Guest kayemgi Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Hello! My fiance and I are bringing home our first dog (as adults, we both grew up with pups in our families) and our first Grey tomorrow!! His name is Bigby (formerly Farley), and we already love him to pieces. I've been devouring everything I can find about greyhounds and I'm so happy to have found a place like this! Bigby is two years old, and we're adopting him from Greyhound Angels Adoption in Pennsauken, New Jersey. He seems very timid so far, scared of strangers and cars and shiny floors. From close friends with greys, we know that he will probably always hate shiny floors, but we hope to make some progress on the other two! We've been to visit him at the shelter several times, and he does seem happy to see us already. We left him a shirt to get used to our smell, and hopefully we will have a smooth transition tomorrow. We also have two cats (Bigby has been cat-tested and approved for us) so we are also crossing our fingers that all goes well there too. Any advice on introducing him to our home, kitties, and reducing his stress would be so appreciated! I look forward to getting to know the Greytalk community! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FreddyGirl Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Congratulations. When I had cats, I introduced the new pup muzzled AND on leash. I set up a baby gate high enough on a bedroom door, so the cats had a "safe" place to escape the new dogs. This room also had their water, food and litterbox. Eventrually, the cats came out once they were used to the dog(s) being there. perhaps we'll meet at the Holiday Fair. I hope to attend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houndtime Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Exactly what Freddygirl (Nancy) has said. Keep a careful watch in the beginning. You might not have to, but, I would rather be overly cautious than sorry. We will be at the Holiday Shop too. Stop by and say hello. Quote Irene Ullmann w/Flying Odin and Mama Mia in Lower Delaware Angels Brandy, John E, American Idol, Paul, Fuzzy and Shine Handcrafted Greyhound and Custom Clocks http://www.houndtime.com Zoom Doggies-Racing Coats for Racing Greyhounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PhillyPups Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Hi and welcome!! What a handsome boy you are adopting there. I see he has already found the beauty of a Costco bed. They are so reasonable, I usually pick one up every other time I go there ($19.99 last week) I would suggest a membership, their food is awesome as are their beds. Mine actually are okay on shiny floors, after a bit of time that is. Greyhounds are very smart and adaptable, but a home is a totally new world to him. Feel free to ask any questions, you may have. I can't help on the kitty issues, as I take the catzappers cause I don't have cats. Again, welcome. I recently moved from Fishtown to Collingswood, NJ, but kept the name due to the concensus of GT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dobiegrey Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Welcome to the wonderful world of Greyhounds!!!! I can't help with the cat thing either, I don't have cats, but I can tell you this site and forum is the best!! The biggest thing I had to do to welcome my Betty home was to put painters tape on my glass doors, just so she would know that she couldn't run through them, to this day I still have Scooby Doo and Greyhound stickers at her height on my doors just so she knows they are closed. ENJOY!! They are really the best in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesiRayMom Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Welcome from Ohio......ENJOY!!!! Quote Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FreddyGirl Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Shiny floors: My younger dogs had no issue. Pups that I adopted as seniors, ages 9 and up, all had/have isseus with hardwood floors and/or shiny floors. So, I purchased MANY rubber backed machine-washable runners at k-Mart. They were a Godsend with my Bobbi girl and now for my Tommy, 12 years, both having rear end weakness. I never put in dryer though=drys out rubber backing. I have a few extra so I always have the floors covered when laundering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cozmicdog Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Welcome! What a handsome boy. My Topper is from GAA, too- hope to see you at the Holiday Shop! Quote Jen and Topper. Missing Cole(Kiowa True Topsy)(Cry Kohlton) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kayemgi Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Thanks everyone! I suspect the kitties will just hide for awhile, but we'll definitely bring Bigby in the house on the leash and muzzled and hope that they come out to investigate. We'll have to keep an eye on everyone until they do get to know each other, for sure. And our house has tons of places for the kitties to hide, so they won't have any problem getting away if they want to! I'm glad to see lots of (somewhat) locals! We'll be at the GAA Holiday Shop, hope to meet some of you too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grey8greys Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 Hello and Welcome from Wilm. DE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverhound Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 Hi, from Trenton, NJ! Quote Masterful Joe and Naughty N Nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike516 Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 (edited) Hi Guys. Bigby is an awesome looking dog, congratulations to you. You could have written my introduction for me as it's almost identical to yours (see: Hello! Ginger has adopted us!) This is our first dog also and it has been a real learning experience. We've had Ginger since October 1st and she's just awesome. Of course all dogs are different but our circumstances are pretty similar to yours. We have 3 cats and two of them are very skiddish and afraid of their own shadows. I was afraid they'd hide forever. Ginger had her muzzle on for the first few days when she was around the cats just to be safe. In the beginning, the cats wouldn't get too close but oddly enough, even the most scaredy cat, scaredy cat was curious after a few days and very quickly got used to her being around. At this point, only a few weeks later, the cats hang out in the same room as us and the dog. It's funny, wherever my wife and I are, everyone migrates in, dogs and cats, to hang out. We have part of a hallway and bedroom blocked by a tall pet gate with a cat door so the cats have a "safe-house" where they have their food water and litter boxes. Everyone that we have spoken to so far have been very helpful and we're extremely grateful to have these resources to help us through our newbieness. Good luck to you all. Edited October 28, 2011 by Mike516 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EllenEveBaz Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 I'm guessing that no one is getting much sleep in your house tonight. Hope all is going well. Romie says that the occasional strategically placed runner is a great help with treacherous floors. Quote Ellen, with brindle Milo and the blonde ballerina, Gelsey remembering Eve, Baz, Scout, Romie, Nutmeg, and Jeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kayemgi Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Update! Hi everyone! So guess what? Bigby is not afraid of shiny floors AT ALL. He's afraid of strangers. The shelter must have just assumed it was shiny floors because he had to cross a shiny floor to visit people -- and he was probably fine in the back with people he knew on the non-shiny floor. Who knows? But in any case, this is actually not an upgrade -- he freezes on every walk because he's terrified of people, even people a couple of blocks away. We're being patient and just trying to show him that nothing bad will happen to him. We've had some friends and family come over armed with treats, and he warms up quickly, just doesn't seem to make the connection that strangers don't equal danger yet. He actually just seems to dislike going outside altogether. At first we thought it was the stairs that you have to use to get on or off our front porch, but when he's in a hurry to get it over with, he trots right up and down them with no problem. He only stops at the stairs when he's feeling stubborn, which is 99% of the time. He cries in his crate about 50% of the time, and stops after about half an hour. Better than we expected and we're hoping this too will improve over time! So far he's being crated for bed time and when we eat our meals or leave the house for anything. The shelter said we should make sure to leave the house every day for awhile til he learns we are always coming back. He goes in his crate on his own when he is tired -- if we happen to shut him in during one of those times, that's when he doesn't cry. If we have to "force" (with a treat) him to go in is when he gets upset -- understandably so! He's slowly warming up to the kitties. At first he was terrified, avoiding our most curious cat (the other one just stays upstairs all the time) when outside the crate and growling a bit at her when he was inside his crate. He got a sharp "no" for that, but he seems to have gotten used to her and just ignores her now. Gives her a sniff every now and then but that's about it. She's still uncertain, so hasn't gotten too close. Hmm what else. He's definitely warmed up to my boyfriend and me, and seems to understand that we are his people now, which is great. We are loving his good moments and just crossing our fingers that time and love take care of his fears! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kayemgi Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 (edited) Bigby's new jacket. I made it and I'm awful proud! Oops, edited to fix the huge image! Edited November 1, 2011 by kayemgi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonnaBehr Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Congratulations and what a handsome boy. Love his coat!!!!!!! Maybe I'll run into you at the Holiday Shop this weekend. Quote Mom to Melly and Dani Greyhound Bridge Angels - Jessie, Brittne, Buddy, Red, Chica, Ford and Dodge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike516 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 (edited) Wow! I just saw your post in the other thread, Kayemgi. I just looked up the two of them on that greyhound data site myself. What are the chances of that? It would be pretty cool to see their reactions if we bump into you at the holiday shop. I have heard that they can have weird reactions but it'd be interesting to see what happens. Does anyone know is there a possibility they'd remember each other? Edited November 1, 2011 by Mike516 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike516 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Actually i guess they saw each other quite a bit this summer. They were probably at the kennel at the same time until we took Ginger home. Good thing no one mentioned they were related or who knows I might have went home with two dogs that day lol j/k! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Melissa516 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 What a coincidence! Brother and sister got adopted right around the same time. They look a lot alike too. Pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houndtime Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 If you want, you might try to put his harness over the coat instead of under. Some of my coat customers prefer it that way. Good job! Handsome boy. If you come to the GAA holiday shop, stop by and say hello. Quote Irene Ullmann w/Flying Odin and Mama Mia in Lower Delaware Angels Brandy, John E, American Idol, Paul, Fuzzy and Shine Handcrafted Greyhound and Custom Clocks http://www.houndtime.com Zoom Doggies-Racing Coats for Racing Greyhounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FreddyGirl Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Mike, robin and I had sisters, both at the bridge now. Well, she and I felt so strongly about them being together, they could care less Freddy's bro Gunner lives in NJ and we see him and his people a couple of times a year, same thing, could care less. That is ONLY my experience. Here are the sibs: Freddy(foreground) and Gunner Ditto Flower and Ditto Dan Polly (left) and Bobbi Bohemian Ocean and Bohemian Canal The SISTERS Miss these 2 girls so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike516 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Interesting. I would have thought they'd remember each other but I guess they been around so many other hounds it doesn't make a difference to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greysmomma Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 HI I do not live close to Philly but got our dog Bob from NGAP(National Greyhound adoption agency) in Philly. My boyfriend and I live in Lock Haven which is close to State college. Marla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest aptaks Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Hi -- I'm in Bensalem, a bit north of Philly (as you probably know). My old girl, Music (now gone) was a very shy girl...super spooky, particularly on walks. It took us a long time to work through it -- and some of her shyness always remained when we were out on walks. But she was happy to greet anyone who came to our house and did grow rather fond of many of my friends and family who were first scary to her. As to the sibling thing -- a few years after I got Music, I adopted her sister Ezella, who had been bounced back after a few years in a home. I was not convinced, at first, that they recognized each other. But after one weekend together, I saw behavior between them that I never saw in their interactions with other greys. I am convinced, to this day, that they DID know that they were sisters. I hope that you and your new guy have many happy years together. Just take it slow and let him see that the world is really not so scary. (short walks are a good way to start -- head home before the stress gets too bad...then make them gradually longer). Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FlosMomma Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 Congrats, welcome, and I love the coat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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