Hoping I Am Very Wrong.

[Burpdog]

I haven't read all the replies.

 

Greyhounds are hounds. Explains a lot. Do not expect them to act or react like a working or herding breed. Do not expect to handle them the same way either. Took me many years to learn

 

Like other breeds, individual greys learn at different speeds and with different methods. Huston sits, speaks, shakes, does a down and sometimes a recall. Grace: haven't even started yet. If she had been my first grey she may have been my last

 

I could say more, but you get the idea.

 

The one thing you will get from greys that I have not seen in other breeds (Dobes come close) is that for your friendship, they will share their soul with you. What more could a person ask?

[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.

 

 

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

 

Thanks for that, I appreciate it. I guess I don't call it "training," I just call it living. All my dogs have lived into double digit numbers. None of them, except the spook have had behavior issues of any kind. Even the spook is pretty normal at home. Must be why greyhounds suit me. I am as lazy as they are.

We don't get our knickers in a twist over too much of anything around here.

[ozgirl2]

The one thing you will get from greys that I have not seen in other breeds (Dobes come close) is that for your friendship, they will share their soul with you. What more could a person ask?

 

So true... just look into their eyes...

 

And good luck, Shana! Take people up on their offers to go to some meet & greets & meet some greys - best way to get impressions of them. I think you'll be hooked!

Edited December 31, 2009 by ozgirl2

[Guest caelanarcher]

Semi-newbie here, so take my comments with a grain of salt...

 

 

Aaron is very easy to train (with the right food motivation). I started some very serious training over Christmas break. Over the course of a week, he learned "sit", "down", "back up", "come", with about 80-85% response rate. We're working on "stay", which is a little harder for a food-hound. Once he figures out what I'm asking for, he's VERY quick to link the word/sign to the action.

 

That being said, I would not in a million years trust his "training" to prevent an injury, or to keep him safe. I know that he's MOST likely to be injured when he's in focused mode, and that's also when he's LEAST likely to listen to anything. So yes, he'll do "come". Would he do "come" if there's a cat across the street and (god forbid) his collar or leash snapped? No freaking way. I don't know if there's anything in the world that would make him break out of his cat-focus (although obviously, I'm going to continue trying different things).

 

So I guess what I'm saying is that I find his training to be very useful when it comes to house manners, and as a good way to burn off a little excess energy. Powering all those brain muscles can really tire him out! But to keep him safe? No.

[Guest Bean_Scotch]

I don't think that you asking for a hound that listens to you and is respectful is anything out of the ordinary...It just depends on how much work you want to put into the hound. You get what you pay for so to speak. I, personally, am one of those people that makes my hounds mind me 100% fosters included. I start obedience training them the day they arrive. I tell them to 'move' and they better move. If they don't-I move them. If I tell him 'in house' the better get into their crate-otherwise I put them there. Many of my fosters have received their Canine Good Citizen in as little as 4 weeks. It really depends on how much time and effort you put into the dog. They don't 'come this way' from the track you have to mold them and make them into the dog you want them to be-within reason of course.

[cmc333]

We have 2 greys and 4 westies. I think greyhounds are perfect for first time owners; they are so laid back and low maintenance. We don't ask for much of anything from any of our dogs, just to all live peacefully and have some house manners. I think the greyhounds are SO MUCH easier than the westies. Terriers will test you till the day you die, hoping that "this time", you don't mean what you say. None of our dogs really do tricks, because as I got older, I got tired of teaching them tricks. They all know basic commands, to keep them safe and after that, I really don't care. we've had dogs for over 30 years and as I got older, my standards lowered. Now I really just care about them being happy, which takes very very little. Sarge, our big boy, is perfect. I feel guilty that we adopted him; since he's perfect, he should have gone to a newbie's house.

 

Neither of my greys counter surf; you can leave food on the end table by the couch and they won't touch it. Cup of coffee, tho, is different. I don't allow any of the dogs into the kitchen when I'm working (it's too small and I'm clumsy; I'm scared to death I'll trip over someone and spill hot food and burn one of them). They all respect that rule, which I'm very rigid in enforcing. The westies try to sneak in, but the greys just lay in the living room and don't even try (unless they hear the cookie jar open - then all bets are off).

 

All 6 of our dogs live together peacefully and happily. both our greys seem to want to please me and are happiest when I'm happy. I think if I were more motivated, Gypsy would do great at obedience. Sargie, not so well. But who cares - he's perfect just the way he is. I guess what I'm saying is you get out what you put in. Each hound has it's own personality, same as any other breed. But I think greyhounds are 1000% easier to train than the westie terrors.

 

Connie

[seeh2o]

The one thing you will get from greys that I have not seen in other breeds (Dobes come close) is that for your friendship, they will share their soul with you.

 

I've found this characteristic in other breeds as well, particularly in all the mutts I've had.

[racindog]

My greyts for the most part have been very responsive to any "commands" or wishes I routinely have. In fact they will sometimes even obey long directions involving 2 or 3 different "steps" because I communicate it to them telepathically when I tell them verbally. However I understand that they have been hardwired for 5000+ years to be a hunter and react as such and no amount of training or communication or anything else is going to change that- its genetic- its just the way it is. Therefore I never would place them in a position where their safety would be threatened if they fail to respond to a command. A greyhound will NEVER be trustworthy enough to do certain "dog" things like be off lead-not even to walk 5 feet beside of you. As long as you understand that they cannnot violate certain attributes of their genetic make-up---which may or may not influence "obedience"----I find them extremely obedient and cooperative. But it would be the very rare greyhound that would have the discipline to be as obedient as say a border collie or nice shepherd or malonois. So I said all that to say this. I have found mine to be very obedient with respect to their genetic limitations of being a hunter programmed to hunt and make decisions independent of man. (By the way, I have had track hounds and non-track hound. I didn't observe any significant difference in their basic hunting characterisitcs or their desire to learn and be obedient.) Just my opinion, hope it helps.

[greyhoundlady]

You are certainly getting a lot of feedback! I have two greyhounds - for almost 6 years now - and there is no way I can say they have been 'trained' in the traditional way you would think. They know 'wait' (sometimes), they know cookie and treat (always), they know 'up' when jumping into the back of the car. They know other things too, but only do them when they feel like it. I tried taking one to obedience class and he shook and trembled so much, we quit. They never have accidents in the house, they are never rude to people, they are calm, quiet and sweet. That is enough for me.

 

I might add, I think a lot of it depends on the grey's personality. The majority I know are like mine.

[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!

 

Thanks for that, I appreciate it. I guess I don't call it "training," I just call it living. All my dogs have lived into double digit numbers. None of them, except the spook have had behavior issues of any kind. Even the spook is pretty normal at home. Must be why greyhounds suit me. I am as lazy as they are.

We don't get our knickers in a twist over too much of anything around here.

 

Well I am (officially ) a trainer and you're a perfect example of calm owner, calm dog.... dog doesn't have to listen to you go on at him, he gets to watch your body language and figures it out from there. Very hard to teach people that.

[Guest Shermanator]

We were first time dog owners with our Sherman, and then chipped with Patton six months later.

I've noticed they are as good and as in control as I ask them to be, if that makes sense. I usually do not allow barking (back talking) in the house, nor do I really want them to get turned inside out when I get home. I will quietly walk in the house, and they will settle down, and behave - ie no jumping, barking, etc. They will stay relatively calm. They're good dogs.

However, there are some times I cannot contain myself, I enter the house balls-to-the wall & guns blazing, calling for my babies! WHHHEEEEEE! They jump and bark, and make me feel VERY welcome at home. I KNOW, I am not really supposed to do that, but sometimes after a hard day, I need the unadulterated excitement of -OMG-MOMMY'S-HOME! from them to greet me.

The boys look for my body language. When I am calm, they are calm. When I get excited, they get nuts.

I can go from 0 to 60 and then back to 0 in 5 seconds, and so can they from watching me.

[Guest BrisBrindles]

Dear Shana,

 

I've read the posts (all from you and to you) so far and I wonder if you'd perhaps think of fostering first? Just as an intermediate step and more for you to get to know a little more about greys in general. I know you've done tons of research...but having one in the house and reading about them are two totally different things.

 

I'm NOT saying you aren't right for a hound, or they aren't right for you. Just the opposite, in fact. Fostering is a way to get your head around how the greys act and respond to you. Who knows? You may fall in love and fail fostering!

 

Back in my 20's and early 30's I was into Conformation, Obedience, and Schutzhund with my 2 GSD's. I was all about the Alpha and Pack theory. Well, news flash to me...things started falling apart in my life and I found that those theories didn't seem to apply anymore. My life changed, my dogs handled it way better than I did, too...but in turn, I found that when I couldn't be the leader no one tried to take over....my dogs were still the same, didn't take advantage of me or my "weakened" state of mind or being.

 

So, here I am a few years farther down the road. My shepherds are no longer with me, I've had back surgery and can no longer keep up with the demands of such a high energy dog. I found greyhounds much to my delight.

 

Guess what? At first I kept thinking, "Gee, I need to make certain they KNOW I'm in charge" . HAH HAH HAH!!!! WRONG

 

My boys respect me ( I think? How does one really KNOW with a grey ), they come when called - from the KITCHEN *chuckle* - when I rattle a bag or open the freezer/fridge where food is kept.

 

They will go outside when I tell them to. Usually. Henry knows "Toilet" so he goes on command. Well, within 5 minutes or so and wherever he's decided is the right spot to go in. Tiger and Henry both know "On your bed", "Leave it", "Back off", "Go (away)", "Lay your head down" - used when I need them slightly less alert to noises outside the house.

 

I love having my dogs in the bed with me. Tiger sleeps with us, Henry doesn't. Henry needs his own space, bed, blankets...you get the picture?

 

Personally, I no longer see the point in having so much control over my dogs as long as they don't stick their noses in my plate when I'm eating and don't get underfoot while I'm cooking - I've had a few fosters who like to insert their bodies between me and the stove (wishing for dropped food). Another poster mentioned the control issue and I have to say I'm in agreement.

 

I'll admit it. I'm a control freak/perfectionist and I've found it's good for me to be foiled on a daily basis. It helps me to know that life is not in my control. I've given it up and given in to whatever "LIFE" has in store for me. I'm free of all the junk I used to hold myself in bondage to.

 

I'm not saying that's you...but it WAS me so I can understand the need to be/feel in control. But I think having cancer taught me that there ain't nothing in my control, not really, so I've gotten on with it and enjoy the free wheeling chaos (not that my life is chaos, but it got much easier once I let go of the reins I thought I had a hold on).

 

Kimmie

[Guest Shana]

Kimmie,

I cant foster any sooner than I can adopt. My condo says no dogs so I have to move out first, and before that comes finishing school

[Guest Vers]

I've read the responses here, and agree with many. I think you already know that greyhounds are different from other dogs. I'm still very new to greyhounds, but here's a few thoughts from my short experience.

 

They truly are smart, willing, "soft" dogs -- we use a gentle voice (never done more than an sharp uh-unh to my pups and that's really enough), and gentle touch and positive rewards. What works with more pushy breeds would never work with my greys. If I stay calm, quiet and consistent, these dogs are very responsive. Simba has been here with me for about eight months now, and knows -- and almost always responds -- to what I consider requests, not commands. He knows at least 40 or 50 requests now, from the very important wait (99% positive response) and leave it (likewise) to fun things like cuddle and kiss (85% response). His manners in the house and in public are so very good, we're often asked if he's done advanced obedience, and he has been invited to become certified as a therapy dog as soon as we can find the time. My girl is still new here and very much a puppy, but she is following his learning curve quickly.

 

The things I always try to keep in mind: They are bred and born to be independent thinkers who can solve problems on their own; they have a very gentle nature, not alpha just independent; and because they think ahead, they often want to know when I ask for something, "what's in it for me?", and I need to be ready with what motivates them, whether praise, affection, fun event, treats or toys.

 

All that said, since I know you said way back at the beginning that safety was a concern, here's an example. We've done a fair bit of work on recall, though our dogs will never intentionally be off-leash. But, we were attacked by a loose dog a couple weeks ago. In the fight, Simba twisted out of his harness -- he was loose in the street, all riled up, and in the pitch dark. I called him, and bless my hound's big heart, he came and stood quietly while my shaking hands put his harness back on. No one was badly hurt, thank dog.

 

If you put the work in with a hound even approaching the right dog, they will surprise you.

 

It's great that your're doing your research now, and if you can find a way to be around the hounds until you can adopt or foster, I hope you take the opportunity. Greys really are a unique breed!

[Guest Ashleigh]

Personally, I believe every dog is different. My GH learned very quickly 'no', 'get down', 'come here', and 'drop it'. I am a believer in the pack leader theory. I think it helps greatly with the dog's confidence and trust. Also, I haven't had a problem with separation anxiety, messes in the house, and I have 3 small animals that I feel are safe around the new large member. It was a very stressful first 2 weeks, but because of me, not him. After bringing him into my life, I can honestly say that I will never own a puppy again, I will never own another breed of dog again for that matter. I think you will do very well in adopting one of these dogs. Toss away everything you have read about them being stubborn and disobedient..if you believe it, it will be passed onto your new dog. They do seem to be above 'tricks', but are very eager to listen to basic rules.

 

I say just do it. The more you read, the more confusing it becomes. I read about the breed as a dog and not a rescue, and that made up my mind right there and I just jumped into it and have no regrets. Good luck!

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

They certainly can be trained, using the methods I described in your other threads. I'm hoping to do obedience with my red-headed goofball, who would sell his soul to satan for a treat. Easy to motivate! I load him on the clicker with a handful of his morning kibble.

[Guest IrskasMom]

Welcome to GT . My Boy knows the Word NO , sit/down or Park. More I don't requiere.He is my Companian .

[RobinM]

I was thinking about you Shana when I was getting my 5 ready for their after dinner walkie which Beau normally lives for. It's a small production with collars, leashes, coats, our gear. When we were ready to walk out the door, Beau did his best impression of a statue and refused to budge. We had the glass storm door open - the front door closing, 4 outside and Beau in side with the door closing in his face and us holding on to the leash. A tug, a pull, a little harder and he still wouldn't go.

 

So, Dh took the 4, I took Beau in and did the after dinner mess.

 

No walkie for Beau after dinner but I can guarentee he will start a roofest at 9pm for a walkie since he did not have his one before.

[Guest FatCatSkinnyDog]

I love that advice that people can offer from their experience. Just from reading some of the replies, it makes me realize how different all of our pups really are. Rajah learned 'no' very quickly. he also learned 'outside' and 'bedtime' within a few days. 'Sit' took more effort, but I only taught him that because he sat naturally and I went with it. Now he will give 5, high 5 and shake. He knows 'wait' and will usually wait without me having to tell him, when crossing the street. He also knows "which bed do you want?' when it comes to picking a bed at night. He knows "don't even think about it' when he's sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. All that being said, he will do whatever he darn well pleases if I've asked him to do something he doesn't want to. The only one of those that is non-negotiable is the outside 'wait' because I don't want him running ahead of me. I'd say they are more than capable of learning, but like many strong willed breeds, if they don't wanna, they won't.

[Guest greytgrandma]

welcome to GT

 

Hot Rod is very food motivated .He has learned to sit which took about a week.and he knows down. He comes when called if there are no distractions.The thing I love most about Hot Rod is how much he loves everyone.

He is my son's hound so he doesnt live with me.I usually spend the afternoon with Hot Rod while my son is at work. I have been trying to teach him to stay, but havent had any luck, he thinks he is going to get a treat or a chin rub or something so I cant get more then 2 feet from him He does know what No means .

Mostly he has me trained.Trained to give him belly rubs or chin rubs whenever he wants I guess I am just putty in his paws

 

I hope you find the perfect greyhound for you. It sounds like you have done your homework.And Im looking forward to your posts here and of course photos of your new houndie when you find him/her.

[Guest RWM]

Interesting thread, particularly because there has been so much focus upon the grey, and the way he or she reacts or is supposed to react.

 

I think the best starting point is analyzing the way we are, and the way we react. Are we generally laid back and chilled out? Are we receptive to instructions and commands, or do we tend to be independent thinkers? Are we leaders or followers? Are we well mannered or are we rude? Do we tend to misbehave or do we know the difference between good behavior and poor behavior? Are we honest, not only with ourselves, but with others? Are we considerate of others? Do we share or are we selfish?

 

I have found greyhounds to be very intuitive. There is a level of sensitivity with greys that strikes me as unique, or, at least different, from other breeds. I believe, as some others have said, that they will bear their souls to us. Many of us do not give them enough credit.

 

I would like to think that the behavior of our greyhounds is a reflection of ourselves. Whether this is intuitive, or it is learned, is an interesting question. I think it is intuitive, but I also think that greys have an ability to learn quickly from their surroundings … from their humans … and to behave accordingly.

 

I do think that if most of the souls in this world were greyhounds, this world would be a better place, which suggests to me that there is much we can learn from our greyhounds, and not the other way around.

[Guest Vers]

RWM, I'm pretty new here and don't know how to PM, but just want to say thank you for what you wrote. I will use your words with others as a reminder of what really does work.

[BootsyCollins]

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.

 

That's a pretty good parenting style too.

[Guest rachel2025]

Just wanted to throw my two cents in -- my former dog was an extremely stubborn and dominant poodle/terrier mix who I trained. When we got Pike, we also took him to obedience training. Training him was totally different from the poo-terrier -- we used dominance training with him, but all positive reinforcement/clicker with Pike, which was great fun! He was in a class with all breeds, and definitely a totally different learner. He had a tough time with commands other dogs find easy, like sit/down, but also way better at heeling and not being distracted by other dogs than his classmates.

 

Pike is much slower to understand what you want, and much, much slower to respond than the poo-terrier (the poo-terrier was kind of a dog genius, though. Pike's brain is more walnut-sized. hehe). Despite this, he was absolutely trainable, and like the owner with the westies said, over time, he tests us much, much less than the poo-terrier ever did! Once he's learned something, it sticks. And once we found the right treats, turned out he was very food motivated. Also, as we've had him for longer and longer, he has become much more bonded to us and eager to please.

 

The only thing we really haven't been able to train him to do is an immediate sit. He'll sit down, but he turns around 5 or 6 times and kind of groans...like his old bones are tired. I don't know if this is an urban legend, but I heard the sitting problem is because they get trained NOT to sit in the starting box when they are racing....

 

At any rate, we did successfully train him to stay, ring a bell, come when called, shake, lie down in his bed when we go to the table for dinner, "kennel up"... And he'll sit at home, very slowly, when he is on a padded surface. Sit wasn't as important to me, so we didn't push it too hard. I'm sure that we'd have him doing it on command more quickly if we'd all committed to it.

 

Anyhow, best of luck with your grey! After adopting, we have fallen in love with the breed -- I don't know if I'll ever have any other type of dog. They are simply amazing!!

[Guest Swifthounds]

Hi everyone,

I dont know how well I will be able to deal with a dog that just doesn't care, or doesnt give a crap. I am looking for a responsive, respectful dog that will listen and react to what I ask it to, when I ask it to.

 

Please share the attitude of your grey(s) towards this concern of mine. I really hope I have the wrong impression, and that greys are just as responsive as other dogs. I dont know why I am getting this impression (maybe spending too much time in "the cute and funny things greys do" forum! lol). TIA

 

IMO, the only time a dog "just doesn't care, or doesnt give a crap" is when the relationship with the human isn't a strong bond or where the humans simply require nothing of a dog. Moreso than in a lot of large breed followers, greyhound folks seem more accepting of the "my dog doesn't have to do anything" point of view. It's part of the reason that sooooo many greyhound people will tell you greyhounds can't sit - which is just plain nonsense! I've had quite a few greyhounds in my time and I have NEVER had a dog that couldn't at least learn the basics: sit, stay, down, come, leave it, wait, and off. Most of mine have also learned "paw" and "speak" along with "load up" (get in the car), and "kennel" (ie, gein in your kennel). I've used only positive training techniques to teach them. Part of how much/well you can train a greyhound has to do with patience, sense of fun, and how much of a part of your everyday routine you make "training."