesn't have a shy bone in her body.

[jenn8]

We need Kennelmom in here to fill in some of those blank spots.

 

Jenn

[gazehund]

Let's see. Pearl was flown here from GPA - GO. The then director of the program labeled her a spook.

One of the top 10 worst spooks to ever come through their program. Her words, not mine.

Her airline crate was bungeed closed so she could not possibly escape from the crate. She wore a harness and a collar. She was personally attended by the pilot (also a greyhound owner).

When she got to this end, we rolled her into a closed off room the airport let us use and broke the crate down around her. Then we carried her out to the car and locked her in the crate I had in my car. I drove all the way home without stopping, put the car in the garage and shut the door before I even opened the car door.

 

That was just to get her home. The next 10 months were spent feeding the phantom dog we called Pearl. Did we ever see her? No, not unless we forced the issue. I can't speak for anyone else's dog, but yeah.......mine is a spook!

[Guest meakah]

Let's see. Pearl was flown here from GPA - GO. The then director of the program labeled her a spook.

One of the top 10 worst spooks to ever come through their program. Her words, not mine.

Her airline crate was bungeed closed so she could not possibly escape from the crate. She wore a harness and a collar. She was personally attended by the pilot (also a greyhound owner).

When she got to this end, we rolled her into a closed off room the airport let us use and broke the crate down around her. Then we carried her out to the car and locked her in the crate I had in my car. I drove all the way home without stopping, put the car in the garage and shut the door before I even opened the car door.

 

That was just to get her home. The next 10 months were spent feeding the phantom dog we called Pearl. Did we ever see her? No, not unless we forced the issue. I can't speak for anyone else's dog, but yeah.......mine is a spook!

Agreed. I have no doubts Koda is either. She wouldn't come out of her kennel ever...even with the door wide open. It was such an ordeal to get her to go pee. She would much rather hold it.....forever. I ended up ripping down her kennel just to make the task of bathroom breaks slightly easier (rather than clipping the leash on to a dog that would vibrate at the sight of a human...and trying to gently pull her out). Even with the top of the kennel off...she still wouldn't come out. I took it away and she then wouldn't leave the corner of the bedroom where her bed is. But at least I could push her gently outside rather than pull on her. Five years later....she still vibrates on a daily basis....always with strangers but often at home with just me. Who knows what sets her off (I know of a few things but often I have no clue...she just regresses). She is definitely more comfortable with me but rarely leaves the bedroom...she will sometimes peek out but then run back to her bed. Even with other dogs in the house she won't wander around. She seems more relaxed in her bed knowing other dogs are around but she still is not brave enough to leave her 'post'. She is petrified of every little movement and sound....the wind in particular.... I could go on and on. This girl is definitely a spook.

[gazehund]

Wow, Koda IS a super spook. Pearl only has one fear. and that is people. Boy, is she terrified of people! She is quite unflappable otherwise. She and Koda differ greatly in that regard.

Pearl's "spookiness" may have been learned and perhaps somewhat genetic? Her original owner swears she was not a spook when she left his farm in Oklahoma to race in Florida.

Interesting topic.

[Guest meakah]

It is an interesting topic. I also find it crazy that most people at the dog park have no clue she is a spook because she is a completely different dog there. She runs around and has a good ol' time...tail wagging and everything. You would NEVER see her tail wag at home. She can't stand being confined in any way...whether it be in the house with 4 walls around her...or even the yard with a fence. She will sometimes play in the yard but not as much as she lets loose at the dog park. The freedom at the park has completely turned her around and she feels soooo much more comfortable having things done on her terms. If someone reaches out to pet her as she dances around with their dogs...her ears go flat and tail tucked and she steps away and hides behind me. If they continue to approach...she vibrates to the point she looks like she will fall over. But if they don't really acknowledge her...she acts like she is an outgoing dog. Funny girl.

[Guest KennelMom]

18 hounds adopted. One true spook (Stella). One *EXTREMELY* shy (severly undersocialized) dog (Diva). One shyer than I would expect a greyhound to be, but nothing too bad (Echo).

 

Have fostered two spooks that redefined the word spook they were so severely spooky - two Grandpa babies (littermates). I've never seen a dog like these two dogs and hope I never do again. Truly heartbreaking (though they found perfect homes and are doing MUCH better from what I'm told).

[GreytHoundPoet]

...this morning Argos feared grass because it moved, an ice cream truck sounds sent him into shivers and shakes...a spanish voice on the tv had him so tightly melted into the corner that I had to extract him and do a lil doggie massage on him and sing badly to him...and a yorkie walking in front of our fence had him crying and scratching to get inside...but Galgos have a much crappier, tough life than most greys so I would imagine many more Galgos are spooky. We just love on him, show him it's ok, and hope someday the outside world is a bright, happy, cheerful place like inside home is for him.

 

(Lucius tried to open the gate t get said Yorkie...yay for locks! )

Edited November 12, 2008 by GreytHoundPoet

[jenn8]

Hmm...at this point approximately 15% of the dogs adopted by people answering this poll are considered by their adopters to be "true spooks". I myself have seen 2 true spooks come through my group in 11 years, or about 0.005% of the dogs we've placed (PLENTY o' shy/unsocialized dogs, believe me, but only two that are just genetic wingnuts). The only explanations I can think of for this are: 1. I have a different idea of what makes a spook than others do, or 2. Greytalkers are more likely to adopt special needs dogs.

 

Maybe it's some of both!

 

It could also be that folks with spooky and shy dogs are are more likely to open this thread. I should have named it "The Dog Behavior Poll" or something like that.

 

I met a true spook the first time I visited an adoption rep's home to learn about the breed. Actually, it was the first time I ever saw a greyhound up close. She had about a dozen greys scattered all over the living room, playing with stuffies and sticking their noses in my forbidden zone.

 

We were sitting at her kitchen table and she took out a big bag of milk bones and all the dogs came running in to get theirs. Then finally, this tiny female poked her trembling little head in the door just far enough to get her treat, then back out to her safe place in the yard. I was dumbstruck. What little I knew though, for some reason I just had the feeling she was going to be okay. Maybe the fact that she had the will to do it, as hard as it seemed. I will just never forget that sweet little face.

 

Jenn