Mt.carmel, illinois urgent - Owner keeping dog

[SouthernThistle]

Originally Posted by MaggieRoseLee

Did you clearly explain your dog has NO bite history with humans? If you were as vague with your explanation to them as initially with us........it's confusing and appears your dog bites everyone.

If someone tells someone else, "my dog has a bite history," the first thing they're going to assume is that you (collectively, not MaggieRoseLee) mean "with humans."

"My dog does not like small dogs" would be a much better choice of words.

[Ryder&SophieSue]

Well i thought i did, so i jsut sent another e-mail out to everyone that i sent yesterday stating that he loves kids and has never been aggressive or bitten a human, just 3 small dogs.

[LaRen616]

You have a PM

[APBTLove]

Yes, make absolutely sure they know it was a dog aggressive thing, not a human aggressive thing. And since it's only small dogs it sounds more like high prey drive and slight dog reactivity. But since you are able to introduce him to new dogs in the home, he's not full-out DA.

[LaRen616]

I am going to speak with my Aunt tonight. She recently had to put her Doberman/Keeshond mix down. She is interested in fostering dogs and she absolutely loves my GSD. *She might even keep him*. I will be talking to her tonight so I will keep you all posted.


*She might either foster Ryder or keep him

[Elliehanna]

ok I have been following this thread since it came to light on the forum I am from. I live in Mt. Carmel, no I cannot take on a DA dog, I have a reactive boy myself (see avatar). I can offer a little bit of advice that I do not think was offered...well it was but not super clear, keep him TIRED, like lots of walks where he is not aloud to sniff every 10 feet or mark everything. I know that today is a GREAT day and tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same, so you can give it a try, you want a SHORT leash, the shorter the better, if you cannot handle him on a walk that would be the beginning of your training right there, I used a prong collar (its the only thing that I have found that makes him not want to eat squirls and birds, Im 5 feet tall..he is 65lbs of 1 year old energy and this collar makes him walk correctly, but its not for everyone, and MUST be fitted properly link below is a great how to fit the collar if you go that route)
How to fit a Prong Collar
I walk my boy at least an hour when its nice like this, I also play with him with a flirtpole when its not to nice out. I can tell you a walk makes a great improvement on handleablility, he stops barking at things at night when he gets a good long walk, is less reactive in general, BUT after they get rest a walk is needed, so the next day its back to the pavement for 1 hour of walking. I find around here (I live on 6th street) if I walk down 6th to the end where the Middle school (I think its the middle school it could be elementary I don't have kids) is then over to 9th street on that really nice side walk past the horses it equals about an hour, and if your kids go to that school maybe you could make it a nice thing in picking them up at the end of there school day with a walk, great exercise for the entire family. I understand how scary it is when you have a DA dog (mine being reactive I treat him as though he is DA) I know you have a fenced in yard, but you might think of also getting a chain just so if the kids are out and the dog is out either the dog could already be on the chain or you could pop him on the chain when the kids want to go out of the yard to stop him from charging out of the gate at other dogs, I think of my fence as a barrier for other dogs to keep them out, and my chain to keep my boy in, one is safety for the strays the other is for me (my boy has never tried to jump my 5 foot tall fence but you never know when your dealing with DA or reactive dogs). I know many people think chains are cruel, I think they are cruel when not used properly, just like not using a prong collar properly, not using a E-collar properly, and not using a kennel properly there are reasons for these tools and when used right they save lives. I hope this helps, I prey you can train your boy, and build your own confidence, and train your new pup so it does not end up DA or reactive. Good luck, I will try to keep an eye out on this thread but I am forgetful.

Ellie

[Elliehanna]

oo and I totally got the street wrong to start on (I live closet o poplar on 6th street and I got it confused) you go down poplar to the middle school and then to the end of poplar across the street to the nice side walk (there is a bench right there for a break) and then go to 9th (left from then end of poplar looking at that street) and then at the light your at the corner where to you right and across the street is buy low and to your direct right is dollar general and pumida, I am sorry I got the street wrong at 1st I guess its the weather being so nice or something lol. anyhow I hope this helps, I just walked this treck and it took me right at an hour and there were no other dogs being walked, yea the horses were out but that is just a challenge. My boy fussed at the horses but only took a few mins to get him walking again, the horses did not even care.

[Ryder&SophieSue]

Elliehanna...It so nice to see someone on here from my town. That is cool...

Anyway, thank you for the advice, i greatly appreciate yours and all others. However, We (hubby and I) feel that we can not keep ryder due to the fact that he has already gotten a hold of 3 other dogs, the first two came at us, but when he charged thru the gate for the 3rd, that opened our eyes that he does need someone that can properly train him. I simply cannot even walk him, because he is starting to drag and pull so much. and quite frankly, i am afraid to, I live just on 10th street and we have a lot of loose dogs around...I just can't take that chance...

As for Sophie Sue, i walk her at least twice a day. We have two different routes we take. I am trying my best not to do the same wrong things that i did with ryder. I know i didn't socialize him properly, i didn't take him around other dogs (and truthfully don't know if i should with sophie). We have just started to sophie to petsmart on the weekends, she is fine there, except for the dogs, she just barks and carries on. And i don't know how to address this.

So anyway, we are still going to be placing him. I just want was is best for him.

[Elliehanna]

Around here its hard to socialize dogs, at petsmart, for one its far away and for two you never know how well behaved the other dogs are. I would really work on her leash walking and "come" and "leave it" command, all the stray dogs out here I can tell my boy to "leave it" and give him a leash correction when he focuses on the dog and get past it without being dragged around. I started him as soon as I got him at 14 weeks old with leash training, he does not know many commands but he knows the assentials (sit, stay, come, leave it, down), the idea is to train a pup the commands and keep them fresh until they are ingrained into there big head then when they get to the "naughty" stage, my boy Goren is in it right now, from about I would say 8 months to 3 years you can nip the bad behavior in the but with a command and keep the dog in check, the main thing is to not let them get away with things you don't want them to get away with, just with the stay command I can leave the back yard deck door open and not tell him a command and he wont come in until he gets the command to come. I know it will be hard, but Sophie will thank you for it. Oh yea and I know about not wanting to go the same way on walks, I walk that route I said, but I also walk all the way down 5th street to the river (that one is hard because there is a territorial dog with no containment at that last corner before the levee, so I have to be on my game if I'm walking that way)

[cherry]

you say you dont want to make the same mistakes with sophie, but dont think you should bring her around other dogs??? seems to me like you will make the same mistakes over and over!! why did you choose this breed if you cant handle them? why didnt you get a smaller dog?
when i rescued my dog she also had DA, what i did was walked her every day and taught her the "leave it" command. Then when we met other dogs who were social i let her meet them, if she got aggressive i would give her a correction! if she sniffed and no aggression i would praise her!
if i passed a dog that didnt seem social i would tell her to "leave it" and walk on.
Also i tried bringing her around my friends dogs who are social, now she understands that meeting new dogs can be fun, a positive experience! and she trusts me as a pack leader to protect her so she does not feel the need to protect me!