2yr Female GSD... need guidance please

[Disgal71]

Hello,
I have been looking for guidance on the internet on how to address GSDs aggression issue and am hoping I found the right place for advise... here's the long story:

We knew someone who had a pair of GSDs that had puppies, we were looking for a bigger dog for my son and thought this was perfect. From the beginning she showed some shyness, I know now that this was a warning sign.

I hired a trainer to come to the house and evaluate her. I got mixed messages though I was told to socialize her but also told not to have her around too many people or animals until she was fully vaccinated. My brother had a puppy (that he rescued) but who had gotten parvo and spent quiet a bit on getting her better, we also have a cocker spaniel that 6months prior had to have emergency back surgery due to degenerative disc disease that was quickly paralzing him, so with those two experiences fresh in my mind, I didnt want to risk Hayla (GSD) getting sick, so I only took her out when there weren't alot of people around... big unfortuante mistake.

As soon as she was fully vaccinated I enrolled her in a puppy obedience training class, it was a group setting that met at a park. The classes consisted of my son and I standing on the side trying to get Hayla to stop barking like a maniac at everyone. The trainer suggested I get Rescue Remedy, a natural calmant for the dog and see a behaviorist. I started to notice a vicious cycle, there have been moments when we had to take her to the vet and if I'm around she barks and backs up, if I'm not around, she's calmer, so what happens... I tense up when I know someone will be approaching us, she picks up on that and starts barking at the first sign of a stranger, which in turn ups my anxiety level and the cycle continues.

I contacted a behaviorist who came to my home and when she saw Hayla barking at her, asked me to crate her. The "session" consisted of my dog crated and her explaining that my dog might need medicine to address her problem and suggested I contact a vet behaviorial specialist.

Hayla is a little over 2 years old, we got her when she was 8wks old. I have 3 kids and she's great with the family and family that visits consistently. She obeys all commands, even if given by my 5yr old. She does not try to run out of the front door, she does not jump on us or the family members she's ok with. She's great with the male cocker spaniel and my sister's lab/pit mix female. All of our dogs are fixed, she was spayed at the suggested age. My husband walks her daily, our home backs to a canal with some land, so he walks her there, not too many opportunities to see strangers, though... I take her out in the evenings, we also exercise her on the treadmill to get her to work off some energy, she's a pretty calm dog.

When visitors come over, I have to put her in the attached garage or in her crate, where she barks and barks. I was told by a another trainer to get an agitation muzzle to help calm my nerves (since I'm scared she might hurt someone) and also to use a different command word and spritz her with water, so I use the word Relax, we are at a point where I don't have to spritz her, just the word Relax will get her to stop barking, at least until the stranger moves or talks, then the barking starts again...

Whenever I know I have to take her for her annual shots, my anxiety level goes through the roof, now I have a trip coming up and I have to board her (she's been there once before in late 2009, they almost did not accept her but they were able to work with her) and I am a nervous wreck. I've contacted them to let them know we will be coming again, the manager suggested I bring her by to see if the staff can handle her, it's an animal hospital we've used for many years.

I've been reading through the forums and know that I need to get a trainer, but seeing that I havent really had luck understanding how to pick an experienced GSD trainer, I posted here for any guidance.. I updated my location, per a suggestion I saw on another thread. I hope it's not too late, I know my anxiety feeds her anxiety and I'm not sure how to fix 'me'... She is alot better when my husband walks her. What I would love is to be able to know that I can confidently drop her off to be boarded knowing she will not be an 'issue', also, to be able to have visitors over that are not terrified...as my brother (who lives in the northeast and has only met her on 2 occassions) refers to her as 'cujo' my son who suffered from nightmares and was scared to be alone, has changed so much since we got Hayla, she's his dog, he feeds her and grooms her, he doesnt walk her since she is big. I want to make this a better situation... help please...

[Emoore]

I think you're absolutely dead-on that you are part of the problem. She's fearful and anxious, you're fearful and anxious and you tend to feed off of each other. So any training that will be done needs to involve both of you.

Try contacting any local German Shepherd rescue groups and asking for a recommendation for a trainer. Rescues often work with trainers/behaviorists to deal with any "issues" dogs that might come in and they will probably be able to recommend someone.

[GSDBESTK9]

YOU definitely need help. We have a client right now just like you. We had the dog in our house for a month and he was a total different dog without the owner. I would contact Schutzhund clubs in your area and ask for a good trainer. A lot of helpers and experienced Schutzhund people do private training on the side. I'm sure they will be able to help you better than the typical pet trainer.

[Disgal71]

Hello! An update... I couldn't find a local GSD rescue, I contacted two rescues in FL to see if they could recommend a trainer in so. Fl, only one of the responded but the trainer is 3hrs away. So I contacted a rescue group who I noticed rescues pitbull n gsd mixes, she recommended K-9 advisors.. I spoke to them and they assured me they could help, i stressed that I am a big part of the problem, they said they can help me. since I have not had luck with picking trainers I am wondering if anyone here has heard of K9 Advisors in So. Fl? Also any advice as to what to look out for?
Thanks in advance for any guidance!

[wolfstraum]

IMO - you have what you have - training can only do so much....you have to understand her comfort zone and work within that with more confidence....it sounds like she is wonderful within HER comfort zone of your family and home...the boarding is a problem - is there an in house sitter service that you can retain, one where someone will get to know her so that they can come by, feed and exercise her??? That may be better than boarding...

Lee

[DTS]

This sounds exactly like my girl. She started to do this at 7 months. We took her out to socialize at dog parks, pet stores etc. But nothin worked. I would get so nervous because I was so embarrassed I couldn't take my dog anywhere. I didn't want people to think she was mean. We enrolled her into a basic OB class. It did wonders. I got over my fear of wha people were going to say and tried my best to socialize. The best thing that worked for us was watching from afar. Like going to the petstore and walking the outer isles that are less travelled doing some down stays and watch me's with treats.. When she was comfortable we would move into more trafficked areas doing the same thing. If it became too much we would retreat back to the less crowded areas and repeat but always ending on a good note. I took her to parking lots to watch people. It's taken is a year and for the most part we can go to stores without a peep and when people come over only a few barks until I say enough and she is fine. She still has a problem with people approaching us but it's getting better every month. My girl will be 2 in march. Agility has helped we confidence too. We have done 3 OB classes, agility, and we start tracking in January.

[DTS]

A prong collar also was a great tool we use.

[zyppi]

I sent you a pm.

Good luck.