First week - how'd I do?

Turk's first week here has been a good one! He's been amazingly well-behaved for a 2 year old, and has a growing list of accomplishments.

His housebreaking has been perfect...ly amazing, lol.  No "accidents".  Period.  Even when left loose in the house while I'm gone.

Despite his nervousness in new places, he will "go" on lead!  He'll be much happier in a fenced yard, but it's nice to know he can be walked as well.

Turk didn't like the stairs much at first, but he quickly learned from the other hounds and he now flies up and down them fearlessly.

He's shown no interest in counter-surfing.

He's made no effort to chew things - except stuffies.  So far, shoes, books, furniture have all been safe..

He does like stuffies and nibbles at them, so I'm keeping an eye on that.  Some greyhounds really chew their toys and can hurt themselves by swallowing pieces.  Mostly, he just carries them and moves them around.  Look what he did in the middle of the night last night!!  I woke up to an empty stuffie-box!

Like many shy dogs, Turk wouldn't take a treat from my hand for the first few days .  I had to gently open his mouth, and actually put his nightly treat in his mouth, and then close his mouth around it!!  After about 3 days of that, he decided to risk taking it, lol, and now he's as eager as everyone else to get his nightly chew treat! 

Also, at first, it was hard to get him to his food dish in the kitchen.  Too scary.  Too new.  Too many thing nearby.  He ran to the back of the house.  Now?  He waits in the kitchen and goes to his dish without help!  From his first meal, he's always cleaned his bowl.  He eats great!


He's very comfortable with all my greyhounds, and follows their lead.  He just enjoys being with them.

The heavy rain today didn't bother him at all!  Instead of making a quick U-turn and running back inside, he followed Rising down the stairs and they were out for several minutes in the downpour.  He was a soggy doggy when he came in!!

So... what hasn't gone so well?  Turk does not crate well all by himself.  He went from "fine" on day 1, to bending the crate door and breaking one of the carabineers I was using to help keep it closed on day 4.  In his original home he crated well with other greyhounds nearby but, since I don't crate mine, he was alone and hated it.

My solution has been to not crate him.  I've left him loose in the house with my own hounds for the last 3 days.  The first 2 days, he was muzzled.  Today he was not muzzled.  It's been very successful so far.  He's much more relaxed and he's been very good - no soiling and no damaging mischief - even with my 5 hour absence.

Also, Turk is still very uneasy being approached.  He comes right up to me if I'm sitting or laying down, but not so much if I'm standing.  People standing up seem more intimidating to him than if they're closer to eye level. 

This shy boy has made far more progress than I was expecting for just a week.  Each success will lead to another.  Watching him grow will be like watching a flower bloom!!

Will close with 2 of my favorite pictures from his first week...