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Radiation Cow
Oct 23, 2010

actionjackson posted:

Abby is hanging in there, just feeling more stressful - a few times last week she fell when urinating and needed help getting back up.

But she is still really enjoying people, treats and going outside!

That must be heartbreaking to see. But it's great to hear that she's still got stuff she enjoys.

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actionjackson
Jan 12, 2003

When we go out I have to walk super slow, that is one helpful change, I'm a fast walker!

skoolmunkee
Jun 27, 2004

Tell your friends we're coming for them

She really is a sweet old lady. I’m so glad she has someone who is so patient and is doing everything he can to make things easier for her. I’m sure she adores you.

@david_a, if it’s up by her neck or shoulders, it might be her microchip!

actionjackson
Jan 12, 2003

thanks, that's very kind of you.

here she is today on my new rug, the previous one was pretty shag so she's getting used to it. I did get a really nice pad underneath. I might get another blanket, though who knows, sometimes she sleeps with her head on the hard floor, and I've seen greyhounds lay down on bare concrete. The pillow is obviously a bit smaller, it's more meant to go with her bed in my bedroom.

Only registered members can see post attachments!

DarkHorse
Dec 13, 2006

Vroom Vroom, BEEP BEEP!
Nap Ghost
We've just donated our down comforter to spartys use after he shanghaied it off the bed. He's already bled on it a bunch so it was no big loss

actionjackson
Jan 12, 2003

DarkHorse posted:

We've just donated our down comforter to spartys use after he shanghaied it off the bed. He's already bled on it a bunch so it was no big loss

hah, did you not have a cover over it? getting those things on is a dark art

I really should've looked up "waterproof dog bed" many years ago, I definitely would have saved some money, though I'm not sure how well they actually work. I assume you want some sort of tarpaulin layer (but can you clean that???).

have you guys ever tried them? maybe something like this, and just stick some pee pads in there as an extra line of defense.

https://www.chewy.com/brindle-waterproof-orthopedic-pillow/dp/180864

DarkHorse
Dec 13, 2006

Vroom Vroom, BEEP BEEP!
Nap Ghost

actionjackson posted:

hah, did you not have a cover over it? getting those things on is a dark art

I really should've looked up "waterproof dog bed" many years ago, I definitely would have saved some money, though I'm not sure how well they actually work. I assume you want some sort of tarpaulin layer (but can you clean that???).

have you guys ever tried them? maybe something like this, and just stick some pee pads in there as an extra line of defense.

https://www.chewy.com/brindle-waterproof-orthopedic-pillow/dp/180864

We'd just washed the cover and hadn't put it back on yet, or else he just soaked through it completely with one of his more idiotic injuries.

The secret to putting them on is to grab the corners and shove them into the corresponding corner of the cover. Once you have two adjacent corners you spread your arms apart and shake them into place. If you have two people you can do all four corners at once

actionjackson
Jan 12, 2003

thanks, I will try that next time!

pastor of muppets
Aug 21, 2007

We were somewhere around the Living Hive, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold...

Can also flip the cover inside out, attach the top two corners, flip it back outside-in and then attach the bottom two corners. That’s the “easiest” way I’ve found but it’s still a full-body workout with a king size comforter.

I saw a YouTube video once that involved rolling the whole thing up like a burrito, but I’ve never been able to make that work.


unrelated pic of the Spruce Roose and her brother Rocky

pastor of muppets fucked around with this message at 14:24 on Mar 27, 2021

david_a
Apr 24, 2010




Megamarm
Can your hounds actually stick their ears straight up like that?! I feel like Katie would have to be looking up for them to stay like that

skoolmunkee posted:

@david_a, if it’s up by her neck or shoulders, it might be her microchip!
That’s something I didn’t consider. I don’t remember where the vet injected it but he did mention they can drift quite a bit. It’s towards the middle of her back.

david_a fucked around with this message at 15:06 on Mar 27, 2021

DarkHorse
Dec 13, 2006

Vroom Vroom, BEEP BEEP!
Nap Ghost
Sparty's rarely stands up all the way, usually his right one crinkles over





But every now and then they stick up fully, sometimes on walks when the breeze inflates them

actionjackson
Jan 12, 2003

Abby definitely does straight up when I'm holding a treat, or often she will just stare at me with her ears straight up as a "get out of bed I need to go!!!" look

she also does the one up one flopped to the side at times

she has many skills

pastor of muppets
Aug 21, 2007

We were somewhere around the Living Hive, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold...

Yeah it’s interesting which hounds get that trait and which don’t.

I love when the cartilage stops about halfway up and then the tips just flip forward, it’s just so :3:



(Not my dog obviously)


E: since I don’t think I’m gonna get yelled at for posting too many greyhound pictures in this, the greyhound thread, here’s another picture that is of my dog that I took just now:


she cute

pastor of muppets fucked around with this message at 17:29 on Mar 27, 2021

Legit Businessman
Sep 2, 2007


Our dog has satalite dishes for ears - when he's excited they go straight up. When he's confused or curious one goes up, the other goes up half way. When he stretches (or sometimes around food) they go out sideways.

He has very expressive ears :3:

Legit Businessman fucked around with this message at 07:55 on Sep 5, 2022

Lagomorphic
Apr 21, 2008

AKA: Orthonormal

Drewjitsu posted:

Rush has satalite dishes for ears - when he's excited they go straight up. When he's confused or curious one goes up, the other goes up half way. When he stretches (or sometimes around food) they go out sideways.

He has very expressive ears :3:

Yeah Gannon's go straight up whenever he goes to high alert. Usually because he's focused on something far off that has his attention or when he's panicking because a thing made a noise he wasn't expecting.

Legit Businessman
Sep 2, 2007


Lagomorphic posted:

Yeah Gannon's go straight up whenever he goes to high alert. Usually because he's focused on something far off that has his attention or when he's panicking because a thing made a noise he wasn't expecting.

Yeah it's neat, usually he's seen something I haven't (like a rabbit).

Major Isoor
Mar 23, 2011
Taz is similar to Gannon and Rush. If he's properly excited or alert (loud bang, a cat appearing, etc) his ears will go right up. Otherwise if he's just like, moderately excited, they'll be at half-mast.

Opal on the other hand has very floppy ears. She might try and raise them all the way like Taz, but they'll typically end up flopping forwards, so that her ears kinda look like they've been folded in half. It's interesting, how different hounds' ears can be, and how expressive they are! :D

Also, I'm glad to hear that Abby is hanging in there and is enjoying life - she deserves it! Hopefully you've been able to otherwise have a good year so far too, AJ

actionjackson
Jan 12, 2003

thanks! it's had its ups and downs but definitely much better now than a few months ago, mainly because it was a billion degrees below zero in early February.

Abby is completely zonked now, I can't even believe she was able to jump on the bed with me. I had a visitor so she was very interested in a new person, we had a few nice walks, and I did a lot of cleaning around the house earlier, so she was constantly getting up and checking on what I was doing!

david_a
Apr 24, 2010




Megamarm
My family had a collie that got to 15, so I know some of what you’re going through. When she passed I had known her half my life. Poor gal was pretty creaky and slow towards the end but still an enormous sweetheart. It sounds like Abby is still having fun which is great to hear.

Veskit
Mar 2, 2005

I love capitalism!! DM me for the best investing advice!
Ohhh poo poo oooops didn’t know that one.


https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeUKtENP/

david_a
Apr 24, 2010




Megamarm

Veskit posted:

Ohhh poo poo oooops didn’t know that one.


https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeUKtENP/

I’ve found that if I put my arm near their neck like that it was easy for it to slide up and choke her. I support her chest instead with my forearm, sliding it in between the front legs.

Katie either can’t or doesn’t want to jump up in the back of my car so I have lots of experience picking her up.

NomNomNom
Jul 20, 2008
Please Work Out
Watson took a lot of coaxing to start jumping in the car. Like he would go go gadget his neck for a piece of hot dog rather than jump. Lots of encouragement and lots of hot dogs later he jumps in all on his own.

He has however developed a reluctance to being picked up.

Genovera
Feb 13, 2014

subterranean
space pterodactyls

Tennyson's ears are pretty thick and he usually has one sticking up and one back. When he holds them up one goes over more than the other.





Mac's ears are thin and pretty floppy though I do occasionally get a photo while they're up.



Bonus Mac teeth pic:

jesus WEP
Oct 17, 2004


I’ve always picked my dogs up with the leg scoop! My first lurcher had a really sensitive stomach so he would yelp if anyone tried to pick him up any other way, so it’s just how I do it instinctively now

actionjackson
Jan 12, 2003

have any of you tried one of the "waterproof" dog beds and if so did it work when your greyhound inevitably peed on it? thinking about getting one, and then putting the two peed pads I have inside for extra protection.

I assume the waterproof layer they add is some sort of tarpaulin

https://www.chewy.com/brindle-waterproof-orthopedic-pillow/dp/180868

david_a
Apr 24, 2010




Megamarm
Do your hounds get more “difficult” if they really need a nap? Katie got very whiny and stubborn coming home from being out and about and I wonder if it’s just that she hadn’t slept in like 4 hours.

DarkHorse
Dec 13, 2006

Vroom Vroom, BEEP BEEP!
Nap Ghost
We've gone on a few five mile plus hikes with sparty, mostly he just zones out and want to go home and nap and his feistiness is blunted

Now that I think of it he looks and acts a lot like when you first get a hound - aloof, quiet, kind of shy and anxious looking. It's quite refreshing from his usual assholishness

david_a
Apr 24, 2010




Megamarm

DarkHorse posted:

We've gone on a few five mile plus hikes with sparty, mostly he just zones out and want to go home and nap and his feistiness is blunted

Now that I think of it he looks and acts a lot like when you first get a hound - aloof, quiet, kind of shy and anxious looking. It's quite refreshing from his usual assholishness

Katie wasn’t necessarily tired from physical activity though; she behaves differently if it’s a nice day and we’ve been walking a lot.

We had driven around to a few places and there was maybe 35 minutes of walking in a park (it’s 30F colder today than yesterday with a horrible wind). There were opportunities for her to take naps while we were out but she never really settled down. Getting inside from the car was horrible; I had my arms full and Katie decided she really needed to go look for scrap bones that someone had inexplicably thrown by some bushes. I lost my temper waiting for her to give up while the wind froze me, so I sat down everything I was carrying, picked Katie up and carried her inside, and came back for the rest. Once we got inside she immediately took a nap.

actionjackson
Jan 12, 2003

guess I can't get any help on the bed thing, but these look super nice

https://www.mammothoutlet.com/foam-memory-dog-bed.htm

they recommended 36x44 for a greyhound which seems about right, and you can get a nylon liner for incontinence.

DarkHorse
Dec 13, 2006

Vroom Vroom, BEEP BEEP!
Nap Ghost
Havent had issues with peeing on the bed, when Spartacus had incontinence issues it was mostly not making it out the door before he let loose a huge stream, which sucked but also pretty easy to clean up

actionjackson
Jan 12, 2003

DarkHorse posted:

Havent had issues with peeing on the bed, when Spartacus had incontinence issues it was mostly not making it out the door before he let loose a huge stream, which sucked but also pretty easy to clean up

it looks like with these ones you can add a nylon liner, but also the entire thing is washable, as opposed to typical dog beds where the inside isn't, meaning a single urination ruins it (unless you catch it immediately).

also the color option in the second pic would go great with my decor

edit: the liner is 600 denier cordura which is nice

actionjackson fucked around with this message at 22:54 on Mar 28, 2021

david_a
Apr 24, 2010




Megamarm
Yeah I don’t have any relevant experience with the beds. The only thing I can add is that I bought Katie a fancy memory foam mattress but she hated it - she barked an hour after bed time which I thought was a sign she wanted to go out, but when I opened the bedroom door she ran over to her other bed and laid down.

pastor of muppets
Aug 21, 2007

We were somewhere around the Living Hive, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold...

I had an outdoor waterproof dog bed for Rory a few years ago that was covered in vinyl. basically like a giant cushion for a patio chair. It lasted several seasons before getting eaten by squirrels :argh: I bought it off of Drs Foster and Smith before they merged with Petco and wish I could find another one like it; the thing just wiped clean with a damp cloth, it was awesome.

If that one from Mammoth works out well, definitely report back. Rory (knock on wood) hasn't had any continence issues, but her cat bro does, and I will quit just buying $30 cheapo beds that I am resigned to throwing out after a couple of months and splurge on that one if it's a winner.

pastor of muppets fucked around with this message at 00:17 on Mar 29, 2021

number 1 snake fan
Jul 16, 2018

I saw this in another thread and lol

Elissimpark posted:

Greyhounds are pretty robust, but can be prone to gut things like IBS. And black ones are apparently hypoallergenic.

Shame the dog racing industry is a large sack of cancerous balls.

Cairo was black and used to blow out her undercoat twice a year, fur and dander EVERYWHERE

Red_Fred
Oct 21, 2010


Fallen Rib
So I just got bit by my girl. I'm pretty upset.

Anyway, my partner dropped a bit of the dog roll plastic packing and she grabbed it and went to chew it down. We obviously didn't want this and I went to pull it from her mouth (as I've done with other bad things, cooked chicken bones etc.) even though she was growling at me. She wouldn't let it go and flared her teeth (way more than I've ever seen her do) and then twice tried to bite me. She slightly got my arm the second time and it's just a small scratch. What should our course of action be here? Did I do something dumb? I'm tempted to call our GAP people to see what they suggest as we don't want resource guarding behaviour.

I've noticed her growling quite a lot more at my partner recently when she tries to get her up or off something she isn't supposed to be on as well which concerns me.

Radiation Cow
Oct 23, 2010

Red_Fred posted:

So I just got bit by my girl. I'm pretty upset.

Anyway, my partner dropped a bit of the dog roll plastic packing and she grabbed it and went to chew it down. We obviously didn't want this and I went to pull it from her mouth (as I've done with other bad things, cooked chicken bones etc.) even though she was growling at me. She wouldn't let it go and flared her teeth (way more than I've ever seen her do) and then twice tried to bite me. She slightly got my arm the second time and it's just a small scratch. What should our course of action be here? Did I do something dumb? I'm tempted to call our GAP people to see what they suggest as we don't want resource guarding behaviour.

I've noticed her growling quite a lot more at my partner recently when she tries to get her up or off something she isn't supposed to be on as well which concerns me.

Oof, that sounds scary. Definitely call your agency to see if they have behaviourists to help you manage the behaviour, ASAP. The longer you leave it, the worse it will become. Luckily, there are ways to address it, if you're patient and work with a good trainer that understands greyhounds.

DarkHorse
Dec 13, 2006

Vroom Vroom, BEEP BEEP!
Nap Ghost
Growling isn't a concern in my book, it's one of the few ways dogs can express displeasure. The internet is full of stories of people punishing dogs for growling, then wonder why their dog will bite them suddenly without warning.

Biting might be a concern, though in this instance pretty understandable from your dog's point of view: she just got an awesome treat and now you're taking it away.

Resource guarding, as instinctive behavior, is difficult but not impossible to train out. I would start with giving a smaller or lesser reward, then work on trading up with a high value one. Once you establish that any time she gives something up she will get something of greater value in return you can work on getting her used to being around her mouth.

Ultimately though you're at the mercy of her personality and you might just have to learn some kind of accommodations

Edit: in general you always want to try and make listening to you a good deal, where behavior you like gets rewarded and things you don't like result in getting ignored or fun things going away

DarkHorse fucked around with this message at 12:19 on Mar 29, 2021

Major Isoor
Mar 23, 2011
DarkHorse is right, I feel. Growling is simply a form of communication for dogs - the last thing you want is for a dog to jump to biting you, as they're punished for growling.
Tazo was in a similar situation when I first adopted him (although he didn't cause me to bleed, unlike you! Ouch) and I did what DarkHorse is suggesting, and ever since Taz has been more than happy to let me take whatever I want from him. (Although that being said, depending on his mold he can still be unsure/growl at other people if they try, which I feel is fair enough really. But he's always nice to me :3: )

Hopefully the situation improves, either way!

pastor of muppets
Aug 21, 2007

We were somewhere around the Living Hive, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold...

^^^All of the above. Resource guarding is super common and there are things you can do to mitigate it. I had a lot of success with teaching mine a reliable “leave it” command by getting her to “trade up” with me for high value treats whenever she has something she’s not supposed to. That said, some things are just off-limits for her even now; for example, we don’t give her long term chew treats like compressed rawhide anymore because she gets super guard-y with them towards the cats (like the cats are interested in her smelly-rear end slobbery things anyway :rolleyes: )

The same thing with getting her to move when she’s comfy: I taught her a very reliable “Off!” command in the space of an afternoon by bribing her with treats.

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actionjackson
Jan 12, 2003

the first day I had Abby I tried to take away her toy she was holding in her mouth and she growled. Someone in my group mentioned holding her muzzle and saying "drop" - not sure if this really made sense or was the best course of action, but it worked incredibly well. I started saying "drop" (without holding her muzzle or anything else) early on when she would hold onto things, and she picked up pretty quickly that she needed to let it fall to the floor, and didn't try to go after my hand when I picked it up.

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