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Post by deboosh on Oct 20, 2012 22:16:02 GMT -5
Our initial visit was during the annual picnic in June. It was a great time and we met lots of friendly gh owners who offered great advice to us newbies. At the time, I didn't know enough about choosing a dog to ask certain specifics, so I am now wondering whether cat-testing is done at the farm. Both my dh and I have never had dogs and this will be our first. My fear is in selecting a dog with a prey drive that may be so high that it is unmanageable. Has anyone else had this concern when they were getting ready to adopt? Are the dogs cat-tested here?
Thanks so much.
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Post by newtothis1 on Oct 21, 2012 7:34:13 GMT -5
The dogs are not cat tested. In fact while I was there Bill told me a story about someone who actually brought the cat and all hell broke loose. That's not to say they can't live with cats though. I adopted two wonderful pups on my first visit, but when I got them home one wanted nothing more than to kill the two cats I have. I tried for a couple of weeks and it was horrible for me and the pups. So she had to go back. The other guy showed interest but no chasing.
Now he actually sleeps with them on his bed and it has only been 10 months. They bonded within about a month and there is no looking back now. He looks for them and they rub all over him.
It is possible, and the great thing about GRA is if the pup is to interested in the cats you can always try another. Even though it will break your heart to take one back, Bill makes sure they get adopted to someone without cats so you are really doing the pup a favor by taking them back. It's a win win situation...
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Post by campgreyhound on Oct 21, 2012 7:43:04 GMT -5
Only about 5-10% of greyhounds are what you'd call unworkable with cats. Do you have cats? There is a thread pinned at the top of this forum about how to do intros properly.
I've had many campers here who were labeled "not cat safe" or " high prey" based on their behavior at foster homes, only to find they were fine with cats while they were here. It can go the other way too, every situation is different. Many greyhounds will react to small animals outside and be perfectly fine inside, so long as they are introduced properly.
Inside your home, it's always safest to muzzle initially until you have a good idea of their behavior. The dogs adjust much more quickly than the cats do.
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Post by angelollie on Oct 21, 2012 12:28:28 GMT -5
Although there aren't any cats on the GRA premises, there are a couple of ferrets which in reality will serve basically the same purpose as a cat when it comes to "cat-testing" and prey drive. If there is a certain hound that you are interested in, ask Bill or Heather to test him/her with the ferret. At least what that testing will do is confirm the degree of prey drive. I know of some hounds that show little interest in the ferret and others that want to get right to it. It would certainly give you an indication of the small animal drive. Campgreyhound is so right that every situation is different.
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Post by deboosh on Oct 21, 2012 14:23:35 GMT -5
Thanks Everyone,
I didn't realize that such a small percentage were high-prey ~~ that's comforting! We decided on the gh as the dog for us over a year ago, but we have a 20 year old cat, and think she is much too old to handle the stress of sharing her home with another animal. Once she crosses the bridge, we will adopt another, so a cat-safe dog is a must.
I like the fact that at least the farm has a ferret to get an idea of the dog's small animal interest. We'll probably ask this little guy to risk his peace of mind by helping us decide on our low-prey dog, lol. The cherry on top would be getting a chatterer; very endearing to hear those castanets! I'm hoping it's a common trait they share.
Thanks for taking the time to respond everybody; we really look forward to being bona fide gh parents and schmoozing with you all at walks, picnics and fundraisers. ;D
Debbie
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dashandus
Grey Lover
I am very sad to annonce that our beautiful Primo Dash passed away suddenly today
Posts: 412
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Post by dashandus on Oct 21, 2012 18:53:44 GMT -5
We adopted Dash when our cat was about 16. He was scared. If your 20 year old cat never shared the house with another dog then it might be hard on the cat. Our cat got used to Dash but they never snuggled or got to be close friends
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Post by greypride on Oct 21, 2012 22:54:18 GMT -5
we had a 15 year old cat when we brought blitz home. she was a solid racer but shes too snooty to care what the cat does. they met she sniffed him and realized it wasnt worth her time. i actually have a couple pictures of them cuddling on here somewhere. super cute it is rare though... then i moved out and the cat was my moms so he stayed there. when we got dodger she saw him and ran at him and he bopped her on the nose and hissed and scared the ever lovin out of her and she still goes and sniffs him when she visits gramma but when he moves she stays put he told her where to go and she listened the first time (cat bites/scratches are nasty you dont want your dog to get involved with that it can be a real problem sometimes. luckily my cat was declawed). so sometimes all it takes is for them to be told once other times it dosnt work at all and in some cases some hounds just dont give a rats haha. id wait until you feel comfortable bringing one of these guys in your home just in case you get one that gets too friendly with the feline
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twosecrets
Junior Grey Lover
1st Secret
Posts: 145
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Post by twosecrets on Oct 27, 2012 14:55:29 GMT -5
Please keep in mind that indoors and outdoors are two different planets to a greyhound. 1) Top and Stella are completely cat safe in our house. 2) Top and Stella would tear these same kitties apart with glee outside in the yard.
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troysmom
Hound Nut
Troy & Leopold
Posts: 1,717
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Post by troysmom on Oct 27, 2012 17:38:27 GMT -5
Twosecrets, I think you can say that about any breed. I have a daxie who loves his cats in the house and they sleep together but once outside it's free for all.
I think they just need to be with the cat and learn they are part of the pack. When I got my\ recent cat, Leopold (daxie) was just horrible. Talked to a trainer and we worked with him so he would learn that cat is part of the pack. No more issues.
That being said there will always be that small % that just won't be good with cats or small dogs.
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Post by maidmarcia on Nov 12, 2012 21:13:47 GMT -5
I'm just wondering this because I've been thinking about getting a second greyhound...what if it doesn't work out with cats? When you return the dog, do you get another one? How does that work with what you have paid?
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Post by campgreyhound on Nov 13, 2012 8:43:03 GMT -5
Bill will exchange your hound if you take him home and find he's unworkable with your cat.
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Post by luvastorm on Nov 25, 2012 10:46:47 GMT -5
After adopting two broodies, we tried a big, black male who had been a very successful racer. The broodies were "interested" in the cats, but soon lost interest - the black male tried to smash out of his crate to get at the cats, so after about 10 days of that stress we returned him and Bill suggested we replace him with "TNJ Rain" who is an adorable female. She quickly became used to the cats INDOORS but outside is a different picture. She'll chase our cats in the back yard and squirrels too but has never caught anything although I'm sure she could if she really, really wanted to.
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