Rescued dog...help!

[BonsMom]

This is my first post and I need some advice...maybe even some coddling! My husband and I picked up a German Shepherd from a rescue on November 25th of 2011 and have had quite an interesting/crazy/fun/scary adventure with Bonnie, our rescue, ever since. She's spayed, has all her shots, and she's 17months - 2 years old.

As behavior issues arise we work through them and I try to remind myself we can't tackle everything all at once buuuut I'm beginning to get a little stressed out.

We've worked hard at teaching her to walk on a leash, normal verbal commands and hand signals, etc. One thing we're having a hard time with, though, is she seems to snap. Over the Christmas holiday she had some rather rough play with a German Short-hair, who's owned by a family member, which resulted in a dog fight right before we left - I'd been recording their play and right before the dog fight I saw the G.S.H. had jumped at my husband then Bonnie jumped on the other dog; I can't blame her for that but I still don't like it. Previously that morning my step father was on the floor but leaning over to hand my husband a package and Bonnie snapped at his face. I also have 2 little brothers who antagonized her until she snapped at them too and because she was pushed to snap we didn't correct her but instead sent her out in the back yard.

My issue is she's now doing it more often and, from what I can see, without cause. Tonight, for instance, a friend of mine came over and Bonnie walked right up to her, licked my friend's hands, then growled about 5 seconds in to getting a rub down. We corrected her and she immediately headed for her bed but instead turned around and headed back to my friend, pushed her face into my friend's hands, then growled when the petting began. Bonnie has barked twice since we've gotten her and that was only the 3rd or 4th time I've heard her growl, she's really not vocal. When she's audible, we pay attention.

Bonnie ended up on her bed after being scolded and since her bed is at the foot of our bed (where my friend was sitting after the whole ordeal) Bonnie popped her head up and began licking my friend's hand again. She's obsessed with hands so we always take it as a good sign when she's being lovey. However once my friend reached her hand down lower Bonnie growled again.

I don't understand what her issue is and I probably never will...but we just found out I'm pregnant and we'd adopted Bonnie with the mindset of never giving her up, working through everything, etc. so I want to get a handle on this before the baby is born.

I've placed some calls to local trainers but haven't gotten any responses. I figure it was due to the holiday season but I'm hoping to have some classes set up for her within the next week. We'd purchased her with the purpose of using her as a Service Dog and the lady who owns the rescue said she'd be perfect. She is a good dog, overall, but attacking small dogs and now nipping people?

My goodness!

So if you have an ideas or suggestions please let me know!

[Falkosmom]

When she was growling at your friend, are you sure she was growling or was she talking?

I have a very talkative pup, always moaning, groaning and a host of other noises that sound like growls but are not.

[BonsMom]

From what I could tell she was growling. She'll huff and moan which usually comes out a bit more airy. This was deeper in her throat and her stance was a bit more squared then usual. She could've just been talking through, I didn't think of that.

[The Packman]

Originally Posted by BonsMom

So if you have an ideas or suggestions please let me know!

My very first suggestion, until you get things worked out and you know she seems aggressive...keep her far away enough from people so she can not bite them.

And congrats on being pregnant !

[CeCe]

I would be very concerned having a dog that bites around a baby. If I were you I would take her back to the rescue.

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

Please contact the rescue ASAP.

IF this is a dog intended to be a service dog, and you are pregnant, she may not be a match.

[billsharp]

The usual advice here for these types of problems is to see a qualified (ie, GSD) trainer, glad that you recognize the need for that.

Your story is interesting. I don't have the experience or training to offer professional advice, but am curious about a few things. First, her reaction to the strange dog jumping at your husband seems pretty natural. Even tho it was a relative's dog, of course she doesn't know that, and was being protective of your husband. Is maybe the solution to be sure that when she's around strange dogs you let her acclimate to them slowly, and spend time yourselves interacting with the strange dog so she realizes that that dog is part of the pack and not a threat?

Stepfather on the floor handing package--how familiar was she with him? First encounter? Does she see people on all fours under a Christmas tree often? I think we need to anticipate that our dogs may react defensively to things we understand but they don't, and try to minimize these situations. I'll bet that if she was used to stepdad she wouldn't have snapped at him.

Kids antagonizing her is all on you. That should never happen, period.

From your description it sounds like Bonnie was sitting in the dog's bed when the dog tried to go to the bed (?). The dog only growled when Bonnie moved her hand "down"--do you mean like trying to scratch under her chin? She never snapped at Bonnie? Maybe you should re-evaluate just what Bonnie was doing and look at it through the dog's eyes, that may reveal what it was that agitated her.

I'm not one that believes in coddling dogs, especially those that snap. But your overall situation sounds like one where I could see a rescue dog being faced with sudden confusing changes in the number of strangers in the house. They don't realize that it's Christmas and these are relatives and friends, and we have to anticipate this and control their exposure to it to get the best possible outcomes.

On the chance that there is a predisposition to "snap" in your dog, you need that evaluated by a qualified person and if true you can't have that around a new baby.

[Stevenzachsmom]

I agree with Jean. Contact the rescue now. This dog does not sound like a good match for your family. The rescue should either have some insight into this particular dog, and/or may have a behaviorist who works with the rescue.

It seems you haven't had the dog very long and the dog has been exposed to an awful lot in a short period of time.

[BonsMom]

Originally Posted by billsharp

The usual advice here for these types of problems is to see a qualified (ie, GSD) trainer, glad that you recognize the need for that.

Your story is interesting. I don't have the experience or training to offer professional advice, but am curious about a few things. First, her reaction to the strange dog jumping at your husband seems pretty natural. Even tho it was a relative's dog, of course she doesn't know that, and was being protective of your husband. Is maybe the solution to be sure that when she's around strange dogs you let her acclimate to them slowly, and spend time yourselves interacting with the strange dog so she realizes that that dog is part of the pack and not a threat?

Stepfather on the floor handing package--how familiar was she with him? First encounter? Does she see people on all fours under a Christmas tree often? I think we need to anticipate that our dogs may react defensively to things we understand but they don't, and try to minimize these situations. I'll bet that if she was used to stepdad she wouldn't have snapped at him.

Kids antagonizing her is all on you. That should never happen, period.

From your description it sounds like Bonnie was sitting in the dog's bed when the dog tried to go to the bed (?). The dog only growled when Bonnie moved her hand "down"--do you mean like trying to scratch under her chin? She never snapped at Bonnie? Maybe you should re-evaluate just what Bonnie was doing and look at it through the dog's eyes, that may reveal what it was that agitated her.

I'm not one that believes in coddling dogs, especially those that snap. But your overall situation sounds like one where I could see a rescue dog being faced with sudden confusing changes in the number of strangers in the house. They don't realize that it's Christmas and these are relatives and friends, and we have to anticipate this and control their exposure to it to get the best possible outcomes.

On the chance that there is a predisposition to "snap" in your dog, you need that evaluated by a qualified person and if true you can't have that around a new baby.

Thanks for your response! Bonnie's jumping at the other dog after it went after my husband seemed natural to me too so she wasn't corrected for it, rather the dogs were separated. She'd played with the dog the day before so we didn't think an introductory period was necessary but looking back, it most-likely was. She seems to handle herself well at the dog park - she's turned into a welcoming greeter at the gate and hasn't gotten into "it" with any other pups so this was kind of surprising.

She was somewhat familiar with my step father. They've been around each other probably 4 to 5 times before Christmas but nothing extensive. No she's not use to people being on her level (all 4s), since she's dominate we always remain above her level (dominance was a concrete issue we've worked through since we got her but has gotten a lot better).

The boys instigating her was my bad. It was an issue we'd been having all day with the kids tugging her tail and hind legs (she has scars on her hind legs and is very touchy; I'm guessing she was abused) . My step father, mother, husband, and I all instructed the kids to listen to her warning signs, pet elsewhere, etc. but they didn't listen and the end result was a light nip on the hand.

Let me correct myself, when Bonnie first growled at my friend the friend was standing in the doorway of our bedroom. Which is about 20 feet from the dog bed. After I corrected Bonnie for growling she headed over to her bed then came back, nudged my friends hands, licked her hands, then started growling when pet. I, again, sent Bonnie to her bed then my friend sat on my bed while chatting with us. It was then Bonnie licked her hand and was acting friendly but when my friend reached down to pet her better Bonnie growled.
I hope that clears up what I'd said previously.

I agree with you on her sudden exposure to so many different people. While at the rescue she was on 20 acres of land so she was around several dogs and people. The lady who ran the rescue said she was more a "people dog" then "dog dog" and we'd found that to be true. She definitely took more to people then other animals. My husband has acclimated her with his clients and they adore her, she's very gentle, patient, and calm with them. However, since we've begun socializing her (she use to dart across the street after other dogs) at the dog park we've noticed an sudden increase of low-tolerance for people.

To get her checked out or evaluated who would I take her to? A vet? A trainer?

[trudy]

OK, all this to me says she needs more rules..Put her on leash and insist she stay down and beside you while you are visiting..NO interaction with the kids until THEY learn some manners and the word NO. AS far as worrying she will bother the new baby not a worry about that, but some of her behavior can be due to your pregnancy!!! She knows some thing's up, she smells it, so her reactions can be different..

So sign up for some agility classes, tehy are active, adn amke the dog watch you, the other dogs aren't in the arena when you work so the dog will quickly learn this is fun, fast and tiring, and it will build a stronger bond and more obedience in your dog..Some of what you mention can be insecurity, and agility helps those dogs particularly build confidence..and if it isn't lack of confidence, agility still helps...If you can't find agility, see if tracking training might be available..Again work the dog, she will appreciate it and you get the better dog. Good Luck