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Post by jiffer on Nov 23, 2006 16:21:46 GMT -5
Well we left the two of them at home alone for the first time today for 4 hours. Valerie peed in the living room. We are also wondering if it is because it is the first time we left them alone for that long since we brought them home 3 days ago. The other problem is they are chewing our wooden chair in the living room. They have toys but they seem to prefer the wood. Is there anything that would make them stop, like giving them bones to chew when we leave for a few hours? The other option, and please any suggestions would be appreciated, we are thinking of putting a gate between the kitchen+ hallway and the living room so if they go it will be on the easy to clean floor instead of the carpet until they are more house trained? Peeing in the house.. that will take time to resolve. They are used to being crated and though it's not totally clear, I don't think you are using one. She needs to learn that the whole house is her crate (Dogs won't dirt in their "crate"). For the wood, if you catch them do it. A quick "no" or "ah ah" and give them something Ok to chew. You can deter when you are out of the house by either muzzling them or I've heard some people who have had success with Bitter Orange/Bitter Apple spray or Tabasco sauce. However, some dogs actually like the taste of these.
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Post by P&G_mom&dad on Nov 23, 2006 17:58:28 GMT -5
We keep Pasha in her crate if we go out without her. No chance of accidents. That's what she was used to. Since she is with us 24 hours a day and we let her out 5 or 6 times per day, we have had a very easy transition.
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Post by apollo on Nov 29, 2006 8:15:07 GMT -5
Hi, we haven't been on the forum in a while. Apollo is doing great, but has peed in the house on three occassions in the last two months (when we are not home). We believe that it is separation anxiety. He did not like his crate, but leaving him with access to the whole house was very anxiety provoking for him and for us. Now, we "room crate" him in the hallway and he has his bed and access to the hallway upstairs. The living room and kithcen are off limits (by use of baby gates). We are trying to be consistent,i.e. not making a fuss when we leave etc. Hope this helps. It takes time.
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Post by Tigger's Mommy on Nov 29, 2006 12:40:36 GMT -5
Abby has resorted to messing in her crate now. We bought her a brand new one and she has destroyed it as well. Its frustrating. Tigger was a breeze to housetrain. Abby has been a terror.
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Post by jiffer on Nov 29, 2006 13:27:23 GMT -5
Thanks for the update on Apollo, you are certainly making good progress with him. "Room crating" is very effective if your dog panics even more in the crate than out of. It's safe too. We "room crate" when we move to a new house or if a new pupper has graduated from the crate in our house. Abby sounds like she doesn't like her crate. Have you tried the room crating that Apollo's parents mentioned? Can you leave her in the house with the muzzle on? With mine, if they start to reject their crate, we stop crating. Somehow most greyhounds seem to get to a point that they decide they no longer need it.
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Post by tara on Nov 29, 2006 16:51:06 GMT -5
How do I convince myself to room crate. Have you ever had a problem with chewing electrical cords or their muzzle getting caught on something. I am a little paranoid and I tend to stress about little things . My Lab has always been crated when we are gone should we uncrate him too? Not sure I can do this for my own piece of mind. Do they ever get over the gate? What kind of room do you use? Their crates are in my daughter's room do I use that room? Hubby is scared of damage that we come home to (light coloured carpet).
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Post by greyhound2 on Nov 29, 2006 22:13:42 GMT -5
My boy has been wearing his muzzel in the house for the past to 3 years with no problems. I wish I had thought of using it before he chewed 2 coffee tables and some other issues. He is fine with it he gets a treat and told he's a good boy when we put it on just as we are leaving and as soon as we walk through the door he is there waiting and we remove it before we do anything else. I have a piece of mind as well that there will be no more furniture chewed.
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Post by Tigger's Mommy on Nov 29, 2006 23:56:05 GMT -5
Its not a chewing issue for Abby. We tried room crating her in our kitchen and she managed to knock down our baby gates. She uses the carpets for a bathroom when left alone. I can take her out, she'll pee and poop, and bring her in for ten minutes while I run to the store and I come home to a mess. It is really frustrating. I think she just hates being alone, which is hard because there is a 2 hour time between when I start and my husband gets home from work (he works in London). I am hoping it doesn't come down to it, but I am starting to think Abby may better from being in a home where she is never alone.
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Post by Tigger's Mommy on Nov 30, 2006 0:40:14 GMT -5
Do they ever get over the gate? What kind of room do you use? Our Abby can get over the gate, under the gate, take the gate off the wall, you name it, she does it to the gates. She chewed them, then when that didn't work, she chewed the wall, right down to the corner support.
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Post by tara on Nov 30, 2006 7:52:19 GMT -5
This what concerns me. Tyson hates being confined to a room and chewed my daughters door frames when he slept in her room. Also he is really tall and I worry he will try to get over them and hurt himself while we are gone. I can't give any advice on crating or how to because I have Harry Houdini on my hands. However when we first got Ty he would whine, pant and freak in his crate and did have an accident (big) in it. It took us lots of patience and time (about 10 weeks) to get him to where he didn't freak, whine, pant, bend the bars while in his crate. He now goes in and lays down waiting for his treat. I think his getting out was a challenge to him not a "I want out of my crate". He is a problem solver. He figured out how to open his food storage container too. It took us baby steps with Ty. I am lucky because I am in a postion where I have the time (I am a stay at home mom) I hope things get better for you with Abby!!
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Post by apollo on Nov 30, 2006 9:04:07 GMT -5
yes, its frustrating. Apollo has now peed in the house three days in a row! It's so wierd. He is fine for two weeks, and all of the sudden, it starts again. I called Bill last night, b/c this is diffiicult for us. We have a baby. Bill suggested that Apollo may need the company of another greyhound in order to solve the problem. We can't get another one. Will keep trying...Any suggestions would be helpful.
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Post by Tigger's Mommy on Nov 30, 2006 12:16:28 GMT -5
It must be something with the name Apollo (Abby's race name was Apollo as well)She is the exact same way. Fine for a few days and it starts again. I wish all she did was pee in the house... she poops everywhere. We have two greys so I don't think loneliness is her problem. I tihnk she doesn't like our place. She never really interacts with Tigger the way everyone else's greys interact. Its like he's there and thats it to her, he's not her companion, her playmate. She won't share the bed with him, she never wants to be near him. Does it sound like she hates us? We tried Bill last night. We had talked to him last week and he told us to have her checked out and if nothing came up that it could be she doesn't like it here. Vet can't find anything wrong, says she is a beautiful healthy dog. I think in my heart I always knew she hated it here. I have tried for 6 months to make it work. Its not a lack of love, I give her all I can. Believe me, she feels very loved here. She is more content to be alone then have pets and treats. All she wants is to sleep and eat. She never plays anymore. She won't play with Tigger at all. It's hard. We're also making the addition of a little yellow lab to our family in the spring once we get our new home, and I don't know how she will handle it. She seems to love dogs smaller then her (she is in LOVE with my mother's pug) but bigger dogs she has no interest for. I am completly lost and confused over this. I have tried everything, and my poor carpet is never going to be the same (hopefully they never check it before we move out of the appartment).
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Post by apollo on Nov 30, 2006 13:31:22 GMT -5
I totally understand. I think that abbey may be stressed with the dogs. I think that is what happened when Apollo lived with Gigi. It's so hard and heartbreaking. Bill made me feel better, meaning that if Apollo is too stressed it is better to bring him back than for him to be unhappy. Don't know what to do b/c we are dog lovers and we had a dog, b/f Apollo...we don't just return dogs. It's very upsetting b/c we never knew that Apollo was returned b/c of separation anxiety. I guess it doesn't matter b/c it could happen to any dog. I wish you luck. Please keep us posted. I'm going to call my vet today to see if he has any other suggestions. er
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Post by jiffer on Nov 30, 2006 13:45:07 GMT -5
This what concerns me. Tyson hates being confined to a room and chewed my daughters door frames when he slept in her room. Also he is really tall and I worry he will try to get over them and hurt himself while we are gone. I can't give any advice on crating or how to because I have Harry Houdini on my hands. However when we first got Ty he would whine, pant and freak in his crate and did have an accident (big) in it. It took us lots of patience and time (about 10 weeks) to get him to where he didn't freak, whine, pant, bend the bars while in his crate. He now goes in and lays down waiting for his treat. I think his getting out was a challenge to him not a "I want out of my crate". He is a problem solver. He figured out how to open his food storage container too. It took us baby steps with Ty. I am lucky because I am in a postion where I have the time (I am a stay at home mom) I hope things get better for you with Abby!! We "room crated" Icarus in our bedroom and it was a disaster. He chewed the door knob, the door frame, the carpet and scratched the paint off the door and mouldings. It was horrible. So we switched it, we gave him the rest of the apartment and shut the door to our bedroom... he was an angel thereafter, aside from things I forgot to pick up, like pens and coloured pencils and my mail (only mine, never Rene's). I'm so sorry to hear about the trials with Abby and Apollo. It's so hard when you want to make it work but you have that doubt pulling you to say that it's not working. Some folks persist and eventually, hopefully, get passed it, others realize that it's never going to work. What you do is going to be your decision, but know that I do sympathize. I just wish I had the words to make all the problems go away. There's a dog for every home but not every home for a dog.
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Post by apollo on Nov 30, 2006 23:25:49 GMT -5
Thank you for your kind words. Apollo peed in the house again. I knew that he would. He seemes to be getting more and more anxious (i.e.panting nose drips) before I leave the house. We may have to bring him back and I feel horible. He is the sweetest dog. I spoke to my vet and he did not suggest medication (anxiety) b/c it may not target the peeing. Bill didn't recommend meds either. If we didn't have a baby, I would have NO problem keeping Apollo and working on a solution. I swear, we didn't know that Apollo was dealing with separation anxiety or we wouldn't have chosen him (only b/c we have a small infant).
With that said, I am asking any of you or who know someone who may want Apollo. He will most likely be going to Bill's soon, even though I am so heart broken.He is the best dog. He needs consistent parents who are home a lot and maybe another playmate. Please, please if you know anyone who would be a good fit for Apollo.....let me know. He is so gentle, no aggression, no destroying furniture....no guilt to anyone, of course....I'll keep you posted.
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