# German shepherd needs a new home



## Pickle304 (Feb 10, 2012)

Me and my boyfriend bought a German shepherd last week off someone on Gumtree. After asking the man a serious range of questions, meeting the dog and taking him out over two days we bought him. He travelled home to Edinburgh really well in car, was pretty much perfect everything we wanted how ever in the last week things have changed.

We now cannot take the dog out he is so terrified of people and traffic we cannot keep him, when we take him out anyone or thing who comes near us he runs at and barks at to defend us and him the thing is anyone who knows dogs knows he isnt vicious he is simply terrified and needs help, he is just really unsettled and if someone had experience or could pay for a trainer they would be getting an amazing dog since we bought him he has been nothing but protective and lovely to us its just the outdoors and visitors tothe home. We are unable to keep him or train him as we do not have any experience and feel its not right to keep him in a flat were there are children he will scare.

In the house its different hes really really smart has basic training, sit, lie down paw etc and stays pretty much silent he responds to his name eats regularly and isnt fussy and can be left alone in the house for quite a while without making a sound or having an accident he really is fantastic.

however we have phoned every rescue centre in edinburgh and most outside of edinburgh and none of them will take him. We were told if we cant manage him and they wont take him our other option is to have him put down cause its not fair to have him in a house were we are scared and cant give him the freedom he needs.

He isnt a bad dog sadly i think we have been lied to for money and he needs someone who has experience with German shepherds and training and can spend the time to help him if not I fear the worst as we cannot keep him like this we can barely take him out incase someone complains because they dont know his situation or he gets in an accident by running on the road or at another dog.

This dog has potential and hes stunning hes a full breed but i dont have papers to prove this as the last owner had nothing. we tried to do a good thing for this animal and its gone wrong please help us he has so much potential and with training he could be the best buddy a person could have.


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## DavieB (Mar 15, 2011)

Good luck finding someone with the dog training skill and experience to take him on. Really hope you get lucky. What age is he? 

Training and socialisation may hep small bits at a time. Just taking it slowly may be an option for you.


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## Pickle304 (Feb 10, 2012)

Thank you, The guy i bought him off said he is two but after seeing how much he has changed am not sure if I should believe anything he has said to be honest  I just want someone who can take him on and give him a chance, sadly we cant train him slowly as one of us works and I have become too scared as he is so big when i take him out he walks me which means i struggle holding him back when he is worked up.


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## jagos12 (Aug 4, 2008)

have you tried german shepherd rescue or tried their forum, they may put you in touch with a foster home


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## white (May 16, 2009)

my dog kane(avatar pic) is exactly the same,but i love him to bits and would never part with him.The trouble is if you took him to a rescue centre they'll probably just put him down.


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## Pickle304 (Feb 10, 2012)

Yeah we tried but there is an anverage of a 3 month waiting list and we cannot wait its making me ill im too scared to take him out and i know someone else with the experience could give him such a good home when hes trained. In doors hes a softy but now when i come in house he isnt even sure of me and everywhere i phone is full or has waiting lists.


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## jagos12 (Aug 4, 2008)

GSD rescue help lots of the older poor dogs which other rescues would pts just because they are old. They try very hard to re-home dogs with problems to good foster homes where they will be looked after and trained. They don't just pts just because the dog has a few behavioural problems.

may be worth going straight to their forum and get advice directly or to put him up for re-home where more people with experience with problem GSD's could help


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## white (May 16, 2009)

use a halti or gentle leader which goes round his head,that will stop him from pulling and give you more control.When he see's something and starts barking talk to him gently to reassure him and don't shout as he is scared and will make the situation worse.


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## jagos12 (Aug 4, 2008)

A halti round his head is a good idea, problem is its now a vicious cycle he knows your afraid of something and that will make him more protective. you need to show him that you are the one that deals with any threats not him and you are in charge of everything outside. but remain calm but strong, as white said don't shout angrily at him as he wont understand
try changing routine or start out in the garden, if he starts to play up get his attention and bring him to your side and tell him no. when he has sat for a few seconds give him lots of fuss then you say when its ok to walk on but you lead first. when he is looking like he is going to play up you need to divert his attention as quickly as possible. You haven't had him long so he is still finding his place in your home and gsd's like to push boundries so you can't give in.


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## Pickle304 (Feb 10, 2012)

Thats what we have been doing if he stops and we distract him we reward him but its everything we wld be stoppign every other minute it means people who walk past us in street are scared and its horrible cause they dont understand why hes being like that even though we do, we try praise him and keep him right in next to us till we are away but if other dogs are off their leash and or a car goes past he goes mental  we tried a muzzle and he did not like it but sadly it was too big so done nothing.


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## Dibles (Nov 7, 2011)

How old is he and where are you??


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## jagos12 (Aug 4, 2008)

unfortunately you will have to stop every few minutes and you will et people who will not understand what you are trying to do (they probably never owned a gsd let alone one which has a problem) Gsd's can be very difficult to socialize when they are slightly older if they haven't been socialized as a pup. Try a smaller muzzle and very short walks and just keep stopping when you need to. try and avoid other dogs untill you have control of him. if you have your dog under control and another dog comes bounding over just do your best to walk away or tell the owners he is not good with other dogs, it will then be there choice to control their dog or not, if not report them.
i don't mean to sound bossy but i'm going throuh this situation with mine because of a rather unpleasant postman who has given our dog some real protecting problems. I'm really passionate about gsd's and they are very misunderstood dogs. Their instinct to guard and protect is very strong and can lead them to be very highly strung.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

He sounds just like my GSD too! It's very common behaviour in GSDs, especially those that haven't been socialised properly and trained properly from being a pup.

I took mine on at 11 months old and he'd had no training at all, didn't know what 'sit' meant let alone any other training commands and couldn't walk on a lead, just pulled like a train and choked himself.

We've had him for 2 years now and he's still a problem, but we knew if we sent him back he'd end up unhomeable, so we persevered.

We got a halti so that he couldn't pull and it worked a treat. Every time I walked past anyone he would grab at them or their clothes, so once he'd settled down a bit I took him to a town centre and walked him around and around the main street for an hour until he would walk past people without grabbing them. He's very disciplined now and extremely obediant, but if he sees another dog nearby he'll go for it and totally ignore me calling him back until he reaches the dog and then he panics and comes back to me. For that reason he is never allowed off the leash unless I'm in the middle of a huge field or beach and I can see all around in case a dog suddenly appears.

The problem is with rescues that basically they're all full! So you will struggle to find anyone who can take him, unless an individual is prepared to take on the challenge.


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## Pickle304 (Feb 10, 2012)

Aww sounds like youve done a fab job you should be proud, also sounds adorable that he panics and comes back  we have a girl coming to see him tomorrow so hoping that works out she sounds eager and liek she can really help  Appreciate all the advice everyone has gave me thank you


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Unfortunately, it's *after* he's attacked the dog, then the 'instant reaction' has passed and he thinks - and that's when he realises he's in trouble and runs back to me. So now he's not let off the lead.

He is a nightmare and if I had £1 for every time I've thought about sending him back I'd be rich! :lol2:

But sadly it isn't his fault! :sad:

Hope you can sort something out tomorrow! :2thumb:


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## ryanr1987 (Mar 7, 2009)

I'm sorry but why the hell would you take on a dog without wanting to carry the heavy water? Not every dog is going to be perfect right away it takes time! If your serious about a dog then work with the dog, Get a muzzle for safety then start trying to introduce the dog slowly. 

I had a German shepherd who was exactly the same and if she was still alive i would of stuck with her for life and never given up on her. You took on a breed that is well notorious for it's anxiety problems which could of been from poor breeding from parents who share this common trait.


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## white (May 16, 2009)

ryanr1987 said:


> I'm sorry but why the hell would you take on a dog without wanting to carry the heavy water? Not every dog is going to be perfect right away it takes time! If your serious about a dog then work with the dog, Get a muzzle for safety then start trying to introduce the dog slowly.
> 
> I had a German shepherd who was exactly the same and if she was still alive i would of stuck with her for life and never given up on her. You took on a breed that is well notorious for it's anxiety problems which could of been from poor breeding from parents who share this common trait.


what happened to your dog?


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## ryanr1987 (Mar 7, 2009)

white said:


> what happened to your dog?


She died of Kidney failure.


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

ryanr1987 said:


> You took on a breed that is well notorious for it's anxiety problems which could of been from poor breeding from parents who share this common trait.


There is only one colour of German Shepherd notorious for anxiety. They are not a notoriously anxious breed and no-one should accept that as a breed trait.

The only anxiety from a properly bred and brought up German shepherd should be when you are going off without them to protect you. ie when you are out and the family splits up and they cannot guard you all. That is not an anxiety problem, it is intelligence.

Yes people here have had or have met anxious aggressive GSDs, but there are examples of that in every breed. Do not try to paint all our GSDs with one brush created for some white GSDs and some of those bad starts. MY GSD by the way and all before were rescues and the only odd time she is anxious is when she is scared to jump in water without knowing its depth...but then so am I it is not an "anxiety problem".


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

feorag said:


> Unfortunately, it's *after* he's attacked the dog, then the 'instant reaction' has passed and he thinks - and that's when he realises he's in trouble and runs back to me. So now he's not let off the lead.
> 
> He is a nightmare and if I had £1 for every time I've thought about sending him back I'd be rich! :lol2:
> 
> ...


Have you ever had the opportunity to go on a group walk with GSD people. I think many people run them weekly or monthly across the country on the BIGGSD site. Or they may know where one is closest to you (well worth thetrip) I wonder if given a few hours, starting muzzled whether Skye could be much improved when he breaks the vicious circle of 
him attacking->you getting anxious about him attacking->he becomes more likely to attack. 
People start with dogs every bit as troubled as Skye and you would be amazed the number of times it works, far far more than it fails.


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## ryanr1987 (Mar 7, 2009)

Kare said:


> There is only one colour of German Shepherd notorious for anxiety. They are not a notoriously anxious breed and no-one should accept that as a breed trait.
> 
> The only anxiety from a properly bred and brought up German shepherd should be when you are going off without them to protect you. ie when you are out and the family splits up and they cannot guard you all. That is not an anxiety problem, it is intelligence.
> 
> Yes people here have had or have met anxious aggressive GSDs, but there are examples of that in every breed. Do not try to paint all our GSDs with one brush created for some white GSDs and some of those bad starts. MY GSD by the way and all before were rescues and the only odd time she is anxious is when she is scared to jump in water without knowing its depth...but then so am I it is not an "anxiety problem".


Hence why i said poor breeding and many are poorly bred sadly : victory: There are good breeders out there of german shepherds but sadly this breed is commonly a dog that has been bred from poor examples for many years. In my experience i have came across more nervous/anxious examples then balanced. I believe if purchased from a good breeder and good knowledge you can get brilliant examples. I would never tar anything with the same brush so i think you have taken my post wrong I think they are amazing dogs but sadly a breed that gets bred by the wrong people.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Kare said:


> Have you ever had the opportunity to go on a group walk with GSD people. I think many people run them weekly or monthly across the country on the BIGGSD site. Or they may know where one is closest to you (well worth thetrip) I wonder if given a few hours, starting muzzled whether Skye could be much improved when he breaks the vicious circle of
> him attacking->you getting anxious about him attacking->he becomes more likely to attack.
> People start with dogs every bit as troubled as Skye and you would be amazed the number of times it works, far far more than it fails.


Unfortunately I haven't! I don't even know a GSD owner!

I might see if I can arrange something through a GSD breeder and trainer who lives not far from here.


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

You've had the dog a week and giving up already?

He needs socialising properly, training properly and exercising properly.

The behaviour hes displaying will be fantastic for someone looking for a guard dog for their land........ and god knows what will happen in that situation ( i know everyone who wants a guard dog isnt the same...)

Get a GSD experienced behaviourist and trainer, you soon may have the dog you wanted in the first place.


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## white (May 16, 2009)

Mischievous_Mark said:


> You've had the dog a week and giving up already?
> 
> He needs socialising properly, training properly and exercising properly.
> 
> ...


that's not technically true as i have hired many trainers,including some very well known ones.None of them have been able to sort out my GSD kanes problems.They all said it's down to poor breeding and that he is white.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

gsd`s are protective of their pack.

its a breed trait, why on earth have you picked a gsd if you wernt expecting him to act like a gsd?

if you send him to a dog pound he`ll be pts as they are all full.

if you`re throwing in the towel already try and place him in a breed rescue, at least he`ll have the chance of getting placed in a better home.


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

white said:


> that's not technically true as i have hired many trainers,including some very well known ones.None of them have been able to sort out my GSD kanes problems.They all said it's down to poor breeding and that he is white.


 
But at least then they'll have a good idea of what could be causing the problems.

Passing the dog on to someone else will only make the problem worse as the dog will be more stressed.


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## white (May 16, 2009)

Mischievous_Mark said:


> But at least then they'll have a good idea of what could be causing the problems.
> 
> Passing the dog on to someone else will only make the problem worse as the dog will be more stressed.


the point you made were that all gsd can be sorted out which is not the case.I do agree though that before buying any dog the breed should be researched.


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

white said:


> the point you made were that all gsd can be sorted out which is not the case.I do agree though that before buying any dog the breed should be researched.


 
Sorry but where did i say All GSD can be sorted out ? 

That maybe the way you read it, but was certainly not how i typed it :lol2:


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## white (May 16, 2009)

Mischievous_Mark said:


> Sorry but where did i say All GSD can be sorted out ?
> 
> That maybe the way you read it, but was certainly not how i typed it :lol2:


you said get a trainer with experience with GSD and you'll soon have the dog you wanted.That implies the problems can be sorted which is not always the case.


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

white said:


> you said get a trainer with experience with GSD and you'll soon have the dog you wanted.That implies the problems can be sorted which is not always the case.


 
Aahh yes i see how that reads, i thought you meant the part you quoted. I shoudl of added and maybe you'll soon ( my bad )


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Pickle304 said:


> Me and my boyfriend bought a German shepherd last week off someone on Gumtree. After asking the man a serious range of questions, meeting the dog and taking him out over two days we bought him. He travelled home to Edinburgh really well in car, was pretty much perfect everything we wanted how ever in the last week things have changed.
> 
> We now cannot take the dog out he is so terrified of people and traffic we cannot keep him, when we take him out anyone or thing who comes near us he runs at and barks at to defend us and him the thing is anyone who knows dogs knows he isnt vicious he is simply terrified and needs help, he is just really unsettled and if someone had experience or could pay for a trainer they would be getting an amazing dog since we bought him he has been nothing but protective and lovely to us its just the outdoors and visitors tothe home. We are unable to keep him or train him as we do not have any experience and feel its not right to keep him in a flat were there are children he will scare.
> 
> ...


 
This poem sums it up perfectly!!


*Baggage (the meaning of rescue)*


Now that I'm home, bathed, settled and fed,
All nicely tucked in my warm new bed,
I'd like to open my baggage,
Lest I forget,
There is so much to carry,
So much to regret. 
Hmmm...Yes, there it is, right on the top,
Let's unpack Loneliness, Heartache and Loss,
And there by my perch hides Fear and Shame.
As I look on these things I tried so hard to leave,
I still have to unpack my baggage called Pain.
I loved them, the others, the ones who left me,
But I wasn't good enough - for they didn't want me. 
Will you add to my baggage?
Will you help me unpack?
Or will you just look at my things,
And take me right back?
Do you have the time to help me unpack?
To put away my baggage, to never repack?
I pray that you do - I'm so tired you see,
But I do come with baggage,
Will you still want me? 

*By Evelyn Colbath*


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

That's my Skye - a lot of baggage! :lol2:

But one day, probably in about another 4 - 6 years time, he'll be the dog we thought he was when we decided to offer him a home!


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## sophs87 (Jan 25, 2009)

Shell195 said:


> This poem sums it up perfectly!!
> 
> 
> *Baggage (the meaning of rescue)*
> ...


 
Nearly made me cry


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

I understand what most are saying, but if these people had no idea what they were taking on and do not have the tools to help him then both they and the dog could be better served by him being in another home. 

I hope someone with the knowledge to help him can assess him and get to the root of what are really his issues and what are symptoms of being in the hands of less confident owners and find the right home for him, which may be where he is or may well be elsewhere.

What I would hate to see is a situation where another GSD is damaging the breed reputation because he is in the wrong hands or worse him stuck in a home where, as is the situation at present, he is not getting out because they are too scared to walk him. That is no life for him.

I hope noone takes this as a reason to not rescue a dog, but if you're not confident you have the skills to handle most of what a dog can throw at you please please rehome from a small private rescue who have assessed the dog, not through Gumtree!!


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## Pickle304 (Feb 10, 2012)

Kare said:


> I understand what most are saying, but if these people had no idea what they were taking on and do not have the tools to help him then both they and the dog could be better served by him being in another home.
> 
> I hope someone with the knowledge to help him can assess him and get to the root of what are really his issues and what are symptoms of being in the hands of less confident owners and find the right home for him, which may be where he is or may well be elsewhere.
> 
> ...


 

I think you understand where Im coming from more, we do love him to bits and hes an amazing dog but we dont know what we are doing the day we got him home he was like perfect i knew he wld become unsettled and i was prepared for this but the extent of the problem of the walking has become is unreal he is getting walked but at irregular times and not for long because its too stressful for him and us he is terrified of pretty much everything outside it breaks my heart. I tried to do right by taking an older dog who needed help rather than a puppy when i know theres dogs who already need homes, and im trying to do right by him and find someone experienced to help and im sorry but if he wasnt with us doing our best then where would he be? i wouldnt like to think. And as for the person who posted the poem thanks you couldnt have made me feel any worse about the whole thing but at the end of the day nobody is perfect and making me feel worse than i already do isnt getting me anywhere or helping atall so thanks for that.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I do agree with you Kare, as it does sound as if the owners didn't know what they were taking on. I would class myself as a reasonably knowledgeable dog owner, who just hasn't had a dog for a long time because the circumstances weren't right for the dog, but I was taken in when I took Skye. He was very subdued when we went to see him, obviously hadn't a clue what was happening to him, but showed no aggression in his fear, which my previous GSD would have done if he was really frightened, so I believed the breeder and I took Skye on with a lot of confidence.

If Pickle really doesn't feel that they can work with the dog and iron out his problems, which won't all go away, then he probably is better going to someone with more experience than she has, but this isn't a good time to try and rehome dogs, sadly! :sad:

Pickle would you not work with an experienced dog behaviourist to try and sort out his problems, or can you not make that commitment? It seems such a shame, because a dog with anxieties, will have problems with those anxieties every time his life changes. We've found with Skye that his normal routine is copable - if we introduce something new into the mix his anxieties come to the fore and he just tries too hard and winds himself up into a squealing wreck basically, so we keep everything simple.


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## Pickle304 (Feb 10, 2012)

feorag said:


> I do agree with you Kare, as it does sound as if the owners didn't know what they were taking on. I would class myself as a reasonably knowledgeable dog owner, who just hasn't had a dog for a long time because the circumstances weren't right for the dog, but I was taken in when I took Skye. He was very subdued when we went to see him, obviously hadn't a clue what was happening to him, but showed no aggression in his fear, which my previous GSD would have done if he was really frightened, so I believed the breeder a
> and I took Skye on with a lot of confidence.
> 
> If Pickle really doesn't feel that they can work with the dog and iron out his problems, which won't all go away, then he probably is better going to someone with more experience than she has, but this isn't a good time to try and rehome dogs, sadly! :sad:
> ...


 
Yeah thats how it went when we picked him up you would never have known and the guy seemed so genuine and i thought he was answering our questions with honest answers but now im not so sure. We cannot afford a dog behaviourist and its now at the stage my boyfriend is doing everything because im too scared to walk kane and i feel really uncomfortable alone with him and i know he can tell when somethings up Im going to try and go see him today when my boyfriends out see if he settles with me but i dont have the strength and confidence to take him out. We are just trying our best to find him a home soon befor ehe settles and its worse and get him someone who knows what they are doing.


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## Postcard (Aug 29, 2010)

Pickle304 said:


> I think you understand where Im coming from more, we do love him to bits and hes an amazing dog but we dont know what we are doing the day we got him home he was like perfect i knew he wld become unsettled and i was prepared for this but the extent of the problem of the walking has become is unreal he is getting walked but at irregular times and not for long because its too stressful for him and us he is terrified of pretty much everything outside it breaks my heart. I tried to do right by taking an older dog who needed help rather than a puppy when i know theres dogs who already need homes, and im trying to do right by him and find someone experienced to help and im sorry but if he wasnt with us doing our best then where would he be? i wouldnt like to think. And as for the person who posted the poem thanks you couldnt have made me feel any worse about the whole thing but at the end of the day nobody is perfect and making me feel worse than i already do isnt getting me anywhere or helping atall so thanks for that.


I am so sorry to hear how awful you feel and to see other people casting their damning judgement on you - even if you had gone down a route with professionally assessed dogs, you may still have ended up to something different to what you'd expected because that has been my own personal experience. Having said that, the rescue we do have is 100% as we were told she would be so it is variable.

Firstly - kudos to you for attempting to do the right thing.
Kudos to you for taking on a large guarding breed which are harder to rehome, kudos to you for asking lots of questions, sorry it's not going that well for you.

What I would say is this - if the dog clearly isn't used to being taken on long walks, don't feel you HAVE TO at this stage. If you have a house and garden, perhaps a couple of weeks with lots of praise, fun games and obedience training in the house and garden will give your pup time to adjust to things and for his true colours to come out. Then, and only then, when you're feeling mentally ready to cope with it, you can take him out on a walk, on lead, stop and praise him everytime you see someone or a dog anywhere approaching in the distance and see if you can re-condition him into finding the experience a positive one - even if you're on a waiting list for another rescue.

I'm going to be 100% honest with you and say this: Do NOT feel that this is a burden which you HAVE to deal with at the expense of your own happiness - get back in touch with the original owner and see if he can come out and help you, or take him back. My opinion is that if you don't have trust in the animal or are completely overwhelmed by the situation, then you're probably not the right owner for that animal and its particular problems and there is a danger to the dog itself / other people / dogs if things go belly up. 

You haven't CREATED a problem - you've taken on someone else's, and a sense of guilt is not a good or healthy reason to be a dog owner. Having said that, if you are prepared to work at it, it's likely you'll get the dog you originally bought - it's in there somewhere underneath all the upheaval that's hiding it just now.

Basically, I just think it's an absolutely horrible situation to be in and I really, really feel for you - even with the best of intentions, sometimes the reality is just too much of a challenge and not in anyone's best interests in the situation. 

Anyway, I would keep him for the length of a waiting list for a good rescue place - even if that means in the house and garden, and walked at night when no-one's about.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

To be honest if you are that scared of him, then I see no point in you keeping him honestly! The one thing about Skye is that I am not at all frightened of him - I'm frightened of what he might be capable of in a totaly fearful situation, but I'm certainly not frightened of him. I've never thought at any time whatsoever that he would go for me.


Pickle304 said:


> And as for the person who posted the poem thanks you couldnt have made me feel any worse about the whole thing but at the end of the day nobody is perfect and making me feel worse than i already do isnt getting me anywhere or helping atall so thanks for that.


I think what Shell was trying to do was to explain to you that it's very rare that 'perfect' dogs end up needing to be rehomed - it's almost always the ones with problems or 'baggage' as the poem says that are being shoved off onto other people, so to a degree anyone taking on a dog in a rescue should be prepared for that dog to have problems.

As Shell is trustee for an animals sanctuary, she is one of the people who end up clearing up a lot of these messes, because people have been taken in by someone, as in your case (and to a degree mine) or have thought it would help to rehome an adult dog, without taking into account that almost every time that dog will come with 'baggage'


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

I always worry as, although I will die before it happens, I feel should anyone else receive my German shepherd I wonder what problems they would have with her and would probably build upon each other to make a problem dog.

My life with my German shepherd is 100% about two way communication, a partnership. I know from experience what words are needed at which time from her telling me with body language and she trusts in those. Even something as subtle as to say "baby girl" instead of "Morgan" is communicating something different to her, that we never trained for and never thought about, but just exists. She knows I will say "baby girl" when I am relaxed and "Morgan" when more stressed far sooner than I would ever have worked out what I do subconsciously.

For example- If she sees an unbalanced dog I need to tell her the next step so she does not make the wrong decision and guard me from it. I read from her there is something wrong there and I have to tell her if to stand still (wait) or if to walk on (on by) it is a simple and seamless walk, I do not have to think about it any more than I have to think about saying thank you to someone serving me in a shop, but without it would she walk up to dogs that would hurt her? Would she after a time become anxious and attack back, something that is totally not in her character? If she was then put on a lead to pass dogs attached to an anxious new owner as she is "aggressive". Then the next step is she is protecting this person from something that makes THEM anxious and..... How long until she is a long way down a path that with me does not even exist our our wildest nightmares?

So I wonder when the report you get from the past owner doesn't match the reports of the new owner how much is lie (which no doubt often is the case) and how much is just a handful of subtle missed signals that the dog and the previous owner never even knew were happening but make a world of difference.


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## em_40 (Sep 29, 2010)

Kare said:


> I always worry as, although I will die before it happens, I feel should anyone else receive my German shepherd I wonder what problems they would have with her and would probably build upon each other to make a problem dog.
> 
> My life with my German shepherd is 100% about two way communication, a partnership. I know from experience what words are needed at which time from her telling me with body language and she trusts in those. Even something as subtle as to say "baby girl" instead of "Morgan" is communicating something different to her, that we never trained for and never thought about, but just exists. She knows I will say "baby girl" when I am relaxed and "Morgan" when more stressed far sooner than I would ever have worked out what I do subconsciously.
> 
> ...


Even just between myself and my partner my dog is a completely different dog, I don't think they have any mutual respect for each other to be honest, my dog I could say is very well mannered, listens to everything I say, waits at the front door to be allowed to enter, sits, lies down (doesn't do much else) but with anyone else he's pretty pushy, my OH is forever getting annoyed by the dog knocking him over when he enters or exits a room, and speaking to him doesn't come very naturally to my OH. Like you I taught 'wait' and 'come on' just by saying it without even thinking.

My dog is also a dog that came with more problems than I expected, I had walked him through feilds and past people for weeks before agreeing to take him on, but I didn't anticipate the fear of vehicles (especially motor bikes and lorries) and also some dogs (seemed totally random agression towrd some and not others) I now after walking him at roughly the same time after a while know which dogs he really hates (usually labradors, and he doesn't like boxers or big bouncy dogs much either), and the lunging and barking at noisy vehicles was quite easy to train out of him as soon as I realised what it was and could then expect when it was going to happen, and distract and assure him before he went flying off in a rage. I've only just recently started letting him off lead though and I still put him back on to meet dogs, just in case, though he met his first dog off lead the other day  (My dog is German shepherd cross collie)

It's very difficult to get of the cycle once it starts, he suprises you so you become scared, next time you are waiting for it to happen so it makes the dog tense, so it happens again and again getting worse. I could tell it was happening with me when my dog met other dogs, after he went for one I didn't want it to happen again, I get why are you scared, especially if he is protecting you from everything, mine was always ok wth people walking by. If you aren't confident then you will only make the behaviour worse so I do think it's right to rehome him in this case, just make sure you are honest yourself so that the potential owners know they have problems to work with.


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## Pickle304 (Feb 10, 2012)

annabel said:


> I am so sorry to hear how awful you feel and to see other people casting their damning judgement on you - even if you had gone down a route with professionally assessed dogs, you may still have ended up to something different to what you'd expected because that has been my own personal experience. Having said that, the rescue we do have is 100% as we were told she would be so it is variable.
> 
> Firstly - kudos to you for attempting to do the right thing.
> Kudos to you for taking on a large guarding breed which are harder to rehome, kudos to you for asking lots of questions, sorry it's not going that well for you.
> ...


 
Thank you for making me feel slightly less like the worst person ever, i feel like ive let him down because i cant get the confidence with him. We dont have a garden and to get to the nearest to parks there is two main roads which we get to and turn back as we cant get him to cross  Its beginning to take over everything we do because i cant go in my boyfriends house he is being left to care for Kane, i want to visit him and take him out but for some reason i cant Im not scared off him in the sense he would hurt me its how strong is he at reacting to things outside that scare him or that he feels he needs to defend us from. I know with training from the right owner who has the time he would be the best pet and friend for someone he is really smart. I have been in touch with the man we bought him off and he says he lives in a hostel now and to put kane in a home which we cannot do as everywhere is full and i know they wouldnt give him the time he needs. I feel like its a problem we cant get out of because the longer hes with us the more nervous im getting and its not fair on him he isnt getting nearly enough excercise because walks are such a mission to get through and end up in my bf and Kane being stressed and upset.


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## Pickle304 (Feb 10, 2012)

em_40 said:


> It's very difficult to get of the cycle once it starts, he suprises you so you become scared, next time you are waiting for it to happen so it makes the dog tense, so it happens again and again getting worse. I could tell it was happening with me when my dog met other dogs, after he went for one I didn't want it to happen again, I get why are you scared, especially if he is protecting you from everything, mine was always ok wth people walking by. If you aren't confident then you will only make the behaviour worse so I do think it's right to rehome him in this case, just make sure you are honest yourself so that the potential owners know they have problems to work with.


Thats exactly how i feel like the more it happens the harder im finding it to overcome  he knows im scared so he gets worse trying to protect me and hes also scare doff traffic etc. im not confident atall me and my bf bought him together and since thursday he has done it all alone because i feel sick with nerves, its not that i personally think kane would hurt me or bite anyone its the lunging and barking i cant control so i painc and im worried if someone outside sees him like that they will think he has bad intentions and will complain to somewhere when really they just dont know whats wrong and thats hes misunderstood.


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## Oh How Original (Nov 24, 2010)

Sorry if someone has already mentioned this but I haven't read any of the replies.
I got myself a rottweiler puppy about 3 months ago, and I take her for the same walk when we go out, but one of the roads near my house, she is really scared of it for some reason and always has been, she can't wait to get off it and pulls like hell, anyway I tried by holding a treat in my hand at about waist height, and slowly she is getting less scared of it when she has something to focus on, it's about a quarter mile road, and I usually only give her 2-3 treats along the whole road, as I keep them in my hand as a distraction... She seems to be getting better, so maybe try a similar method of distraction?
But don't give him too many of them, otherwise he may become a bit more wise to what you're doing and stop paying attention.


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## Pickle304 (Feb 10, 2012)

Oh How Original said:


> Sorry if someone has already mentioned this but I haven't read any of the replies.
> I got myself a rottweiler puppy about 3 months ago, and I take her for the same walk when we go out, but one of the roads near my house, she is really scared of it for some reason and always has been, she can't wait to get off it and pulls like hell, anyway I tried by holding a treat in my hand at about waist height, and slowly she is getting less scared of it when she has something to focus on, it's about a quarter mile road, and I usually only give her 2-3 treats along the whole road, as I keep them in my hand as a distraction... She seems to be getting better, so maybe try a similar method of distraction?
> But don't give him too many of them, otherwise he may become a bit more wise to what you're doing and stop paying attention.


Thats one of the methods we have trying, the girl who came to meet him yesterday said we got it wrong its not fear its car chasing like he was going for prey when he runs at cars so now we have to ignore him getting worked up when he calms down reward him instead so he learns it snot bad or good


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## Pickle304 (Feb 10, 2012)

Just wanted to let everyone know we have found Kane a new home. The girl that came to see him yesterday has decided to rehome him with her and her other GSD who is coming to meet Kane on Tuesday, shes really good with him and seems to know alot and I think she will do Kane proud. Thanks for everyones advice and help!


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Glad you've managed to sort something out - that's a hard lesson you've learned there, both about people and dogs!


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## TalulaTarantula (Jan 21, 2011)

Wish i lived near you! id love to work on him. by the sounds of it he just needs time and patience with a confident handler, what you need to do is find the root of the problem,
The reason he is lashing out, is that he is nervous like you said and the only way he knows how to deal with it is lashing out, i have seen this with alot of dogs that have been shut away and not socialised properly, aswell as alowed to act like a proper dog and learn their ways and behaviour.

It can be quite draining and challenging if you go into his training half hearted, if hes not dog aggressive, maybe you could find a friend that has a dog thats well behaved and confident outside, so he can spend sometime with and learn that its not all that big and scary out there, for now try and avoid areas that are busy and have alot going on, maybe a quite park somewhere or a country village where he will be coming across people but not alot of them.

As for GSD rescue they are quite good, the took in and rehomed my old 8 month GSD, if that fails aproach a local reputable GSD breeder or training club, as they often have a soft spot for the "sad cases" and more than likely offer a loving knowledgable home and if not put you in contact with someone who can.


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## Pickle304 (Feb 10, 2012)

TalulaTarantula said:


> Wish i lived near you! id love to work on him. by the sounds of it he just needs time and patience with a confident handler, what you need to do is find the root of the problem,
> The reason he is lashing out, is that he is nervous like you said and the only way he knows how to deal with it is lashing out, i have seen this with alot of dogs that have been shut away and not socialised properly, aswell as alowed to act like a proper dog and learn their ways and behaviour.
> 
> It can be quite draining and challenging if you go into his training half hearted, if hes not dog aggressive, maybe you could find a friend that has a dog thats well behaved and confident outside, so he can spend sometime with and learn that its not all that big and scary out there, for now try and avoid areas that are busy and have alot going on, maybe a quite park somewhere or a country village where he will be coming across people but not alot of them.
> ...


 
Hey he is going to his new home on wednesday to live with a girl ive been talkinG to who has another GSD already. She came to meet kane yesterday and im confident they she will get the best out of him and give him a great life.


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## TalulaTarantula (Jan 21, 2011)

Awh thats great, hope he gets on ok there!


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## Gemificus (Jan 26, 2007)

forget this post i read the OP already gave up.. and i'm unsure how to delete it


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

Pickle304 said:


> Hey he is going to his new home on wednesday to live with a girl ive been talkinG to who has another GSD already. *She came to meet kane yesterday and im confident they she will get the best out of him and give him a great life.*


 
You got that from one meeting?

People can be very deceiving when they want to, I've learnt this the hard way ( espically one or two on this forum ).

Have you been to see their home? Check the current health of their other dog? 

I don't mean to sound harsh but since my hard lesson's and that i help with homechecks with various rescues ive become far mroe stricter and rather hard to please when it comes ot homechecking :lol2:


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## Pickle304 (Feb 10, 2012)

Mischievous_Mark said:


> You got that from one meeting?
> 
> People can be very deceiving when they want to, I've learnt this the hard way ( espically one or two on this forum ).
> 
> ...


Yes after one visit and a lot of talking. I've met her other dog he seems very healthy and well trained she knows a lot about the breed amd is very confident  she met kane and had him behaving in 10 minutes it was incredible and she's back with her dog tomorrow with her dog again to make progress with them together before he moves on wed. She has friends in rescues and seems highly dedicated to the the breed am confident she will be good for him and is keeping intouch with his progress and pictures


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