Taking Things To Her Bed

[denisetanaka]

Hi,

 

I've recently adopted a spooked female, Laila, she's 2.5yo.

I didn't start the training yet, cause she is not even a month at home and it's hard to take her for a walk, I have to drag her, because I live in a apartment and she doesn't pee/poo inside. I've tried the pads, but she didn't get what they are for.

Last week she started with a habit of taking things to her bed, like sandals, socks, yoga strap, anything that she has access.

 

We hide everything, but she always find something. She doesn't eat or chew the things, just like to have them in her bed.

I wasn't so bothered about this fact, because she doesn't go out of her bed the whole day, she just stays in our bedroom and doesn't explore the rest of the house, so coming to the hall and taking shoes from our mud room was to me a progress, but my husband said it was a bad behavior cause it would lead her to chew our shoes or eat bad things.

 

Is this a common behavior? We bought some toys and let a used shirt to her in the bed, but she seems to not care about it. I know it's too early to demand anything from her, as she is very scared of everything and is off racing track since January.

What can I do to avoid this behavior? Do I have to buy more chewable toys?

 

P.S. This forum has helped me so much with my first Grey! I love all the topics.

[Time4ANap]

She's a collector. Very common behavior.

 

It's never too early to train. Greyhounds thrive on structure and routine, so the earlier you start teaching a routine (like going out for a potty break after each meal), the easier her transition to home life will be.

[Guest Scouts_mom]

I've had several collectors and none of them chewed what they collected. I currently have a shoe collector. When I'm gone, he collects my shoes and brings them to his bed. They are never damaged in any way. I guess they smell of my feet (yuck) and remind him of me. If I can't find a shoe, I know to look around his bed. So I guess I am saying don't worry about the collecting, just enjoy it as a funny quirk of your girl.

 

The only time that anything was damaged was when he tried to "collect" my kindle. He put a hole the size of a tooth right thru it--I guess because it was heavy, he had to bite harder to try to carry it. Now my kindle lives where greys can't reach it.

[Guest johnnydrum]

Hello

Well done in taking on a delicate little lady!

I have zero experience having just adopted myself, however I will tell you one thing, these are nothing like any other breeds.

 

Thankfully theres plenty of people here that will help.

Greyhounds are so odd...actually more "Cat" in traits...especially when you mention her being a collector!

 

I have made some early mistakes myself (see my terrible clicker experience with my own sensitive 2 year old http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/318177-clicker-training-melt-down-i-am-so-cross-at-myself/?p=5942539)

 

I have already earned never to force her to do anything--especially when the tail goes between the legs and she goes into "lock down"

(For example, my girl will cross a local bridge going east to west but will not "return" cross it....so i simply do an about turn and use the longer route!

I have no explanation as to why she will cross the same bridge one way, but not the other, but she obviously senses something, and my job, in this situation, is to de-stress her)

Other dog owners (of non Greys) would think this as preposterous....

 

Mine also wont play with anything, but thankfully, she will do anything (including the stairs) for some cheese, so try coaxing her with some tasty chunks.

Pop some in your hand when its time for walks (in or out of the house) and she will soon simply follow your hand....magically hypnotized by the cheese.

Once shes moving, she perhaps will gain some confidence.

 

Keep me posted on how shes doing

Edited July 11, 2016 by johnnydrum

[Guest xengab]

from my experience, if they are going to chew your shoes, it will be from the get go. (lots uggs, pair of sketchers, socks and hrmm another pair of shoes) ONLY when I am gone and husband left home to watch dog. (hubby got the scolding!). They are collecting your scent basically.

You HAVE to catch them in the act. I stopped mine when I saw slip by me with a pair of used socks in his mouth. Then next time he was finally stopped when hubby found him chewing my shoes.

 

My advice, if you work out then leave that shirt out for her to 'take'. Just take it back after a few days, wash reuse.. or any old shirt you can wear around that she can have to hoard. They are smart enough to catch on that only one shirt is theirs.

[SanTanSnuggles]

I have found that sometimes they just need a friend to be with. Be it another greyhound or some other wag. I have a newish girl that loves also to take things to bed. She takes my bra to bed with her every night. In my world, she can do not wrong. But what is good is that I have a grey boy who is seven. He is very well trained when it comes to the potty situation. She learned from him what was right. Perhaps an older brother or sister wag would help? I have found that taking care of two is just as easy as one, but it gives them a friend to bark with, sleep with and more. Once I had two together, the difference is profound. So much better. Each one is different. I want one more, but that has to wait for now. If two are better than one, I can hardly imagine what three will be like. When I got the girl for the boy, she came home on his bed, and also I put his collar on her. By the time we got home three hours later, she was comfortable with his smell. She just turned 2 in May. Field trips to meet a newbe might help to find just the right friend. Good Luck with the training and bed storage. They just love us so much. I have found that gently taking away an item she should not have and replacing it with a good strong toy helps take the attention away from other things. Also she loves having a boat load of stuffies in her bed. Security. She emptied two whole cloths baskets of toys to her bed her first night in. Fun to watch. Some folks just put out a few stuffies at a time and alternate them daily. Gives them a change of pace. I leave on the TV for her when not home. She loves watching it as well. He and she bark at it a bunch. Soft music can help tone it down some too. I am always learning more stuff. Now I just have to figure out to stop the hole digging. They both do that and than lay in the nice cool dirt. I do not mind that either, just that it makes it hard to cut the grass with the lawn tractor. She is my sixth greyhound. Have had the privilege of being owned by 13 different pups so far during my life. Once they learn they are in their forever home and you will be back, things should greatly improve. My boy wears his emotions on his paws, and it would break his heart if I gave him a word that was anything else but praise. I found that distracting them from bad habits and reward all good ones will change world.

[Guest KEWood]

Absolutely normal and common. We have had our guy for a year and a half and he still collects things, but it's mostly just pillows now. When we first got him, he was gathering whatever he could - empty beer boxes, robot toys, socks, shoes, you name it. The randomness dwindled, but he still loves throw pillows!

[MSTmom]

Yup! Totally normal. Our boy, Steven, did the exact same thing with our shoes. He took every single pair from around the house and made himself a neat little pile on his bed, didn't chew a single thing. He doesn't do it too often now, we've had him for about 8 months, but every once in a while he picks up my gym shoes right after I've taken them off, I think he goes for the ones that smell like us the most, but again no chewing just moving. We ended up just moving our shoes out of reach and only leaving out his toys in a basket for him to get to. It took a while but he finally goes for his toys and again, straight to his bed.

 

Also lots of cuddling!

[Dawnnziggy]

Our first grey was a horder. She didn't usually tear up my shoes, but it was always mine. One day I was in a hurry and had to look in her bed for my other shoe and I was out the door. I was standing in front of my second graders when one of them asked me what was wrong with my shoe. She had chewed all of the tassels off of the shoe she had in her bed. My students thought it was hilarious! That was the only time she chewed them up.

[GeorgeofNE]

Totally normal.

 

If she is a spook, make sure you are walking her with a harness. And please, please, please have someone from your group come over and take a walk with you.

 

Your group might have some tips on how to coax her outside.

[Guest chickenpotpie]

Yep, its normal. Lucky would go through the laundry basket and get of all things, bras....lol she wouldn't bother anything else, just my bras. She never tore them up, just wanted to lay with them. She dosen't do it anymore but maybe thats because I have a laundry basket shes too lazy to get into.

[denisetanaka]

Thanks everyone for the tips.

She is still hoarding things, but now I let things that she can "get" for collecting.

But if is a normal behavior there's nothing to worry, right? Thanks everyone!

[Banjoman]

I found my gold watch in Chancey's bed one day!

 

She does sometimes collect things and will always take a treat to her cage. She has chewed on slippers until I give them to her as they are no longer wearable and then she ignores them. Any soft or squeaky toy gets demolished. My biggest problem is that she will eat the grandchildren's plastic toys, especially LEGO.

 

Just keep an eye on what she is taking and watch out for any chewing.

[XTRAWLD]

Ryder started picking up after me, which taught me to stop leaving my socks and bras out around the house LOL

 

Isn't there a photo here of a lime green bra sitting out in the middle of a yard (not mine!)

[kronckew]

i think they (unisex) are being 'broody', and going out to retrieve their offspring that refuse to go home on their own. it comforts them to have their inanimate 'children' nearby where they can be watched and laid on. of course they do not chew on their children.