When To Get New Greyhounds?

[Guest psdirector]

We have been planning on getting our first greys (two) when I start my summer break at the end of May (I'm a teacher). Now I'm wondering if that is the best time to do it and whether it will make the possibility of SA greater when I return to work in August? Would it be better for the dogs to get them while the school year is still in full swing - taking a weekend and a few days of personal time when they arrive - and then have a long break over the summer? Does it matter?

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

The best time is what is the most represented of your typical day. I am an adoption rep and I always recommend that people do NOT take any time off for their new hound. Greyhounds are very used to schedules, so bring one into your home and put him/her on your schedule right away. It is very difficult because you have a new best bud and want to spoil them and love them, but what you actually end up doing is exacerbating any anxiety that may be present. Have the hound in your house Sat or Sun, go to work on Monday like you typically would. One week later, your hound should adjust and be fitting in nicely.

 

 

 

Chad

[cleptogrey]

why wait until the summer? you have a long weekend coming up for pesident's day, spring break and memorial day weekend, do it then. i agree w/ the statement above- sat or friday nite placement in the home and monday go to work. as with kids, it's sorta like what you expect. they thrive on a schedule. that's what they have had their entire life at the kennel.

[Guest FrankieWylie]

I find, that when we are out of our "regular routine" it takes time for ours to adjust back to normalcy. We've had them for a year, and when we are home for things like Christmas break, spring break, and summer vacation, it takes them a little longer to get settled back into the routine. This past Christmas break though....they couldn't WAIT for us to leave them alone LOL! We were home the entire 2.5 week break. They weren't too happy with no down-time.

[Guest zombrie]

I'm a student with 2 greyhounds. Mine are fine when I have my normal schedule but when I go on breaks it is a bit confusing for them when I have to go back to school (but since they have each other it's not that bad, they don't get SA they just get a little antsy the first couple days). I'd recommend bringing them home on a weekend and then after a couple days just go about your normal routine. That's what I did for mine and it worked out well.

[Guest psdirector]

Thanks for all the replies. A few more questions: if you got them over a weekend, how did you leave them on Monday? Crate? Gated off room? I assume they weren't yet housebroken? How did you deal with that? Did you have someone walk them during the day? We are planning on my adult daughter walking them at lunch time each day.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

If you are adopting through a group, they should go over all of your questions with you, just ask them. As far as crating, that depends on group to group, and if the hound was fostered with or without a crate. So I cannot really answer that question. My suggestion would be to crate, but it depends on the situation that the hound has been in for the last few weeks/months/years. Crate size, the largest that the pet stores carry, usually 42" high (XXL), they typically cost about 100-125.

 

Chad

[TheFullHouse]

If you are adopting two at a time, the chances of SA are a lot less because they will have each other for company. There are some hounds that will still have SA but the majority won't. I always crated mine when they first came home. You will have fewer potty accidents or incidents of things chewed up by bored dogs if you crate. I sat my two side by side, just as they were in the adoption kennel and it made the transition a lot easier.

[brandimom]

I agree with Chad. I am also a placement rep for our group. We always deliver gh's on a Sat so you have the weekend to make adjustments and then Monday your routine begins. They will get used to your schedule quite well. Good luck!

[PrairieProf]

I am a college teacher, and I myself would want to adopt when I had a long weekend at the least; spring break would be ideal. (I brought my girl home the Saturday of Labor Day weekend; but I don't usually have to be on campus for more than half a day at a time.) Among other things, you'll be pretty overwhelmed and exhausted (and entranced) with new dogs and want a little time to focus on them more than a regular week schedule will allow. And, too, you will need to be going outside a lot at first for potty training, and frankly that is going to be easier when it is not the dead of winter! Midwinter is the least enjoyable time to have a dog in northern climes, so I myself would not typically choose that time to bring a new one home.

 

Summer is fine BUT you have to do "alone training" from the beginning and teach them to be left -- you can't just stay home with them all summer and then expect them to be fine when school resumes. I remember in Adopting the Racing Greyhound Cynthia Branigan talks about precisely this issue with teachers who adopt in the summer and don't do proper alone training before school starts.

Edited January 18, 2013 by PrairieProf

[RedHead]

I'm a teacher and I always adopt in the summer if I can as I do a very slow transition to being home alone. Most people can't do this though, so either way can work out and the dog will adapt. Obviously, if you are with the dog in the summer and don't practice alone time you can have problems, but for me, I liked having the extra time to work on things.

[Finnsliz]

I am a teacher and have brought 3 hounds (adopted) and 3 fosters into my house during the school year. I just follow the routine that they will have from day one. I always crate new dogs as I feel it eliminates many worries, especially if you are taking 2 hounds at once. (space/treat/toy aggression, potty accidents, counter surfing/shoe destruction, etc)

Knowing what I know now, if I were going to adopt a greyhound I would get 2 at the same time.

 

This I totally agree with....

If you are adopting two at a time, the chances of SA are a lot less because they will have each other for company. There are some hounds that will still have SA but the majority won't. I always crated mine when they first came home. You will have fewer potty accidents or incidents of things chewed up by bored dogs if you crate. I sat my two side by side, just as they were in the adoption kennel and it made the transition a lot easierI

[BatterseaBrindl]

Agree with bringing them home on a weekend.

 

Nixon came here when we still had our aged GSD and Pointer so he had company.

He loved his crate, and we left the door open so he could come and go as he pleased.

Once he gained the confidence to stay out of it for more than 24 hours, we just took it down.

 

Ruby came to us already diagnosed with SA.... and she had already destroyed a crate in her previous home.

So...no crate for her.

She enjoyed the company of Nixon and the Pointer, and was perfectly fine when left alone with them.

After several months she figured out it was OK to be left all alone in the house....somebody WILL come along sooner or later!

 

Nigel also came to us with SA. His previous home had crated him quite a lot. They reported he did not like it.

Ummmm .... So why did you insist on keeping him in it?

We did not set the crate up for him at all and he settled in just fine.

He has also figured out that being alone is not all that bad. He can be left for brief periods...an hour??... and not get anxious.

 

 

We do muzzle ALL of them if we're not here to supervise.

 

House breaking was never an issue with any of our hounds.

Of course we had other dogs here when each Greyhound arrived, and they DO learn from others what it's all about.

 

Enjoy your new hounds!!

And...we WILL need pictures!

[a_daerr]

My only advice is to wait until spring if possible. Obviously, people have adopted dogs in the winter, and it wasn't the end of the world. But if I had to do it all over again with my second grey, I would've waited until spring. He was adopted in December last year. I found it much harder to housetrain when there was snow on the ground and below-freezing temperatures. Also, it was harder for us to socialize and take him places when we had to constantly worry about the weather.

[msjpk]

When I adopted I personally, to help my own nervousness, adopted on a long weekend and took an extra day off. Just so my apprehensions would not transfer to my greys.

 

As far as crating, I had one who was fostered and use to his crate, then we went to baby gated in kitchen, and then to run of house with no problems. I close bedroom doors so area in house becomes more secure for them.

 

Alone training is essential for them and you no matter if you are home or not.

Start leaving the house with your regular routine, then return, leave again a little longer. I put the radio on just before I leave and they know I am leaving and will return. You can give them peanut butter filled kongs, but with 2 make sure there is no fighting for the kong. I would each give them a kong when I am home and see how they react.

 

Stick to this board and ask the group and/or foster parents all the questions, you and your puppers will do fine. Good luck, mandatory for pictures on this board LOL