Hello All-

We recently (last Saturday) adopted a Grey... he's very shy but I think his behaviors go beyond just being shy.

First off- he will not lay down anywhere other than his crate. If we bring him out even just for the few seconds before we put his leash on to go to the bathroom he becomes very rigid and shakes. I was told to keep in the crate as much as possible to help him get over this but there's been very little change.

Sleeping- he does sleep in his crate but he whines if it's dark and if there is no one else in the room... any suggestions other than me sleeping with a pillow over my head? I have tried letting him lay on the floor beside my bed but he will have none of that- he paces and cries until he is put back into his crate and only then he stops if the lights are left on. I tried moving him into an empty room so that I could sleep w/o lights on but he won't settle.

My uncle who is a vet suggested that this type of behavior is indicative of a dog who needs to be in a home with other dogs- what are your thoughts? We have a small dog (Boston Terrier) but he doesn't even acknowledge him one way or the other so I'm not sure that counts as another dog (hahaha)

First of all, welcome!! You will find a lot of support and information on just about anything--thanks for asking for help!

Since it's only been a week, give it a little more time. Some greys are a little more anxious than others and the crate is his safety zone. I'm sure other owners will chime in on this, but it took us almost a year to see Bullet's true personality emerge---and even more after that. You will definitely see changes before that, but sometimes it takes more time b/c of how they have spent their whole life thus far. Just be patient and know that it will be worth it!! He may always prefer his crate. Bullet, on the other hand, hated the crate and couldn't wait for us to leave him out for good. A lot of owners still crate their greys and the dogs prefer that.

As far as the light situation, have you tried using a night light in your bedroom? This way, he can stay with you, and not be in total darkness. He will definitely not want to be alone, so hopefully the night light thing will work and not be too disruptive for you.

Best of luck and please let us know how things are going. As I said before, there a lot of people here with a lot of experience who can help make this a smooth transition for both of you! Don't give up!

Welcome.

Everything that your grey has known his entire life has now changed.

From the time of training he has never been in a quiet place; the kennels have other greys, people or a radio at all times. As you will notice over time, most greys only recognize other greys as one of them (dogs). Not to say that they dont have playmates that are other breeds, but when they see other greys they react totally differently, so it is normal for him to not understand that a Bosty is 'really' a dog.

It will take time for him to become used to the change in lifestyle. You should probably try a radio and the nightlight (not sure if this is necessary since the kennel is dark at night) but if it helps settle him, I would try it.

As far as being out of his kennel, I have had Deniro for 4 years and he is still a kennel hound. He is happy in his kennel. He sleeps in it with the door open most of the time when I am home. So dont think this is a bad thing. Matter of fact I tried spending the night in a hotel without dragging in his travel kennel and lets just say, I got no sleep since he paced and would NOT settle without his 'room'.

I would let him be in his kennel as long as he wants to. If you rush him into being out of it, it may cause behavioral issues that will be much worse.

Good luck and please contact the satellite folks in Charlotte. I know they will help.

welcome. i agree, you will get tons of help from the people here. i think you should definately give it some more time. like bullett, monday didn't quite "emerge" for quite some time and still is doing new things to this day. this is a big adjustment for your boy. he just needs some reassurance and tlc and time. i know it's hard to be patient sometimes and it's hard because greys aren't as "adjustable" as a lab or golden, but they are so very special and you'll be amazed at the changes and strides that your boy will make in the upcoming weeks. good luck and keep us posted!

Have you tried putting the crate in your room and having a night light on for him? He may feel more comfortable being able to hear you and not feel so alone. Like Leah said...EVERYTHING is totally new to him since you took him home. He just needs time to learn that this is his new home and it will be wonderful as soon as he figures that out. Try to be patient.
All three of mine will go in and sleep in their crates off and on during the day. I'd just try to let Stormy stay in his crate when he wants to and when he comes out...take him outside to go "potty" then when he comes back in let him do what he wants. Once he's more comfortable, he'll start exploring his new surroundings and he'll stay out more.
It takes a little more time for some dogs then others. He'll catch on, just give him a little time.
Good Luck!
Keep us posted.

Hi and welcome. I can't add other advice to what's been stated here, but just wanted to let you know that I've adopted 2 greyhounds, and what I've noticed is that they are very fast learners. Give him some time to watch and learn--everything's new and different--and he will very quickly find out how your house runs and how he should fit himself in. Also, it took Trooper a good six months to find his personality, and we've only had Milo two months but his personality changes everyday as he becomes more and more comfortable here. Be patient--it'll be worth it, really!

Just echoing what others have said. Time and patience. A nightlight might work. When we leave ours alone we leave the radio on. For ours it is more to mask outside noise so they don't start barking at something they hear.

Our Jasmine would not even come into the room with us. She would peek around the corner and see we were still there and go back to her crate. She still uses her crate but prefers to sleep on the sofa or our bed. Give him treats when he comes out of the crate and comes into another room. We did this with Jasmine and at first we had to toss them in her direction because she wouldn't take the treat from us. Now she expects a treat just for looking at us.

All I can do is agree with what everyone else has already said. I have 2 greys (they're like potato chips, you can't just have one!!!) Pandy was my first. She had previously been adopted so she had adjusted somewhat to home life but I'm not sure to the extent. She hated her crate. After only two nights she cried (howled!!) so much I let her out of her crate. She's been sleeping on my bed ever since. Actually it's her bed she just let's me sleep there! Some greys prefer the crate some don't.
When i adopted Trooper he adjusted differently than Pandy. Some of the the things that bothered her weren't a problem for him and vice versa. Every grey is different.
The one thing i know is that everyone on this forum truly loves their greys and have a genuine interest that your adoption is successful. I have posted many questions and have always had good response to them. Just remember you are not alone and that someone here has probably gone through what you and Stormy are going through. This is a great place to post your questions or issues. Everyone is very willing to help.
The best things in life take a little work and I can tell you that my greys have made me a much better person. Don't give up hope. I think very soon Stormy is going to show you what a great choice you made in letting him adopt you!
Welcome and good luck!!!!

First off- thank you everyone for your advice and support... I have teetered back and forth with whether this was going to work out but I'm not giving up...

We are actually calling him "Rowdy" instead of "Stormy"... my son who's home from college called him that the other day kinda of poking fun at how shy and "un-rowdy" he was and it stuck... I think he likes it to because he an ear perks up when I use it.

(Anyone know how to change my username to "rowdy's mom" or do I need to re-register? )

Ok on to the update: HE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH NO WHINING OR MOVING AROUND IN HIS KENNEL UNTIL 4:30 AM!!!

I decided to try a CD that I had before using the radio... it's ocean sounds and unlike the radio it doesn't bother me to fall asleep to it. I'm not sure if it was the CD or the night light but he settled right in... I still really wish he was a bed dog... my daughter wants more than anything for him to snuggle up to her on the bed but for the moment I'm grateful for the uninterrupted sleep.

This morning when I let him out to go potty instead of putting him right back into the crate I let him stay out ( he wasn't shaking like he usually does). He followed me into the kitchen then went into my son's room and brought me back a pair of socks... he repeated this twice more with a pair of boxers and a T-shirt... I'm not going to encourage his chewing clothes but you have to understand how wonderful it was to see him to do something on his own... I put him back in the crate after a few more minutes but think I will gradually let him out a little longer each time until I can just leave him with the door open to come and go as he pleases... right?

Rowdy might just be OK afterall... baby steps!

That's wonderful to hear! You'll be amazed to see his personality really emerge over the next several months. I'm curious, though, as to why he had to go back in the crate? Does he not have the run of the house, or at least a few rooms? Or was he shaking again?
Also, what I have found helpful for Milo when he takes something he shouldn't--and here's a problem you don't have with a Boston Terrier, by the way--some Greyhounds are real counter cruisers, don't leave any food or medications on your counters!--is redirecting him to a canvas 'dog toy bin' filled with stuffies, balls, and other toys for dogs. I redirect his energies to something he can have, hoping he'll learn to go to the bin if he wants to chew on something, or give me a little 'gift'.

Yes he started shalking and whining which is why he went back into the crate... he doesn't have free roam of the house yet because he seems to stress with that. What I've been letting him do is just be in whatever room we are in until he starts the shaking /whining then he's crated. This was advice I got from another foster mom here in Charlotte so I'm sticking with it until it's no longer an issue for him.

I am glad to hear you are not giving up on Stormy.We have 3 greys...Paige,who is 7,Blue Moon who is 12,and Pride,who is 4.
Paige was a bounce back,when her "parents" got a divorce.She
is sooo layed back.Nothing seems to bother her.Then we got
Pride,who was 2 when he came to live with us.Total different
story here!! First of all he was a BIG baby!!He is truly a very
large greyhound!! We thought he would be like Paige,but the
only home he knew was when he was fostered.It took some
work,but he came around!!Blue Moon came 3rd.She was also
a bounce back and she was use to being in a home.No problems
with her!!She marched right in and took over!!Pride WAS the alpha,
but not too much now! Blue is a DIVA,Before they were put up
for adoption,they were housed and trained in the Camille Griffin-
Graham womens' prison in S.C. They were with the inmate
24hrs.,7 days a week.So they got some good training,lots of love
and attention.They were never crated and we never crate.We
don't even own a crate.Never did.I think with a little time and
a lot of love and affection,you will have a greyt friend!!Just hang
in there and get ready for the best friend you will ever have to
come out of his shell and join the family!!

Sandy

Julie
Baby steps is right. You just have to give him a chance to feel comfortable and their personality comes out little by little for a couple of months. You wanted a dog like you saw in the kennel lobby, but we all had to go through some trying times, they all had some kind of issues to work through.
Just another word of wisdom. Don't give in to him at 4:30 in the morning every day, or you will have him get in a bad habit. If he does it again tomorrow, try to make him wait a little longer each day until you get to the time you normally get up or you'll be up at 4:30 every morning. They have excellent time clocks in their minds and you have to reset them. If you don't jump at his every whim, he will go back to sleep.

I know its hard now and you are putting a lot of time and emotional energy in his adjustment. But trust me, your patience and understanding of where he is coming from will pay off.
My second greyhound Dexter was the same way and it took him a long time to find himself and trust us. But all that time and patience and love have built a huge connection between us and I look at him now 8 years later and it feels so good to know I have brought him so far. I poured so much of myself into him but it was so worth it. You will get to this place too.
We are all behind you. Hang in there.

So glad to hear that he is making some improvements already! It just takes a little time and each day he will feel a little more comfortable with you. Please keep us posted and know that we are all here for you----it will be so worth it!!