Comments for Greyhound Savvy

Comment on My Italian Greyhound Will Not Stop Peeing On My Boyfriends Bed! Help Me? by Lucia

Lucia — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:58:52 +0000

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Lucia

Comment on My Adopted Greyhound Is Peeing On The Carpet–help!? by Mary

Mary — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:27:39 +0000

I work with a greyhound rescue group and have three greyhounds of my own. One of my greyhounds has had the same issue and she has been peeing on my bed and even on her own. She seems “lazy” because she doesn’t even move when she does it, she just lays there. But greyhounds are notorious for hiding underlying health issues which many attribute to the abuse they receive at the breeding farms and race tracks which makes them stoic to the point that they almost try to act tough even when they are not well. With my dog, I am still waiting on the test results but the vet is pretty certain it is either a UTI or a kidney issue, both of which have to be dealt with as quickly as possible because UTI’s can lead to kidney failure which can lead to death. So you need to take her to the vet IMMEDIATELY if you have not already done so.

As for the idea of crating her, I strongly encourage you not to resort to that option. Even though the majority of greyhounds are crated for the first couple of years of their life (and when I say crated I mean they spend about 23 hours out of their day in a crate), to start crating her again would be akin to punishing her at this point and whether her issue is medical or behavioral, any good dog trainer will tell you that punishment is not the answer. As there really are no bad dogs, only bad owners. So figure out what is going on with her and get her the appropriate help. Further, if she has a medical issue I can assure you that she will also pee in her crate just like mine has started peeing on her own bed which is always a huge sign that there is a medical problem.

One option to avoid crating her is to use a type of doggie diaper. There are various types out there and if you need a suggestion on where to find them if you respond to this post I will be happy to let you know where you can find them. You will also need to get a cleaning product with enzymes to get the smell out of the carpet as she will most likely continue to go there when she gets the chance because she has already marked the area with her scent and now associates it as being a good place to pee. This frequently happens with an animal with a UTI because these can painful and they will associate the place that they normally pee with pain so they start to avoid that place and find another place to pee.

Finally, besides the health issue my main concern is that you said you really like your dog but you are concerned about the peeing issue. Adopting any animal is a lifelong commitment and it would be unfair to get rid of her because of this. You wouldn’t want someone you love to give up on you if you had a health problem, etc, so the same applies to her. Many greyhounds have been subjected to a lot of abuse and other mistreatment before they are adopted out and the last thing she needs is an owner who gets rid of her because she is peeing on the carpet. Getting help for her, whether medical or behavioral, should be your main priority as she should be more important to you than the status of your carpet. I don’t mean to sound mean, but it would be mean to her to do anything other than everything you can to help her with her problem instead of surrendering her when this will most likely devastate her as I am sure she is very attached to you by now.

Comment on Adoption….puppies Vs Adults? by Yogi and Me

Yogi and Me — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:21:28 +0000

what is the question again?
If the question is should you adopt a pup or an adult it will depends on if you want to put up with teething, potty training for the first time, the shots and all the stuff puppies would get into vs a dog that is already more adjusted and might have already had some type of training.
Either way, you are able to adopt a pup from a shelter, you just have to keep looking. Look for a beagle rescue and you will be likely to be find a beagle pup.
It’s all up to you and your husband and your availability, puppy like babies are a lot of work. As long as you have the time for it..either one is good.
And Bravo for adopting.

Comment on Adoption….puppies Vs Adults? by success_

success_ — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:57:23 +0000

While adopting an adult dog does have definite advantages, and is a noble act- I have adopted adults as well as a pup in the past, but I prefer puppies.
Not just because all of the puppy cuteness and fun, frustrations come with it as well. But because the early training is important bonding for me and my dog and I hate missing out on that.

Comment on Adoption….puppies Vs Adults? by Westley's mom

Westley's mom — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:36:13 +0000

I have rescued an adult, and a puppy. I would definitely go the adult route again, and I would think long and hard about a puppy again. I love puppies, they are wonderful. But they also make you crazy. They whine & cry, they chew up all your stuff, they shred the toilet paper, they potty in the house, they get in the trash, and you have to watch them every second. If you want to play with puppies, go to a shelter or Petsmart when they have adoptions going on, but leave them there and take home an adult, and keep your sanity! Plus puppies find homes much faster than adults, so you will be doing an extra good thing by giving a home to an adult.

Comment on Adoption….puppies Vs Adults? by Mallory

Mallory — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:37:30 +0000

personally i like adults out of rescues….i feel like they appreicate what you are doing for them!!! thats just me but i have done both and find that puppies dont seem to “get it” like adult dogs do . also i have vounteered at a shelter for about a year and seems like the need to have ppl rescue adults is way more i mean everybody comes in and wants a puppy

Comment on Adoption….puppies Vs Adults? by Princess Consuela Banana Hammock

Princess Consuela Banana Hammock — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:56:48 +0000

I would go for an adult dog, even thought my puppy was so adorable when he was little I do not miss the potty training and behavioural training, I would much rather get a dog that has already been trained for me and is just there for me to enjoy, also it’s a lot harder for adult dogs to be placed in loving homes because everyone wants the cute puppy

Comment on Adoption….puppies Vs Adults? by JB

JB — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:43:55 +0000

We have done all kinds. We now have 2 retired seeing eye dogs, both black labs. The waiting list is at least a year. they are fully trained, bred for temperament and are awesome!! We had a puppy from the spca once, after a year and half we had to find her a home – she was nuts and kept running away. We then adopted a saved greyhound. They are really cool but this one bit my 10 year old in the face unprovoked so we couldn’t keep him because we didnt trust him with kids, other than that he was wonderful. SO – I would skip the puppy crap and get a retired trained dog!

Comment on Adoption….puppies Vs Adults? by RottiesR

RottiesR — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:59:11 +0000

yep, I’m a registed rottie breeder and I love my babies and I’m glad that there are people out there who also love my babies. However, not only do I breed – I rescue and retrain them. I do both sides of the coin. In my opinion, Greyhounds are rescue dogs just as much as dogs in a shelter. Greyhounds need alot of exercise, high fences and strong leashes because if it gets loose – it’s gone. It runs until it can’t anymore and then it can not find it’s way home. I mean they can run for miles and miles. Yes, puppies are great but you do have alot of expense with them the first year. And you need to have alot of patience with them . Adult dogs, can come with a whole lot of baggage and will also need tons of patience to figure out what makes them tick, what sets them off, and how to fix it. When the time comes, you should make a list of REALISTIC pros & cons for each type and see where you end up. You also might want to spend sometime doing some online research and talking to shelter personnel and greyhound rescue people. Personally, I have had my share of shelter dogs/puppys and older/ and they were all wonderful dogs.

Comment on Adoption….puppies Vs Adults? by ♀Ünicandy♀ - There goes my Heart

♀Ünicandy♀ - There goes my Heart — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:33:49 +0000

I always said I wouldnt get another puppy again – untill someone dumped a fluffly white bundle in my arms and said “its only for a couple of nights, he’s too small to go in kennels”. That was almost a year ago now. And I have to admit, at the beginning, I couldnt wait for him to grow out of his puppy stage as Id forgotten what it was like! But now, he’s just turned a year and I look at him sometimes and wonder where those puppy days went – though he still thinks he is one! And thats only after a year. I’m still saying now that I will never have a puppy again – but when you fall in love, you fall in love, age is but a number! (I also said I would never in my life own a terrier, let alone westie!) I see so many older dogs come in that, if I had the space, I would take on in a heartbeat and I know in the future I will. I guess what Im saying is, you’ll know the dog when you see it, regardless of age.
And to the person who said Greyhounds need a lot of exercise – NOT TRUE!! This is one of the oldest myths around! Greyhounds are known as the fastest couch potatos on earth – yes they are fast, but they need only a couple of 20min walks a day, less than a terrier! Give them a good walk and they will curl up and sleep all day if you let them!