Changing Behavior

[Annette]

We started out fostering Miriam at the end of July (her adoption fell through and Dixie just clicked with her from day 1, so we kept her). Before we picked her up for fostering, we were told that she was very shy. She didn't seem bad at all. She didn't hide and would let strangers pet her.

 

It was fairly warm when we brought her home. The air conditioner and ceiling fan were on in the living room and the fan did not bother her. Once it cooled off, the air conditioner and ceiling fan were turned off. We had a brief warm spell not long ago so the fan and air came back on, and now she is terrified of the ceiling fan. She paces even when it isn't on, always looking at the ceiling. Sometimes she paces so much it drives me crazy. She has also started some minor stress drinking.

 

Other times she seems afraid to come in the house after being outside in the yard. On more than one occasion, I have had to go out with a leash to get her into the house. Now she even retreats to a corner in the bedroom.

 

I am clueless to why she has changed so much. She was a "normal", newly retired racer for more than a month and now she seems to have become a spook on occasion.

 

Even though we have had greyhounds for more than 20 years, I don't remember a pup quite like Miriam.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks,

Annette

[christinepi]

I don't really have any advice, just my sympathy and a few questions: is she afraid now of both the fan AND the AC--do they always run at the same time? Or is she afraid of either if just one of them runs at a time? Is the not coming in voluntarily only when the fan/AC are running? Same with the hiding in the bedroom--only when gadgets are running or always? Just trying to tease apart what exactly the connection is, if there is one.

[Guest BrianRke]

I have to say that Frank was with me for almost 6 months before he noticed my ceiling fan. I turn it off and on all the time but one day he happened to look up and got totally freaked out. He ran out of the room and kept peeking back in at it. Then for the rest of the day, he would look up at it everytime he went by the room. Luckily, this behavior only lasted a day. He either realized that it wasnt going to eat him, or he forgot about it again!

 

The only thing I know to do is maybe start feeding her in that room. You could also get on a ladder and turn the blades yourself while she is watching. All my dogs freak out over things that "move" by themselves. Good luck.

[Annette]

She is afraid of the fan if it is on or off. We don't always have the fan and air conditioner going at the same time. Both Dixie and Miriam are fed in the living room, where the fan is. Miriam will come into the living room and just pace while looking up at the ceiling. Eventually she will calm down, but it takes a while.

 

Last night, she reminded me of another think she is absolutely freaked out by -- flashlights. If it is already on when she initially sees it, she is frightened, but if the flashlight is turned on when she is in the same space, she freaks out and runs to another part of the house.

 

Annette

[Guest BrianRke]

Is she afraid of storms? Diamond is very stormphobic and anything that she perceives as lightning terrifies her. All I have to do is point a camera at her and she freaks out because she thinks its going to flash and she associates the flash with lightning.

 

Ive never tried a flash light around her but she probably wouldnt like it.

[JJNg]

While the change in behavior seemed to be triggered by changes in her surroundings, I would still recommend a thorough vet check, bloodwork, and complete thyroid panel to rule out any medical causes.

 

Regardless of why she started acting this way, she may improve with time and desensitization. Does she only act scared in the living room? Is she always scared in the living room? If her fearful behavior is only at certain times and places, I would do your best to avoid those situations, let her spend more time in the places where she is comfortable, and slowly re-introduce her to the areas where she finds scary using treats and positive reinforcement.

 

If she has gotten to where she acts fearful all the time, or if daily exposure to situations she finds scary is unavoidable, I'd start thinking about anti-anxiety medication or at least calming supplements. If your vet is experienced with behavior, you can ask them about medication options. Or you can try out some supplement/holistic options like Rescue Remedy, Anxitane, or Harmonease, just to name a few. A Thundershirt might also be something to consider.

 

Even of some of the above options help, it is still important to use praise and treats when she does act comfortable in situations where she previously acted scared. This will help reinforce the learning process and change her associations in those situations.

[Annette]

I am trying melatonin with her. Melatonin helped Dixie when we first adopted her and she started stress drinking after having the hardware removed from her broken leg. When it was really bad, we also added benadryl with the melatonin. We also seemed to have success with DAP diffusers. With Miriam we are going try the DAP diffuser collar because we will also be trying the feline equivalent plug in diffusers for our old kitty (She quit using litter boxes after my husband's apartment kitty started beating the crap out of her when they were home on weekends. Apartment kitty no longer comes home on weekends and our old kitty is currently confined to a greyhound crate where she has been good about using the litter box. After a few weeks with the kitty diffuser, we will let her out of the crate until she may decide to use our furniture as a litter box again).

 

Next weekend I will be taking both pups in for a check-up. Someone is peeing in the house and I suspect that it is Miriam because on occasion she will stress drink, but since I haven't caught anyone in the act, both pups will have to be checked out.

[Batmom]

Any way to get her, or at least her pee sample, in before next weekend? A bladder infection can make a dog behave *very* oddly.

[cleptogrey]

after checking out any medical issues have you considered working w/ an excellent trainer to help her gain confidence? i met someone in obedience class w/ my first grey who adopted a female who literally lived in the closet she was soooo timid.(the owner freaked out when i came in w/ my female trotting in w/ her tail curved and head up, something she did not know a greyhound could do). thru tlc and an experience trainer (who works with lots of rescue dogs-all breeds) the female was brought out of her shell. this took many many series(6 week semesters)of all clicker training and lots of postitive reinforcement to reshape her behavior. but the owner now has a companion who doesn't freak out at turing the light on. it took time, patience and perservance but also a trainer with 40+years of experience to help bring that fearful girl out of the closet.

Edited September 17, 2011 by cleptogrey

[Annette]

Unfortunately there are no trainers within 100 miles of here that would know how to properly train a greyhound. A shelter I volunteered at before I found a job had a trainer who was ex military and treated all the dogs like they were in marine boot camp

 

I don't know if I can get a pee sample from Miriam because she doesn't want to be approached when she is doing her "business".

[Guest lovemyblackgrey]

hi,

 

After 4 months living with us our grey all of a sudden started freaking out from the lightbulb in the living room. The main lamp in the room has always been there but one day she just decided that it was a BAD lightbulb and it had to be constantly barked at, especially when the light was off She would bark and stare that poor lightbulb down until we turned it on which was not very practical . She was a shy grey at first too and it has taken close to 12 monthts to turn her around but what I found helpful is to feed her in that room and addressed the lightbulb with a happy voice (don't laugh, it worked Talking to that lightbulb with the same tone/voice you use when rewarding your dog might do the trick, it did for me good luck with it!