Posted on 03/30/2012 7:26:44 PM PDT by pops88
I just sent the following to someone involved with animal rescue, and wanted to share with Freepers. It's been a very hard day here :
I found out last night my family has to move overseas in the next 5 days because of my husband's job. I have a highly intelligent, well trained, well behaved, 4 year old German Shepherd. If I can't find a foster or permanent home, he will have to be euthanized. I've worked with him extensively. He's obedient and knows many commands, but he's not been able to be socialized to other people or animals. From the time he was a puppy he was fearful of other people and I was unable change that behavior. As a family pet, he has been wonderful. He was neutered as soon as possible to avoid problems with dominance issues. Some of the commands he knows: sit, stay, lie down, leave it, drop it, take, put (here,) give, find (person/specific toy), back up,wait, shake,kiss, crate, etc.
He is pool safe. He does not enter bedrooms or bathrooms unless on command. He does not get on furniture or eat food that has not been given to him. He will not take food from counters, coffee tables or the garbage. He is housebroken. If his water is empty he will nudge his dish and sit and wait. If a toy is taken away and put up he will not try to take it back. He doesn't beg at the table. When I'm cooking he goes and lies down. He is in good health and not over weight.
He can be a big ham with doe eyes or a head plant on a knee when he wants attention. He's so smart and communicative that I've referred to him as our toddler. He was taught to heel as a puppy, but because of his fear and aggression with strangers and other animals he has not been walked on a leash for several years. He's had to be confined to our home and backyard. My husband is a pilot and was unemployed several times in the last few years because of the economy. It's been a real struggle for us. We didn't have the money to take him to a professional trainer to deal with his socialization issues, and he was too big for me to handle on walks. He would be an absolutely wonderful dog for someone willing to work with him.
I've kept a file on all his vet records and papers (purebred from East German blood lines.) We absolutely hate the thought of having to take him to the Humane Society and be put down when he's such a wonderful dog otherwise, but again, we have to move overseas on extremely short notice and we're all pretty much in shock. I live in Las Vegas and expect to be driving to Los Angeles on Tuesday.
“Your dog does not obey you....”
Excuse me?! My dog does obeys me 99.9% of the time unless put into a situation where he is fearful and instinct takes over. Do you know nothing about mental health issues? With the right look from me, he’d piss himself. My dog does not control my life, ruin my time with family or keep me all to himself. My husband came home today for potentially only one day. The dog was fed, let outside, and petted a couple of times. The rest of my day was spent in family time with my husband and daughter, with my dog very much in the background. I have always considered my dogs to be working animals and not jewelry, or there to fill some personal emotional need. I got my dog because my husband was gone 26-28 days a month and I live in a high crime area. I consider him a working dog. It’s a perk that we get some mutual affection.
“a shock collar may be the answer to essentially retrain him”
Please pimp you product somewhere else. I don’t think inflicting pain on a dog who is in fear is going to break that fear or re-train him. It is only going to reinforce his fear in the situation. If a child is fearful in a situation will a slap from a parent change that? No, it will only make the child more fearful of a future, similar situation and make him distrust the parent. Take psych 101 and get back to me.
And for the record, while I’m not a big fan of shock collars per se, I do recognize they can and do have a use in training under proper conditions, e.g. they’re great for training hunting dogs when they’re off and their owner isn’t at their side and a correction needs to be made. Punishing fear is only going to reinforce it, however.
There’s no need to be rude. I was making a suggestion based on comments you had made. Shock collars don’t work based on pain. They work by reinforcing commands and are especially effective with stubborn dogs and/or undesirable behavior such as what you described. They are an extremely effective training aid and are not cruel or inflict pain if used properly (some collars are combo tone/shock so the dog learns to respond to the tone). If anything they greatly benefit an animal who is not happy or in fear/disarray under certain circumstances. Do not make a judgement when you really know nothing about how they work.
Secondly, I’ll reiterate what I said about you and Alpha. Based on what you posted, your dog obeys you but only up to a point, he is constantly showing dominant behaviors which you “let him get away with” because you attribute human thoughts to your dog- nosing you when he knows he’s supposed to leave you alone, putting his feet inside the room he is not allowed in, etc. To you as a human it may be funny or cute, but to the dog, he has won. He’s not allowed in, but his feet are. Dog scores.
Well, I’ll just leave it at that. Like I said before, I hope it all works out.
“Do not make a judgement when you really know nothing about how they work.”
And you know that I don’t know they work how? My dog has definitely not won. Please share your credentials relating to dog training and knowledge. My dog tries the camel nose under the tent as a dominant dog. He gets no farther and it only takes a look for him to recede. I mostly don’t dignify his attempts. That’s a bigger slap to him.
“OMG, honey, the dog is dominating my life! Please make him stop breathing because it’s interfering with our time together. It’s just too distracting!”
A good belly laugh deserves to be shared.
TRICARE (the military insurance program) for our area will pay $120 for the initial intake session and $80 for subsequent sessions. Reimbursement rates vary based on region and local costs of living. (Before someone asks, I know TRICARE fee schedules for professional reasons. I have a psychologist in my family.)
Back on track, I grew up with German shepherds. I love the breed, and I know what they can do to bad people — I've been used for bite practice, and even with padded body protection, it hurt. There's no way I can help in your situation, but if you're getting some mental stress relief through FR interaction in coping with this horrible situation, I sincerely wish you well.
Let's hope Free Republic or some other source helps you find a forever home for your furry baby. I'm sure nobody in Free Republic's administration would be so crass as to ask for money for helping re-home your loved one, of course, and I very much hope to hear good news from you soon that FR was able to help.
Praise God for the work opportunity! What mixed emotions! May He find the right place for your beloved pet and for all the other pets and families in similar heart-wrenching situations.
That sounds wonderful!! I hope you'll keep us updated on his progress. He holds a rather special place in my heart & I am so happy that you are going with this choice.
If you are allowed - it would be great to see some pictures of him in training. He is such a handsome fur kid!!!
Some people don't understand that pets can become “furbabies,” and dealing with a pet's behavior problems can pose many of the same challenges as dealing with a behavior problem in a child.
My sincere best wishes to you as you seek to retrain your German Shepherd to be ready for a “forever home.”
Well, you didn't offer any explanation as to why you had to travel immediately, and couldn't follow him in a few weeks.
Would the police take the dog? he is so well trained or the military? wish I could take him but I live so far away and have a high strung lhasa poo.
Have just read through 195 posts on your thread. I wish you all the best in finding a new home for your dog, and relocating overseas. BUT PLEASE do not have your husband euthanized. Sounds like he is about to start a new job, and euthanizing him will not solve anything.
(SMILE)
Do you still have your dog? We would take him. We have two other dogs who love to play. Let us know please. I’m one old timer here on FR
I just re-read this entire thread. Several observations.
1. There are a lot of people here who have zero understanding of dogs... especially large breed potentially aggressive dogs.
2. There are a lot of people here who have no idea about training dogs or what training aids are for what issues.
3. For the people calling for the Euthenasia of this dog, please, shut up and go away.
There are many avenues of help and support for dogs like this one. Most people are too lazy to try to help the animal and immediately call for killing it. There are places across the nation that can take a dog with fear issues and turn it into a wonderful family dog. There are also organizations that can give the dog a wonderful home and a job to do that can have a wonderful impact on it’s mental health.
I’ve lived around big dogs for decades. I’ve trained big dogs and I’ve turned some real nasty potential killers into good dogs with patience and understanding of what is going on in the dogs mind. Now, it doesn’t work for every dog, but I’d never just kill a dog without trying.
I’d take the dog in myself except that I have 3 GSD’s now and no room for another one. I hope a good home can be found instead of killing the dog.
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