Housebreaking. It is
absolutely imperative that you be ON your Greyhound like a drill sergeant for the first
2-3 days! Supervise, guide and correct! With early diligence, you will be rewarded with a
wonderfully reliable pet who never soils your carpet or leaves "presents"
overnight. Take your new dog outside often,
and praise him lavishly when he "goes". Watch
him closely indoors and correct him (give his collar a firm yank and loudly say NO) if he
starts to assume the position of relieving himself or marking, then take him outside to do
the job. Praise, praise, praise when he “goes” outside. Establishing the rules
right away is the best way to make sure they're followed in the future. After a few days,
if you feel that the message has been received (outside okay, inside not okay), then begin
a regular routine of potty breaks 3 or 4
times a day at the same general times. Then your dog will know to wait until then next
outside break During the housetraining
period, it’s best to keep your dog in a stain-proof area (such as the kitchen or
their crate) when you can’t watch them. For you
leash-walkers - some Greyhounds may be shy about going potty with you standing right
there. One thing that seems to help is the
use of a flexi-leash, allowing the dog to wander further away and feel more free. Just be sure to modify your flexi-leash to add a
secure wrist strap of some sort. If the leash
were to fall out of your hand, the dog could easily panic at the clattering of this awful
thing chasing them, and tragedy could result. Stairs, glass, ceiling fans and other scary things. Your Greyhound
has never been inside a house. Glass is
perplexing, stairs are frightening (especially uncarpeted ones), and even innocuous things
like ceiling fans and noisy appliances can be cause for doggy concern. Introduce your new Greyhound to glass doors and
low windows by leading them to the glass and showing it to them, maybe tapping their
little feet on it for emphasis. Stairs can usually be mastered in a few days, but may
require your comforting presence and timely pulls and pushes to get your dog motivated to
try them. Sleep Space Defensiveness (SSD) and Children. Dogs are pack animals. Both in wild canines and pets, all dogs must know their place and behave accordingly in order for the "pack" to be functional. The only proper position for a pet dog is below all humans! This can be especially tricky with small children because of their size and puppylike qualities. Some dogs simply do not see young children as their superiors and treat them instead as subordinates or equals, just as they might another dog. A very typical status-affirming behavior is to defend one's bed. The lower or peer pack member approaches the occupied bed, and the resting dog gives a warning to stay away and respect his or her territory. This warning is largely symbolic - a growl, a bark, a threatening lunge. Contact is rarely made and the chance of a serious bite is remote. The act of sleep space-guarding is ancient and primal, and dogs on the receiving end understand exactly what's being said. Of course, a child that's too young to think before acting will likely continue to invade the dog's space despite repeated correction. Immediate (and possibly professional) behavior modification training is necessary to raise the child's pack status in the dog's eyes, or the warnings could escalate into an actual bite or nip as the dog tries harder to communicate their authority to the child. Without intervention, the behavior can also broaden into the guarding of toys, rivalry for attention, and even marking of the child's room or destruction of their belongings as the dog struggles to assert dominance in the only way they know how. Please note that these behaviors usually take place when adults are not present, and that there may or may not be actual bed being guarded - sometimes the dog's just laying down. It's really the space that they're defending, and themselves while they lay vulnerable. That's why it's so important to either supervise or separate little children and big dogs! And for heaven's sake, please put the dog's bed somewhere out of the way where kids (and adults, for that matter) aren't going to have to step on, jump over, reach past or otherwise disturb the dog when he or she wants some rest! Finally, we strongly recommend that all families with younger children read "Childproofing Your Dog" by Brian Kilcommons before adopting any dog. We always try to find a Greyhound with a submissive personality for homes with kids or for those who are planning children in the future. Unfortunately, sometimes the dog's "true colors" don't show right away, so often we must rely on generalities in addition to gauging the current behavior of a particular dog. Surprisingly to some, female Greyhounds are much more likely to be dominant! We really like to find a sweet, dopey boy for families with small children, but certainly each Greyhound is an individual and there are female Greyhounds that love, enjoy and respect small children, and there are males who don't. Strict parental supervision and a basic knowledge of dog training techniques (such as those in the recommended book) are essential for adopters wishing to add a Greyhound to their family with children under school-age. Introducing
your Greyhound to other pets. Please be
careful. Obviously your new Greyhound is
unpredictable, having never seen a cat or other breed of dog before (except for a moment
while being cat-tested). Your Greyhound will be curious and probably rude and uncouth
according to kitty sensibilities. Muzzle your
Greyhound and keep him on a leash during introductions. Loudly tell your Greyhound NO if
he tries to get close to the cat, and keep an eye on the body language and dynamics of
your little brood in the days to come. Feed
your Greyhound and other dogs separately, or stand between them while they eat. Food is the number one cause of fights among dogs,
and Greyhounds are no exception. They are not used to sharing food or having someone try
to steal theirs. After some time has passed (like a few weeks) and the pack has accepted
the new member and re-established its hierarchy, you can relax to a great degree. But, again we must stress to be very careful in
the beginning - never leave strange dogs alone with each other unmuzzled and loose. Better safe than sorry! The first few nights. Sleep? HAH! Forget about it. Your Greyhound will probably
whine, cry, pace and fuss all night, maybe sleeping for an hour or two. Many people have resorted to sleeping on the couch
next to the Greyhound's crate so that the dog doesn't feel so alone, or inviting the dog
into their bedroom. These things work, but
unless you want to make a habit of it, it's probably best to just tough it out and
establish your new dog's sleeping arrangements right away.
Usually by the third night, your dog will be snoozing peacefully all night.
We recommend having your dog sleep in it's crate or in a confined area until housebreaking
has been completely established, but not on a permanent basis. Greeting the early bird. You may be less
than thrilled that your new dog is wide awake and ready to start his day at sunrise. This
is a carry-over from the track life and will usually go away in a few days or so. When you have to leave your dog alone. A crate is an
indispensable tool during the first weeks of your dog's new life as a pet. If you don't
want to purchase a crate, PSGA can usually offer a 30-day loaner with each new adoption. Your dog will be safe in a crate, your house will
be safe, and you will have peace of mind. If
you want to eventually leave your dog uncrated while you’re away, just build up to it
gradually, letting your dog earn his or her freedom rather than thrusting it upon them and
expecting miracles. Remember that racing Greyhounds spend up to 23 hours a day in small
pens or crates during their careers. Being confined for a few hours or even an average 9
or 10-hour work day is an improvement for them! The big
"D" and toxic emissions. Almost all
Greyhounds experience some level of diarrhea and gas when they switch to a commercial dog
food from the raw meat, grains and veggies that they're used to. The stress of a change in
environment can also cause loose bowels. A morning and evening dose of Kaopectate (50 cc's
of liquid or one tablet) will help immensely. If
your dog has diarrhea for more than three days, there may be an underlying problem and you
should contact PSGA for further advice. Remember to take your dog out often to relieve
itself during any bouts with diarrhea. Like people, dogs can't hold it for very long. Toxic gas emissions can be lessened with a dollop
of plain yogurt on the dog’s food at mealtime. Separation
Anxiety. You can expect
your new dog to protest when left alone in the beginning.
Crying, howling, refusing to go in the crate, shredding of whatever is in
the crate, and even eliminating in the crate can happen.
It just means that your dog doesn’t understand why he’s being left
alone, and this behavior will almost certainly pass with time (for severe, long term
separation anxiety, please contact PSGA). Don’t
come running whenever your dog is crying about being confined - this will just teach him
that whining gets good results! Give your dog a special treat whenever he’s put in
his crate (pig ears work great - they keep the dog busy for a little while so you can make
your escape). If your dog isn’t able to hold his bladder all day, decrease his water
intake in the morning. Don’t use the crate for punishment! We want to keep all crate associations positive if
possible. In the first week or two, herbal
remedies such as PetCalm, Rescue Remedy, Happy Traveler, etc. can be used to take the edge
off of your dog’s anxiety. Giving them
chewy bones in the crate helps to alleviate boredom, too. Accidents in
the Crate or House: Healthy, adult
Greyhounds are capable of holding their bladders/bowels for 10 hours or so, and overnight. If you must leave your dog for 12 or more hours
for some reason, don’t be mad if they have an accident! If your dog is eliminating inappropriately, it can
be helpful to strictly schedule their eating and drinking times. Drinking a lot of water in the morning will just
mean that they’ll really need to urinate within a couple of hours. What goes in must come out! A little water and a snack in the morning to hold
them over until dinnertime is best for those dogs without an iron constitution, or if you
know it’s going to be a long day. Nervousness,
Shyness and Withdrawal. Some of the
sweetest, most loving hounds we’ve seen started out in their new homes as meek, mopey
or restless dogs. Anxiety is almost always
the cause of unexplained whining, usually accompanied by pacing and panting. On the opposite side of the spectrum, if your new
dog is just a lifeless blob that doesn’t seem enthusiastic about anything except
laying around, he’s probably just confused. He
feels out of place and unsure of himself. It
doesn’t mean he’s depressed or that he hates you, it just means that he wants to
observe from a safe place (or even hide) for a while before jumping into his new life. In either case, just give your Greyhound time and
understanding mixed with lots of love and treats. We promise it’ll be just fine. Again,
congratulations on the new addition to your family.
Please feel free to contact any of us at PSGA if you have any questions or
even just want to share a funny story or two. Best of luck to you and your new Greyhound!
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