in-home greyhound re-training guide

Transcription

IN-HOME GREYHOUND
RE-TRAINING GUIDE
www.gapnsw.com.au
[email protected]
facebook.com/GAPNSW
Phone: (02) 8767 0534
instagram.com/GAPNSW
youtube.com/user/Greenhounds
IN-HOME GREYHOUND RE-TRAINING GUIDE Version 7 - March 2016
1
Index
About Greenhounds ............................................................................................................................ 3
Introducing New Adult Dogs into a Home............................................................................................. 5
Prey Drive in Greyhounds .................................................................................................................... 7
Setting the Boundaries ...................................................................................................................... 11
Settling In .......................................................................................................................................... 12
Exercise ............................................................................................................................................. 14
Leash Manners…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..15
Socialisation ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Greyhounds and Children……………………………………………………………………………………………………...............19
Introducing Your Greyhound to Cats & Other Animals ........................................................................ 21
Bedding, Grooming and Shelters ........................................................................................................ 24
Crate Training .................................................................................................................................... 25
Toilet Training ................................................................................................................................... 26
Separation Related Distress……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….33
Anxiety and Aggression……………………………………………………………………………………..................................35
Basic Manners Training ...................................................................................................................... 28
Entertainment- Keeping your dog’s mind active ................................................................................. 37
Stairs ................................................................................................................................................. 39
Feeding ............................................................................................................................................. 41
Body Condition and Weight ............................................................................................................... 43
Emergencies and Veterinary Care....................................................................................................... 44
Bloat/Gastric Torsion ......................................................................................................................... 45
Continuing Care ................................................................................................................................. 46
Safety Issues- House and Yard............................................................................................................ 49
Stay in touch!......................................................................................................................................50
2
About
The NSW “Greenhounds” program was launched in October 2011, marking the start of a positive new
era for the welfare of pet Greyhounds in NSW.

Previously the NSW Companion Animals Act required all Greyhounds to be muzzled when in a
public place. Introduced in the 1960’s, there have been long-standing concerns that this
requirement unfairly painted all Greyhounds as dangerous and provides a disincentive for people
to adopt them.

To address these concerns, the NSW Companion Animals Regulation 2008 was amended in
October 2011 to exempt certain Greyhounds from the muzzling requirement.

To be granted a muzzling exemption a Greyhound must successfully complete a re-training
program (and be Lifetime Registered, desexed and microchipped). These fit into two categories:
o Existing pet greyhounds (retired dogs or ones that have never raced who are already living
in pet homes) undergo a 6 week in-home re-training program.
o Greyhounds that are recently retired which have been accepted into an approved retraining program will undergo comprehensive socialisation and behavioural training prior
to be adopted into pet homes.
GREYHOUNDS AS PETS HAS GONE GREEN…
Greyhounds As Pets is the FIRST program to become an APPROVED
RE-TRAINING PROGRAM under the GREENHOUNDS initiative.
This means that our program, procedures and protocols have been
extensively scrutinised and has been deemed compliant and in most
cases exceeded, Government and RSPCA standards. Greyhounds
successfully passing through the Greyhounds As Pets program are able
to be assessed for a muzzling exemption prior to adoption (when
eligible), thus hopefully increasing the number of Greyhounds rehomed, as the breed stereotypes are slowly being broken down.
Exempt Greyhounds must wear a distinctive “Greenhound” collar with
ID tag attached at all times when in public. The collar allows council
officers and members of the public to easily identify Greyhounds that
have earned the right to be muzzle free.
3
Welcome to the new and exciting world of NSW ‘Greenhounds’. As the owner of a Greyhound you are
already aware what great pets and family members Greyhounds make. This guide has been designed to
assist NSW pet Greyhound owners in educating and assisting your pet in the transition from a racer to an
important family member and the potential for your Greyhound to become muzzle free.
Section 15(1) of the NSW Companion Animals Act states that a Greyhound “must at all times have a
muzzle securely fixed on its mouth” except when on the owner’s property or when under effective
control during a show or obedience trial or if exempted from this section by the regulations.
In February 2011, the NSW Companion Animals Regulation 2008 was
amended to provide an exemption to pet and retired racing
Greyhounds that have successfully completed an approved Greyhound
re-training program and passed the required assessment (Greyhound
Adoption Program National Temperament Test – GAPNTT). The NSW
Division of Local Government (DLG) has appointed Greyhound Racing
New South Wales (GRNSW) to oversee and administer the
‘Greenhounds’ program.
By working through this guide and the associated workbook (if not
already completed) your Greyhound will have the opportunity to be
assessed and if successful, achieve a ‘Greenhound’ exemption. He/she
will not have to wear a muzzle when in public whilst under the effective
control of its owner i.e. whilst on lead. They must wear a unique
‘Greenhound collar’ to identify them as being exempt. All other
Greyhounds in NSW must continue to be muzzled.
When in public, ‘Greenhounds’ are required to wear a distinctive ‘Greenhound’ collar approved by the
DLG. This makes the dog easily identifiable by council rangers and the public as being exempt from
muzzling requirements. To comply with the Companion Animals Act, a tag with the dog’s name and the
owner’s phone number and/or address needs to be attached to the collar when in a public place.
Most racing Greyhounds have had a very structured routine in their past life. During this time they have
not had to make any decisions for themselves. Instead, when they are given food, they eat it, when they
are let out side, they toilet. In comparison, pet dog homes and the stimuli that they may encounter vary
dramatically. Walks to the park, beach, coffee shop, or encounters with other animals are quite complex
situations that Greyhounds need to be able to adjust to in order for them to fit into everyday lifestyles.
The aim of this guide is to assist you and your Greyhound into being able to interact in public in a way
that is taken for granted by many other breeds and owners alike. In addition, this guide provides
assistance and helpful hints, as well as highlighting the key assessable components of the ‘Greenhound’
collar assessment (GAPNTT). The bolded comments within several of the sections will assist you in
preparing your Greyhound for the ‘Greenhound’ collar assessment.
At the completion of the six week program your Greyhound will be eligible to be assessed by an
approved assessor for the issuing of their ‘Greenhound’ collar, if they pass the assessment (if not already
conducted prior to adoption).
4
Introducing New Adult Dogs into a Home
Bringing an adult dog into your home can be a great alternative to a puppy since you don’t have to go
through the ‘juvenile delinquent’ period which pups tend to have. However, adult dogs do have some of
their own challenges, which you need to be aware of:



Toilet training – Whilst your dog is an adult, he may never have been taught where to toilet.
Please see the ‘Toilet Training’ section of this guide for additional information.
Chewing – Like toilet training, some dogs don’t know what they are not allowed to put in their
mouths. To help clarify this for them, make a clear distinction. Shoes should be kept out of
reach and old shoes should NEVER be provided to your dog as a toy as this will just confuse
him. Instead, give your dog lots of appropriate toys (see the ‘Entertainment’ section) as they
are likely to want to chew things when they are a little stressed (similar to us squeezing a
stress ball, only dogs use their mouth).
Unfamiliarity – Your new dog doesn’t know the house rules and is going to be a little unsure
about what is expected of him. Some dogs respond to this by becoming quiet and withdrawn.
Others will release nervous tension through excitable behaviour. Either (or both) are perfectly
normal but your dog needs to be shown how to relax by being given activities (see
‘Entertainment’ handout) and consistent rules.
The best thing you can do to help your new dog settle in is:

Set him/her up to succeed – Don’t leave ‘forbidden’ objects lying around the house. This will
only encourage your dog to put them in his mouth. Instead, give him access to lots of
appropriate toys. Likewise, don’t wait for your dog to have a toileting accident. Help them get
it right from the outset. In addition, give them a very comfortable bed that is close to the
family. If they don’t have their own bed which is close to you when you are watching TV or
eating dinner, they will assume they should sit on the couch with you. Instead, keep a good
dog bed in the family and/or dining room, and show them where their bed is and reward
them for going there. If your dog gets on the couch, lure them off the couch with food and
give the treat to them in their bed.

Provide a consistent rule structure so that your dog knows what is expected of him. Write a
list of appropriate and inappropriate behaviours. Next to each item, indicate how you are
going to encourage or discourage a behaviour from occurring.
5
PLEASE NOTE: you should not physically punish your dog or yell at him. He is new to your home
and doesn’t know what you want, and punishment will only serve to scare him and hinder the
bonding process between you and him. He will become stressed and anxious and therefore more
likely to chew more things or urinate in fear. Below, you’ll find an example of a set of house rules.
What you’ll notice about the rules is that they focus on:
1. Rewarding behaviour you like
2. Preventing behaviours you don’t like from re-occurring
3. Redirecting dogs away from an undesirable activity and onto an acceptable one
It is important that you apply your house rules very consistently. Do not make exceptions and
occasionally allow your dog on your couch. His learning will be impeded by this and he will become
confused, frustrated and anxious. Once you’ve decided on your rules, stick to them, your dog will thank
you for it.
Introducing Dogs
Introducing dogs to one another should always be done one at a time on lead, muzzled and in a wide
open, area. This area should be on neutral territory and away from other dogs (i.e. not an off leash park).
An unused sporting oval or quiet street is ideal. Begin with the dogs 30 metres apart with the handlers
walking in the same direction. When the dogs are paying each other very little attention, gradually drift
in towards one another a little as you continue walking. If the dogs get over excited, move apart again.
When in the home, ensure that you always feed the dogs separately and that you carefully supervise the
dogs’ interactions for the first week or so. If you can’t supervise them for a period, keep them physically
separated. You might find that a crate may come in useful for this (see the ‘Crate Training’ section).
Some signs of stress for you to be aware of in your newly arrived Greyhound are:







Panting/Salivation
Decreased/lack of appetite
Dripping nose
Yawning
Lip licking
Drinking excessively or frequently
Inability to settle






Following you around excessively
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Urination
Muscle trembling
Excessive panting
Your Greyhound should never show signs of ‘prey drive’ (see ‘Prey Drive in Greyhounds’ section)
including overt reactions of a fixated stare, trembling/shaking, body tension, salivating, baring teeth,
snap/bite when introduced to or observing another dog, particularly small and ‘fluffy’ dogs. Your dog
should view another dog as in fact another dog, and not ‘prey’ or something they want to attack, harm
or consume. If such behaviours are observed, please contact us.
‘Prey drive’ should not be confused with normal dog inquisitiveness, curiosity, excitement or playfulness.
Your Greyhound’s behaviour and interactions with other dogs, particularly small dogs,
is a key component for their success in the ‘Greenhound’ collar (GAPNTT) assessment.
6
Prey Drive in Greyhounds
What is Prey Drive?
Prey drive is a commonly misunderstood behavioural trait of many breeds, particularly canines. Prey
drive refers to a progression of behaviours often including the chasing, catching (and sometimes killing)
of a moving object or other animal, often for consumption.
The typical sequence of the prey drive behaviour:
1. Search/tracking/scenting
2. Stalk/crouch/intense visualization of target
3. Chase/bark
4. Grab/bite/pounce
5. Kill
6. Consume/bury
(Cunnington, 2011)
Prey drive is a natural behaviour which can be ‘hard wired’ in many Greyhounds due to their instinctive
tendencies and thousands of years of ancestral breeding, yet can be evident in any breed of dog to
varying degrees. Such historical ancestry led to the use of Greyhounds throughout North Africa and the
Middle East to provide food for humans (see image below).
George Stubbs, “Greyhound coursing a stag”, 1762.
Although prey drive is considered a ‘normal behaviour’ it is NOT socially accepted in modern society
when directed towards another dog.
Factors that often contribute towards high prey drive in Greyhounds include genetic predisposition,
selective breeding for the chase aspect of the sequence of the prey drive behaviours; whilst the grab and
kill aspects may be enhanced via training methods (e.g. allowed to catch the synthetic lure at the end of
a trial race), as well as lack of socialisation with other breeds therefore leading to some Greyhounds
being unable to distinguish such as ‘dogs’, but rather, prey.
7
Prey drive in Greyhounds should not be confused with aggression (or play), however it can still be very
dangerous to the object (prey), the Greyhound (predator) and bystanders. In some cases no precursor
behaviour or warning signs may be exhibited by the Greyhound. Prey drive is about excitement and
catching an object, item or animal which is not seen to be part of the same species (no threat detected),
whereas aggressive behaviours is often seen in response to a perceived threat.
Evidence of the varying degrees of
Greyhounds prey drive instinct and their
ability to also put this behind them!
When prey drive is exhibited the object of focus e.g. rabbit, cat or small dog, is not considered by the
predator (Greyhound) as a member of its own species e.g. if the Greyhound pursues a small fluffy dog, it
does not view it as a dog, but instead, as prey. Prey drive is considered as a subconscious behaviour as
the dog offers little or no control over their actions and, as the chemical adrenalin is released the
outcome of an expression of prey drive (chase and grab) may offer a chemical reward e.g. the release of
serotonin, commonly known as the ‘feel-good’ hormone.
Signs of Prey Drive
Some signs of prey drive may include some or all of the following:
 Fixed and focused eyes
 Stalking
 Freezing
 Lip licking
 Salivating
 Jaw trembling
 Lunging
 Whining
 Pawing
 Body/muscle stiffness
 Tail often wagging, may be excessive
It is important to note that your dog may be fine with other household dogs that it knows, however it
may be a different story with strange dogs, for instance those met on the street or at the park in day to
day occurrences.
8
Your Greyhound must not exhibit any of the above mentioned behaviours upon seeing
or interacting with other dogs, particularly small dogs at the time of their ‘Greenhound’
collar assessment. Competency in this area is a key component for success.
It is in the interest of public safety and that of other animals encountered on a day to day basis that
Greyhounds exhibiting any of the previously mentioned behaviours not be unmuzzled in public, and it is
advised for strict supervision and muzzling to occur should any of these behaviour be present regardless
of muzzling exemption status.
Normal Behaviour
What is considered as normal dog behaviour in response to the previously mentioned situations may
include:
 Curving (not approaching other dog head on)
 Head lowering
 Bottom sniffing
 Soft eyes
 Low- medium height wagging tail(not excessively)
 Play bow
 Friendly interest shown
 Soliciting polite interactions
 General relaxed body language
 Able to be easily distracted
Resolving Prey Drive
Overcoming the issues of, and associated with, prey drive, depend on numerous factors. Such include
the severity of the exhibited prey drive. Regular, safe exposure to many different dogs may be effective
in assisting in the issue as well as rewarding calm behaviour. Don’t punish or reprimand the staring
behaviour as it may only hype the Greyhound up OR teach it to show ‘ignoring’ behaviours until the small
dog is within immediate reach.
The bottom line is that prey drive cannot be trained out of the dog, however it may be controlled
within your/owners presence but never within an off lead environment (Cunnington, 2011).
Unleashed Unlimited Dog Training (2010) suggests:
“One of the most useful assets in controlling prey drive is a solid recall. Coming when called will get your
dog back mid stride. Although a chemical change does occur in a dog’s brain during prey drive, it’s still
very possible to override that and have an effective recall; it just takes a lot of training in order to be able
to effectively interrupt it. Besides a recall command, a solid sit and down stay, along with a focused heel,
can also be used to manage high prey drive dogs.” *
9
Whilst instilling a recall into your greyhound is a very useful tactic to employ, it should be noted that a
recall should never be relied upon (e.g. to protect your dog in an off leash setting or near a road etc).
(Alvina Narayan, 2011)
* Unleashed Unlimited Dog Training (2010) Understanding prey drive.
<http://unleashedunlimited.com/understanding-prey-drive/>.
10
Setting the Boundaries
Desirable Behaviours
How to promote/
encourage
Undesirable Behaviours
How to prevent/ discourage
Lying quietly
Reward with treats
every time we see this.
Toileting inside
In his bed
Reward with treats
every time we see this.
Make sure that toys
are rotated so that
there is some variety
otherwise the dog will
get bored and redirect
his/her energy to doing
something else.
On the couch or your bed
Reward with gentle
pats and praise (not
over
the
top
excitement as this may
frighten or over excite
the dog).
Reward with treats and
verbal praise.
Chewing inappropriate items
Clean area thoroughly and
appropriately, take dog outside
more often and at regular
intervals, wait with him, praise and
reward when him goes in the right
place.
Provide a comfy bed near that area
for your dog to enjoy. Coax the dog
off the couch/bed with treats and
place them in his bed. Gently pat
and quietly/calmly praise the dog.
Do NOT physically drag the dog off
the area as this can frighten the
dog or cause pain! If the dog won’t
budge, carefully clip on his lead to
encourage him off.
Provide a range of toys that you
rotate regularly to prevent the dog
getting bored. Any time you see
the dog use these, praise and
reward. If your dog has an
inappropriate item, exchange it for
something that your dog likes
better (toy or treat). Don’t ‘steal’ it
from your dog or he may feel he
needs to guard it from you.
Let your dog explore the new item
or situation in its own time. Don’t
drag the dog towards the source of
his fear or frighten him further.
Instead, provide food and verbal
rewards for any acts of ‘bravery’
when your dog moves close to the
area.
Chewing or playing with
toys you’ve provided
Moving towards people in
a friendly/non boisterous
manner
Toileting in the right place
Frightened
behaviour
or
wary
11
Settling In
If your dog is a recent addition to the family, the first few days in a new home can be a bit unsettling for
any dog including Greyhounds - most of which have never been entirely alone as they have previously
most likely had the constant company of other dogs in kennels. Knowing how to prepare and cope
during this time can help you and your new housemate throughout this time.
From the first day your dog arrives it is advisable that you do not make them overly reliant on you. Give
them time to themselves and don’t fuss over them too much. If you want your dog to sleep in its crate at
night, place the crate in a room that the dog has had access to during the day (that way it is in a familiar
area). During the day, move your dog to its crate and then drop a treat inside. Don’t close or lock the
door during this time – you just want him to associate moving into the crate with good things. Do this 510 times during the day to ensure that your dog moves happily into the crate and then receives a treat.
In addition, you can ‘secretly’ place treats in the crate throughout the day. This will encourage your dog
to go into the crate on his own and make him more comfortable with the situation.
To further help settle your dog during the first nights, place some food (or left over dinner) as well as
their water bowl in the crate with your dog. This gives them further opportunity to snack during the
night.
Leaving a light and radio/TV on and providing your dog with a soft toy may also help. There are also
pheromone based tools such a calming collars or diffusers you can use for the settling period and
ongoing.
When you go to bed, some dogs become anxious because all of a sudden you’ve disappeared and left
them alone for many hours. To help your dog adjust to this, put them in the crate (or the area you wish
to have them of an evening e.g. laundry etc, with a baby gate or similar in place) and sit nearby ignoring
them (reading a book or watching the TV often helps). Once your dog has settled down, leave the room
(so you’re just out of sight) and then return immediately. Return to your seat. It is quite likely that your
dog would have stood up - ignore him completely and return to your book/TV. Once your dog has been
settled for a few minutes, repeat the exercise. Continue doing this until your dog no longer stands up
when you leave (probably 10 or 15 times). Then, increase the time you are gone to 2 seconds. Repeat 3-4
times before increasing your absence to 5 seconds (assuming your dog is still settled). Again, do this 3-4
times before increasing to 10 seconds, then 20, 30 40 and then a minute. This program may take 30-60
minutes, so plan ahead and start the process an hour or so before you plan to go to bed. During the last
12
few times you leave, do all your bed time routines (turning off lights, cleaning teeth etc) but leave the TV
and one light on. That way when you leave the last time, it will feel no different to all the other times
you’ve left.
If your dog is quite unsettled or arrived late in the day (so he has had less time to become accustomed to
his surroundings), placing the crate (or bedding) near/in your bedroom where your dog can see you
often helps them to settle. If, in the following days, you would then like your dog further away from your
bedroom, move the crate (or bedding) to an area where the dog spends considerable time and follow
the instructions above.
13
Exercise
Despite the fact that Greyhounds have an athletic
physique, they are short distance runners as opposed
to marathon runners. Consequently, they do not
require nearly as much exercise as you might expect. A
walk on lead each day (for 15-20 minutes, once or
twice a day) is usually sufficient to keep them happy
and healthy. In the case of younger or more active
dogs, they may need a little more than this
(approximately 2 x 20-30 minute walks).
As Greyhounds are not endurance dogs, they are not
the ideal pet if you are an avid, long-distance jogger who wants company on your trip. However, most
Greyhounds will build up stamina over time if started out slowly, but they will still tire much more readily
than other dog breeds. This is what makes them such great (and sometimes lazy) pets!
Greyhounds tend to be affected adversely by temperature extremes, so heat and humidity during
exercise should be avoided by limiting it to the cooler parts of the day or evening.
We highly recommend that Greyhounds are exercised on lead at all times in public places as these dogs
have no road awareness and with their ability for exceptional speed, would almost certainly be severely
injured or worse if allowed to venture near a road. They can also do serious damage to themselves
should they be allowed off lead and encounter posts, sticks or fences at speed. These dogs are
accustomed to walking on a lead and generally heel readily, without pulling.
Your Greyhound does not require regular free running exercise for his physical or mental health, but he
may enjoy the occasional burst if you have access to a fully fenced and safe area, such as a fully enclosed
yard. However, even in these environments, please be conscious of any council restrictions, potential
hazards on the ground and avoid off leash running if the safety of the
environment is in doubt.
Many rural properties are not considered safe areas for Greyhounds to
gallop, due to barbed wire fences (which a Greyhound could run straight
through) and other obstacles such as tree stumps and low hanging
branches) that may cause serious injury. As Greyhounds can run at
speeds up to approximately 65-70km/h and are thin-skinned with little
thickness of coat to protect them from cuts and scrapes, they can do
themselves a lot of damage in an unsafe environment). We ask that you
carefully inspect any area in which you are considering allowing your dog
off leash to ensure his safety at all times.
Dogs often benefit more from ‘outings’ whereby they get to see the big
wide world rather than walking the same path each day. Trips to
different areas and the opportunity to experience different
environments such as the park, beach, or walking tracks means that the
dogs are learning, leading both a mentally and physically enriching life
14
Leash Manners
Walking your Greyhound can be a rewarding and stimulating
experience for both you and your dog, but there are some
important things to remember.
In general, Greyhounds tend to be well behaved and walk well
when on lead. Much of their training during their racing careers
may have involved being walked on a regular basis on lead for
exercise/fitness purposes. Additionally Greyhounds are led to
the starting boxes and from the catching pen at the race/trial
track on a lead and collar and therefore have generally had a lot
of exposure to this kind of activity. Alternatively, young
Greyhounds and puppies which have not been subject to as
much, if any, training or racing may not be as familiar or pick up
lead walking as well as their racing/older counterparts.
It is important to note that a Greyhound with a high prey drive, may have seemingly desirable leash
manners until the time when something may be of interest to them and they want to pursue it. Dogs
that prove challenging on the lead and want to pull excessively may be a good candidates for the
utilisation of a walking harness, readily available at pet supply shops. It is important to note that, like
any breed, there is a level of unpredictability therefore it is important to always have a firm, conscious
and sensible (i.e. not wrapped around the arm or held too loosely) grip on the lead.
Automatically extending/retracting leads are not
recommended for Greyhounds, as they can quickly
take off after something and injure themselves on
nearby obstacles or when the lead comes to full
extension and rapidly holts their journey.
We
recommend tthe martingale style of collars which are
the safest for Greyhounds, as when the dog pulls in
any direction the collar tightens slightly to the neck of
the dog and they are unable to slip out of the collar.
NOTE: Greyhounds should ALWAYS be under the
effective control of the owner (or a responsible person
over 16 years of age) and muzzled when in public
unless they have been granted their Greenhound muzzling exemption.
Your Greyhound’s leash manners will be a component for their success in the
‘Greenhound’ collar (GAPNTT) assessment. They do not have to be an obedience
champion, just safe and controllable whilst on lead.
15
Off-lead Dog Parks
As mentioned previously, Greyhounds do not require regular free running exercise for their physical or
mental health, however some Greyhound owners still like the idea of bringing their new family member
to socialise at their local dog park.
We highly recommend against this for several reasons. Greyhounds are sighthounds and even though
you may feel that he is quite safe around other dogs, it only takes a second for his prey instinct to kick in
and for him to mistake the quick fluffy dog running around as something he wishes to chase.
Additionally, off-leash dog parks are a common place for injury or incident which in many cases is not the
fault of the Greyhound owner. By letting your new friend off-lead at the local dog park before you get to
know really him, you can actually cause more behavioural damage than good despite your intentions.
Some Greyhounds can become intimidated by the array of different dogs rushing at them and this may
lead to them forming a negative association with dogs of a certain breed or demeanour.
If you do wish to take your Greyhound/s to the dog park, we only recommend that this is done in an area
that is fully fenced. Greyhounds can run extremely fast and often have no road awareness therefore
adequate fencing is paramount to any area you wish to let your dog of lead, for its own safety.
Furthermore, we recommend commencing this process by taking your Greyhound to the park muzzled
and on-lead. This allows you to gauge how your Greyhound may behave in such an environment and
allows you more control of the animal.
If you feel your Greyhound is behaving and socialising appropriately and safely you may wish to progress
to off-leash after a number of exposures and once you are confident how your dog socialises. We
strongly recommend keeping your Greyhound muzzled, even if they are a Greenhound, if let off leash.
16
Socialisation
Life Experiences
Greyhounds’ lives are often a little sheltered and
quite structured during their racing careers. Where
the life of a racing Greyhound involves kennel time,
time spent with other greyhounds, chasing moving
objects and travelling, the life of a pet is often more
varied. Pet life generally involves indoor and outdoor
time, interaction with a larger number of people,
furniture, stairs, outings, distinguishing between their
food and human food, glass doors, cars, slippery
floors, toilets flushing, vacuum cleaners, time alone,
other breeds of dogs and, sometimes, other species
of animals.
Many Greyhounds take introduction to these stimuli
in their stride. However, for others such situations may be stressful. It is important that if your dog is
worried by a situation that you:
1. Don’t fuss over the dog to try and comfort it (this only makes the problem worse because the
dog associates your fussing as rewarding, so he or she is likely to keep showing it for possible
future attention).
2. Allow the dog to move away from the frightening object/situation (or assist the dog to relax
by removing either it or the object from the room).
3. Once everything has settled (this may be minutes, hours or days later) re-introduce your dog
to the stimuli very gradually, safely and making the experience fun (using games and food
rewards. Any investigative behaviours or curiosity shown by the dog should be rewarded with
food, attention and perhaps a game (depending on what your greyhound likes most!)
4. If, after 1 or 2 attempts, your dog is not improving (or your dog worsens at any stage), you
may wish to seek some advice from our program, or canine behavioural trainers or veterinary
behaviourists. The longer these problems persist, the harder they are to change.
Socializing Greyhounds with Dogs Outside the Home
As stated, racing greyhounds have usually only ever seen other greyhounds and are often not
accustomed to other breeds of dog. It is vital to continue to socialise your greyhound with dogs outside
of the home for them to encounter a range of different looks and sizes. Start with gentle walks along the
streets to get your greyhound used to seeing and passing by different dogs. Slowly move to walking near
dog parks to eventually entering them when you are confident that your greyhound is comfortable. If
you are confident enough and believe your greyhound wants to interact in a friendly manner toward
another dog that it has seen, please refer to the “Introducing dogs” section. Remember to always keep
your greyhound muzzled and on a lead in a non-fenced unfamiliar public area.
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If you are having difficulties socializing your greyhound, not sure where to start or you simply want to be
around other greyhound owners for support, there are plenty of greyhound support groups online. A
growing group of our adopters regularly get together for a greyhound walk once or twice a month in the
Parramatta region (North West Sydney). You can find out about their walks by searching ‘Hills Hounds’
on Facebook.
There is also a great website to find a social walking group and dog “meet-ups” in your area http://www.meetup.com/topics/dog-play-groups/au
Other examples of exposure to incidents/situation that are imperative to your dogs
success in the ‘Greenhound’ collar (GAPNTT) assessment include reaction to: loud noise
(e.g. metal object dropping on a concrete surface), unusual behaviour (e.g. people
waving arms and strange voices), mildly threatening behaviour (e.g. dog being
reprimanded in a firm voice and with hand signals) and general handling including a
brief physical examination of ears, eyes, teeth, bite and muzzle, feet, tail and all over
physical contact.
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Greyhounds & Children
Some of us have been lucky enough to experience a loving
relationship with a dog during our childhood. To obtain such a
relationship, both dog and child have to learn to respect and trust
each other.
During the racing career of a Greyhound it often receives only limited
socialisation and might not have met a child until he has left the
racing kennels. It takes time and patience from both parties to build a
relationship. It must also be stressed that regardless of how long you
have known your new family member or how good either the dog or
child is, they should NEVER be left alone unsupervised. Incidents
between dogs and children often come about when adults become
complacent and neglect to remember the importance of supervision.
When introducing children and dogs, there are some steps you might like to follow.
1. Explain and discuss with your child the need for calm and quiet behaviour around the dog,
especially during the first days.
2. Teach your child to be considerate and respectful of the dog.
3. Do not force your child to interact with your Greyhound. Let your child stand behind you or a
baby gate, if this will make them feel more confident.
4. Greyhounds (or any dogs) should NEVER be awoken by children (or adults) by touching them. If
they are sleeping deeply, they may be severely startled by such an awakening and may
inadvertently lash out via a snap or bite. If you wish to wake your Greyhound, stand a distance
away and call their name, do not approach until they are fully conscious and sitting up. The
saying ‘let sleeping dogs lie’ exists for a reason!
5. Explain to your child(ren) that some areas such as beds and crates are off limits to them. If the
dog is in his bed or crate, or even just laying on the floor, this is ‘out of bounds’ for children. This
ensures that your dog can have some peace and has a ‘safe’ area into which he can retreat if
things become too much for him.
6. During introductions, place your dog’s
muzzle on (as we said, we expect no problems, but
first introductions are best done with safety in
mind).
7. Reward both child and dog when they are
quiet when they are together. It is important to
teach the child to stand still if it gets a fright and
play ‘statues’. The child should stand still, turn his
back to the dog and cross his arms whenever you
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say ‘statues’. Then, if the dog jumps up and inadvertently gives your child a fright, your child will
know what to do to discourage this behaviour in the future.
8. Discourage loud and boisterous play between dogs and children. We suggest that the child does
not roll around on the floor while playing with the dog, instead, playing fetch or hide and seek are
fun and controlled games. Never allow your child(ren) to lay on your Greyhound. Rolling/laying
on feet/tails etc could cause the dog to snap, no matter how tolerant the Greyhound is.
9. Whilst Greyhounds may be a little fussy at
first, they generally love their treats
(especially BBQ chicken) and such special
treats from your child will build a special
bond between the two. Firstly, the dog has
to learn to take food from your hand
gently as many Greyhounds have never
been fed from a hand before. Place a few
treats on the ground for the dog to eat.
Then, place some treats on your upward
facing, flat palm and put the back of your
hand on the ground so the dog is almost
eating off the ground. When your dog is
confidently eating off your hand whilst it is on the ground, you can gradually start raising your
hand up. To teach the dog to eat gently from your child’s hand, you can ask the child to put their
hand UNDER yours and continue feeding in this way. This will enable the child to ‘help’ feed the
dog without coming into direct contact with him. When your child is confident, they can progress
to place their hand on top of yours with the food on the flat palm. The dog is now taking food
directly from the child but with your support and assistance.
10. Children love to teach dogs new tricks such as “shake hands” and “lie down”, but often do not
have the skill or patience for the exercise. It is suggested that an adult teaches all tricks first with
the dog, and when a new behaviour is mastered, enlist the help from the child to “polish” the
trick. Remember, not all greyhounds can sit, do not force it to be a chore or unpleasant for the
dog.
We also have handouts available that visually outline how children should and shouldn’t interact with
dogs which can be helpful for you to teach your children appropriate behaviour. Please ask staff if you
would like a copy of these.
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Introducing Your Greyhound to Cats & Other Animals
Introducing any dog and cat to each other is a delicate issue. Whilst it is not essential as part of the
‘Greenhound’ assessment for a Greyhound to tolerate cats, it may be desirable in your family
environment.
Most dogs naturally want to chase a moving object. The particular issue to introducing cats and
Greyhounds is that if the Greyhound wants to chase, it can do so at speeds of 65-70km/h. For this
reason, the following section has been developed to assist you with the safe introduction of your pets.
Curiosity is a perfectly natural reaction in response to something that the dog has never seen before.
This natural curiosity may result in acceptance of the cat as the novelty wears off, thereby making it
suitable to live with cats. However, for some dogs the curiosity may not decrease to a level that they will
be safe in a home with cats. It is not possible to determine which curious but not fixated dogs will relax
around cats and which others will remain overly interested. For this reason it is important that dog and
cat introductions are undertaken slowly and carefully. It is critical that this process is not rushed.
It is also important to note that Greyhounds and cats will generally do better when indoors, as cats are
less likely to run and Greyhounds less likely to give chase in this environment. We therefore start the
introduction process indoors before beginning to introduce them outdoors.
Indoors
Step 1:
Fit your dog with a heavy duty muzzle as a safety net for early introductions. The dog
could also be fitted with a harness to which the lead attaches at the front to give you more control. A
spray bottle set on a strong squirt setting rather than the mist setting, can be useful as well to use as a
tool if things quickly escalate beyond your control. It would be very unwise to use this to try and modify
your dog’s behaviour around your cat as may cause an unpleasant association between the cat and a
punisher. The spray bottle is not used modify your dogs behaviour or to form negative associations with
the cat, rather as a tool to help distract the greyhound so you can intervene should your greyhounds
behaviour escalate.
Step 2:
Conduct the first introductions slowly, ensuring the safety of all parties.
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Step 3:
Until you feel completely comfortable (2-3 weeks plus), ensure that your Greyhound is
muzzled and leashed when introducing them (and that you maintain a hold on the leash) unless he is in
his crate or the cat is securely locked in another room. Please note that the room the cat is in, should be
locked with a sign on the door so that it is not accidentally allowed out. Please ensure that your
Greyhound is given the opportunity to have a drink (i.e. that you take its muzzle off and take it to its
water bowl) every 30 minutes to prevent dehydration. When you go out, ensure that the dog and cat are
physically separated (so they are safe) and the muzzle and leash taken off the dog to allow it to move
freely and drink.
Step 4:
If after 2-3 weeks (or whenever you are comfortable) of having your Greyhound muzzled
and leashed around your cat it has shown no:
 Chasing
 Stalking
 Staring
 Freezing
 Excessive interest
 Aggression
and you are confident to do so, you may take the leash off. Ensure that the muzzle is still securely
fastened and make sure that you supervise interactions carefully. You will still need to allow your dog the
opportunity to drink with its muzzle off every 30-60
minutes.
Step 5:
If after 2 weeks of having your Greyhound
muzzled and leashed around your cat it has shown no
signs of behaviour as listed in step 4, and you are
confident to do so, you may take the muzzle off and put
the leash back on (attached to the front of the harness).
Some Greyhounds behave differently when their muzzle
is removed, so it is crucial that it has its walking harness
on and the lead attached to the front at all times during
this next phase. Supervise all interactions between your
dog and cat and ensure that an adult has a firm hold on
the leash at all times.
If after 2 weeks of having the leash on (but the muzzle off) and your Greyhound has shown no signs of
behaviour as listed in step 4, and you are confident to do so, you can allow the dog to be unleashed and
un-muzzled whilst indoors and supervised with your cat.
It is recommended that dogs and cats never be allowed to be in proximity of one another without
supervision. That means that when you go out they should be physically separated to ensure safety of
all. If you want your dog and cat to be outside together, it is important that you start this process from
the beginning and follow all the instructions as you did indoors.
If at any stage your dog is continuing to show behaviours from step 4 and not improving (or your dog
worsens at any stage), you may wish to seek some advice from our program, or canine behavioural
trainers or veterinary behaviourists. The longer these problems persist, the harder they are to change.
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Other Animals
If your Greyhound is regarded as “cat tolerant” this gives no guarantee that it will be safe around other
small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs and birds as they are all different. They should always be kept
separate and under supervision at all times. A small animal can be under extreme stress just by being in
the presence of a dog even if they are safe in their cage or enclosure.
If you live around horses, cattle and sheep, it may be a good idea to introduce your Greyhound to the
livestock so it can get used to them but always do so in a safe controlled environment, i.e. dog on lead
with a fence in between. Allowing your Greyhound off lead where it might follow its natural instinct to
chase livestock could not only result in injury to your dog and/or the livestock but may get you into
trouble with the farmer and possibly the law.
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Bedding, Grooming and Shelters
Greyhounds are very angular and so may have trouble getting
comfortable on hard or cold floors. It is recommended that
you make a comfortable and cosy bed area for your dog in
the family room so that your dog can be with you. Placing the
bed near the couch (but out of the way of foot traffic that
may inadvertently disturb him) will enable you to pat and
reward your dog easily (without you having to go out of your
way to have that interaction). It will also mean your dog will
be less likely to feel the need to climb on your furniture.
Greyhounds often sleep very soundly and it is advisable that you call their
name and get their attention as you approach their bed (before you touch
them) as they may startle if woken suddenly. When you approach your dog
on its bed, you should initially reward it with treats so that he realises that
you approaching his bed is a good experience and that you do not pose a
threat (i.e. you are not going to steal this precious resource from him). It is
also important that you teach your dog to get off his bed (or your
couch/bed) by calling him to you and rewarding it with your dog’s favourite
treats (rather than pulling him off which may frighten or hurt him and make
him believe that you can’t be trusted). Similarly, to encourage your dog to go to its bed and remain
there, you can coax him to their bed using food and then periodically reward them for remaining there.
Greyhound grooming requirements are minimal. They generally don’t smell or shed much and will often
thoroughly groom themselves. If your dog does seem to be losing hair, a rubber based brush (such as a
‘zoom groom’) or mitt is the best tool for use on a Greyhound. Bathing should not be done too often
(only if the dog has rolled in something) as excessive bathing can dry out their skin and coat. If your dog
does have some dandruff, you can try feeding him some tinned fish (such as sardines) or fish oil (readily
available at the supermarket, pharmacy or health food stores). Greyhounds generally love this treat
(sardines) which can be given daily if necessary in conjunction with their normal food.
Outdoor shelters/kennels
We get many adopters enquiring about what the best kennel is to provide for their new family member
whilst he/she is outdoors and our response is often “one that the Greyhound can get into!”
There is not a great availability of commercially made
kennels that can accommodate the Greyhound’s
height and so we often suggest that if you know
someone who is handy, to have one custom made. As
long as the Greyhound is protected from the elements,
they can get in and out of the kennel and comfortably
lie down, some soft bedding to protect them from the
hard floor and pronto, you have yourself a Greyhound
kennel! Some examples of what our adopters have put
together are pictured.
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Crate Training
In a natural situation a dog would have a safe place called their den, to which he would retire each night.
Dens are generally small caves or covered areas that are cosy, comfortable and safe. In their racing life,
his kennel was his den. Now, as a pet, your Greyhound will also benefit from having a small and cosy safe
haven that he can snuggle up in.
In addition to providing security for your dog, you may consider crate training as crates also help with
their toilet training, since Greyhounds are clean dogs that don’t like to mess in their immediate vicinity. A
crate also facilitates interactions between your Greyhound and children/other pets and also provides
your Greyhound with a safe, bedtime area into which you can place him at night (so you know he is not
wandering the house).
Greyhounds generally take very well to their new crate because of their racing history (including
kennelling, starting boxes, travelling etc). Therefore, small enclosed areas are familiar and welcomed.
However, it is important that your dog is given the opportunity to explore this new area at their own
pace. It’s vital that they want to enter this area (rather than being forced). Placing food, toys and treats
into the crate often make it more appealing for them to enter and explore. Once your dog is comfortable
in entering his new crate, you can gradually accustom him to having the door closed for increasing
periods of time.
It is very important that dogs are placed in their crate with the door closed for no more than about 4
hour at a time (except at night when they can generally remain in there for up to 9 hours). It is also
important that your dog’s crate not be used for punishment. Your dog should only associate good things
with their crate and it should be a safe haven from everything else going on in the household.
If you think your dog might not cope or will be over excited in certain situations such as when there are
guests, small children or tradesmen in the house, you can tuck your Greyhound in its crate ahead of time
and then let them out later when things have settled.
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Toilet Training
Greyhounds are generally quite clean dogs but as they are unfamiliar with indoor living, you will need to
spend some time teaching them where the appropriate places are to toilet at their new home.
In order to avoid toilet training accidents from occurring, it is essential that dogs are given lots of help
and information to teach them where they are to toilet. You also need to ensure that your dog is given
sufficient opportunity to toilet in that area. After all, humans don’t automatically know where the
bathroom is in a strange house until they’ve been shown. Greyhounds are the same, but may need to be
shown many times before they’ll get it right all the time.
Once a dog learns to toilet in the wrong place, it quickly becomes a habit that can be difficult to break.
Conversely, each opportunity your dog gets to toilet in the right place is an opportunity for him to learn
the right thing and form a good habit.
Preventing Mistakes
As soon as you get your dog home, take him straight out to where you want him to toilet. They
may have had a long car journey and you can’t be sure when they last toileted.
Watch your dog – if you see him circling, sniffing or he become restless, take him to their toileting
place immediately.
Use common sense – if you know your dog hasn’t eliminated for several hours i.e. during the
evening or whilst you’ve been out shopping, don’t delay in taking them outside. This should be
your first task.
Put your dog on lead and stand with your dog while he toilets to prevent him from becoming
distracted.
If your dog doesn’t toilet, you can try walking in circles, starting at about 3-metre diameter and
gradually making the circles smaller and tighter (replicating your dog’s sniffing and toileting
behaviour).
Prevent your dog from going into rooms where you can’t watch them. You can keep doors closed
or restrict areas with the use of baby gates. You may also like to employ the use of a crate to
confine your dog when he is asleep or when you can’t supervise him (i.e. for half an hour whilst
you’re bathing the kids). To make use of a crate, read the ‘crate training’ section of this guide.
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NOTE: whenever your dog toilets in the right place, reward them with pats, praise and treats as soon as
he has toileted. There is no point giving your dog a treat when he comes back inside. If you do that, you
are rewarding him for coming back inside, not toileting.
When Accidents Happen
Do not punish your dog for toileting in the wrong place! This is crucial. If you yell at, smack or
chastise your dog, he will believe he is being punished for what he’s is doing (i.e. toileting) not
where he is doing it. This will make your dog reluctant to toilet in front of you for fear of
punishment.
Soak up whatever you can with paper towel and then clean up using an enzyme based cleaner
from your vet or pet shop. Alternatively, Biozet (laundry powder) can be diluted and used in a
similar manner. Do not use common household ammonia based cleaners which attracts dogs
back to that area to toilet again. Remember, when a dog urinates, there is often a large volume
that soaks in and under the carpet so you need to use a considerable amount of product to cover
the area completely.
Change your dog’s meal times – by changing the time of day when your dog eats, you will also
change the time of day when he needs to eliminate. If your dog is unable to make it through the
night without toileting, try moving dinner forward or backwards to change the pattern.
Alternatively, you can try feeding a larger proportion of your dog’s meal in the morning and less
at night or feeding a portion at lunchtime.
If you have had your dog for some time and accidents begin to happen out of the blue, the first
point of call would be a vet check up to rule out any underlying causes such are urinary tract
infections or incontinence.
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Basic Manners Training
It is not a requirement of the ‘Greenhound’ program that your dog receive any formal obedience
training. However, basic training is great for building stronger bonds with your Greyhound and gives
them mental stimulation as dogs learn something every time they interact with us or their environment.
Consequently, what they learn might as well be something of benefit to them from a safety perspective.
The principle behind all training is that:
 Your dog will continue performing behaviours which result in a good outcome for him (i.e. he is
rewarded).
 Your dog will cease performing behaviours that do not result in rewards.
We can therefore alter our dog's behaviour by rewarding those behaviours that we like. This now makes
the behaviours we like also the ones that 'pay off' for the dog so he now wants to perform them more
often - everyone wins!
To make this easier, make a list of behaviours you want you dog to perform. These might include:
 Lying on their bed.
 Being quiet.
 Toileting in the right place.
 Staying out of the kitchen whilst you are cooking.
All of these behaviours should be rewarded with treats and praise.
It is also worth making a list of behaviours that you don't like. These may include:
 Barking
 Jumping up
 Being over excitable
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These behaviours should be ignored and one of the aforementioned desirable behaviours rewarded
instead. This will help your dog realise that there are more ‘productive’ behaviours which could be
performed that benefit him (and also benefit you).
It is critical that you don't yell at or punish your Greyhound as this will frighten him and possibly make
the situation worse. Instead, keep your dog out of trouble with ideas from the 'Entertainment' section,
set your dog up so they get the right answer and reward behaviours that are incompatible with the
behaviour you don't want (i.e. if your dog is rewarded with food and attention for lying down or sitting
calmly he is much less likely to jump or become over excitable in an attempt to get your attention).
Should you choose to take your Greyhound’s obedience beyond the basics, there are many opportunities
to become involved with clubs who offer training and run competitions.
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Getting dogs to come when called i.e. recall
Hide and Seek
This exercise is fun, but it also has a very practical application further down the track for when you teach
your dog to come to you. Since "come" is so important, we thoroughly recommend that you spend
considerable time playing this game with your dog in lots of different places at home (make sure they are
safe places though). This should only be taught in a home environment, strictly no off-leash parks or
public unfenced areas. Greyhounds have no road awareness, are sight hounds that can switch into chase
mode quickly and are one of the fastest land animals therefore recall should not be relied upon at any
time.
Start in one room (or a hall way) and call your dog’s name, when he comes towards you, reward. This
game is best played between 2 or more people, each one taking it in turns to call the dog, (however it is
possible to play the game as a single person). Play this game in one room or area until you are sure he
understands that he is to go to the person calling him. When this happens, spread out further (maybe to
different rooms) and start the game again, calling in turn and rewarding when your dog goes to the right
person. When your dog is confident in this, you can gradually increase the difficulty of your hiding places.
After you have called your dog, reward it, someone else will then call your dog. Whilst your dog is away
finding them, you can change your hiding position to keep the game going.
Come
Now that you have been playing hide and seek for a few weeks, ‘come’ should be easier. This is just an
extension of hide and seek, that we can move outside. Call your dog between members of your family.
Start close together and gradually move further apart. When the dog goes to the person who has called,
take the dog’s collar and reward lavishly. Hold the dog’s collar until the next person calls your dog.
Further training
You might like to introduce some distractions when you ask your dog to come. Remember not to call
your dog whilst he's playing or looking busy. Try to call at a time when you think he is most likely to come
back. This is setting your dog up to succeed so he doesn't learn to ignore you. This will also give you lots
of opportunities to reward him. Remember, the more often you can reward a dog for the right behaviour
(i.e. coming back) the faster it will learn. You may also want to make use of 'jackpots' (large amounts of
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food given when your dog does something particularly good) for running (rather than walking) back to
you, responding quickly etc.
Lying down/drop
Teaching your greyhound to lie down is important for a few reasons:
1. People want to take their dog to places such as cafes, their kids’ sporting games or a friend’s
place and they want their dog to lie down and relax when they get there.
2. It will help you to teach them to sit (see further on).
3. It helps the dogs understand that they can relax and that nothing will be happening for a while.
There are two ways you can help teach your
greyhound to lie down:
1. You’ve probably noticed that greyhounds
will lie down a lot! You can use this to your
advantage. Each time you see your dog about to
lie down, reward them. After a week or so of
rewarding them when they lie down on their
own, add in a hand signal when they lie down.
This should not take too long for the dog to catch
on. After the dog has successfully understood the
hand signal, add in the words “lie down”, and
always reward. They will slowly recognise the
word with the action.
2. Pat their bed and encourage them to lie
down on it by saying ‘lie down’. If they do so, reward with a pat, praise, or a treat. You can then
move the bed to different areas and practice this in their kennels, beside some chairs, in your
room etc. Once you think they understand what the patting motion and words ‘lie down’ mean,
you can even try it without the bed present.
Sitting
Trick training may seem like a silly waste of time, but it is a wonderful way to attract the attention of
potential adopters for your foster dog or to
show off your new greyhounds abilities.
Sitting can be a very difficult behaviour for
greyhounds to learn as their large hind muscles
can make the process of sitting awkward. It is
for this reason that for greyhounds, we consider
‘sit’ to be a trick. The awkwardness of this
behaviour can be seen even in this photo with
the pups – greyhounds just look odd when they
sit – as though their bodies just weren’t
designed for it!
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How to teach a sit:
1. With non greyhounds, the process is quite simple. With the dog standing, you raise a food treat
slightly over the dog’s head. This generally causes the dog to lower its bottom so it can more
easily see the treat
2. With greyhounds, it is often easier to start with the dogs lying down, then coax them into a sitting
position with a treat luring their nose up (and very slightly backwards – just so they don’t stand
up). Then, when they do sit, say the word and lavish them with pats, cuddles, praise and treats.
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Separation Related Distress
Greyhounds are very sociable creatures which have grown up in the company of other Greyhounds.
Consequently it may take a little while for them to get accustomed to spending
time on their own. There are several ways we can help them make this
adjustment:
Ensure your dog is tired when you leave him – most Greyhounds are
generally exhausted by 25-30 minutes of exercise. If you can take your
dog for a good long walk before you go, they are less likely to get
overexcited or stressed by your absence if they are sleeping.
Don’t say goodbye as this may distress your dog. Instead, just get up
and casually leave.
Do NOT make your return (or departure) exciting – Just say ‘hello’ to
the dog and make a phone call or put the shopping away for example. Five to ten minutes later
you can calmly greet the dog in a low key manner, only when he has settled. Your dog will always
be pleased to have you come home, but don’t encourage him to become overexcitable as this can
make their time alone at home more difficult to cope with.
Don’t allow your dog to get accustomed to your undivided attention – when you’re at home, your
dog doesn’t need to be with you at all times. It is healthy for them to remain asleep and warm
indoors whilst you do the laundry or pick up the mail. Allow them to spend time outdoors while
you are indoors and provide them with things to occupy themselves with outside to make the
experience rewarding and positive for them. Encouraging your dog to be your shadow will make
him emotionally dependant on you that he won’t be able to cope without you hence separation
distress. If he follows you around, ignore him and only give him a pat when he is calm and settled.
Once your dog has settled, you can gradually start spending some time away from him. Initially,
only leave your dog for a minute or so like when you go to get the mail from the letterbox. Then,
slowly increase the length of time for which you are away so your dog learns how to spend time
by himself. If you have other dogs in your house, teach your Greyhound how to spend time away
from them too. Have a friend or partner walk your other dog(s) whilst you take your Greyhound.
This way your greyhound learns how to be an individual (rather than always being part of a doggy
family). You can also take each of your dogs for separate walks, first taking the Greyhound (so
he’s tired) and then your other dog once your Greyhound has settled down for a nap.
Ensure they have entertainment – when you leave (even for just a short period) ensure your
dog(s) have something to occupy their brains. This will take the emphasis off you leaving and
redirect him to the good things that are associated with your absence (such as food and toys).
Please see the ‘Entertainment’ section of this guide for more information.
Make sure your dogs are warm, safe and dry when you leave them so they are not distressed.
Additional measures you may want to employ include a DAP (Dog Apeasing Pheromone) or
Sentry collar or diffuser. These product available at pet stores, veterinary clinics or online, emit a
synthetic version of a calming pheromone and are often very effective in helping anxious dogs or
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those entering new surrounds. For more advanced or worrying cases of separation distress, you
may wish to speak with your veterinarian about options for medication, which can be extremely
effective in helping to calm a dog and allow them to relax and learn more effectively. The dosage
of medication can usually be reduced over time.
Greyhounds that exhibit extremely high levels of distress may have difficulty in
completing the ‘Greenhounds’ assessment successfully. We recommend you seek
advice from your vet (to rule out any underlying medical concerns) or contact an animal
behaviourist.
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Anxiety and Aggression
We all like to think that we understand our dogs and much of the time this may be the case but often the
very subtle signs of anxiety and discomfort are often missed in their early stages. Most greyhounds will
move easily from their life as a racing dog and settle into their role as a much loved pet, however it is
important to recognize that they are settling into a vastly different environment with many things that
they have never encountered before.
Dogs communicate discomfort and the desire to end an interaction (with a person, another dog or even
another species) with the same behaviours. You can see these depicted below. It is a ladder with many
steps. Each step is a behaviour that is connected with a rising level of anxiety or stress as it moves from
green to red.
When a human or an animal becomes very anxious we do often see ‘overblown’ responses – imagine
you are late for an appointment on a hot day and someone corners you in a shop queue trying to sell you
something you don’t want. You will also try lots of behaviours (escaping, refusing eye contact, asking
politely for the person to stop, turning away and so on) before you either run away (if you can) or trying
a more assertive behaviour. If your early signs that say ‘please stop’ are not adhered to you will have to
try something else. In the dog’s case what will also happen is once they communicate in the higher red
rungs and you DO start to take notice and cease interactions, they learn in that moment that that
behaviour is successful and reduces his or her anxiety. It becomes reinforcing and increases the chance
that the dog will use it in other similar situations.
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It is important to remember that individual dogs will respond differently to stress. This will depend on
their genetics, their past experience and the current situation they find themselves in. Be very aware of
the bottom rung behaviour cues and what the dog is trying to signal to you in that moment.
If you begin to see any behaviours in the orange or red zone, it should be of concern to you, your first
step should be to report it to us at Greyhounds As Pets and to organise a vet check. This is because pain
or illness will often change an individual dog’s response from “flight” to “fight” when it is feeling
threatened.
Simply taking your dog to a training class will not solve this issue, unless the trainer has the qualifications
and experience in this area. Even then the best course of action is to seek the help of a veterinarian who
has additional training in behaviour (veterinary behaviourists) that other vets can refer cases to.
Aggressive behaviour can usually be managed and the dog will undergo behavioural modification
training which will improve its response to particular situations and people.
Before you consider going ahead with treatment you must consider the safety of everyone around the
dog:
-
-
Have there been any injuries? To other animals or people?
Are there children, elderly or frail adults in the house?
Are the incidents predictable every time – do you always know the triggers, these can be a
particular environments or contexts (“it happens when he is asleep in the corner”) or people
(“she is scared around men”) or other animals, or it can be a general response to lots of things.
Are you committed to making long term changes?
It is vital to recognise that you can avoid a dog feeling the need to show aggression if you watch it very
carefully and change your interaction or the environment if you see an escalation of behaviours from
the lower to the middle rungs of the ladder.
As a dog owner setting it your dog up for success and ensuring prevention, particularly in first year, is
your responsibility.
-
-
-
-
AVOID situations that you feel will be upsetting or stressful for your dog, choose quieter options
and reward with food/attention and toys in these stages and once the dog can tolerate this
slowly increase to more challenging environment.
AVOID people, dogs and places that have created ANY of these behaviours in your dog. Make a
note of them and gradually associate them with something positive. If you are not sure of how
to do this refer to the GAP office for assistance.
NEVER punish your dog for these behaviours. Remember that this is the dog communicating
how they are feeling. If you punish a dog for growling, it will no longer growl, it will go straight
to the next behavior on the ladder.
Understand the meaning of these gestures and encourage family members and friends to be
aware. This will avoid the dog’s last resort (aggression).
You may also like to watch some of the videos on this site:
https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/preventing-dog-bites-stop-dog-aggression-before-it-starts/ to learn
more about the different methods that are used in treating aggression and how dogs can respond to
behavior modification.
36
Entertainment: Keeping your dog’s mind active
All dogs need mental exercise as well as physical exercise to make them a happy and well adjusted
member of the family. In the wild, dogs would spend the majority of the day in search of enough food to
survive. In our homes, dogs are generally fed twice daily and spend the rest of the day with little to
occupy their time. Instead they often resort to destructive behaviours, digging in the lawn, barking,
following their owners like ‘second shadows’, pulling washing off the line or doing ‘zoomies’ around the
yard. To prevent these often undesirable behaviours, we have to give dogs tasks on which they can focus
their energies. Below are some examples of challenges that you can use to keep your dog busy. It should
be remembered that any food used in these activities should be deducted from the dog’s daily meals to
prevent them from becoming overweight.
Activities
Kong ™ - Kongs are cylindrical rubber dog toys in which you place
your dog’s food or treats. It is important that when you first give
Kongs to your dog that they are very easy. Food should easily fall
out. A good mixture for this is 80% dog food and 20% treats. This
encourages your dog to continue working at the ‘puzzle’ for his
everyday food as well as something special. As your dog gets
better at extracting food from the Kong, you can increase the
level of difficulty, including canned fish, yoghurt, wet food, roast
chicken and eventually freezing the contents to make it even
more challenging. However, if you make this toy too challenging
in the early stages, your dog will lose interest in it quickly.
Treat balls – Similar to Kongs, the objective is for your dog to
extract the contents from inside the toy. These toys are
commonly spherical, but may also be a cube (this increases the
level of difficulty). Again, dry food mixed with some treats (such
as dried liver or kangaroo) is ideal for this toy.
Scatter feeds – Rather than giving your dog his food in a bowl,
you can scatter it on the lawn. When you start doing this,
scatter it in a reasonably small area (approximately 1m x 1m).
As your dog learns how to use his nose to find kibble in the
grass, you can scatter the food further, increasing the complexity of
the task as the dog’s skills improve
Iceblocks – Freezing treats or toys in a large block of ice is a
fabulous game, especially in summer. To add additional interest to
the task you can flavour the ice with diluted chicken or beef stock
or puppy milk. The more treats you add to the ice, the more easily
the iceblock will crumble. To increase the difficulty, reduce the
number of treats, or increase the size of the iceblocks.
Digging pits – if your dog loves to dig, you can purchase a hard
sided children’s paddling pool. This can be filled with sand and
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treats placed on the surface of the sand. Gradually, you can place the treats deeper and
deeper, so that your dog realises that digging in that area is productive and fruitful whereas
digging elsewhere is not.
Paddling pools – the same children’s paddling pools can be filled with water and treats
(including some fruit and vegies) thrown into it for the dogs to catch and eat throughout the
day. Please be aware that this shouldn’t be used if you have young children living in or
visiting the house as it can pose a drowning hazard.
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Stairs
Stairs are a common source of concern for some Greyhounds.
Most Greyhound properties are flat, so many dogs have never
had to negotiate more than one step at a time. Stairs are also a
challenge for Greyhounds because of their physique. Their long
legs and small feet can make them feel unsteady especially on
slippery stairs. In addition to this, their deep chest means most
of their weight is forward from their waist. This means that,
when coming down stairs, all of their considerable weight is
unevenly balanced and over their front feet (making them feel
as though they will fall forwards). Consequently, many
Greyhounds will baulk at stairs and/or try to rush them
(jumping down a whole flight).
Because of the dangers associated with them rushing stairs
(such as broken legs), it is important that we help guide and
show them how to negotiate these.
Going Up
There are many ways to teach your dogs to negotiate stairs. Below are two good options to try:
1. If possible/practical, carry your Greyhound to the second top step and put them down gently. Then,
holding the lead loosely (no pressure on the dog’s neck) walk up the one remaining step and encourage
them to join you. Then, carry them to the second bottom step, place them down and, holding the lead,
walk down the one remaining step, encouraging them to follow. Repeat this process, having your dog
walk up/down one extra step each time. Once they have learned to negotiate about 5-6 steps, they will
take the whole flight with few difficulties.
2. Start with a short, and easy flight of stairs (concrete or carpeted) on which the treads are widely
spaced. Keep your hand on your dog’s collar to help steady them. You might also find it helps to fashion
a sling out of a towel or sheet to place under their tummy or use a harness to help support them. If all
else fails, you may have to physically show your Greyhound how to position its feet. Dogs will often get
their front feet too far forward without allowing their back feet to join them. Have one person stand
next to the dog, holding its collar. Then, have a second person position your dog’s front feet on the
second or third step. Then, move its right back foot up onto the first step, then its left back foot onto the
first step. Then, position its left front foot up onto the next stair, then its right front foot. Repeat the
process until your dog starts to understand how to negotiate this challenge.
Again, use a short flight of non slippery stairs to begin.
39
Going Down
Going down can be more challenging because of the position of your dog’s weight. Hold your dog’s collar
with one hand and support its chest with the other. Again, a harness might assist in supporting your
dog’s forward weight (so they don’t feel as though they will fall forwards). Then gradually make your way
down the stairs, one step at a time. Don’t try to physically move your dog’s feet when going down as this
reduced stability will make your dog even more worried. Instead, move down the stairs in a zig zag
pattern using their whole width of the flight so your dog is not looking straight down, rather they are
looking and moving on the diagonal which is less steep and scary and gives them more space on which to
place their feet. Do not allow your dog to rush down the stairs or lose their balance or they may injure
themselves or get a terrible fright (making the whole process more difficult next time).
Only do 1-3 repetitions each time and try to finish on a good note. So, if your dog does really well on a
set, don’t push your luck by trying to repeat it. Dogs seem to improve at tasks when they are given the
opportunity to go away and think about their progress. Then, the next time you come to repeat the
activity they will often have improved significantly and gained additional confidence.
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Feeding
Your Greyhound will be happiest if fed twice a day in roughly equal amounts. For the average Greyhound,
2-2.5 cups of a well balanced, quality dry food along with 400-600 grams (give or take) of quality meat (of a
pet variety) is sufficient per day. Whilst under our care, our Greyhounds are fed a diet of fresh chicken
meat, as well as a good quality dry dog food. They also get regular sardines and a weekly brisket bone.
You can add warm water to the food to ensure that your Greyhound
remains adequately hydrated and to bring the meat to a more acceptable
temperature (rather than cold, right from the fridge). You may add ‘extras’
to improve palatability and prevent boredom. Some Greyhounds are
accustomed to eating vegetables, pasta, rice and the like cooked up into a
‘stew’. You can also include cheese, partially cooked eggs, milk, raw or
cooked meat and raw bones especially if they are having trouble eating
whilst they settle in and in moderation. Partially cooked eggs and boneless
fish (such as sardines) are generally loved by Greyhounds and are wonderful for their coats! These extras
or the meat from a BBQ chicken (make sure there are no bones) are great tools to help encourage your
Greyhound to eat over the first few weeks.
If you are having difficulty getting your Greyhound to eat, you can try changing the amount of water that
you use to moisten the food and/or add some stock to make it more palatable. You may like to try
exercising your dog at different times of the day (to stimulate their appetite), adding Weetbix with some
milk or try different types of meat (chicken, beef, turkey or roo etc.). Some dogs eat better if the meat is
cooked before feeding. If your dog is eating very little he can be placed on a rice and meat diet or rice and
BBQ chicken. Then, you can try adding the kibble in gradually to familiarise him to it. If you think your dog
is losing weight and his appetite is not returning, please contact us or your veterinarian.
Raw bones can be offered regularly to help
maintain healthy teeth and gums. No cooked
bones of any type should be fed. Cooking renders
the bone indigestible, often resulting in splintering
or impaction in the gut. It is important to be aware
that some dogs may become constipated or may
form loose stools from eating bones.
Whilst large bones can be great, some Greyhounds
cannot handle large beef or lamb bones and will
sometimes vomit small bone fragments along with
bile a few hours later. Raw chicken bones, are
much softer, and rarely seem to cause gastric
upset. Chicken carcasses can be bought at most
poultry outlets relatively inexpensively. These can
be fed whole, as a meal, but can also be cut into smaller segments with poultry shears. Small sections such
as chicken wings should be avoided on their own as they may be swallowed whole. Instead, leave them
attached to the carcass so they are part of a larger object.
Certain food should never be given to dogs. These include raw or cooked onion (can cause blood
disorders), chocolate (contains a toxin even in moderate doses), grapes, macadamia nuts and avocado.
41
Many Greyhounds are grazers and may benefit from being left with their food bowl overnight or for a few
hours in the morning. Others are easily distracted from their meals so consumption may be assisted by
placing breakfast or dinner in their crate/crate with them for a while. If you have multiple dogs in the
household, feed each dog separately and never leave uneaten food available as this may cause dogs to
fight.
It is essential that a supply of fresh clean water is available at all times. If you have multiple dogs, it is
important that there are multiple water bowls in several places, so that each has ready access to the
resource.
As with all large and giant breeds of dog, exercise, excitement and drinking excessive quantities of water
around meal times should be avoided to prevent ‘bloat’ (gastric dilation or torsion). This is a lifethreatening condition and is a true medical emergency, which will result in death within a few hours if
untreated. Symptoms include a swollen abdomen, unproductive attempts to vomit, restlessness, rapid
pulse and respiration rate, leading to death. If you suspect bloat, get your dog to the nearest vet
immediately (regardless of whether it is day or night).
A key component for your Greyhound’s success in the ‘Greenhound’ collar (GAPNTT)
assessment, allowing them exemption under the new muzzling laws, is their reaction
when ‘boring’ food (e.g. kibble), high ranking food (e.g. a bone or liver treat) and toys are
given to them and then attempted to be removed by the assessor. In order to be eligible
for the ‘Greenhound’ collar your Greyhound must not exhibit any resource guarding or
aggressive tendencies, as deemed by the assessor.
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Body Condition and Weight
A Greyhound is a naturally lean, athletic animal, especially during their racing careers and this physique
should be respected in retirement also. It is acceptable and recommended that a Greyhound is allowed to
put on some weight and ‘let down’ in retirement and be a few kilos heavier than their racing weight.
Your greyhound should never be allowed to ‘get fat’…yes Greyhounds can get fat! An ideal weight is one
that is visually pleasing, as opposed to their physical weight on the scales. A Greyhound in ideal ‘retirement
condition’ is a few kilos heavier than its racing weight, has the last rib or two defined without being
prominent and where the tips of the hip bones can just be noticed, again without them being prominent.
When you look at your Greyhound from above, you should still be able to make out a slight waist and not a
‘plank-like’ back. Below are some
reference pictures highlighting
an ‘ideal pet weight’.
Image courtesy of: ‘How To
Know If Your Greyhound Is At A
Proper Weight’
(http://greyhoundcrossroads.co
m/index.php?page=weight)
Due to their light frames and lack of body fat, greyhounds feel
both the extremes in temperature, hot and cold. In winter or
during colder weather, if not kept amply warm, greyhounds can
quickly lose weight and condition. A winter coat is
recommended when temperatures fall below approx. 15
degrees Celsius. Winter coats will often be available through
Greyhounds as Pets, so speak with staff about availability.
Alternatively, we recommend Australian made, ‘Dishlicker Coats’
for great quality greyhound specific coats. You can order online
at www.dishlickercoats.com.
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Emergencies and Veterinary Care
Greyhounds have a unique physiology that makes them quite
different from other breeds of dog. They can have sensitivity to
certain drugs and anaesthetics. It is recommended that you take
your Greyhound to a vet who is familiar with the breed. You may also
want to consider taking out pet insurance for your new friend which
will help with covering any unexpected vet trips!
It is advisable to have up to date contact details of your closest or
local veterinarian as well as the contact details of after hours
veterinary services in your area, in an easily identifiable area such as
on the fridge or next to the phone. In the case of an emergency
(such as bloat, dog bite, tick or other poisoning, suspected broken bones etc.), please take your Greyhound
to the closest veterinarian immediately (after hours if necessary).
Physiology
Greyhounds have a larger heart and higher blood pressure than other breeds of dog.
Their blood is extra rich in oxygen carrying red blood cells and they have about 4% more blood than
other dogs. The special qualities of their blood makes Greyhounds highly valued as canine blood
donors. For more information about the lifesaving opportunity of canine blood donation visit
www.sashvets.com/blood-donor-hero or call the Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH, Sydney) on
(02) 9889 0289.
Their body weight is on 16% fat which is less than half the amount of other dog breeds of similar
size.
The high percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibres in their bodies aids speed, not endurance.
Greyhounds run and hunt using their sight (60%), sense of smell (20%) and hearing (20%). Other
dogs use their senses differently depending on what they were bred to do.
General Health
Due to centuries of selective breeding, Greyhounds have very few inherited health conditions.
The most common breed ailments are digestion related and they can be susceptible to bloat.
They can be prone to some forms of bone cancer.
Some Greyhounds can be fussy eaters and they are generally not prone to overeating and
becoming overweight.
Greyhounds can often suffer from plaque and dental disease, especially if their diet and
maintenance of their teeth is insufficient. Your greyhound will come to you having recently had a
scale and polish of their teeth and can usually be easily maintained with regular bones, dental
chews such as ‘Dentastix’ and ‘Greenies’ and regular brushing if you condition your greyhound to
accept this.
They can suffer a genetic eye condition called Pannus (developing between the ages 2-5years). See
‘Continuing Care’ section for more information.
Bald thigh syndrome is common in greyhounds as they naturally have a low thyroid level. Unless
particularly predominant or indicated by blood tests, no intervention is required.
Greyhounds are known to have the occasional foot problem, in particular corns.
They can have sensitivity to certain drugs (including some flea treatments) and anaesthetics.
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Bloat/Gastric Torsion
Photo credited to Dr J. Vidt http://www.drjwv.com/article.php?view=0014.php&name=Bloat
Bloat is a disorder which is sometimes seen in large dogs with deep chests, such as the Greyhound. Bloat is
often associated with a twist in the gut which inhibits breathing, damages the gut and can result in rapid
death.
Bloat is often characterised by a restlessness, swollen stomach, shortness of breath, attempts (although
often unsuccessful) to vomit and/or passing of larger amounts of faeces and gas often within a few hours
of eating. If your dog shows such signs, this is a medical emergency and the dog should be taken to a vet
immediately (regardless of the time). You should also call your vet before leaving home or whilst you are
on route to ensure that they can prepare for your arrival. Many dogs with this condition die within 1-2
hours of showing signs so it is crucial that veterinary attention is sought immediately.
Prevention of bloat involves the following:
Do not feed large amounts of food in one session. Instead, spread smaller meals out over the
course of the day (i.e. a breakfast and dinner rather than just one big meal).
Do not exercise your dog ½ an hour before eating or 1½ hours after eating.
Ensure that water is readily available at all times (so that he can lap at it throughout the day) and
that your dog does not gulp large volumes in a session
Know who your local and after hours vets are so that you can contact them quickly in an
emergency.
If your dog is a rapid eater, special bowls which include obstacles to slow your dog’s eating can be
purchased.
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Continuing Care
Pannus
Pannus is a disorder that affects the eye of some
greyhounds, and will eventually lead to blindness if not
managed. It usually onsets between 2-5years of age and
generally doesn’t appear after such time. It is not painful in
its early stages, causes no discharge from the eye, and may
be hard to see unless you look closely at your greyhound’s
eyes in good light. If it is not diagnosed or treated, the
disease progresses, slowly covering the clear part of the eye
(the ‘cornea’) until the dog can no longer see in severe
cases.
Pannus is seen most commonly in German Shepherd Dogs,
but is also found in Collies, Poodles, Dachshunds and
Greyhounds. There is thought to be a significant genetic
inheritance, with certain families and lines within a breed
more severely affected, but environmental factors such as
UV light also play a part in the development of the disease.
In the beginning you may only notice that the edge of the
cornea seems more pigmented (coloured) than before – kind
of like ‘freckles’ developing near the edge of the eye – or
Figure 1. Arrow pointing out the Pannus in a greyhound,
seeing clearly the "oil-slick" appearance of the pigment.
there may be a hazy/greyish colour to the edge of the clear part
of the eye. It has also been described as having an “oil-slick” or
textured appearance creeping over the eye. Generally the
disease will occur in both eyes, starting at about the same time,
but the lesions do not necessarily look the same.
As the disease progresses, Pannus lesions may simply look like
brown pigment ‘growing’ onto the eye surface, or it may appear
more inflamed with a ‘greyish-pink’ colour (which is the eye’s
version of scar tissue). If you look closely, you might even see
small blood vessels growing onto the eye surface. The colour change to the clear part of the eye starts at
the outside edges and spreads in until the entire eye surface is covered, leaving no clear window for light
to enter the eye – making the dog blind.
Regular check ups with your veterinarian or one more experienced with greyhound health will help pick up
the condition early. Pannus is very easily managed and relatively inexpensive. Greyhounds are notoriously
very good to administer the eye drops to, so please don’t overlook adopting a greyhound with Pannus.
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Intestinal worms, heart worm and fleas
Dogs require regular worming and flea control in order to remain in good health
and to prevent some types of worms being passed on to humans and their
environment. There are multiple products available on the
market that control intestinal worms and/or heart worms, as
well as combination medications that in some cases also
control fleas and mites. They come in various forms ranging
from tablets and palatable chews to topical applications (often
applied to the back of the neck) and medicated collars. An
annual heartworm injection is also available. If you have any questions about flea or
worm control, please contact Greyhounds as Pets or your veterinarian.
Ticks
There are three main types of ticks that affect dogs; the brown dog tick, the bush tick and the paralysis tick.
The first two can prove carriers for a range of infectious agents, but rarely cause fatalities.
The paralysis tick is a deadly parasite found in many areas in and around Sydney and New South Wales.
They are at their peak from October through to April, however, can be present at any time of year. As the
Greyhound has a short coat, ticks may be obvious upon inspection. Check and feel your dog daily for ticks
(which look like blue or grey lumps ranging in size from a few millimetres to approximately 1.5cm on your
dog). Ticks can be anywhere on your dog and it is recommended that you check the head, ears, gums,
neck, under the collar, body, ‘armpits’, between their toes, along and under their tail – basically
everywhere!
If you find a tick, the best course of action is to remove it immediately (if
possible). Tick removing devices are available inexpensively for purchase
from veterinarians, pet and produce supply stores, and make removing ticks
straightforward. If you can’t remove the tick, please take the dog to the vet
as a matter of urgency to have it removed. If you have removed the tick yet
your dog is already suffering the effects, or begins to suffer once the tick/s is
removed, get him to the vet without delay.
Signs of tick poisoning include:
 Unsteadiness on their feet particularly in their hind limbs
 A dry cough
 Diarrhoea
 Vomiting
 Lethargy
 Change in their “bark” i.e. unusual sounding bark

If you notice any of these signs (even if you’ve already removed the tick) it is imperative that you get the
dog to the vet immediately! Tick poisoning can lead to death in a matter of hours. If you suspect tick
poisoning or you are unsure, please err on the side of caution and seek veterinary advice straight away.
Multiple products are available on the market to assist in preventing ticks, however nothing can be
guaranteed and it is crucial that you check your greyhound daily for ticks, particularly during the peak
period. Examples of such products include ‘spot on’ treatments, chewable tablets and tick collars.
47
Preventatives
There are a range of products on the market that cover the main parasites such ticks, fleas, heartworm
and/or intestinal worms. You will need to choose a product/s which works best for you and your dog. Also
note that many products have a different time period in which they protect your dog for these particular
parasites for example from one to three months worth of protection.
Some of these products include Advocate, Heartworm vaccination (done by your vet), Advantix, Nexgard,
Comfortis, Sentinal Spectrum, Panoramis, Drontal, Preventic collar and Bravecto, each covering different
parasites for various amounts of time.
Advocate (topical), Sentinel Spectrum and Panoramis (both chewable tablets) are effective monthly, 3 in
1’s that cover fleas, intestinal worms and heartworm. Please note that ticks are not covered by these
products and can be used in conjunction with a tick collar such as Preventic collar, topical treatment such
as Advantix or a chewable tablet such as Bravecto or Nexgard (please check with your vet first).
Preventix is a preventative tick collar worn by your dog that lasts up to 2 months. It prevents and kills ticks
ONLY. Bravecto is a chewable tablet that covers fleas up to 3 months and ticks up to 4 months. Nexgard is
an ingestible treatment in chewable tablet form. It covers fleas and ticks ONLY for a full 30 days. Advantix
is a topical treatment used to repel ticks and fleas and lasts one month (be warned if there are cats in the
household as Advantix, if ingested by cats, is toxic, but completely safe to use on dogs).
There are also preventatives that concentrate on one parasite individually i.e. Comfortis, which is a
chewable tablet concentrating on fleas only for a month. This can be given in conjunction with an allwormer, heartwormer/injection, and tick collar/tablet (please check with your veterinarian first). Others
include the Heartworm vaccination is an injection called Proheart SR-12 that is done by a veterinarian or
veterinary nurse. This lasts 12 months and ONLY prevents heartworm. It saves the hassle of remembering
monthly tablets. There are heartworm tablets on the market that ONLY prevent heartworm and are once
monthly. Drontal All-wormer is a tablet administered every 3 months to adult dogs that covers all intestinal
worms. It is not flavoured or chewable.
It is easy to be overwhelmed by the types and numbers of products available for preventing and treating
internal and external parasites. Your greyhound will come to you with one months supply of flea,
heartworm and intestinal worming treatment. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact staff or
your veterinarian.
We highly recommend looking into the option of pet insurance for your new pet. Whilst greyhounds are
relatively healthy dogs, pet insurance can provide great peace of mind to know that should something
occur unexpectedly that the financial burden is mostly taken care of. Most policies will allow you to claim
up to 80% of eligible vet bills and premiums can be a relatively low cost over a monthly basis.
48
Safety Issues-House and Yard
Around the house we often keep many products that are potentially toxic to our pets. Ensuring that these
products are out of reach and locked away is crucial. Poisons and hazards can come in many forms. They
may include:
Drowning (never leave dogs in and around swimming pools unsupervised)
Hills hoist (the handle should be tied into the upright position to prevent your dog running
into it)
Building material and rubble which may lacerate your dog
Stakes and other obstacles that Greyhounds can run into
Holes in the ground and other trip hazards
Fertiliser
Rat bait
Snail bait
Cleaning products (generally from bathroom and shower cupboards but also garages)
Antifreeze
Paint
Nail polish and remover
Shoe polish
Matches
Chocolate (or cocoa mulch)
Onions or garlic (causes anaemia)
Avocado (the leaves, fruit, seeds and bark contain a toxin dangerous to dogs)
Grapes and raisins (less than 10 is fine but more than this can cause kidney failure)
Dental floss, string and other elongated objects (gets stuck in the gut and severs it)
Drugs and medications (including pain killers, contraceptive pill, vitamins and some herbs)
Asthma inhalers (they might look like a fun toy but can be fatal)
Moderate size objects (like corn cobs) that get stuck in the gut
Poisonous plants (see your local vet or nursery for common plants of concern)
49
Stay In Touch!
We love keeping up to date with all our Greyhounds’ adventures in their new homes so please stay in
touch here:
facebook.com/GAPNSW
instagram.com/GAPNSW
twitter.com/GAPNSW
Feel free to share photos or videos of your Greyhound/s on our page and stay in touch with all the events
and new faces coming to Greyhounds As Pets at the same time!
50

in-home greyhound re-training guide

Transcription

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