Depressed?

[Car]

Any thoughts or advise  would be so helpful. We adopted 2 greyhounds in August last year 2021. Ex racers and were sisters, we called them Olive and Ethel. Both are beautifully sweet. Ethel is very much extrovert, happy go lucky and  playful. Olive we worry about. If left to it she will spend all day alone in her bed in the bedroom. She is very anxious and will often develop phobias of e.g a walking on a rug she walks on everyday. She is very reactive with most other dogs, growling & barking, she was spooked with a sound in our local fields (dec 2021) and ran off, only found next day. She has not wanted to walk since and I will have to what I feel really force her out allot of the time.she started enjoying a new field again, playing with Ethel and running around like she used to and then through no reason I can understand, now wont play in there again and waits by the gate. She loves cuddles on her terms, loves new people and is really affextionate allot of the time when she is happy to engage. I'm worried she is depressed. I've tried her on CBD oil as of a few days ago to help with anxiety, this has had mixed results so far. One walk went the best it has done for months then again today it was really bad for her again. I don't know how to help her, or if in fact she needs help? Is it normal to be so solitary? Please pleases please any help would be amazing. I'm lost as to what to do?! 

[HeyRunDog]

I don't think she's depressed but anxious and possibly what is known as a spook. Others on here will know more about that than me.

She probably got frightened to her wits end when she ran off and it will take a lot of time to bring her confidence back up. Don't force her to do anything and walk both dogs together on leads so she can get comfort from her sister and being attached to you. I know it's great to see greyhounds enjoy running free but a brisk walk on a lead a couple of times a day won't be detrimental.

My Grace is an anxious dog and she wasn't let off the lead for the first 2.5 years and then she's only let off in a secure field with no other dogs around. I've had her for nearly 4 years and she's still spooked by noisy children and the sound of a football being kicked.

[greysmom]

Yes, it sounds like you have what we refer to as a "spook."  They are dogs who are extremely anxious on a genetic level, and in many ways behave much like autistic children in humans.  Greyhound breeders report they can see the development of this "spook syndrome" in litters sometimes only days or weeks old.  It's likely she's been this way her whole life.  It isn't a result of something you did, her being adopted, or any treatment she received in her early life at the track.  And it's actually pretty common.

There are numerous threads here talking about spooks (and anxious dogs in general) for you to search for and read, including one from just a week or so ago.  You aren't alone in searching for ways to help your girl cope better.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

[Car]

Thank you so much for your replies. I had not heard of this term before so I have now got something to read up on some more. Autistic is the perfect description for her actually, she does show allot of such tendancies (in dog form) .

 

Thanks again for your knowledge