Recently Retired Greyhound, Learning Freedoms And Drifting Away.

[silverfish]

My greyhound Archer, who is newly rescued (nearly 2 months at home), started off very mild, house trained, sweet, and a great listener. Now that he's learning more about being a dog and having some amounts of freedom, things have gotten a bit out of hand.

 

Let me stop you right there and say that two months is NOTHING. He hasn't really begun to really settle and show his true personality yet. Everybody thinks they have at this stage (including me, regularly ) but the truth is that they are still very much finding their feet and feeling very uncertain about their place in the scheme of things.

 

He started to pee and poop in the house out of separation anxiety after having him about a month.

 

Is he quite a shy, nervous type of dog? Sometimes they're so anxious to fit in that when they think they've learned something and then things change, it throws them and they get scared.

 

He would still pee in his crate, sit in it, then when we got home, be so scared of his crate, he wouldn't eat or drink water if it were anywhere near it. He'd rather starve, and still mope. So, I got rid of the crate because I didn't want the rift in our relationship, I didn't want him to be uncomfortable, and it wasn't like he was chewing up my stuff (he isn't a chewer AT ALL) or pooping in his crate, so I hoped it would change. Now, he simply pees right in front of the door when I leave him home for even an hour. As soon as my keys jingle, he goes CRAZY in front of the door, as if it's time to leave, and if I leave him inside for even FIVE MINUTES and I'm outside, I hear him YELPING like someone is beating him. And it's just him, alone, with my cat. The two get along swimmingly.

 

I too would ditch the crate. It also sounds like you need to do some intensive 'alone' training.

 

 

-He recently had a UTI, which was causing him to pee in the house as well, so when he was put on antibiotics, and I had to administer them, he began to be afraid of me when I had a treat, or when I had a spoonful of delicious dog food, or even when I called him over because he feared he would be eating an antibiotic, I think. But he will eat it FINE, for my fiancé, from whom (or who) he will also take commands willingly and happily.

 

Again, this makes me wonder if he's a slightly nervy type. Dogs learn so readily by association, that if you have been in the slightest bit impatient trying to give him his antibiotics, or he bit into one and got a foul taste in his mouth, he may have decided that when you offer him a treat, bad things are going to happen. It's not your fault, but the good news is that you can fix it.

 

Don't call him over for treats, go to him and drop something irresistible in front of him - a little piece of cooked meat, ham, strong cheese, whatever you think he'll love. Don't look back, but walk away. Do this for a day or two, then when he's happy to pick it up off the floor and eat it, begin to stay and watch him. Then try it again in your hand, maybe dangle a strip of meat so he knows there are no strings. Eventually, if you are really matter-of-fact and don't show any emotion when you offer treats, he will begin to trust them again. I've had dogs who've run away from treats after a course of nasty medicine, and this has always worked for me.

 

-Especially now that my fiancé has a new dog, which we may be fostering or keeping, we aren't sure; (he was going to be put down if SOMEONE didn't take him), it's as if Archer is constantly vying for my fiancé's attention, even though he doesn't spend very much time with him. My fiancé is just naturally the 'Alpha Dog' wherever he goes, so I feel like I don't have a chance.

 

The other dog may be upsetting Archer, I can't tell from what you've said. But your fiancé sounds as if he instinctively understands dogs and therefore Archer feels safe with him. Watch how your fiancé does things - note body language, tone of voice, etc, and see what you can copy.

 

Archer was doing so well, learning to come happily when I called him, excited to get a treat from me and follow me everywhere and enjoy my company, I just don't know what's happening or how I can fix it and be better. I wanted to soon move to training him with a clicker so I could teach him to be a service dog and be very well behaved in public, but whenever I try to work with him at all, he gets very agitated with me and will walk away, even when I have treats.

 

I once tried to do intensive training with a newly adopted grey (I think I'd had her three months, and like Archer she seemed quiet and settled) and she reacted in a very negative way. Two months is probably too soon for Archer. He may need time to settle in and take things slowly. Think of it as him feeling overwhelmed by the demands of his new lifestyle.

 

By the way, several of my greyhounds were scared stiff of the clicker when I first tried it. I got past that by setting it on the softest click AND wrapping it in a towel and putting it behind my back, but you can't do this until he's happy about taking treats again. In fact, now I come to think of it, this may be behind him not liking to take treats. Unfortunately, it is all too easy to achieve the opposite result than the one you expect with a clicker if they are afraid of it; you end up conditioning them to feel that it's a negative signal instead of a positive one.

 

 

It's not like I haven't been frustrated with him, or told him no, or scolded him for pooping and peeing on the floor and running down the street when I asked him to come to me in the yard. I've never hit him or yelled at him, so I'm flabbergasted that he has changed so easily.

 

Some greys are so very sensitive that they don't need you to do any of those things. Just body language plus a slightly frustrated tone lets them know quite clearly that they have displeased you and it scares them if they haven't quite learned to trust you fully yet.

 

But when I try to become the 'Alpha Dog' and be kindly assertive (he never responded to assertive in the beginning, and we worked fine without it, but everyone and their MOTHER suggests it when they hear my dilemma), I am the bad guy. I don't want to have an estranged relationship with him because I love him like a kid, but I just don'y know what to do. Any advice from greyhound owners would really, really help.

 

Forget 'Alpha Dog'. Seriously. I dont like the concept at all. Some greyhounds do fine with it, but if your greyhound is showing signs of fear or anxiety, it may be too much for him, especially if you are not experienced in implementing it. 'NILIF' is better, and stands for 'Nothing In Life is Free', but until he trusts you and is settled and taking treats again, it's going to be difficult - and it does require quite intensive work, which personally, from what you've said, I don't think he's ready for.

 

Greyhounds are generally sensitive dogs; they don't like shouting, aggressive body language, or rough handling. Mostly, to train a greyhound, all you need is to show him what you need or want, very clearly, and reward him with a happy voice and very gentle touch when he does right. Most newly adopted greyhounds do not like hugs and kisses and they don't like to feel confined. Once he fully trusts you, these things will probably make him feel safe and loved, but not right now.

 

It might help if you read up on normal dog behaviour and social signals so you can 'read' Archer more easily. Greyhounds often do not give very clear signals and it's easy to miss them. Try 'The Other End of the Leash' by Patricia McConnell, and 'How To Speak Dog' by Stanley Coren - two of my favourite dog behaviour primers.

 

This is all just my opinion, based on my experience as a greyhound owner since 1994, my time (years ago) working for a vet, and now helping out with adoptables for my local group. I'm not a trainer.

 

Agh. Sorry, I just noticed the date! You've probably made a lot of progress since this thread was posted and my comments will be redundant!