Aggression

[Iona]

Hi I’m wondering if I could get some advise . We have adopted an ex racer who is 5 years old , he has been with us since March this year and has started to show signs of aggression towards my eldest son.  My son grabbed him by his collar to get him off the bed to take him outside (while he was on our bed )and bit and snapped at him. The second time happened last night on the lounge. He was asleep on my sons lap and my son slowly moved away to get up and he snapped again and growled at him. He currently sleeps in a crate during the day and comes out when we are all home after work and either will sleep on my bed but has lately started to come into the lounge room . Not sure what to do as my son wants nothing to do with him now and wants him out of the house. Your advise would be greatly appreciated thanks regards Iona Derrick

[FiveRoooooers]

How old is your son?

[Iona]

21 

[MerseyGrey]

Grabbing him by the collar probably wasn’t the right way to approach your dog, who is still finding his feet in his new home. This would especially apply if your dog was sleeping- try and imagine how you would feel if you were relaxing and had your guard down, and someone grabbed you by the collar unexpectedly. Some dogs have something called ‘sleep startle’ and many people on here who have experience of it would never advocate approaching their dog unannounced when they are relaxing/sleeping, as the dog will likely respond with a behaviour that is not acceptable to the human, and quite scary to the uninitiated. 
The same probably applies to the second scenario you have described - your dog was sleeping and the ground beneath him unexpectedly started to move. His response was more likely to be defensive than aggressive - react first, ask questions later.
To avoid a repeat, I would not touch the dog while he is sleeping, and I would not allow him to fall asleep on the human furniture, and I would not allow him to sleep on me. If you need to wake him for turn outs etc, call him gently to wake him up and wait for him to come to you.

Greyhounds are gentle souls but the environment they come from can be very different from a home environment, and he is still learning the ropes. But it’s a learning curve for humans too - it depends on whether you are prepared to go on that journey with him. My dog has had sleep startle in the past and it is very unnerving when you’re on the receiving end of those big teeth, but with a slight adjustment in your (your son’s) behaviour, you will find that the reward will be worth the effort. For what it’s worth, our boy will still display elements of this behaviour four years after adoption (we only see it when he is tired or if there are strangers in the house), but we know what his triggers are and how to mitigate them if they can’t be totally avoided.

[greysmom]

True aggression in dogs is really rare.  What your son is experiencing is very common in newly adopted greyhounds.

For the first few weeks, every thing is fine because the dog is learning a new environment and keeping his opinion to himself.  Once he starts to relax and settle into the routine of home life, he also begins to express his opinions about what's going on around him.  He's beginning to trust and bond with his new family, but he's not there yet completely, so part of him is still anxious and on high alert - even when asleep - and very protective of his personal space.  Remember, this dog has NEVER had to share space with any other creature since he left the farm and his littermates behind.  He's always been aware whenever he's he's been approached, and never touched without knowing exactly what was happening.  Living in a house is *very* different from living in a racing or training kennel.  

 First, your son needs to NOT TAKE THIS PERSONALLY!  He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and caught the brunt of your dogs reaction.  Which was not particularly aggressive.  If the dog had wanted to make contact and bite in those situations, he certainly could have.  He did not.  I've had greyhounds who have drawn blood on both my husband and myself with sleep startle reactions, and each time it was our own fault for not taking enough time and care with the dog.  Sleep startle and sleep anxiety can be very noisy and startling to us, but the snarling and growling are the only ways your dog has to communicate with the humans in the house. 

Take the above suggestions seriously:
{1} Keep the dog off the furniture.  Make sure he has a comfy dog bed in every room, out of the direct traffic pattern but still part of the family. 

{2} Don't grab any part of the dog to move him around.  If you need to, use yummy treats to lure him off and to his bed, at the same time saying a command like "off" or "to your bed" or whatever you decide.  He will learn the new command quickly.  In the event a command or treat is ineffective, don't use your hands - clip his leash on and encourage him to follow you. 

{3} Since the dog has demonstrated he has sleep startle, always make *very* sure the dog is awake and aware before approaching him or attempting to move away from him.  Call his name and have him look at you and take a treat.  Greyhounds can be very deeply asleep >>with their eyes open<<!!!!!  It's creepy and for dogs with sleep startle it can be confusing if humans approach thinking they are awake.  They can also fall deeply asleep in seconds, and be startled awake, reacting violently.  It's best to let them be on their own while they are still working through the settling in process.

{4} Have your son take over at least some of the care and feeding for the dog so they bond more closely and learn to communicate better.  Walking together is a very good bonding experience for people and their pets.  He should also do at least some of the daily feeding.  You haven't indicated how old your son is, but he should be old enough to assume some of the responsibilities for the dog.

Lastly, only you can decide if their relationship is not repairable.  As I said, this behavior is extremely common, but with care everyone can work through and have a wonderful, long term relationship.  Some dogs get over sleep startle quickly, and some have it throughout their lives, so it can be a long term management issue.  If you do decide that returning the dog is the best thing for your family please be honest with them about the cause so they can place the dog appropriately in the future.

[Iona]

Thankyou for your posts . Great advise  provided thanks Iona 

[zimsmom]

Don't give up.  Excellent advice above..  My first bite me several times in the beginning.  Nothing in life is free - you can google it with clicker training was a life saver.  Please keep the dog away from any guests until this is sorted out.  I never let Zim near anybody but this was easy for me since no one ever visits!!

Edited July 5, 2022 by zimsmom

[Bogangles]

My first and only experience was with my first greyhound (I don't think it is breed specific). Shortly after I got her something great happened and I touched her on her bed (she was sleeping). She grabbed my arm, absolutely painless, and ran away. I brought her back to her bed, hugged her and said I was so sorry. It was a lesson learned that I was already told about.

I believe we have to respect who they are, what they have come from and EARN their love and respect.

We had an amazing relationship.

[racindog]

Always call his name or something to get his attention before you touch or move him if he is resting/sleeping.  He is not being aggressive. He is just doing a common greyhound behavior called sleep startle.  He is a good boy. Incidents not his fault. There is an OLD OLD OLD dog saying that bears on this.  It is "let sleeping dogs lie."