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(not a seizure)
This odd behavior has caused some concern to adopters who think it might be a seizure. It is not a seizure! It's not even unique to Greyhounds - other breeds reported to do this include the Bull Terrier and Basset Hound. They can be roused be a gentle nudge, and it seems to be harmless trait. Above is Julie Fitzpatrick's "Honey" trancing in their Christmas tree and to the right is Deb Lipartito's boy "Reo" trancing in some tall grass.
Nitting (not aggressive biting) Another behavior trait of some Greyhounds is called "nitting". When a Greyhound is very happy, and loves their "person" they may nibble at their arm or side (or any available skin) with their front teeth. It's actually an expression of great happiness but it might be misinterpreted as aggression. The nibble is hard enough to easily leave a bruise, so, although it's actually meant as a true compliment, it's wise to be careful. A variant of this is chattering and air snapping. When some greys are happy, they may chatter quite loudly, clicking their lower jaw as though they were cold. You may see a greyhound do this at meal time or when their "person" comes home. Air snapping is similar to nitting but instead of nibbling at your skin, they snap at the air. Again, this could easily be misinterpreted as aggression when it's not. The "snapping" is not aimed at you - it's aimed at the air. Your adoption group should be able to tell you whether the greyhound you're adopting does any of these things.
Grinning (not snarling)
Finally, there's "grinning", a facial expression shared with other breeds but also frequently misinterpreted. Grinning is usually a submissive expression although it looks very much like a snarl. The clue is in the rest of the Greyhound's body language and the circumstances that you see this. The right and left pictures below were taken after an exciting run and this greyhound - Rin - was really excited and happy! The middle picture, Fandango, was also simply an excited, happy fella!
Again, your adoption group should know whether your greyhound is likely to do these things. Sometimes, however, these traits don't appear til the greyhound has been in their new home long enough to be settled and relaxed.
Individually, any dog or cat can show an intolerance to any product, so when you try a new product it is always wise to observe your pet afterwards for any signs of a problem. If your individual Greyhound seems intolerant of something, look for a substitute.
Remember to weigh the brief annoyance of an odor, itch, or slight redness from a topical treatment against the long-term problems from a flea or tick infestation.
FLEA AND TICK PRODUCTS WE CARRY AND CAN RECOMMEND FOR YOUR GREYHOUND
HEARTWORM PRODUCTS FOR YOUR GREYHOUND - We strongly recommend year-round heartworm protection for your Greyhound
This page last updated 05/19/2007
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One Greyhound behavior that deserves mention in
their medical information is "trancing". Some greys seem to go into
a trance when they brush their back against low hanging branches or bushes.
They may actually stand motionless for several minutes with their eyes glazed
over as they seem to be feeling the touch of the branches.
