How Many Greyhounds Sleep Startle?

[Guest 3breys]

I know this is common with greys, but anyone have any idea how many of them do it? As in lunge and bite whatever touched them? Think most of them, half of them, etc?

[Guest Trace]

My girl bit my head the other day because I rolled over onto her paw in bed in my sleep- obviously it startled both of us and her reaction was to just open mouth headbutt me-- didn't feel too great, had a tooth embedded in my forhead- but was equally both of our faults lol. My girl does sleep startle a lot though, shell just cry out in a yelp that scares the piss out of me, other than that i'm pretty sure its normal.

[NeylasMom]

No way for anyone to know that with any real accuracy. And the level of response is going to vary dramatically among the dogs that do have some reaction. For instance, many will simple growl or do a single air snap rather than escalating to stronger reactions, including actual bites. A lot of dogs also do less of it over time or with behavior modification.

 

I wouldn't even feel comfortable giving you a guess based on the dogs I've had through my house (over 60 fosters plus many others that I've dogsat) because my fosters weren't permitted on the furniture and I was generally smart enough not to disturb them when they were resting.

 

I'm not even sure I would feel confident calling it common, but I will say I think it's more likely than in other breeds that haven't been spending a lot of their time and sleeping in crates undisturbed like these guys have.

[Brandiandwe]

Of my four, only one has ever had it and he's now fine with DH and I. Hurrah for anecdata!

[smurfette]

One of my three and it gets better over time. He just gets used to his humans occupying the same spot he is in. We came from snapping to a very pissed look for disturbing his beauty sleep. I can live with the look.

[NeylasMom]

Of my four, only one has ever had it and he's now fine with DH and I. Hurrah for anecdata!

Maybe if everyone reports both the total number of greyhounds they've had and how many had sleep startle we can total it all up and I can run some statistical analyses to make myself feel better.

 

Here's my contribution - of my 3, all 3 have had it to some degree (none would bite) and in all 3 cases it was also resolved through time (1), training (1), or behavior modification (1).

Edited December 7, 2015 by NeylasMom

[Hubcitypam]

Out of my six and tons of fosters only one - Rex - and I have the scar to prove it. As in Smurfette's case he got much better with time.

[silverfish]

Of my six, none. Not to the extent of growling, snapping or biting.

 

I've had two who - just at first - would wake with a bit of a start and give me the stink-eye .. the worst Jack did was give a little squeak a couple of times when he was really new. I'm not sure I'd even really call that 'sleep startle' in the true sense of the word, it was more a 'where am I, who are you? Oh yes, I live here now, don't I?'

[Neighsayer]

Two out of nine here. Mickey would growl and snap, but grew out of it. Maybe he got used to my movements on the bed, or maybe he just started sleeping more soundly as he got older. Ace growls and lunges or jumps up. Every once in a while he air snaps. I've had him two years, but he has only been on the bed every night since I lost the other two bed sleepers in September and November. He usually does it at least once a night, unless I make sure that he is aware that I'm getting into the bed. I have a tempurpedic mattress, so he probably isn't aware of my movements until I actually touch him.

[Guest xengab]

I dont know. I always call to him before touching if I think he is asleep. I HATE being woken myself. Being touched while asleep causes me to jump and feel panic..So I dont disturb others when sleeping.

HE has his own bed, doesnt get on the couch as he hasnt worked out he can jump up on things..LOL Hubby kicks in his sleep so I'd not allow dog on bed for that reason.

[macoduck]

One (our first greyhound Gracie) out of 12. Took her about 2 years to completely grow out of it.

 

One foster out of 4. She never grew out of it.

[Feisty49]

I don't count nearly as much as the others because I have only one Greyhound but Annie has never had sleep startle or any negative responses to anything where she growled, snapped or bit (she runs and hides). A good friend has 5 houndies, and only one has sleep startle but only to the extent of growling.

[45MPHK9]

Murray had a terrible case of sleep aggression when we adopted him. He grew out of it after two or three years.

[greysmom]

Of the eight adoptees we've had, three have had sleep startling. And all three were severe cases. Of those three, two did eventually get over it enough to be completely safe to sleep with, and one did not.

[dostacos]

First Greyhound not at all. current greyhound, Conrad will bark at DW once he is on the bed. DW now asks him NOT to bark when she walks by him.

 

sometimes he sorta barks at the cat, the next thing I know is the cat is sitting on my HEAD

[Guest normaandburrell]

Three greys, and I've never seen it. However, my dogs don't sleep with me, and all 3 seemed to awaken immediately when approached.

[GreytXpctations]

Including fosters, my experience says one in three had it enough to be wary, and one in six enough to be dangerous.

 

All overcame it, and none of them were allowed on the furniture (which I think is important for a sleep startle dog -YMMV). Like all things grey, it just takes time and patience.

[PatricksMom]

Mild and resolved fairly quickly with one (the only one not-fostered), none with the other three.

[RachelV]

My one has never had sleep startle even a little bit. If woken unexpectedly, the most we get is a sigh and a hopeful "am I getting a treat" look.

[Mistysmom]

Misty, who is usally a sweet and friendly girl, will growl and look glassy-eyed, as if she does not recognize us, if we try to cuddle her at night. She has done this the whole time we have had her (10 years) and shows no signs of outgrowing it. I just give her space after bedtime. She has always wanted her own bed next to ours.

[Guest k9soul]

Of my two, Rudy has it but Cole doesn't. Rudy has improved and doesn't startle as easily but he still does it (after almost three years). He barks/snarls but hasn't bitten.

[gracegirl]

Out of two of my own, one foster and four regular house guests....only one had a mild case and she grew out of it in time.

[Fruitycake]

One greyhound, never has shown a startle response.

[lukasmom]

I have had 3 greyhounds and no one has sleep startle but at bedtime when I shut the lights off I rub Luka's head. I tried touching Carter and he did the scream of death so I don't touch him like that any more.

[Guest MarieKlaus]

My first Grey was a very young puppy when I got him and he never sleep startled. Klaus, on the other hand, was a year old and his sleep startle is at the top of the charts. He sleeps on his doggie bed now and I'm very careful walking around him when he's resting. I hope he can outgrow it, he's almost 3 years old now.