Cuddle Time

[katiedid1281]

Hi everyone! I haven't been on here in a while but you've all had good advice in the past. We have a 4.5 year old male named Rufus who we adopted the summer of 2016. He's a big, lazy lump 99 percent of the time (good news... if our couch is trying to escape, it isn't going to succeed! It is being held down by 75 pounds of greyhound).

 

He's started, over the last few months, to want to cuddle with me when I sit on the couch with him. Yay! Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to quite know how to do this. I'll sit down and he'll settle himself in beside me with his head on my lap enjoying the pats. If he falls asleep, however, he'll forget where he is totally and wake up with a growl like "WHY IS SOMEONE TOUCHING ME?" (Um, you started it!) Should I continue to allow him to cuddle? I usually let him do it for a bit and then get up or get him off somehow to end the cuddling on good terms.

 

On a totally unrelated note, are greyhounds known to be incredibly obsessed with smells? I thought I got a sight hound but he doesn't care so much about what he sees... more about what he smells! He would sniff us all from head to toe when we get home for 10 minutes if we let him. He's almost as obsessed as the beagle I had as a kid, and he walked into a parked car once when his nose was glued to the ground!

[amalexia]

Hi everyone! I haven't been on here in a while but you've all had good advice in the past. We have a 4.5 year old male named Rufus who we adopted the summer of 2016. He's a big, lazy lump 99 percent of the time (good news... if our couch is trying to escape, it isn't going to succeed! It is being held down by 75 pounds of greyhound).

 

He's started, over the last few months, to want to cuddle with me when I sit on the couch with him. Yay! Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to quite know how to do this. I'll sit down and he'll settle himself in beside me with his head on my lap enjoying the pats. If he falls asleep, however, he'll forget where he is totally and wake up with a growl like "WHY IS SOMEONE TOUCHING ME?" (Um, you started it!) Should I continue to allow him to cuddle? I usually let him do it for a bit and then get up or get him off somehow to end the cuddling on good terms.

 

On a totally unrelated note, are greyhounds known to be incredibly obsessed with smells? I thought I got a sight hound but he doesn't care so much about what he sees... more about what he smells! He would sniff us all from head to toe when we get home for 10 minutes if we let him. He's almost as obsessed as the beagle I had as a kid, and he walked into a parked car once when his nose was glued to the ground!

 

Our girl Cameron does the same on both counts.

 

For the sofa, we just don't let her come on the sofa if we're using it. She can have it when we're not home or if we're not in the living room, but if we are, she goes down. We are going to keep it like that until she stops growling because we move on the sofa.

 

For the nose thing, no advice really. She smells everything and everywhere. I just let her do it; it's good for them. Sometimes, she'll even smell my feet while I am walking around (especially if I just got back home).

[greysmom]

Both behaviors are totally normal.

 

He's gaining trust and bonding with you, so he wants his snuggle time!! But then he falls asleep and gets startled awake. Just teach him a command like "bed" or "off" of "get down" using a treat to lure him off the couch after he gets his cuddles. The behavior may extinguish itself over time, but it's just easier for him to sleep safe on his own bed until then.

 

The sniffing all over is also a very common dog thing. You can try and redirect him using a chew treat or toy if it becomes obsessive or intrusive. You actually don't want him to be assaulting your guests with his nose either!

Edited February 3, 2018 by greysmom

[EllenEveBaz]

 

 

I usually let him do it for a bit and then get up or get him off somehow to end the cuddling on good terms.

This is what I do with my sleep-startle boy who has learned to love cuddling. I get him to move away while he is still awake.

[katiedid1281]

Thanks, everyone! I'll continue what I'm doing. He's really very good about sharing the couch when not being touched while asleep. He pretty much lives for the couch.