2 questions again...advice???

[marinehoney]

hey guys.
I found out about a 4 year old male shepherd who is going to be sent to the pound. the people dont want him because they just got him yesterday and he doesnt get along with their other adult male dogs. he will go into diabetic shock if he doesnt eat every few hours...which is also another reason the people dont want them. we are pretty tied up with rogue but this dog (bear) is tugging on my heart strings and I know he needs help. would it be a bad idea for us to take him in? Do adult males get along well with females? Will his older age help calm Rogue or will we just have 2 tornadoes in here. I dont know what to do and need some advice.
Also what does it mean if the hair between the shoulders stands up? Today on our walk, Rogue stopped and got really alert and the long hair in between her shoulders stood up and she was stiff as a board. Is she becomming protective finally? What does this mean?? Thanks in advance for your replies everybody!

[PaddyD]

The hair along their back is called hackles. Any anxiety, fear or aggression can cause the hackles to rise.
As for the older male, you would have to introduce him to your dog and have them spend time together to find out if they are OK. Also, try to find out as much of his history as possible. Opposite sex dogs tend to get along better than same sex dogs, but there is no guarantee.
Semper Fi

[marinehoney]

The place he came from he was "too big" for. So they kept him in his kennel all day. So he got passed to this girl who decided she didnt want him either. Will the pound kill him due to diabetes?
What should I do when the hackles rise? comfort her or leave her alone?

[msvette2u]

FTR, even being cold can make them hackle although you may not see it on a large, longer coated dog than a Dachshund

Hackles can mean uncertainty. If she's maturing and experiencing some aloofness, she may be unsure of if she needs to be friends with an oncoming pedestrian or bark at them, or what?
Take a strong leadership position so she can look to you as her guide; that is, if you are not upset about the oncoming "stranger" then she needn't be either.

[marinehoney]

It was a noise that i couldnt hear due to my mp3 player. I took my ear buds out and I hear these whining howling coon dogs just going nuts and she was arking under her breathe with raised hackles. she is really hard to walk because she pulls me.

[PaddyD]

Originally Posted by msvette2u

FTR, even being cold can make them hackle although you may not see it on a large, longer coated dog than a Dachshund

Hackles can mean uncertainty. If she's maturing and experiencing some aloofness, she may be unsure of if she needs to be friends with an oncoming pedestrian or bark at them, or what?
Take a strong leadership position so she can look to you as her guide; that is, if you are not upset about the oncoming "stranger" then she needn't be either.

Couldn't agree more.
As long as and as soon as she feels safe, her hackles will go down on their own. She is young and you will quickly come to know the things that make her anxious. The hackles are nature's way of making her look bigger and more formidable. I expect that other dogs are not fooled by it. Who knows?

[marinehoney]

Does anybody know about taking care of a diabetic dog? Cost, treatment, life expectancy, feed, excercise?

[msvette2u]

If something makes her afraid, simply forge on (or turn around and leave) very nonchalantly, paying no attention to her fear response.
When she calms herself, then is the time to praise her. Not overly done, just a "See, that wasn't so bad!" kind of happy tone.

By "comforting" her when she's afraid she'll learn that it's okay to be afraid and show signs of distress.

[carmspack]

with best intentions -- I think you have your hands full with understanding and helping Rogue . This dog sounds seriously fearful -- NOT protective -- NOT . Watch out that you do not promote this dog in this state of mind. Watch out that one time you will get a shock when the dog lunges out and bites out of fear . I would recommend taking this dog to a trainer who is able to bring Rogue to her best potential. The pulling may be anxiety based also , lets go lets go lets get it over with, run away .

If you bring the other dog in with its own set of problems , as well intentioned and as kind hearted as you may be , you may end up with an explosive situation. Rogue gets worse , the new dog gets worse , and you will be worn out from the demands put upon you .

that's my take on it

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs

[sashadog]

Honestly, it sounds like you have your hands full with your girl. She's having some fear/uncertainty issues, isn't good on a leash, and adding a 4 year old diabetic male that has issues with male dogs isn't going to train her for you. I understand the desire to want to help save him but in this case I would vote that it's more important for you to pour yourself into Rogue right now especially since it sounds like you still have some learning to do (not an insult, that's why I'm here ). You could always post him in the rescue forum and see if you could help him find a home that way?