Greytmate

In greyhound racing, most of the dogs race between 18 months and four years of age. After that they are not as fast as the younger dogs, and some are not as keen as they once were. They are ready to start hard physical work when their growth plates are fully closed, but mentally they may not be ready for another few months. Generally, the larger the dog the later they can be put into work.

Perhaps people do different things in different areas PAX. I have noticed that many greyhound trainers closely look at what successful trainers around them are doing and follow. In this area I see many people carefully cleaning and raking their puppy yards, and they talk of the injuries that pups can get if they don't do these things. It's almost like some of them wrap the dogs in cotton wool. The 'big name' trainers up here live on flat ground, and the rearing yards sometimes look like bowling greens. I guess it would be a bit different for a pup that had grown up learning to negotiate rough ground. The dog would be more used to it and their feet would be tougher. But the dogs we rehome here are the dogs that come from the types of properties that I have mentioned, so I wouldn't put one of them into rough terrain. Trish, I don't think that hills are a danger, but I would be on the lookout for holes in the ground and gum tree branches. You might just have been lucky so far, because at the speed that greyhounds run at, injuries can be quite severe. A couple of weeks ago a dog that we adopted out broke two toes. Just running around in an off-lead park. No sticks, no rocks, no uneven ground. We don't really know why it happenned.

Racing greyhounds are reared on only on cleared, flat spaces. Some owners go as far as to rake up every twig that falls in the yard. Racing and trialling surfaces are carefully tended. When we do home checks for the people that are adopting these dogs we insist that the owners take care to make sure that the area is safe for the dogs to run around in. The dogs tend to avoid running through gardens and undergrowth, they don't like it. Their skin is fragile, and at the speeds that the dogs run, it would be very dangerous for them to run on rough ground. People on uncleared bush blocks need not apply for a greyhound. To me a greyhound is different from the average dog in the same way than a ferrari sports car is built differently from a land cruiser. You would no more allow your greyhound to run over rough ground in the bush than you would take your ferrari over a 4wd trail.

Sweet Alice, whose racing name was Honey Buzz, was one of our GAP dogs that was in foster care. She was bred, owned and trained by a really nice family that raise some of the the loveliest greyhounds you can imagine. She was a lovely, playful, energetic greyhound that liked all cats, dogs and people. She was only two years old. Sadly she died this afternoon at the vets. Her intestines were twisted and her heart stopped during surgery. :D :D Poor Alice, never got the chance to go to her forever home. She is now chasing lures in the sky.

One of my dogs places a higher value on a piece of kibble if she thinks that one of my other dogs wants it. And the fewer pieces of kibble available, the more valuable they are.

It all depends on how bad the teeth are. We have paid anywhere between $100 and $400 per dog. The $250 would be reasonable if the teeth are in bad condition requiring some extractions and there is gum disease present, and the price might include pre-anaesthetic blood tests. If the teeth are merely dirty, but there is no gum disease, get one done at a time and this will be more affordable for you. Talk to the vet about it. Explain that you would be struggling to pay that amount all at once, and ask if the price does include extractions and blood tests.

There is a danger that they will fight over something while you are out. If one catches a bird for instance, or digs up an old bone, they will probably fight over it. I would agree with seperating these dogs unless you are supervising them. It means what you think that it means. He is puffing himself up. He is feeling insecure about the situation and is not wanting to back down. Because he feels that the rewards are worth fighting for. He doesn't really know that he can't win. Probably, and from what you are saying it sounds like he is not choosing react submissively in an attempt to avoid a conflict. Who is starting the fight is not the real issue, the fights themselves are the issue. It normally takes two dogs to fight. One to challenge and one to meet the challenge. There may be more going on that we don't know about too.Desexing may reduce aggression, but may not help at all in this situation, as your dogs are fighting over resources, and as long as they value those resources enough to fight over, they will. Professional help is the way to go, because we can't see how these dogs interact, and we don't know if the dogs are behaving normally or not.

Some dogs don't do well on any canned food. Some dogs do very well on some canned food. Canned foods are different depending on what is in the can. What they have in common is that they are cooked in the can. There are more nutritious alternatives to canned food, but canned food can often play a part in a healthy dog diet. canned food alone is probably not such a good idea. Perhaps you could look at the list of ingredients, before deciding if the food is 'good' or 'bad'.

I think she will do well with you Fang, you sound very caring, and in no time at all she will be settled in. Eclectic girl was spot on with her post.

Greying-fast, none of the points that you have tried to make have any relevance to this topic. I saw your posts as nothing more than having an uninformed dig at greyhound racing. I don't use this forum to promote greyhound racing, but I will defend it when I see unfair generalisations being made by people who know very little about it and who wish to know very little about it. Many more greyhounds are rehomed by the industry than are taken in by rescue groups, and many greyhounds never need rescue. Would you make such sweeping generalisations about pet dog owners by the condition that pound dogs are in? Just because a dog needs washing when you see it does not mean that greyhounds are often never washed. We are in the midst of a drought at the moment, and I would not expect people to waste tank water on frequent dog washing, when the dog is probably living in a dusty dry area, and would be dirty again five minutes later. It seems like you are basing your opinions on an entire industry on your own experiences with the dogs from one single trainer. And tell me exactly, how is a dog's emotional well-being affected by it not being given bones? How many greyhounds do you know that have problems with their emotional well-being? What would you know about back-yarders? How many greyhound properties have you visited? How do you know what greyhounds are fed? If you are interested in helping people settle in their greyhound, perhaps you could offer practical advice about this (if you actually have any to give), instead of the quite nasty denigration of a large group of people that you know so little about.

Training a dog to come out of the boxes is all about encouraging the dog to come out quickly (positive reinforcement). It is not about discouraging or punishing a dog at all. Agree entirely that that's what the good trainers do, but I've heard from vets and a trainer involved in the industry that sadly some trainers aren't so enlightened. The majority of people that are involved with the box training of greyhounds make it a purely positive experience for the dog. Just because 'a trainer' tells you something does not mean that it happens 'often'. Most greyhounds are sent to a breaking-in establishment to learn box manners, where they are taught by professionals using positive reinforcement to be ready for the boxes to open. A dog has no chance of a winning a race unless it is fully in drive. You would have a hard time finding a trainer that would be willing to give the dog any type of discipline or negative experience in the boxes. It's not about being enlightened, I'm taking about standard practice. Greyhounds are always washed down after every single race or trial. What diet do you think that racing greyhounds are given? What diet do you think that greyhounds are given when in rearing or pre-racing? I think you need to educate yourself more about the care and treatment of the majority of racing greyhounds before you make such negative comments. Go along to some races and see for yourself how the dogs come out of the boxes and the condition the greyhounds are in.

Training a dog to come out of the boxes is all about encouraging the dog to come out quickly (positive reinforcement). It is not about discouraging or punishing a dog at all.

Your dog won't need too much endurance type fitness for lure coursing, it is all over very quickly. By fit I mean sound and healthy. Daily brisk walks and off lead runs a couple of times a week will bring your dog to the fitness level required. You don't need a super muscly dog. Watch how your dog moves, the movement should be symmetrical with no occasional limping or skipping, as this can indicate a problem. You could even get your dog checked by a muscleman, physio or chiro who will be able to let you know if your dog is right to lure course. If you run a dog that is not sound, it will compensate for this which can put a lot of strain on the dog and can lead to further injury. For instance if you run a dog that has a sore toe, you may get a muscle tear or tendon injury in the opposite leg. Have fun

Coursing will not neccesarily train your dog to chase small fluffy dogs and cats. In coursing they chase a plastic bag. Some dogs that love to chase will also love to chase little dogs and cats, but that may be the case whether they course or not. Dogs can only chase little dogs and cats if the little dogs or cats are running away. You may choose not to put your dog in an off-lead situation where little dogs or cats are running away, and then your dog won't be able to chase them. I would not recommend lure coursing for a race-bred greyhound, as they are too finely built and fast for the tight turns or for running on hard ground, and so they run a very high risk of serious injury. Straight or oval track coursing, on soft loam or on well-watered grass is what they are built for and is much safer for them. If your lurcher is fit and not overweight, lure coursing is a great idea.

Fang, GAP in Tasmania is very under-resourced and has just had a change of management, not that that is any excuse for rudeness. I would be happy to talk to you about your greyhound, and hopefully help you with some of your concerns. Please feel free to call me on 0417 725 684 and we can have a chat. I coordinate GAP in Queensland, but I am happy to help greyhound owners whatever state they are in. The dog was probably vet checked, but it sometimes it takes longer than the couple of months they have in foster care to get the dog into top condition. I can suggest some things to try to improve the dog's weight and coat, and would be interested in hearing about the diet that the vet has suggested. The fact that your cat is no longer terrified is a really good thing, and if it is just playfulness or dominance, rather than prey drive, it won't be too hard to stop the nipping. Good luck with the NILIF. It will provide a good grounding, so that you will be in the best position to work further with the dog and teach it that cats are not to be nipped.

It is hard to give advice without seeing the behaviour first hand, and I could be wrong, but just taking your post on face value, the dog nipping the cat in this situation is a definate danger sign to me. Please seek advice if you can from an experienced person who can observe the behaviour first hand. As an interim safety measure I would never leave the cat and dog alone together. Always muzzle the dog when it has access to the areas of the house that the cat also has access to, never have them meet each other outside the house, and always completely separate when feeding so that they never have access to each others food, bowls or feeding areas. Have a water spray bottle handy to spray your dog's face should she get "carried away" in future. I may be wrong, but I could not just sit here and read that and not say something. In the mean time here is some fantastic general advice for all dog owners. NILIF This would be good advice for a dog that has not been bred or trained to chase a fluffy lure, or for a dog that is not faster than a cat. Unfortunately a greyhound does not fall into either of those categories. Some greyhounds have been known to sort out cats by killing them. I would hate to see that happen here.

Greyhound muzzles do not restrict breathing at all. However unless the dog is confined to a kennel, they do risk catching it on something around the house. A wire muzzle is especially dangerous in this regard. I would keep the cat in a seperate area when you are out. You haven't had the dog very long and so she will need time to get used to the cat. If the dog is behaving herself inside while you are out, there is no reason to think that she would not be quiet and well-behaved if left outside. As long as you have a well-sheltered area you will be ok. Ask the neighbours to listen out for you and let you know if she doesn't settle down and get used to it after a couple of days.

A strict clockwork routine is not always neccessary. But for a greyhound that is showing signs of anxiety (and without knowing more about this dog I cannot even say that the whinging is anxiety), the routine of getting a daily meal and a routine place to sleep is going to go a long way to reduce that anxiety. Many people find that very young children can become stressed unless some sort of basic routine is established, and this also holds true for many greyhounds. I don't feed my own dogs at exactly the same time each night, I understand what you are saying about creating anxiety through anticipation, and I don't want to create a rod for my own back. But a balance should be sought so that the animal gets what it needs to feel secure.

Greyhounds have their own daily routine whether the owner initiates it or not. We have found that when moving greyhounds around, the sooner they are given a predictable routine, the quicker the greyhound will settle in to the new home and be happy. While weekend routine is different to weekday for us, the greyhound will generally get up at the same time, want to eat at the same time, sleep at the same times, and toilet at the same time. Bad habits can become routine, or good habits can become routine, it is up to the owner what they allow to happen. Routines can be changed and the dog will cope with that usually within two weeks but often much sooner. As long as the greyhound can get into a routine, they will settle in a new home much quicker than most other breeds. Greyhound differ physically from other breeds, their energy is expended over a very short time, so it is not a good idea to have them miss out on meals. Greyhounds do not have any problem adhering to their routines for long periods of time. People might have problems adhering to routines, but that is no concern of the greyhound as long as a bed and a regular meal is available.

Whinging can be an anxiety thing with greyhounds rather than an attention seeking thing. Possibly he is not getting enough exercise and interaction with other dogs. Normally greyhounds of that age are not penned in isolation, but are allowed to run in a yard with other dogs for company and play. Greyhounds thrive on routine, and he may be a lot quieter and more settled if he gets up, gets fed, gets let out for a run, gets let into the house and gets locked up again at roughly the same time every day. Be as consistant as you can, and don't allow him to miss meals or spend the night isolated. If you try this for a few weeks and it still doesn't work, then an instant negative reinforcement is going to be a lot more effective than what you are doing now. Greyhounds hate getting in trouble, so clear disapproval does work at stopping many undesirable behaviours. Expecting him to work out for himself that quietness brings rewards may be asking way too much.

I have just come across this thread, and I am so sorry to hear about Moses. I know how important he was to you, and it doesn't matter what species of animal he was, the pain would be just the same. I know that there is nothing I can say to help, because losing a pet before its time is due is such a terrible tragedy, and you have my sympathy. Boo'n'poo, have you said enough yet? The dog was just being minded for a few weeks, don't concern yourself with that, it has nothing to with the topic. Please realise that everyone deals with grief in different ways. What is best for you may be quite wrong for somebody else.

Another good book is 'Who's the Boss', by Val Bonney. She is actually in quite a dangerous position. If she challenges this dog over something the dog really values, she may get bitten. You might need to set boundaries with her and not allow unsupervised access to the dog until such time as she shows that she understands correct behaviour around the dog.

Thanks Rebanne. A couple of those links don't seem to work, and there is nothing in any other the others that shows how ivermectin could be a problem.

Inspector Rex, why don't you post your infomation here?

My vet who is a canine reproductive specialist told me that most spay incontinence is due to a lack in hormones, but some spay incontinence has been found to be a result of poor surgical technique. Spay incontinence doesn't seem to be as common as ovarian or mammary cancer.