Household Horrors
Everything in your house is familiar to you, but not at all familiar to your greyhound. Try to think how you would feel if aliens abducted you and took you to their strange planet. You will have a lot of fun watching your greyhound explore his new home. But he is going to need your help too...
Stairs
Your greyhound has probably never seen nor had to deal with stairs. You have to teach him to climb them. The best way is to get down on all fours and show him. If that does not work, stand behind him and move one paw at a time – step by step,
showing him what he is supposed to do. Make sure you give lots of verbal, positive reinforcement. Gradually increase the number of steps he climbs. When going down the stairs, hold his collar securely, and go down the steps slowly, right next to him. They are quick to learn and soon become old pros at it.
He may initially resist (that statue routine we spoke of in the Adjustment chapter), but just keep gently and positively asking him to climb the stairs. No matter what method you choose to teach your greyhound stairs, NEVER FORCE your greyhound up or down stairs by dragging him by the collar. If pushed into climbing the stairs, he will become frightened, and may try to jump them all, possibly breaking a leg – or worse.
Everything in the house is new and can be confusing. Full – length mirrors may cause your pet to stare at the mysterious dog on the other side of the mirror. Sliding glass doors can cause a sore nose when your greyhound tries to walk through it. Please put masking tape at eye level for a day or two. Hardwood, tile, and linoleum floors are also tricky for greyhounds to negotiate. Flushing toilets, TV’s, refrigerators, and more will provide you with lots of laughs at your greyhound’s expense.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure – this applies to your new greyhound as well. He does not know he is not supposed to root around in the garbage, and he finds those smells simply delightful and well worth investigating. Protect your greyhound from getting into trouble or possible harm by keeping the garbage out of his way, or by using a tight fitting lid on the can. A sharp, verbal reprimand if he should try to nose around the garbage will soon teach him not to disturb it.
Kitchen counters happen to be nose level with most greyhounds. Remember that they have been raised in a kennel, where every time they smelled food, it was THEIR food. Your new greyhound has not been taught proper manners yet, when it comes to food on the counter. A sharp NO, when he shows interest is enough to deter him, at least when you are around. However, a temptation such as a steak defrosting within his reach, might be too much to ask.
Sofas and Beds
If it is soft, your greyhound will like it. Shag carpeting is bliss for your retired racer. But a comfy sofa is even better! A good rule to enforce right from the start: if you don’t want your dog on the couch, don’t ever let him on it. He will quickly learn to love the luxury of the sofa cushions, and you will never get him to stay off. If your greyhound figures out the couch all by himself, and lounges on it while you are not home, then take an old blanket and cover the spot he has chosen prior to leaving the house. It is a lot simpler than fighting it.
Patience, positive reinforcement, and verbal reprimands are the main ingredients you need to help your greyhound adjust to a home environment.
Your Greyhound and The House:
Feeding Frenzy
As you introduce your greyhound to your home, you will also have to teach him a new concept. The idea that not all food he sees is for him. He will need to learn the difference between dog food and people food. A greyhound’s diet at the track consisted of 6 – 8 cups of quality dry meal/kibble, with 1 – 2 pounds of meat (sometimes 4 – D diseased, deadly, dying, etc.) added, and cooked vegetables. In retirement, as a house pet, your new greyhound will not need that volume of food, or the added meat.
Some greyhounds may seem nervous when eating, they are just worried that someone else is going to come and take their food. My first greyhound would load his mouth up with kibble, go into another room, drop it and then eat it in privacy. He eventually realized the food was his, and he could eat it in peace. Also, they may be very sloppy initially. You’ll find more kibble on the floor than in the bowl. Again, they are chowing down because they are afraid someone else is going to take their food. Eventually, better manners will prevail.
Everyone has his or her own favorite kibble. We recommend a high quality kibble (Nature’s Recipe, Nutro-Max, Pro Plan, Sensible Choice, etc.) from a pet food store, as what goes in shows up in the shine and condition of their coats. Grocery stores carry lower grade foods that use corn as filler. The first few ingredients on the bag should not contain by – products or corn. An additional supplement, (Nupro, Missing Link, etc.) whether powder or oil, helps greyhounds’ coats become sleeker. Greyhounds generally have excellent appetites and will eat everything. Unfortunately, everything does not quite agree with them. Like most sighthounds, greyhounds have sensitive digestive systems that respond to changes in their diet with diarrhea. Too many table scraps may not necessarily be a good idea.
We recommend feeding your greyhound twice a day totaling about 4 – 6 cups of kibble. You may need to modify that amount after the first few weeks according to your greyhound’s level of activity, age, and size. You should be able to feel ribs, not see them. Greyhounds need their food elevated. You can buy the feeding platforms, or buy two plant stands and put your greyhound’s bowls on them.
Your greyhound may have eaten bananas, apricots, pumpkin, applesauce, spinach, and even vanilla ice cream as a racer. Oftentimes marshmallows were given after a race. When selecting snacks for your greyhound, choose good quality basics such as Milkbones, and natural biscuits. Avoid treats that contain lots of dye and sugar. Compressed rawhide bones, Nylabones, other toys, and stuffed animals are all the treats your greyhound should have. Treats are an excellent positive reinforcement. You should be warned about one thing – CHOCOLATE CAN BE DANGEROUS. Reactions vary from dog to dog, but none are good. Chocolate contains ingredients that can speed your greyhound’s heart rate and cause allergic reactions.
And you must be warned again. A greyhound passing gas will wake you up in the middle of the night, and can clear a room. This flatulence usually occurs because you have given him something he is not used to in his diet. Like a new treat or some of your food (!). Or he could have gotten into something in the yard or garbage that did not quite agree with him. It could also be a sign the he needs to go out, so let him out! Some people say that giving a greyhound one to two dollops of low fat, plain yogurt will cause the flatulence to cease.