The ‘honeymoon period’ is the initial transitional phase after a dog is rehomed, and doesn’t just apply to greyhounds. During this time the dog is adjusting to their new home, family and environment.
Each dog is different
Now, not all dogs go through this: Some dogs are good and stay good, however some dogs will start to try and push the boundaries as they have settled in and try to rule the roost!
The length of a dog's honeymoon period does vary from dog to dog. One dog’s may only last a few days, whereas others can last a few weeks or even, in some cases, up to six months. This will completely depend on the dog's individual personality and experiences, and also the family lifestyle.
All about routine
In order to best help your dog during this time, you should establish a routine for you and the dog to follow each day, also making sure that everyone in the household is playing a part, as this means the dog knows it’s not just one person that feeds them.
Make sure your dog has their own space such as a crate or nice cosy bed so they can retreat to it and feel safe when needing time to decompress.
Try to limit outings and family visits at the very start, as this is all new to them and can overwhelm them, as some situations they may never have experienced beforehand.
On the same page
When the honeymoon period starts to come to an end, the dog’s behaviour can slightly change. You may think that you’ve done some solid training with them and they are at the point you want them to be at, however this is when they can start to push boundaries and test the waters to see if anyone in the family will crack.
We always say to our owners from the very start that everyone needs to be on the same page - for example, if one person says the dog isn’t allowed on the sofa, then no one lets the dog on the sofa.
This just ensures that the dog knows that one person isn’t easier to bribe than others, as they could start to pick on that person. When they try to test the boundaries, you need to reinforce everything you have already trained, and continue to do so.
We hope this helps, as we know a few of our owners have experienced this with their hounds.