Bringing Home My First Greyhound; Tips And Advice, Please?

[3greytjoys]

The two biggest things I can think of, never give your greyhound a chance to escape. Be careful around doors and especially gates (lock if possible), baby gates in the house are your best friend because once your greyhound escapes, it could be days before it is found again, if at all.

 

Great advice from everyone. In addition to quote above: When taking dog walks directly from your home, IF you have a choice to turn left or right, good to "start" walks on the more quiet / less busy road. Greyhounds are such creatures of habit; if your hound escapes, hopefully she will automatically run in the direction of her usual walks (away from traffic). Every second counts if a hound escapes.

 

An ex-pen placed in a U-shape around an outside fence gate and/or house door leading to a non-fenced area is an excellent secondary safety/dog catch zone. Many hounds escape if wind pushes a gate open, or a person forgets to "lock" a gate (without a secondary visual reminder).

 

When your girl arrives, immediately begin practicing calling her name to come to you: "(Katie) come," then reward her immediately with yummy treats and happy praise. Please try hard not to say "come" for anything that isn't wonderfully fun! The goal is for her to be excited to come towards you every time she is called. Even years later, no matter how well she responds to "come," please understand this is never a guarantee that she will come to you if she's outside, but it's the most important word she will learn. ("Wait" or "stay" is the second.)

 

Everyone has their own ID collar preferences, but our favorite is a reflective collar with embroidered ID that can be seen from afar with car headlights (or a flashlight if searching for a loose dog at night). Here is an example (not a good photo) but black text against white reflective material is easiest to read phone # from afar. http://www.fancyk9s.com/collar/identification

 

Above all enjoy your new girl! Greyhounds are the best ever!

[Guest KatJon]

Well, you are in the right place because everyone here is extremely helpful!

 

We got our first greyhound about 9 months ago.... Our biggest (only) problem with our grey Rhythm was separation anxiety, so I wished we had worked more with alone training right from the start. It may have helped him out when we tried to leave him for longer periods right away without knowing he even had a problem.

[EnzaFerrari]

A few things:

 

1. Your dog is not bored and it does not hate you. Greyhounds sleep all the time and they all tend to be quite and aloof when they first come home. Take deep breaths and relax.

 

2. You will become obsessed with the output of your dog. Just accept it now. Not all fecals show up positive - drove me batty until I realized this,

 

3. Feed what you can afford.

 

4. Dog training is an excellent way to bond with your dog and realize how often people ignore the signs their dogs send off in terms of being uncomfortable in a situation.

 

5. It's best not to lean over, poke, etc a sleeping greyhound until you figure out how it will handle such things. I read it in a book and it was stressed to me on many occasions.

 

6. Ignore most of what people say and figure out your dog on your own. Their signs tend to be more subtle than most other dogs but they are still emphatic.

 

7. Your dog does not hate you and it's not bored. Relax.

 

8. Your dog will need at least three beds - accept this as well.

 

9. Keep a first aid kit well stocked - bandages, emt gel (for cuts and bruises), pepcid for upset tummies, and a variety of other things. It is amazing how clutzy such graceful creatures can be.

 

10. Your dog does not hate you and it's not bored. Relax.

[Guest KatJon]

10. Your dog does not hate you and it's not bored. Relax.

 

So true.... Remember that it takes several months, if not more than a year for their true personality to shine. We've had Rhythm for 9 months and he's already a completely different dog from the day we got him.

[Guest Wpgkeith]

If you are lucky your pup will be food motivated. Riley will do a lot of things when a treat is involved.

 

Just this morning we were visiting with the next door neighbour, and when it was time for me to head off to work Riley would have none of it. He was statueing (a state where the dog statues - will not budge) and I had thought about leaving him with Guy, but didn't know his plans for the day! , so instead I plied Riley with a treat to get him moving and gently telling him it was time to go. And this was on our usual morning walkie before work. The only difference...visiting with Guy.

 

They are a wonderfully "fun" breed to figure out, 'cause they are so similar, and yet.... so very different.

 

Enjoy your new life-mate.

 

K

[greg1229]

And if no one has mentioned it yet...Be prepared to never go to the bathroom alone again..

[Guest raedab]

The biggest mistake we made was not taking her out the second after she ate. Not only that, stick to what you want them to do. You are the pack leader, and you need to give them guidance. If you don't want them on the couch(OMG I know) then make sure that they stay off of the couch. Keep your doggie under the rules you want her/him to abide by. Best of luck!

[Roo]

10. Your dog does not hate you and it's not bored. Relax.

 

Pretty much this. I thought for sure Eli hated me at first, and sometimes I still do - but he doesn't!