Help. My New Grey Is; Is My New Grey Threatening My Kids? (Long Post)

December 23, 2011

We recently adopted "Chase," our 80 lb fawn boy. We adopted him in Virginia on 5 November. He was a successful racer with 82 races under his belt with his last race in August 2011. He was born June 2006. He came directly from the Orlando kennel. The rescue agency did a phone interview with us, sent two excellent reps to visit our home accompanied by a greyhound. They evaluated our home, us, and asked us lots of questions and let us ask lots of questions. Our two girls, ages 6 and almost 8 where there and fully involved. My wife and I have always liked greyhounds and were at a point in our life where we thought having a dog, a greyhound, would work (this was after a few years of "no dogs" to our girls requests). The rescue agency made a recommendation of three dogs, we took Chase as he was their top pick. We really wanted to rely on their expertise and experience when choosing a dog. The rescue org was great.

Chase is good dog. A few mistakes occurred, but he quickly started using his large fenced in backyard to run and do his business. He sleeps in my wife and I's room, eats in his gated area, does not exhibit sleep or food aggression, and we hope, will make a good therapy dog (we were pleased to see the numerous therapy articles in the recent "CQ Magazine" - Winter 2011). He is pretty compliant, likes our girls (or at least their petting), walks on lead very well, and has no cat, dog aggression, and does not get human food (unless he finds some on the floor). He did well at the two meet n' greets we brought him too at PetSmart. He really laps up the attention from adults and kids alike. We feed him two cups of food twice a day. He gets small coin-size treats for going potty, and doing other basic stuff. He gets a bone from the butcher once in a while. He barks when it wants attention (it seems -his tail is wagging). Chase has a bed in our bedroom and in our common/tv room. He sleeps most of time. His diet is steady and normal. His vet checkups show he is in very good health. I brush his teeth once a week and just started dremeling his nails (thanks for the advice on nails).

Today Chase took a stuffed animal (he often grabs socks, shoes, stuffed animals, paper catalogs, etc.) from the couch or from somewhere that my 6-year old left her stuffed animal (we really enforce not leaving tempting items around). My 6-year old approached him on his bed (rule violation #1) and took the item from Chase (rule violation #2 (not sure of EXACT order)). Again, we have told our girls not to do such things. He barked in an aggressive manner with a bark intermingled a growl -my wife heard it and it made an impression on her. It freaked my daughter and she has not wanted to have a dog anymore, she is scared and wants to send Chase back (I suspect those feelings will dissipate with time absent anymore incidents). My 8-year old daughter (alpha female) is perturbed that her sister may be the cause behind Chase going back to the rescue org. We like Chase, he seems to be melding more and more into our family. However, we will not compromise our children's safety. We hired a professional obedience trainer a few weeks ago. We have kept her and rescue org in loop on behavior. Obedience trainer is very good and helpful, but admits we have outpaced her skill-set (nice to have some honesty). We can spend tons of money on experts and vets, etc. However, we don't think this is a health issue and others seem to agree. What should we do? Should we foster to find the right dog (that seems like a good option in many respects. Males were represented as being a bit more mellow which is whey we agreed to Chase.

We, heck I, am somewhat intimidated by Chase's size, even though he does not appear to be a domineering dog. My wife and I want to have a dog that is with us for the long hall. We are a military family who just found out we are moving to Oklahoma in July 2012. This fact adds a bit of stress. Should we "throw in the towel" considering my daughters feelings (which should be primary)?, or should we take him to OK and deal with it there. There are good rescue orgs there I'm sure. Maybe we should wait to have a dog until the girls are older?

My wife and I are good owners. We treat Chase to the best -beds, food, treats, environment (my wife is a stay-at-home mom), and overall care. We like him, but don't want to stress out my kids or Chase. What can or should we do? He has growled a few times recently for food/bed related issues (mostly, taking away his stuff).

Any advice is appreciated. Please excuse my rambling. I like greyhounds.

Help. A new greyhound owner and lover.

Chad and Stephanie

Edited December 23, 2011 by Bikeman

TheFullHouse · December 23, 2011

Teach your children to "trade up" the next time he takes something inappropriate or you and your wife can do it. Take a treat, give it to him and take the toy away. Your world is new to him. He's never been in a house before. Did they suggest you crate him in the beginning? Sometimes kids can understand leaving a dog alone while they are in their crate more than if the dog is just on a bed.

December 23, 2011

I mean, honestly, it sounds more like the child violated Chase's space and this is a big thing with greyhounds. In every book I've read about greys, the author stresses how imperative it is that a child not approach a greyhound on their bed and especially not take anything away from them. This would be something a parent could do. Yes, they will growl and snap. It's important to remember that at the racing kennel, all a greyhound has that is their own, is their bed/crate. They can be very territorial over their beds because nobody ever crawled in with them at the race track. That's not to say they can't be worked with over time. It's especially important for YOU to be Chase's pack leader. I understand your concern for your child's safety, but I'm not the least bit surprised he snapped at her. You need to communicate clearly with your children that it is NOT okay for them to approach Chase while he's on his bed. If they are too young to understand that, then maybe this isn't the right home for Chase.

Edited December 23, 2011 by karilynn

MerlinsMum · December 23, 2011

Chase sounds like a wonderful dog. I understand that you won't compromise your daughters' safety (no parent in their right mind would), but Chase didn't do anything wrong. You say you try to enforce the rules about not leaving stuff around and not taking things from Chase's bed - well, to be fair I think you are partly to blame here, as you clearly need to do a better job of enforcing these rules (rules that you yourself set because you know they make sense). In other words, you need to help Chase succeed. He is just acting like a dog in a very new and different environment who does not know the rules yet or what is expected of him. You need to try to see things from his point of view. I think that Chase has already shown that he can be a wonderful family dog, he loves people, he walks nicely, he is friendly, has no sleep or food aggression, et cetera. That's an amazing feat for a dog whose environment was radically different prior to entering your home. We had to work for weeks on Sagan's phobias including stairs, his food guarding (and his growl is very deep and can seem scary to someone who isn't used to it), and we had to work for over a year and a half on Merlin's separation anxiety. Seems like you've got yourself a very well-adjusted dog there. Please give him time. You seem like good, caring people. Although it is natural for your six year old to be intimidated at this point, it would not have happened if the rules had either been stated more clearly or enforced better. If I were you I would call a family meeting so you can discuss this and explain to your little girl that Chase is not mean or grumpy or aggressive, he was just acting out of insecurity because he did not know he wasn't allowed to take the toy. And that she can help him understand by not leaving her toys around again.

I would also continue with obedience, and definitely include the girls in daily training games to get them both (and especially your more fearful six-year-old) more comfortable around Chase by sharing fun games with him. It will also increase Chase's confidence and comfort levels. He has only been in your home for a few weeks, this is totally normal behavior under the circumstances.

Best of luck and please keep us posted!

Edited December 23, 2011 by MerlinsMum

BatterseaBrindl · December 23, 2011

This dog sounds like wonderful fit for your family.

And it seems to me that you know the reason that Chase barked at your daughter....

Yes...you return him and then you could foster... and foster ...and foster ....and never find a 'better' dog than this one.

And of course... a few weeks is hardly any time at all in the 'settling in' period for newly retired Greyhounds.

I'm sure more experienced people than me will chime in, but I think you just really need to make absolutely certain your children understand ...and follow...the 'rules' when it comes to dogs and their 'space'.

These 'rules' do not just apply to Greyhounds. All dogs need their space. Greyhounds are unique in how they have been raised, but they are still 'dogs' and children need to follow the rules with any breed of dog.

So, hopefully, your daughters have both learned a valuable lesson, but only you can decide what is best for your family.

FWIW

We have 2 grandkids, age 5 and 3, who have been around our dogs their entire lives and know the rules. Do not bother a dog when it is lying on its bed.

Doesn't matter if it's one of the Greys or the GSD or the Pointer. Just leave the dogs alone when thy're laying down.

But, our Grandaughter, the eldest, had this exact same thing happen to her about 2 weeks after we adopted Ruby.

She was playing 'catch' with Ruby, but Ruby tired of the game and took the stuffie over to her bed. DG went over and tried to remove it from Ruby's mouth.

Ruby barked...loudly...and jumped up, scaring the crap out of everyone.

Lesson learned.

Edited to say that Ruby has always allowed myself or DH to take anything from her at any time.

Edited December 23, 2011 by BatterseaBrindl

Time4ANap · December 23, 2011

The 2 mistakes made by your child are most likely the only reason for his behavior. Granted, the toy wasn't his, but him knowing that he can't take things from certain areas comes with time and training. If no one was there to correct him as he was taking it, then the opportunity to correct the behavior for that incident is lost. By taking what was essentially "his" toy at that time, he reacted and tried to give a warning.

Our dog Rocket is the biggest Mama and Daddy's boy you'll ever meet, and he goes out of his way to be petted by kids. He also has some sleep aggression and space aggression. We instituted a no petting rule unless he is standing up. This avoids him being petted by someone (including us) and having him be accidentally startled or feel the need to protect his space or his bed. He has bitten twice (me once) and both times I can say that the human made the mistake. Greys often sleep with their eyes open, and both times he was startled by being touched while on his bed. No problems since we started obeying our own rule.

If you enforce No Petting unless he's standing up, and no touching his bed or items on his bed while he's on it, you will avoid 99% of the problems. The rest comes with training, and you should also be teaching him that Nothing in Life is Free (NLIF - search it here on (GreytTalk). You should also search "sleep aggression" and "space aggression" on the forums and you will see many similar experiences with great advice by others.

Others will chime in with a variety of experiences and advice, but it sounds like it;s a matter of adjustment and training for all.

Good luck!

greyhead · December 23, 2011

Maybe the easiest way to impress the nature of the problem on a six-year-old is to tell her that in Chase's world, it's Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers, so to speak. And that he can't be argued out of that point of view, because he doesn't have words. She is very young and can be counted on to forget her toys from time to time, even though there are rules. So I'd want to make her understand that when she forgets the rules, she has to accept the outcome. But if she can't accept "losing" that way, as small children sometimes can't, then she may be too young for a dog at this point. You will be the best judge of that. I do hope it works out well for everyone. You, your family, and Chase all sound wonderful, actually.

Trihounds · December 23, 2011

This isn't a dog issue, it's a child issue. Chase did everything right by providing a warning and nothing more. Think of it as communication - he simply voiced his opinion the only way he can, and he actually did it quite respectfully.

Our daughters are 6 and 8 now and we've had our boys 3 years. While kids are kids and sometimes they don't listen, ours were aware that we would side with the dogs if they had taken something of the girl's left lying around. It has only been recently that we've allowed the girls to take items away from the dogs. It is a non issue today as you can see the two way street of respect between them and that comes both with time and by earning it. We involve the girls in the boys' care, from feeding to walking to picking up poop! After some time, everyone settles nicely.

We used the trade up method consistently and it has proven very successful. I have to admit, though, the dogs made it very easy for us and the girls.

Chase sounds wonderful, to be honest, and it would be a shame to give up on him for communicating appropriately. Best of luck - I am sure with good and open communication with your daughters and having them give and receive respect to/from Chase, this behavior will resolve itself successfully. Have your daughter be part of the solution and recognize her when she does good work with Chase. Everybody wins!

silverfish · December 23, 2011

I agree with most of what's been said so far: Chase sounds like a good dog who is doing what dogs do - and this isn't confined to greyhounds. Dogs, generally, use the 'Finders keepers' rule, though it's true that some breeds are less assertive about enforcing it. That's not to say that greyhounds aren't a good fit for your family, because many other breeds are a whole lot more likely to be aggressive to people than greyhounds are.

I'd agree also that it's more a 'child' issue. Like you, we didn't get a dog until our younger son agreed (a little reluctantly, but he agreed) that we could, because he'd been dog phobic when very young. We made sure that both boys knew the rules and we pretty much used the 'old fashioned' policy of 'let sleeping dogs lie'. It's a good one. We didn't go quite as far as our grandparents and say 'if you get bitten it's your fault' because clearly you don't want your children injured, and yes, greyhounds are big dogs with big teeth. Actually, it's rare that they intend to cause real damage when they give a warning bite, but children are small, their faces are at dog level, and a bite is a bite. Not only do we not want that, but these days the dog often pays the ultimate price.

However, children need to learn that their actions have consequences and that other sentient creatures need to be respected. Yours are very young, so a lot of the responsibility is yours as parents, but you need to make sure (while everyone, including Chase, learns the ropes) that nobody gets hurt.

I'd start by making it a very clear offence, for your children to go anywhere near Chase while he's lying down. It needs to be completely unacceptable and a 100% rule. Certainly, while you're not around, it needs to be impossible for your children to approach him on his bed and this may need some rearranging - maybe you need to babygate, x-pen, etc. . When greyhounds are racing, nobody EVER touches them while they're asleep, and they get plenty of warning before they're touched. They're used to thinking of their bed as sacrosanct personal space.

Trading up is a great move, but I'm not sure I'd trust such young children to handle it correctly. It would need very, very close supervision each and every time until you were absolutely sure everyone was good with it. Children get blasé about such things very quickly and are apt to start snatching and that's SO not good with dogs.

Teach your children that a growl is a very important thing and must be listened to. Never try to stop a dog from growling, or you will get a dog who will not be able to warn you that he is near to breaking point and that's when you get dogs who bite 'without warning'. Chase is being a good dog - he is warning the youngsters to back off, and using excellent dog manners according to the rules for his species. You can change the way a dog sees the world but it takes time and consistency.

Lastly (sorry this is a novel) if you send Chase back, you are missing the opportunity to teach your children a whole lot of very important lessons. Living with a dog has so many benefits to children and parenting: it can teach respect, sharing, patience, duty, responsibility, consequences .. too many to name.

Batmom · December 23, 2011

Rule for everybody:

- Don't bother the dog when he's lying down, eating, drinking, using the bathroom, gnawing on a toy, or grooming himself.

Rule for people under 12-14 years old:

- If the dog takes something of yours, don't try to get it back yourself. Get your mom/dad (who will then trade up until the dog learns "drop it!").

I would explain to the kids that growling/barking is how he communicates. Also that he has no way of knowing what's theirs and what's his, hence the need to keep things well picked up . He thinks anything within reach is fair game, and he doesn't know how to politely give things back yet. He will learn that in time.

Here we use trading up to teach the "drop it!" command. Once he's learned that, I would still prefer that adults do the "drop it!" for treasured/stolen objects until the kids are a bit older. Depends somewhat on the kids and the dog. You'll learn that over time .

winnie · December 23, 2011

As others have already said, this is a child issue. Chase did nothing wrong and sounds like he could be a wonderful family dog. My nieces are currently 6 and 4 y/o. They have been around our greys since they were much younger than that. Our grey Darcy has barked and growled at her when they violated her space. My nieces have a dog at home. They know the "rules", but sometimes forget at that age. Rather than freak out about it, my BIL and SIL simply tell their girls what they did wrong. They never blame Darcy. Darcy warns them, but has never bitten.

If you feel it necessary to return Chase, I would not recommend that you foster or get another dog - any dog - until your children are older and can deal with the consequenses of their actions.

kudzu · December 23, 2011

Chad & Stephanie,

Welcome to GT & Greyhounds in general. Thank you for adopting Chase. I'm thrilled you want to do pet therapy & it sounds like Chase has good potential for this. Sorry you've encountered a speed bump on the way to that goal. I believe I know exactly what you are worried about. You understand that Chase was not doing anything wrong from a doggie perspective. And of course a doggie perspective is the only perspective Chase knows or understands. You've got the right rules, have tried to reinforce them & know the problem arose because your daughter violated those rules. The easy solution would be to work harder to reinforce those rules even more. Except that really isn't such an easy solution I would think. She is a young child & you can't have absolute control over every situation. In reevaluating things you are not only protecting your children from injury but doing what is best for Chase. A bite history is bad news for any dog.

The good news is that it sounds like Chase is a great dog who was only giving a warning. Yes, it was scary but that's not really a bad thing. It certainly made an impression on your daughter & I suspect that as you said she will get over this. Even better news is that his family took that warning to heart. I would say, don't throw in the towel yet. In my opinion, it sounds like time & training will get you past this bump in the road. Before getting Greys, most of us are used to dogs who have been raised differently. People taking things from the became somewhat normal. Greys are very doggie dogs. They understand & follow dog rules. The people rules they had to learn before now were few & some of those different were rather different than what is expected of Chase now.

Continue to reinforce the rules as Batmom & other have suggested so you limit your children's possibility of putting Chase in a situation where he feels he needs to give a warning. ("Geeze, what's wrong with these tiny humans? Why do they try to steal my stuff? Go away, little person! I love you but now is not the right time.") Train the children to never, ever try to take something from a dog. Train Chase to trade up so the adults can take things. Teach Chase the commands to Leave It so you can stop him if you see him attempting to take something. Teach him Drop It in case you are too late to prevent him from taking it in the first place.

I will also suggest something else but understand that I am not a dog trainer or behavior expert nor do I have children so cannot guaranty this is the best idea for children. Stil... The following is one way of teaching dogs to not only tolerate but actually look forward to humans approaching them when they are on their beds or in possession of something they might feel a need to guard. Carry treats with you & toss them at the dogs when he is on his bed or has a desired object. If you think the girls can safely do this with Chase at this point I would suggest you have them try it at least occasionally. You want Chase to think having the girls in close proximity to his bed or food as being a good thing. I would not have the girls practicing on trading up though. I would want him to think that there is at least a possibility he will be getting something good from them rather than the possibility they will take something. A consistent history of good things happening when the girls are near, even if he is in his favorite spot or has something delish, will make him less likely to feel protective of his space or objects.

It is my strong belief that more time will help Chase settle & feel quite comfortable around your girls plus give your girls more time to fully understand, accept & follow the rules. Your job is to make sure Chase learns the rules while maintaining a positive attitude towards all humans, large & small, while keeping everyone safe in the meantime. I also want to stress that keeping your girls safe is also keeping Chase safe. A bite record, even when the dog was well within his rights, is a bad thing for any dog.

All the best. Please update us & ask any questions you may have.

ETA: Do you need help or suggestions in training Chase to trade up or teaching Leave It & Drop It?

Edited December 23, 2011 by kudzu

December 23, 2011

All, thank you very much for your responses. There is definitely a common thread of advice to include: the dog and family are still learning the ropes with each other; respect dog space and things; mom and dad should deal with issues such as retrieving items from dog; training, time, and consistently following the rules can alleviate 99% of problems; another dog is not necessarily going to fix issues in the end.

As new greyhound owners we want to do the right thing, and sometimes the way ahead is not obvious if you haven't been there before.

PLEASE keep your advice, comments, and observations coming.

Best Regards,

Bikeman and BikeBookBread

Edited December 23, 2011 by Bikeman

kudzu · December 23, 2011

As new greyhound owners we want to do the right thing, and sometimes the way ahead is not obvious if you haven't been there before.

Absolutely! And this is why we are glad when people ask for information. It sounds like whatever you choose to do you will be doing it with your children's & Chase's best interests at heart. It's pretty hard to make a wrong choice that way.

Good luck.

December 23, 2011

Chase sounds like a wonderful dog and your children sound like, well, typical children for their ages. That being said, with some time and patience you can work with Chase and your children to get through this if you chose to.

Your daughter made a mistake and and the best thing about mistakes is that we can learn from them. I totally agree with Silverfish about the lessons that can be learned from having a dog. Children often tend to be selfish (please don't take this the wrong way) and if something is theirs, it is theirs whether they want it at that moment or not. How many times have you seen a child grab a toy from another child just because they picked it up?

Not only is everything new to Chase, but having a dog is new to your children and to you. Dogs are pack animals and there is a hierarchy within a pack. If you can work with your daughter and Chase to help them to learn to respect each other she may have one of the most rewarding relationships in her young life, but that will take lots of work and patience for everyone. Chase needs, also, needs to learn his place in your pack which is below the children and a good trainer can help you with that.

A final thought: What would you like your daughters to learn from this? Is this interaction between your daughter and Chase a stumbling block or a stepping stone?

December 23, 2011

Chase sounds like a normal dog who responded appropriately to a little girl who wasn't following the rules. If you keep him, your best bet is to supervise the 6 year old better to protect Chase from her and teach her that rules are in place for a reason (basically, she got what she deserved for violating not one, but two rules).

The dog deserves respect...it's a great time to teach your 6 year old that.

eta: does anyone have the link for that Kathleen Gilley article? It might be helpful here...

Edited December 23, 2011 by KennelMom

gazehund · December 23, 2011

You know I do Heather. :lol

Of all breeds of dogs, the ex-racing Greyhound has never had to be responsible for anything in his life. His whole existence has been a dog-centered one. This breed has never been asked to do anything for itself, make any decisions or answer any questions. It has been waited on, paw and tail. The only prohibition in a racing

Greyhound's life is not to get into a fight----------------or eat certain stuff in the turn out pen.

Let us review a little. From weaning until you go away for schooling, at probably a year and a half, you eat, grow and run around with your siblings. When you go away to begin your racing career, you get your own "apartment," in a large housing development. No one is allowed in your bed but you, and when you are in there, no one can touch you, without plenty of warning.

Someone hears a vehicle drive up, or the kennel door being unlocked. The light switches are flipped on. The loud mouths in residence, and there always are some, begin to bark or howl. You are wide awake by the time the human opens your door to turn you out. A Greyhound has never been touched while he was asleep.

You eat when you are fed, usually on a strict schedule. No one asks if you are hungry or what you want to eat. You are never told not to eat any food within your reach. No one ever touches your bowl while you are eating. You are not to be disturbed because it is important you clean your plate.

You are not asked if you have to "go outside." You are placed in a turn out pen and it isn't long before you get the idea of what you are supposed to do while you are out there. Unless you really get out of hand, you may chase, rough house and put your feet on everyone and every thing else. The only humans you know are the "waiters" who feed you, and the "restroom attendants" who turn you out to go to the bathroom. Respect people? Surely you jest.

No one comes into or goes out of your kennel without your knowledge. You are all seeing; all knowing. There are no surprises, day in and day out. The only thing it is ever hoped you will do is win, place or show, and that you don't have much control over. It is in your blood, it is in your heart, it is in your fate-- or it is not.

And when it is not, then suddenly you are expected to be a civilized person in a fur coat. But people don't realize you may not even speak English. Some of you don't even know your names, because you didn't need to. You were not asked or told to do anything as an individual; you were always part of the "condo association?; the sorority or fraternity and everyone did everything together, as a group or pack. The only time you did anything as an individual is when you schooled or raced, and even then, You Were Not Alone.

In my "mobile abode," the Greyhounds each have several unique names, but they also have a single common name: it is Everybody. We continue to do things as a group, pack or as we are affectionately known in-house, by Kathleen's Husbandit, "The Thundering Herd."

Back to those who have not been permanently homed. Suddenly, he is expected to behave himself in places he's never been taught how to act. He is expected to take responsibility for saying when he needs to go outside, to come when he is called, not to get on some or all of the furniture, and to not eat food off counters and tables. He is dropped in a world that is not his, and totally without warning, at that.

Almost everything he does is wrong. Suddenly he is a minority. Now he is just a pet. He is unemployed, in a place where people expect him to know the rules and the schedule, even when there aren't any. (How many times have you heard someone say, "He won't tell me when he has to go out." What kind of schedule is that?) Have you heard the joke about the dog who says, "My name is No-No Bad Dog. What's yours?" To me that is not even funny. All the protective barriers are gone. There is no more warning before something happens. There is no more strength in numbers. He wakes up with a monster human face two inches from his. (With some people's breath, this could scare Godzilla.) Why should he not, believe that this "someone," who has crept up on him, isn't going to eat him for lunch? (I really do have to ask you ladies to consider how you would react if someone you barely knew crawled up on you while you were asleep?) No, I will not ask for any male input.

Now he is left alone, for the first time in his life, in a strange place, with no idea of what will happen or how long it will be before someone comes to him again. If he is not crated, he may go though walls, windows or over fences, desperately seeking something familiar, something with which to reconnect his life. If he does get free, he will find the familiarity, within himself: the adrenaline high, the wind in his ears, the blood pulsing and racing though his heart once again--until he crashes into a car.

Often, the first contact with his new family is punishment, something he's never had before, something he doesn't understand now, especially in the middle of the rest of the chaos. And worst of all, what are the most common human reactions to misbehavior? We live in a violent society, where the answer to any irritation is a slap, punch, kick, whip, or rub your nose in it. Under these circumstances, sometimes I think any successful adoption is a miracle.

He is, in effect, expected to have all the manners of at least a six-year old child. But, how many of you would leave an unfamiliar six-year old human alone and loose in your home for hours at a time and not expect to find who knows what when you got back? Consider that if you did, you could be brought up on charges of child abuse, neglect and endangerment. Yet, people do this to Greyhounds and this is often the reason for so many returns.

How many dogs have been returned because they did not know how to tell the adoptor when they had to go out? How many for jumping on people, getting on furniture, counter surfing, separation anxiety, or defensive actions due to being startled or hurt (aka growling or biting)? So, let's understand: Sometimes it is the dog's "fault" he cannot fit in. He is not equipped with the social skills of a six-year old human. But with your love and help, you can make it happen.

Yamaha_gurl · December 23, 2011

Here's what a greyhounds life is like from track to home, it's been shared lots of times on the forum:

From Kathleen Gilley:

Of all breeds of dogs, the ex-racing Greyhound has never had to be responsible for anything in his life. His whole existence has been a dog-centered one. This breed has never been asked to do anything for itself, make any decisions or answer any questions. It has been waited on, paw and tail. The only prohibition in a racing

Greyhound's life is not to get into a fight----------------or eat certain stuff in the turn out pen.