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Post by rexation on Nov 19, 2007 17:56:06 GMT -5
I understand greyhounds are not very cold weather tolerant because of their lean body and short rabbit soft fur. My Rex also hates rain and has what could be described as rain phobia. So, I bought Rex a beautiful winter coat and a raincoat for the fall. Both fit beautifuly and were made specifically for the long and lean dog. But Rex refuses to wear them. I can dress him in the coat without problems, but he will just stand there like a statue, nose dripping, head lowered and tail between his legs. And this is in the house, after he has been told we are going for a walk. There is no way to get him to take a step even with treats and goodies. I tried putting it on him outside, same thing. Stops dead in his tracks and will not budge. Does anyone else have a greyhound that is “coat phobic”? Will he be OK without a coat in the wither? Any advice would be much appreciated. Not a happy camper. I guess we are moving south.
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mecki
Grey Lover
Posts: 666
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Post by mecki on Nov 19, 2007 19:25:05 GMT -5
Beautiful coats! Poor Rex..what if you get him out there with some greyhound buddies who are dressed for winter as well for a playdate. On another note, one of my guys actually likes the cooler weather...I don't leave him out there for long, but I can tell it's not bothering him in the least that he doesn't have a coat on. I like your suggestion to move south.
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Post by jiffer on Nov 19, 2007 20:09:52 GMT -5
Some of them just don't understand what wearing a coat is all about. What I would suggest is see how long he can go without wearing one.. some of them are good until the temps dip below -5... then see how he does when you put the coat on him when he feels cold?! Maybe he'll get the idea then
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Gail
Grey Puppy
Posts: 62
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Post by Gail on Nov 20, 2007 16:47:04 GMT -5
It is possible that Rex thinks he cannot walk in the coat. I had a cat many years ago that thought she could not walk in a harness. She hunched her shoulders and fell over. Once the harness was off, she was fine.
Can you put the coat on Rex so that it does not go under his belly or around his legs - perhaps fasten these parts over on his back so that only his back is covered? Once he gets used to the idea of the coat on his back and he can walk, you could start lowering the parts gradually until you have them fitting where they are supposed to be.
I put a sweater on Valerie when I take her and the bouvs for a walk but nothing when they go out for a potty break although I may when the temperature really drops. I keep my house cool but have a blanket for Valerie if she seems chilly.
Gail
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Post by rexation on Nov 20, 2007 20:07:20 GMT -5
Thank you for the tips. I think it may be the noise the outer shell makes, or the size of the coat. I am going to try him in a plain fleecy coat when the temperature goes down. We will take it one cold day at a time and let him decide.
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3amigos
Junior Grey Lover
Posts: 202
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Post by 3amigos on Dec 8, 2007 21:29:53 GMT -5
Athena used to hate her coat. In fact, this is the first year, after three years of owning us, that she has decided to "do her business" in her coat.
I found it was easier to walk her without her coat. Much like your boy, Athena refused to walk but she really wanted to go outside with her brother and sister. She slowly got used to the idea of the coat but still refused to potty with it on.
This year, I just ignored her. Put her coat on and we walked. When she finally decided to pee/poop it was a HUGE celebration. I'm almost afraid to say it...but I think she finally got the idea that it is okay to wear a coat, be warm AND do your business outside.
Oh yeah. I just wanted to add. My three LOVE the snow! Especially if they can outside and jump/dive in the snow naked! Forget the coats. It's so much better to get covered in snow when you're naked. LOL And, if you do have your coat on? Pull Mommy into the nearest snow bank. That's a guaranteed laugh.
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ghoundcrew
Grey Lover
The Poochachos: Smitty - Stinger
Posts: 759
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Post by ghoundcrew on Dec 11, 2007 13:31:57 GMT -5
Nice Chilly dog coats, I have them for my boyz Stinger and Smitty. I went with the apple green and they fit extremely well. I am lucky, both my boyz stand like statues with their noses straight out to put the coats on. When the coats come out of the closets, they know that we are well on our way to our next walking adventure. When I first put them on them, I made a huge fuss over the boyz, saying how handsome they were in their coats. I called Smitty "pretty smitty" etc and didn't laugh at them at all etc. We have been wearing them from about 0 degrees Celcius down....I also put the hoods on them, they are amazing as well as Muttluks which are boots with fleece liners and leather pads. They fit like "golf gloves" and have never slipped off. We walk through everything from slush to snow to ice to puddles of ice etc... I put the muttluks on them when they are sleeping on their beds, I am getting quite good at it. With all this winter gear, we can walk comfortably for about an hour or so and we draw a huge crowd of curious onlookers in our neighbourhood.
On the weekend I was at the outlet malls in Niagara falls, and and family from my neighbourhood had recognized the coats and asked me if I was "that guy with the greyhounds."
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charmsmom
Grey Lover
Does my nose look big to you?
Posts: 545
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Post by charmsmom on Dec 11, 2007 21:19:06 GMT -5
I got Charm the same style of coat and she really seems to like it. Since she knows coat means walk she is eager to put it on. I actually have to keep the closet closed until the very last second because she tries to pull it off the hanger herself. She gets so excited when I hold it that she actually tries to get her head into the neck part by herself. Of course this has become our morning laugh as i try to get 2 kids and 1 hound out the door on time for school. She does attract alot of attention from the other kids walking to school but takes it in stride. I think if you give him lots of praise and encouragement he'll equate coat with happy! Here's Charm waiting to go to school....
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erinder
Grey Lover
Collarbones - for you guessed it, collars! (formerly Fussy Pup)
Posts: 421
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Post by erinder on Dec 11, 2007 21:54:53 GMT -5
First, those are gorgeous coats!
Second, I feel your pain. Digby hates his coat and hates his boots. This is his third winter and the first year, he walked really slow and wouldn't always go to the bathroom, so he ended up having accidents in the house. We tried getting him to wear it around the apartment to get used to it, but i don't know if that really helped. I also gave him a treat every time i put the coat on him.
He is still improving... He was even worse with boots, so got him new ones (i think the last ones were hurting him) that are softer so he'll actually walk in them now. he still walks slowly with the coat on , with or without the booties, but having dog #2 around this winter has been a big factor in speeding him up. i don't think he likes to see her in front all the time. so the lesson is, get a second dog! ha!
chelsea (dog #2) could not care less about the coat or the boots btw. She's completely unphased and has been from the first day we put them on her. They're all so different..
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