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VoI 11, Issue 3 |
Patience Helps a Shy Grey Shine! |
July 2006 |
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SO, YOUR
GREY IS A “SPOOK” By Roger Deeringer The
main symptoms are slouched posture with tail tucked under. That tail tuck is the barometer that will
tell you if you are making progress with the dog’s “worry”. It also will tell you if a normal dog is
being stressed. Some dogs will begin
to show aggressive behavior, such as fear barking and showing of teeth. As soon as you observe the tail tuck or
other odd behavior, try to understand what in the environment is causing the
stress and do your best to remove the stress or remove the dog from the area
causing the stress. Things that cause
Greyhounds to go into “spook land” are varied and many, and have destroyed
their confidence. What’s important is
can we do anything about the condition? The answer is yes. What it takes is simple and
inexpensive: tender loving care, time,
and loads of patience. If
the dog is new to your home, please be ready for a different experience. If you have children, inform the children
of the problem and teach them that everyone in the family has a part to play
in making the dog part of the family.
Establish a “safe” zone for the dog.
This is a place where the dog can recover and de-stress without
interference. Some folks use a large
dog crate, but a corner in a room with little traffic will do. Some dogs will take over a closet. What ever is the case, establishment of the
safe zone is the most important item.
Be patient as the dog may move the safe zone to their liking. Go with the flow. Keep
sudden noises, quick, unexpected motions and rapid changes of light to a minimum. Establish a routine. Greys love a
routine. Feeding may be difficult, so
find a place where the dog can eat and drink in peace. You may need to go through several menu
items before finding what the dog likes.
Just don’t resort to table treats.
That is a terrible diet and will cause more problems, both in health
and mental state. The
next thing to begin is to earn the Greys
trust. This may be possible for only
one family member at the start. Let
the dog pick who the trusted person will be.
Remember to check the tail tuck to learn how you are doing. There may be a different tail position when
interacting with each family member. One
of the tricks we have discovered is to lie down with the dog, talk softly and
stroke the dog. Belly rubs work well
if the dog will let you. Don’t overdo
it. If the dog starts to push away or
even look away, stop. You have reached
the limit for that session. We want to
help the dog, not drive the Grey into further distress. Remember that the dog needs to begin to
trust the environment. Most times the
dog is so far gone that a second, more confident Grey is needed. Sometimes another breed will work. Before
I run out of space, consider a dog that once fit in and suddenly exhibits
behavior issues. Anything can trigger
old memories. Perhaps it is a new
piece of power equipment in the neighborhood.
Perhaps someone has “hosed” the dog down with a garden hose, or the
dog got caught in the automatic sprinklers.
Did a shelf fall in the house, or just some pots and pans clatter when
the dog was sound asleep? Did the
children have a very loud argument?
Even a new dog in the neighborhood could trigger the reversal. Whatever the cause, you’ll need to isolate
the cause and regain the dog’s trust.
This may be the most difficult job of all, because you now must change
your routine to something that will help the dog recover. All
of this takes time. There are several
dogs I have worked with that have been on the road to recovery for
years. A few may never reach the end
of the road, but we continue to try and understand that we have special
cases. Most of the foster Greys that have come to me as spooks generally come out
of their frightened state within a few months, some surprisingly in a few
days. How do you know? Look at that tail, and watch it as the dog
moves through the environment. Once
you see it, you’ll know. Once you get
the Greyhound lean and maybe a butt bump at an unexpected time, you’ll
understand that your dog is progressing and has begun to trust you. Keep that trust and be ready to backtrack
when things change. Change will always
happen, you can’t stop that aspect of life. Enjoy your dog’s journey through life and
they will love you for it. Note from your Editor… There is a
fantastic chapter on fear issues in Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies by Lee Livingood. As many of us who have adopted shy or
spooky greys can tell you, the rewards are well
worth the time and effort. The love
and trust of these special greys is truly
remarkable. LETTER TO
THE “EDITOR” As dictated to Kitty Miller You might remember me from SoCalGAL and Hemopet by my
formal name of Charles. Well, my
family calls me Charley now. I
remember you said I would be a different dog in 30 days, but I think I did it
sooner. I am no longer afraid of the
talking box with pictures; in fact, I like to look at it! I overcame my fear of the ceiling fans,
too. My Mommy said I had to because
it gets real hot here in I really love my brother and sister cats
and dogs. Especially the dogs! Joey and Zeeda
are fun to pal around with and they are teaching me so many things. The most important thing I have learned
from them is to not be so afraid of everything. I watch them and they aren’t afraid. They trust our Mommy and Daddy and I have
learned to trust them, too. Some
noises still get to me, but I’m learning to get over it. Golly, they sure load on the hugs and
kisses! I like those. Daddy is really kind and gentle with
me. He sure has a lot of patience. I like to spend time in what Mommy calls
his “ Mommy is really nice, too. She gives me lots of hugs and kisses,
too. She talks to me a lot. She tells me about her day and Joey, Zeeda and I sit in the bedroom and help her pick out her
outfit for the next day. I get the
feeling that things are special right now and we are all getting used to each
other, but Mommy treats me like one of the gang and if I break the rules, she
says “Charley, no”, not mean or anything, but I get the idea. I especially like mornings with
Mommy. We have breakfast together and
just spend quiet time reading the paper and listening to the birds sing outside. I have my own special dish for food
and I have my own toys and some of the toys, Joey, Zeeda
and I share. We have fun in the back
yard too! I also learned that when
Mommy and Daddy go to work in the morning, they come home in the afternoon. That is so cool! Joey and Zeeda kept telling me to mellow out that first day they
left, but I had to learn this on my own.
I was so relieved to see them again.
I feel good and I’m so happy. Every day I wake up with a smile and a
wagging tail. I have a Mommy and Daddy
that love me and I am a part of a big family with 5 cats, a brother dog and a
sister dog. So, thank you for finding
me the right family to share my life with. It makes me feel good to be a
member of a real family. Love, Charley Miller SUMMER OUTINGS By Carole Oglesbee Now that we are in the middle of our
summer season, many of us will be spending extended periods of time out
doors, heading off to walks, picnics, beach parties, pool parties and outdoor
concerts. We are so very fortunate to
live in the Now, as you load up with sun hats, suntan
lotion, towels, blankets and lawn chairs, please don’t forget to include your
greyhound(s). Most of our four legged
companions love all the activity and attention they receive when out with
their families…and they are truly family members. In addition to our greys,
please, please remember to load up on business cards. Our greys attract
attention and many folks want to know more about our special canines. If you have run out of Needle Nose Crew cards just contact us, and
we’ll make sure we get some more to you.
If you would rather pass out cards from your greyhound adoption
agency, please contact them. They will
be happy to get some to you. The more
active greyhound owners there are out and about with their companions, the
more interest is developed, the more greys are
adopted. Please make this the summer
you help save a greyhound life.
Encourage everyone you meet to look into greyhound adoption.
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