Greyhound or Sighthound owners.

[gilesjuk]

Having adopted a rescued greyhound in October I wondered if there were others who would meet up for walks?

There are events I go to already, but they're once or twice a month.

My dog could do with some socialising and a more confident dog to walk with as I'm having trouble with him getting upset by sounds on walks.

 

[kyoto49]

Having adopted a rescued greyhound in October I wondered if there were others who would meet up for walks?

There are events I go to already, but they're once or twice a month.

My dog could do with some socialising and a more confident dog to walk with as I'm having trouble with him getting upset by sounds on walks.

Well done on rescuing

I've got a confident sighthound but in my own experience with my recently acquired timid rescue puppy it hasn't helped much tbh.

What sounds upset him?

 

[gilesjuk]

Well done on rescuing

I've got a confident sighthound but in my own experience with my recently acquired timid rescue puppy it hasn't helped much tbh.

What sounds upset him?

Well. After the couple of nights with fireworks this week he's been scared of any bang sounds. I took him over the bunny hills, Falmouth Avenue at lunchtime today and I struggled to get him to go for a walk. I managed to get him to go around there but then there was some sort of bang sound from the direction of the sewage works and that was it, wanted to go straight back.

He's been gradually getting worse at going for walks. At first he would walk from the house, but now he won't leave the drive. I think I need to desensitise him with some of these sounds videos. He didn't have these problems at his foster home, but I think since that was near a motorway then perhaps the road hum masked the sounds? but I guess it's been an ordeal for him recently, being abandoned somewhere, getting taken to the pound, rescued, settling in a home and then having to leave it.

Anyway, even with all the fireworks tonight I think he's handled them better than earlier in the week. A lot of work to still though.

 

[kyoto49]

Well. After the couple of nights with fireworks this week he's been scared of any bang sounds. I took him over the bunny hills, Falmouth Avenue at lunchtime today and I struggled to get him to go for a walk. I managed to get him to go around there but then there was some sort of bang sound from the direction of the sewage works and that was it, wanted to go straight back.

He's been gradually getting worse at going for walks. At first he would walk from the house, but now he won't leave the drive. I think I need to desensitise him with some of these sounds videos. He didn't have these problems at his foster home, but I think since that was near a motorway then perhaps the road hum masked the sounds? but I guess it's been an ordeal for him recently, being abandoned somewhere, getting taken to the pound, rescued, settling in a home and then having to leave it.

Anyway, even with all the fireworks tonight I think he's handled them better than earlier in the week. A lot of work to still though.

It really does take a long time for this type of damage to heal but it can definitely be improved with patience. I'm no expert but Im a big fan of the dog whisperer, Cesar Milan. His general approach to nervous dogs is that the adult conveys calm assertive energy, keeps the dog moving forward and doesn't reward nervous behaviour. This might be helpful?

Home - Cesar Millan

Discover the world of Cesar Millan, the renowned Dog Whisperer. Explore official training tips, programs, and exclusive merchandise. Dive into Cesar's expert advice on dog behavior and training, and access a wealth of resources designed to help you and your furry friend live a happier, more...

www.cesarsway.com

 

[gilesjuk]

Thanks. He's been a bit better with fireworks tonight. He's still getting upset and panting, but is recovering a bit faster.

He went to meet other dogs today and walked well with them all, but I almost didn't get him to the event as he was trying to turn back and go back to the car.

 

[kyoto49]

Thanks. He's been a bit better with fireworks tonight. He's still getting upset and panting, but is recovering a bit faster.

He went to meet other dogs today and walked well with them all, but I almost didn't get him to the event as he was trying to turn back and go back to the car.

It might sound strange as he's an adtult dog but all the hustle and bustle of dog training classes might really help him, regardless of whether he learns anything, he will get loads of socialisation and noise to deal with!

 

[gilesjuk]

It's definitely a mood thing. I've sorted his slight reluctance to eat his food now by cutting out all treats other than dental chews. Earlier he wouldn't go for a walk from the house so rather than put him in the car and drive somewhere I took him back to the house and went for a solo walk for an hour and a bit. When I got back he was obviously excited I was back and I put the collar on him again and he started the walk with me only to lock up around the corner.

 

[staffordjas]

Well done on rescuing! Keep persevering and I'm sure you will soon solve the problems and he will settle down and come to love his walks .

Our rescue dog was petrified when we first got her from the kennels , she would cower down if anyone lifted brollies , torches etc. Must have been really beaten before .
But soon settled down, was relaxed and loved everyone she met ( except for the couple of times she had a reaction to a couple of men in hats & wax jackets , which must have triggered bad memories ).

It's got to be such a stressful time for your little lad with what he's been through .

Try making walks a big game , relaxing yourself as well. Could be picking up now on you anticipating he's going to be stressed , even though you don't realise you are doing it.

(Saying that , some fireworks this past week have got me stressed for the first time ever, they've been so loud ! )

Good luck

 

[gilesjuk]

Thanks. I'm struggling right now, fireworks definitely not helped. He goes upstairs and sleeps on the bedroom floor in the evenings ever since the fireworks started going off.

Can't seem to find any dog training classes around either. They're all booked up for the year.

 

[staffordjas]

How is he now @gilesjuk ? Hope he's settled down and bit and you are managing to get him to enjoy going for walks.

 

[gilesjuk]

Still struggling. He has come to associate walks with the car, so I am going to hide it tomorrow and see if that helps him get off the driveway. Last night I walked the bridleway from Hillcroft Park to Brocton and we were doing well until I got onto the public footpath just before the big climb on the road which takes you to the Barley Mow. Sounded like a farmer firing off two shots but that instantly caused my dog to want to turn back. He wouldn't go in any direction other than back and I didn't want to go back the same way due to another farmer burning hedge trimming (caused a huge plume of smoke).

Anyway, I had to do a detour and make it look like we were going back. I ran up the hill (Kate Bush would be proud) to the millennium sundial and got back about as far as the Dora care home and he locked up near some parked cars. Expecting to get into one of them I think. A lot of tugging at the lead (not the best thing) got him to start walking otherwise I'd still be there now. Can't really carry a 38kg noodle horse for 1.5-2 miles.

 

[gilesjuk]

I will be going to the greyhound trust meet sunday 10.15 at Marquis Drive. Hopefully won't be able to hear any shooting from there. I have booked him into the vets for a health check on Thursday, just to see if there's other things bothering him. I'm currently watching a playthrough video on the TV of Mirror's Edge (a game I never got around to finishing) and there's loads of shooting and helicopter noise which I'm hoping is desensitising him a bit. He's sleeping on a chair next to me without bothering with the sounds.

 

[staffordjas]

The vet advised us on curing our dogs travel sickness when we first got her. Maybe your vet will be able to suggest things to try with his fear .
Maybe had a really bad experience after being put in a car in the past, or scared he's going to be shipped off from his nice new home ? If only he could talk and say what's bothering him !

Hope the walk tomorrow goes well . Good luck.

 

[staffordjas]

Did you manage to get him to the Greyhound Trust meet ok @gilesjuk ? Hope he enjoyed it and found it a good experience if you did.


If think we need photos

 

[gilesjuk]

He's fine in the car funnily enough. Just stands up for a while, then lies down. The sunday walk went well, a nice relaxed doggie, he was actually pulling me along which he never does.

Unfortunately just as we were about to go back to the car some bang went off, I had a bit of trouble moving him back to the car but we got there in the end.

I do have a vets appointment Thursday, thought they could make sure everything is okay. Don't really want to dope him up, but if there's something that can take the edge off a bit, maybe it will help. There's just too much going on for him to cope at times. He's looking everywhere.

Tomorrow he's off to K9 Pastures for a run around off the lead. Hopefully won't be any shooting going on.

He's the fawn one, 4th from left.

 

[kyoto49]

He's fine in the car funnily enough. Just stands up for a while, then lies down. The sunday walk went well, a nice relaxed doggie, he was actually pulling me along which he never does.

Unfortunately just as we were about to go back to the car some bang went off, I had a bit of trouble moving him back to the car but we got there in the end.

I do have a vets appointment Thursday, thought they could make sure everything is okay. Don't really want to dope him up, but if there's something that can take the edge off a bit, maybe it will help. There's just too much going on for him to cope at times. He's looking everywhere.

Tomorrow he's off to K9 Pastures for a run around off the lead. Hopefully won't be any shooting going on.

He's the fawn one, 4th from left.
View attachment 11645

Have you tried one of those thunder shirts? I'm not sure how they work, and I've never tried one, but my sighthound is significantly calmer when he wears his winter coat which is an unintended consequence of keeping him warm but might be useful to you?

 

[staffordjas]

He's fine in the car funnily enough. Just stands up for a while, then lies down. The sunday walk went well, a nice relaxed doggie, he was actually pulling me along which he never does.

Unfortunately just as we were about to go back to the car some bang went off, I had a bit of trouble moving him back to the car but we got there in the end.

I do have a vets appointment Thursday, thought they could make sure everything is okay. Don't really want to dope him up, but if there's something that can take the edge off a bit, maybe it will help. There's just too much going on for him to cope at times. He's looking everywhere.

Tomorrow he's off to K9 Pastures for a run around off the lead. Hopefully won't be any shooting going on.

He's the fawn one, 4th from left.
View attachment 11645

Awwww he looks really happy.

Shame that bang went off at the end.

Hope he enjoys his run around at K9 Pastures.

 

[gilesjuk]

Have you tried one of those thunder shirts? I'm not sure how they work, and I've never tried one, but my sighthound is significantly calmer when he wears his winter coat which is an unintended consequence of keeping him warm but might be useful to you?

I have one of those. He wore it when fireworks were going off but he was panting that much that I took it off. I think you're really supposed to train the dog to associate it with nice things as well.

Anyway. We're making some progress slowly. I just need to keep some treats with me for when any sounds go off. I went to another dog field today and there were some bangs going off but I kept throwing the frizbee and he was content.

 

[gilesjuk]

Awwww he looks really happy.

Shame that bang went off at the end.

Hope he enjoys his run around at K9 Pastures.

He enjoys it, but he's normally panting away after about 5 minutes. I really wish I had another dog, I think two together would run around and play. He does enjoy fetching the kong frizbee though. Although being a floppy frizbee means it doesn't fly amazingly well.

I went to the one near Uttoxeter today just to see what that one was like. A bit wasted on him really, he doesn't fit through the concrete pipe and isn't bothered about ramps and platforms. Still, it was by a busy road and will have given him some noise exposure.

 

[kyoto49]

He enjoys it, but he's normally panting away after about 5 minutes. I really wish I had another dog, I think two together would run around and play. He does enjoy fetching the kong frizbee though. Although being a floppy frizbee means it doesn't fly amazingly well.

I went to the one near Uttoxeter today just to see what that one was like. A bit wasted on him really, he doesn't fit through the concrete pipe and isn't bothered about ramps and platforms. Still, it was by a busy road and will have given him some noise exposure.

What's he like with other dogs? I have a galgo x Belgian shepherd who can really run but there is the odd dog he doesn't like. I can tell within the first minute of meeting if he is going to get on with another dog and I've just introduced a new rescue pup so he's good with his dog language, just some he doesn't like, although greyhounds aren't usually in that category. We could meet and see if they get on? My boy is totally chill and happy go lucky with noises and traffic etc. Might help yours?