# First Night - rescue dog



## Lacuna (17 October 2013)

Hi 

We've just taken on a rescue greyhound, brought her home this afternoon. We've taken a lotof advice from the rescue and have a reasonable idea that tonight might be the worse one  She's fairly stressed by the changes as she'sfresh out of kennels. But he's eaten reasonably well tonight and settled down a couple of times but something usuallygets her attention and she'soff pacing the house again. So far we've been going round the house moving stuff out of her reach as she;d intent on finding a toy she houldnt have (ignoring the nice kong with cheese which is in her crate) and avoiding wet noseswhich she wants to shove in our face at every opportunity.

Just wanted to ask about anyone elses experiences with the first few days of rescue dogs. OH hasn'tlived with dogs before and I havebn't foryears, so we're abit out of our comfort zones. Advice is that she may start barking tonight but to tough it out if possible and keep things calm and quiet.. A bit concerned that shemight wake up B biut well cross that bridge when we come to it as she seems to sleep though most noises.

Sorry if this doesnt make much sense but its been a very long day


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## SadKen (17 October 2013)

Not had a rescue dog but didn't want to read and run. Of course your new girl is older but I guess it's the same sort of thing as bringing any dog home, and I've brought two pups home. I'd have said keep her to very few rooms for now to avoid overwhelming her. No upstairs yet for example. 

She may make a bit of noise and be restless this evening. Try to ignore if you can. It's always worth seeing if they need a wee, but no need to do this every time. I just say 'quiet' to mine, no chatting, no soothing, because you don't want to give attention to a behaviour you don't want.

If she is worried tomorrow you could see if a dap adapter plug in pheromone thing helps? 

Best thing is to get into a routine as soon as you can and stick to it, thry find that reassuring. Get up, walk, breakfast, sleep, walk, dinner, sleep is a basic version of what mine do!

Good luck, you have done a wonderful thing.


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## {97702} (17 October 2013)

I've got LOTS of rescue greyhound experience lol - my advice would be to ignore her as far as possible.  I appreciate you have to move things away from her if you dont want her to have them, but just sit quietly and she will settle.  

In fact, now I have read SadKen's answer, it is spot on   Set parameters from the start - in the case of a greyhound, the main one will be whether you want her on the sofa or not! - and stick to those parameters quietly, calmly and gently but very firmly.  And I totally agree, the routine is absolutely key to getting her to settle more quickly and easily.

She will very probably whine or at the worst howl tonight - I have 4 greyhounds and when they all howl together it is an amazing sound - but you must be firm and ignore it.  If you rush to her every time she whines you are reinforcing the behaviour and she will keep doing it.  Make sure she is shut in one room ideally, that she is warm enough, the room is dark, maybe leave a radio on low for her overnight to provide some reassurance.

And can we have some photos please


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## Dobiegirl (17 October 2013)

Good advice form the last 2 posters and I agree routine is the key, no special treatment because she is a rescue, no feeling sorry for her, she is fed,toileted,warm and safe so she will be ok.

Well done for taking on a rescue, they are not always easy but so worth it.


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## Lacuna (18 October 2013)

OK - we had s bit of a crap night. we made a bitof an error of leaving a light on downstairs which prob didn't help her sleep! She whinged virtually all night, luckily didn't wake B which woul dhave really been a deal breaker. OH got some kip and I dozed most of the night, we saidfromthe start we'dtry not to go down if we could manage it. I lasted until 5.30 (only about halfan earlier than I usually get up) and se was desperate for a wee and drink. tomorrow night willd effo try DAP and lights out/radio. We had a bitof a play and now she's conked out at my feet.

So overall we survived  I think th eclincher will be how I manage on Mon/Tues nights when I'm on my ownand do need my sleep. Hopefully she will have settled in a bit more by then.

and the obligatory photo:







I can'ttake a decent one of her in motion yet as she sees you and just jams her nose in your face.


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## Lacuna (18 October 2013)

Just been talking with OH, we're both feeling a bit shell-shocked after last night.Bit of a trial by fire. Any suggestiions about ways to channel her energy would be really welcomed - SHesa lot more high-energy than we expected. Into everything and boinging about like a nutcase. We're only fostering her at present and I'm a bit apprehensive of having her and B together when I'm on my own. The rescue told usshe was very easy to manage and at the moment she feels anything but! I think we were really wanting a calmer oldie rather than what feels like a second toddler.

Obviously we didn't have a chance to walk her properly yesterday with travelling and all and the stress isn't helping. I'm hoping that she'll settle in over the next few days. Was thinking of doing cat introduction today and taking it from there, She was cat-tested at the rescue but obviously that is different from the current set-up. I'm not sure what we'll do if she's too keen on him. Sorry to be a bit of a wet towel but although I grew up with dogs,this feels very different!


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## ladyt25 (18 October 2013)

She will settle but moving out of kennels in to a new home environment will be very stressful for her and all dogs react differently. I suggest if she's a bit manic to just remain calm and ignore her as much as possible. Take her for a decent walk to wear her out a bit and make sure she has a nice big soft bed to relax on. I have never had greyhounds but I believe they do feel the cold a bit and need a bed raised out of the way of draughts.

My dog barked and whined quite a bit when I got her as a rescue and she suffered with a bit of separation anxiety, we had a few accidents on the floor overnight etc. It was all down to stress. She did come round fairly quickly once she got used to the routine and I think that's an important thing - routine.

We once had a very manic lab rescue - looking back I think she had sever mental problems. The only ay I could calm her at first was to have her sit down and just gently but quite firmly rub her chest. It would really relax her to the point where she'd lie down and eventually after a few weeks she was a calmer dog. She was quite off the scale manic though so, if she was able to be calmed down I am sure your greyhound will!


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## twiggy2 (18 October 2013)

she will settle and most are chilled out once they have,

in kennels they have a really strict routine and it could help if you set one of you own now at home and stick to it as close as you can, walk her as much as you can in a calm manner. If she is fresh out of racing then she will be racing fit, not used to everything in the house and used to be surrounded by the presence of other dogs (most likely kenneled with another dog too) so all the changes that go with coming into a house are going to make it difficult for her to relax, personally if you can delay the cat introduction I would think it a wise move to do so.

big positive is that it sounds like she has been clean over night, do you have a crate for her? If not it maybe worth trying one so that she can learn to settle and not follow you all the time, PM CAYLA for a crate guide on here, she sounds needy and like she is looking for reassurance with the touching you and not settling-it does take time but routine excersise and a calm environment all go a long way to helping dogs settle when they are anxious.

good luck and try to relax and enjoy her

most greyhounds will settle better with the comfort of a big warm duvet to curl up on (as long as she is not a shredder)


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## Daytona (18 October 2013)

I've had many dogs including rescue greyhounds, you need to give them time to settle not just 1 day it takes weeks , it's a massive up route for her.

Greyhounds are generally quiet dogs in the house IF they get the requires 2/3 times a day 20 mins walks.  If you don't take her out expect her full of beans.

Any dog is a big responsibility and not a choice to be made in hast.  You need to be prepared to work with this girl and give her your time.  Your expecting too much too soon.


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## Clodagh (18 October 2013)

I imagine you are really nervous. When I bought my lurcher bitch home (age unknown) I had a 2 year old toddler and was so scared and worried as to whether I had done the right thing. Sash had never been in a house and wasn't house trained, although she did her best. We did have other dogs but it is a very worrying time for you. You must give her time, even an old dog will be tiring and stressful in a totally new environment.
If you don't want to give her time you may be better off with one that has lived in a house, but I'm afraid none come with a guarantee of instant bliss, in fact all new dogs, be they 8 weeks or 8 years are a PITA and very hard work to start with!


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## pippixox (18 October 2013)

we have had our dog for just over 2 weeks. he had lived in a house with a family for about 6 weeks but before that was on a farm living in a barn which he had to leave as he was getting bullied (2yo GSDx). he has settled quite quickly, although has anxious moments. agree with what some have said about routine, and also personally discipline. he can get a bit nervy and start pushing his nose in your face and putting his paw on your lap, but i just remain calm and tell him to lie down. he calms down when he is told what to do and given boundaries. try not to react to their stress, stay normal. 
he has plenty of exercise as he comes to the yard with me and has a run around the fields (but may not be possible with yours- luckily he has good recall). a good blast really helps, or a speedy lead walk. 
we have an evening routine which seems to help at night, dinner at about 7: at about 8 i take him for a 15-20 minute walk so he can do his business, around the same roads every night, then we say goodnight and lights all out. he stays in the living room. usually he goes to sleep quite quickly. it really showed me how routine works: 2 nights ago i was tired and asked my bf to take him for his last walk. that night he whined for quite a while- he had not had his usually walk route or me taking him and think it upset him. 

give it time! i forget how little time we have had him, so occasionally when he gets a little hyper and stress i worry and have to remind myself he is still settling, although mostly he is doing amazingly considering.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=20705&d=1382088777


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## Jola (18 October 2013)

Aw she's lovely
We have a high energy springer and look after another one for someone else. I think the trick to settle them is to ignore them. Mine would walk for hours given half the chance and still not sleep. He gets a couple of hours a day now and the rest of the time he is expected to chill. He does now but only after we had a dog trainer in to tell us to ignore him so he feels he can sleep. He is much happier now. He knows it is our house and he doesn't need to worry about looking after it!


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## millsandboon (18 October 2013)

Beautiful dog. No advice to give, just think she's lovely


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## moppett (18 October 2013)

pippixox said:








we have had our dog for just over 2 weeks. he had lived in a house with a family for about 6 weeks but before that was on a farm living in a barn which he had to leave as he was getting bullied (2yo GSDx). he has settled quite quickly, although has anxious moments. agree with what some have said about routine, and also personally discipline. he can get a bit nervy and start pushing his nose in your face and putting his paw on your lap, but i just remain calm and tell him to lie down. he calms down when he is told what to do and given boundaries. try not to react to their stress, stay normal. 
he has plenty of exercise as he comes to the yard with me and has a run around the fields (but may not be possible with yours- luckily he has good recall). a good blast really helps, or a speedy lead walk. 
we have an evening routine which seems to help at night, dinner at about 7: at about 8 i take him for a 15-20 minute walk so he can do his business, around the same roads every night, then we say goodnight and lights all out. he stays in the living room. usually he goes to sleep quite quickly. it really showed me how routine works: 2 nights ago i was tired and asked my bf to take him for his last walk. that night he whined for quite a while- he had not had his usually walk route or me taking him and think it upset him. 

give it time! i forget how little time we have had him, so occasionally when he gets a little hyper and stress i worry and have to remind myself he is still settling, although mostly he is doing amazingly considering.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=20705&d=1382088777

Click to expand...

He is GORGEOUS! I want him!!
I've found exercise helps with my 3 rescues, without it they chew anything/everything and whilst when i first got them I thought their neediness and the fact they climb over each other to get to me to give me attention was endearing and cute - ive realised its insecurity so i will ask them to give me personal space, sit/lie at my feet in order to get attention - anything other than that gets ignored!


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## leflynn (18 October 2013)

It can take a lot of time for greyhounds to feel comfortable in a new home - ours was very withdrawn and totally unintrested in us for a good couple of months!  Now we can't shake him off for cuddles   He sleeps better when it is dark - otherwise he tends to wake up on first light.  Ours likes a bedtime routine, atm I wake him up before I go to bed for late night wee (he gets a piece of cheese for his efforts) and then he settles in on his duvet for the night.  Morning it's get up go for a wee then breakfast and a lie on the bed if we're lying in.

He does tend to do 'zoomies' either in the house or garden for 5 mins then will flake out - a couple of long walks/lots of places to go will wear a grey out (does ours).  It might be worth checking the levels of energy/starch/cereal in her food as Boots can go a bit loopy if he is overfed on cereal/starch (plus he gets a runny bum).

She looks very pretty ( I do have a soft spot for black greyhounds) and I'm sure you'll get used to each other - the kennels always said to us remember they are not bred as pets so it's all new to them!  Wouldn't be without a greyhound now


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## GinaGem (18 October 2013)

Definitely persevere it will get better but it does take time and you'll look back in a few weeks and see how far she's come along.  She's probably not used to being alone overnight.  Def get her into a routine of walking regularly.  It doesn't have to be long but it should calm the bounciness just to get out and have a look around and sniff.  She'll soon learn what time she walks and should calm down inbetween.  If i'm still typing at 4pm my dog gently pushes her head under my arm till i pay her some attention, she just likes to let me know it's time to go out!!


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## Leo Walker (18 October 2013)

I would walk her hard and make absolutely sure she can be off lead somewhere safe to run. I could walk mine 10 hours a day on the lead and it wouldnt help. They are bred to run and they really do need to every day. I have whippet type lurchers, and one is very high energy and bred to work. Once you tire his brain and legs out he settles easily. Hes awake and full of it for 4 hours a day, the other 20hours a day hes flat out asleep  Greys tend to be even lazier! They are drama queens and do tend to take everything to heart and make a bit of a fuss. You really are best to ignore it. If I mollycoddle mine too much they are much worse!

If shes wandering about trying to steal things then I'd hide things she is allowed to have and channel her behaviour like that. Its a big change, shes porbably very stressed, but stick with her! Once she settles she will be the most bone idle, easy going dog ever!


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## planete (20 October 2013)

All good advice.  You may also want to check the protein content of the food she is on.  She will have been on a high protein food when in training.  Ideally you want to change her slowly to a food with a maximum of 20 % protein.  It can make a big difference to her energy levels.  Try and pick a food with no additives or colouring and ideally no grain apart from rice as many dogs react badly to theses ingredients.


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## TarrSteps (20 October 2013)

Lots of great advice. I would second the thoughts about food, exercise and especially making sure she is warm enough at night. If your heating goes off at night she might fuss simply because she's cold - there is a reason there are so many companies making clothes for pointy dogs!

Do you know anyone in your area that has sight hounds you could meet up with for walks? Perhaps ask the rescue. More than most types of dogs they seem to be very keen on their own kind and like playing pointy dog games. It would also help to have some moral support nearby.


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## Lacuna (5 November 2013)

Ok - this has been very hard but we took Connie back to the rescue after a couple of days. Please don't jump all over me for this.

I think a mixture of rose-tinted glasses ("this dog seems fine, lets try her at home") and not thinking things through enough are to blame. We had a long chat with the rescue and came to the conclusion that she is just too bouncy for a home with a small child. The rescue were lovely and I can't blame them, except perhaps not matching us with an entirely suitable dog.

We are now thinking of waiting until a older, calm, ploddy dog turns up somewhere. The experience certainly taught us a lot and she'll certainly find a nice home. I felt very guilty about the whole experience and we will be very cautious in the future about finding something that definitely fits in with our family.


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## pippixox (5 November 2013)

don't beat yourself up. every dog is different, luckily just over one month in our boy is so settled, it's like we have always had him. but he has the right temperament for our life style and is very happy in our flat instead of on a farm in a barn (although goes twice a day to mine to the horses!)
i hope you can find a dog that suits you better. but sadly many do take a while to settle, especially after the stress of kennels. it can take many weeks. also older dogs are not always calmer!


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## CAYLA (5 November 2013)

I have been mulling this over quite a bit recently and you just can't win (not solely aimed at you OP) but seriously do people really expect dogs t settle so quickly??? it s a huge up heavel for a dog to change environments/routines, esp coming from a kennel.....if I take a new dog in (I expect a whole host of behaviours to unravel) until I can get the dog into a routine, but because I have a set routine and it can take weeks/months even. No the wonder I feel the pressure to send dogs out prepared like I do and in the meantime I cant work with anything else, cos I know it I don't hand out a near to perfect dog it will bounce right back and really it should not be this way (new owners) should be prepared to put in some work with their new dog.
We rehomed an old greyhound and he is being returned for not being affectionate enough and interacting enough (AFTER 1 WEEK), for remaining in his bed and sleeping and settling just fine (they did ask for an oldie) and a calm one at that and we gave it and it's still not good enough. He has lived in a kennel all his life so go in a home and settle in a space and not wee/cry or cause destruction to me would be more than enough!! sorry if im ranting, its just frustrating considering the dogs that traffic through us


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## {97702} (5 November 2013)

I completely agree with you Cayla (please, don't mention old greyhounds, I cannot have another one!) - when I used to volunteer for GRWE I would always tell people that I wouldn't expect a rescue to settle and really show his/her true behaviour until they had been in the new home for six months.  One of mine took 12 months before his true behaviour came out.  People (and this is NOT aimed at you OP) want a perfect dog with little or no effort on their part, it makes me so sad that dogs are bounced back into rescue kennels with so little thought


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## Clodagh (5 November 2013)

That is a shame OP. I would leave getting any dog at all until your child is older and you feel you can cope with a bit of upheaval. With a toddler it is difficult to be forgiving of anxiety in the dog, and they are all going to be like that.


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## Dobiegirl (5 November 2013)

Cayla and Picklenash I agree totally, Im not having a go at the OP so will start a new thread.


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## twiggy2 (6 November 2013)

Lacuna said:



			Ok - this has been very hard but we took Connie back to the rescue after a couple of days. Please don't jump all over me for this.

I think a mixture of rose-tinted glasses ("this dog seems fine, lets try her at home") and not thinking things through enough are to blame. We had a long chat with the rescue and came to the conclusion that she is just too bouncy for a home with a small child. The rescue were lovely and I can't blame them, except perhaps not matching us with an entirely suitable dog.

We are now thinking of waiting until a older, calm, ploddy dog turns up somewhere. The experience certainly taught us a lot and she'll certainly find a nice home. I felt very guilty about the whole experience and we will be very cautious in the future about finding something that definitely fits in with our family.
		
Click to expand...

maybe the time is not right for you to adopt a dog at the moment?


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## Daytona (8 November 2013)

My latest dog was a nightmare to start with took about 5 months to settle, not she is a little angel


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