Still Noisey, Different Reason

[Guest koopathegreyt]

Thank you to everyone who responded to my previous issue. We successfully transitioned Koopa into our bedroom at night on her own bed.

 

The new issue is during the day. My fiance is a high school teacher and I am a psych rehab counselor. We both work 8 hours during the day. He leaves before I do, making it my responsibility to make sure Koopa is set for the day. She is taken outside two times between 5:45am and 7:15am. She does her business but doesn't always poop. This makes us very hesitant to NOT crate her during the day. Our first experience with leaving her during the day (first day back to work after Gotcha Day) was horrendous: she escaped the sectioned off area, pooped on the carpet, walked though it, got poop throughout the house and couches, then ripped our blinds down on the front door.

 

Since then she has destroyed 3 beds AND pooped in her crate (we were only gone for 20 minutes!). I make sure she has plenty to keep her occupied (PB bone, Kong, chews, you name it). I've also given her a worn t-shirt or shorts so she can smell us.

 

The problem is she is destroying the bed mats we put in the crate and screams bloody murder before I even get out the front door. If she is not completely house broken, we don't trust her having free reign of ANY space in our house.

 

HELP!

[locket]

First off, you need to walk her before leaving for work to make sure she poops. I wake up at 5h15 to make sure I have time to walk my dogs, you can do it too!

Then, it might be the crate that is making her anxious. And if so, it will only get worse and will be dangerous for her and for your sanity to leave her crated. Is she house-broken WHILE you are home?

Have you done ANY alone training at all? It seems as if she might have some separation anxiety and so you need to work on this to address the issue. Search the forum and read “I’ll be home soon”. Also, make sure you make her comfortable with music, lot of exercise before you leave, DAP collar maybe?

You can block her off in the kitchen maybe where it would be easier to clean up. Or at least close the doors to the different rooms.

[Time4ANap]

The only solution is what was said above. Walk until she goes. You can't expect a hound to hold it all day.

 

Make sure that the morning walks are "all business" - no stopping to sniff etc. Set the expectation by teaching the word "Potty" or whatever word you want to use for that, but refer to the morning walk as "Let's go Potty" instead of "Let's Go For A Walk." Afternoon /evening walks can be fun time, but morning walks can be potty walks.

[DofSweetPotatos]

Take her out right at 545 for a quick pee, praise praise praise. Then back in and feed her so that breakfast has a chance to make things "get to the batters box" so to speak. Then out for walkies between 7 and 7:15. Plan for a half hour or so walk. Exercise will get things moving. Walk til she poops. Then walk a little more and head home. She may poop again, or may not.

Keep breakfast lighter than dinner so she may not have to poop sooner than before you get home.

[Guest xengab]

You also want to walk so the the grey is tired out. Mine gets a short jog during the walk, I do it three times in a 30 minute walk and seems to help. This also helps to jiggle out any poop DOg goes into crate, you IGNORE dog in crate for 10 minutes then leave.

[KickReturn]

Good grief. This can't be right, surely Koopa is getting a big walk in the morning? Even in the worst weather I would be terrified to leave a dog that didn't have at least a brisk 20 - 30 minute walk as an absolute minimum. For a new dog I would walk their legs off. I wanted them so tired they could hardly take another step before I left them for any significant length of time. This can be done in an hour for most greyhounds, but for some it takes even more time. I just assumed this is what one has to do. Be glad you're not trying to tire out a border collie.

 

Once the walking is taken care of than it might be possible to work on separation anxiety.

Edited November 2, 2016 by KickReturn

[Guest koopathegreyt]

Hi all, thank you for the responses so far. This morning I brought Koopa for a 30 minute walk around our neighborhood. We'll see how this goes.

[3greytjoys]

Good suggestions for alone training, exercise, and feeding schedule. Frozen Kong lasts longer than at room temperature.

 

Additionally, she probably needs a mid-day potty outing (whether one of you go home at lunch, or arrange for a dog walker). Video camera could reveal her timing needs. Dogs howl/bark for different reasons: some as a call back to their humans (seen by the dog as part of their family pack wandering out alone), and/or an alert that they need a potty break pronto(!), etc.

 

Our adoption group requires hounds be provided access to eliminate at least every 4 hours during the day, especially for newly adopted hounds. After they adjust to their completely new life, depending on the individual dog, they may be able to hold it for 5-6 hours. Dogs holding urine/bowel during dark overnight hours is different; they can finally relax while sleeping in the room with their recumbent people. Being left alone during day in a new world for first time in a hound's life is (understandably) scary for the dog. After their adjustment period (can last weeks/months), some but not all dogs can last through an entire work day.

 

As I caution all new dog parents, please don't reprimand a dog for his/her actions rooted from fear (anxiety is rooted from fear) and/or when humans miss a hound's subtle potty signals (simply standing up, or pacing, or sniffing the floor, looking out a window/door, approaching a person, etc.). Anxiety, missed signals, and lack of enough scheduled outings are the most common reasons for potty accidents. It is not the dog's fault. Even raising a voice to the sensitive Greyhound breed can compound and intensify problems (worsen fear/anxiety) by increasing dogs' overall stress level lasting for a looong time.

 

"I'll Be Home Soon" (mentioned above by Locket) is a helpful book: https://www.amazon.com/Ill-Home-Soon-Separation-Anxiety/dp/1891767054

[3greytjoys]

This makes us very hesitant to NOT crate her during the day. Our first experience with leaving her during the day (first day back to work after Gotcha Day) was horrendous: she escaped the sectioned off area, pooped on the carpet, walked though it, got poop throughout the house and couches, then ripped our blinds down on the front door.

 

Since then she has destroyed 3 beds AND pooped in her crate (we were only gone for 20 minutes!). I make sure she has plenty to keep her occupied (PB bone, Kong, chews, you name it). I've also given her a worn t-shirt or shorts so she can smell us.

 

The problem is she is destroying the bed mats we put in the crate and screams bloody murder before I even get out the front door. If she is not completely house broken, we don't trust her having free reign of ANY space in our house.

 

HELP!

 

 

Your quote: "Since then she has destroyed 3 beds AND pooped in her crate (we were only gone for 20 minutes!)" End quote.

This is common with separation anxiety. When dogs are feeling highly anxious they often can't hold in their bowel/urine as long as when they're feeling calm. She may have needed a longer or more opportunities to eliminate immediately before your departure.

 

If she is not spending any time in the crate while humans are home relaxing in the same room with her (without her fearing being left for many hours), she's only associating her crate with being left alone. Muzzling her with her plastic Greyhound turn-out muzzle is safer than her ingesting bedding or toys.

 

If you decide to continue crating, please work on crate training:

Begin feeding all meals in her open door crate.

Next step: Feed meals in crate with closed door, but open door immediately (and provide quick potty outing) upon finishing her meal.

Next step: Play yummy treat toss games in open door crate (if crate has 2 doors, open both) but don't lock her inside during these games.

Next step: After crated meals, begin leaving crate door closed for 1 minute upon finishing her meal.

Next step: Leave crate door closed 2 minutes, etc.

Don't let her time in crate go above her comfort threshold.

 

If offering a PB Kong or other rare, high-value meat treats during crate training sessions, remove the Kong immediately upon letting her out of the crate.

 

Crate training works best if the crate is her only bed in that room (and she's not allowed on humans' furniture).

She'll be more inclined to view her open door crate as her positive, happy place to willingly enter and begin relaxing on crate's cushy dog bed.

Humans should keep her company by watching TV, work on computer, read or whatever in the same room with her periodically each day.

Once she begins to relax in crate (and trust that she won't be locked up for hours every time she steps paw in a crate), a human can casually walk by and quietly close crate door for a few minutes, then quietly open it leaving her undisturbed.

Slowly increase her relaxed close door crate time while she's sleeping or casually watching humans from her safe, happy crate.

 

If she's already developed a dangerously intense phobia of her crate, I'd get an extra tall baby-gate, install it a few inches above floor level for additional height, and muzzle her in her most comfortable room (i.e., most used room when family is home). Dog-proof everything in that room and keep remotes, paper (mail, magazines, etc.), eye glasses, medicines, food, etc. in closed drawers/cabinets. Hide and/or unplug cords. Close doors to other rooms in house/apt.

 

Good luck, and please remember racing Greyhounds have never been completely alone in their lives before adoption. A secure mirror at her sight level may help her feel less alone (almost like an instant kennel mate). Time and patience are your best friends.

[GeorgeofNE]

Change the morning routine so that you take her out for a quick break first thing, then feed her immediately after. Almost all dogs will have to poop about an hour after a meal. So you need to give her time to digest her breakfast.

 

I also prompt my dog, "let's go potty" when I know it's time. And when he does, I say "good potty!!! gooooood potty! What a good boy you are!!!"

 

And I've had him almost three years...I suppose I could give it a rest, eh?

[Guest makalataylor]

Change the morning routine so that you take her out for a quick break first thing, then feed her immediately after. Almost all dogs will have to poop about an hour after a meal. So you need to give her time to digest her breakfast.

 

I also prompt my dog, "let's go potty" when I know it's time. And when he does, I say "good potty!!! gooooood potty! What a good boy you are!!!"

 

And I've had him almost three years...I suppose I could give it a rest, eh?

I completely agree. In the morning at 5:00 my fiance gets up and immediately takes Molly out for a quick pee break then he comes back upstairs and feeds her at 5:30 before he leaves for work. I walk her again at 7:00 before I leave for work and she always poops. So that's about an hour and half. Then I come home at lunch around 12:15 (most days) and take her for a quick potty break and we take a nap together. Then I arrive home at 5:30, we go for a walk and she poops again. Dinner at 6:15 then we walk twice more, sometimes she will poop once more, sometimes not. We don't walk long though as she prefers to do her business and get back inside. Most of the time after the pees, she instantly goes to turn around and I have to remind her we have to walk a tad longer. She is a very fast pooper though. I can plan to do her morning poop walk in about 5 minutes, especially because the dreaded school bus is outside. I cannot wait until we have a yard for her.

[Guest mpsoderberg]

My boyfriend and I have had Tanner for a little over a month, and hired a dog walker to come every weekday at 11:30 a.m. It's truly a weight off my mind to know that he'll be OK, especially if he doesn't poop in the morning. It's worth every penny. He gets a frozen Kong when I leave at 7 a.m. and the dog walker puts one in the kennel with him when their walk is over. I also leave the radio on for Tanner (I just know he's a country music fan at heart).

 

Thanks for the advice from the group about making the morning walk a "business walk." I'm totally guilty of letting him just sniff around and enjoy the morning air.

[Guest LurcherLove]

We have a greyhound/irish wolfhound cross but she is a good 90% greyhound personality. We got her at 8 weeks and were fortunate to have a week to stay home all day with her before returning to work. During this time we sort of crate trained her. We borrowed a fairly large crate from friends of ours and would feed her treats/her meals in there all the time and would periodically closed the crate door while we were home. Then we transitioned to putting her in the crate and then going outside to shovel the snow or something for a short period of time. She would whine and howl for a good 10 mins and then calmed down. Once she was calm we came back inside.

 

When we went back to work we decided to put her crate in our bathroom with the door open (bathroom door was closed of course) and a couple pee pads since she was so young and was still going every couple of hours. We also had no idea how big she would get being a wolfhound cross and wasn't sure what size crate she would grow into. Before we left in the morning she got a good walk/play/training (at least 30 minutes) and we left her a frozen kong and lots of toys. We also hired someone to come by and let her out for pee/feed her. We were also lucky because this person had a big gentle dog our pup could play with when she came over. She did very well with this training and after about a month or so we stopped leaving the pads because she could hold it for a good 3-4 hours. Eventually, she grew out of the crate so we just put her bed in the bathroom. She never destroyed anything (save for a couple pee pads) and seemed to just sleep most of the time (we had one of those Whistle dog monitors so we could see when she was being active on our phones).

 

Hope some of these things that worked for us can help you!

[Guest Xur]

Lurcherlove: I have a greyhound/Irish wolfhound mix that I got at 10 weeks. It's great how much info I have received from this site......the right food, collars, etc!

[Guest LurcherLove]

Lurcherlove: I have a greyhound/Irish wolfhound mix that I got at 10 weeks. It's great how much info I have received from this site......the right food, collars, etc!

 

Agreed! I feel like I would've been totally lost without this forum. Our experience with Mavis (our dog) has been wildly different compared to our friends/families and their puppies due to her high energy, stubbornness and independence - she's got a ton of personality. How old is your pup now?

[Guest Xur]

Very true! He's a little over a year and a half. How about your pup? Do you like the dog monitors/video cameras? I'd like to start letting Xur free range as he is a low destruction dog; however, I'm still nervous to do so longer than an hour just in case he gets into something harmful. A camera might be a good way to monitor?

[Guest LurcherLove]

Very true! He's a little over a year and a half. How about your pup? Do you like the dog monitors/video cameras? I'd like to start letting Xur free range as he is a low destruction dog; however, I'm still nervous to do so longer than an hour just in case he gets into something harmful. A camera might be a good way to monitor?

Mavis is just over 2 years old. We've been giving her free range since she was about a year old. We didn't use camera's though. The 'Whistle' is basically a like a Fitbit monitor for dogs that syncs to your phone and shows when your dog is being active. We were out for dinner once when she was about 6 months old and I checked my phone is she was more active than usual - poor pup had diarrhea while we were away. After noticing she just slept while we were gone we just started giving her free range of the house. Here's a link to the Whistle (the new one has GPS) - we lost our first one and when I messaged the company about it they promptly sent us a new one: http://www.whistle.com/

[Guest Xur]

Wow, I didn't even know the whistle or that kind of technology was available. Very interesting! I see it's on sale too !

[Guest Xur]

I tried out the whistle tracker. I like that it keeps track of activity but I don't like that the app (for me anyway) updated only 2-3 times per day and wasn't in real time. Also, they require a monthly subscription fee which is about $10 if you pay monthly versus paying ahead a year or two. It's supposed to be waterproof and cleans easily. It is kind of bulky even for my 84# hound. Things to consider anyway

[Guest LurcherLove]

Haven't logged on here for a while! The subscription must be for GPS tracking - ours doesn't have that option. Hope you found something that works for you!