Very Shy, Skiddish Boy..

[Guest Psycmeistr]

A couple of days ago, we adopted two greyhounds (we were going to adopt only one, but these two were kind of a pair, so we came home with two--go figger).

 

Conan is a very outgoing boy- and I can already feel a bond developing with him.

 

Chesney, on the other hand, is so VERY shy-- He will not look directly at you (will always avert his gaze); Additionally, when he passes by, he runs, not walks, as if he's trying to avert your ability to hit him. If you really force the issue, he will tolerate being petted, but you can tell he'd rather be anywhere else but there being petted. He won't even go to the food bowl if our little poodle is there. There's a lot of approach/avoidance behavior.

 

The way Chesney acts (always hypervigilant; avoidant, etc.,) it appears as if he may have been severely abused at some time. These two are not my first greyhounds; I had another retired racer who passed away two years ago.

 

Is this kind of a normal trait? Is there any good way to break him out of his shell, and to begin to trust?

 

Your suggestions here would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks-

 

-Leo-

[robinw]

Seems like he just needs some time to come out of his shell. Relax, take it slow and give him lots of treats, and he'll be fine

[Guest PhillyPups]

Leo,

 

His world has turned upside down. Trust is earned not a given. Give him time, ignore him, and in time he will come to you. Just like children, some greyhounds are painfully shy, does not mean anything else need be read into their behavior than just shyness.

 

You will find a time that he will come up behind and just siff or lick your hand, that is big for him, so celebrate the emotion of a breakthrough.

 

He most likely will do it sooner than later as he will feed off your other greyhound. Sit quietly with small pieces of treats in your hand. Give the outgoing one a treat, he will watch, keep doing it quietly and slowley, he will come up for one and learn that good things come from you.

 

Good luck.

[Guest Psycmeistr]

Thanks much-- appreciate the input..

 

Just the way he acts I wonder if he had been abused...

 

But I guess that's neither here nor there.. gotta take him where he's at and go from there.

[Guest BrianRke]

Do you know anything about Chesney's past? It doesnt sound to me like hes been abused. It sounds like he hasnt had lots of human interaction. Frank exhibited behavior very much like what you described. He never raced and apparently got lost in the shuffle. He was very skittish around people and wanted NOTHING to do with them. His only contact with humans was someone that came to throw food at him twice a day and let him out of his crate. After we got him, Sara, our director, worked with him for 6+ months to get him where he is today.

 

OH yeah, Welcome to Greytalk!!

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Leo,

Sounds like you have read too much anti-racing ads (the severe abuse thing). What was your first greyhound like? It sounds like your boy is shy, and probably shy of men more than women. I have a female that when I first adopted her, if I simply looked in her direction, she would run into her crate, and hide at the back. If I went to get her out of her crate, she just trembled. Was she severly abused, not in the least. I met her trainer (woman) with my greyhound one day at a reunion and my little greyhound came unglued with excitement.

 

What did I do to overcome the shyness and earn my hound's trust. I did everything for her. My wife didnt do anything. We made sure that I did all the walking, treating, obedience training, and most importantly feeding. Not just put the bowl down, but hand-feeding. The first two weeks I had to sit on the floor and put a handfull of food behind my back just for her to take a bite. After 2 week, we graduated to me holding my hand beside me (while still sitting on the floor). After about 1 month I could sit on the floor and feed her from my lap. I continued the hand feeding for 2 months and by the end of the two months, she was no longer terrified of me, still apprehensive, but not terrified. I could approach her and pet, her. If I moved too fast, or spoke too loud, she would leave the room. Continuous training and one-on-one time with her has made our bond strong. She trusts me and is my little girl. If my wife and I are out, and I walk away, Olive whines and looks for me until I get back.

 

Things will get better, but you have to have patience, and you have to work with him on things that build trust.

 

Chad

[Guest PhillyPups]

Do you know anything about Chesney's past? It doesnt sound to me like hes been abused. It sounds like he hasnt had lots of human interaction. Frank exhibited behavior very much like what you described. He never raced and apparently got lost in the shuffle. He was very skittish around people and wanted NOTHING to do with them. His only contact with humans was someone that came to throw food at him twice a day and let him out of his crate. After we got him, Sara, our director, worked with him for 6+ months to get him where he is today.

OH yeah, Welcome to Greytalk!!

 

 

Sounds like my Moe only she was 10. Took her a long time to come around. It was just lack of human interation. She has been with me almost three years and went from a dog that was so freaked by people, she would stand and pee herself to a fabulous M&G girl. All I did was give her time to trust, the other dogs (especially Gremlin) taught her I was okay.

 

The positive side with a shy, skittish dog is we get to watch them open up and blossom like the most beautiful rose in the world. Every kiss from Moe is a gift from the GoDs.

 

Relax and give time time.

Edited November 1, 2011 by PhillyPups

[Guest Iceman41]

My julie also was very shy not to sure of all this new stuff.

I also said to myself what did they do to this poor dog

She is my first greyhound but not my first dog.

Took some time an my patience.

I did all the waking feeding grooming oh ya and teeth brushing.

Now after 7 months she is my girl won't leave my side.

I also have a small dog she kind of looks up to him on how to be a dog.

Good luck

Like to see some pics

[Guest Psycmeistr]

@Greyt_Dog_Lover Actually, I'm not one to fall for the anti-racing propaganda- It's just that I've never met another grey quite as skiddish as Chesney..

 

But the lack of human interaction would definitely explain things.

 

Chesney wouldn't come to his bowl to eat last night, so I brought the bowl to him (I also put a raw egg in the bowl as a treat)- he ate fine, then. He's such a skinny (I mean, even for a greyhound) guy that I'm worried about his eating.

 

Our last grey, Husky- went to the bridge a couple of years ago-but he was very much like Conan- very personable & loving..

 

Like everyone here has been saying, it'll just take a little time-

 

My julie also was very shy not to sure of all this new stuff.

I also said to myself what did they do to this poor dog

She is my first greyhound but not my first dog.

Took some time an my patience.

I did all the waking feeding grooming oh ya and teeth brushing.

Now after 7 months she is my girl won't leave my side.

I also have a small dog she kind of looks up to him on how to be a dog.

Good luck

Like to see some pics

 

I haven't gotten any good snapshots yet, but here's a couple of pics from the adoption website-

 

This is Chesney

 

 

And this is Conan:

 

[Feisty49]

Chesney sounds very similar to Annie Bella, who I adopted mid-July of this year, except Annie was affectionate from the first time I met her at a M&G.

 

If approached too fast, i.e. just a regular walk through the house, Annie would turn tail and race back to her bed. If anybody, including the cat, came near her when she was eating, she immediately returned to her bed, until it was "all clear." It is only the past 4 weeks that she doesn't run to her bed when I walk by her as she's eating, though she still walks away from the food until I'm at least 6 feet away from her. That will get better as time goes on.

 

She too scuttled past me when she walked to the kitchen to get a drink. She doesn't do that any more, but it took a few weeks. Now when she walks by me, she often stops and pushes her cold nose into my hand for some love.

 

She has always avoided eye contact and it's not much better than it was from the first day home. It's just the way she is, as weird as it is. LOL

 

She still gets extremely startled and runs to her bed if she sees me with a wooden spoon or if I open a certain plastic container that makes a very sharp noise, but it doesn't interfere with her life and if she never gets over it, no big deal.

 

It took weeks of me approaching her slowly and ignoring her, until I was right next to her, before she stopped running back to her bed. Even now, I don't walk quite as fast in the house around her as I do when she's not around.

 

Another thing she didn't like was confining spaces. She *hated* her crate. Hated it hated it (and it was a big crate). I stopped using it 3 days after adoption. She also would not approach a door to the outside until it and the screen/storm door were both open. She had to see that there was a place to go that was open. She didn't like narrow hallways, unless they were very bright and she could see that there was an end to it.

 

All these "issues" are much better but it took weeks and weeks of treating her as if there were no issues but at the same time, working on her very slowly and allowing her to become accustomed to the rhythms of her new home. She will now go to the back door when it's closed and I have to push her back to open it. She'll walk down hallways (even those she's never been in before) with no problem.

 

It takes lots of time for some things, lots of praise, lots of treats, and lots of affection, when he will tolerate it.

Edited November 1, 2011 by Feisty49

[Guest Swifthounds]

You've gotten some great advice. Give him time and don't force the issue. His behavior doesn't suggest abuse, it suggests that he is a more sensitive dog who is having trouble dealing with the loss of anything predictable or secure about his life or environment.

[Guest madredhare]

I had a shy/spook about 8 years ago. With lots of love and patience, he has blossomed into a goofy 12 year old. He spent 16 hours in his crate his first night with us. Now he sleeps peacefully on the couch or the queen sized bed. Shy and spooky doesn't necessarily mean he has been abused.

[Guest Psycmeistr]

@Feisty-- what you're describing is EXACTLY how Chesney acts--

 

 

Good to know that there's some positive light at the end of the hallway )

 

Thanks everyone for your kind suggestions-- I feel better about this now.

 

On edit, Chesney is only a little over two years old-- so I would imagine there are maturity issues, as well.

 

Thanks again.

Edited November 1, 2011 by Psycmeistr

[Guest greyers]

Pretty much what everyone else has said is excellent advice. And I agree that the shy ones are like a wonderful gift once they come out of their shell. Two of my five greyhounds I have owned have been spooks. One boy absolutely HAD been abused, but this was by his first home, not on the tracks or at the kennel. The poor boy was terrified of his own shadow and many of the traits your Chesney displays were the same, only multiply our boys by 10!

 

We did tons of ignoring with him and letting him just decide when it was time for everything at his own comfort level with us. he never bonded to my husband the way he bonded to me even after the 6 years we had him. But with time, patience and love he came a LONG way. Having another greyhound for him to follow was the best thing we could do for him.

 

Our Prudence is also a spook. Not sure what her deal is. She came from a track in Mexico (she is scared to death when she hears spanish), never did race likely because of temperament and lack of drive and was covered with scars from other dogs. So she also had "dog' issues. She has come a HUGE distance with us, but mostly because of having a another calm and happy dog in our home in which to follow. Sh is my picky eater. Sometimes she just will NOT eat.

 

So my advice is to give the boy MONTHS and MONTHS before you become concerned about him. I bet in the next 60 days you will see a very significant difference if you just let him do his thing and give him time to approach you, etc. Let him eat when he wants to eat, take it away of he doesn't and if over the next week or so you still are having food issues then you can try some other stuff. We have to do a whole "dessert reward" thing for Prudence that might be something you can try eventually if he is treat motivated at all. But chances are that he will come around to eating by just getting more comfortable and familiar with his surroundings and by watching your other grey.

 

Sounds to me like your boy probably didn't have abuse or anything, he just is one of "those" greyhounds. But the boy will reward you 10 fold with your love, patience and lots of time. Congrats on your beautiful new furkids and welcome to the forum.

[ZoomDoggy]

Thanks much-- appreciate the input..

 

Just the way he acts I wonder if he had been abused...

 

But I guess that's neither here nor there.. gotta take him where he's at and go from there.

 

Hi! First and foremost, welcome to Greytalk! I'm glad you found your way here, this site can be a great resource for issues like this.

 

You have already received some very good advice above, so I won't belabor those points. I can tell you that I was the driver who hauled both your new boys up from Iowa to our adoption group in MN. In fact, those two photos you posted are pics I took on the day of each of their hauls. I have a couple more if you're interested.

 

Chesney came in on July 16th, and Conan came in just last month. Both are from Dubuque, but they did not come in together, nor were they fostered together to my knowledge, so I'm not sure what you meant when you said they were a "pair." Unless you simply wanted two at once, which is not uncommon at all.

 

They both came up from Dubuque and we were advised that Chesney was a little bit shy. Conan was a sweet charmer the whole ride up, so I'm thinking that having him with Chesney will go a long way toward building Chesney's confidence over time. As others have said, patience and calmness are key. Over time you will doubtlessly watch him blossom into a trusting loving pet.

 

Please give Conan smooches for me. I would have loved to keep that boy for my very own, if I weren't already at my limit. He sat on his rump in my van and calmly navigated the whole ride back to the cities, occasionally resting his 50-lb head on my shoulder.

 

Oh, forgot to address the abuse notion... This was never the case, I assure you. Some dogs are simply more shy than others, whether due to less human contact during their upbringing or simply their individual personality. We are thankful that the folks we get our dogs from are good caring folks.

Edited November 1, 2011 by ZoomDoggy

[greyhoundgang]

Having another out-going greyhound around is the best thing you can do for the shyer hound. Taking them both for walks and car rides - if they enjoy, will go a long way to establishing the trust bond. Talking, touching and just being around your hound will help him start to come out of his shell.

 

I'm happy to send you a free Shy Greyhounds Steal Your Heart booklet.

 

Just send an email to me - claudia with your name and address.

 

You can also read some info on Greyhound Gang's web site. Click on LEARN.

[Feisty49]

Pretty much what everyone else has said is excellent advice. And I agree that the shy ones are like a wonderful gift once they come out of their shell. Two of my five greyhounds I have owned have been spooks. One boy absolutely HAD been abused, but this was by his first home, not on the tracks or at the kennel. The poor boy was terrified of his own shadow and many of the traits your Chesney displays were the same, only multiply our boys by 10!

 

A wonderful gift is so true. A slowly-opened gift where every week or two more is revealed. Annie is not particularly demonstrative about her feelings, other than that cold nose being pushed into my hand or elbow, and I remember the first time she actually wagged her tail and sorta wiggled with a slight smile when she saw me after I had been out of the house for half an hour. I actually got tears in my eyes because to me it was another piece of our bonding experience -- and showed that she missed me! She still demonstrates "Glad your back," by a wagging tail, a slight wiggle in her hind end, and a smile, as well as standing in my way until I give her love. It's all very understated and gentle.

 

Each Grey is different. The temp foster Greyhound boy I had for a week last month went nuts with excitement from the very first day. He was GLAD to see me walking out of the bathroom! He wiggled, he jumped, his tail helicoptered and he sniveled my hands and did a little bit of nipping (which I did not tolerate). Even though there will be personality changes with Annie over the upcoming months, I doubt she'll ever be that demonstrative. It's just not a part of who she is.

[Guest Psycmeistr]

@ZoomDoggy-- I'm glad that Conan & Chesney were in the care of such a great, caring woman like you-- Neat to see we have shared experiences!

 

I stated that they were a "pair" because they were fostered together; and the foster mom stated that during that time they were nearly inseparable. She said that when Chesney got nervous, Conan seemed to sense it and would come to Chesney's side and nuzzle him-- she called Conan Chesney's "protector" and it seemed to calm Chesney down when Conan was around. I'm very glad to hear that abuse was not a factor--

 

@Greyhound Gang- I'd love to get a copy of that booklet-- you'll be hearing from me.

 

@Feisty-- thanks for the encouragement... I will be looking to see Chesney opening up as well during the coming months...

[ZoomDoggy]

Ah, I didn't realize they'd been fostered together. There was some shuffling of fosters after I delivered this last batch. Good to know that Conan has already proved a good reliable companion for Chesney. I'll look forward to updates as things progress with them in your home.

[Guest Psycmeistr]

@ZoomDoggy

 

BTW-- Conan was considered to not be "cat safe," but we took a chance on him anyway. When we first got him home, I kept him on lead (and with his muzzle), and he stood still as a statue, staring at those cats. I kept on correcting him, "no--leave cats alone-" After awhile--(with a short lead) I let him approach the cat- The cat bristled and hissed-- and startled Conan.

 

The next step was to let him loose (with the muzzle still on). He was still very curious about the cats, but the cats stood their ground and let him have "what for" if he got within their personal boundaries. After a while, Conan appeared to get the idea that the cats were part of his new "pack." The muzzle came off, and now he largely leaves the cats alone.

 

The cats are strictly indoor cats, so I don't worry about them being out in the back yard when Conan & Chesney are getting their exercise- (I know that all bets are off when they're outside running).

[ZoomDoggy]

The cat-testing we do on a haul is not a perfect science. I specifically recall it wasn't even the cat that set Conan off, but the sight (and smell) of a glass cage of ferrets and a passing chihuahua on a leash nearby in the pet store where I handed him off to his fosters. Once he got a whiff of that, there was no switching off of that prey-focus (and in fact that's when I took that photo of him with his ears all perked up. ). So he was put in a non-cat foster home. Sometimes we are wrong, and I'm very glad to hear that he's working out well with your cats. I had hoped he would, because as I said, he was such a wonderful boy. Just keep vigilant for a while for the safety of all involved. Cats that stand their ground and don't panic and flee tend to work out better with dogs, in my experience.

Edited November 1, 2011 by ZoomDoggy

[Guest sheila]

 

 

Chesney wouldn't come to his bowl to eat last night, so I brought the bowl to him (I also put a raw egg in the bowl as a treat)- he ate fine, then. He's such a skinny (I mean, even for a greyhound) guy that I'm worried about his eating.

 

 

 

This is Chesney

 

 

 

I can't add anything to what the others have said about giving the boy some time. However when I look at this pic I think the hound looks perfectly fine and not abnormally thin to my eyes.

[ZoomDoggy]

I believe his racing weight was 73 pounds, fwiw. Not sure what he weighed in at during his vetting.

[Guest greyers]

 

 

Chesney wouldn't come to his bowl to eat last night, so I brought the bowl to him (I also put a raw egg in the bowl as a treat)- he ate fine, then. He's such a skinny (I mean, even for a greyhound) guy that I'm worried about his eating.

 

 

 

This is Chesney

 

 

 

I can't add anything to what the others have said about giving the boy some time. However when I look at this pic I think the hound looks perfectly fine and not abnormally thin to my eyes.

 

I agree. He looks heavier than most the pooches fresh off the track! perhaps its just the angle?

My Rego just came to us two weeks ago, he is 9 1/2 and you can see every bone in his body, yet the boy is a good eater. I wouldn't worry about his weight yet. probably before you know it he will be so settled in to his new fabulous forever home that he will need to be put on a diet!

Edited November 1, 2011 by greyers

[Guest Psycmeistr]

The cat-testing we do on a haul is not a perfect science. I specifically recall it wasn't even the cat that set Conan off, but the sight (and smell) of a glass cage of ferrets and a passing chihuahua on a leash nearby in the pet store where I handed him off to his fosters. Once he got a whiff of that, there was no switching off of that prey-focus (and in fact that's when I took that photo of him with his ears all perked up. ). So he was put in a non-cat foster home. Sometimes we are wrong, and I'm very glad to hear that he's working out well with your cats. I had hoped he would, because as I said, he was such a wonderful boy. Just keep vigilant for a while for the safety of all involved. Cats that stand their ground and don't panic and flee tend to work out better with dogs, in my experience.

 

That "prey focus" was exactly what Conan had when he first saw our cats- so I can see why you deemed him not-so-cat-friendly.. but now he doesn't pay them any attention (though we continue to be vigilant).