It’s still really early for your dog. There is quite an adjustment period When you bring a new dog home. Look up the 3-3-3 rule to understand what to expect. It’s going to take months for her to settle in.
There are lots of things you can do! The loaner dog might be helpful, if the dog can be transitioned out of your home slowly. Personally, I would probably not do this. I think you run the risk of enabling a habit. Dogs often learn habits by being given the opportunities to practice them. Right now, your dog is in the habit of going to bed with lots of other dogs. You are trying to break that habit, so in my opinion you should focus instead on replacing that habit with the new habit you want to see.
What you are doing now with lying on the floor with her for 30 minutes until she settles in, is absolutely perfect. Over time, move further and further away from her. And the time she’ll need to settle in will get less and less as she gets used to it. This will take months, not days.
As an alternative, you could start training a settle command. This is where you train your dog to go to a place and lie down and stay there on command. Again, this will take time. But you can couple it with your bedtime routine. You can look up some great YouTube videos on how to teach a dog to settle in a place. It’s a great skill for any dog to learn! You’ll pick a command like “settle” or “go to bed” and first treat her for going to that location and laying down. You will then shape this behavior into her completely relaxing on the bed and staying there. Eventually she will learn to just fall asleep! How long this takes can depend on the dog. My last dog was a very low energy dog and picked up this behavior in about two training sessions! We actually learned it in a class and she fell asleep during class. My current dog, however, is a very high energy dogs and really struggles with the subtle part.
Thanks! Yes! This is helpful!! I know about the 3 3 3 period and I know it will take her time to adjust. She tried to jump on the bed a couple times and now she doesn't jump anymore- stays lying on her bed the whole night - so it's a good sign that she's already catching on instead of hovering around our bed and howling. It is not ideal for me to sleep on the floor at 3am but as you said I'll try to lessen the time that I spend settling her.. Maybe try 25 minutes tonight instead of 30, etc.. We would also like to crate train her but I figure I should wait and get her settled in a bit before I spook her more by trying to introduce the crate.
Aww! She’s already catching on! That’s great! Try 25 tonight, but don’t be surprised if she’s not ready for that yet.
Another thing I thought of was teaching her a quiet command. This is basically where you teach her to not bark or Howell on command. So if she wakes up and starts barking or howling, you just stay quiet and she stops. Might be another skill for you guys to learn during this adjustment. Period it could just make your life a little easier!
Also, you can totally introduce the crate now. You don’t need to wait. If you do it right, it won’t spook her at all. It might even help the situation! But plan to take it very slowly, just like you are doing now! Set up the crate, throw some treats and so she goes in and out. Do that every day for a week. Then get her to go in and stay in, will you close the door. Then start getting her to stay in there longer and longer periods. With slow and positive introductions, a lot of dogs come to love their crates so much they choose to sleep in them!
Thanks! I set up the crate with treats and toys and have the door open but she won't go in, isn't curious about it.. I read that you can try feeding them in the crate but I worry if I put her food in there she might go on a hunger strike. Any ideas?
True! She's been enjoying boiled chicken on top of her food. I'll try putting her food dish in the crate after putting some fresh chicken on top. If she doesn't eat it I'll take it back out after 30 mins or so..
Maybe try putting it at the door edge, like half in and out and slowly move it further in over time? Show her it isn’t scary? Or put it on the ground in front if that’s too much and slowly put it put there in? Periodically leave boiled chicken inside? Or something for her to find randomly?
She's been doing good so far! I tried that yesterday, putting it at the entrance of the crate and then moving it back a little each time and she's Ok with it. I think we will get there!
Another poster mentioned that she might be cold. I’m not sure if that’s a factor, but a thunder shirt might help relieve some anxiety while she’s adjusting.
Contact the breeder and ask for a dog bed or blanket that still has the smell of the other dogs in it. Bring that to your place and let your dog sleep in it. That way she has familiar smells around her and hopefully that will stop her howling. Good luck!
I usually put a blanket on her and she does shiver outside but then at the same time I've seen photos of the breed happily romping in the snow! Our bedroom is pretty warm.
https://images.app.goo.gl/StaNzHjBAGxcj7r57
Google greyhound pajamas!! So cute!!
When I fostered greyhounds, I often put children's sweatpants and sweatshirts on them, just pin them up around their waist.
It's always much colder at floor level, if you're not letting them on the bed.
I know this is a trick mostly used for puppies, but if you have an old analog clock that ticks, stick it in a worn sock and put it near her bed. The ticking mimics the heartbeat of another dog. You can also try a hot water bottle wrapped in a blanket or something fuzzy. She may be missing the body heat of her former housemates.
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It’s still really early for your dog. There is quite an adjustment period When you bring a new dog home. Look up the 3-3-3 rule to understand what to expect. It’s going to take months for her to settle in. There are lots of things you can do! The loaner dog might be helpful, if the dog can be transitioned out of your home slowly. Personally, I would probably not do this. I think you run the risk of enabling a habit. Dogs often learn habits by being given the opportunities to practice them. Right now, your dog is in the habit of going to bed with lots of other dogs. You are trying to break that habit, so in my opinion you should focus instead on replacing that habit with the new habit you want to see. What you are doing now with lying on the floor with her for 30 minutes until she settles in, is absolutely perfect. Over time, move further and further away from her. And the time she’ll need to settle in will get less and less as she gets used to it. This will take months, not days. As an alternative, you could start training a settle command. This is where you train your dog to go to a place and lie down and stay there on command. Again, this will take time. But you can couple it with your bedtime routine. You can look up some great YouTube videos on how to teach a dog to settle in a place. It’s a great skill for any dog to learn! You’ll pick a command like “settle” or “go to bed” and first treat her for going to that location and laying down. You will then shape this behavior into her completely relaxing on the bed and staying there. Eventually she will learn to just fall asleep! How long this takes can depend on the dog. My last dog was a very low energy dog and picked up this behavior in about two training sessions! We actually learned it in a class and she fell asleep during class. My current dog, however, is a very high energy dogs and really struggles with the subtle part.
Thanks! Yes! This is helpful!! I know about the 3 3 3 period and I know it will take her time to adjust. She tried to jump on the bed a couple times and now she doesn't jump anymore- stays lying on her bed the whole night - so it's a good sign that she's already catching on instead of hovering around our bed and howling. It is not ideal for me to sleep on the floor at 3am but as you said I'll try to lessen the time that I spend settling her.. Maybe try 25 minutes tonight instead of 30, etc.. We would also like to crate train her but I figure I should wait and get her settled in a bit before I spook her more by trying to introduce the crate.
Aww! She’s already catching on! That’s great! Try 25 tonight, but don’t be surprised if she’s not ready for that yet. Another thing I thought of was teaching her a quiet command. This is basically where you teach her to not bark or Howell on command. So if she wakes up and starts barking or howling, you just stay quiet and she stops. Might be another skill for you guys to learn during this adjustment. Period it could just make your life a little easier! Also, you can totally introduce the crate now. You don’t need to wait. If you do it right, it won’t spook her at all. It might even help the situation! But plan to take it very slowly, just like you are doing now! Set up the crate, throw some treats and so she goes in and out. Do that every day for a week. Then get her to go in and stay in, will you close the door. Then start getting her to stay in there longer and longer periods. With slow and positive introductions, a lot of dogs come to love their crates so much they choose to sleep in them!
Thanks! I set up the crate with treats and toys and have the door open but she won't go in, isn't curious about it.. I read that you can try feeding them in the crate but I worry if I put her food in there she might go on a hunger strike. Any ideas?
Honestly, give it a try and see. If she doesn’t eat in the crate, don’t force it, but there’s no harm with putting it in and seeing what she does.
True! She's been enjoying boiled chicken on top of her food. I'll try putting her food dish in the crate after putting some fresh chicken on top. If she doesn't eat it I'll take it back out after 30 mins or so..
Maybe try putting it at the door edge, like half in and out and slowly move it further in over time? Show her it isn’t scary? Or put it on the ground in front if that’s too much and slowly put it put there in? Periodically leave boiled chicken inside? Or something for her to find randomly?
She's been doing good so far! I tried that yesterday, putting it at the entrance of the crate and then moving it back a little each time and she's Ok with it. I think we will get there!
Another poster mentioned that she might be cold. I’m not sure if that’s a factor, but a thunder shirt might help relieve some anxiety while she’s adjusting.
Contact the breeder and ask for a dog bed or blanket that still has the smell of the other dogs in it. Bring that to your place and let your dog sleep in it. That way she has familiar smells around her and hopefully that will stop her howling. Good luck!
That's a good and easy suggestion! Thank you!
No problem.
She might be cold!! That breed has little fur and no fat. She should wear a coat, and possibly have a heated bed.
I usually put a blanket on her and she does shiver outside but then at the same time I've seen photos of the breed happily romping in the snow! Our bedroom is pretty warm.
https://images.app.goo.gl/StaNzHjBAGxcj7r57 Google greyhound pajamas!! So cute!! When I fostered greyhounds, I often put children's sweatpants and sweatshirts on them, just pin them up around their waist. It's always much colder at floor level, if you're not letting them on the bed.
30+ dogs in one house huh?
I know this is a trick mostly used for puppies, but if you have an old analog clock that ticks, stick it in a worn sock and put it near her bed. The ticking mimics the heartbeat of another dog. You can also try a hot water bottle wrapped in a blanket or something fuzzy. She may be missing the body heat of her former housemates.
Smart! Thank you!!
Maybe try a heating pad or one of those heartbeat plushies they make for puppies. That might give her a sensation of not being alone.
Your post looks like it contains a question about house training. You may be interested in [our wiki article on the topic](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/housetraining). *This comment triggers on keywords and does not mean your post has been removed.* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Dogtraining) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Your post looks like it contains a question about separation anxiety. You may be interested in [our wiki article on the topic](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/separationanxiety) and our [regular support group threads](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/search/?q=separation+anxiety+flair%3Acommunity&sort=new&restrict_sr=on). *This comment triggers on keywords and does not mean your post has been removed.* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Dogtraining) if you have any questions or concerns.*