Hoping I Am Very Wrong.

[Guest Shana]

 

That is quintessential hound. They aren't all like that.

 

I understand what you are saying is a general statement. I have met hounds that are gaga people pleasers! So I believe I just have to wait for the right hound to come to the groups in my area.

I am not firmly held on that statement as much as I made it seem like... I should have worded it better. I just dont want a dog that will absolutely NOT EVER respond to me. And I was really hoping that greys weren't like that. And its been proven they arent if the time and work is put into training them. All part of my research process. And I am sure that once I find a grey for my life, he will train ME as most people have said theirs have done to them

[2ndChance]

 

 

My advice, make sure that your adoption group knows what is truly important to you so that they can direct you to the right dog - you want my steady Sam, not my spinny Zinny! There are lots of different personalities out there so as long as they really understand what you want in your hound, they will find the right match for you.

Deb

 

 

I think Deb makes a valid point here. Maybe I'm wrong, but I never have known shelters to "match" you up with one of their dogs. In addition, when you buy a puppy, YOU NEVER know what their temperament, personality, disposition will be like..no matter HOW MUCH training...i.e. Marley

 

A good adoption agency will match you up, they best they know how, with a hound that fits your lifestyle and what you are looking for. For example, I was TORNNNNN between Chance and a beautiful female brindle. Something pulled me towards Chance, but I just started bawling b/c I adored the female too (I'm overly sensitive lol)....in any case...I asked the adoption owner to tell me who would fit MY lifestyle. The female was laid back and calm...Chance had PERSONALITY!!! ...and would be the type of dog to want to drive in the car and go to BBQ's and play with other dogs. She was right....

 

He's the best thing to ever happen to me

[sobesmom]

I read only the initial post - and not the 3 pages of replies, so pardon me if I'm being redundant.

 

It's semi-true that greys aren't super great at "tricks". Austrailian Shephards, will darn near walk through fire for their owners' approval. Greys, really don't see the point of that. Many of them just don't seem to "get" why they should do something for no apparent reason. I HAVE had foster greys that WOULD stand on their heads if I asked them to, though. I depends on the dog.

 

Greys certainly ARE capible of learning. I don't teach a lot of "tricks" to my dogs. I just don't see the need for it. But, the first thing that every grey in my house (my 2 plus 12 fosters) learn - is "Look at me". Just a simple eye contact.

 

My dogs also know commands that matter in MY house. They all know the word "Outside!". They hear it and they run to the door. They all know "git" which means move away. They all know "NO". They know "back back back" which means backup. (small house). They know "out" (which means leave this room). They know "off" (get off the furniture). When they're out in they yard - if I clap my hands once - they know to look at me to see what I want (I don't yell). If I make a "kissy noise" it means come to me (I can't whistle). They know how to walk nicely on-leash. If I point to a bed and say "lie down"... they'll lie down, after circling 3 timees at least. Sobe, on-leash or harness - knows which way to walk if I point. If I raise my hand up flat, they know that means stop and stand still.

 

Do my dogs do tricks? No. I've never found a reason to have a dog sit, or roll over in my house. But -- do my dogs understand what I want from them - and respond to it - ABSOLUTELY.

 

Honestly - I've done very little "training" with my dogs. Just simple repetition, and rewards for behaviour that is needed and expected. I'm not crazy into the "I am alpha" thing - but - through NORMAL living - my dogs know who are the humans in the house. No special effort required. They DO want to live peacefully and happily in the house - and are happy to learn the ropes.

 

Don't over-think it. It's NOT that hard.

[Guest tricolorhounds]

When I was younger, I had a Doberman that I raised from the day he was born. He was shown in both Confirmation and Obedience, eventually earning his CDX.

 

Recently we shared our home with a LabMix and a ShepherdMix... both came to us a puppies, under 8 weeks of age. We taught both girls a variety of commands and/or "tricks..." Sit, down, stay, come, rollover, shake etc Mostly it was for our entertainment.

 

We now share our home with 5 Greyhounds. Greyhounds are so easy to live with, we've never felt the need for any sort of formal training. I talk to them all day and they understand the basics… they will come when I call them in from the backyard, sometimes they will come if I ask "who has to go potty?" sometime they don't have to go and won't get off their beds. They ALL come if I ask "who wants a cookie?" They race to the kitchen at the word "Medicine." "Who wants to take a nap?" gets everyone running to the bedroom. I have one that when I say "go get on Mommy's night-night," will run and jump on my bed… another that understands "drop-it," he likes to take his stuffed animals outside so we all wait at the door until he drops it, however, he's smarter than the rest of us since he'll run out the door, spin, stick his head back in the door, snatchs the stuffy up and run off before you can blink. One of my boys knows "snuggle" means he can hurl all 80# into your lap and my little girl will give kisses on command, all day long. The best command they know is "Big Red Dog Huggies…" they will line up to one by one lean on me while I give them big bear hugs.

 

My advise to you is to relax… When you finally get your Greyhound, have fun and take some time to get to know your new wonderful companion before you start worrying about formal training.

[tamborine]

I just dont want a dog that will absolutely NOT EVER respond to me.

 

That's called a stuffed animal! Even a cat will respond to you at least some of the time (if he feels like it!).

 

My previous pack of 3 greys were all therapy dogs. My current pack is 2 greys & a cardigan welsh corgi. They all know:

 

Who wants to go out?; Who wants to eat?; Do your duty ; Who wants to go for a walk?; Go lay down; Come here; Get down; Get up here; Go ahead (to keep going, or get out of a room); Wait; Drop it; Git! (to get away from something), and probably others I can't think of right now.

 

The only difference I see (in our home setting, not aiming to have agility dogs or anything) is that I was able to teach Henderson, the corgi, "sit", "down" (not Go lay down, but to just lay down right where he is), and "give me your paw" pretty quickly. Giving paw is pretty useless, but sit & lay down come in handy sometimes. I'm sure if I put enough time & effort into it, I could teach the greys, too. But it wouldn't really serve any purpose, so why bother?

[Guest grey_dreams]

It can be hard to understand exact meanings through the internet, but I want to note something here:

 

... I will demand thier respect ...

 

Respect is earned. You may demand obedience, and you may get it, but that doesn't guarantee you will get respect, whether it is your dog or your husband or your kid Of course, obedience is easier to get when they respect you. Check out the free articles by Suzanne Clothier at the Flying Dog Press site.

 

If you want to see how far the right greyhound can go with the right trainer, you should check out Jenifer Bachelor's webpages:

Her main page is Never Say Never Greyhounds

She also writes a blog.

She comes on these forums too, her user name is NeverSayNever.

 

I'm going to take one more step here. You might ask yourself if your fear of the dog not respecting you is because you feel you don't get enough respect in the world. If that's the case, a dog shouldn't be expected to fix that for you, although they may well do. Just asking, as food for thought, don't take it the wrong way. I know when I first adopted there were quite a few things I was worried about, but respect was far from my list of concerns. By the way, I trained my first hound with a clicker and he knows lots of cued behaviors. My second has only been home for less than 2 months, but he's making really great progress.

 

Good luck

[Guest Shermanator]

Phoenix learned a lot in obedience school and does really well with sit, down, etc. Treasure learned absolutely nothing in obedience school but she sure looked cute! To be honest, the only commands that I care about are "wait" and "stay", which they both do. There are other ways of establishing yourself as pack leader than teaching commands. I concentrated on not allowing the dogs to run me over on the stairs and waiting for me to walk out the door first. Despite their lack of commands, they are still the gentlest, best behaved dogs I know.

 

Patton, on the other hand, failed obedience school, due to he was so lackadaisical. He was very well behaved, but could have cared less about following directions quickly. For example, lay down- he circles several times, something catches his attention, and he has to start all over again. He wasn't immediately laying down like other dogs. Or, when we were working on the 'come' command, he would come to me when I called his name, but he's stroll down the aisle, on his own time.

He's a good dog, he lays down on command, (after lots of circling,) and knows 'No,' and has learned 'reverse.' Seriously- unconsciously when we would want them to back up out of our way, we'd say 'reverse.' After time, they figured it out.

 

Both boys are very calm and even tempered, so there was no real need to gain control over their behavior through obedience training. They are also not food motivated ( ) so that was not a motivator for them to learn. I too, have established myself as pack leader by simple things, I walk out of the door first, I keep firm control over them during walks, and if they are exhibiting behavior we do not want, I stop it immediately.

 

However, I have known owners who have used obedience training to gain more control over a younger greyhound, and it worked well for them.

[Guest Shermanator]

It can be hard to understand exact meanings through the internet, but I want to note something here:

 

... I will demand thier respect ...

 

Respect is earned. You may demand obedience, and you may get it, but that doesn't guarantee you will get respect, whether it is your dog or your husband or your kid Of course, obedience is easier to get when they respect you. Check out the free articles by Suzanne Clothier at the Flying Dog Press site.

 

If you want to see how far the right greyhound can go with the right trainer, you should check out Jenifer Bachelor's webpages:

Her main page is Never Say Never Greyhounds

She also writes a blog.

She comes on these forums too, her user name is NeverSayNever.

 

I'm going to take one more step here. You might ask yourself if your fear of the dog not respecting you is because you feel you don't get enough respect in the world. If that's the case, a dog shouldn't be expected to fix that for you, although they may well do. Just asking, as food for thought, don't take it the wrong way. I know when I first adopted there were quite a few things I was worried about, but respect was far from my list of concerns. By the way, I trained my first hound with a clicker and he knows lots of cued behaviors. My second has only been home for less than 2 months, but he's making really great progress.

 

Good luck

 

Patton was attacked 2 years ago on a walk, and after the attack he was uncontrollable on walks. He'd leap at other dogs, and I would lose control over him, to the point where I stopped taking him on his beloved walks. After talking to a behaviorist, I learned that although Patton was exhibiting fear aggression on his walks, I was exasperating it by not taking firm control. I was too, sacred, and fearful of Patton. Could I control him? I was afraid of other dogs, especially because of my fear of Patton's reaction. I had to get rid of my fear, and maintain control over our walks. Once I overcame my fear of walks, I was more confident, which Patton picked up on. 2 years later, he's back to regaular walks, and is generally well behaved. If I let my guard down, and became complacent with him, he'd pick that up, and exhibit his old aggression. It was a bad attack, and through my behavior and demeanor, I was able to gain more control over Patton, and help him become the happy-go-lucky, goofy, well adjusted doggie I know he is.

[gazehund]

I dunno. I don't get the whole training thing in general I guess. I don't "demand" anything of my dogs. I see it as my job to show them how we would like things to roll in our house. I keep showing them until they get it. Calmy, quietly, consistently. Tru has been home a little over a year. She doesn't do the stairs. She doesn't have to, so do I care if she does or doesn't do them? Nope. She is afraid of the dog door flap still. I would prefer she use the door for her own comfort but she doesn't make mistakes in the house so do I care if she uses the door or not? I do not.

Does she know "wait" both verbally and with a hand signal? You bet she does. Will she "leave it" if I ask her to? Every time. Does she come at a dead run when I call her? She does. Her older sister Pearl, a bonafide spook, also does all of those things.

 

New dog just came home one week ago today. Good racer, just retired at almost five years of age. He marked in the house a few times the first few hours he was home. He was told no and quietly taken outside to finish his business. He "got it" instantly. Hasn't made a mistake in the house since he has been home alone, with the other two dogs, the past three days. When we are home and he needs out, he comes to me and asks to go out.

 

Both of these dogs came from the same racing owner, different racing kennels. Both of them know their names, both walk perfectly on leash, both are very nice dogs. I give a lot of credit to their racing trainers.

 

As I said I dunno. We just keep it low key, show the dog quietly kindly and consistently what he needs to know to live peacefully in our home. I believe strongly in lots and lots and lots of exercise for my dogs. Both to keep them fit and to keep their minds engaged. If that is training than yeah, o.k. That's what we do. Dodger is my 6th greyhound over an 11 year period. I let them be dogs and they let me live in my house. Works for us.

[Guest jacksonhunter31]

Shana, I'm new to Greys as well and reading some of the posts on this board made me pretty nervous before adopting. And that’s okay, because it is a big step and an important responsibility. Bringing Bear into our home was one of the best things we've ever done. Four months into it, he's super responsive, ready to work and play and learn, easy to wound and dying for affection. He's somewhat temperamental and likes to work in short spurts--but is trainable and intelligent. Of course recall is never 100% with a sighthound and we never let Bear off leash outside of a controlled, fenced area--but learning to sit, stay, wait, walk on lead, lie down, shake, come when called etc...just takes time and effort. We have been rewarded with an affectionate (although not demanding) dog that obeys (most of the time) and has brought a lot of joy into our family. I am not an expert, haven't had 20 Greys over 20 years--but it seems to me that many people aren't motivated to train their dogs and that includes the owners of greyhounds. Instead, too many folks let their dogs train them and then decide that “breed of dog just isn’t trainable” or “my dog isn’t trainable.” Certainly some dogs are smarter and more interested in learning than others, but imho, much of it is owner attitude and effort. If you put the effort into it—you will probably get a return on that investment. Find the right dog, ask a lot of questions of the adopting group. While all of them are good hearted, some take more time to vet and train than others. Look into a dog that has been through the second chance at life life training program…they have a lot of knowledge about the dog’s temperament and learning ability. http://www.giveasecondchance.com

[robinw]

It can be hard to understand exact meanings through the internet, but I want to note something here:

 

... I will demand thier respect ...

 

Respect is earned. You may demand obedience, and you may get it, but that doesn't guarantee you will get respect, whether it is your dog or your husband or your kid Of course, obedience is easier to get when they respect you. Check out the free articles by Suzanne Clothier at the Flying Dog Press site.

 

this made me laugh. you can't demand respect from anybody or anything, including a greynhound. the majority of us adopted dogs who are already well behaved, leash trained, housebroken and used to being handled by people. housemanners may be lacking, but those will come. personally, i don't think demanding respect will get you anywhere.

 

for the poster who felt that we don't spend lots of time doing obedience training with our dogs, you're right, many of us don't. as i posted earlier in this post, greyhounds are already pretty well behaved. despite the fact that Treasure didn't learn any of her obedience school commands, she BY FAR the best behaved dog in her class. i guess it depends what you're looking for.

[winnie]

I haven't read all the responses... just speaking from my own experience.

 

DH and I aren't dog trainers and have never sent any of our three grey girls to obedience school. However, all our girls know to "wait" (used when crossing the street, for example), "sit/down" (we make them do this before giving treats), and "drop/leave it" (when asked to drop something or leave our kitties along). We somehow managed to teach those commands pretty easily. We do let our greys on furniture, but they know to move when a person wants to sit down. They don't protest either - just a wave of the hand gets them to move.

 

Our grey girl Darcy was 6 y/o when we got her from the track. I must say, she is a DREAM when it comes to well disciplined dogs. She is the perfect dog to walk and has impecible manners. I wish I could say the same about our other two.

[LBass]

One of my favorite descriptions when I was researching Cavalier King Charles several years ago was "not for robotic obedience". I think that phrase holds true for greyhounds too and it is NOT the same as being untrainable. My greys (and Winston, the Cavalier) all know basic commands that make them civilized and a pleasure to live with. They easily learned "go lie down", "leave the kitchen", "hop up" and other basic commands. I've dealt with some things that they didn't want to do and, with some patience and persistence on my part, we've gotten them done.

 

Piper, my first grey, and getting a bath is an easy example. He pulled back on the leash, bucked, hopped, and generally threw a panicky fit when I tried to get him in the bath tub. He was my first really big dog and it sort of intimidated me. I gave up for the moment and thought through it, decided how to approach it and now Piper gets a bath whenever I decide he needs one. He gets firmly but gently lead into the bathroom, scooted across the slick floor, front end lifted into the tub, back end lifted into the tub, and then there is the soap and water and its all done.

 

--Lucy

[Guest SunKissed]

Here is my 2 cents.

 

My first grey was probably one of the most well trained dogs, ever. His foster mom is big on making sure her foster dogs were very pleasant to be around and got him his Canine Good Citizen Award while he was in foster care. Maverick knew sit, stay, wait, come/here, down, out, off, shake, move, leave it, drop it, bring it, go lay down (as in go find your bed and stay there) and in your house (crate). He was a model citizen and would have been a fantastic obendience/agility dog. At the same time, he wasn't food motivated and while he sought to please me, he also had a mind of his own, but he STILL did what i asked, when I asked, no questions.

 

That being said, my current hound, Ziva, was not fostered. She was off the track for a month when we got her, and we've had her for 7 weeks (she was kenneled in between the track and our home). She had no idea what home life was and we had all the joys of teaching her. In 7 weeks she knows sit, stay, wait, here/come, down and shake. She sits at EVERY door we go out and waits till we say its ok to go out, she waits for her food, and she knows house (go to your crate).

 

I have horses also, and I am a firm believer in having a VERY well trained respectful horse, and I expect the same from my dog. The thing I hate most is a person w a large animal thats out of control. I think many people don't give these dogs the credit they are due, they are VERY smart, its just a matter of figuring out what motivates them. All dogs can be obedience trained. I think if you want a companion thats not literally tossing a ball in your face all day long (border collies ) and that is quiet and gentle, but still has the brains to do what you ask, you'll LOVE a greyhound.

[Guest Greyglo]

Many greyhounds on this forum have learned obedience, become therapy dogs, done rally and lure coursing, and can generally do anything that other dogs can do. It depends on your patience level! The biggest problem is that many greyhounds are not food or treat motivated when they first come off the track. Following commands is just not something they have EVER had to do in training or racing (other than a simple "kennel up!").

 

They're not dumb dogs or particularly obstinate, they are just "differently motivated" than other breeds. They are also rather sensitive to corrections and a harsh word can send them diving for the floor or the closet. A full-blown "alpha pack leader" display is likely to be too much for them and will cause fear rather than respect.

 

If you're an experienced trainer and believe you can modify your technique to the dog in question, then there really isn't a reason NOT to get a greyhound.

 

Well said.

 

I was a leader for six years in one of our County dog clubs doing obedience and show training. We had 40 dogs per year and all breeds were allowed. My dogs did really well and went on to earn their CGC titles easily. These dogs are a breeze to live with, IMHO, which is why there are five here. There are reasons these dogs aren't for everyone but not sure an inability to learn commands would be one of them. Best wishes with your decision.

[Guest GreyHawk]

I think you are probably absolutely right..

 

think German Shepherd Dog, think Border Collie, think Spaniel.

 

Don't try and turn a relaxed, chilled Greyhound into something it's not.

 

Happier for everyone that way.

 

Square pegs and round holes come to mind.

[PrairieProf]

My greyhound is my first dog ever, I have no experience training dogs, and still within a year or so after adoption Beth and I graduated from Advanced Obedience at Petsmart and are continuing on with a new local trainer; there too Beth absolutely holds her own with many other breeds of dog. She isn't as super-attentive as a Lab, say, but she did absolutely as well as any other dog in the classes (and yes, she sits on command, though holding a sit for extended periods on a hard floor is difficult for her). Greyhound laziness makes her great at down-stays!

 

From what I can see, every dog in our classes has its strengths and weaknesses in trainability; Beth gets bored and distracted more easily than some (greys don't like a lot of repetition), but on the other hand she is calm and confident pretty much all the time, while other dogs may be wiggling all around or clinging to their owners. She's pretty independent, so her recall outdoors (in an enclosed area of course) isn't what I'd wish unless she knows we're practicing with high-value treats. I'm sure if I had more experience I'd be working with her even more effectively, but I love having a dog I can communicate with and find positive-reinforcement training an utterly fascinating process.

Edited December 30, 2009 by PrairieProf

[Guest Energy11]

I think you are probably absolutely right..

 

think German Shepherd Dog, think Border Collie, think Spaniel.

 

 

 

Don't try and turn a relaxed, chilled Greyhound into something it's not.

 

Happier for everyone that way.

 

Square pegs and round holes come to mind.

I totally agree with this. Greyhounds aren't " step and fetch" types of dogs. The have their own minds, and while they can be trained to a degree, I surely wouldn't want mine to be "military dogs," for lack of better wording. GSDs, Border Collies, and Labs, are much better "obedience" dogs. I love all dogs, and if I didn't have a grey, I think I'd choose a Border Collie. I fell in love with Katie, a Border who boarded at my former vet/employer. She was LOVELY, and she was very obedient! Good Luck.

Edited December 30, 2009 by Energy11

[Guest Shana]

I've been considereing everything everyone has said on this thread, and I truly thank everyone for their input.

I KNOW for a fact that I have a really hard time relaying what I mean to say into typed out words. Getting what I mean, and what actually comes out to match is rare, and that is a downfall of mine and the internet. I am sure I have made a couple people twitch with the wording I've used ... just as I am sure I have interpretted some people's posts poorly aswell.

Thank you to all those who have proven what their dogs can do, and I agree 100% that it is up to the owner. Many of you have made it clear that you have no desire to really train your dogs, and I respect that completely. And now I understand why some dogs are the way they are due to this.

I am a person that wants a trained pet to some degree (and I know greys are not labs), so I have learned from this thread that I can train my dog if I find a willing dog.

I apologize to anyone who I may have offended or give the wrong impression of myself. I hate the internet for communication, I really do.

I have thought long and hard about this, and I am still going to go with a grey... I really should have worded my first couple of posts better, but that's in the past now and I cant chnage them (not my OP anyway).

I dont want a high energy people pleaser. I just want my dogs to know a few daily obedience commands (and more if Im lucky). I want a low energy pet. I love every other aspect about greys.

This is why I made this thread, for those of you who know better than me to dispell the wrong impression I had.

[Guest MonsterMomma]

Just my Shana, but I think you're EXACTLY the right type of person who should adopt a greyhound. It pains me to see so many posters here with perfectly wonderful greys who get themselves into trouble because they are not trained otherwise.

 

Two of our three greys were bounces...adopted but returned for being "impossible" to deal with. All our greys are obedient and respectful members of the household now, because we took the time to train them. We have well-mannered greys who don't destroy things, counter-surf or otherwise steal things they're not supposed to have, or have any issues with aggression or anxiety. They know the rules and want to please us. When we give a command, it's a multi-dog rush to see who can obey fastest.

 

ETA: Our greys are every bit as obedient as our labrador...in fact, they seem to anticipate commands faster than the lab.

Edited December 30, 2009 by MonsterMomma

[Guest missecho]

Greys don't seem to be all that hep at following a lot of commands--yet they are the most well-behaved dogs on the planet-- naturally. Case in point: for the Tucson Christmas parade, about 18 of us took our greys to walk in the parade, adorned with lights. While waiting to join the parade, all the dogs waited patiently and respectfully as group after group in front of us paraded past. Then the Tucson Beagle Rescue group walked by--about 30 dogs, each one of which was raising Cain.

Jumping, barking, pulling, yelping, you name it. All the decorated greys watched as the beagles passed by, and when it was their turn to join the parade, we took a quick left turn, and started walking together peacefully down the street.

 

We did take Molly to a training class--and she is a doll around the house. She seems to know exactly what to do without having to be told. She is super clean. She also seems to communicate with us verbally--two whines for "I'm hungry", and a couple of loud roos when we return after being away, or when we are going for a walk.

 

She really is the smartest dog I've ever had--but just because she is smart naturally, as most greys are. They have a presence about them--they aren't into doing tricks, per se.

[Guest BorzoiMom]

I think she will do fine. I do think her wording came off harder than the intent behind it, her other posts make it clear (to me anyway) that she's not expecting a "military" style response from a sighthound. Once she meets her dog she will work things out naturally.

[djsgreys]

I've been considereing everything everyone has said on this thread, and I truly thank everyone for their input.

I KNOW for a fact that I have a really hard time relaying what I mean to say into typed out words. This is why I made this thread, for those of you who know better than me to dispell the wrong impression I had.

 

Shana, thanks for this. What a huge range of responses. I just want to say again that working with your group and being up front about what is important to you in a dog is so important.

 

Are you in the Edmonton area? We have a lot of events going on. Come on out and spend more time with both the dogs and talking to the huge range of people that have adopted - what they have experienced and how they have chosen to "train" their own hounds. And make sure that the group you work with will be there for you to work through any "adjustment" issues.

 

Deb

[Guest iconsmum]

I dunno. I don't get the whole training thing in general I guess. I don't "demand" anything of my dogs. I see it as my job to show them how we would like things to roll in our house. I keep showing them until they get it. Calmy, quietly, consistently. Tru has been home a little over a year. She doesn't do the stairs. She doesn't have to, so do I care if she does or doesn't do them? Nope. She is afraid of the dog door flap still. I would prefer she use the door for her own comfort but she doesn't make mistakes in the house so do I care if she uses the door or not? I do not.

Does she know "wait" both verbally and with a hand signal? You bet she does. Will she "leave it" if I ask her to? Every time. Does she come at a dead run when I call her? She does. Her older sister Pearl, a bonafide spook, also does all of those things.

 

New dog just came home one week ago today. Good racer, just retired at almost five years of age. He marked in the house a few times the first few hours he was home. He was told no and quietly taken outside to finish his business. He "got it" instantly. Hasn't made a mistake in the house since he has been home alone, with the other two dogs, the past three days. When we are home and he needs out, he comes to me and asks to go out.

 

Both of these dogs came from the same racing owner, different racing kennels. Both of them know their names, both walk perfectly on leash, both are very nice dogs. I give a lot of credit to their racing trainers.

 

As I said I dunno. We just keep it low key, show the dog quietly kindly and consistently what he needs to know to live peacefully in our home. I believe strongly in lots and lots and lots of exercise for my dogs. Both to keep them fit and to keep their minds engaged. If that is training than yeah, o.k. That's what we do. Dodger is my 6th greyhound over an 11 year period. I let them be dogs and they let me live in my house. Works for us.

 

 

Where I come from, that's training at its best!! Consistent, quiet, gentle...Awesome!

[Guest jacksonhunter31]

Just my Shana, but I think you're EXACTLY the right type of person who should adopt a greyhound. It pains me to see so many posters here with perfectly wonderful greys who get themselves into trouble because they are not trained otherwise.

 

Two of our three greys were bounces...adopted but returned for being "impossible" to deal with. All our greys are obedient and respectful members of the household now, because we took the time to train them. We have well-mannered greys who don't destroy things, counter-surf or otherwise steal things they're not supposed to have, or have any issues with aggression or anxiety. They know the rules and want to please us. When we give a command, it's a multi-dog rush to see who can obey fastest.

 

ETA: Our greys are every bit as obedient as our labrador...in fact, they seem to anticipate commands faster than the lab.

 

Completely agree

Edited December 31, 2009 by jacksonhunter31