Since everyone on Earth has chosen this month to vent their grievances, Max wants you all to know that his nose does not get smooched nearly enough. Whining may ensue if demands are not met promptly.
Reader Interactions
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Comrade Mary
Puppeh! Floppy-eared Dobies are the best.
Violet
Awww…what a cutie! He owns that couch, doesn’t he?
BGinCHI
Please proceed with the training for Max to bite the asses off GOP Governors.
Thanks.
Southern Beale
Damn that’s a smoochable nose! I can’t imagine why he’s not getting covered in kissed every day!
Mnemosyne
@BGinCHI:
Max looks more like the type to lick them to death.
Maude
Posted on another thread but it was a busy thread.
My friend adopted a greyhound rescue 2 year old named Ellie. Ellie went from racetrack to a foster place where she slept on a pillow in the bedroom for three weeks.
Ellis has been with my friend for 4 days and although she likes the crate and her toy hedghog, she whines all night.
My friend has been told it is separation anxiety.
ANyone have any ideas about anything that would help or how long Eliie will be uneasy at night.
There is a night light.
Ellie is fine otherwise.
TaMara (BHF)
Aaaawwww Max, thanks for giving me a chance to exhale during all the craziness.
Woodrowfan
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
joe from Lowell
Muh muh muh muh muh!
Who’s a good boy?
Yes. You’re a good boy!
TaMara (BHF)
@Maude: So I had a greyhound and I have to tell you, after the treatment he got when he raced, I wouldn’t crate him, it obviously traumatized him. Lots of big stuffed animals and another dog companion and he was a happy camper. He even had a greyhound sized stuffed rabbit he slept with.
If I was her, I’d try not crating her and see if that stopped the whining. A dog bed on the floor next to the bed may be all she needs.
Tulip
It’s supposed to snow in San Francisco on Friday. SNOW!!
And Maxie is a cuite, though Dobermans have always scared me a little.
jacy
I would so smooch Max’s nose. Dobies are fabulous dogs.
In other news, TPM reports Obama says DOMA unconstitutional, but not much else.
Maude
@TaMara (BHF):
She can’t sleep in the bedroom, my friend has serious allergies. If they don’t crate her, she will cry at the bedroom door. She likes the crate, whe just whines at night. The rescue people told her to crate Ellie.
It seems to be the night that bothers Ellie.
TaMara (BHF)
@Maude: Greyhounds are notoriously low maintenance. And I can’t remember who, but there are a couple of BJ commenters who have greyhounds currently, so maybe they’ll be able to help. In my experience, because of their early lives, they have to learn how to live with people, they really attach to their humans when they finally get the knack of it and are quiet, adoring dogs. But it can take a bit. Mine used to bark at himself in the full length mirror, freaked when the phone rang and I had to teach him how to go up and downstairs. He was 4 years when I got him.
Mino
I love dobie noses: they have soft cartilage, are gumby noses.
JonathanW
@jacy:
Was just about to post about Obama’s rebuke of DOMA. I’ll take good news anywhere I can get it!
Joseph Nobles
Obama just told the Justice Department that he’s now decided that DOMA is unconstitutional and to stop defending it. And they’re gonna.
As if the day couldn’t get any better.
Ash Can
Smoochies!
In other news, if you didn’t see it in the other thread, Scott Walker’s office did in fact confirm that the punk call was real (w/a big hat tip to commenters You Don’t Say and Sentient Puddle). Looks like this confirmation was what the other press was waiting for; this is now front-page news on the Wisconsin State Journal (Madison) and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
shortstop
Awesome. Our pooch is half beagle and half Dobie. She has the same soulful look and the same irresistible schnoz.
TaMara (BHF)
@Maude: Hmmm, that is probably the issue, they really don’t like to be separated. I’m at a loss on that one. Pack dog needs pack. Maybe someone else will have an idea.
joe from Lowell
Barack Obama is going to go down in history as the Abraham Lincoln of gay rights, and the people who’ve spent two solid years badmouthing him for pursuing what will ultimately be his winning strategy will be coming up with some hi-larious explanations of how “the homophobe in chief” was actually forced into these positions by the awesome power of their protests.
scav
Mills of fucking God roll on and don’t I just love it. DOMA now, HA!
joe from Lowell
@Joseph Nobles: Section 3 of DOMA, not the whole thing.
This is the section that is being challenged by the gay couples who were denied health benefits.
elmo
@Maude:
Tell your friend to try giving up some of her dirty socks, and putting them in the crate with the dog. Her scent will help.
Other than that, four days isn’t that long. Give it two weeks. But understand, sometimes it takes even longer. I have a rescue Pyr in the house who still whines occasionally, and I’ve had her for two years.
(25 years in rescue, I’ve fostered more than 100 dogs, have ten in the house right now, my partner is a retired professional dog trainer)
The Dangerman
“Wassa matter, Master? I’m here for ya. Tell me about your day, after giving me a belly rub.”
Shinobi
@Maude: This is a great book by Patricia McConell called “I’ll be home soon” that is great for separation anxiety.
However whining at night is probably really just loneliness more than full blown separation anxiety. Did the rescue have any advice? She is probably just lonely and can’t sleep all by herself in a strange house.
Given time it will probably get better, 4 days is not really long enough for her to feel completely comfortable or confident. Stuffed animals or interactive toys are a good idea.
It is most important that they don’t reinforce the whining behavior in any way though. She should never learn that whining gets her let out of the crate or let into the bedroom. It will get worse, before it gets better.
I also recommend the original “Dog Whisperer” book by Paul Owens, he has great advice for all dog owners, we use our as a reference all the time. Dog training seems to be a neverending process.
elmo
I haz baby goats! My Nubian went into labor this morning and a half-hour later delivered two healthy babies, a buckling and a doeling.
This is a particular relief, as we just lost a pregnant doe two weeks ago to complications from the emergency C-section they had to perform because the baby died in utero.
Mark S.
City of Providence gives every teacher a pink slip. Things like this are going to common, since the federal government is going to spend money on blowing up shit in Afghanistan and cut everything else to pay for extending the idiotic Bush tax cuts.
shortstop
@elmo: Felicitations! And we demand photos.
gbear
@elmo: Pictures or it didn’t happen…
PS: congrats!
Maude
@TaMara (BHF):
Thank you so much for your help.
What happens is Ellie whines and my friend gets up and goes to her.
I think that Ellie will settle in and be fine. It may take a bit of time.
My friend adores Ellie. They take walks and Ellie moves to the right. I said Ellie was going to the rail.
Eliie is a brindle. She loves the hedgehog.
ppcli
@The Dangerman:
“Wassa matter, Master? I’m here for ya. Tell me about your day, after giving me a belly rub.”
Is that from the transcript of Walker’s conversation with the Koch impersonator?
Maude
@Shinobi:
Thank you so much. I will have my friend read your comment and others tomorrow morning.
I know nothing about greyhounds. I joked and said it might take 3 months. You should have seen my friend’s face.
Yhe dog is a perfect fit.
Mnemosyne
@elmo:
Awww! Baby anythings are cute, but baby goats are just extra-cute somehow. Congrats!
Maude
@elmo:
That’s what I figured because Ellie is so happie with my friend and her family. Thank you.
I’ll ask if she wants to post pictures of Ellie to Anne Laurie.
There are llama at a place near here. They are lovely.
Goats are great.
MattR
@Maude: My mom bought this for my Ellie a few years ago. I threw it on a few times before I left her home alone but I don’t know if it actually had any affect.
Hob
@Maude: I don’t know greyhounds either, but what Shinobi and Elmo said is good dog advice in general. Four days really isn’t that long when a dog is settling into a new home and spending the night alone in an unfamiliar room. Even grown dogs are like children in that way… hell, I’m that way.
Hob
@elmo: KID PICTURES PLEASE!
Dork
@Mark S.: You may see cost-cutting, I see unabashed union bashing. It would be fun to see class sizes in the hundreds. And by “fun”, I mean “not fun”.
ET
I would give him a little luv if I could…..
Maude
@Hob:
After I move I whine for days. Thank you. My friend will so happy for the suggestions.
This is the best place for pet issues.
Maude
@MattR:
My friend will see this tomorrow. Isn’t that a cutie dog in the picture?
Punchy
@Maude: I posted a comment in teh other thread, but I’ll follow up here — if the adoptee has serious allergies, serious enough that wont allow the dog to sleep in the bedroom, I’m afraid the adoption shouldnt have taken place. Greys become very attached to their owners, and anything but next to (or on….grrr) the bed is sometimes not good enough. Since your friend is likely to crate her during the day, it’s not really a good idea to also crate her at nite. They need their time to run around…
I agree with Tamara that they are famously lazy, easy-to-hang-with dogs. Hopefully this works out. Also to remember– they are very much pack dogs. Getting a second one REALLY helped the first one with her seperation anxiety. Playmate and all that.
Yutsano
@Hob: I saw lambs out frolicking when I went to go visit my parents this weekend. Teh cute, it is too much.
And obligatory PUPPEH!! I almost got me one of those except my condo has a weight restriction on dogs. Friend of mine breeds them, scared the shit out of me first walking into his house, but once inside and sitting I had eight Dobie noses competing for scritches.
Punchy
I hope she doesn’t live in Wisky, or that could be short-lived.
Maude
@Punchy:
There are other family members. Ellie was from a GH rescue group and my friend was approved. This is only at night.
She will read your suggestion of a second dog and I will watch her face.
Thank you.
Punchy
@Punchy: I would also like to point out that 1 our greyhounds is also named Ellie. Small world, natch. And that’s the GH that had the whining issue. So maybe a solution is to change the dog’s name!
Shinobi
@Maude: Yeah, if she’s going to keep rewarding the whining, the whining will keep coming. Keep that in mind. You are training your dog even when you aren’t “Training your dog.”
Tim F.
@Maude: Agreed with Punchy about:
1) Adoption was a bad idea if allergies prevent the dog from being close.
2) A second grey would help, preferably not male/male.
also,
3) Your friend needs to stop reassuring the dog. That just reinforces the whining behavior.
4) Try moving the crate. Max _hated_ his crate when it was in the living room, but when we moved it under a table in the kitchen he seemed to almost like it. Also, a crate covered with a blanket or a towel will have more of a ‘den’ feel.
5) The wife and I handle separation anxiety by giving Max a big treat just as we are leaving. He is trained to wait for an ok to eat anything, so we set it down and then say ‘ok’ as we walk out the door. The anticipation and then the reward tends to overwhelm his anxious feelings. Even so the first few weeks were pretty whiny, especially for the neighbors.
Maude
@Tim F.:
Thank you. She does cover the crate.
The dog is from a GH rescue group and she does have some support.
They are in a house, so that’s good.
She will read this tomorrow.
They had a cat for years that died a few months ago. The allergies come into play if a dog is in the bedroom.
I think you’d have to pry Ellie out of my friend’s dead cold hands.
@Shinobi:
I may have mis spoken. I’m not sure my friend did anything when Ellie whined. She just said she was lacking sleep.
@Punchy:
How about Albertina? This family is so wonderful for a rescue dog. My friend is a children’s librarian and does storytime with a great craft two days a week. The kids love her.
I am glad the allergies didn’t stand in the way of Ellie having a good home.
elmo
@Shinobi:
Truer words were never spoken. You are ALWAYS training your dog.
Svensker
@Shinobi:
Thank you. I’ve been trying to post about the Pat. McConnell book and FYWP keeps eating the posts.
Spanish Moss
@Maude: We got a rescue greyhound three years ago, and he also had trouble sleeping at night at first. The greyhound rescue group suggested crating him, but we hated the idea and didn’t do it. It turned out that he was uncomfortable sleeping alone. His bed was in the family room, so we took turns sleeping on the couch, and he was fine. After a week or so, he was comfortable enough to sleep by himself.
Maude
@Spanish Moss:
Thank you. Perhaps her son will sleep with Ellie.
ruemara
@elmo:
Pics or it didn’t happen. Seriously, congrats! And if you need a lawn to feed them on, mine is available. & I love goat cheese.
@maude 4 days isn’t much time, but given the wonderful advice others have stated already, just know I stand with you as the owner of a high volume, screaming cat for over 15 years.
I would kiss that doggie nose until my lips fell off. That is all. SOLIDARITY NOW!
Shinobi
@elmo: Nothing like lessons learned the hard way.
Delia
Awww . . . I met a puppy who looked just like yours at the vet’s office last week. I was in by myself to pick up meds for my dog. Her owners clearly adored her, but she came up to me for more loves. Had to give her a few pets.
geg6
Mwa, mwa, mwa, mwa. Good boy, Max. You are a very good, cute boy.
Man, I love Dobies.
Maude
@ruemara:
And you love kitty to bits. Thank you so much.
This dog is so lucky to be with my friend.
asiangrrlMN
Awwwww! Max is such a cute boy. Give that nose a smooch for me.
@elmo: Pics, please? Mebbe send ’em to Anne Laurie so she can front-page ’em?
gogol's wife
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I’m having a bad day and can’t take another Scott Walker post. This is just what I needed.
Royston Vasey
A picture of Christchurch city, seen from the port hills, taken a couple of minutes after the earthquake:
i.imgur.com/0vZbD.jpg
Tony in NZ
Stentor
Muchas Smooches Max!
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Scamp Dog
@Royston Vasey: Ouch! I hope that’s dust that got kicked up, and not smoke from fires…
I take it you must be OK, since you’re posting, but how is your home/family/workplace, and so on?
Tulpa
@joe from Lowell:
Considering Lincoln originally wanted to simply make the slavery issue go away by sending slaves back to Africa, and only issued the Emancipation Proclamation when he needed to shore up support among his abolitionist base due to the war going terribly…yes, that’s a very good comparison.