New owner of a 4 yr old - need some help

ytowntj · 12-24-2011, 09:42 PM

Hi all, new here. I could really use some help with my new GSD Misty, a 4 yr old brown and tan female. Questions are towards the bottom, any help would be appreciated. I apologize if these baehavior questions dont belong in this section, they seemed to fit.

Backstory - I just took a trip to CA and the neighboring ranch had misty in the back pen. She was underfed, ignored, had a UTI, and just generally mistreated. hse hadnt been let out of her 12x24 pen in two (2!) months

. I wasnt leaving her there and struck a deal with the owner. She is now back in Va and in my care. Im working with her trying to get her comfortable with me and her new surroundings. She's doing much better now and her UTI is clearing up. On to the behavior challenges/questions...

She is OBSESSED with sniffing everything. I know GSD's are smart and follow scents a lot but this is different. When on a lead she never looks up, just sniffs and sniffs. Is this normal? Ive corrected her pulling problem when on lead and she walks comfortably 99% of the time with the lead just under taught. Every now and then she sniffs something she likes and pulls with all of her might to get to it. How can I fix this?

She doesnt like to play at all. Ive tried balls, chew toys, tug ropes etc. She is completely uninterested

She loves attention (obviously, she was alone for 2 months) and will run with me. How can I encourage her to play? Ive been tossing the ball and running to get it. She follows me and I pick up the ball and put it in her mouth and praise her. Anybody have advice for this?

She doesnt bark, at all. Im hoping that this will change as she grows to love me and gets a bit more protective. I dont live in the greatest of neighborhoods and was hoping she would serve as a decent guard dog. So far encounters with dogs, cats, deer, and strangers have yielding no sound at all. Is it possible she will grow into this role? Its fine if she doesnt Im just confused as to her lack of growling/barking in any situation.

Thanks

adas · 12-25-2011, 03:12 PM

All I can say....give it time. She is not sure if you are one of those two legged animals that will put her back in the cage or not. Still still has memories of that awful cage...just let time diminish those memories.
Not to mention the newness of all the new surroundings.
When she is excited, start playing with the ball yourself and challenge her for it, don't throw it way off and expect her to get it, (she doesn't have a clue), but when she sees you interacting with her and the ball, she will become interested. Try different toys, ropes, empty noisy soda plastic containers (without the lid and do not let her chew it to pieces). squeeky toys, old shirts, tugs, etc.

Cherish her silence while you can.

francis

ytowntj · 12-25-2011, 10:48 PM

Thanks for the advice!

For Christmas I got her some various toys and treats as well as a hundred foot zipline. Her recall isnt strong enough yet for me to comfortably let her off lead. The zipline is the only way I can really think to help train and play with her since I have no fence. I priced chainlink and it was over 2 grand for me to do my backyard myself

I cant afford that atm especially after 600 to ship her back to the east coast and the money to get her shots/reg'd, the meds and urinalysis for the UTI, and the cost of getting her spayed in a few months.

She seemed moderately interested in the soft frisbee today and fetched it a few times. She is certainly warming up to me even though Ive only known her for a week. I also found that she loves play wrestling in/under a big blanket.

The biggest problem I'm having with her (well really my problem in training her) is her pulling hard on lead every now and again to reach some scent. Ive been reading some on the issue and the advice has gotten her under control most of the time. sometimes she just gets determined to go somewhere though. Should I praise her when she stops pulling? Or should I reprimand (verbally or a slight tug on the lead) her when she starts pulling? Nothing I do seems to phase here at all.

Thanks and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Twyla · 12-26-2011, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ytowntj

I priced chainlink and it was over 2 grand for me to do my backyard myself

I cant afford that atm especially after 600 to ship her back to the east coast and the money to get her shots/reg'd, the meds and urinalysis for the UTI, and the cost of getting her spayed in a few months.

Thanks and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Here's an idea for the fence... Check Craigs List for chain link. If you don't mind installing the fence yourself you can save thousands. We fenced in 3/4 acre for around $150 for everything by installing it ourselves. People would remove the fence for whatever reason and post it to sale. I've seen it on there for free if you are willing to remove the fence yourself (which would be a nightmare).

jetscarbie · 12-26-2011, 07:41 AM

You can go to Tractor Supply and get rolls of fence for pretty cheap. You would have to do it yourself. Offer your friends free food and beer to help you. LOL

When my dog's pull on the leash...I stop walking. We don't move forward until the leash is loose. It makes for a long walk but eventually most dogs figure out pretty quick that if they pull, they don't go.

PatternDayTrader · 12-26-2011, 08:24 AM

Im not sure how long you have had her, but I know that the shelter dog I adopted seemed to go through an adjustment period of about two weeks, and he is totally different now. In the beginning he was similar to what you described, he wouldnt bark, and he wouldnt play. I think all that had to happen was he needed to adjust to his new enviroment and trust his new owner. Once that had occured, he became much more playful, extremely protective/territorial, and will let me know with a very loud, deep tone, guttural bark if anyone is getting to close. I didnt see that side of him for at least 10 days, and he wasent consistant untill about 2 weeks.

ytowntj · 12-26-2011, 09:00 AM

Quote:

When my dog's pull on the leash...I stop walking. We don't move forward until the leash is loose

I tried this a few minutes ago on her walk. It worked VERY well. Thanks for the advice! GSD's are too intelligent to really respond to the leash tug I think. Positive reinforcement wasnt cutting it when she stopped pulling either.

As for the fence, Ill look into the craiglist idea. The actual chainlink goes for around $1/ft which is cheap. The cost adds up at $10/post and $15/post in hardware. Stretch bars, stretch brackets, end brackets and clamps, the carriage bolts etc. Craigslist is a thought though, ill keep an eye out. She seemed to like her zipline this morning, its not the best solution though obviously. Im hoping to have her well enough trained by spring to not need it.

Thanks again!

law1558 · 12-26-2011, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetscarbie

When my dog's pull on the leash...I stop walking. We don't move forward until the leash is loose. It makes for a long walk but eventually most dogs figure out pretty quick that if they pull, they don't go.

Another option our trainer taught us for dealing with pulling is whenever the leash gets taut, we say "don't pull" then change direction. Then we say "good" when the dog follows. Very quickly, the dog will realize they need to know where YOU are and eventually, all you'll have to say is a reminder "don't pull" and they'll know what the expectation is.

Anja1Blue · 12-26-2011, 09:49 AM

Firstly, thank you for giving this little gal a chance at a better life! As an example, my Anja took almost 3 months before she started barking - there are now days when I think back fondly to that peaceful time, because once she kicked in she got VERY vocal! Your girl needs to feel secure first - until then she will not think she has anything to protect by barking.

In addition to all the helpful info above, I would say that you should look for a training class. Almost all our dogs have been rescues or rehomed - some had some training, Conor had none. Next to walks/runs, OB classes are the best way to bond with your dog, where you can address all the issues (such as pulling and sniffing) in a social setting. You will learn to work as a team, and she will get socialization with other dogs. Trying to correct problems on your own (and more may become apparent as time goes by and she settles in) is not really the best way to go - people need training as much or more so than their dogs. As soon as we adopted our dogs I enrolled them in beginner OB, and if it is possible I think you should do the same. It's fun, and you will feel a sense of accomplishment as you and your dog progress.
_____________________________________________
Susan

Anja SchH3 GSD
Conor GSD
Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge

12-24-2011, 09:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
ytowntj New Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 3	New owner of a 4 yr old - need some help Hi all, new here. I could really use some help with my new GSD Misty, a 4 yr old brown and tan female. Questions are towards the bottom, any help would be appreciated. I apologize if these baehavior questions dont belong in this section, they seemed to fit. Backstory - I just took a trip to CA and the neighboring ranch had misty in the back pen. She was underfed, ignored, had a UTI, and just generally mistreated. hse hadnt been let out of her 12x24 pen in two (2!) months. I wasnt leaving her there and struck a deal with the owner. She is now back in Va and in my care. Im working with her trying to get her comfortable with me and her new surroundings. She's doing much better now and her UTI is clearing up. On to the behavior challenges/questions... She is OBSESSED with sniffing everything. I know GSD's are smart and follow scents a lot but this is different. When on a lead she never looks up, just sniffs and sniffs. Is this normal? Ive corrected her pulling problem when on lead and she walks comfortably 99% of the time with the lead just under taught. Every now and then she sniffs something she likes and pulls with all of her might to get to it. How can I fix this? She doesnt like to play at all. Ive tried balls, chew toys, tug ropes etc. She is completely uninterested She loves attention (obviously, she was alone for 2 months) and will run with me. How can I encourage her to play? Ive been tossing the ball and running to get it. She follows me and I pick up the ball and put it in her mouth and praise her. Anybody have advice for this? She doesnt bark, at all. Im hoping that this will change as she grows to love me and gets a bit more protective. I dont live in the greatest of neighborhoods and was hoping she would serve as a decent guard dog. So far encounters with dogs, cats, deer, and strangers have yielding no sound at all. Is it possible she will grow into this role? Its fine if she doesnt Im just confused as to her lack of growling/barking in any situation. Thanks

12-25-2011, 03:12 PM	#2 (permalink)
adas Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 313	All I can say....give it time. She is not sure if you are one of those two legged animals that will put her back in the cage or not. Still still has memories of that awful cage...just let time diminish those memories. Not to mention the newness of all the new surroundings. When she is excited, start playing with the ball yourself and challenge her for it, don't throw it way off and expect her to get it, (she doesn't have a clue), but when she sees you interacting with her and the ball, she will become interested. Try different toys, ropes, empty noisy soda plastic containers (without the lid and do not let her chew it to pieces). squeeky toys, old shirts, tugs, etc. Cherish her silence while you can. francis Last edited by adas; 12-25-2011 at 03:17 PM.

12-25-2011, 10:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
ytowntj New Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 3	Thanks for the advice! For Christmas I got her some various toys and treats as well as a hundred foot zipline. Her recall isnt strong enough yet for me to comfortably let her off lead. The zipline is the only way I can really think to help train and play with her since I have no fence. I priced chainlink and it was over 2 grand for me to do my backyard myself I cant afford that atm especially after 600 to ship her back to the east coast and the money to get her shots/reg'd, the meds and urinalysis for the UTI, and the cost of getting her spayed in a few months. She seemed moderately interested in the soft frisbee today and fetched it a few times. She is certainly warming up to me even though Ive only known her for a week. I also found that she loves play wrestling in/under a big blanket. The biggest problem I'm having with her (well really my problem in training her) is her pulling hard on lead every now and again to reach some scent. Ive been reading some on the issue and the advice has gotten her under control most of the time. sometimes she just gets determined to go somewhere though. Should I praise her when she stops pulling? Or should I reprimand (verbally or a slight tug on the lead) her when she starts pulling? Nothing I do seems to phase here at all. Thanks and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

12-26-2011, 07:41 AM	#5 (permalink)
jetscarbie Master Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 746	You can go to Tractor Supply and get rolls of fence for pretty cheap. You would have to do it yourself. Offer your friends free food and beer to help you. LOL When my dog's pull on the leash...I stop walking. We don't move forward until the leash is loose. It makes for a long walk but eventually most dogs figure out pretty quick that if they pull, they don't go.

12-26-2011, 08:24 AM	#6 (permalink)
PatternDayTrader Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 85	Im not sure how long you have had her, but I know that the shelter dog I adopted seemed to go through an adjustment period of about two weeks, and he is totally different now. In the beginning he was similar to what you described, he wouldnt bark, and he wouldnt play. I think all that had to happen was he needed to adjust to his new enviroment and trust his new owner. Once that had occured, he became much more playful, extremely protective/territorial, and will let me know with a very loud, deep tone, guttural bark if anyone is getting to close. I didnt see that side of him for at least 10 days, and he wasent consistant untill about 2 weeks.

12-26-2011, 09:49 AM	#9 (permalink)
Anja1Blue Knighted Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Denver Colorado USA Posts: 3,472	Firstly, thank you for giving this little gal a chance at a better life! As an example, my Anja took almost 3 months before she started barking - there are now days when I think back fondly to that peaceful time, because once she kicked in she got VERY vocal! Your girl needs to feel secure first - until then she will not think she has anything to protect by barking. In addition to all the helpful info above, I would say that you should look for a training class. Almost all our dogs have been rescues or rehomed - some had some training, Conor had none. Next to walks/runs, OB classes are the best way to bond with your dog, where you can address all the issues (such as pulling and sniffing) in a social setting. You will learn to work as a team, and she will get socialization with other dogs. Trying to correct problems on your own (and more may become apparent as time goes by and she settles in) is not really the best way to go - people need training as much or more so than their dogs. As soon as we adopted our dogs I enrolled them in beginner OB, and if it is possible I think you should do the same. It's fun, and you will feel a sense of accomplishment as you and your dog progress. _____________________________________________ Susan Anja SchH3 GSD Conor GSD Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge

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