Hello!
This is my plea for help as i am at my wits end
I read your article and would like to hear what you think. is there a way out for us?
My boyfriend and i addopted Spannish greyhound-Galgo female Ani. She is approx 3yo.
I believe, that she was a hunting dog and when she was disposed, she was on the streets until members of spanish shelter found her and put her for adoption.
She does not look traumatized, as she is ok with loud bangs, trucks, cars, loud people, crowds..... BUT, she does not do well in small spaces.
She hates her crate. would sleep in it if put there, but if i leave her, she would bend the wires, injuring herself.
At first, she didnt want to be in a small room with me, she was nervous and whiny, but eventually, over a period of time (2 weeks) she settled down.
Now, the problem....
When i am gone from home, she whines, yells, howls, all to tell the world just how miserable she is. She is not alone! she has 2 other dogs to keep her company. she also whines, when my bf is home. But she wants me!
(i didnt do nothing to bond with her specially, other than rewarding her for coming to me as i started with training recall right away, and we do some clicker training, to which she responds very slowly-being an adult, never trained greyhound)
As i think, that she has problems with being confined, i didn't limit her to one room, but i let her the run of the house.
( i know she should deserve it first and will confine her if you will advise me so, but i thought it would be best to leave her with as much space as possible, so she wouldn't feel trapped)
She jumps on the window, scratches the door, whines and yells while pacing back and forth the 1st floor. I feel sorry for other 2 dogs PRT and ACD, who are becoming nervous too.
I spent 3 days leaving and coming, so she would find out that i always come back. but no success...
She doesn't look panicky, just uncomfortable.
I am ready to do more barking set ups, but she still has to be left at home for 8 hours everyday, even while in training.
We live in terraced house, and own our house, but still have to solve the problem for dogs sake, our sake and at the very end, for our neighbors sake too.
I would appreciate your help very very much!
I know she probably loved every minute of wandering the streets being a city wolf, but she has to become an apartment dog now.
just a note; altough she probably doesn't need much excersise, she gets plenty of it, beacause my Parson terrier and specially Cattle dog need vigorous excersise, at least 2 hours of walk, from which is 45-60 minutes offleash running for her. 2 times per week, when we practice agility with ACD, she gets the run on the training field...... weekend multiple hours of hiking.....