DougB Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 Hi everyone! We just adopted our newest grey after being a foster fail. We started fostering the new guy at the beginning of June and made it official a few weeks ago. We now have 2 males, 4 years old, and birthdays are just a few weeks apart. First one never raced and our newest one is a 122 race guy. They get along fine in the house with the occasional low growl to let the other know that an invasion of space has taken place. While we were fostering, our new guy didn't really run while outside in the yard (both are always muzzled). Now he is getting more comfortable and starting to run. When he takes off, our first grey takes off after him and really lets out a mean growl and bumps him which usually shuts the new guy down. The other day, the new one kind of fought back and they got really loud with each other. The next door neighbor thought we had a dog fight...it sounded that bad! Looking for advice on how/if I should be disciplining when this happens. Is there a way to let them know that this is not acceptable play? I would love to see them run around together and chase and play....but it is not happening right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatterseaBrindl Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 My guys often play rough, too. A little growl from me usually gets things calmer. We have a new addition here, too. Kibo is quite young and can really get up some speed out in the yard and and Sid is often trying to catch up and grab his neck and the chatter gets rather loud. I have seen no signs of true aggression, but I am always watching them and can calm them down quickly. Muzzles are your friend and make sure you are out there supervising. Quote Nancy...Mom to Sid (Peteles Tiger), Kibo (112 Carlota Galgos) and Joshi. Missing Casey, Gomer, Mona, Penelope, BillieJean, Bandit, Nixon (Starz Sammie), Ruby (Watch Me Dash) Nigel (Nigel), and especially little Mario, waiting at the Bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EllenEveBaz Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 Second the muzzles and supervision. Your guys are still getting used to each other. I've had a lot of bumping and growling over the years, but never had to worry about serious aggression. Instead of disciplining them for what is pretty natural behavior, try calling them to you and working on some structured obedience for a few minutes, or offer them water, or ... . Quote Ellen, with brindle Milo and the blonde ballerina, Gelsey remembering Eve, Baz, Scout, Romie, Nutmeg, and Jeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysmom Posted August 26, 2019 Share Posted August 26, 2019 I've had multiples for years, and really, this is pretty normal play behavior for greyhounds. It often sounds like WW3 in my yard when all of them get going. One other thing to consider is that this behavior might be why your first boy didn't race. If they interfere with other dogs trying to play or be aggressive they are disqualified and turfed out, sent to adoption. If that's the case, you will see evidence of it in the notes from any training races he ran on his Greyhound Data or TrackInfo page (under his registered name). Keep the muzzles on and supervise them closely. If your second is disciplining the first, but the first is not backing down appropriately or changing his behavior, you may need to have them play separately for everyone's safety. Quote Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora) siggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougB Posted August 28, 2019 Author Share Posted August 28, 2019 Thanks for the feedback! So far the rough behavior has stayed outside. I just want to keep it that way. They have done great together in the house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobesmom Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 Diana never raced because she played/bumped the other dogs in her maiden races, and didn't focus on the lure, so she was petted out at 2. I think it's called "Interfering". Sobe, our first grey, was a somewhat seasoned racer. So..... when they ran in the fenced yard together, Sobe always did perfect laps around the edge, and Diana ran, bumped, jumped, and annoyed him. When she fell too far behind (which is always did), she'd crouch in one corner and jump out at him when he passed by. When it was just the 2 of them, it was fine. Some noise, but no issues. I was pretty careful to keep nails short because there would be "pouncing" sometimes, and a nail can accidentally cut. When we'd have a foster in the house, we didn't let all 3 out together to run, because invariably the newbie wouldn't understand their odd play style, and it wasn't that big a deal to let them run in shifts, and not worth bothering with them getting to get used to it all together because the foster would be gone soon. A couple of the long-term fosters were let in on it, and that was fine, too. Sobe and Di did this for years, and it was fine. Nobody ever got hurt, and I believe they both thoroughly enjoyed it. It did scare the heck outta me at first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzyHounds Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 I'm interested in this, too, because my 3-year-old staghound littermate girls Kaja and Potter do this too. They were together at the coyote hunter who bred them until they were almost 3, then they were rescued. We adopted one and then the other was a bounce and we got her 4 months later--so they were together their whole lives except for 4 months (and we've had them together almost 3 months). Shortly after getting Potter, the second one, we fenced in part of our yard. Kaja wants to play in the yard and tries to get Potter going, but Potter usually shuts her down (and sometimes returns any toys we've brought out to the house). On the other hand, Potter loves to run at the dog park and I can tell she wants to get Kaja to run with her--but Kaja would rather saunter and sniff. Obviously they know each other well and generally get along great, but sometimes they do get kind of loud in the yard when Kaja wants to play and Potter doesn't, and I always wonder if I should let them go or intervene. Last night Potter did actually run and play a bit at last turn out, though, so maybe they're starting to figure it out. I'm glad that I read here about how loudly they can play, though, because when they do play they can sound kind of alarming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobesmom Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 When I got worried at first - my DH said "Dogs are dogs - you think they're "greyhounds" - but they are dogs." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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