Greyhound Agression- Vicious Snarling..hair Standing Up

[Trudy]

The snarly behavior suddenly is a bit scary,

 

The dog needs to visit the vet to rule out a medical reason for his sudden change in behavior. Then it is time to find a qualified trainer to work with. There is no reason you have to live with an aggressive dog.

[Guest sweetpea]

So he's young, we know that, beyond the vet check and maybe some basic training, is he getting enough exercise?

I don't mean letting him out into a yard, I mean long long long walks to actually tire him out.

(I'm not sure where you're at, or if it's too hot right now to exercise him.)

 

He hates the mailman, paper deliverer...anyone who enters the yard. He lunges at he windows...tears down the drapes...tears up anything that comes thru the mail slot...tears the pillows off the couch until the guy goes away...snarls, growls and barks. the hair stands up on his back and his skin turns dark...Valerie

 

Ok, here's my 2 cents on the territorial aspect. And I am by no means any sort of expert, I've just been "the mailman" that prompts

this sort of behavior in some dogs.

 

I walk into the yard, up to the front door, the dog goes crazy. Crazy crazy, like you read about crazy, I deliver the mail, then I go

away. Every day, the dog goes crazy and I go away. So the behavior is getting the desired result.

Unless you redirect his energies, you're not going to undo this behavior.

 

And I know there are folks who don't mind "guard dog" behavior, but aren't you afraid he could hurt himself?

I always worry for the dogs that go that bonkers, what happens if they get tangled in the blinds, or the curtains?

How many assaults can that picture window take before it weakens and breaks? That's my biggest fear, not that

the dogs will get out and get me, but that they will injure themselves badly.

 

I don't know how to fix this behavior, I've been around dogs my whole life and never ever had a dog that would agress

on humans (or even other dogs), so being a Letter Carrier has been an illuminating experience, and humbling.

 

I wish you luck, please let us know how you're faring.

 

Buzzy

the dog worrier

[Guest 2greysinPA]

I just wondered if anyone else had this type of behavior. I can live with this as I love him and he is part of the family...he is young...just turned 2, so I'm thinking he is just sewing his wild oats I guess. The snarly behavior suddenly is a bit scary, but he snaps out of it if I leave the room, come back and talk softly to him...so he knows it's me...I think he just spaces out or something...but wondered if anyone had this experience...

 

Valerie

 

Oh, he is extremely social with other dogs...someones loose dog ran up to him and he just wags his tail and sniffs, he doesn't exhibit hostile behavior to other animals, just people...

 

Valerie

hi Valerie,

i was just wondering... Who or What is he snarling at? or why does he stop when you leave the room?

Then you come back and talk softly to him..... hummmm

I probably just dont understand because I have not witnessed this with your hound... but i am sure it is scary...

 

there are Great people here on GT... and they will guide you in the right direction... I'm sure they can help.

[RobinM]

I guess I'm a little confused too

 

I'm very confused here

 

 

me too, are you looking for help?

[TheFullHouse]

I think the OP is wondering if anyone else has a greyhound like hers.

 

I did, but he's not any more. If you've ruled out anything medical then it's time to take control of the situation and either handle it yourself or get a trainer to help you.

 

I took a firm hand with Valentino when he came into our home like that. Once I took control and did not allow him to behave like that he settled down. There is no sign of the original hound that came to me being that aggressive. He's turned into a sweet adorable big boy.

[greyhead]

I don't know how everybody is defining "help," but it seems implicit that she wants help, if only other people's experience for comparison or whatever relevant knowledge they can offer. What's confusing?

[Batmom]

Ok, here's my 2 cents on the territorial aspect. And I am by no means any sort of expert, I've just been "the mailman" that prompts

this sort of behavior in some dogs.

 

I walk into the yard, up to the front door, the dog goes crazy. Crazy crazy, like you read about crazy, I deliver the mail, then I go

away. Every day, the dog goes crazy and I go away. So the behavior is getting the desired result.

Unless you redirect his energies, you're not going to undo this behavior.

 

Exactly, on all counts.

 

This is very common dog behavior, as Buzzy notes. Not odd, and not really aggressive.

 

Some people like when a dog warns about people coming up to the house, some people don't. Most (including me) don't want the dog going so nuts that he might hurt himself. So, that is something to work on.

[Guest LindsaySF]

I don't see why everyone is freaking out. The dog sounds territorial and like it has sleep aggression. Not ideal, but not the end of the world either. Territorial Greyhounds are not common, but it is not unheard of. Also the OP does not describe the behavior as "sudden", so I wouldn't really suspect a medical issue like seizures or a brain tumor.

 

 

I've had Red now for 8 months and he is totally different in personality from my other two greyhounds...Definately NOT a couch potato...so I don't think describing greyhounds as that is accurate as all dogs seem to exhibit different personalities.

Some Greyhounds are more active than others. In general they tend to be pretty lazy, but lucky you, you have a more active guy.

 

 

He hates the mailman, paper deliverer...anyone who enters the yard. He lunges at he windows...tears down the drapes...tears up anything that comes thru the mail slot...tears the pillows off the couch until the guy goes away...snarls, growls and barks. the hair stands up on his back and his skin turns dark...

It sounds like he is very territorial over the house and doesn't like strangers entering the property. I would socialize him with as many people as possible and have them feed him treats, etc, so he learns to like strangers. Also, if you ever have company at the house, introduce them to Red outside first, and then allow them to come inside with Red at the same time. He needs to know they are "friend" not "foe", and if he meets them outside he is more likely to accept them.

 

Also, if he is not neutered yet I would do so ASAP. Neutering can sometimes reduce territorial and dominance aggression in dogs.

 

 

He sometimes wakes up at night...looks up at me and bares his teeth and snarls and lunges at me in bed! Very scary...when I didn't do anything to him.

This sounds like sleep aggression. I would work on this because he could bite you one night and actually really hurt you, even if he doesn't realize it or mean it. First thing is I would have him sleep on a dog bed and not on your bed. I would also muzzle him while you work through this. (My dog Teagan has bad sleep aggression). Do a search on this forum for sleep aggression for some helpful tips.

 

 

He killed a rabbit in the yard when he caught it...

Your other Greyhounds might not have a high prey drive but apparently Red does. Nothing to worry about (unless you're a rabbit ).

 

 

 

 

~Lindsay~

 

[Guest lyndajgil]

I just wondered if anyone else had this type of behavior. I can live with this as I love him and he is part of the family...he is young...just turned 2, so I'm thinking he is just sewing his wild oats I guess. The snarly behavior suddenly is a bit scary, but he snaps out of it if I leave the room, come back and talk softly to him...so he knows it's me...I think he just spaces out or something...but wondered if anyone had this experience...

 

Valerie

 

Oh, he is extremely social with other dogs...someones loose dog ran up to him and he just wags his tail and sniffs, he doesn't exhibit hostile behavior to other animals, just people...

 

Valerie

Well, our boy Ross has had some issues. First in an older post I wrote about his aggresion toward SOME people coming in the house. It got out of control a couple of days ago when my husband took him for a walk and Ross found some poop and started eating it. My husband told him to drop it but he wouldn't. As they left the area my husband noticed that some poop was sticking out of his mouth so my husband took the side of his foot to wipe it off him and Ross lunged at him and BIT him in the arm. This called for a trip to the emergency room. He has also been known to growl at us as if to say back off or especially if he is awakened suddenly. I have started training him with Bitter Apple. Came HIGHLY recommended to me by many people. I have already seen an improvement. Now all I have to do is show him the bottle. He is generally good natured but now after this episode with my husband, my husband is weary of him. I sometimes attribute it to the fact that when we got him, he was only 3 weeks off the track and the Foster showed him no attention. We have had him now 10 months. I have high hopes that he will continue to learn. Try the Bitter Apple!

[greyhead]

So, as long as this thread has been addressed again now, how IS red doing? Are you still out there, Valeria?

[Guest Bang_o_rama]

That level of aggression is way outside any greyhound norm, as far as I know.

 

This level of generalized aggression toward people is pretty much outside the norm for any breed of dog, I think.

~D~

[Guest Energy11]

Get him to a vet for a check including bloodwork with a complete thyroid check. There are some medical conditions which can contribute to some unpleasant behavior including aggression. I had a dog with Cushing's whose personality changed dramatically though that is not the norm for Cushing's. Have heard anecdotal evidence that thyroid can. Pain, seizures, all can contribute. Though those are not likely it is always best for a vet visit first.

 

Then your next stop should be a behaviorist. However, you must be careful who you choose for there is no legal standard, licensing or certification for behaviorists & trainers. In your case I would strongly recommend a veterinary behaviorist. You can find one here: American College of Veterinary behaviorists - http://www.veterinarybehaviorists.org/

 

And as others have mentioned, if he is sleeping on your bed get him off, like yesterday. Provide him with a comfy, cozy bed on the floor. Personally, I would not even have him on the couch with me until I had more info on what was going on.

 

Also, I have a timid Grey who sounds quite vicious with growling, barking, hackles raised to anyone coming up to the fence or our door. She would also kill any small critters she could catch outside. She is the sweetest, best behaved dog I have ever had and shows no aggression whatsoever. If I open the door & invite someone in, she does not try to exit. She is fine with people entering when we have invited them. She is a watch dog, not a guard dog. She has never snapped or lunged at anyone ever not even at the vets, when surprised or awakened. What you are describing sounds quite extreme.

 

Please do pursue answers to the cause of this & get help finding a solution. This does not sound terribly happy for human or dog in the long run. Wishing you the best & a resolution to this.

 

Ditto here! He needs to see the vet for a complete workup, to rule out anything physical. If everything is within normal limits, then, you go for behaviorial problems, which CAN be corrected!

 

My Oakly is VERY, and I mean, VERY, space possessive! He will growl and "go for" the others, if they invade his space, but he is getting better. All of his bloodwork is normal. Some Greys ARE different. It is a process of elimination with them. You rule out the physical problems, and then, address anything behavioral.

 

Good Luck with your boy! I am sure you will be able to find out what is wrong!

[TheFullHouse]

Wow, this one was dug up from quite a while ago. The OP hasn't even been on GT since July.

[Guest Energy11]

GEZ!! Not on since July??? I wonder how it all turned out????

 

 

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

Wow, didn't realize how much time I was wasting reading this thread. This drives me bonkers...start a thread...we all care and contribute...gone...

 

must.read.OP.date note to self

[Guest SueG201]