Morning Mania

[Guest Eatsleepsleep]

Hi! I adopted Hugo one month ago and I was wondering if the following are all a part of his settling in or if Im being trained to enable bad behaviour. Also, Im wondering if all these behaviours noted below are connected or if these are separate issues.

 

Most importantly, however, Hugo in all his lounging glory is here: https://ibb.co/krPJh8

 

Hugo is a two-year-old retired racer.

 

Sorry for the long post ahead!

 

The most noticeable behaviour is his getting up early. He used to get up once or twice during the night (my alarm is for 6:30 am). Now, he has me up about 5 times, with increasing frequency towards 4 and 5 am. Ive tried closing the window to prevent drafts, feeding him late (dinner is between 10 and 11 pm), giving him a late night snack, ignoring him, telling him to go back to bed/sleep, throwing a blanket on him in case hes cold. He also doesnt immediately potty when I take him outside. Ive also tried some but not all of those things to isolate the variable thats doing it/or the variables that are responsible.

 

As well, hes started to pee in the apartment and has stopped giving me signs he has to go outside. That said, he was never very explicit about having to pee. Finally, he wont eat his kibble (Nutrisource Chicken & Rice) unless hes very hungry, namely because Ive gone to work and theres no one to give him treats. Whereas he used to love yogurt on kibble, he avoids that part now, too.

 

I think hes acting up because I went back to work six days ago, even though I did not coddle him during the first three weeks to avoid SA. We even practiced time away from the apartment (got up to 7.5 hours). In fact, the first two weeks were extremely business-like so he got used to being alone on his bed while I was in the other room. My final week off was spent giving him little pats but everything was still rather formal, without too much affection. Now that I work, Im affectionate with him when home. However, we still practice returning home calmly, saying be right back when leaving along with a treat, etc.

 

I think hes still settling in because he wont let the dog walker walk him (were working on this), hence his peeing in the house before the walker arrives or peeing when I get home. However, Im confused as to why he wont go for walks anymore with me and why hes getting up so often during the night. About 60% of the time, he wont leave the apartment (I have an outdoor staircase of 20 steps leading down to the sidewalkIve been carrying him because he usually refuses to go down. This has been changing though with training). Also, 80% of the time, when outside, he potties then statues unless we turn around for home. For the first problem, I lure him with cheese or Milkbone, sit and check my phone until he complies, or carry him to the door. For the second problem, I carry him a few feet.

 

Hugo just took tapeworm medication so perhaps his good behaviour was because of the worms!

 

Does anyone think all of this is just settling in? Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you!

Edited June 23, 2018 by Eatsleepsleep

[cleptogrey]

whew, a lot is going on! check urine for UTI. do you use a crate? it might just work especially at night. is he getting enough exercise both before and after work? can the food be causing the excessive urination or is it behavioral? there will be lots of thoughts. checking for a UTI might be #1 on your list. you did have him checked by your vet when he was first adopted right? have you considered enrolling in a training class, he just might need some structure and a consistent routine. at the farm/track the dogs are on a schedule. whew, be patient, consistent and i'll be reading about your progress.

[Guest Eatsleepsleep]

Thanks for the tips! Ill add an UTI to the list of possible causes. I ought to have also mentioned that he had a rigid schedule for the first three weeks: breakfast at 6:30 am, walk and potty after; lunch and potty/walk at 3; dinner and potty/walk at between 10 pm and 11 pm. Walks are 20 to 30 mins. The schedule started to derail during some hot and humid days here: he wouldnt walk for a long time/wouldnt even leave the apartment; then he turned down breakfast; and I think the most major change was his refusing to walk with the walker at 3 pm, which causes the accidents. However, there have also been recent days when he refuses to pee for 12+ hours even when Im walking him. Its why Im thinking its nerves, though its true that a vet would have to confirm.

 

And yep, he was checked by a vet before coming up here (hes from Florida and Im in Montreal).

[greysmom]

I think it's probably a bit of both - some getting comfortable and settling in to a routine, and some Separation Anxiety. Do have him checked for a UTI, and recheck for worms, if you haven't yet (hooks have been notoriously difficult to clear, requiring multiple treatments over several months). The hooks could also be causing his behavioral issues.

 

Most greyhounds are sensitive to changes in heat, and expecially humidity. They just slow down in warmer weather, so it's a bit of a challenge to get them enough exercise, and out for pottying. Try to use the coolest parts of the day, even if theat means getting up a bit earlier. He might also benefit from having your walker come earlier in the day when it's cooler.

 

If your outside stairs are open-backed that may explain his reluctance to use them. If they are *your* stairs only, you might consider adding some stairs treads, and trying to close the backs with cardboard or something as a visual barrier.

 

Go back to square one with your potty training. And look at a couple training books by Patricia McConnell - I'll be Home Soon (for SA), and Way to Go (potty training). She offers great, easy-to-follow solutions for owners and dogs. Her books were just on sale, though they aren't terribly expensive regular price

[cgs]

Is he peeing in the apartment because he needs to go, or is he marking? Percy marked some for the first month or so and seems to still want to mark in our bedroom closet, which we now keep closed. For marking, I just cleaned up with some nature's miracle and watch carefully when he's near one of those spots so I can correct him right away, or as with the closet, make the spot inaccessible. I'd ignore him at night--night after night after night to see if that works. Percy was also finicky about food at first and didn't eat consistently. That may have had to do with settling in or may have had to do with the worms. He still had worms after treatment, but maybe the wormer helped somehow and he got his appetite, or maybe he just settled in and started eating more regularly.

[GeorgeofNE]

Yikes.

 

A lot of reinforcing of the behavior you DON'T want to reinforce, like making a picky eater.

 

I would start by getting this dog comfortable walking up and down the stairs. You're lucky you can physically carry a dog down the stairs, but it's likely a very unpleasant experience for him, and if I had a choice between being carried down the stairs or peeing in the house...I think I know which one I'd chose.

 

I know how difficult it can be, believe me. It took me weeks to teach my first greyhound how to use the stairs at my old building. I could NOT lift him, so for me it was moving each paw up each step (three flights) over and over and over. Eventually he just...walked down the stairs! Problem solved, but it wasn't easy.

 

I feel like if he's not afraid to go down the stairs, the other matters will, one by one, start to resolve.

[Guest couchsprinter]

I think it's more peeing to pee than to mark as there's quite a bit that comes out when he goes in the house.

 

Nothing much as changed, but I just wanted to provide a brief update for the curious, as well as to thank all those who commented and provided advice. We are starting to relearn potty training again and, good news, he seems to be going down the stairs with increasing consistency. I still have to get him to the vet to check for am UTI, though I'm confused because he sometimes also goes 12+ hours when he doesn't feel like going outside. It might indeed be the heat and humidity though, as I find he is more down to walk when the weather is cooler and fresh.

 

I think I might also cut his toenails. They're rather long so perhaps this is causing him some grief. What a lovable weirdo.

[locket]

Hi! I am in Montreal, so maybe I could join you for a walk, it might do some good to Hugo to see that friends can walk outside and its fun!

 

If you haven't already, join the facebook group the league of extraordinary greyhounds and contact me if you are interested!