JohnF Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 How on earth do you stop a Greyhound from doing mad zoomies every time another dog invites her to play? OK, Peggy is a small-dog-friendly girl so she's safe, and it's only in an enclosed park and field area away from roads, but even after she's had what I consider to be a prety good free sprint run for a couple of minutes and has gotten her breath back, she still has to do these show-off zoomies. Most of the other Greys I know who are safe off-leash and have had their burst of exercize will trot along quite happily sniffing around with the other dogs. But not Peggy, every 'new' dog has to chase her and let her tease them by stepping on the gas! I wish there was a way other than clipping her back on the leash that she'd just mosey around. (She's 3 and a half yrs.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SpicyMom Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Enjoy it! Or try to! At the fenced in athletic field I take my girls to, many of the other dog owners COUNT on my pups to do some "personal training" and get THEIR dogs to run around, rather than just sniff each other. They've been renovating the fence at the field for the last 6 weeks so we haven't been able to go and the other folks keep calling to find out when we're coming back as their dogs are getting fat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFullHouse Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 She's young and has a lot of energy. My little boys do that all the time and they're 5! Most of the time they'll do it until they get tired. If she's resting between zoomies and getting her breath back, I wouldn't worry about it. She's having fun. When I get worried is when they just go continuously and then I will make them stop and rest for a bit and then they're going again. They usually stop when they've really made themselves tired. Quote Judy, mom to Darth Vader, Bandita, And Angel Forever in our hearts, DeeYoGee, Dani, Emmy, Andy, Heart, Saint, Valentino, Arrow, Gee, Bebe, Jilly Bean, Bullitt, Pistol, Junior, Sammie, Joey, Gizmo, Do Bee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sheila Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Why would you want to stop it? Watching my dogs doing zoomies thrills me to no end. If anything I get frustrated at the dog park because they spend the bulk of their time walking around sniffing and peeing and not NEARLY enough running. I mean, they do some zoomies, but it's usually just a few quick laps and then they are content to walk at my side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zombrie Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Why would you want to stop it? Watching my dogs doing zoomies thrills me to no end. If anything I get frustrated at the dog park because they spend the bulk of their time walking around sniffing and peeing and not NEARLY enough running. I mean, they do some zoomies, but it's usually just a few quick laps and then they are content to walk at my side. I totally agree with this. I get frustrated when I can't get them to run at a special place I brought them to! I could watch my greys run all day, I love watching how much fun they are having, stretching their legs and using their bodies. It is also the only time Mira will smile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SueG201 Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 my 12 yr old does zoomies everyday and it makes my heart sing that she can still do it with her whippet sister Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jubilee251 Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Molly does this - even if everyone's on leash, she'll still try to sprint around the other dog. I laugh every time she does it - of course, she is an energetic, young, mischievous girl, but that's why we love her. We have to stop her sometimes because she really doesn't know when to stop and will over-exhaust herself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest krey1025 Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I wish I could watch my new boy do zoomies!! We don't have a safe, fenced in place to take him to yet, so we haven't been able to watch him really stretch his legs. The closest we've seen is him playing with his little Boston cousin in my apartment, which doesn't really have enough room for full play. Enjoy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 Hi, again, and thanks for all the thoughts. You're right I should just be able to enjoy seeing her doing those zoomies because she'll be old or unwell in some way far, far too soon. But my last one still had crazy moments when she was 12 but just one or two moments of madness were sufficient and then she's be normal and mix with all the others. I guess what made me think about this was that I think Peggy stubbed a toe, bruised a pad, or stretched a toe ligament last weekend when we had some unexpected storm pebbles on the beach and she just wouldn't be careful, so I didn't really want her doing crazy stops, starts and tight showing off turns in the park for a few days. These pebbles she's OK with and is very careful, even letting me carry her http://www.pbase.com/johnfr/image/131830596 But over these... http://www.pbase.com/johnfr/image/131830597 even though there was a huge beach of nice sand seemed to be where she wanted to run! And then there is this... http://www.pbase.com/johnfr/image/131830598 See the way her right ankle is stressed in this half-gallop (maybe that's why she was retired but they never say)... well that's the kind of thing she does in play with other dogs. The full suspension gallop is just fine on grass ort sand and she can do that as long as she likes. Maybe you can se where I'm coming from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFullHouse Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 You know, my thoughts on this whole thing are really simple. If she's not limping after having a good run, I wouldn't worry about the ankle. Obviously the muscles are strong in that ankle or she would be limping badly after running. As far as the surface, the more she runs the tougher her pads are going to be. It's kind of like with kids, you can't keep them from every little hurt in life or they would spend their time locked in the house. If she cuts a pad, it will heal and if she starts to limp on that ankle, a few days rest and she'll be fine. She looks like she's having an absolute ball and if she were mine, I'd let her have at it! I have one here that was retired because of a stopper injury and one who retired from a dropped muscle and I let them run as much as they want and I've never had issues with either one of them. Quote Judy, mom to Darth Vader, Bandita, And Angel Forever in our hearts, DeeYoGee, Dani, Emmy, Andy, Heart, Saint, Valentino, Arrow, Gee, Bebe, Jilly Bean, Bullitt, Pistol, Junior, Sammie, Joey, Gizmo, Do Bee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lakota Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 um, no advice, but I would love to have that as an place to walk. The first pic is breathtaking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 I guess you're right, it would be just so mean to keep them like in cotton wool when they have a zest for living. But I don't want massive vet bills (or the sweet little monkey hurt unecessarily). We have several excellent sandy beaches within a hour's drive which allow dogs until the start of the holiday season, and she does love them but seems drawn to pebbly areas and can be in them in seconds given her sprint power. My last dog, Angel, loved those beaches too but she wasn't mental like this one. http://www.pbase.com/johnfr/image/30646015/large and so too did my Borzoi pup Misha and Great Dane Kerry many years ago http://www.pbase.com/johnfr/image/109750200 But these dogs didn't give me the idea they were just on the edge of losing it as does Peggy. http://www.pbase.com/johnfr/image/131226526/medium That (above) is what I like her doing but she wants to jink about with danger to get enjoyment; maybe she senses my unease energy and does it to get a rise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFullHouse Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Oh you can be sure she senses every emotion you have. I had a crazy girl like that. She went full tilt until she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and lost her sight. That was the hardest thing for me to see was my crazy girl who loved running and playing with her basketball just sit in a corner. I would have rather had her running full tilt until the end. I love your pictures, they're beautiful! She just looks so full of life and the look on her face shows she's enjoying the heck out of it! I would enjoy that as long as I could. Most of mine are seniors now and though some will run like crazy with my little guys in the back yard and play and have a good time, the days of them running full tilt like that are in my memories. Quote Judy, mom to Darth Vader, Bandita, And Angel Forever in our hearts, DeeYoGee, Dani, Emmy, Andy, Heart, Saint, Valentino, Arrow, Gee, Bebe, Jilly Bean, Bullitt, Pistol, Junior, Sammie, Joey, Gizmo, Do Bee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawthorn Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Can't you simply avoid the pebbly areas of the beach? Ours stay on their leads until we are well away from the pebbly areas. We know how far they're likely to run so we allow for that as well. Toe injuries can have the dog out of action for months so in my view it's well worth doing what you can to prevent them. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and all that! Quote When a relationship of love is disrupted, the relationship does not cease. The love continues; therefore, the relationship continues. The work of grief is to reconcile and redeem life to a different love relationship. ~ W Scott Lineberry Always Greyhounds Home Boarding and Greyhounds With Love House Sitting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 Thanks. Yes, this is of course very true. One of my hounds suffered a broken hock on that beach back in the '90's. We'd gone down to look at the very lowest spring tide of the year and she twist her ankle on a piece of rock buried just below wet sand near big rocks. Not even running, just turning around excitedly. Not osteo-related, definitely a sneaky rock. A kind man helped me carry her 1/2 mile back to shore (tide range 33ft!) - I carried the snapping teeth end of the dog. (Another reminder to always have a muzzle handy). I'm still no wiser as to how to discourage mad behaviour after she's already done a couple of zoomies. She's just a crazy little thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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