Rookie greyhound owner - advise me!

[MissBetsyTrotwood]

We picked him up today.

He's done really well. No accidents in the house (yet), two long wees in the garden and a good park walk that included a poo (runny) and a successful encounter with two off the lead terriers, a very friendly staffy and an elderly collie.

He's panting a lot in the house. Is this because he's stressed?

Congratulations and
I don't own a dog but I did meet some lovely greys doing their bit for The Retired Greyhound Trust at a stall.
The seemed quite laid back and hoovering up all the praise and cuddles (they so deserved it, they reckoned)

But they were both panting, really open mouthed and heavy breathing. Might have been stress related.they probably don't experience any adrenaline highs since finishing racing.

I think bowel movement 'blips' are quite common too.

Our dog did the panting all the time thing when we first brought him home, especially on the first day. I was a bit worried at the time (shouldn't have Googled it!) but it sorted itself out pretty quickly, so I think it was just stress/anxiety.

Panting and runny poo is completely normal and is a stress response- will happen again in stressful conditions, maybe like fireworks etc.

You may find he's drinking a lot of water as well, also normal.

At this stage, I really wouldn't worry about it at all. Make sure he's not being over- fussed, and has somewhere cosy he can sleep, and that he's not getting too much attention. Hopefully he'll be able to start snoozing very soon. He's probably feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment with all the changes that are happening to him.

I'd also make sure he's got access to his water and that he's not too hot?

So excited to hear this news - can we suggest/demand pics?

Aww. Thanks all.

He seems to know where his water is and likes the hall where there is a particularly old and scratchy rug. He's seeking us out and sticking by us a lot. We put the kids in the bath and he cried the whole time we were upstairs... We're going to leave him downstairs tonight - I don't want him upstairs at all as this is where the guinea pigs live and I guess starting as we mean to go on is a good thing.

We put a bone in his bed which he seems to be enjoying at the moment and he's had a bit of a snooze while I was cooking dinner. A sharp 'uh uh' at the table seemed enough to warn him off the roast dinner but when we had all finished and got down from the table I put a bit of chicken in his bowl. (Which he loved.)

His bed is in the kitchen by a hot radiator... perhaps I should turn the rad down a bit. He's literally snuggled up right next to it and it's boiling!

Thanks doghouse. I'll be back with pics etc when my newly expanded family allows!

Oooh, the theme tune to 'The Archers' definitely interested him. A hound with taste .

oooo - so exciting for you. def need piccies.

Greyhound rescue west of England have some really good factsheets here www.grwe.com/homingWelfare_careGuidelines.asp

Nice, quiet place he can get away from all the hustle and bustle would be the best thing

Yes, the panting will calm down in a few days. My grey did this for the first couple of days.

My advice would be to get a toothbrush and some dog toothpaste and brush his teeth every day. The sooner you can get him used to it the better. Mine won't let me brush her teeth and it costs me £300 a year for a dental and she's had a lot of teeth pulled out. Greyhounds are prone to bad teeth.

Oh, thanks about the brushing - I'll start this tomorrow. I knew we had to start soon but had sort of put it to the back of my head with housetraining etc being nearer the front!

He's going to cry tonight. What would you do? Come down and comfort him or leave him til the morning? We were going to leave the hall light on and the radio on down low. He's also got his cuddly toy from the kennels.

He seems to really like red wine.

He licked out the inside of our finished glasses really keenly and there is a half finished bottle with a screw top in the wine rack that he gave a good licking too. We've drunk it up removed this just in case.

I would leave him,i know it's hard. But if youre firm from the start hopefully you'll only have a few nights of it. Otherwise it will drag on for ever.

How did you get on?

Hi!

He was fine as far as I know. Cried a bit when we went upstairs but quiet the rest of the night and no destruction/wee/poo. Got up with us at 6ish and did the biz in the garden. He's at the vet right now with DH for a little check up and hello - he has a bit of a drippy nose so I guess it's worth a look.

Met the same very jumpy uppy off the lead terriers today and he had a bit of a bark but with a waggy tail. So pretty OK really.

I'm still not used to a dog whose chin can comfortably rest on the worktop but I guess I'll just keep on with the 'uh uh' and sticking my sizeable rump between his nose and the food in preparation.

I still feel a bit nervous and overwhelmed by the 'Oh my, he's with us til he dies!' feeling but DH keeps reminding me that this is how I was with the kids when we brought them home! Think I'll feel more confident when I've had a few days at home just me and him and the kids - then I'll know I can cope!

The lovely lady from the RGT kennel we adopted him from called today to find out how the night went. She wanted me to put her on speakerphone so she could tell him she still loved him!

Thanks for thinking of us. I'll be back with more questions!

Just read that back and it comes across really negative... he is a lovely dog and we are really happy he's ours!! Must stop worrying so much and just enjoy him...

I know what you mean about the scary feeling of having him for ever.

THe day before our dog came I was nearly in tears thinking I hadn't thought it through well enough and we shouldn't be getting a dog, etc. I was actually considering ringing the RGT and telling them it was off.

I know I've over thought this - and over felt it! I suffer with anxiety and I've been waiting a long time to be well enough to own a dog. He's very loved and very wanted and it is a feature of my illness to over think everything and to predict the worst.

Just being out with him today and his presence make me feel good. And seeing the way the children interact with him, what they are learning from being with him and the confidence he gives them is brilliant.

(And I think he'll get a good deal out of owning us too - top nosh, comfy warm house and lots of lurve!)

Betsy, he sounds lovely, and as though he is going to have a truly wonderful life with you all. I know what you mean - we thought like that on the day we brought our first grey back - I really wasn't sure what to make of him at all. Like many greys he wasn't very demonstrative to start with, so we really were starting from scratch. You'll be amazed at how quickly they blossom, and how you will get used to having them around, and fitting them into your routines.

Aww thanks.

He was a very very good boy at the vets and has bad teeth - so the tooth brushing starting today was a good thing. Just put a little paste on my finger to start with - we'll graduate to a brush in a few days. The work experience nurse who weighed him said she'd never seen such a big greyhound. They had to pull out the scales a bit more just for him! 37lb - and a very gentle big boy too.

He had a little protest when he got home. We went upstairs to bath the kids and left him downstairs. I got down to the kitchen and he'd pulled his big old duvet bed out and was lying right across the kitchen floor. On the floor, not the bed! He's asleep there now. Can't be comfortable as it's a tiled floor, but hey ho, if it pleases him!

Thanks again. In fact, I can smell a fresh fart from here. We're in the lounge. He's in the kitchen (about 20 foot away) .

If you know his racing name you find out his full pedigree litter brothers and
sisters etc here: www.greyhound-data.com

Our boy CLYDAL INKEY is there with photo.

Your boy looks to have a lovely rosy future with you.

You can get finger brushes which are rubbery bristle things which fit over your finger ends.

Greyhound farts are the worst in the world.

Yes! We had a look and he was pretty successful at first at racing but then had a big old losing streak and was retired early this year I think. His name was 'Stealing Rocket' (mum 'Stealing Reason' and dad 'Hades' Rocket') His dad looks to have had about 700 pups - am I reading this wrong?

His sister was at the kennels - she's much smaller but much livelier so with two small kids she'd not have been suitable.

Clydal Inkey is a beauty! What lovely eyes - he looks as though he's wearing eyeliner!

I'll try him with a finger brush - might be a bit less intrusive for him. I would, however, say at this stage that DH's farts are actually worse than than the dog's. Seriously.

So pleased things going well for you. I'm sure the anxiety will lessen as you start to enjoy the lovely walks and cuddles. This is a big change and it's OK to feel it Have you had a power lean from him yet?

But we (I) need pictures

Sooo jealous! We're going to see LGT on their stall at the weekend then going to arrange a homecheck! Can't wait! So excited! :o

Congratulations! Need some piccies though.

OK, next question. Do you leave their food down for them? Or do you pick it up after 30mins or so if they've not finished?

He's used to one large meal a day and we've broken it down to a third of his food at breakfast time (7ish) and then the rest at (12.30 - 1ish) He's mostly finished it by 10ish in the morning and has finished the rest on return from his afternoon walk at about 2.

Maybe I should be feeding him at 10 and 2 instead... His poo's OK, a little loose maybe but defo not total diahorrea.

Had my first judgey comment today about 'I wouldn't have a dog like that with my kids (think it was because of his size and the muzzle. Grrr.

Sorry no piccies yet. I don't have a 'profile' and I don't do Facebook so I'll have to work out a way around. TIA!