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Posts Tagged ‘greyhound dog training’

For many long-time dog owners, the greyhound breed packs an irresistible package for a pet: loving and sympathetic at one point, then a lazy couch potato in the next minute. Many greys are quite happy with the occasional game of fetch or chase, which comes as a welcome tip considering that in their early years they were used to blinding speeds on the run. In tune with greyhound dog training, new grey owners need to know that their dog may just need to be muzzled off-lead or on lead, and some cannot be allowed to be off-lead due to the high likelihood of bolting. Owners will also want to look into whether the dog has raced, been trained to race, has a high prey drive (not so good), etc. Sometimes some dogs are declared as “cat trained,” indicating that these have low-prey chase instincts and do not need a muzzle. A lot of owners have been able to train their dogs to recall via food bribes. These plans usually start with allowing the dog to have games and freedom of movement in enclosed areas such as basketball courts or tennis courts. Some six months later, dogs can go off-lead but under controlled conditions, which means making sure to have no access to main roads, choosing quiet country paths with no animal distraction, and so on. Be wary also of any notions of the dog as fully managed in the hands of a young child; in fact, these dogs have surprising bursts of strength. All it takes is the distraction of an attractive looking furry in order to send the dog to some rather irresistible pulling. A slightly built child is therefore not the best walker for a grey. Ultimately in greyhound dog training, greys cannot be classified that easily; each dog that catches your attention will need to be examined more closely. If you want your dog to come from a rescue, be clear and honest with your ideas. For example, be clear that you are capable of training the dog to be offlead sans a muzzle. A rescue with quality service and concern for the welfare of its wards will likewise be honest. With such a source of your future pet, be ready to wait for a while for the right dog.

Many have come to admire the greyhound breed’s combination of calm, affection, and beauty. But the dog’s high-prey drive is something else to reckon with, since it happens to be the start of many behavior and training issues. Therefore, greyhound owners also admit that among the bigger challenges that a grey owner could face is a defective recall. Just to give you an idea, grey owners on walks with their fleet-footed dog bring along the dog’s most favored treats. Recall games are also played throughout the walk. The area of the dog’s walks are also carefully chosen and planned. In general though, the least that grey owners could do is to keep in mind the following greyhound dog training tips: 1. Before trying out taking the dog to large open areas, begin by letting the dog off and walking it in an enclosed space. There are many of these enclosed areas in parks, e.g. the concrete parts usually used for basketball or tennis games. Try to make it early so as to avoid crowds. 2. When testing a dog’s recall, use a long lead. The line will need to be attached to a harness, not a collar. This allows the dog the freedom to move around and explore, while keeping it still within reach. Doing things this way lets you have a hint of how the dog will react to you from distances. Long training lines are also available, and also lunge lines. 3. Planning to go off lead with your dog? Visit only areas the you both know, and keep away from strange dogs, livestock or children. Bring along with you the dog’s favorite treats. There’s also nothing to lose if you bring along a muzzle; you will know how opportune it is to let the dog use when by watching how it reacts to a cat or a small dog. 4. Spaying or neutering the dog also helps boost the chances of the dog responding favorably to recall. To end, it seems that it is better to err in the side of caution when it comes to protecting this beautiful and optimistic but unpredictable (on a few occasions) dog breed from its sight hound instincts. From the point of view of greyhound dog training, the solution is at least a safe enclosed space.

The following article is about do’s and don’ts in the field of greyhound care and greyhound dog training. But a good thing to keep in mind is that not all those adopting will need this article; in fact, some do not have experience the usual issues at all! On the contrary, some are simply blown away by the breed’s simplicity, laidback temper, and quiet disposition.

But before anything else, potential grey owners need to confront the obvious that rehomed greys did not grow up in the so-called “normal home” setting, but instead consider a crate “home” during their active racing years. Indeed, practically all racers literally need to be “introduced” to home living, i.e. dealing with mirrors, stairs, and household noise.

How does one know if a grey settling into the house is feeling the pressure or not? Examples of stress among dogs are restlessness, panting, whining, sweaty paws, dripping noses and diarrhea are all signs of stress. They ought to disappear once your dog feels secure and knows the routine. But ultimately, there’s no way to see the “real” dog not until after a few days. The following ideas may just be the ticket to winning over your dog.

1. Communicate with the Greyhound

Take the time to learn how racers think and respond. This means interviewing the grey’s rescue group about the many ways to communicate with the dog.

Greys are suspicious and wary of very new things, and making is complicated is that it will need to learn new things living with its adopters. Owners need to make new experiences always positive and enriching.

While quite a few dog breeds are known to turn restless and noisy when peeved, a Grey instead will turn stone-like. At this point the dog basically shuts down and cannot absorb anything. An owner may need to lay off the dog and give it thinking time whether it wants to train, or play, some more.

Greys have very sharp instincts, and may startle easily. A scared grey may bolt, and its adrenaline rush may make it do the worst, such as wiggling out of a collar and running into the next city for all its worth. The wisest thing when going out on walks is to get a properly fitted grey collar, plus a good leash.

2. Greyhounds will always be students.

The greyhound brain simply learns and absorbs something from each and every event in its day, whether it be a designated moment for training or not. All of the dog’s waking hours are chances to teach it to grow.

3. Owners need to establish a winning relationship.

Training is obviously not just about manners and obedience, obviously. Training is essentially about “connecting” with the dog, and staying connected always.

Greys already learn quite a lot, as we have said earlier, just by observing human faces and actions. Moreover, they suffer if they think their owners are not happy with them, or through actrions that they perceive to be harsh. The indicator is more or less the “statue mode.” Such a dog is demanding for a “break”.

A last greyhound training note about canine sensitivity: try to keep the dog away from potentially malicious situations and events as much as possible. The greyhound’s level of delicacy take time healing “wounds”.

1. If ever there is a large-dog breed that will misbehave, among the last to get suspected of mischief would be the sensitive and sweet-tempered greyhound. But no dog is perfect, and so if a greyhound does indeed get into trouble, for sure the dog did so due to extended confinement, lack of physical and mental exercise, boredom, and loneliness.

2. According to greyhound training, at the heart and root of most of the mischief is chewing. But this is only a normal dog tendency, most especially among puppies, that nevertheless needs to be given a vent. At first, the dog or puppy will need to be encouraged to enjoy its toys. But if the dog still cannot be trusted with laying off household articles, it will need to stay in its crate, that is, unless it is pooing or peeing outside, or being played with, or eating its meal.

3. Do not give the dog rawhide or small toys that may get entangled in its throat.

4. A lot of dogs like toys that make squeaky noises. To avoid any part that the dog might ingest, the squeaker ought to be embedded and hidden in the toy.

5. When you find the right toy, buy a few and not just one, in order to scatter them all over the dog’s living space.

6. What greyhound dog training toys anyway work on greys? Kong and nylabones with a bit of peanut butter on the inside, or sterilized white natural bones that won’t break into dangerous fragments. Steak bones are not recommendable, nor pork-, chicken- or other bones.Correct your dog if you catch it chewing on an off-limits item. Give the dog a firm “No.” Then ask it to pick up of its toys. When your dog takes hold of a chew toy, immediately praise it.

7. Never use choke collars or collars with a metal prongs or an electric shock collar.

8. Gold State Greyhound Adoption sells dog coats to prepare your grey for cold winter, and special toothbrushes are also available for teeth cleaning.

9. You will likely need the following items for your hound. All items can be bought at the local Petfood Express: 48″ x 33″ wire crate;food and water bowls, and a food storage bin secure enough to keep out creepy crawlies;dog Pillows or any firm large pillow; Stain, odor and spot removers; flea protection and-or flea and tick prevention; traveling mat for the dog to lay on rather than concrete; and mild shampoo and toothpaste (C.E.T.) can be bought at your vet.

The grey is a fitting and wonderful companion for the home that is interested in a large, indoors dog. When they are socialized starting from puppyhood, they are among the most amiable, spreading warmth to people getting back from school or work. Older dogs have a natural grace that radiate calm and ease, and more so if they have greyhound dog training tips. In fact, adult greyhounds are surefire couch and sofa hoggers, and not the type to go around bumping into things.

But make no mistake about the instinct of this sighthound. It is crucial that they be trained and get used to being with other animals. Adults that will be staying in a home for the first time with a few pets need strict supervision. Remember that an adult’s predatory instinct is fine-tuned, and may push the dog to go after anything furry and small in the home.

This dog is happy bonding with the family and learns quite quickly to love children. But the first time a dog gets home, it must be supervised when spending time with the kids. And aside from this, it will take time to be friendly and enjoy being with kids. While the dog can also get exasperated and will need to be muzzled, the dog prefers overall a quiet environment, and works well with adults who are laidback.

Separation anxiety is something unexpected among greys who are suppose to be used to total strangers. But this is just one more indication that their sweet personalities are vulnerable. The breed responds to greyhound training and to obedience training, but not as well as other breeds. The breed can also get bored, and a side effect of this is the predictable, but trainable, propensity for destructive chewing. One basic solution for helping them overcome the anxiety is to have many good chew toys at home.

One good point in owning a Greyhound is that the dog does not bark much, which makes the dog among the best indoors dog breeds. In turn, it is undoubtedly in favor of sleeping durining the night on large padded beds.

A special advice to those bringing a Grey to a home with stairs is that the dog may need training how to to use them. Unbelievable as it is, Greys are not familiar with stairs, and it is not as easy for them as just putting their four feet one after the other.

Their large size is not a deterrent for them to learn crate training, which is the best way for them to be house trained. All ex-racers will need house training.

It is estimated that about 25,000 greyhounds are retired every year from racing. Many of these dogs are sent to rescue centers or adopted out. Potential grey owners that are considering adopting ought not to fall for the misconception that greyhounds want a high energy lifestyle; quite the opposite! It’s fascinating just observing how these dogs turn into almost ideal housedogs. They actually morph into couch worshippers, basking in the quiet calm of the home… that is, if greyhound training is put to use.

The genetics of Greyhounds also make them low maintenance, and quite healthy too. Other large dogs have bloat, or some other hereditary disease, have hip dysplasia, or are excessive barkers. But that doesn’t apply so much to greys. Greyhounds usually retire by the age of four, which leaves them plenty more years to enjoy with a family willing to adopt them. Indeed, a successfully rehomed grey which gets to live up to twelve gets to have one of the most colorful lives for a dog!

Anybody keen on owning a grey can try getting in touch with any of the adoption agencies based all over the country. All that is needed is usually a filled out application form and sometimes also a small donation to the animal agency. On second glance, the fee is definitely a bargain, considering how these institutions are dead-serious about maintaining the health of their wards.

Upon bringing a grey home, it will need to be socialized into the family using greyhound dog training. Ex-race dogs are largely used to being in the company of both familiar people and strangers, but greys need time to adjust to having an intimate house for its home. Among the most prudent ideas for a greyhound owner is to have the dog on a lead when walking, or when at home, secured by a tall fence. If not, the dog may give in to the temptation to run after squirrels, or the neighbor’s cat, or even to stray away.

When they retired from racing at the age of four, greyhounds prove to be among the most wonderful pets to be with at home. They are among the most suitable, low-maintenance, moderate exercise house dogs. Their short, low-shedding coat is easy to tend to. They are also the opposite of yappy dogs, in the sense that chronic barkers among Greys are the exception, not the rule. But couch potatos at home must be forewarned that greys are competitive when it comes to jostling for position on the sofa. A trick around this could be that Greys have their own soft beds, given that its not good for them to lie on the floor anyway.