MR

[doug]

Hello

I have a 4 year old rescue Greyhound, I have a very safe private garden and when I go out he has a room on the side of house and run of the garden, a neighbour has told me he narks for ages when I go out, I have only had him a couple of weeks, am I right to let him have run of garden while I am out and any tips about his barking would be fantastic

 

[HeyRunDog]

I don't know which country you're in but in the UK I was advised by the adoption agency not to leave greyhounds alone in the garden or tied up outside a shop whilst you nip inside as it could get stolen by illegal hare coursers. How likely this is I don't know. They are probably being over cautious. 

Also while greyhounds aren't generally known for being escape artists, I know some are, if they see a squirrel or any other small furry critter they will give chase and try their best to catch it. My advice is not to leave it outside. Also if he's inside there is less to get it excited and he'll just sleep until you get back.

[doug]

Thank you

 

[MerseyGrey]

Have you tried giving him a frozen Kong when you leave as this might help with keeping him occupied and reduce the barking? Depending on what’s in it you might not want to give it to him everyday but you could try and use it interchangeably with a toy that keeps his mind active until he tires himself out. It might not work but is certainly worth a try.

[greysmom]

This is typical of new greyhounds - separation anxiety.  Do a search through the posts here for threads on SA and what to do about it.

Personally, I would never let a dog be outside for long periods of time without supervision.  It's too easy for them to get into mischief, get hurt, get stolen, or simply dig a hole and escape.   A healthy dog should be able to hold his pees/poops for long enough for your errands or workday, so there's really no needs if he's properly toilet trained (and has his SA under control).