Greyhound newbie!

[Spud92]

Hi everyone,

Our rescue greyhound arrived last night for a two week trial. Initially all was great but we've a couple of teething problems (all expected!) so just looking some advice/ guidance.

1. Nighttime routine: the rescue advised muzzling him for 1st night just to make sure he didn't chew the place apart. We tried his muzzle (he walks fine with it on) but he kept trying to get it off. He had been lying on his bed without it and sleeping on and off so i think maybe he was wondering why he was having to wear it for 'bedtime' Anyway we decided to go without muzzle and eventually he settled down, we went upstairs and could hear him walking about. Low and behold he slept on sofa and hot his bed, how can we make him sleep in bed, I don't mind if he's on it during day etc, but would like him in his own bed at night?

1. Chewing things - had attempted to steal a shoe last night, but took it off him and he was fine. My partner works from home upstairs and had been checking on him in intervals all this morning. On his last check he'd pulled some things onto the floor and knawed a very small bit of a remote control and left it on the sofa. We did buy him a large squeaker bird which he was carrying.. Is he bored or lonely maybe.

My partner had went back to upstairs and said he has just started barking but he has gone down and the doggo has stopped once let back into living room. (He had put him in dining room with bed and access to another room and closed off our living room where the sofa is /chewing occured.)He had also had the radio on so he's not in silence either. My partner could also hear gum howling a bit on work call

I know he's only just arrived and everything is new to him, sorry if its a bit all over the place, just looking for any tips and some reassurance all this is normal and he's just testing us and he'll settle in time.

I should add, he has no issues eating , toileting etc as of yet.

I also have an adopted racer. He started off sleeping on his bed in my room but has gravitated to the sofa in recent weeks. I put a throw on it and let him get on with it. I live in a bungalow so he can still hear me. James chewed furry things to start (cushions, slippers etc), I just took them off him with a stern 'no'. Now he only chews his duck and hamburger.

You do know that s/he adopts you and not the other way round?

Thank you, that has reassured me a bit! Re sofa, that was my thinking - if he's comfy and doing no harm he's ok! Telling No seemed to work for us too, just when we were in the room though, not sure how best we can prevent him when he's by himself, will maybe get him another wee toy just for comfort and variety?

It certainly feels like it!! I've wanted a greyhound for years, and having been used to smaller dogs all raised from pups, there is a definite learning curve!

You need to either allow on sofa or not at all I think to it make easier. You can train to only get on when invited & see specific blanket on it for them, but greyhounds are the brightest sparks & are heat/comfort seeking missiles.

He's exploring (like kids all goes in mouth) and calming his nerves chewing, everything in his kennel would've been OK to touch, eventually he'll likely lose interest or learn whats ok, mine liked soft toys to shake but some prefer to destroy. Try things like likimats, Kong's to help calm & keep busy, supervise at first.

Mine is a sofa seeking missile - she won't sleep on a dog bed downstairs - she'll just huff and puff and give you the death stare and sneak into a small spot and gradually expand to push you off. We're fine with it.

Both of mine have had a shoe/slipper stealing thing - one would steal every single left shoe in the house and pile them up on her bed and sleep on them (I have no idea how the hell she told left from right) the other just likes to loot slippers, take them to the sofa she sleeps on and then sit triumphantly with her quarry. I think they smell strongly of us or it's a fluffy thing. They're not the brainiest of dogs although my current one is smart by hound standards (she can unzip handbags and the like)

We once found a butter knife in our hounds bed 😱. All sorts would end up in there, slippers, tv remote, bank statements . He was a kleptomaniac.

He's getting a bit better now, seems when we're out of the room the sofa is his safe place, which is fine by us. We don't really mind the sofa thing, just any other dog we have had would get fed up on the sofa and clear off to his own bed, presumably our grey thinks the sofas more snuggly!

He had a good night last night and seemed to settle to sleep easier too. Fingers crossed today goes better too, he has a couple more wee toys, including a treat ball but no interest in it, so awaiting a kong coming as pets at home sold out!

Ours was far too lazy for a kong, he expected treats to be hand-fed at his convenience. All of them have loved stuffed toys which they throw around and eventually de-stuff.

Our seems to just want the company never mind the toys. If the kong fails it may have to be one of the giant Caterpillars!!

Ours wouldn’t go on the sofa unless invited if we were in the room. As soon as we left the room all bets were off. We didn’t mind him on the sofa generally but he would dig at the cushions in typical greyhound nesting behaviour and we didn’t want him to tear it. We ended up barricading the sofa when we went out so he wouldn’t trash it. At night he ended up sleeping on the spare bed so he wasn’t deprived at all.

He also did the expanding so he had the whole sofa to himself. He didn’t want to snuggle, he wanted to stretch out with his legs in the air.

He did pinch the odd sock and tea towel when he first arrived, and he even chewed the post the first day he was on his own in the house. Never again though - I guess he figured there was nothing in it that was edible. He did chew jackets if I’d left a bit of treat in the pocket though (lots of my jackets still have holey pocket linings and would chew nice soft things - my bag of knitting, the new foam mop head etc. He once stole my purse out of my bag and buried it in his bed - I was on the verge of cancelling my cards as I thought I’d been pick pocketed on the way out of Sainsbury’s. It made me very tidy - if anything was in greyhound reach it was considered fair game.

Owner of three formidable greys here.

Yes they love the sofas

Mine much prefer chewy bones with flavour and soft toys with long arms and legs as they rag them around.

Our newest recruit is a bit of a chewer so we just remember not to leave anything we don't want chewed near him. And a firm no when he picks something g up he shouldn't have.

Remember they have no idea what's there's or not.
One of mine used to pick up table lamps when we first got her

They are goofy but amazing

@userxx

Ours was far too lazy for a kong, he expected treats to be hand-fed at his convenience. All of them have loved stuffed toys which they throw around and eventually de-stuff.

Mine looks hilariously pissed off if you try to use anything like a Kong wobbler to feed her slower - we do it sometimes to keep her on her toes and for a giggle. It's like a personal insult in the food delivery department.

I've had my current grey for a few years now - and she's just a chewer! Loads of toys but she prefers bits of kindling, pens, my specs - anything hard basically - its's just the way she is!

I'm so jealous - I would love another greyhound!
My greyhound has a box of toys but to be honest wants someone to play with him rather than play by himself. He'll come to find me with a toy in his mouth and expectant look! If I need to do something, I will give him something to chew like a rawhide free twist or stuffed bone thing. There's all sorts of natural chews and I think chewing helps them relax and get sleepy.
I think you'll be fine. He is sussing you out and you need to get to know him. Move everything up onto a high shelf if you don't want to have it stolen. If he eats something he can reach, accept it's kind of your fault at this stage.
It's fantastic you've adopted a greyhound. They are the best dogs ever and so different from any other dogs.

Love those Greyhounds. OP Your Greyhound sounds typical of a rescue racer. Our boy was eight when we adopted and he's coming up to 10 this year. That thing of expanding to fit the space - they know how to do it so well, particularly if they're sharing your bed. You think you've jumped in first, giving yourself the space (and the duvet), but somehow they're able to ooze out and your knees are no longer covered up.

If you stick with him you'll end up thinking greyhounds are the best thing ever. The bit I don't understand in your post is the advice given to muzzle a dog for the first night. I'm glad you stopped doing that. I'm no expert on dogs but it seems to me to be very risky to have a dog muzzled at nighttime when anything could happen to the dog without you knowing there was a danger.

Rescue Greyhounds (especially ex-racers) are a law unto themselves, but who wants a normal pet .

He had a couple of good nights but last night was awful! Took him out for a walk and he came back, went to toilet, then snuggled into his bed. When we tried to go to bed and closed the living room door he started howling and barking. We waited to see if any improvement and eventually went downstairs and opened the door for him. He came upstairs, we closed our door and he waited outside our bedroom door, alternating between mild howl and lying on the carpet sleeping. He then took himself off eventually to the spare bed. We've both had an awful nights sleep and are now panicking this is what it's always going to be like. We also can't leave him in living room (& dining room - the doors open into there) alone as he'll stand at the door and howl and scratch the door. We didn't think this would be anywhere near as hard, we really don't want to fail him and give him back, but we're now at a loss on how to go forward. I know it's still early days but we can't live like this. We feel awful.

Have you considered a stair/dog gate on the door to your room so that he knows you’re there but will sleep on the landing or somewhere else upstairs? Bear in mind that if he was a racer (and also in rehoming kennels) he would have been used to other greyhounds nearby at night and may have shared a kennel, so he won’t be used to the solitude.

I’m a bit surprised he’s happy to stay on his own downstairs during the day while your partner works upstairs. Mine sleeps quietly in the same room as me while I’m working (or occasionally wanders round to DH) and this is great for both of us.

They’re the best of dogs but as part of that most of them do like company.

I have messaged the rescue and they have said stair gate too, we had initially tried clothes horse but he tried to jump it... Will give stair gate ago as more stable! They told us he didn't share and never howled when there, so maybe just need to be more firm with him.

Well he did but now he wants to be upstairs and has lay on the floor where he works with no bother, but I'd like velcro and never wanders off, but I think he just needs more time to start doing that!

No doubt he's a lovely dog, gentle natured, we want to get him to that stage where he's happy to just chill and not worry!

He will settle but it will take time and hard work, don't forget he's never been on his own, he's always had other hounds around him so being left on his own will be very different for him.

Have you got room for another hound ? Only half joking.

😂 Yes I've seen that another hound could potentially help!
We've been told by our rescue to do a firm no/quiet when he howls, but online responses seem to say not to do this for any dog, which i would have thought too, so conflicting! I can't wait to come back in a year to reassure others!!

Our grey hates closed doors, doesn't matter that he doesn't particularly want to go into the room behind it, but he wants the option

A stair gate might work well as he'll be able to see through it.

Our grey views closed doors as a personal insult to her. She can open most of them though now if she wants to (she's a rare smart one).

If they're a jumper - Argos sell extra tall "baby gates" called dog gates.

I promise it gets easier. I've had my Grey for nearly 2 years he also was a rescue. First 3 months were hard. He now is part of the family and rules the house. We let him sleep in our room he has his own bed. Remember he has never been on his own before. He has always had the company of other Greys. Please persevere it is so worth ir x

OP you should definitely upload a photo ☺️

I love greyhounds. My folks have rescued 2 before and have a third now. Fabulous pets. Her current lady chewed up 3 pairs of her glasses so keep that in mind 😜

Best of luck. You're both still getting to know each other so give it time and I'm sure he'll settle.

I don't know if it's the baby gate, but he slept like a baby last night!! Now of course I panicking in case he's not well, he has had a bit of a dodgy tum/poo (tmi) but has been adjusting from the kennels food to ours, so reckon he will settle.

We had him in the park today and everyone was remarking on how lovely he was They're such just gentle giants,I can see why people love them so much.

I tried to upload a pic there but doesn't seem to be working, is it the paperclip icon?

Here he is!