Second greyhound - will they bond

[Brindle_Wonder]

Hey

I’ve posted on her a few times about my very fearful dog (being afraid to walk on roads and afraid of the moon). He’s been on Prozac for over 8 weeks and on the whole he’s been brave enough to go out at night now when he really needs to when a full moon is out - I have had to made a canopy to shield the sky and put bark up to the back door but it seems to have worked. However, I’d still love to able to walk in places other than fields or woodlands with my dog.

My clinical behaviourist said the only thing left to try is to get a really confident second  dog, so I contacted a great greyhound charity and they’ve very quickly found a great greyhound that I’m fostering with a view to adopt. They got on well at the meet and greet. I’ve had him home for just over a week (which I appreciate is very early doors) and my gut is telling me that this new dog isn’t the correct match for my current dog.

The new dog George is amazing, he’s never been in a house before and was instantly toilet trained, amazing on lead, not afraid of traffic, loves meeting people etc. However, he has been a bit growly with my dog for no apparent reason, no food was around, Wonder can just be lying on the bed and George will growl, it has got better but for instance last night Wonder popped out of the room in the middle of the night and George gave chase barking which scared Wonder so much so that he wouldn’t come back into the room. Wonder came back down in the morning with a waggy tail, so maybe I shouldn’t worry. During the day I typically work in my office and wonder sleeps next to me, however in the last few days wonder is choosing to go elsewhere whilst George stays in the room. There is ample space for both of them.

On walks they don’t seem to acknowledge each other so I haven’t seen any improvement in wonders bravery on walks and he’s still stopping a lot.

Therefore, my question is, should I expect to see a bond grow more over time. Have you noticed your grey walks better with some greys and not others. Should I keep going or try a different dog or different tact?

My friend wants to home George if it doesn’t work out so I know he’ll go to a great home if it doesn’t work out.

Thanks for reading my post

 

 

[Time4ANap]

This is one of those things that's there's just no way to know.  Some dogs bond well, and others are totally indifferent about other dogs.  The only thing you can do is give it some time to see how they interact (if they do)  and to make sure they get along.  We've had a lot of greyhounds through here and sometimes they pay no attention to each other, and other times they wag their tails at each other and call it good. Others may become best buddies, but it all takes time. It;s definitely too soon to know in this case, but if you have a gut feeling that the dog is not the right match for your home, you need to pay attention to that as well.  Only you can know that for sure.  Good luck! 

[HeyRunDog]

Just a couple of thoughts.

I see they are both boys, perhaps a confident female would get on better with Wonder.

Also as George is the new boy have you been giving him a little more attention? Perhaps he thinks he's slightly higher in the pecking order than Wonder.

Hopefully they will sort it out amicably and well done for taking the plunge in getting a second greyhound. I haven't been brave enough...yet.

[mansbestfriend]

Hi Brindle_Wonder.

No suggestions. Your situation sounds very like a canine situation I had. My Doggo needed a lot of understanding and training to be less stressed about 'stuff'. I eventually figured since my Doggo had learned how to relax more, I'd foster Dog2. After Dog2 had settled into home for a month or two (and I adopted him), his stares and growls made my Doggo very watchful and nervous and even more stressed than before. I love Dog2, but if I had the time over, my Doggo (Kelly) would be an only dog. Best wishes.

[Brindle_Wonder]

Thanks for your responses, much appreciated. 

All good for thought.  

I definitely having been giving George more attention. George is so confident I think he thought he owned the house as soon as he walked into it....I still can't get over how confident he is. 

I took them to a secure field today and they paid zero attention to one another. 

HeyRunDog I would say having this second greyhound isn't harder than having one (apart from volume of 💩). If that's what may be putting you off... however I'd only keep George if he improved Wonder's anxiety which hasn't yet transpired.

Mansbestfriend, elements of your post definitely ring true to my situation, which is why I'm concerned..

Let's see what the next week brings!

[greysmom]

It sounds like Wonder may be what we refer to as a "spook."  These dogs develop anxiety and anxious reactions to the world within weeks after being born, and usually stay that way the rest of their lives.  Medication, consistent training, and LOTS of patience can sometimes help them live less anxious lives, but they rarely live "normal" ones.  I've had several dogs with varying levels of (regular) anxiety, and one true spook.

It helps if you consider these dogs have a condition much like Autism in people - new things increase their anxiety, they do best with strict daily schedules, they rarely respond to their names, they often engage in repetitive behaviors, they *rarely* bond with or pay any attention to others in any positive way, they can be intelligent, and often are very good racers.  This isn't something they've learned or developed, this is a genetic trait, passed on through their pedigree.  You can google "idiopathic fear syndrome in greyhounds" for more info, and also search here for more threads on spooks.

My spook also never bonded with any of the other confident dogs we had at the same time, and none of them ever made any difference in her anxiety.  She was difficult to catch once she was loose.  She wouldn't come inside on her own and didn't follow the other dogs, so I ended up walking her on leash in our fenced yard for her whole life.

It sounds like George might be counterproductive for Wonder at this point.  He's only increasing Wonder's anxiety, and policing Wonder's access to you.  With different dogs, this combination might be fine, but having a dog #2 isn't helping Wonder, which was the point.  If you and your adoption group are up for trying again, look for a calm, laid back, older female, (maybe a returned dog) who is already familiar with living in a house with people.

It took years to find the right anti anxiety medication and dosage for my spook to be able to have some anxiety free hours of the day.  These dogs require a great deal of patience, and calm, consistent daily life, but they *can* live just fine.

Good luck!