LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
By Cathy Kiburtz
Greyhounds have teeth! When you have a critter with teeth things can happen if you are not wise.
Track greyhounds are raised a differently from other breeds. They lived in their own person sanctuary, a crate. Some people might disparage it as a prison but to the greys it is a place where they are safe to sleep, dream if they do that, and relax without being molested!! No one ever stepped on them, poked them, hugged them or tried to cuddle them when they were in their sanctuary. Also greys sleep very soundly, can get startled and may snap those teeth right at you when abruptly awakened. Many sleep with their eyes open. Some have an extra membrane that partially covers their eyes. All this makes it tricky to assess whether they are asleep and mentally far and away.
Our adoption representatives tell adopters not to disturb a sleeping greyhound. Logic says this should be true for any breed but we deal with greyhounds and hear when someone breaks that trust. Sometimes the consequences are dire for the person and they can be life threatening for the greyhound. I don’t know why people disturb their sleeping greyhounds, but they do. Maybe it is because they are disarmingly docile, teddy bear like most of the time. I suspect people wouldn’t do the same to a sleeping pit bull, German Shepherd, Doberman or even a Chihuahua but for some reason they will get up close and personal with a sleeping greyhound.
In spite of what we tell adopters we still hear about people having a close call or worse when they wake up their grey. Why you ask, would this happen? Because someone was unwise enough to climb face first into their crate, lean over and kiss them, lay down to cuddle them when they were stretched out on the couch or rug, or just startle them when they were asleep. Greyhound groups in general don’t adopt to people with young children because they know that the young ones may not get this concept. But adults really should get it.
So please be wise. Let your sleeping greyhound rest un-harassed. You may have a greyhound that really does not mind the kissing, cuddling and hugging but please make sure of that before you make that first move. If you are cautious and aware of the possibilities you may save a trip to the emergency room and your grey may get to live out their days as your beloved companion. But be aware if a grey bites someone, even when the fault isn't totally theirs, it tends to be a big deal for both the people and the greyhound. Sometimes the trust has broken so badly that the greyhound is returned to the adoption group. This becomes a very difficult situation. Now the greyhound has another kind of track record. They will need to undergo re-assessment and could be deemed un-adoptable. As you might imagine a biting episode can greatly diminishes your greyhound’s future.
The key to avoiding this predicament is a combination of knowing your greyhound, knowing when to change your behavior and knowing when to ask for help. If your greyhound is snapping or biting you should contact your adoption representative or a GreySave Board member. They can help you analyze the problem and make suggestions on how to correct the behavior. As I wrote this article and talked to adopters I was surprised to hear how many of them said their grey snapped at them at least once before they understood what not to do. Actually, our little blue diva, Caroline, growled and snapped at me last night when I tried to move her to another spot on my bed. I knew she should not have been up there since she can be very grouchy when bumped. Her warning reminded me of our “no blue dogs” on the bed rule. As a group we’ve heard enough stories of grey’s snapping to be concerned about what could be going wrong. The question is it an adopter problem, a dog problem, a training or knowledge problem or a combination?
This article is an effort to encourage a greater understanding of the greyhound’s upbringing and sleep habits so that maybe each one of us can work to prevent biting tragedies. As a group, we ask our foster homes to watch for sleep issues, especially sleep aggression. And we get concerned when we hear that a greyhound that was a model citizen in the foster home snaps at their adopter. So next time you see your greyhound happily resting consider what they might think is happening when you startle them and then let that sleeping dog lie.
By Cathy Kiburtz
Greyhounds have teeth! When you have a critter with teeth things can happen if you are not wise.
Track greyhounds are raised a differently from other breeds. They lived in their own person sanctuary, a crate. Some people might disparage it as a prison but to the greys it is a place where they are safe to sleep, dream if they do that, and relax without being molested!! No one ever stepped on them, poked them, hugged them or tried to cuddle them when they were in their sanctuary. Also greys sleep very soundly, can get startled and may snap those teeth right at you when abruptly awakened. Many sleep with their eyes open. Some have an extra membrane that partially covers their eyes. All this makes it tricky to assess whether they are asleep and mentally far and away.
Our adoption representatives tell adopters not to disturb a sleeping greyhound. Logic says this should be true for any breed but we deal with greyhounds and hear when someone breaks that trust. Sometimes the consequences are dire for the person and they can be life threatening for the greyhound. I don’t know why people disturb their sleeping greyhounds, but they do. Maybe it is because they are disarmingly docile, teddy bear like most of the time. I suspect people wouldn’t do the same to a sleeping pit bull, German Shepherd, Doberman or even a Chihuahua but for some reason they will get up close and personal with a sleeping greyhound.
In spite of what we tell adopters we still hear about people having a close call or worse when they wake up their grey. Why you ask, would this happen? Because someone was unwise enough to climb face first into their crate, lean over and kiss them, lay down to cuddle them when they were stretched out on the couch or rug, or just startle them when they were asleep. Greyhound groups in general don’t adopt to people with young children because they know that the young ones may not get this concept. But adults really should get it.
So please be wise. Let your sleeping greyhound rest un-harassed. You may have a greyhound that really does not mind the kissing, cuddling and hugging but please make sure of that before you make that first move. If you are cautious and aware of the possibilities you may save a trip to the emergency room and your grey may get to live out their days as your beloved companion. But be aware if a grey bites someone, even when the fault isn't totally theirs, it tends to be a big deal for both the people and the greyhound. Sometimes the trust has broken so badly that the greyhound is returned to the adoption group. This becomes a very difficult situation. Now the greyhound has another kind of track record. They will need to undergo re-assessment and could be deemed un-adoptable. As you might imagine a biting episode can greatly diminishes your greyhound’s future.
The key to avoiding this predicament is a combination of knowing your greyhound, knowing when to change your behavior and knowing when to ask for help. If your greyhound is snapping or biting you should contact your adoption representative or a GreySave Board member. They can help you analyze the problem and make suggestions on how to correct the behavior. As I wrote this article and talked to adopters I was surprised to hear how many of them said their grey snapped at them at least once before they understood what not to do. Actually, our little blue diva, Caroline, growled and snapped at me last night when I tried to move her to another spot on my bed. I knew she should not have been up there since she can be very grouchy when bumped. Her warning reminded me of our “no blue dogs” on the bed rule. As a group we’ve heard enough stories of grey’s snapping to be concerned about what could be going wrong. The question is it an adopter problem, a dog problem, a training or knowledge problem or a combination?
This article is an effort to encourage a greater understanding of the greyhound’s upbringing and sleep habits so that maybe each one of us can work to prevent biting tragedies. As a group, we ask our foster homes to watch for sleep issues, especially sleep aggression. And we get concerned when we hear that a greyhound that was a model citizen in the foster home snaps at their adopter. So next time you see your greyhound happily resting consider what they might think is happening when you startle them and then let that sleeping dog lie.
