Stuck in a hard spot...

TheLadyHaze · 08-21-2011, 08:16 PM

First off hello and i am so glad i came across this site. Right now i am currently the owner of two GSDs. Luca is almost 2 yrs old and Leila is 8 months old. Both are unaltered and AKC registered. They live in the house with me and my two young boys (5yr and almost 3yr). We have a back yard that is fenced (half 3 1/2 ft and half 6ft! still a work in progress.)

This is my issue. Luca. He came home with me from a family that only breeds once a year, one female, in the house...very home oriented raising of puppies. He is just weeks away from turning 2 yrs old.

These are the problems i am having:
1) he has already jumped the fence and bit someone (hence a taller fence being installed)

2) He has been trying to break the boards off the fence to get out of the yard. (i've considered a possible female in heat in the neighborhood?)

3) He snapped at my 5 yr old and left a mark on his head. I was in the room and he has NEVER snapped at my kids, or growled or anything aggressive towards them. I didn't see a behavior that my son could have done to set him off. believe me i know my kids are no angels either!

4) I will be blending my family with my Fiance's soon. Luca, no matter how much we have tried to condition him to her, is aggressive towards my soon to be step daughter who is also 5yrs old. She is over all the time and i was hoping with treats and positive reinforcement he would accept her...i don't think this is going to be the case.

I feel like i've failed as a responsible dog owner to train him properly. When he can to live with me as a puppy, my life was so different. He and I tried the local training for puppies at the humane society, but he was so attached to me that he couldn't handle being in a room with a ton of other dogs. Around here there isn't an affordable trainer that is will work with you one on one...we live in a small town area.

When i added Leila to our family, it was with the intention of giving him a playmate and the prospect of breeding in the future. (i know there are a ton of puppies every year in shelters...i know! i worked hard everyday to get them homes when i worked for our local shelter...) every kennel or breeder starts somewhere.

I don't want anyone to think that i don't feel at fault for not giving him a better training or chance at being a good doggie citizen. In the last year i've: Lost a baby in misscarriage, my husband joined the army and left me right after the loss for 5 months, he came home we got pregnant again, at 9 weeks along he asked for a divorce, it was supposed to be final in April but i've been fighting him because he contested it for four months now...i am maybe two weeks away from having baby boy #3, I used to be able to be a stay at home mom too. not any more! my life has done a total turn around from where i thought i was going to where i am now definitely going to be. Almost all of it for the better (especially the cheating hubby is now an exhubby!)

What can i do about my GSD?! i feel like it's my fault that he is unhappy and aggressive. I feel like i can't keep him because of my new lack of time, lack of a better income, for fear of the safety of the kids as well. Am i even going to be able to find a home for him if he wants to eat everyone but me? i've considered neutering him, but he is already 2yrs with a bit history, would it help? i am willing to admit that i am in over my head.

i really don't know what to do.

BowWowMeow · 08-21-2011, 08:26 PM

Have you been in touch with his breeder? I wonder if you could get some help there.

What kind of training are you currently doing with him? You mentioned that he couldn't handle a class situation--is he shy or fearful?

TheLadyHaze · 08-21-2011, 08:37 PM

His breeder is not a trainer, she really isn't a professional breeder. like i said they had registered family dogs that the bred to produce one litter a year.

if he sees another dog he would immediately become protective and dominate, the same way when he sees strangers...or even a few of my friends that are at my house weekly. He is crate trained, basics like: sit, lay, roll over. the class situation wasn't working because of the mass amount of other dogs. Honestly it wasn't organized well and he didn't like the "pass the puppy" socialization part, he would get two people away and they couldn't handle him because all he wanted was to be back by me.

TheLadyHaze · 08-22-2011, 12:08 AM

Spending money on a trainer is out of the question. Crunched the numbers tonight and the bills add up to more then i am making in a month's time. i used to have money in savings...but with trying to keep up the basic bills monthly it has slowly had to cover what i couldn't pay. Also had an unexpected lawyer fee due to the ex contesting the divorce....any day now i'll be on Leave of Absence from work, totally unpaid, for a six week minimum. Unless the Dr. makes me stay from work longer then that. As of this moment i don't know how i am going to afford to feed myself and my kids...let alone my poor dogs. Life has hit me...and it hit hard. When i added my dogs to my family I was with my ex who had a income twice as much as i make now and then some.

katieliz · 08-22-2011, 12:32 AM

please have your dogs neutered. or you will next be adding to your list of extremely difficult problems a pregnant dog. i cannot even begin to think of where you should start in solving these problems, i hope your husband-to-be is financially and emotionally able to provide for your family.

dazedtrucker · 08-22-2011, 12:59 AM

Wow. Life can be a real bitch sometimes. (been there) If I were you, I would work as hard as possible to rehome him responsibly to someone who knows his history and is willing and able to work with him (since a rescue probably won;t want to take a "bite history dog". Nobody's perfect. Life can throw you a curve like this, and all you can do is try to roll with it. A new baby, with little to no help from a "partner" is gonna b hard enough, I understand.
Don't feel bad, find him a home (maybe your vet could help?), and congrats on your new baby. Yeah, this situation is not ideal, but it will be OK. Most people in your shoes would just ditch the dog at the pound, I say it's highly commendable you are trying so hard to do the right thing.
Best of luck to you.

debbiebrown · 08-22-2011, 07:01 AM

i agree with the above, sounds like you have enough to deal with having the kids and not having the finaces to hire some professional help.....working with a dog like this also would take Alot of time and commitment......

i would really concentrate on finding a good home for him, someone who has the resources to work with him.....

best of luck!

shilohsmom · 08-22-2011, 04:18 PM

It sounds to me like you need to have them both fixed and rehomed. Although rehoming TO A GOOD HOME an agressive GSD who's already bitten is highly unlikely. You were trying to put yourself into the same position that the breeder you bought them from is in... they have a Registered male and female who breed their dogs once a year.... In the meantime don't let him in the backyard unless he's leashed. I'm sorry that you have so much going on in your life.

Draugr · 08-22-2011, 04:28 PM

I hate to break it to you but if you don't have the money in your budget to afford a trainer, there's no way you're going to be able to afford to breed. Puppies are expensive. Not to mention any unforeseen medical bills that may come up (what if the bitch needs a c-section?)

TheLadyHaze · 08-24-2011, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Draugr

I hate to break it to you but if you don't have the money in your budget to afford a trainer, there's no way you're going to be able to afford to breed. Puppies are expensive. Not to mention any unforeseen medical bills that may come up (what if the bitch needs a c-section?)

it wasn't just some drop of the hat idea, i've bred Shih Tzu's in the past. i am very well aware of the cost and responsibility. What i didn't plan on was the man i trusted couldn't keep his junk in his pants, lied to me about wanting a another child (we miscarried our last child at 10 weeks), and then only after knocking me up decides that he wants a divorce. all this leaving me with the kids, no job, no insurance and pretty much turning his back on any responsibility and leaving me with a ton of debt.

I love my dogs like they are my children. if i were irresponsible i would spend the $50 a dump them both at the animal shelter. where i know for SURE they would put my male down as soon as possible. i used to work for them. i've seen it a million times. i quit because they spayed a very pregnant dog that was about to deliver the puppies and killed them instead...after lieing to my face that they had a foster home after i offered to take her home.

thank you for being so understanding.

08-21-2011, 08:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
TheLadyHaze New Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Quincy, IL Posts: 4	Stuck in a hard spot... First off hello and i am so glad i came across this site. Right now i am currently the owner of two GSDs. Luca is almost 2 yrs old and Leila is 8 months old. Both are unaltered and AKC registered. They live in the house with me and my two young boys (5yr and almost 3yr). We have a back yard that is fenced (half 3 1/2 ft and half 6ft! still a work in progress.) This is my issue. Luca. He came home with me from a family that only breeds once a year, one female, in the house...very home oriented raising of puppies. He is just weeks away from turning 2 yrs old. These are the problems i am having: 1) he has already jumped the fence and bit someone (hence a taller fence being installed) 2) He has been trying to break the boards off the fence to get out of the yard. (i've considered a possible female in heat in the neighborhood?) 3) He snapped at my 5 yr old and left a mark on his head. I was in the room and he has NEVER snapped at my kids, or growled or anything aggressive towards them. I didn't see a behavior that my son could have done to set him off. believe me i know my kids are no angels either! 4) I will be blending my family with my Fiance's soon. Luca, no matter how much we have tried to condition him to her, is aggressive towards my soon to be step daughter who is also 5yrs old. She is over all the time and i was hoping with treats and positive reinforcement he would accept her...i don't think this is going to be the case. I feel like i've failed as a responsible dog owner to train him properly. When he can to live with me as a puppy, my life was so different. He and I tried the local training for puppies at the humane society, but he was so attached to me that he couldn't handle being in a room with a ton of other dogs. Around here there isn't an affordable trainer that is will work with you one on one...we live in a small town area. When i added Leila to our family, it was with the intention of giving him a playmate and the prospect of breeding in the future. (i know there are a ton of puppies every year in shelters...i know! i worked hard everyday to get them homes when i worked for our local shelter...) every kennel or breeder starts somewhere. I don't want anyone to think that i don't feel at fault for not giving him a better training or chance at being a good doggie citizen. In the last year i've: Lost a baby in misscarriage, my husband joined the army and left me right after the loss for 5 months, he came home we got pregnant again, at 9 weeks along he asked for a divorce, it was supposed to be final in April but i've been fighting him because he contested it for four months now...i am maybe two weeks away from having baby boy #3, I used to be able to be a stay at home mom too. not any more! my life has done a total turn around from where i thought i was going to where i am now definitely going to be. Almost all of it for the better (especially the cheating hubby is now an exhubby!) What can i do about my GSD?! i feel like it's my fault that he is unhappy and aggressive. I feel like i can't keep him because of my new lack of time, lack of a better income, for fear of the safety of the kids as well. Am i even going to be able to find a home for him if he wants to eat everyone but me? i've considered neutering him, but he is already 2yrs with a bit history, would it help? i am willing to admit that i am in over my head. i really don't know what to do.

08-21-2011, 08:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
BowWowMeow Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 14,792	Have you been in touch with his breeder? I wonder if you could get some help there. What kind of training are you currently doing with him? You mentioned that he couldn't handle a class situation--is he shy or fearful? __________________ Ruth & the 4 Legged Rescue Gang Rafi the malaroo http://www.dogster.com/dogs/693238 Gio & Varda, the krazy kittens ....In my heart: Cleo Kitty Chama Kai Basu Massie

08-22-2011, 12:32 AM	#5 (permalink)
katieliz Crowned Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: york township, mi Posts: 6,321	please have your dogs neutered. or you will next be adding to your list of extremely difficult problems a pregnant dog. i cannot even begin to think of where you should start in solving these problems, i hope your husband-to-be is financially and emotionally able to provide for your family. __________________ mom to seraphina blue & the cashman miss jeni-take-a-ride, rescued 7/07 shangri la's great white caesar, rescued 4/09 hearthside's cinderfella (RIP 4/20/09) shep von bellefontaine (RIP 6/9/10) voodoo lily (dsh) & cricket (african grey)

08-22-2011, 07:01 AM	#7 (permalink)
debbiebrown Crowned Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: maine Posts: 7,598	i agree with the above, sounds like you have enough to deal with having the kids and not having the finaces to hire some professional help.....working with a dog like this also would take Alot of time and commitment...... i would really concentrate on finding a good home for him, someone who has the resources to work with him..... best of luck! __________________ url

08-22-2011, 04:18 PM	#8 (permalink)
shilohsmom Crowned Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 6,653	It sounds to me like you need to have them both fixed and rehomed. Although rehoming TO A GOOD HOME an agressive GSD who's already bitten is highly unlikely. You were trying to put yourself into the same position that the breeder you bought them from is in... they have a Registered male and female who breed their dogs once a year.... In the meantime don't let him in the backyard unless he's leashed. I'm sorry that you have so much going on in your life. __________________ Rosa Mom to; Shiloh, 8.5 year old LCGSD Shoshona, 7.5 year old LCGSD Eli, 5 year old LCGSD Every dog deserves to have a human that thinks they are the greatest dog that ever lived!

08-21-2011, 08:37 PM	#3 (permalink)
TheLadyHaze New Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Quincy, IL Posts: 4	His breeder is not a trainer, she really isn't a professional breeder. like i said they had registered family dogs that the bred to produce one litter a year. if he sees another dog he would immediately become protective and dominate, the same way when he sees strangers...or even a few of my friends that are at my house weekly. He is crate trained, basics like: sit, lay, roll over. the class situation wasn't working because of the mass amount of other dogs. Honestly it wasn't organized well and he didn't like the "pass the puppy" socialization part, he would get two people away and they couldn't handle him because all he wanted was to be back by me.

08-22-2011, 12:08 AM	#4 (permalink)
TheLadyHaze New Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Quincy, IL Posts: 4	Spending money on a trainer is out of the question. Crunched the numbers tonight and the bills add up to more then i am making in a month's time. i used to have money in savings...but with trying to keep up the basic bills monthly it has slowly had to cover what i couldn't pay. Also had an unexpected lawyer fee due to the ex contesting the divorce....any day now i'll be on Leave of Absence from work, totally unpaid, for a six week minimum. Unless the Dr. makes me stay from work longer then that. As of this moment i don't know how i am going to afford to feed myself and my kids...let alone my poor dogs. Life has hit me...and it hit hard. When i added my dogs to my family I was with my ex who had a income twice as much as i make now and then some.

08-22-2011, 12:59 AM	#6 (permalink)
dazedtrucker Master Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Topeka, KS Posts: 587	Wow. Life can be a real bitch sometimes. (been there) If I were you, I would work as hard as possible to rehome him responsibly to someone who knows his history and is willing and able to work with him (since a rescue probably won;t want to take a "bite history dog". Nobody's perfect. Life can throw you a curve like this, and all you can do is try to roll with it. A new baby, with little to no help from a "partner" is gonna b hard enough, I understand. Don't feel bad, find him a home (maybe your vet could help?), and congrats on your new baby. Yeah, this situation is not ideal, but it will be OK. Most people in your shoes would just ditch the dog at the pound, I say it's highly commendable you are trying so hard to do the right thing. Best of luck to you.

08-22-2011, 04:28 PM	#9 (permalink)
Draugr Master Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 677	I hate to break it to you but if you don't have the money in your budget to afford a trainer, there's no way you're going to be able to afford to breed. Puppies are expensive. Not to mention any unforeseen medical bills that may come up (what if the bitch needs a c-section?)

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