Greyhound reactions when isolation is over

[ShebasMom]

For those who are mandated to self-isolate or self-quarantine and those who are self-isolating as advised, it will be very interesting to learn how different hounds react when life goes back to normal and you're not staying home 24/7.

For me, I stay at home a lot anyway, so for Sheba it will be business as usual, but I'll bet some of you will have to start alone training all over again.

[greysmom]

I'm anticipating a bunch of new separation anxiety threads.   

[ColtGrey]

We adopted our first Grey in the middle of February, and I think after a month she was doing really good and knew our schedule very well. In fact there were a couple days before this all started where I had to work an hour late and about the time I normally would be home our home camera alerted to movement/noise and I tuned in to see her standing by the door whining, but overall she was good. Any time I tuned into the camera otherwise she was asleep in "her" chair and would just get up a few times a day to stretch and re-adjust.

Now she will have had at a minimum 2.5 weeks of someone home with her, I have a feeling its going to be like starting over again where we were last month. She and I have had a lot of bonding time though, so some small good came of it.

[palmettobug]

Yes, I worry about Gino, he gets destructive if he thinks he's being abandoned (or taken back to the group!). He is also very routine oriented, I swear he has a clock up his butt. Fuzzy is more mellow, but she may feed off his energy and get wound up.

[HeyRunDog]

I fall into the very high risk group and I can't leave the house and garden for at least 12 weeks and so I'm hoping as Grace sleeps downstairs it won't be a problem.

[DocsDoctor]

Tiger arrived here on 3 March, just as all this was starting up. He'd been bounced back to the rescue from a previous home, and initially I thought he was fine being left on his own - not at all clingy, no  trail of destruction - but then my neighbours told me that he was barking in my absence. We'd started working on that, with me going out and leaving him for a while each day. But now of course we are on lockdown and I can only go out and leave him for essential shopping - i.e. fairly briefly and only 2-3 times a week.

I hope this won't slow alone training down too much, on the plus side all this enforced togetherness is definitely speeding up the bonding process! We can still enjoy a walk together once a day, with the parks and commons here open for now at any rate, though the council have ordered everyone to keep their dogs on leads - good news from Tiger's point of view as he had been worrying about rude offleash dogs possibly running over. He is puzzled though that when he "smiles" and wags his tail at human passers by they still  keep their distance, even if they smile back. I had worried that he might miss his lunchtime walk but he seems very happy to sunbathe in the garden instead,  especially when the neighbours appear on the other side of the fence with treats for him.

[phall]

This is on my mind as well.  Lucas and Sox have never in the 3 years I've had them had any issue with separation anxiety. They were in a good routine with my work days.  Now with Lucas almost completely blind, he is happy that I am working from home.  He isn't glued to me, but stays close by napping or just being a companion.  I'm hoping when I do go back to the office he'll adjust quickly.  I am lucky in that my dog walker is great and will be flexible, I'm sure, but it's still on my mind.

[cleptogrey]

can practice going out to the garden/yard with out them? this way there will be some separation.

here in NY, i'm located between New Rochelle (where everything started in NY) and NYC.  we are allowed for walks/jogs/bike riding etc as long as it's not a group. so, my dog is totally exhausted- and DH his too! I am out for 4 miles a day and a short trot with the hound next to the bike(15 min). i'm limited since the knee is still recovering from meniscus surgery(at 67 it's taking a while and not having water aerobics has slowed the rehab process down)- but DH and hound go out for another 2 miles just before dinner.

 exercise is the best thing we can do for ourselves and our hounds. remember a tired hound is a good hound- and the same thing goes for partners- if they are exhausted and you are exhausted just an adjustment in walkies when we all resume to our new life- mean while- just live day to day . i don't think that dogs will develop separation anxiety when life resumes- mine will be glad to be left alone!

[Bluebell]

I bought my Alan home just as the lockdown started. I'm a worried he might get a little overwhelmed when it suddenly starts getting busier. He hasn't met many people or dogs since I got him which is a shame because he used to love people saying hi and petting him, now they move onto the other side of the street and ignore him... Alan just watches them as the walk away. .

[smt]

We have had Bette for almost 6 months now, and she has made great progress in being alone.  I, too, fear this may cause a set back.  So, we are attempting on a daily basis to leave her alone, even if for a short period of time when we go for a walk w/o her, or run to the store, or even just leave her alone in the house while we quietly read outside on our deck with the door closed so she can't see us.  So many reasons to hate COVID 19.  This is but one . . .

 

[ColtGrey]

I ended up having to go into work last Friday, and our grey did fine; I checked the camera a few times all day and she just sat in her chair and either slept or looked out the window......but when I got home she was so mad at me, wouldnt even look at me until later in the evening.

[MerseyGrey]

Buddy’s a funny one...on the few occasions when I have had to go to work at the weekend in the past, he would have a total meltdown, even though he wasn’t left alone because my husband would be here with him. Two weekends ago, we did our usual weekend routine - long walk in the morning, relaxed breakfast with a prolonged cup of coffee and off to work, followed by a meltdown. This past weekend, we did the same thing but no meltdown. The difference? I decided to wear my usual weekday work garb rather than dressing in jeans, which I have always worn for weekend work before. He barely opened an eyelid as I left the house. Jeans obviously say to him ‘she should be at home’. At least one of the men in my house notices what I wear...

[greysmom]

My dogs absolutely know the difference between "home clothes" and "leaving the house clothes!!!"  And Dog help me if I even think about putting make up on!!!