|
|
Post by tracyandgeorgia on Oct 30, 2012 17:29:43 GMT
Hi,
have enjoyed our first few days with Bobby, (millwards veto). He's clean indoors, settled in well but a bit scared of the venetian blinds for some reason!
He ignores the rabbit in his hutch, and is ok with our 2 cats in the room - with a muzzle on at the moment. He looked at them on the settee and then just looked away when told 'no' so hopefully will learn not to chase them. Haven't tried outside with the cats yet, does anyone have any advice on how long to leave that step?
We've met lots of dogs and he stays calm, so that's good too.
So glad I caved in to pressure from my daughter to get a greyhound!
Tracy
|
|
|
|
Post by Ian on Nov 3, 2012 6:40:11 GMT
Hi Tracy, sorry there's been a very slow response to your question, unfortuately we're facing a few challenges as an organisation at present and therefore Pat won't have been on the forum as often as normal. Anyway thanks for giving a home to Millwards Veto, I would suggest that before you allow Greyhound and cats in the garden at the same time you do some surpurvised tests with them together in the house with him un-muzzled. I would recommend that there are two people present when you do this though. The main risk is if the cats run. Other pets being still or moving very slowly would be more of an interest than something to do what comes natural to Greys which is to chase. Also when you try this it's probably worth having a pump spray to hand filled with water, like a (thoroughly cleaned and washed out) Mr Muscle or Windowlene bottle. If the dog dives towards the cat, spray once in the face and follow up with a firm 'No'. Also if possible ensure the cat has an escape route via a door that Bobby can't get through, so in the event of the cat running and a chase occuring.
Once you've worked on this for a while and are sure Bobby and the cats can be in the same room as each other with him being un-muzzled, then you can try the garden, but again start off supervised, have the spray to hand, and perhaps the family can be out there and be ready to step in should there be any attempt to chase.
The answer is be cautious and supervise, but be confident that with a bit of time and effort Bobby will be able to live with the cats, and the cats will get used to him. One thing we deployed as an early precaution was a stair gate (it was un-necessary as it turned out) but the wife was happier, it allowed cats anywhere but restricted Sean to just downstairs.
Our Sean lives with two cats, we were lucky though he was safe with them from the moment we bought him home. But we still exercised caution and muzzled him initially.
Also just be aware that when you get to the point where Bobby is safe with your own cats that he MIGHT still chase a neighbours cat in your own garden or pull towards a cat that's not yours if seen out when walking. They all vary some will ignore \ avoid all cats (like our Sean) others will just accept the resident cats and not others.
|
|
|
|
Post by davidbailey on Nov 3, 2012 10:45:25 GMT
Hi, have enjoyed our first few days with Bobby, (millwards veto). He's clean indoors, settled in well but a bit scared of the venetian blinds for some reason! He ignores the rabbit in his hutch, and is ok with our 2 cats in the room - with a muzzle on at the moment. He looked at them on the settee and then just looked away when told 'no' so hopefully will learn not to chase them. Haven't tried outside with the cats yet, does anyone have any advice on how long to leave that step? We've met lots of dogs and he stays calm, so that's good too. So glad I caved in to pressure from my daughter to get a greyhound! Tracy The thing is Tracy, you never know what a greyhound is going to do until they actually do it. I can get a pretty good idea what a greyhounds going to do in any given circumstance, but there is always one that will make you look a fool. The rule of thumb however is if he was going to do it, he would have done it by now. Persevere, and you will be lucky. Although I have no cats of my own, so none of my greyhounds have had to live with one, I can say out of all of the 31 pet greyhounds, plus fosters I have had, only one of them hated cats so much he would instantly try to kill them . Although some of them would initially want to hurt a cat, they soon settled down to my way of thinking that it's better to ignore than confront. The biggest advantage you have of owning a greyhound over any other breed of dog, is your whole dog's demeanor has been fashioned by being brought up in the unreal world of a racing greyhound. Who until you take them home has been in nothing more than a canine prison, with occasional exercise breaks in a paddock. The one good thing about a greyhound, is in most cases how they usually adjust to the life of a pet dog and accept their new life with great enthusiasm. Has long as you remember their former life, and make allowances for the fact all is new to them, you will never get a better dog than a greyhound. www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=ff4a7ff8848d8e54430250&skin_id=701&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url |
|
|
|
Post by rachael on Nov 3, 2012 11:42:54 GMT
Hi Tracey, sorry that I did not see your post earlier. I agree with much of what has been said previously but would urge you to take extreme caution in the garden and to not allow a chase to occur. Once the dog has experienced the joy of chasing the cat then they are unlikely to then want to stop. We got a "non chaser" to be safe with our cats but one of our cats was a "runner" and our dog is now very interested in cats.
So trust your instincts and I am sure all will go well.
Rachael
|
|
|
|
Post by davidbailey on Nov 3, 2012 12:01:57 GMT
Rachael wrote:
We got a "non chaser" to be safe with our cats but one of our cats was a "runner" and our dog is now very interested in cats.
This did make me smile how people misinterpret the term "non-chaser"
All the term means is the particular greyhound is not as gullible as the majority of other greyhounds.
It doesn't mean the greyhound in question will not kill smaller creatures than itself, that's a fallacy.
A few years ago, greyhound owner/trainer Bernon Steveni bought a very fast greyhound from Ireland called Cushi Ritmo, it cost a hell of a lot of money. It won the first of its races in England easily, but then decided it wasn't going to chase anymore. No matter what Bernon did, Cushi wouldn't have it. In fact dear old Bernon took it to track after track, but the more intelligent of the two was the greyhound. He never chased again.
That dog however was a killing machine, nothing was safe, except the mechanical hare at the greyhound track.
Non-chaser says what it is, but doesn't stipulate it is safe with smaller creatures. However, the dog is there to work with and you should get a very good level of success.
|
|
|
|
Post by tracyandgeorgia on Nov 3, 2012 19:43:28 GMT
thanks for all the advice - all helpful but Bobby has so far been amazing - cats ok in the room and outside with him not muzzled. They have walked past him, he sniffed them then ignored them. He won't walk past if they are in the doorway, and backs away from the more dominant cat. think he has worked ut that they're above him in the pack. I ammaking a point of feeding them when he is in the room, but before he is fed, so that might be helping too.
I will keep a careful watch esp. outside,but so far all good. He's even sleeping through the fireworks!
Tracy
|
|
|
|
Post by davidbailey on Nov 3, 2012 19:45:36 GMT
Well done Tracy, I think you're going to crack it.
|
|
|
|
Post by davidbailey on Nov 4, 2012 11:06:42 GMT
Hi, have enjoyed our first few days with Bobby, (millwards veto). He's clean indoors, settled in well but a bit scared of the venetian blinds for some reason! He ignores the rabbit in his hutch, and is ok with our 2 cats in the room - with a muzzle on at the moment. He looked at them on the settee and then just looked away when told 'no' so hopefully will learn not to chase them. Haven't tried outside with the cats yet, does anyone have any advice on how long to leave that step? We've met lots of dogs and he stays calm, so that's good too. So glad I caved in to pressure from my daughter to get a greyhound! Tracy You did the right thing in taking on a greyhound Tracy, look what happens if you had chosen a Racoon. Lol www.liveleak.com/view?i=86a_1351992369 |
|
|
|
Post by Ian on Nov 4, 2012 12:11:13 GMT
thanks for all the advice - all helpful but Bobby has so far been amazing - cats ok in the room and outside with him not muzzled. They have walked past him, he sniffed them then ignored them. He won't walk past if they are in the doorway, and backs away from the more dominant cat. think he has worked ut that they're above him in the pack. I ammaking a point of feeding them when he is in the room, but before he is fed, so that might be helping too. I will keep a careful watch esp. outside,but so far all good. He's even sleeping through the fireworks! Tracy As Bryan says it sounds like you're there Tracy, the behaviour you're mentioning is exactly the same as our Sean displays, he won't pass a cat in a doorway or in the hallway and will either go another way or wait until we move the cat on, fear of being 'stabbed' by those claws you see. We used to have to tell our cats off sometimes for attacking Sean for no reason, although such events are very rare now. Like Bobby he also sleeps through fireworks and pays them no attention if they happen to be being set off when we're out for a walk (as long as they're not really close). |
|
