Agression Or Fearful

[Guest BellaNala]

I need some advice on our recently apdopted greyhound. We adopted her on the 7th of Jan 2012 and I already own a Italian Greyhound who is just over a year. She is very affectionate and playful. Sometimes she can get up in your face at time and I know that might be the reason for some of the growling from our new adpoted greyhound Nala. I know Nala is going through a big adjustment and trying my best to have patience and understanding. We love her and want to try to fix her behavioral hiccups. The first time we fed them both at the same time Nala growled at Bella (IGGY) after she had already eaten her food. We told her no and Bella got scared and ran under the table. I think we have the under control now, but her sleep starle is seriously offensive. She has growled at my 11 year old daughter and myself twice. I was told you need to be assured they are awake before you approach them and we have been folling though procedures, but it seems to happen. Today Nala was excited I was home and was playing and it was awesome to watch her come out of her shell. Though she chased Bella and Nala opened her mouth slightly like she was about to bite Bella's neck. I am not sure if she was just needing more oxygen or didn't know how to play. It made me really nervous and of course I always muzzle her when I leave, but Bella has become very distant from her because of her growls and size. Nala has a lot to learn...from playing to taking a treat out of my hand more gentely. Also today I was playing with her and she nipped me in the arm...it was hard, but told myself I would let it go because she was in the playing mood and she might of thought my hands were play toys. Of course I corrected her with a firm NO, but is this signs I should not be ignoring? I am scared one day I will see a horrific accident between the two? I do not fully trust Nala. I do not know what to do? She did slightly rub her teeth against my daughter's forehead the last time the incident occured with sleep starling which now my daughter knows not to ever bug her when she is on her bed...only pet her when she is up and around. No longer give her kisses on the head because she is not ready for it. I am going to take every precaution I can, but it will only be a week since we have had her this Saturday. Too soon to tell? Please suggestions. Thanks and this is our first Greyhound we have adopted so we are still in the learning phase.

[Guest KennelMom]

Please give this a read. And be VERY careful with a greyhound and an Iggy. Even in an honest-to-goodness accident the IG is probably going to be on the losing end. Always set your greyhound up to succeed. That means understanding where they've come from....

 

By Kathleen Gilley

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 sib-lings. 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 resi-dence, 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 Grey-hound 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

everything 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 individ-ual is when you schooled or raced, and even then,

You Were Not Alone.

 

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 ta-bles. 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 be-fore 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, espe-cially 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 vio-lent 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 adopter 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 bit-ing)? 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 you can help him.

[TheFullHouse]

She's really new to the home. The good news is it sounds like she's trying to play with your little one. Greyhounds play with each other by opening their mouths and nitting, which is what she did to your arm. They do it when they get too excited. Correcting the nitting is okay. I've had several and sometimes a loud OW works as well as a NO.

 

The sleep aggression is going to take the longest to go away. Greyhounds have to completely trust you before that starts to subside and it could take several months so everyone staying away from her while she is on her bed is a good idea. I also wouldn't let her on the furniture until this issue has been resolved.

 

Believe it or not, she's doing really well if she's already excited to see you come home and is trying to play. You might put her muzzle on her when she's wanting to play for the time being. That or take her outside for some alone time with you, throw a stuffie or a ball and get her to running and burn off some of the excess energy. That will help her form a bond more quickly.

 

As far as the feeding goes, separate rooms or stand between them until both are done. Greyhounds have never had to share their food or their space and no one has ever interrupted while they were eating or sleeping. These are new things she has to learn.

 

Good luck!

[Guest BellaNala]

I have read that before and makes sense. We are going to borrow a crate from my boyfriends mom so she has her safe zone leaving the door open so she has freedom as well. From now on we have not bothered her when she is sleeping. Otherwise she is a great girl, but of course I know about the size difference and do not want anything to happen to my daughter or Bella. We will wait a few weeks to see if anything improves or we might have to send her back though that would be our very very last resort. She is part of the family already and we will try to help her see that and hopefully we will earn her trust.

 

She's really new to the home. The good news is it sounds like she's trying to play with your little one. Greyhounds play with each other by opening their mouths and nitting, which is what she did to your arm. They do it when they get too excited. Correcting the nitting is okay. I've had several and sometimes a loud OW works as well as a NO.

 

The sleep aggression is going to take the longest to go away. Greyhounds have to completely trust you before that starts to subside and it could take several months so everyone staying away from her while she is on her bed is a good idea. I also wouldn't let her on the furniture until this issue has been resolved.

 

Believe it or not, she's doing really well if she's already excited to see you come home and is trying to play. You might put her muzzle on her when she's wanting to play for the time being. That or take her outside for some alone time with you, throw a stuffie or a ball and get her to running and burn off some of the excess energy. That will help her form a bond more quickly.

 

As far as the feeding goes, separate rooms or stand between them until both are done. Greyhounds have never had to share their food or their space and no one has ever interrupted while they were eating or sleeping. These are new things she has to learn.

 

Good luck!

 

Thank you those are some helpful hints for me. Just trying to educate myself along the way. Love this website. She just not sure how to play as of yet with those big tall legs and she is doing the lean back stance when she trying to play with Bella. It's funny to watch them.

 

O YEAH SHE IS ALREADY COCKROACHING TOO!

[TheFullHouse]

Then she really is doing well! If you can work off some of that energy it will make things easier in the house. If you're going to get a crate, you may find that she will growl at anyone who comes near it because it's her space. If you want some time to play with your Iggy, put Nala in her crate with a treat and close the door. This way you can play with Bella and not worry about Nala getting too excited and accidentally stepping on Bella. It's a balancing act that you get better at as time goes alone. We have a little JRT that lives with our pack of 9. It's easier for us though because Jilly is the boss.

[rallyp]

I don't think Nala is exhibiting anything that's particularly extraordinary here. It might help if you look at some of her behaviors in a slightly different light.

 

I need some advice on our recently apdopted greyhound. We adopted her on the 7th of Jan 2012 and I already own a Italian Greyhound who is just over a year. She is very affectionate and playful. Sometimes she can get up in your face at time and I know that might be the reason for some of the growling from our new adpoted greyhound Nala.

The first thing you want to make sure to understand, growling in and of itself is NOT bad. This is Nala's only mechanism to express that she's uncomfortable with what's going on in the moment. Remember, the alternative is that she'll just bite. Growling is how well-adjusted dogs tell someone, I'm not comfortable with what you're doing. If you constantly correct her for growling, she'll learn not to growl... but then be much more likely to jump directly to a bite, which is obviously not good. Now, what IS important is that you don't want Nala to be growling in situations where she has no real reason to feel uncomfortable.

 

 

I know Nala is going through a big adjustment and trying my best to have patience and understanding. We love her and want to try to fix her behavioral hiccups. The first time we fed them both at the same time Nala growled at Bella (IGGY) after she had already eaten her food. We told her no and Bella got scared and ran under the table.

This seems to me to be very related to Nala being so new. Food is something that's usually very valuable to a dog, so she's probably feeling a little threatened that Bella is so close. In the short term, simply feed them in different locations or at different times. Over the long term, I'm sure you'll be able to get her to the point where she doesn't feel like that during feeding. Hopefully others will chime in with some specific things you can do to get her moving in that direction.

 

 

I think we have the under control now, but her sleep starle is seriously offensive. She has growled at my 11 year old daughter and myself twice. I was told you need to be assured they are awake before you approach them and we have been folling though procedures, but it seems to happen.

This is definitely a tougher aspect. Sleep startle is something that varies in dogs, and in some, it can be pretty bad. For many, you can try and desensitize them over time, but you'll need to be very deliberate about it and it can take a lot of time and effort. Some may not ever get over it. I think there's a few people on GT who've gone through this and be able to provide advice here. The bottom line though is that you need to respect this particular trait and leave her alone when she's sleeping. Create off-limit zones (e.g., her bed, her crate) where when she's sleeping, she's never touched. And keep following the advice you've received already about it.

 

 

Today Nala was excited I was home and was playing and it was awesome to watch her come out of her shell. Though she chased Bella and Nala opened her mouth slightly like she was about to bite Bella's neck. I am not sure if she was just needing more oxygen or didn't know how to play. It made me really nervous and of course I always muzzle her when I leave, but Bella has become very distant from her because of her growls and size.

Dogs often do this when they play, they'll mouth each other's neck. Now with greys (and I'm guessing with Iggys too), that might not be so ideal because their skin is so thin. But I wouldn't look at it as something where Nala was trying to eat her or hurt her. Of course, keep an eye on that to make sure she doesn't play too rough.

 

 

Nala has a lot to learn...from playing to taking a treat out of my hand more gentely. Also today I was playing with her and she nipped me in the arm...it was hard, but told myself I would let it go because she was in the playing mood and she might of thought my hands were play toys. Of course I corrected her with a firm NO, but is this signs I should not be ignoring?

Nala needs to realize that that *hurts* you and that it's inappropriate. You shouldn't ignore it. I'd immediately yell out, "OUCH!", and then stop playing with her right at that moment so that she learns that nipping is not appropriate. You can resume playing after a minute or so, and if she does the same thing, you do the same thing until she starts figuring it out (or until you have no arm left from all the biting )

 

 

I am scared one day I will see a horrific accident between the two? I do not fully trust Nala. I do not know what to do? She did slightly rub her teeth against my daughter's forehead the last time the incident occured with sleep starling which now my daughter knows not to ever bug her when she is on her bed...only pet her when she is up and around. No longer give her kisses on the head because she is not ready for it. I am going to take every precaution I can, but it will only be a week since we have had her this Saturday. Too soon to tell? Please suggestions. Thanks and this is our first Greyhound we have adopted so we are still in the learning phase.

It's definitely much too soon to tell anything, and like I said earlier, I haven't seen anything here that Nala is doing anything extremely bad. I'd recommend keeping your two separated or muzzled while Nala is still learning the ropes and her new surroundings. Tons of people here have a lot of experience with bringing new dogs home to their existing ones so they'll chime in I'm sure. The sleep aggression thing is a tougher issue that would require a more proactive approach to deal with compared to dogs that don't have it, but I think it's a very easily manageable thing as long you think about it, and it's clear that you're very thoughtful about the whole situation. It's a good idea to avoid the head kisses early on too. Dogs typically don't realize this is a sign of affection, in dog-dog language, that would be considered an aggressive move. You might consider reading up on books that describe dog body language. On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals, by Turid Ruugas, is a short but really good book that talks about that. Very informative.

 

Good luck with everything. Trust me. One week is even less than a blink of an eye in the adjustment period for these guys into their new homes. I think you'll a lot of the issues resolving themselves just by allowing for more time.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

You have been given very good advise above. I will just say a few things:

 

1) if the iggie is jumping in the face of the hound, the fault lies with the IGGIE, this is very rude behavior in doggie language and there is nothing wrong with your greyhound correcting the situation should you fail to.

2) if anyone in the family especially a young child is approaching a greyhound when it is lying down, that is a HUGE no-no

3) did you adopt from a group? If you did, was there any type of class or required reading for appropriate interaction between a child and a greyhound?

4) if you did adopt from a group, have you contacted them with these questions?

 

I applaud you for comming to GT to seek answers, congrats on your new adoption and welcome to the greyhound world.

 

Chad

[Guest abarnet1]

Please give this a read. And be VERY careful with a greyhound and an Iggy. Even in an honest-to-goodness accident the IG is probably going to be on the losing end. Always set your greyhound up to succeed. That means understanding where they've come from....

 

By Kathleen Gilley

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 sib-lings. 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 resi-dence, 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 Grey-hound 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

everything 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 individ-ual is when you schooled or raced, and even then,

You Were Not Alone.

 

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 ta-bles. 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 be-fore 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, espe-cially 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 vio-lent 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 adopter 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 bit-ing)? 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 you can help him.

 

All I can say is WOW!!!!!

[greysmom]

Sleep startling is very serious, and something the dog absolutely cannot control, so the humans in her life need to be proactive and very careful. We've had two greyhounds with this trait. One was very violent and drew blood on both my husband and me within the first couple of weeks - completely our fault, I might add. She growled like Cujo and led with her teeth and could move as fast as lightening from sleeping to biting. She would do this to people and other dogs. She never got over this and we had to be vigilant until the day she died. The second sleep startle hound we adopted was similarly loud and violent, though she did get better over time as she learned to trust us. This greyhound now happily and safely sleeps on our bed many nights with no problems whatsoever.

 

In the meantime, create the rule that EVERYONE must follow: Do NOT approach the dog when she's sleeping. Period. Especially for your daughter. If you need to wake her, stand several feet away and call her name untl you are absolutely sure she is conscious. She needs to move, or raise her head or some other positive sign. Just having open eyes is NOT acceptable - many greyhounds sleep with their eyes open and, while it looks like they're awake, they are not. Place her bed(s) where she can be part of the family, but not in the direct path of traffic. Have a good two feet around her bed be off limits as they can often startle just from someone walking by. Don't step over her or around her, don't reach down to pet her, don't jostle her bed all these can cause a reaction too. Call her name every time she even *might* be sleeping - better safe than sorry.

 

We got so in the habit of this with Libby (our first) that we just do it out of habit with all of ours now.

 

For the other issues, you've gotten some great advice. Patience and time, and remaining calm and confident will help you a lot.

[Guest BellaNala]

Thanks for the advice and that is now a very strict rule in our house. We are going to get a crate for her as well so she can have an abosulte safe zone if she wants. We love her and we will work through it. You guys have been great and will continue to keep you updated.

[Guest FlosMomma]

Yes, you have been given greyt advice already. As a new mom, I also had many of your same concerns and asked GT. These people are fabulous to help and they know what they are talking about. They have been most helpful to me. My Flo did the same thing to my aged and terminally ill doxie, and I about died! Nixon thought he was going to die, too! Rest assured, things get better. Your grey is going through a huge lifetime adjustment.

[Guest verthib]

I need some advice on our recently apdopted greyhound. We adopted her on the 7th of Jan 2012 and I already own a Italian Greyhound who is just over a year. She is very affectionate and playful. Sometimes she can get up in your face at time and I know that might be the reason for some of the growling from our new adpoted greyhound Nala. I know Nala is going through a big adjustment and trying my best to have patience and understanding. We love her and want to try to fix her behavioral hiccups. The first time we fed them both at the same time Nala growled at Bella (IGGY) after she had already eaten her food. We told her no and Bella got scared and ran under the table. I think we have the under control now, but her sleep starle is seriously offensive. She has growled at my 11 year old daughter and myself twice. I was told you need to be assured they are awake before you approach them and we have been folling though procedures, but it seems to happen. Today Nala was excited I was home and was playing and it was awesome to watch her come out of her shell. Though she chased Bella and Nala opened her mouth slightly like she was about to bite Bella's neck. I am not sure if she was just needing more oxygen or didn't know how to play. It made me really nervous and of course I always muzzle her when I leave, but Bella has become very distant from her because of her growls and size. Nala has a lot to learn...from playing to taking a treat out of my hand more gentely. Also today I was playing with her and she nipped me in the arm...it was hard, but told myself I would let it go because she was in the playing mood and she might of thought my hands were play toys. Of course I corrected her with a firm NO, but is this signs I should not be ignoring? I am scared one day I will see a horrific accident between the two? I do not fully trust Nala. I do not know what to do? She did slightly rub her teeth against my daughter's forehead the last time the incident occured with sleep starling which now my daughter knows not to ever bug her when she is on her bed...only pet her when she is up and around. No longer give her kisses on the head because she is not ready for it. I am going to take every precaution I can, but it will only be a week since we have had her this Saturday. Too soon to tell? Please suggestions. Thanks and this is our first Greyhound we have adopted so we are still in the learning phase.

 

It's only been a few days! Time time time. She needs it. She's not aggressive. First when you say you're playing with her are you using your hands? I really discourage that. Try throwing stuffed animals for her or giving her a kong. Also when she was going to nip your IG's neck she wasnt needing more oxygen, that's how A LOT of greys play. They are nippy. Most dogs are, and the common place is the neck. Of course it's too soon to be letting them play like that. Things can get out of hand quickly. Also she needs time to adjust to having people and other animals around while she's sleeping. At the track they are undisturbed in their crates while sleeping. Please give her some space and time to adjust. Is she gated or crated when you're gone? She could still hurt the IG with a muzzle and if your IG is 'in her face' I wouldn't blame her. Like another poster said, you need to set her up for success. Also, please purchase a few greyhound books. They were so much help for me.

[Guest verthib]

I have read that before and makes sense. We are going to borrow a crate from my boyfriends mom so she has her safe zone leaving the door open so she has freedom as well.

 

Please make sure the crate is tall enough for her to stand up fully and to lay completely down. Our crates are 36H x 48L. You could also feed her in her crate so she feels safe. Use a raised feeder, those long legs make it hard to reach the floor! Good luck, it sounds like you are trying hard and she's lucky to have found you.

[Guest PhillyPups]

In addition, a family rule (and my grandsons both learned this rule under 2 years of age) is that should she be in her crate, no one goes in with her, not even the iggy.

 

I would be very careful letting the iggy and greyhound run in the yard together, too easy for the greyhound to hit the iggy and the iggy end up with a broken leg. (They are not quite as tough as a greyhound)

 

The in your face behavior should be corrected, it is not necessary and obviously bothers Nala.

 

When I bring a new hound in the home, at feeding time, they eat separately with me in between them and all the other hounds. Gizmo, being a puppy, wanted to get into everyone's bowls, however, my older mama dogs would not do well with that. I started having him come over with me and I give him some of my coffee. Now as soon as he is done eating he comes for his after meal coffee.

 

Good luck, relax and enjoy.

Edited January 14, 2012 by PhillyPups

[Guest verthib]

In addition, a family rule (and my grandsons both learned this rule under 2 years of age) is that should she be in her crate, no one goes in with her, not even the iggy.

 

I would be very careful letting the iggy and greyhound run in the yard together, too easy for the greyhound to hit the iggy and the iggy end up with a broken leg. (They are not quite as tough as a greyhound)

 

The in your face behavior should be corrected, it is not necessary and obviously bothers Bella.

 

When I bring a new hound in the home, at feeding time, they eat separately with me in between them and all the other hounds. Gizmo, being a puppy, wanted to get into everyone's bowls, however, my older mama dogs would not do well with that. I started having him come over with me and I give him some of my coffee. Now as soon as he is done eating he comes for his after meal coffee.

 

Good luck, relax and enjoy.

 

You mean it bothers Nala. Bella is the in your face dog.

[Guest Geostar]

First, please try to understand your new pet. Get advice from the group you adopted from. Most importantly: be patient. I've seen many a grey when finding homes for them, come back because the new owners felt they should be 'instant' pet. That just does not happen, although, there are those greys which 'adopt' you or, are 'easy' to work with. However, our first greyhound,Gracie which died in late January of 2010, had some 'baggage' which included growling while sleeping, didn't like loud noises and once scraped her teeth against my cheek. We knew she had been hit by a newspaper and she was actually 'rescued' from a killer kennel in an eastern state. She was a challenge from the beginning, but,looking back, I realize that if we had not had her, we wouldn't have been able to foster a greyhound as she taught us a lot. The longer she was with us; the better dog she became. Adopting such a dog is to understand that you don't know what it's earlier life had been. It's better to assume you are adopting a older child. They, too, bless them, can have 'baggage' which only time, patience and love can work around. For another reason, remember, these dogs are wolves under that greyhound coat. I would advise using a muzzle around your child and the IG for a while until the grey gets feeling better being with you and family. Also, a crate is another good idea.. We do use a crate and muzzle with our fosters and it helps them a lot. We even muzzle our greys when we go on errands because being dogs, they can get bored and get into trouble when they shouldn't. These are the greyhound kennel muzzle..

There are, as suggested on this forum, excellent greyhound books. However.. How to Speak Dog by Stanley Coren will help you a lot. As these dogs are wolves, they need an 'alpha' dog to lead them. If not, they become alpha towards you. Stanley's book will help with that. Being alpha does not mean to punish, but, to be firm in your approach to things the grey should not be doing. As for the sleeping dog, always call the dog's name before you pet them. Greyhounds tend, it's been said, to sleep with their eyes wild open. Best wishes with your new addition, and please don't be in a ruch for an 'instant' pet. Given time, patience, respect, understanding and being the 'alpha' dog will help a lot. Best wishes..

=star

[Guest verthib]

First, please try to understand your new pet. Get advice from the group you adopted from. Most importantly: be patient. I've seen many a grey when finding homes for them, come back because the new owners felt they should be 'instant' pet. That just does not happen, although, there are those greys which 'adopt' you or, are 'easy' to work with. However, our first greyhound,Gracie which died in late January of 2010, had some 'baggage' which included growling while sleeping, didn't like loud noises and once scraped her teeth against my cheek. We knew she had been hit by a newspaper and she was actually 'rescued' from a killer kennel in an eastern state. She was a challenge from the beginning, but,looking back, I realize that if we had not had her, we wouldn't have been able to foster a greyhound as she taught us a lot. The longer she was with us; the better dog she became. Adopting such a dog is to understand that you don't know what it's earlier life had been. It's better to assume you are adopting a older child. They, too, bless them, can have 'baggage' which only time, patience and love can work around. For another reason, remember, these dogs are wolves under that greyhound coat. I would advise using a muzzle around your child and the IG for a while until the grey gets feeling better being with you and family. Also, a crate is another good idea.. We do use a crate and muzzle with our fosters and it helps them a lot. We even muzzle our greys when we go on errands because being dogs, they can get bored and get into trouble when they shouldn't. These are the greyhound kennel muzzle..

There are, as suggested on this forum, excellent greyhound books. However.. How to Speak Dog by Stanley Coren will help you a lot. As these dogs are wolves, they need an 'alpha' dog to lead them. If not, they become alpha towards you. Stanley's book will help with that. Being alpha does not mean to punish, but, to be firm in your approach to things the grey should not be doing. As for the sleeping dog, always call the dog's name before you pet them. Greyhounds tend, it's been said, to sleep with their eyes wild open. Best wishes with your new addition, and please don't be in a ruch for an 'instant' pet. Given time, patience, respect, understanding and being the 'alpha' dog will help a lot. Best wishes..

=star

 

I'm not sure they are 'wolves'. There was just a whole thread debating this. As everyone else has said, including me, using a crate, periodic muzzle, patience and giving it time--you'll see a new dog in a few months. It will just keep getting better. They unfold slowly and you'll love watching the changes.

[Guest Geostar]

In replying to the above statement, all dogs come from wolves via a gradual change over a very long period of time. Now, I'm not going to debate that point as you stated it has before... but, just for you to know that if it weren't for the wolf and their very complex social life, we would not become 'bonded' with our dogs, no matter what breed they are.

=star

[Guest BellaNala]

UPDATE:

 

Well just in a few days Nala has made a dramatic change in personality. No more growling at Bella when it is feeding time wanting her food. We brought in the crate and she made a bee-line for it right away. We borrowed it from my boyfriend's mom which she fits in great. I just ordered a crate tonight will be getting it on the 17th of Jan.

 

I think she is really settling in. I appreciate the advice and education from all users. Some I heard about and some I learned from. Bella has realized Nala's boundaries and is more respectable towards her.

 

She went up the stairs today too...with help and guidance from us. We were so proud of her. For all you that mentioned what kind of dog she would be coming off the track...I understand and have the patience and love to let her earn my trust. We adopted her because she deserves a beautiful and spoiled retired life. I do not agree with what they do to these does and that is why I am going to spoil her and she is part of the family. If I was able to I would save them all, but I am only one person. If I can make a difference in one dog's life that will make my life complete.

 

Thanks again...!

[Guest abarnet1]

Sounds like things are working out....Just give her time....

[Guest verthib]

UPDATE:

 

Well just in a few days Nala has made a dramatic change in personality. No more growling at Bella when it is feeding time wanting her food. We brought in the crate and she made a bee-line for it right away. We borrowed it from my boyfriend's mom which she fits in great. I just ordered a crate tonight will be getting it on the 17th of Jan.

 

I think she is really settling in. I appreciate the advice and education from all users. Some I heard about and some I learned from. Bella has realized Nala's boundaries and is more respectable towards her.

 

She went up the stairs today too...with help and guidance from us. We were so proud of her. For all you that mentioned what kind of dog she would be coming off the track...I understand and have the patience and love to let her earn my trust. We adopted her because she deserves a beautiful and spoiled retired life. I do not agree with what they do to these does and that is why I am going to spoil her and she is part of the family. If I was able to I would save them all, but I am only one person. If I can make a difference in one dog's life that will make my life complete.

 

Thanks again...!

 

So nice to read this! So glad you gave her a crate. Eventually she may not need it, but to settle in to a new home they really are comforted by one. Put thick bedding in it and she's good to go! Mine still use it, I leave the doors open and they go in throughout the day to nap or chew their bully sticks. Enjoy getting to know your new dog!!!

[greyhoundgang]

Free Greyhound Guide on my web site - Greyhound Gang.

Tons of helpful information.

 

 

Do use your adoption rep and group to help you through your learning phase, and that of the hounds. You'll hopefully have two very happy dogs and family soon.

[Guest BellaNala]

Free Greyhound Guide on my web site - Greyhound Gang.

Tons of helpful information.

 

 

Do use your adoption rep and group to help you through your learning phase, and that of the hounds. You'll hopefully have two very happy dogs and family soon.

 

Yes they have been very helpful.

[mychip1]

Wonderful news.....sounds like things are working out well.

 

Just remember, particularly with young humans around, don't relax on the sleep space stuff. There is nothing more unfortunate than an accident that happens when a hound really isn't intending to hurt anyone, but is having a natural reaction resulting from the fact that they have been raised to sleep alone. They are all very individual with this. I can crawl all over Dustin while he's sleeping and he crawls all over me....but my JJ who is an absolute love when awake, needs his space when he sleeps.....

 

Best of luck!