Establishing Boundaries for Your Greyhound
When adopting a Greyhound into your home The Adopting Family should establish boundaries (borders) for their Greyhound on the very first day the Greyhound arrives. Your Greyhound should know where he1she can go and/or where she1he should be arid not be. Greyhounds are very smart. They know what you want; “YOU” just have to convey the message to them.
To establish a boundary or boundaries you literally
have to be a wall between your Greyhound and where ever your Greyhound
wants to go. The (2) commands you need to use during this exercise:”NO
“and “STAY”. If you put your body between your Greyhound and the
area where they want to go, some Greys will stand or lay there and wait
for you to move then proceed to the desired destination. Other Greys may
use their heads to try and nudge your leg/s out of the way (this is
called the bully tactic). You must
STAND FIRM in both
situations. Also in both situations you have to be the one doing the
nudging. For instance; In situation (“1), progressively take a few steps
back and your Greyhound will move forward thinking ne/she has gained the
advantage. When this occurs, stop, move forward and using your legs you
gently nudge him 1her back to the original position, point your finger
at her1his nose and use the command “NO”, then place palm flat
facing your Greyhounds face and use the command “STAY”. The tone
of your voice should be FIRM and EXACT.
In situation (2), when your Greyhound moves
toward you and uses her/his head to nudge your leg/s out of the way to
get pass (the bully tactic), use your leg to block the path, stand your
ground, use the command “NO” while pointing your finger at his
1her nose gently with your leg/s push him/her back to the original
position. Place palm flat facing your Greyhounds face and use the
command “STAY”. Again the tone of your voice should be FIRM
and EXACT. You have to let your Greyhound know that you are
in charge of the situation
you are the boss. In both situations you want to gradually move away to
let your Greyhound know that even when you’re out of sight, this area is
off limits. You may have to repeat either situation several times to get
your message across. This exercise takes patience; 20 to 30 minutes. It
is worth it because it will establish boundaries for your Greyhound.
Whether you’re trying to keep her/him from going into a particular area
of your home or just simply trying to keep him/her out of the trash
this method does work, but only if you work it with patience.
Just like a kid you can’t watch your Greyhound 24/7, so when you’re not watching her/him, your Greyhound will know where it should and should not be.
NOTE
Remember that your Greyhound is coming into a new environment and it may have anxiety issues, be a bit nervous andtor apprehensive upon arriving to her/his new home. Be mindful to be understanding and patient. We must be caring and loving towards an animal that has had to deal with such hardships in the first few years of it’s life. Greyhounds have an abundance of love and affection to give, all they want in return is love and affection. Take Care and enjoy your wonderful Greyhound.