Greyhound Is Biting Randomly

[robinw]

I don't think that used be overstimulation. Just take it slow with her and do everything that you mentioned above and add lots of exercise. And relax Dogs can feel tension and I know from experience that it never helps.

[Batmom]

Not overstimulating. I suspect that most of what you're seeing isn't aggression but overly enthusiastic play behavior. Take that with a grain of salt because you're there with her and I'm here where I can't see, but worth consideration. That is something a trainer such as robinw suggests could evaluate in a single visit .

[3greytjoys]

Biddie's general temperament seems extremely happy and loving. One of our hounds is much like Biddie. She crawls in our laps to give us kisses and dearly loves attention, we just let it be on her time limit. My comment was simply a caution that any dog can feel a limit. Most Greyhounds simply retreat to their bed when they want rest time.

 

Many young dogs are playfully mouthy. A 4 year old Greyhound who didn't race much is still very much a big puppy in terms of behavior. Is it possible Biddie's reaction to your husband was her exuberant delightful excitement to round the corner and see him, and that simply drew a little blood? You mentioned she was trained not to jump on people any more, but maybe she was so happy to see your husband that she temporarily forgot her training(?). Have you ever seen truly aggressive dog bite behavior?

 

If you can't afford Robin's trainer or other professional help now, I would suggest asking one of the Greyhound professionals from your adoption group to visit Biddie in your home to evaluate her behavior. I agree with Batmom about most of this possibly being playfully exuberant behavior. One of our senior hounds gives us love nibbles, sometimes a little harder than we'd like, but it is not aggression, just his way of showing us affection.

 

I wouldn't be too concerned about her normal prey drive. She is a retired racing sighthound (even if she dropped out of racing school or didn't race professionally very long). Helps to know that it's "game on" for any outside cat from a Greyhound's perspective.

[GreytNut]

I agree with what has been said above, but wanted to add one thing:

 

The killing of the mouse and bird is normal canine prey drive. Nearly all dogs will go after such small creatures, especially outside. Even dogs that are cat safe indoors will often go after cats outdoors. This isn't viciousness or aggression - it's just the natural predatory instinct of a dog. Although it can be upsetting (I'll never forget when my dogs got a rabbit) it's not something you can reasonably expect to train out of them.

 

Good luck. I am so glad you're willing to make the effort to help your girl.

[3greytjoys]

Here is a good link explaining dogs' language of calming signals (adapted from Turid Rugaas): http://theartofdog.com/articles/calming.pdf

(Thanks to GreyTalker "JohnF" for posting this link in another thread. I couldn't find an active link to Turid's work yesterday.)

 

I just wanted to add that dogs are learning something during every interaction with us every day throughout their lives.

(Could be learning desirable behavior like waiting at a doorway or lying on their bed instead of being underfoot in the kitchen, or undesirable like begging for humans' dinner at the dining table.)

Rewarding animals' naturally good behavior is an excellent way to teach polite manners that can last throughout their lifetime.

In other words, remain on the lookout to catch the dog doing desirable behaviors, and give the good behavior a word cue with delicious treat rewards (or a toy if not food motivated).

This method of teaching works wonderfully well with our sensitive Greyhound breed.

 

Here's an example with a different species. We do a visual cat check before leaving the house to ensure cat didn't dash into a closed closet/room by mistake. Instead of turning every room upside down searching for him, I taught him recall (like a dog) so he comes running to us whenever we call him. His reward is affectionate petting and happy verbal praise. He loves it.

 

Thank you for your loving care of Biddie, and please let us know how things go with her.

[GreytTerp]

Just sending along some encouragement for you and your husband. We had a few months of alpha issues when we first got our guy, but we worked through it, and I'm so glad to hear that you are committed to working with Biddie. We've all had to unlearn/relearn/learn-for-the-first-time dog behavior nuances and skills. Wishing you luck!

[GeorgeofNE]

You've gotten a lot of really good advice! So if you just make a point of not stopping to chat with people on your walks, you eliminate the risk of her nipping at someone while you're doing that. The mice, etc. is irrelevant. The greyhound playdate behavior is pretty normal (some of these dogs play rough!), but if you sense that it increases any other issues, there is no NEED to continue going if she's getting enough exercise and play at home. And yes, the nursing home cannot continue with a dog who EVER nips.