Hi all my last post was about reserving a greyhound called Mini. I had the home check tonight and she was scared of the cat which I was happy about as I didn’t want the alternative. She seemed fine taking in her surroundings but when my Son started playing with a balloon she got scared and wanted out. The woman at the kennels was really good and explained that it can happen and she’ll subject her to her grandchildren when they come to visit. I am still wanting to take her on but is it normal for them to be so nervous and what can I do to help ease her fears? I don’t want her to be so nervous that she’ll turn on my Son if he spooks her.
Apart from that she is very sweet and quite reserved and the woman said that if any issues arise she’ll let me know
Thanks

If it’s an ex-racer then it’s quite normal for them to be nervous and apprehensive. She may have been kenneled all her life, with no paws on experience of balloons or children.

My hound is scared of balloons, horses, squeaky doors, garage doors, cars, ironing boards, vacuum cleaners, clothes horses etc but she is also the most gentle dog I’ve ever had. All you can do is provide a loving home, get her into a routine, make sure she spends lots of calm time with your son. Greyhounds are very adaptable.

Do you have the option of an extended home visit (couple of weeks)? This might help.

My 2 yearold came home from a trip to town with granny and had a dog shaped balloon. My lurcher was terrified of it. She is also scared of those clapper board signs outside paper shops god only knows why. Greyhound type dogs can be nervous of all sorts of things its no big deal really. A rescue hound will adapt pretty quick i would think.

Patience. And show them you are not scared of whatever it is too. Many owners of nervous dogs show anything but confidence when the dog freaks out and this only makes the pooch think they are right for being scared! If it looks at you and you are taking a confident interest in the thing it’s scared of it is more likely to think its ok.

The bad news is that most of what a dog is scared of is sealed in the first few months of its little life. The good news is old dogs can learn new tricks.

I picked up our lurcher rescue dog on Valentine’s day and they gave me a helium-filled, heart-shaped foil balloon to take with us. The poor dog went batshit mental at the big, floaty thing and eventually killed it whilst doing laps of the car (doing 70 on the dual carriageway).

He is still very nervous of lots of weird shit – some of it we can anticipate, some not. For the record, he’s been fine with our baby son – just walks away as soon as he’s approached mostly.