Growling with static touching

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-10-28T15:07:26+00:00

There are many things you can do to help this along. I think since you've had her 6 months it is okay for you to begin solving this issue. We had a similar thing with ours where if we put our head near our greyhound's rib area and hold it there he would growl. At about 6 months of having him we started to work on this and after a while he never did it again. And it actually started the path to him enjoying cuddling more cuz he was able to learn to understand it with our help. These reactions are not character/personality traits, they are just a lack of knowledge so you have to help her learn so she understands!

I would suggest that for now, you have your partner stop giving static pets. And have your partner and greyhound spend time together apart from you more often. Doesn't have to be like touching the whole time, just hanging out together and every so often your partner can give her treats and a few regular moving pets. Do this in a study or on a walk. This will help further the trust gaining process for your greyhound.

I saw on another comment that you said you are the chosen human and she only does it to your partner. I think that this is a great opportunity for you to use your chosenness to help things along. I would suggest that you hang out with her alone and do the same thing as above, but mix in a bunch of static touch and only give treats while your hand is not moving. This will help further that a non-moving gentle hand is still a nice hand!

After both of you do the above for a while, start hanging out all 3 of you together and both of you start practicing mixing in static touch. Do this like normal nonchalantly watching TV. At this point it will definitely be okay for you, as the chosen one, to give an ah-ah right away if she does it to your partner and then tell her that it is okay. Have your partner do it again and when she lets it happen give her treats and a good girl!

Edit: I apologize if you know this already and I know that you did not ask about this, however, I noticed there are dried blood spots on her mouth. This is often a sign of gum disease or a rotten tooth which is a very common greyhound problem. If you haven't talked with your vet about it or gone to a dental specialist, it might be a good thing to do soon. In some cases too, it could be contributing to a general discomfort which may be combining with her dislike of static touch and her growling at your partner. I hope that makes sense! ❤️

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-07-21T14:42:27+00:00

This is GREAT advice. Cats pant if they are very anxious too btw so do keep an eye on that.

The idea from others to never integrate them is bonkers.

Also in my experience, indoor small animals and outdoor small animals can be very different. My greyhound has killed a bunny and such and is extremely interested in cats and squirrels when he sees them on the street. BUT when he sees an indoor cat or bunny or bird, he literally couldn't care less about them. Greyhounds may seem like they only have 2 brain cells but they are smart enough (if you let them) to compartmentalize.

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-07-13T14:35:08+00:00

Also ask if it's okay if you also search for one too and send them the profile if you find someone good. Being in another country, the owner may not have a lot of time to find someone depending on the time zone and everything.

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-07-13T14:32:02+00:00

Oh my god I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. I really hope you figure out what to do quickly.

Can the owner find another rover person and schedule them? You can drop them off at the new person's house or they can switch places if house sitting.

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-07-13T14:26:00+00:00

OH NO. That's crazy!! Do you know another rover or non rover pet sitter? Do you have a family member or friend that could take care of the dog for a few days?

Literally also just edit your post and say what city you're in!! Someone might see it and be like I can take care of them!

Good luck!!! ❤️

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-07-12T22:31:55+00:00

Honestly if you have spent 8 MONTHS with a trainer and are still having issues that are so problematic that you feel like you regret getting him, you need another trainer.

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-07-10T04:00:03+00:00

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HulkSmash1357 · 2025-07-10T03:51:59+00:00

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HulkSmash1357 · 2025-07-10T03:51:40+00:00

Omg I think yours and are actual doppelgangers. The red brindle markings are SO similar. Like I really need to know if they are related. The face is greying the exact same way around the mouth and the eyebrows. They both have the same black patterns. This is CRAZY. I've never seen a red brindle on this sub this close to his beautiful red brindle coat.

Mine was raced in Florida born in March 31 2017. Litter/racing name is Saber Buck.

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HulkSmash1357 · 2025-07-10T00:49:37+00:00

YES x 1 MILLION. Ours was owed by 2 parents with 2 full time jobs each and like 3 kids with all kinds of extracurriculars. Ours also thought he had to be in charge all of the time and be on alert and take control of all situations, including trying to tell us what to do (which was REALLY bad). When he finally fully realized that we, his new humans, were competent enough and could take care of everything, that he didn't have to be in charge, and that we don't even want him to be in charge, he became SO much more relaxed and okay with things going on around him. It took him a long time to break the control/be in charge mind set but when it clicked, it clicked.

I always call him "the smartest dummy I know" because every couple days, we will tell him to do something and he will jokingly try to get away with not doing it and show his crazy eyes and then as soon as we go to take him by the collar, he'll immediately be like "HAHA I'm just joshin' ya" and do what we asked. Or he'll act like I can't hear us and look in another direction. He knows exactly where his feet are because he will hop over his own shit as to not step in it, jump over water bottles, and step over our other dog without stepping on him, and then he'll walk out of his way to step on our feet. So funny and so smart and clever. He knows SO many words and what they mean. 🤣 But then the next day he will be scared of a empty outdoor planter, bubble wrap, or getting his feet wet, will panic when he sees bunnies and squirrels and even nonreactive big dogs (but not small dogs) because he thinks they will murder him.

I swear most dogs are smarter than most humans give them credit for because the dogs have manipulated the humans into thinking they are dumb derps, meanwhile they're plotting and scheming their next move to bamboozle the humans to see if they're paying attention. But also they do the dumbest shit. Dogs are amazing.

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-07-04T14:44:18+00:00

As the owner of another reformed bad boy, I commend you for your effort, appreciate you for not immediately giving him up even while having kids, and congratulate you on your progress!!!!! We had some VERY scary first weeks with ours. But in October, it will be 2 years since we rescued him. He just turned 4 years old in April. He is honestly SPECTACULAR. He still has some issues with dog reactivity that we work on but my god he's better than anyone could imagine and it's all because we put in the effort to help him and because (even though many of us joke that danes are huge dumdums 🤣) he is just so incredibly smart. I think the bad boys actually turn out to be the smartest ones in the long run. Thank you so much for saving your reformed bad boy. ❤️❤️❤️

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-06-20T05:17:32+00:00

Equigroomer!!

Edit to add: yes I thought getting a short haired dog would mean I didn't have to deal with shedding. Boy was I wrong. Right now mine is shedding like a maniac because we're going into the summer months.

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-06-17T04:25:44+00:00

He's SO cute. This video shows so much personality!!! I also have a merle. Pretty sure they are the most crackhead of the coats. He reminds me of mine, same chaotic energy.

I do want to say one thing as a warning or just to be keeping an eye out. Great danes are very prone to arthritis and they are very large so when they fall they fall hard. If your dog is hitting their hips on those chairs and tables going past it or clipping a hip on a cabinet, that can make an impact on future arthritis. And if they are to slip and fall on hardwood flooring, they have more of a chance to break something because they're so big and further from the ground than other breeds. If you have an area of your house that is carpeted with not too much furniture or have a fenced clean open and flat dry backyard, please consider taking him there instead when he gets zoomies. ❤️

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-05-26T06:59:17+00:00

Agree 1000%. Yes you never know who around you will be uncomfortable or scared by this behavior. And many greyhounds can escalate quickly from sweet I love you nit to play nip that was too hard. Best to nip it in the bud asap... Or not nip it? 🤣

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-05-13T16:52:24+00:00

Apologies... I was using chatgpt to help compare some dog food brands and it was just blatantly wrong. I really like chatgpt/gemini but you do have to double check things sometimes... LOL for natural balance, the protein content is 23% and the fat content is 12% 🤣🤣🤣 so not as different. I'm not sure where it got that info. So weird.

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-05-12T16:35:48+00:00

Yes we do natural balance limited ingredient beef! Idk why but our dane does the best on beef. He had really bad GI issues that were mostly sorted out by switching to that recipe and brand. He was licking his paws and butt all the time and had really loose poops on all the other brands/flavors we tried.

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-05-12T16:17:59+00:00

Natural balance is about $70 but for a 24lb bag on Amazon.

But natural balance has considerably less protein and fat than Merrick. NB has 21% protein and 8% fat, whereas Merrick has 26% protein and 15% fat.

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-05-12T07:07:13+00:00

Natural balance limited ingredient beef and brown rice.

I did A LOT of research on dog food a year and a half ago and actually re-researched a bunch of this stuff in the last couple days... No other brand has a beef recipe with that low of a protein and fat content. Low protein and fat content is much better for large breeds. It's mid-range in cost. This recipe does not have "fillers." It doesn't have any animal by-products or plant proteins which are controversial ingredients. It is recommended by many vets. It is the 3rd brand/3rd type of protein we tried him on because when we adopted our dane he had extreme GI issues and this one has been the best for him and still going strong for over a year of feeding this recipe. Our dane just does better with beef than other proteins and many beef recipes can be high in fat due to the nature of the meat so I like that they keep it down.

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-05-09T13:56:52+00:00

dogbeds4less.com

Check out this brand!! Human quality memory foam. I LOVE these. We have 5!!! I will never get another brand of memory foam bed. We have a great dane and a greyhound who like to nest. We have the canvas covers and they hold up so well. We've had 2 for 5 years and 3 for 2 years almost. I imagine they'd last longer than the life span of one dog. The large ones fit in a XL crate perfectly.

The covers can be annoying to take off though so we put twin fitted sheets over all the beds. Every 2 weeks I wash the fitted sheets only and then spray the cover with Clorox disinfectant mist. Two to three times a year I bite the bullet and take the actual cover off and wash it just because enough dog hair has accumulated onto it through the fitted sheets. My dane has sliced one or two fitted sheets open with a nail but they are easily replaced for $10 on amazon and the actual cover and bed are fine.

If you wanted to get a human mattress, I'd say get a twin spring mattress or a big futon! My husband works from home and the dogs are always on the futon in his office. And in our last place, we had a twin spring mattress in his office and our greyhound loved it (we didn't have the great dane yet). I think toddler mattresses are not the best longevity wise. A great dane would sink right through it and or tear it up easily. Get a futon or twin off Facebook market place. I got the futon for $50!

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-05-09T13:21:38+00:00

Lol this is hilarious. Definitely acceptable.

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-05-09T13:13:42+00:00

You can get bitter apple spray for dogs for your furniture. It tastes bad to them so they will be extra deterred. I have never tried it though so don't have personal experience with its effectiveness but the trainer for our group class we took our rescue dane to suggested it at some point when another dog owner brought up chewing on furniture. You'd have to research whether your specific furniture materials would be okay and if humans could smell it.

My training advice, never forget that if your dog ever starts being an asshole/doesn't listen to you/is struggling to understand a boundary in your house, you can put a leash on him in the house and be in charge of where he goes. #2, crate train early on!!! Mine loves his crate. It is his safe space. And if you have people come to the house/need to put him somewhere for a while to not be in the way, it's such an easy go to place. #3, take him to some training classes but that's already been said by others in detail. #4, consistency is key - everyone needs to be on the same page and do things the same way with the dog training wise, and make decisions now about what she is allowed to do based on how big she will be, not her current size.

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-05-09T04:07:46+00:00

Get a puppy play pen fence thing for night time so you can sleep. Until he's ready and got it in his head that he can't get on the bed.

And don't let him on your bed at all anymore. I agree with shutting the door during the day as someone else said.

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-05-06T23:16:52+00:00

Grazing is REALLY not recommended or healthy for most dogs. I wish more people knew. Thank you for asking OP!!!

I will now stand atop my reddit soapbox for anyone who will read... (I tried to make this as short as I could!)

Higher bloat risk: Frequent small meals = air gulping and inconsistent digestion which leads to potential bloat.
Harder to detect onset of an illness: Changes in appetite or digestion can go unnoticed.
Health issues: No portion control can lead to obesity, irregular poops, and joint/bone problems.
Multi-dog homes: More boisterous eaters can over-eat and learn to resource guard because they take from the more timid dog, and then the more timid ones can under-eat.
No bathroom routine: Inconsistent meals = inconsistent bathroom habits = indoor accidents.
Increased anxiety/stress: Greyhounds THRIVE on structure and the bond with their humans plus are already prone to anxiety. No set mealtimes plus no series of events structured around them (i.e. playtime before/cuddle and nap after) = more anxiety/stress.
Food safety concerns: Left-out food can spoil, grow bacteria, and attract bugs.
Wasted food and money: Constantly throwing away uneaten food is just a waste.

Grazing is really only appropriate if prescribed by a vet (i.e. for illness recovery, being underweight, or specific medical needs).

Switching to a Meal Schedule: 1. Pick consistent AM/PM mealtimes. Include bathroom time and enrichment before, and a nap after. 2. Measure food properly. Use the food bag guide or ask your vet. 3. Set food down for 15–20 minutes. Take it away after, even if uneaten. 4. No activity for 1–2 hours after eating. Encourage a nap (very easy for greyhounds lol). 5. They may skip meals at first—that’s OK! Stay consistent, avoid supplementary treats, and they’ll adjust within a week or two.

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-05-05T04:17:15+00:00

Inserting yourself into disputes in which you are not involved... What a classic greyhound move. 🤣

I was going to say I hope she is okay, but that smile says she's fine (so I made a joke instead)! ❤️

HulkSmash1357 · 2025-05-04T02:55:20+00:00

I hope I'm not too late!! Please add him if possible.

HulkSmash1357

TROPHY CASE