DebH Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 We adopted a 3 yr old ex-racing saluki from Qatar 2 yrs ago. She is covered in scars and is still cautious around people but loves all dogs. We are now fostering a 3 yr old female greyhound originally from Spain that was used as a hunter. It's only been a few days but we intend to adopt her after a 2-week trial period. She is a happy and affectionate dog with a high prey drive, and becomes excited and chases with movements from our saluki as well as us. Probably a stupid move on our part, but we took the dogs to run together on day 1 in a fenced area, and the greyhound nipped at our saluki twice. Now our saluki won't run or do zoomies in the house. My question is, will time heal our Saluki's fear or is there something we can do to help her? We now muzzle the greyhound when she runs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EllenEveBaz Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 Welcome! Salukis are so beautiful. I would love to get one, but the amount of vacuuming I think I'd have to do with all that long fur intimidates me. Now you know how the saluki may have gotten all those scars -- nipping while running is a favorite sighthound game. Standard procedure is if you muzzle one dog, muzzle all dogs so all can be protected if it turns into a fight. I am not an experienced trainer so will defer to others who can address your questions better. 1 1 Quote Ellen, with brindle Milo and the blonde ballerina, Gelsey remembering Eve, Baz, Scout, Romie, Nutmeg, and Jeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greysmom Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 You need to think very very *very* carefully if this adoption is in the best interests of everyone in the house. Having a true rescue means you have to be careful when adding new family members. It's likely she was used as a bait dog either for fighting or to train dogs like your hunter. And now you will be forcing her to co-exist with a type of dog she lived in fear of. Either she will shut down completely - which it seems she's already done - or she will become hyper reactive, and you may end up with a serious dog fight on your hands. Or both. In my opinion. And she was in your home first, so she needs you to advocate for both her happiness and her safety first. The second issue you're dealing with is two female dogs, of opposite personalities, trying to live in the same home. Sometimes, for whatever reason, two females just don't make for a harmonious duo. I have two females now that get along OK, but it took several years for things to even out, and I still have to watch and regulate the more dominant personality when things start getting excited out in the yard. We are an all-muzzled-all-the-time household (and have been since we got into greyhounds), but we quickly learned that a motivated dog can nip and cause serious damage with a plastic basket muzzle on. If you decide to go through with this adoption, I would urge you to get in touch with a certified animal behaviorist in your area who has expertise working with rescue dogs, and who uses *only* positive reinforcement training techniques. Not just any old trainer you can find at Petsmart or your local Craigslist or listserve. Make sure you speak with this person closely before allowing them to offer training advice, and check into the certification from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (ASVAB). Here is a link to their search function. AVSAB Your vet may also be able to offer a referral or suggest someone who could help. Another resource will be the training books of Patricia McConnell. She has several you may find informational, but the most topical will be The Cautious Canine: How to Help Dogs Conquer Their Fears The Cautious Canine 1 1 Quote Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora) siggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebH Posted September 1 Author Share Posted September 1 On 8/31/2024 at 12:10 PM, EllenEveBaz said: Welcome! Salukis are so beautiful. I would love to get one, but the amount of vacuuming I think I'd have to do with all that long fur intimidates me. Now you know how the saluki may have gotten all those scars -- nipping while running is a favorite sighthound game. Standard procedure is if you muzzle one dog, muzzle all dogs so all can be protected if it turns into a fight. I am not an experienced trainer so will defer to others who can address your questions better. Thank you for your reply. Our saluki is short coated so minimal cleaning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebH Posted September 1 Author Share Posted September 1 Thank you so much for your thoughts. I agree that this adoption needs serious consideration and I'm hoping that 2 weeks will give us some insight to make this decision. Since writing the post, our saluki has been initiating play in the house but it's very early days as of yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EllenEveBaz Posted September 2 Share Posted September 2 Quote Our saluki is short coated so minimal cleaning. Deep apologies to smooth salukis, and sloughis, too. And good news about your saluki beginning to initiate play inside. 1 Quote Ellen, with brindle Milo and the blonde ballerina, Gelsey remembering Eve, Baz, Scout, Romie, Nutmeg, and Jeter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.