Adopted a dog 2 weeks ago, need help!

[jennifernikki]

We rescued a 5 month old GSD named Finley, 2 weeks ago. We thought he was the one we've been looking for.
But the past few days, he's grumbled at my 2 younger kids. No teeth, just grumble. It seems to happen when he's trying to sleep, they'll go up to him & pet him. Theyre used to being all over my other shepherd (who passed away in october) & he never made a peep.
Now, tonite. out of the blue, my kids were watching tv, minding their own business & Finley was growling at them, hair up on back & everything. And wouldnt stop barking at them. I thought maybe it was something hanging on the mirror above them, but I had the kids move across the room & he was still barking at them.
What do I do? Omg. I'm so upset. Is this something that can be corrected? The room was dark, so I don't know if something set him off. but it's so scary to think what can happen. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

btw, my kids ages are 1.5 yr/ 4yr & 5yrs
thanks!

Jennifer Murphy

[zyppi]

Where did you get the dog and do you know anything about his history?

The children are invading his space and his rest. Do not let them do this regardless of what your last dog tolerated.

Dogs need manners and so do children.

Are you crate training this pup?

A crate is a great refuge for a dog when he needs a place of his own and it separates the children from temptation.

I'm guessing this pup feels somewhat threatened.

Your children come first, but do think about how hard it may be for this pup to adjust.

[PaddyD]

Originally Posted by zyppi

Where did you get the dog and do you know anything about his history?

The children are invading his space and his rest. Do not let them do this regardless of what your last dog tolerated.

Dogs need manners and so do children.

Are you crate training this pup?

A crate is a great refuge for a dog when he needs a place of his own and it separates the children from temptation.

I'm guessing this pup feels somewhat threatened.

Your children come first, but do think about how hard it may be for this pup to adjust.

What SHE ^^^ said.
Also, 2 weeks is very soon to be expecting a dog to bond with and accept everyone. Back off and start over. You have to develop trust and respect at the dog's pace, not yours. You are going to have to learn ALL about this dog before injecting him into your family gatherings.

[chelle]

Originally Posted by jennifernikki

We rescued a 5 month old GSD named Finley, 2 weeks ago. We thought he was the one we've been looking for.
But the past few days, he's grumbled at my 2 younger kids. No teeth, just grumble. It seems to happen when he's trying to sleep, they'll go up to him & pet him. Theyre used to being all over my other shepherd (who passed away in october) & he never made a peep.
Now, tonite. out of the blue, my kids were watching tv, minding their own business & Finley was growling at them, hair up on back & everything. And wouldnt stop barking at them. I thought maybe it was something hanging on the mirror above them, but I had the kids move across the room & he was still barking at them.
What do I do? Omg. I'm so upset. Is this something that can be corrected? The room was dark, so I don't know if something set him off. but it's so scary to think what can happen. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

btw, my kids ages are 1.5 yr/ 4yr & 5yrs
thanks!

Jennifer Murphy

For one, I wouldn't let the kids mess with the sleeping dog. They're little, but somehow they must be made to understand that just because their old dog allowed it, doesn't mean this new dog will.

You said the room was dark... so my first inclination might've been to turn on the lights and see if the behavior continued.

Can it be corrected? Many things can if you're willing to devote the time and money to it. If it continues, or worse, escalates, you're going to need to hire a trainer to come in. The problem with what I just said is you can't afford escalating behavior with human babies so young. You can separate. At the absolute least, you must be in full view of all dog / child interactions at all times.

So this boy was roughly 4.5 months old when he came into your home. Do you know of his history? He may have had many different experiences that could be influencing some behaviors.

[jennifernikki]

He was an owner surrender (in October) because he had parvo & they couldnt afford the medical bills (at least thats what they told me.) Other then that, they don't know anything about his past. He was in 2 foster homes until we adopted him.

Thank you for the advice. I guess I'm just expecting too much from Finley, too fast. This poor guy has been moved around so much in his young life. I didnt realize that until just now. So, thanks for opening my eyes on that.

Yes, he's crated trained & does extremely well with it.

When he was barking at them, I turned the lights on & he still continued to bark. It boggles my mind what was going thru his head. I put him in his crate for awhile. After he was let out, he was completely fine around them. I'm just very nervous now.

[Jelpy]

Is that good looking black fellow your previous shepherd? I agree with everyone else....use his crate to give him his own space....let him develop some security with where he is and who is in the household. Does he walk well on a leash? If he does, maybe you can go in the back yard with your four year old and let him walk finley (neat name, BTW) around for a few minutes at a time.

Jelpy

[codmaster]

Have you or can you have a chance to talk with his previous foster care folks?

They might bge able to shed some light on your guy.

[jenzeke]

I believe this could be somewhat typical of a shepherd pup. Mine was about 2 when my daughter was born. Definitely supervise as young children can bother them and lead to aggression or worse. My 5 year old could sit on my dog while sleeping and he wouldn't do a thing except move to another spot. I would ask a vet if this is normal to be growling. I think a lot has to do with whether or not they are purebred. Mixed breeds have tendencies to show aggression more as our old shepherd who is no longer with us would show more aggression, but she was female shepherd and mixed with rottweiler.

[jenzeke]

Also the dog should be crate trained when young and allowed access to the crate at all times for his/her sense of security and peace

[Zisso]

One more thing...when the pup uses the crate as it own refuge..a place to get away, etc you can cover it and teach the children to stay away from the pup when he is in there.

Both of my dog crates are covered in the living room. Someone on one of the forums a long time ago made two covers that are waterproof and the front zips closed. I put them on the crates and have never removed them. Gives the dogs a sense of security as if in a den. I do not allow anyone to bother the dogs when they are crated.