Settling in - advice?

[EnzosMum]

So we adopted our greyhound, Enzo, last Wednesday. He's an ex-racer, 4 years old, neutered. When we first met him at the shelter he was super calm and had been adopted previously and settled in there well, so we had high hopes for him settling in. He has been great overall, great on walks on the lead, sleeps most of the day and is super friendly with us. The things I want advice on are the following:

1. There have been a couple of incidents where he has growled at us. At first we thought it was just a 'comfy noise'. My partner let him on the sofa when I was in a different room, I wouldn't have allowed this as I think it's too soon. When he was on the sofa I was stroking him and he made this noise but paired with a head movement which made us sure it was a growl. The other incidents have been when my partner was stroking him then rested his hand on him and similar situations. From my research, I think it's just that he's settling in and setting his boundaries. However, my partner is concerned about this. We have been reacting with a firm 'No', and stopped whatever we were doing, and moved out of his space. When he did it on the sofa we also got him off the sofa. I've also stopped going to him for strokes, only when he comes to me, but I've only started this today so not sure if it will help. 

 

2. I work from home and I'm really concerned about him getting SA. We're trying to combat this by not fussing him when we leave / come back into a room and ignoring him if he cries for us in a different room. He seems to be getting better at settling himself when this happens, he'll cry for a couple of seconds then he'll lie down. At the moment it's just the crying, he's ripped up a puppy pad the first time we both left the house but other than that he hasn't been destructive or peed inside. Just want some reassurance that this is the right course of action. 

 

3. On his first walk he met another dog, small one, and was intrigued but not aggressive or reactive. Since then when he sees another dog he is super reactive, can only focus on the dog and has lunged at a puppy (scaring him). I don't know how to go about socialising him, he is muzzled when we walk so I think other owners assume he is aggressive. There's also not a specific 'dog park' near me and the fields where lots of dog walkers go, he cant fit through the entrances (kissing gate he's too long for and gate he could crawl under but doesn't want to). 

 

Also if anyone has any general tips to settle him in / things you wish you knew when you brought your greyhound home please do let me know! And if you're UK based, recommendations for greyhound pyjamas etc.  

[1Moregrey]

1 hour ago, EnzosMum said:

We have been reacting with a firm 'No', and stopped whatever we were doing, and moved out of his space. When he did it on the sofa we also got him off the sofa. I've also stopped going to him for strokes, only when he comes to me, but I've only started this today so not sure if it will help. 

Make him work for everything he gets (nothing in life is free).  And he is to new to have furniture privileges imo.  He need to have time to adjust to his new home.  Remember that never in his life has he had anyone in his space when he has been resting.  You do not want to put him or you in a situation where he is reluctant to growl as it is one of a few ways he has to communicate with you.  I am sure he is giving off signals that you are not picking up on.  As greyhounds are more reserved with the signals they give off.  Stink eye side look would send a litter mate far away,  most new to greyhounds do not even see those signs.  

1 hour ago, EnzosMum said:

I work from home and I'm really concerned about him getting SA. We're trying to combat this by not fussing him when we leave / come back into a room and ignoring him if he cries for us in a different room. He seems to be getting better at settling himself when this happens, he'll cry for a couple of seconds then he'll lie down.

Lots of going in and out of view in the house.  Go outside to check the mail, take the trash out.  Just let him see everyday life going on. The thing you do not want to do is smother him with attention and then leave him for a long time all alone.  If he is used to being on his own while someone is at home he should transition fine.  Think of it like leaving your kids home alone.  You have to build up to it.
 

 

1 hour ago, EnzosMum said:

On his first walk he met another dog, small one, and was intrigued but not aggressive or reactive. Since then when he sees another dog he is super reactive, can only focus on the dog and has lunged at a puppy (scaring him).

Teach him to “leave it” then incorporate that to what he sees on his walk.  Once he is doing leave it have him leave the squirrel, puppy, dog, cat.  Attend an all positive behavior class it will be a good bonding and  learning experience for you all.  After you have time to bond a little.  If you go to soon he will just be overwhelmed and like a statue during class.  Give him some time.

 

As far as general tips be sure to give him enough quiet time to just figure out the new sights and sounds of home.  If you have a yard/garden just hang out in it walk around there or jus a few houses down and back.  No need to rush out on long walks with millions of new sights and sounds to overwhelm him.  He will ware himself out just figuring out his new home.  As he is more comfortable increase the time outside.  
 

I know a new dog is something that we invite into our lives, give all our attention to for the first few days, weeks whatever we can manage then we get back to our lives and the gh is no longer the center of our world.  WE ARE the center of their world forever we need to set them up for success from the start.  
 

Welcome and I know others will offer advice too.  Look at the training and behavioral sections.  Time, patience and a sense of humor will help.  Your new greyhound will change and grow in personality over time as he settles in and gets comfortable in his new world and learns to trust you and your family.

[MerseyGrey]

Hello and welcome, and welcome home Enzo!

I have been rubbish at training my greyhound, although he has been very good at training me, so I can’t really help with any the issues you have written about. The advice above seems sound, and there are plenty of experienced owners here who can give you more.

What I can help you with is creating a fashound . We have a lovely t-shirt from Blas&co.studio, who donates some of her profit to sighthound charities. Also, look for Bracken and Paws on Etsy for more beautifully made t-shirts. She has just started a scheme whereby people who are struggling financially can have a t-shirt to keep their hounds warm using leftover fabric so each one is unique. We have a few coats from Izzy and Finns Hound Boutique - she makes a variety of designs including Christmas coats, everyday coats, tankies and PJs and she also does work for Hall Green greyhound rescue.

There’s a few ideas to wet your whistle, happy shopping!

[BatterseaBrindl]

Nothing to do with house training or other 'training issues, but this is something I have always kept in my mind every time we adopt a new dog...

[HeyRunDog]

Guinness has a quick whine / whimper a couple of minutes after leaving him in a room just to remind me that he's still there but often doesn't even bother to raise his head from his bed then goes back to chilling out.

If I have to leave them, yes I've got two, I always do the same routine. I get ready, let them out into the garden for a wee if they need it, grab my keys, give them a Kong each filled with kibble, tell them I'll be back in a bit which is a waste of time because they are more interested in the Kong, and leave.

As for socialisation if you see a large dog who is calm and on it's lead ask the owner if they can say hello. A lot of experienced owners are quite happy to do so especially if you explain he's an ex racer and hasn't met many other non greyhound shaped dogs. Also see if there is a regular greyhound walk near you.

[EnzosMum]

18 hours ago, 1Moregrey said:

You do not want to put him or you in a situation where he is reluctant to growl as it is one of a few ways he has to communicate with you.  I am sure he is giving off signals that you are not picking up on.  

So should we not be reprimanding him for growling? 

18 hours ago, 1Moregrey said:

Teach him to “leave it” then incorporate that to what he sees on his walk.  Once he is doing leave it have him leave the squirrel, puppy, dog, cat.  Attend an all positive behavior class it will be a good bonding and  learning experience for you all.  After you have time to bond a little.  If you go to soon he will just be overwhelmed and like a statue during class.  Give him some time.

I think we are going to start doing this on his walks, we also know a very well trained and calm lab who I think would be good for him to socialise with.

Thank you for your advice everyone! I will keep you updated  

I love him so much already and on the whole he has settled in very well already, I think we are just expecting a lot from him so soon so we need to lower our expectations a bit. I just worry that I'll do something wrong! I really want him to be happy in his new home.

[LBass]

I have a "growler" myself now.  I think that a "polite" growl is your dog saying that they don't like what you're doing in that moment.  I'm actually OK with my dog letting me know his preferences.  However, if we are sharing space, like a couch, then we stop sharing space at that time.  I get up and cheerfully call him to me, praise and treat him with a cookie.  He can them settle into a dog bed. I've also worked with him to get him to walk away when he's tired of being petted.  Consider teaching "go to bed" od "go lie down" with a dog bed.  That can be a useful tool to move him out of your space peacefully.

Remember, this is a very new relationship for all of you,  hound and humans.  A little reserve on both sides is understandable.  Nancy's (BatterseaBrindl) time line for adopted dogs is great in laying this out. Think of this as a relationship.  My relationship with Nate is great but it is different than my relationship with some of my other dogs.  I have had to learn to know and respect Nate's limits and preferences and he has had to lean to know and respect some of mine.

Nate and I were helped by working with a good animal behaviorist.  Remember that many behaviorists will work with you over Zoom--Nate and I found this very effective--so you aren't out of luck if there isn't such a specialist in your immediate area. 

[1Moregrey]

2 hours ago, EnzosMum said:

 

21 hours ago, 1Moregrey said:

You do not want to put him or you in a situation where he is reluctant to growl as it is one of a few ways he has to communicate with you.  I am sure he is giving off signals that you are not picking up on.  

So should we not be reprimanding him for growling? 

 

I like what LBass described and learn some of your dogs body language.  Just do not take his voice growl away.  If you do and do not listen to his body language all he has left is his mouth to explain his feelings in the form of mouthing, nip or bite.

If you have taught him the growl get him in trouble there might come a day when the warning growl is skipped over and a nip comes out of nowhere in frustration on your dogs part. (Think of it like people yelling to get a point across.)

This is one way that people encourage dogs to be biters is by not teaching/redirecting behaviors.  If a liter mate was pestering a dog and it did not listen the final resolution is a bite to stop the pestering.  It is the language of last resort for them.

**You are nowhere close to this, I just want you to communicate with your dog.  So you can avoid creating bad behavior down the road.

[greysmom]

A lot of good advice above.  I'll just emphasize that growling is not a bad thing.  Dogs have very limited ways they can communicate with us - mostly because humans are stupid and don't understand all that goes into dog language - body movements, vocalizations, eye movements.  Humans have gotten into the habit of thinking/saying that growling is "aggressive" when it's just dogs trying to get their point across.

So - no.  Don't scold or otherwise try to extinguish your dog's growling.  Use it as a signpost to reevaluate the situation to see what could be making him uncomfortable, and to try and find a way so he's not put in that situation again.  Keep him off the couch, leave him alone on his bed - If you want to give him attention call him over to you - so he's awake and aware, and can choose if he wants attention.  Teach him a command like, "off" or "go to your bed" so you can all calmly disengage and take a break.

He's probably a breed snob - most greyhounds are - and really only recognizes other greyhounds.  Anything smaller than him is a prey object, anything bigger than him is probably scary.  He also may be what's called "Leash Reactive."  He's uncomfortable and anxious meeting new/unfamiliar dogs when hampered by a leash.  The training book "Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash Reactive Dog" by Patricia McConnell will give you some background and strategies to help him work through this issue.  In fact, most of the books by this author are very informative and helpful and should be read by all dog owners.

[Bee]

Hi Enzo and Enzo’s mum! We have had very many similar issues to you with Rookie, so a few thoughts from our personal experience.
 

Rook was initially very sensitive to having us cuddle him in particular ways- anything where he felt crowded or restricted got a quick growl. We just tried to learn what he didn’t like and avoided it, and otherwise tried not to get too hurt by the growls or make a big deal out of them. A quick “sorry for invading your space” and move on . Over time, as he got to trust us, his need for personal space has decreased massively - if anything I am the one craving it now 🤣- and the growls are now super rare.

on reactivity, this one is still an issue for us and one we have learnt to manage rather than solve.  My one cautionary piece of advice is not to try and force other dogs on him as a way of getting him to get comfortable with them. We probably over exposed him early on (on and off lead in dog parks) and definitely made things worse. Others’ comments on teaching “leave it” /“watch me”, and reading Feisty Fido, have really helped us. Then introducing him to non-greys slowly one on one (more robust breeds first so you feel safer that no one will get hurt, and avoiding the first meeting if on lead being face to face contact).

Last but definitely not least, clothing!! AK creations for fleece and waterproof coats! Gorgeously made and super easy to put on a doggie that wants more personal space. And Houndtees for lighter tops. They deliver from Australia - not great for carbon footprint but they arrive super quickly, and are gorgeous.  A bit harder to take on and off but they stretch and get easier. 

Edited November 4, 2022 by Bee

[EnzosMum]

Hi all!

Just wanted to update you all on Enzo's progress. He's doing really well in a lot of areas, some still need work but it's all a process! He's amazing on walks with other dogs, super friendly and wags his tail whenever he says hello. He even went to my in-laws for an evening without us and happily lounged in the same room as their elderly sausage dog. The growling is far less frequent now, we know his signals and when he wont want to be stroked, and he knows he can come to us for cuddles (which he does regularly!). The separation anxiety is still a problem, but it's mostly just crying and not destructive behaviour, although this is something we're still working on and hopefully it will improve - he's much better with my partner leaving than me as he works in an office whereas I work from home. Thank you all for your help / advice / reassurance! I have definitely relaxed more since then as we've gotten to know each other and I'm far less of a helicopter dog-mum haha!

 

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[LBass]

That's a lovely update on Enzo.  I'm so glad that he's settling in and that you are all learning together.

[FiveRoooooers]

That does sound very good, keep up the good work! We love it when folks come back here to update, thanks for doing that!

[Johnfar]

That's a nice update and I'm glad you can see the growling as part of a conversation. I think it could be important as you all relax though to work out whether there may be any sleep-startle aggression because if there is it can set you back months. Children and visitors need to be certain that the dog is properly awake before going in for cuddles or suddenly sitting next to him.