Beautiful greyhound mix in trouble... | ExpatWoman.com
 

Beautiful greyhound mix in trouble...

331
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 January 2011 - 08:58

I'm caught in a huge dilemna and have spent the entire night awake and worrying about our extremely beautiful rescue dog. She's a mixture of greyhound and desert dog (we think!) and is elegant and gorgeous to watch.
However, she has become more and more unreliable over the past year trying to bite people to the extent that we have to have her crated the entire time we have anyone in our house and when out for walks we have to avoid all other people - if anyone comes too close, she lunges for them. She's great with our own family, totally trustworthy, it's just strangers she doesn't like.
We have turned our house into minature Fort Knox, but sometimes she still manages to escape and run around terrorising people. We can't catch her until she is tired out and ready to be caught - 45km an hour is hard to grab!
My DH says that either we must rehome her or put her down.

Can anyone here offer to take her on? She is really a gorgeous dog, but we can't take the risks. Obviously, this is a very specialised adoption - I think you would have to be a dog behaviourist. I wouldn't be able to pass her onto anyone not immensely experienced in dogs, or anyone with small kids or with a small garden.
If anyone feels up to taking this gorgeous dog, please let me know, I will send pictures. Oh, and she's spayed, microchipped, vaccinated, etc. Just over a year old.

9
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 29 January 2011 - 11:39
Hi busyjo, email me at [email protected] and I'll send you some pics - and I'd love to see some of B :)
29
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 January 2011 - 20:11
We took Bella for her first run off lead today behind Meadows 9 under the pylons. She loved it! Brought a lot of treats called her back lots of time, treat and go again. It was amazing to see her running and enjoying her being a greyhound/saluki mix. We met some other people there with dogs and she was fine with them and the dogs so beach tomorrow morning for her! Correcting her for barking is me telling her I do not approve that behaviour, a calm SSSSSHT and let her back off from the person she barks at. If needed I'm standing between the person and her; blocking her with my body. I must say that I get a lot of help from my own dogs and the dogs always around so they do the most work with her! Would love to see Cairo, can you send me a picture please?
331
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 26 January 2011 - 16:30
Hi Sarah, how is Cairo coming on - does he love his new country? Apparently female desert dogs are more prone to this kind of behaviour than the males - I'm pleased to hear that he's so much better behaved than Bella! Many many thanks to Busyjo - Bella was totally out of my zone as a dog owner with kids - and it is so lovely to get the updates hearing how well she's doing. I gather she's loving the big garden instead of our smaller one :-(.
9
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 January 2011 - 15:50
Thanks for the update, busyjo. I adopted Bella's brother and am very interested to see how things progress with her. He's been the opposite - LOOOVES people (though he doesn't care for the unpredictability of kids and has barked at rambunctious kids) but we've had to work on his social skills with other dogs. Would you mind sharing what you do when you "correct" her for barking? Please do keep the updates coming!
29
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 25 January 2011 - 22:37
Bella is doing very very well! Every evening she is exhausted after running... real running through the garden, chasing visiting dogs and my Saluki around the trampoline. She slowly comes out of her shell and starts playing and interacting with the other dogs in a great way. Too tired to be bothered about visitors and watching and learning everyday from us and the others. Fine with my kids and visiting kids, we can hear her barking so now and then to a visitor on the property but gets corrected right away and learns from the others how to behave. Eats like a horse and walks beautifully on the lead (thanks for that PL2!) It is early because she needs some time to settle in but I see a future without any trouble for her. This will be a difficult one to let go I know, because we are already very fond of her. Bella must wait another week before I will let her of lead for a run and I can sense that she cannot wait, neither can I!
2340
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 20 January 2011 - 01:49
Ah...'Johanna' is a poster I have much respect for. :D Good to see you're still here! I'll look forward to following your progress with this little dog.
29
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 January 2011 - 01:05
ETA - new username busyjo? Do I 'know' you?? edited by Green-ish on 19/01/2011 No, you don't "know" me but I'm always reading your post with a lot of interest. Choosing the right words, never rude but always honest, great! New username indeed, something with password, new laptop, etcetera. Posted before as Johannaa (I think). Still do not know how to get these "quotes".....keep on trying! <em>edited by busyjo on 20/01/2011</em>
2340
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 19 January 2011 - 15:15
Thanks Green-ish, thought you moved back...to Australia. Still posting here, haha Thanks PL2 for your trust, I will keep you posted here! Cannot wait to meet her Friday! Lol...I am in Australia, but living somewhere I've not lived before and no friends close by so I still feel like an Expat Woman. :) That, and I'm a wee bit addicted to all of the drama on EW. Being away from the Dubai scene, I have a rather hilarious view of some threads from way over here. :D ETA - new username busyjo? Do I 'know' you?? <em>edited by Green-ish on 19/01/2011</em>
29
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 January 2011 - 14:21
Thanks Green-ish, thought you moved back...to Australia. Still posting here, haha Thanks PL2 for your trust, I will keep you posted here! Cannot wait to meet her Friday!
2340
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 19 January 2011 - 11:28
Really good news PL2. Fingers firmly crossed this works out for the pooch! xx
331
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 18 January 2011 - 13:06
I've chatted extensively to Jo, who seems very positive that our gorgeous dog is not a lost cause and she agrees with me how beautiful she is! We'll be taking her through to Jo this weekend, she has bravely offered to work with her and sort out her "issues" and then re-home her, very carefully, to the right place. Wow - this is SUCH a weight off you won't believe! I am so grateful to Jo.
2340
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 18 January 2011 - 02:30
Hi PL2, I would love to meet her and discuss adoption, rehabiliation or whatever options are availabe! Feeling pretty confident after rehabilitating a very angry, snappy little thing from K9 into a adorable pet recently. Please do call me so we can discuss; 0 5 0 - 8 7 1 0 0 6 0 or email on johannavankesteren at gmail dot com *LIKE*!! Good work Jo!
29
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 17 January 2011 - 02:15
Hi PL2, I would love to meet her and discuss adoption, rehabiliation or whatever options are availabe! Feeling pretty confident after rehabilitating a very angry, snappy little thing from K9 into a adorable pet recently. Please do call me so we can discuss; 0 5 0 - 8 7 1 0 0 6 0 or email on johannavankesteren at gmail dot com
42
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 16 January 2011 - 21:35
Speak to Neil at Homely Petz as I believe that he is a pet behaviourist. Even if he can't help you he may be able to point you in the direction of someone that can.
329
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 16 January 2011 - 13:49
I had similar situation with a dog I fostered during 3 weeks. she was lovely with our family and kids but nobody could enter in our house.It was very difficult to find family who can accept the situation and had patience with the dog. I think it happened very offen with rescued dog which have been abused..; Love and patience and experience are needed and of course a specialist behaviourist.. will help definitively !!! good luck.
2340
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 16 January 2011 - 03:48
Oh PL2, what a difficult situation for you. Sounds like she needs help from a dog behaviourist (or rather, you need the help ;) ), not so much a trainer. I don't get in here as often as I used to...I know Verity had to leave Dubai but surely there are other specialist behaviourists in Dubai/AD. Is Caroline still with one of the vets? NAS or Safa maybe?? Even if you can't get things to work for the dog within your family, it's probably really important to get a behaviourist to help you select the right new home for the dog. As much as I always loathe saying it, sometimes euthanasia is the 'best' solution. If you can't get to the bottom of her behaviour, then she's living a very stressful life. As you have said, she needs a pretty specific home environment and sadly those homes are few and far between in that part of the world. Best wishes to you.
331
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 15 January 2011 - 09:22
Yes, we've been getting help from a trainer - she's not really aggresive - that is, she's lovely with us - the trainer says that it's because she's just doesn't want to be touched/approached by strangers so she prefers to scare them off before they try. With a lively household of kids, living in a compound, it's difficult. Ideally, she needs a farm in the desert - although she is a sight hound, so chickens could be in danger!
2262
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 15 January 2011 - 09:08
What a perdiciment! Have you had a behaviourist come and evaluate her? It does not sound as if your girl will be able to fit into many families especially if she manages to get out and terrorize people :(....you said she has been getting mor and more unreliable over the past year, but she is only a year old.....it does sound as if she has this aggresiveness in her nature :(
 
 

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