We've had our girl (Ester) for close to two weeks and she is awesome. The only issue we have encountered happened over the past two days.

My six year old son got too close to her while sleeping - and got a bark. After waking Ester walked over to him and sniffed him as if to ensure he was okay. Yesterday, he was playing with her and as he crawled up to her she growled then barked.

Of course, both of these incidents were provocated by my son's actions and inexperience around a dog - we are working on that. But now Ester seems very cautious and avoids him.

Any suggestions on how we can help him can regain her trust?

Mark

Mark,
How old is Ester? Sometimes Greys have a little sleep aggression
My male,Pride has some,but he has gotten much better.He is 3yrs.old.
He likes to sleep on the couch with me,so,if I get up or sit down,I make sure I call his name,or start talking to him.And,if he growls,I give him a sharp."uh,uh".It works.Also,Ester is probably still settling in and gettting
use to her new home and surroundings.It takes a while and a little work.
Maybe you should go over "the rules" with your son often,until they both get used to each other.Sometimes 6yr.olds forget the proper way to approach a pet.They need to be constantly reminded until it registers!
We also had Prides' thyroid checked...sometimes that can cause a little
aggression in greys.
This is an adjustment period for all of you.It can take some time an effort,and lots of love and attention.But,the rewards are well worth it!!
Good Luck!!
Sandy

Have you read "Retired Racing Greyhounds for Dummies"?

If not,it is an excellent book..lots of good info,facts,and everything else
you might want to know,but were afraid to ask!!

Thanks Sandy!

Ester is 3yrs old.

Yes, we have the "Dummies" book and it has been a great resource. I suppose this is an adjustment and learning experience for all of us.

Sandy gave good suggestions. One way for your son to bond with Ester is to be the bearer of good things. Have him give her treats and play toys. He can say her name and when she looks at him he would give her treats.

There are also ways to work on the bed aggression. Some greys move past it as they get used to sleeping out in the open instead of in their crates. Others do not move past it and its best to have a crate for them to go into for sleeping. When they are in the crate no one can distrub them. Our Toby had a little bit of agression, he would snap when startled but never close enough to bite anyone or any other dog. I started tossing stuffies at him when he would go to sleep. If he looked around without snarling I gave him a treat. If he snarled he got a NO instead. He has pretty much moved past it but still gets cranky if he is in a deep sleep. He tends to pick the beds that are out of the way so none of the other dogs walk on him.

i have 2 small children and if the dogs are sleeping, i encourage the boys to let them sleep, but if they absolutely want to approach or start playing near them, i try to make sure the dogs are at least semi-awake so they don't get startled. kyra doesn't care what the skinkids do, but monday is a bit cautious. if he's awakened by the boys and he doesn't want to be bothered by them, he will walk away. good luck. this is an adjustment period for all of you during these first few weeks. try to have your child say esther's name when approaching her so she knows what to expect.

Great Advice,Lynda!! When we first got Pride he was 2yrs. old...still a puppy.Now he's 3 and much better.He did some snarling and snapping,too,
if I didn't make sure he was awake before I sat down or approached him.
He never tried to bite.We were use to Paige,who had been in a home before and a little older.I expected Pride to be the same way...WRONG!!!
He just needed to learn the rules and that HE was NOT in CHARGE!!
I think the best thing anyone can do who has young children,is make sure,no matter what...eyes open or shut,to always call the dogs' name and make sure he is FULLY awake before approaching. 3yrs. old is still "puppy" like and they have to learn the rules.When Pride growled,or snapped,I would give him a stern "uh-uh' and he's heard it enough now to know I am the alpha...not him!! In time,they will learn the rules!!

Sandy

Update.....since posting, my son and Ester have decided they can live together in peace.

Thanks for the suggestions and support. As several people mentioned, time and familiarity helped them sort things out.