Please tell me how I should deal with a badly behaved lurcher?

[soandsosmummy]

It looks like I'm going to end up looking after my SILs rescue dog over New year and honestly I don't want to.

It's a huge great thing, is barely toilet trained.. literally goes round weeing where it feels like it, has to be kept on lead as it wont come back or bounds up at people - but I'm not strong enough to control it even on lead. You can't even let it out in the garden by itself in case it jumps the gate and runs off or worse gets in next door and kills another of their chickens. It does have a sweet and soppy side (mainly when it's asleep) but honestly not enough for me to want to put the huge amount of effort in.

Also we have a dog who is terrified of it - last time it literally picked her up by the neck and shook her - just ask part of "normal" play apparently.

DP says she can't get anyone else to look after it and the kennels have refused it. ... wonder why.

SIL does need the break for lots of reasons I won't elaborate on here and we want her to have it but the dog is an issue!! This isn't a case of she just shouldn't go.

So it looks like it's happening but I'm really worried so any advice please send it this way.

Just to add he can not be put in a crate because of his pre-rescue history. Also he is in no way vicious or aggressive towards humans in fact he's very friendly but he is uncontrollable

Overall I really do not want to do this!!

It doesn’t sound like your house is an appropriate place for the dog. She needs to find a professional sitter.

Picking up and shaking another dog is not part of normal play; it is dangerous play.

Refuse to do it, she can get a sitter. Or she can pay for your dog to be safe with a sitter if you do decide to help her out.

I wouldn’t do this, no matter how
much SIL needed a break. Her choice to have the dog, her issue finding care for it so she can have a break.

Lurchers are sight hounds and cannot be let outside off lead, this is a commonly known fact. They need exercise but not as much as other breeds unbelievably and they sleep a lot (think short bursts of energy followed by long sleeps).

You cannot keep looking after this dog, it's untenable.

If the dog is to survive, it would be best sent to a doggy training camp for a few months. I know someone who did this and the dog came back a different animal.

It's HER house... our garden is fully fenced with 6ft fences and our dog is very safe and well looked after albeit a bit bonkers .

We would need to go to her house as there's an elderly relative who can't be left and refuses to go into a nursing home in the equation (partly why SIL so desperately needs a break which I really want her to have)

I just really don't want to look after the dog... I'm going to have to say so aren't I? I don't think I can keep it safe and I don't feel that safe around it. It's tough because I love dogs and I've had them all my life - I know they've all got personalities and foibles and some are a bit strong willed and wilful but sadly this one has just been so damaged by his puppyhood that I don't know where to begin and I'm not certain SIL does either even though she seems to love him anyway

Take it for a walk in a fully enclosed enclosed exercise field every day (this costs £10 per hour approx), and muzzle in the house for your own dog's sake.

Having said that, I would not want to look after it any more than you do.

I know many lurchers and most are able to go off lead, so it's certainly possible if owners are prepared to put in the hard work, but those that can't be trusted on walks get taken to enclosed paddocks for a good run.

Can she take the dog to a trainer to try and start to establish some better manners between now and Christmas?

You need to say no. It's not safe.

Yep, try Animal Aunts. Costs a lot more than kennels but they specialise in people - and you can hire a couple if you need 24 hour cover rather than 21 hours/day! - who stay in the house and look after the animals.

Put it this way - I could probably cope, having had sighthounds for decades, and I could think of HOW I would cope too (+), but even so I'm not sure I would be volunteering either!

• box muzzle
• Harness which attaches at shoulder blades and sternum
• Belly band style dog nappies

Are you going to her house?

Can you leave your dog at home with someone else looking after your dog. Not ideal for you but does keep your dog safe.

If her dog is too much for you (and that is fine if that is the case!) do say so . For yours and the dogs safety

Yes, you're going to have to get brave and say you can't look after the dog. Think of the consequences of not being brave and that will help propel your resolve!

So can your DP go and look after dog and elderly relative, and you stay home with your DDog? I know it would be a bit rubbish for you, but better than the lurcher killing your dog.

@Ellmau I think it's going to have to be me. and yes I think I'll go alone and leave our dog at home with DP and DCs. Relative would almost certainly not let DP help her with shower etc. and honestly I think DP is even more wary of the dog than I am in fact I have a strong suspicion he's frightened of the thing. He's never been a great fan of dogs and I think he only likes ours because she's very gentle and good natured and toilet trained

I don't mind at all giving up new year as I never do much anyway. I don't mind elderly relative who I'm fond of. I just mind being lumbered with a badly behaved lurcher.

I'm not sure I'll be able to find an appropriate exercise field but will ask SIL to try to find out. I don't know about muzzling - he had a LOT of ill treatment as a pup and I wouldn't be surprised to find out a muzzle was in the equation

Thanks to those who told me about sight hounds - I didn't know that's why they were best on lead - in fact I know very little about those types of dogs at all.

Hopefully there's no reason that you can't give the dog a bit of training while you are looking after it? I'd be very tempted to get a house lead which will give you control over it while you are there. That gives you the ability to give a few well timed, firm 'No' commands when it exhibits undesired behaviour, and some praise when it exhibits desired behaviour.

You can just tread on the lead to restrict when you need to. It worked wonders for my rescue lab who was completely untrained when I got him.

To make walking easier, I’d try a head collar. We have a large, strong greyhound with a very strong prey drive and this stops him dead in his tracks when he sees a cat/fox etc

https://amzn.to/3tXZYAk

He can wear a muzzle on top still.

But also, do you have to have him?!

Get him some calming biscuits. It won't hurt for him to have them every day whilst he is with you. You will see a big difference in him.

Thank you again there are some really good ideas.

He's got the most beautiful brown eyes and always looks quite reproachful when told off but I think I'm going to have to harden my heart - my time - my rules - and a bit of training is not a bad plan and I'm definitely liking the inside lead. Will look into head collars... and wondering if the calming biscuits will work for me too!!

Update - she's very very sad about it but SIL has decided to have him rehomed as she really can't cope, he's not responding to training or anything dog psychologist has suggested and she feels she can not give him what he needs. Also her house stinks because of the constant weeing which she's endlessly cleaning up

She's so upset I really feel for her as I know how much she loves dogs. She won't have taken the decision lightly but from a very selfish point of view, it's a relief

Sounds a sensible solution given she has other caring responsibilities anyway

“Lurchers are sight hounds and cannot be let outside of lead, this is a commonly known fact. They need exercise but not as much as other breeds unbelievably and they sleep a lot (think short bursts of energy followed by long sleeps”

Most of this is utter nonsense.