Guest Navem Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 (edited) Hi everyone! I am actually picking up my new Grey later this evening. I posted on someone else's Introduction post, from Florida, and thought maybe I should post my own. He is a retired racer, and 3yrs old. He has been out of racing for a few months. He broke a toe, so he has had downtime and had to recooperate. He will be living with a Cane Corso female and a couple small male Chinese Cresteds. I am a little anxious to do introductions. Can someone give me some tips? I have been told to keep him muzzled until we see how reacts in the house with his new siblings. But no one seems to think it will be a problem. I have read through a lot of the forums here, and read some of the other Grey owners experiences. I have never had to muzzle a dog before, so this is new to me as well. Also, may I ask how any of your Greys did with house birds? Thank you! I am not very computer or internet savvy or I would upload a photo I have of him. Edited May 1, 2013 by Navem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tellybelly Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 (edited) Welcome from a fellow Floridian just down the coast! May I ask if you are adopting from GPA Central Florida in Melbourne? That's where we adopted our greyhound, Telly, and they were wonderful! We erred on the side of caution when doing first time introductions, even though we knew she was cat and small dog safe, she wore her muzzle for the first few hours until everyone had a chance to meet. The cat paid no attention and our 3 italian greyhounds were excitable, but Telly was very polite and calm. Once we took the muzzle off, we kept very watchful eyes as everyone got in their sniffs and got to know each other. I'm sure others here will be able to give you additional tips based on their personal experiences. Congratulations on your new family member!! Edited May 1, 2013 by tellybelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest undergreysspell Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Congratulations and welcome ! I'm also in Fla (near Tampa). We did our introductions outside on neutral territory and took both dogs on a long walk together. After they'd been in the house for a little while we removed the muzzle and haven't used it since. Rex is rather growly and territorial in his old age, but Gracie learned when to avoid him and they get along wonderfully. I do however crate her when I'm gone just for peace of mind so I know there won't be any issues. Gracie loves her crate (pink palace) so it keeps everyone happy. Good luck and I look forward to seeing some pictures of your family when you get a chance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Navem Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Welcome from a fellow Floridian just down the coast! May I ask if you are adopting from GPA Central Florida in Melbourne? That's where we adopted our greyhound, Telly, and they were wonderful! We erred on the side of caution when doing first time introductions, even though we knew she was cat and small dog safe, she wore her muzzle for the first few hours until everyone had a chance to meet. The cat paid no attention and our 3 italian greyhounds were excitable, but Telly was very polite and calm. Once we took the muzzle off, we kept very watchful eyes as everyone got in their sniffs and got to know each other. I'm sure others here will be able to give you additional tips based on their personal experiences. Congratulations on your new family member!! No, I am not. I actually am adopting from a breeder/racer out of Orlando. He had me fill out an app and did a home check. He said he likes to be in charge of who he places his retired Greys to and does not go through a rescue agency. My new Grey's racing name is Jitter Bug Bop. I plan on keeping it. I can totally picture myself calling him Jitter Bug. He is a red fawn, but I see soft brindling in his fur. He has beautiful eyes! I am super excited to get him home. I was really surprised by his demeanor in the house when I met him. He was so laid back and just a couch potato. I naively thought he would be a ball of energy, bouncing off the walls. Thank you for the tips, I really appreciate it. I am excited to be make new friends with other Grey owners, and learn everything I can to make his home life adjustment easier. i plan on feeding him what I feed my dogs, which is 4health chicken and brown rice formula. It has no wheat, corn or soy. What would be the reccomended ratio of mixing his food with mine to get him adjusted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShebasMom Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 I'm not very familiar with Cane Corsos. Aren't they quite large and can tend to be rather protective or territorial? (Or am I thinking of Dogo Argentinos?) Wouldn't it also be a good idea to muzzle the Cane Corso in addition to your new greyhound for a while? I live in Cape Canaveral, and my friend with three greyhounds and Sheba and I meet at Cocoa Beach Lori Wilson dog park almost every Thursday at 12:30 pm (when there are only a few dogs there). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greytpups Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 (edited) Welcome...I've always used 1/4 cup increments when introducing new food. If they're poops are normal for a week or so, then I up it to 1/2 cup for a couple of weeks and so on. If they develop the big D, then I cut back a bit and slowly work up again. This works for us. btw, there are some uploading pic instructions under technical forum that are really helpful...we love to see pics and hear stories. eta: I think Yamaha_Gurlhere on GT has a cane corso Edited May 1, 2013 by greytpups Quote Jan with precious pups Emmy (Stormin J Flag) and Simon (Nitro Si) and Abbey Field. Missing my angels: Bailey Buffetbobleclair 11/11/98-17/12/09; Ben Task Rapid Wave 5/5/02-2/11/15; Brooke Glo's Destroyer 7/09/06-21/06/16 and Katie Crazykatiebug 12/11/06 -21/08/21. My blog about grief The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not get over the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same, nor would you want to. ― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Navem Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 I'm not very familiar with Cane Corsos. Aren't they quite large and can tend to be rather protective or territorial? (Or am I thinking of Dogo Argentinos?) Wouldn't it also be a good idea to muzzle the Cane Corso in addition to your new greyhound for a while? I live in Cape Canaveral, and my friend with three greyhounds and Sheba and I meet at Cocoa Beach Lori Wilson dog park almost every Thursday at 12:30 pm (when there are only a few dogs there). They can be protective and territorial. However, my girl (Josephine) is not. She was a rescue also. I have had her for 6 yrs now. We got her when she was 1. She came from an abusive background, and she had parvo as a puppy. That combined with being starved, stunted her growth. She is smaller, like a small lab, and not at all territorial. She is a very happy, go lucky dog, and she loves every dog she meets. If needed, I would muzzle her. Maybe I will pick one up today, just to be on safe side. I would love to meet up sometime. Maybe after Jitter is settled in, I could bring him? That would be nice. greytpups, thank you for that information. I will try it, and see how it goes. I will also try to get a picture uploaded now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3greytjoys Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Welcome and congratulations! A few important tips: - Proper collar fit - Greyhounds' heads are smaller than their necks. Test collar just behind ears to ensure it won't slide off too easily, otherwise Greys can back out of collars. - Immediatly add collar ID info. (with Sharpie on strong tape if nothing else is available). - Keep good hold of the leashed hound in any non-fenced outside settings, including entering/exiting the car and house. Most people use nylon (or nylon + pretty fabric) "martingale" collars. (Examples in pet merchandising section here on GT, or do Internet search for nylon martingale collars.) I agree with previous mention re: introductions away from house in neutral territory. Before allowing any close introduction of dogs, let distanced dogs pee (+poop if needed), and take each dog over to smell the other dog's eliminations. Avoid a full head-on, face-to-face meeting, instead arc around and walk dogs for a bit with plenty of space between dogs (both humans on inside, dogs walking outside of humans), then arc dogs again when allowing them to meet. Important to keep loose leashes (i.e., avoid human placing pressure on dog's neck), but be prepared if quick control is needed. Then, if you have a fenced yard, let the dogs do all their sniffing and eliminating outside before you move dogs inside house. Limit new dog's room space for dog's transitional comfort and housebreaking. We use crates first, thereafter baby-gate hounds into the most used family area room (remember to dog-proof as you would for a TALL puppy (e.g., keeping remote control, cell phones, purses, etc. out of reach, and keep kitchen counters cleared free of any food, including bread or butter. Think of a Greyhound's height when they're standing on hind legs. Very important to ensure your boy gets a vet visit ASAP, including at least 2 fecal tests, (one test now, a second test in several months to detect egg growth undetected in the first test). Is your boy already neutered? I agree with slow food transitions. (We usually take up to a month for a full transition.) I very highly recommend this book for all new Greyhound adopters: http://www.amazon.com/Retired-Racing-Greyhounds-For-Dummies/dp/0764552767 If you missed it, here's a recent post that you might find helpful: http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/297031-hi-from-floridaplease-read-about-adopting-this-weekend/?p=5495036 Oh, and take extra lengthy precautions to keep hound muzzled (and leashed to you at first) around bird. Don't leave hound unsupervised in the room with bird's cage. Teach hound the "leave it" term. Be aware that dogs will jump up to snag even a cat or small dog above dog's head level from human's arms. Have fun and enjoy your new Greyhound! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieProf Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Has your adoptee been tested to make sure he's small-dog safe? Chinese Cresteds are tiny fragile little things. Will you be crating your hound while you are out until you are 100% sure he is safe with them? How much reading have you done about the breed and preparing? Quote With Cocoa (DC Chocolatedrop), missing B for Beth (2006-2015)And kitties C.J., Klara, Bernadette, John-Boy, & Sinbad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Navem Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 (edited) Has your adoptee been tested to make sure he's small-dog safe? Chinese Cresteds are tiny fragile little things. Will you be crating your hound while you are out until you are 100% sure he is safe with them? How much reading have you done about the breed and preparing?Yes he has been. But after reading stories online, it made me feel more cautious than I had originally felt. Jitter will not be my first sight hound. Just my first Greyhound. I had the pleasure of being owned by 2 Borzoi and an Irish Wolfhound. I have done research and have always wanted a Greyhound. I will be crating when I am not at home. But I have always crate trained with all of my larger dogs. I find that they tend to like having a space that is just theirs. Thank you for the information on the birds! I will definitely do that. My birds are 21 yrs old and 12 yrs old. So it would be quite sad to have an accident. Edited May 1, 2013 by Navem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EllenEveBaz Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Hope all is going well with Jitter Bug and the rest of your critters. Remember that most people post here because they have a problem, not because all is going well, so don't get too nervous. Some of my greys have ignored birds, but a few have regarded them as snacks-on-the-wing. Quote Ellen, with brindle Milo and the blonde ballerina, Gelsey remembering Eve, Baz, Scout, Romie, Nutmeg, and Jeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad2Paisley Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Hello and welcome to GT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dobiegrey Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Hi, Welcome, I am in Cocoa, Florida, you will love owning a Greyhound they are the sweetest dogs in the world but be careful when you walk them, we have been attacked twice here in Cocoa on walks, I am buying a cattle prod to protect her, this time was brutal and she is missing a huge hunk of skin from her side, we have months of treatment ahead so beeeeeeeee careful!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad2Paisley Posted May 7, 2013 Share Posted May 7, 2013 Hi. Welcome to GT. I am in Maryland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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