Teaching Greys To Avoid Obstacles In The Yard?

[Guest psdirector]

We have had our wonderful boys, Hutch and Tibbs, for two weeks. Our brand new backyard fence was finished yesterday and we were really excited to be able to let our boys run in the yard. We have a large back yard. When I got home from work, I took the boys out on their leashes and walked around the perimeter of the fence so they saw where the boundaries were. I then dropped leashes - and Tibbs took off running like... well, like a greyhound! I took the leashes off so that they could run without tripping. Tibbs took off running again and finally Hutch joined him. Not 30 seconds later, Hutch tripped over one of the railroad ties around our tiered garden (which is close to one side of the fence) and started screaming like crazy and holding his back right foot up. I was absolutely horrified. Less than five minutes in the yard with a fence that we got to keep our greyhounds happy and one of my pups is hurt?? They have been in the backyard before, but, of course, never off leash.

 

We came right in the house, Hutch laid down holding his foot out. I was really upset. Two-and-a-half hours later when my husband came home, Hutch jumped up for head rubs and seemed fine. A walk later in the evening and fine. This morning, no bruising, no swelling. So he is, apparently, fine.

 

So here is my question: Is there a way to teach our greys about obstacles in the yard? How can we keep them safe? We have the tiered garden off to one side and a large, wooden swing set at the other end (we're taking it out this summer) which Tibbs already seems to know how to navigate at top speed, running between the swings. Of all the warnings I've read about greyhounds, I've never read anything that said, "Be sure to remove everything from your yard to keep your dogs safe." I can't believe other greyhound owners don't have stuff in their back yards - swings, gardens, lawn furniture, grills, whatever.

 

My husband looked at me with disbelief this morning after he asked me if it was ok to allow the dogs to be off leash in the back yard and I answered, "NO!!!! It's not safe!"

[Guest IrskasMom]

Yes I know ,we are overprotective and new Moms. I am sure Hutch will not go there again and very shortly , they will know their Yard inside out and every Corner. I would love to have actually Grass growing in my Backyard , but it's Morty's Yard and therefore no Grass( or very little ) .Give this handsome Boys some Mega Hugs from me , please .

[OwnedBySummer]

I had to laugh when I started reading this. And immediately started reading it out loud to DH. This is EXACTLY the same way that Summer is. As she tripped, stumbled and collided with things (their sprint runs don't have random obstacles in them), occasionally resulting in vet visits, she DID learn to navigate. She can now motor around at speed and there's only one thing she still hits -- a large flat-topped raised pointy boulder forming one corner of a flower bed. It's just at the perfect height to clip with her hind foot as she whips around it. So it now has a plastic-wrapped chunk of upholstery foam staked into the ground right in front of it. And yup, I hear her foot hit it several times a week.

 

ETA: At the moment, you may not want to have dangerous things out there. For instance, if they can't differentiate the garden from the lawn yet, ornamental metal garden stakes, pretty rocks and other decorations may not be desirable yet. And if you have an in-ground lawn sprinkler, make sure it's not going to be exposed when they are out.

Edited March 22, 2013 by OwnedBySummer

[Remolacha]

Was this your first exposure to the GSOD? (Greyhound Scream Of Death) It is bloodcurdling, isn't it ? They will soon learn what is where in the yard, probably without serious damage unless one of them is accident prone. Even then, your are likely only going to be dealing with minor scrapes. I would cover or take out anything small and sharp until they know the yard a little better, but really, they will be fine!

[a_daerr]

They'll get it in time... We go through the same thing when we try a new dog park. Once, Henry was running top speed and flipped himself over a park bench. We tend to move large obstacles (if possible). But after a few times, they seem to have a better idea of where they're going.

Edited March 22, 2013 by a_daerr

[MaryJane]

You also have to be very careful of any type of wooden sticks in the yard especially things like handles to wheelbarrows, rakes, shovels and so on which a grey could get impaled on. Make sure that they are put away at the end of day when working in the yard or face the handles in the direction that they greys never run in. At the track, a grey never expects to run into anything when racing so check out what is at their level in the yard.

[greysmom]

They'll stake out a running pathway soon enough. While they're still getting used to it, you should puppy-proof your yard the same way you would your house. Walk around and look for sharp, pointy sticks, garden implements and equipment, rocks and other landscaping that can be moved or protected.

 

And sometimes you just can't protect them from themselves. In my experience, the louder the scream the less serious the injury. You probably won't even see the teeny scrape that turns your living room into a scene from CSI, but you will hear about it! When one of mine broke his toe, I didn't even know about it until after breakfast!

[GeorgeofNE]

Relax! Greyhounds can be very dramatic. Obviously your dog wasn't hurt. They're not made of glass. They're actually DOGS. Of course they can be lose in the yard!

[Batmom]

If something isn't readily visible -- such as a hole someone has dug, a railroad tie hiding in the grass or behind a shrub -- I'll put a big plastic flowerpot or one of those plastic milk crates there.

[brianamac]

Haha, this made me laugh too. As new greyhound owners 9 months in, we regularly check our SUPER tiny yard for any debris, bottle caps, anything that could cause injury (he navigates okay around the round picnic table)... and find nothing. He still sometimes comes in with bleeding cuts on his feet from hidden ice under the snow, or some small, bleeding, missing skin pieces from who knows what. We watch him EVERY time he is in the yard... we are now just getting used to the fact that he scrapes easily. No matter how much we freak out over it, it doesn't seem to bother him and we have learned that he heals quickly from these injuries that seems scary to us, but are par for the course for him.

I agree with the poster that said to cover railway ties or other obstacles with a bucket though. That could help make you feel more comfortable.

[sobesmom]

It'll be fine. Just a goofy accident, could happen to anyone. It's certainly not your fault for not babyproofing your yard! I would never consider removing anything from my yard that dogs have spent time in. BTW - some dogs, like some people (me), are just clumsy.

 

Remember - greys were bred to run at breakneck speeds through real terrain chasing prey. Their brains process visually really well at high speed (audio, not so much). Our obstacle-free track babies may have "forgotten" that - but it'll come back quickly - it's in the genes.

Edited March 27, 2013 by sobesmom

[Guest karilynn]

This made me laugh so hard - and not at your expense, but I remember being a new greyhound owner, too. The first time Bullet screamed bloody murder, we were at the dog park and he stepped on a twig or something. I was FREAKING OUT! I took him home and coddled him and felt horrible all day! Of course he was fine, but it was just my first exposure to the fun of greyhound drama. They are dramatic creatures. Bullet still does his death scream here and there and comes limping over to me. I'll make sure he isn't seriously hurt, give him a pat on his rump, and send him on his way.

[Guest Scouts_mom]

I agree with everyone else here. The louder the scream, the less chance there is a real injury. After rushing my first grey to the Emergency Vet at her first GSOD and having the vet tell me nothing was wrong, I have developed the following procedure:

 

If the dog screams, check them over for any bleeding, swelling or lack of breathing. If you don't find anything, or it is very minor, apologize profusely. Admit that it is all your fault and you are a bad doggy mommy (or daddy). You will try to make sure it never happens again--but you are only human so you are sure to forget.

 

Provide the dog with a cookie and let him take a nap.

 

If he still is favoring the leg or whatever after the nap, then it is time to get concerned. But I would still wait overnight before taking him to the vet.

 

One thing to look for in your yard to keep the dogs safe, is holes--mole holes, etc that might trap and break a leg. Fill them in or put something not easily moved over them.

[macoduck]

Wait until an acorn gets stuck in his toes. No GSOD from my Gracie but she froze, holding her paw up like her foot was broken. Always a drama queen.

[racindog]

I identify but IMO this is just one of those cases where you've got to let them be greyhounds. I make sure they know where any "obstacles" are and then turn them loose and they do well at jumping and avoiding statues etc. I have even resorted to painting posts neon yellow on one ocassion where a yard had some. But with me its like when your kid goes soemwhere and does something or learns to ride the bicycle etc- I feel like I have to give them the opportunity to be who they are and go and do. I know they would not do well ultimately always kept under my wings and protected like the momma nature in me could easily do so I Iet them free to be them and it has not been a problem. When Ivy was a tripod and I was concerned about letting her run on her remaining 3 legs- the vet told me- I had to let her run, to give her the freedom to be and do as was her nature. He was right. Be advised the leg thing was probably not the last injury you'll encounter. You quite possibly may see some toe injuries etc too. But you will have healthy happy hounds. They were born to run-some of them have to in order to be happiest-at least thats been my experience over many years. Set 'em free in your yard; watch their beauty; admire their grace and joy; after you catch your breath call them and give them a hug and marvel at the exquisite remarkable creatures they are. They have survived with those gifts over 5000 years-they can survive your yard imo lol. Other breeds are less likely to incur running injuries but they're not flying (greyts are actually in the air 75% of the time they're running) like the greyhounds who were so specially gifted with their unique qualities. JMO.

Edited March 27, 2013 by racindog

[Guest Clawsandpaws]

Wait until an acorn gets stuck in his toes. No GSOD from my Gracie but she froze, holding her paw up like her foot was broken. Always a drama queen.

 

OMG, this JUST happened to me a few days ago, Dudley and I went for a walk, about 10 feet from the door (we were heading in) he SCREAMS, and limps quickly to the door and collapses inside, literally just fell over. I panicked and started crying because he wouldn't let me touch him... My cat came up and sniffed and licked his "injured" foot, she never goes near him, so I grabbed his foot and wouldnt ya know... It was a piece of STALE BREAD. Between the toes!

[Guest borzoix4]

I am coming in this late, but what I use is caution tape. The tape blows in the wind slightly and my dogs will avoid it as being sighthounds, they see movement quick!

You only put it up until the dog becomes aware that something is there. I have used it for a lot of new landscaping, warning against a wire fence they may not see moving at 35mph etc. I have even used it to fence off an area for grass seed.

[Guest OPointyDog]

Yup. The poles for our laundry line now have foam padding and bright yellow electrical tape on them! The FIRST thing Zoe did when she was let off the leash in our newly fenced backyard was run at full speed into the pole. Oh my god the screaming! The neighbors came out to see! We took her to the vet to make sure nothing was broken, and she was perfectly fine....

[Guest IrskasMom]

" Always a drama queen "

 

What do you call my Morty , when an Acorn gets stuck in between his Toes? He does the same Thing , limps and holds his Paw up. " Drama King " ?

Edited March 28, 2013 by IrskasMom

[Guest psdirector]

Thanks to everyone. They are doing SO much better in the yard. I hold my breath sometimes watching them run between the swings or around the entire swing set. Our "mellow" pup is the one who will play bow and run at the drop of a hat. Hutch, on the other hand, will run, but he's really cautious since the Great Foot Incident. To be fair, he also is the one who has hookworms, so he isn't really feeling very well right now. He will still run around with his brother at times. I'm slowly learning to hold my breath and watch them go. It''s incredible!

[Guest Clawsandpaws]

Thanks to everyone. They are doing SO much better in the yard. I hold my breath sometimes watching them run between the swings or around the entire swing set. Our "mellow" pup is the one who will play bow and run at the drop of a hat. Hutch, on the other hand, will run, but he's really cautious since the Great Foot Incident. To be fair, he also is the one who has hookworms, so he isn't really feeling very well right now. He will still run around with his brother at times. I'm slowly learning to hold my breath and watch them go. It''s incredible!

By swings, do you mean you have a swing set (like in a playground?) ? You could always toss the seats over the top when not in use so they won't run into them, that would scare me too!

[Guest psdirector]

It is a swing set and Tibbs runs right between the two swings. We should probably put the swings up over the bar. We are taking it out this summer - no one uses it any more.

[Guest Clawsandpaws]

It is a swing set and Tibbs runs right between the two swings. We should probably put the swings up over the bar. We are taking it out this summer - no one uses it any more.

D'aawww I'm sorry but that just means more room for your pups! I would throw the swings up, I just feel like that could be a nasty encounter!!