Rescue greyhound questions!

[LonelyandTiredandLow]

I nearly overtook the other thread, so here's my own!

For anyone who didn't see the OT dd and I went to visit a local greyhound rescue kennel today, as they said they had a new boy in there who seemed cat trainable. He was gorgeous although a teeny bit nervous - hadn't had 5 ppl in a room before as used to kennels. Took him for the briefest walk as it started to drizzle after about 15meters - he slowed then stopped and gave me a look of "you can't seriously expect me to be out in THIS!" before turning gently back .
We also experienced one of the wallpaper stripping, room clearing greyfarts. That was quite the warning! We also saw him with a cat - in the same room roaming about. He was muzzled and had one ear pricked up but floppy at the top and the other down, watched the cat for a few seconds and tentatively sniffed it then wagged his tail and went for more sniffs very sweetly. Then seemed to lose interest and went off sniffing around the room again. So it seems that his lack of chase drive was possibly why he wasn't a racer. He is 2yo.

I'm already quite head over heels but trying to take my time and ask all of the niggly questions before we fully commit (have reserved him for 4 weeks).

So, my questions so far:

1. I asked about boots as was reading last year about dogs in the snow and the salt eroding/hurting their paws. Rescue guy said no need and he's checked him for corns, of which he has no signs.

1. As it's unlikely he will get much time off-lead outdoors, how do you play/let them play when on walks?

1. Do they like baths? I'm assuming not as they may feel the cold being so skinny - but obviously may need one now and then. I'm guessing they don't like swimming - or can't really if not off lead? I seem to remember seeing one zooming along a huge and largely empty beach we went to in Devon (Westward Ho) and would love to feel confident enough for that but not sure if that is good etiquette considering they have no recall?

1. Although I don't hate the kennel name by any means, it would be nice to be able to change it. Is that possible or just confusing for the dog?

1. The only afterschool club dd does out of school is swimming. Obviously, the dog can't come in but I have to be there for support. Any suggestions for this? Would be appx 2hrs out of the house including travel time to and from the pool.

1. When you travel in UK do you have special doggy friendly places you visit? Is there a site or forum for these?

1. For a glossy coat do you use Evening Primrose oil? I was reading it can help with dandruff...

Just realised I've got to 7 already and beginning to sound like a new mum! I'll stop there for now or the OP will be HUGE!!! x

Haha. We got our pup 1st December. Everything was wrapped and stashed in November!!
I think it’s APDT that does positive reward based classes. Have a google. See what’s near you. Run a mile from pack theory! You want reward and positive. Any experience with dogs similar to yours would be great.
I’m a total novice. I went to my first class before I got my dog. I wanted to see if I liked the trainer. We started training ASAP after she was covered by her vaccinations.
Might be worth having a couple of weeks to settle the dog with you, get it used to travelling in the car and discovering strengths and weaknesses before starting formal classes.
Wish I was closer. Giant hound is brill with other dogs and has great recall.

Also total novice here.
We go out for a morning walk at 6am. Then leave 30 mins between walk and breakfast. Our rescue only told us to leave it 20 mins so I've always left it 30 mins but definitely no harm waiting longer.

Evenings generally it's dinner first then a walk later but in spring/autumn we go for a walk first so we go out before dark.

Training starts as soon as you bring him home. You will be showing him the way. We did a couple of 121s to help us manage Jaxon's nerves after about 2 months then a class after that but alot of it was focused on calmness in the home. x

I only leave it so long as mine is a wolfhound. Giant breeds are very prone to bloat.
I used to treat her when she was calm and settled on her bed. It’s now her favourite place. Right in the middle of the living room and at my feet at the same time!!

I don't know what it is with my area but there are (according to the APDT website) no trainers in my area. I'm sure that can't be right, so have emailed them to ask for their advice.

I'm wondering about dog gates, as I'm envisaging him wanting to try to exit the house every time the door is open. Unless I put his food down as we are leaving for the school run as a distraction, although ideally, I'd rather do it with the other breakfasts... We are open plan downstairs (other than the loo and boot room) but the kitchen has a door on one side. I bought the baby gate down from the loft over the weekend but it isn't wide enough to go across the hallway, front door or stairs, just a standard door. I've got visions of us bundling out after flinging a Kong at him in a rush, a bit like when you set the house alarm and have about 4 beeps before it is activated

What sort of baby gate is it? I have an extension on mine so it goes across a larger gap

It's a Lindham one but sadly I gave away the extending one before we moved years ago. I wasn't sure if it would be a bit low anyway? I suspect training is the way forward, just nervous about him getting out onto a road.

Bought him a lovely house collar today from Doggy Boho. This had me imagining him smoking a pipe in an armchair by the fire [https://www.doggyboho.co.uk/shop/kashmiri-house-collar/ collar]

Meh, link fail! collar

Lovely collar! My foster pup who went to her forever home yesterday had the lush purple tweed collar from that site, and dh is muttering about buying one as it was so nice

That’s lovely. We have a stair gate that I’m sure madam could jump if she really wanted too. It’s a tall dog gate and positioned so she can’t get a run up to it. It allows me to put bins out etc without worrying. It also stops her snaffling the cat food. Or worse!

I have a rescue/retired greyhound - just thought I'd share that those of us with shivery greys in the colder weather might like to take a look at the charity Action for Greyhounds (they have a FB page) who hand-knit to order jumpers for greys and whippets.

Very worthwhile cause for us grey-lovers, and the jumpers are lovely and cosy!

Ooooh so excited for you!!

Yes, please be very careful with the front door. Ours exited the front door after we'd had her three days and she didn't know her name (any of them!) and just kept going. A 7 car pile up with DHound at the bottom of it flashed before my eyes as she headed towards the main road but thank the Lord (and boy did we!) she turned left down a cul-de-sac and walked up to a nurse who called us. It was a very very lucky escape and we were much much more careful after that. I'm not even sure she'd attempt it now as she knows where she lives and can't really be arsed to go out but it was a petrifying experience and could have be so very much worse.

I started training too soon I think. And actually the whistle training round the house was more effective than any of the 1-2-1s we paid through the nose for and she found "puppy" classes totally overwhelming. I would try and do a bit at home to start with just so that you have a polite hound who is bearable to have round the house. For example, the first evening I sat down with some food in the lounge and she was all over it and trying to eat it and DH said "she can't cope with it, we won't be able to eat in here" but I was not interrupting my snacking in front of the telly for anyone (although it may well have benefited my waistline come to think of it!) and showed her back to her bed quite firmly, not crossly, no smacking or anything like that and she was never a bother again. I mean she looks sorrowfully at you and will occasionally come and have the odd sniff but not frenetically and will go back to her bed (sofa!) when told.

The kids have broken her with training now though. We taught her to sit for treats - which I am very proud of as most hounds don't sit - but the kids over the summer taught her "paw" and now she can't sit without one paw waving wildly in the air .

Anyway, we await a picture of your hound in situ. And don't be worried if you feel terrified when you get him home - it's totally normal. It will wear off in time.

Thank you all so much for the hand holding and understanding here!
Those jumpers look marvellous! Tommy' s woolly Christmas hat arrived yesterday and I've left it wrapped in the tissue paper, so he has something to open for Christmas (although I suspect dd will have it on him after a few hours of him being here in reality!). The great news is the fence is going up 4th & 5th December so I am hopeful we can have him at home on the 6th!

I'm still a little worried about the front door situation as the hallway is too wide to block it off properly and leads into the open plan living/dining/kitchen area. I wonder if it is best to just have him in and out of the car for the first few weeks every time I go out than leaving him and running the risk of the open door on my return? Or could this cause separation anxiety later when I do want to leave him? Hard to know what to do!

Feels like the weeks are crawling by. 90%of Christmas wrapping is done. Just playing the waiting game now! Is there anything else you wish you had done before ddog arrived in the home?

I have a whelping pen that has panels you slot together. Could you fix something like that to the wall?
It really is useful to have a barrier. Putting the bins out. Taking in a parcel. Doing the school run. Sometimes you can’t just nip out.
You won’t cause separation anxiety by not leaving him to start with.
I wished I had done more batch cooking. But then I had a needy puppy!

Oh wolfie you've just reminded me I have a huge lifeguard that I got when dd was small! I'm sure I could use that and lift it across as a barrier! Just checking though, after a few months I won't have to be as worried, right? Or are some dogs just worse at trying to run off than others? It's recall I need to be working on first, thinking on it, isn't it.

Out of interest, if using the whistle, do you then have to take it out walking every time? Do they respond to it better than just words? Am trying to imagine myself at home whistling at the dog all day...

Lifeguard was fire guard . I wish I had a lifeguard at home now though!

Fireguard will work perfectly.

Recall but also, certainly as far as our hound is concerned "wait" works way better so a lot of the time she won't/can't be bothered to come back to you, but she will stand and wait where she is until you go and get her. I realise that is very poor training on my part but it works.

E.g. I took her out for a walk, did ball throwing, the heavens opened, she picked up her ball and legged it in the direction of home. There is not a chance on this earth she would have come back to me, but I bellowed "WAAAIIIITTTT" and she waited for me to come and clip her lead on before we headed home.

We did "wait" with clicker training by the front door and with waiting for snacks on the floor and she's pretty good now.

I’m slightly confused re doors and leaving him... didn’t you say you had a crate?...

Perfect recall is a great book for recall training.
I carry a whistle when I walk. It means. “COME NOW!!” I don’t use it often.
A wait is very useful. For getting through gates, out of car, letting cyclists past etc.

Wait does sound handy. I have That book on recall in my basket, will get that in the meantime before training then. Thanks.

I do have a crate but from what I've read it can be bad to close them in if you are out as they might decide they don't like it and not want to go inside? I cant imagine I'd be able to herd him in every time the door goes or just before the school run if he learns why/that it means he is going to be left?

I used the crate for my big dogs, and now for the foster puppies for any time I wanted them contained. So the pups go in it when I'm having a shower, on the phone, getting shopping in and out for any amount of time. They get a chew/kong/toy in there and by working up from a couple of minutes they don't have an issue

I kind of assumed you’d bought one because he was already crate trained?

If so, you’re good to go and he won’t need herding in.

If not, no, you don’t want to start with leaving him, but you could use it to gauge if the door is going to be an issue.

I don't know if he is specifically crate trained, but I read (and the Trust agreed) that it is good for them to have a safe space to chill out in, especially as they have never been in a house before.
I'm hopeful that the fire guard will do the trick.

My main fear now is how to get him out of the car when I am by myself . I think my worries are getting more and more obtuse . Just worried that when I open the boot he is going to leg it.

Do you think it would be too soon to go to the enclosed field the day after we get him home? I'm worried about whether getting in and out of the car/new places will be stressful or if the freedom of the run will make it all worthwhile? Dd is keen to throw a ball for him (have explained we will be lucky if he gets it and returns it!) and we both want to see him doing zoomies. The lady who owns the field has 3 hounds of her own (from the photos) so I am hoping she might let them all play together .

I'd say no to going to the field the day after you get him. He needs to have a nice, calm time settling into his new home. Your dd can throw a ball in the garden for him, but you don't want to have the stress of catching him in the field if he feels like he doesn't want to stop

I would let him settle first. I always leave a lead and collar on in the car. You can also get crates or gates on the back of the boot. Can also use a harness and a seat belt clip but I don’t think they would hold my big girl.

Mine have their leads on in the car. When I am concerned that they need restraining as the boot closes/opens, the end of the long lead is threaded through the dog guard and ds holds the end.