Advice needed re newly adopted young greyhound. Help!

[MrsC]

Hi there everyone! I'm a first time poster here and I'm a bit nervous. Very silly I know, you all seem like a lovely lot!

I'm really after some advice and have a few questions about our very newly adopted greyhound. He's only young, not 2 until May. We lost our previous greyhound back in August and only just felt ready to adopt again recently. Our previous greyhound was very, very timid and took a long time to socialise. She slept a lot and, after a year or so, you hardly knew she was there. 

Our newbie is a whole new kettle of fish. He's still a baby really, and he only came home with us yesterday so we're really early days. He's incredibly loving and affectionate and bonkers, he's also very active, energetic and into everything so it's very new to us after our previous experience. 

Last night was the first night he's ever spent in a real home after being in kennels his whole life and very briefly (2 days) in foster and crated for some of the time. We slept in the living room with him as we have quite awkward stairs and our previous grey never came upstairs and was absolutely fine with that. So, my question is...would you recommend getting a crate for him to feel a bit more secure? I can tell he's a bit overwhelmed by all the space available to him and he seems a bit unsure where to settle. Would this help if we used it in the right way? 

 

Secondly, he's into EVERYTHING. Having a little nibble on anything he sees, taking stuff etc. Literally everything. Obviously it's all totally new to him and he seems to respond really well to a firm 'no' and he's started to drop anything he shouldn't have or get down from the worktop etc. Then we positively reinforce this by telling him he's a good boy and he seems really happy to please, but we're having to constantly do this and can't take our eyes off him for a second. We're all at home at the moment..my teens are homeschooling, I work from home upstairs and my husband is off work for a couple off weeks. So basically, are we on the right track and doing the right thing? Is this just young greyhound behaviour or just adjustment? Or both?! I feel like we're literally unable to leave him alone even just to pop to the loo at the moment, so I have no idea if he's going to struggle with SA as he's not been left alone yet. Are we doing the right thing? 

Any advice would be really, really appreciated. I'm starting to think we might be mad for taking on such a young boy? Or if we're consistent and strong will we be able to make him feel secure and hopefully phase out some of this behaviour over the next few weeks? I'm really trying not to overthink things and get anxious so I guess I'm just after a bit of support! 

Help! 

[stevevt]

I think the crate might be a good idea. That's the thing, though, it's just likely and not a sure thing. But trying it does make sense based on you saying he seems overwhelmed with the space.

He'll settle down and learn the ropes if you continue to be patient with him and firm when needed. It's just a question of how long it'll take, not whether it'll happen. As you note, he's a young hound so he's going to have a lot of extra energy to burn compared with how he'll be in a year or so. 

If he's nibbling on furniture or walls, etc., maybe try spraying his likely targets with bitter apple. I did that with EQ, and provided him with some chew toys, and it was a night-and-day turnaround. I also suggest using a muzzle if you need to leave him alone and you think it'll help.

My overall suggestion is not to start thinking big picture WHAT HAVE WE DONE thoughts until he's had more of a chance to settle in and you start to see some of his true personality come out. It's very, very early right now.

Have fun and good luck! This group is a great place to bounce ideas, so I also recommend you keep doing that as things go along.

Edited February 19, 2021 by stevevt

[MrsC]

Oh my goodness Steve, this is just what I needed to hear right now. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. He's really calm and chilled right now so I know it's in him 😊

[1Moregrey]

I also second the use of a crate.  Use a muzzle on him with a stool guard or tape on the bottom to block the holes (anywhere he could grab things but leave the top open for airflow.)  It can keep him from eating/chewing things he should not.  
I also suggest using a leash or limiting the space he has access to.  Maybe just a room instead of the whole house.  He may just be overwhelmed with to many options.

It is important to have him spend sometime alone from the start if using a crate inside the crate while everyone is in the next room.  If not using the crate time in his area so that he understands it is ok to be by himself and you will be back.

I have some tips in the introduction and biography “New greyhound tips from my Journey”  you may find it helpful. 

Welcome and enjoy.

[JaimeL]

All will be fine, deep breaths. The crate is a great tool, it will give you a break from watching your pup every minute, you need some rest.  He is just a baby right, so every thing goes in the mouth, try to remove what ever you can for now so your stuff is safe. Remember, every thing is so new and exciting for him, after some time most of this stuff will not be so facinating to him. Also, if you can close all doors to most rooms he does not need to be in and baby gate areas so he has less room to roam.

Enjoy, he is going to be a great friend.

[HeyRunDog]

My first thought was....You're brave....taking on a young greyhound. Make sure you're stocked up on chocolate because you're going to need the sugar rush to keep up with him

I would give him a couple of more days to settle in before deciding to get a crate. If you do use a crate you don't have to shut the door, just use it so he has a sheltered safe space he can go to.

I second the use of bitter apple to help stop the chewing of things he shouldn't but make sure he has plenty of things he can chew and I would start alone training sooner rather than later so he doesn't get used to the family always being there when the lockdown ends.

Good luck and enjoy the ride.

[LBass]

I do understand the shock of welcoming a young, active, into everything hound into your home when you are accustomed to a settled older hound.  I have a 14 y/o hound, Spirit, who is settled and was always a fairly "easy" dog.  A couple of Christmases ago I adopted Nate.  At that time he was 1 1/2 years old and had just been diagnosed with PRA--a genetic disease that made him lose his sight.  Nate was a rare handful   and a real change of pace for me.  He chased the cats and, for a dog who can't see, he still misses nothing when when it comes to finding things to grab and chew.  He's also funny and fun and smart and amazingly confident.  You haven't known your new boy long enough to find all his good qualities but you know they are there.     He's also coming straight from a kennel to a home and that transition does take so time, training, and patience.  Even though your dog is grown, you almost have to approach introduction to home life as if you've brought a puppy into your home.

I had a crate on hand and started feeding Nate in his crate and have just kept up that habit.  Old man Spirit is a slower eater and with Nate crated for meals I don't have to worry about any competition issues.  He sees the crate as a good place to be. That crate comfort has been a God-send as Spirit gets more frail and Nate has gotten more crabby and snarky about having anyone near HIS bed.  We're experimenting with having Nate sleep in his crate and, to my surprise, he likes it!  I do like having a kennel muzzle with a stool guard to let him wear if I have to leave him for any length of time.  That way I know that he isn't going to chew anything he shouldn't.  Lots of exercise.  Maybe an obedience class when those are possible.

Nate is my 4th Greyhound and every single one of them has had a different personality, different needs, and a different style.  Yet I've loved every single one.  It always feels like a shock when a new hound arrives and I'm faced with the extra work of training and learning who this new dog is.  Yet every one of them has settled in beautifully.  It will work out that way for your new boy as well.  

 

[MrsC]

This is all so encouraging and has really helped relax my overthinking brain, so thankyou very much for taking the time to response and for your reassuring words. 

A little update, today has been really good! He's so much more settled already and has snoozed much of the day either in the living room with us or he's taken himself off to sleep on the kitchen sofa for a couple of hours. When he's up and alert he's responding really well to a firm 'no' when he grabs anything and drops it straight away. He LOVES the positive reinforcement afterwards... I think he might be quite smart! I tried some 'leave it' training for a few minutes using treats and he got the hang of it after a few repetitions and when he just tried to pick up the remote control all it took was 'leave it' and he put it down and trotted off.

I know there will be way more ups and downs, but we're taking it day by day and so far today has been really positive. He's so funny and loving I think we're hopefully in the right path ❤️

Edited February 20, 2021 by MrsC

[LBass]

Hurray!  I'm glad things are going better.

Smart can be so much fun to work with and sometimes a little terrifying as well.  

[palmettobug]

I did the same--I have two older greys, and right after I put my name on my group's "future adoption" list, I got a call! Would you take a young boy, rather than a senior or special needs? Okay...I had a panic attack the first day. Just a stressful ride home and his energy! Turned 2 in December and 80lbs!!

I got a dog walker to take him out alone during the week (I work from home) to burn some of the energy. He gets into stuffy flinging, and that helps, too.

There have been some scuffles over toys and beds, but I use muzzles to keep the boys from hurting each other. And getting to the cats. They all get along, still some working things out, but it's been less than 6 months and I think they've done pretty good!

[zimsmom]

HA HA!  The world of a young greyhound.  My 1st was 23 months; never again ..   The Kong was the only thing that got me through.  Frozen peanut butter yogurt pumpkin.  Kept her busy for awhile & lots of exercise.  You will be fine. 

[FiveRoooooers]

On 2/20/2021 at 11:23 AM, MrsC said:

This is all so encouraging and has really helped relax my overthinking brain, so thankyou very much for taking the time to response and for your reassuring words. 

A little update, today has been really good! He's so much more settled already and has snoozed much of the day either in the living room with us or he's taken himself off to sleep on the kitchen sofa for a couple of hours. When he's up and alert he's responding really well to a firm 'no' when he grabs anything and drops it straight away. He LOVES the positive reinforcement afterwards... I think he might be quite smart! I tried some 'leave it' training for a few minutes using treats and he got the hang of it after a few repetitions and when he just tried to pick up the remote control all it took was 'leave it' and he put it down and trotted off.

I know there will be way more ups and downs, but we're taking it day by day and so far today has been really positive. He's so funny and loving I think we're hopefully in the right path ❤️

 

On 2/20/2021 at 4:10 PM, LBass said:

Hurray!  I'm glad things are going better.

Smart can be so much fun to work with and sometimes a little terrifying as well.  

Indeed [cough PaddyALVIN!Mayhem cough]. Look for Noseworks classes - they are so much fun and can be an incredible bonding experience for you and your pup while providing him with the mental exhaustion those smart ones crave. If no organized classes are available, a Google search can help.