In process of adopting a rescue GSD with bad past
 

Hi all! I'm Natalie, and I've been searching a bunch of stuff on your forum, trying to soak in as much information as possible. I've also researched online and bought a couple books on GSD's and rehabilitation. Basically, my question is if you have any advice for someone like me who's adopting a rescue GSD named Rocky (guessed to be around 14-18 months of age) who lived the first year of his life in a backyard... basically, unexposed to people and in harsh conditions. His "owner" was a breeder who didn't care about their dogs, and did it very unprofessionally. Once he found out that Rocky and his brother, Duke, had hip dysplasia in both hips, they threw them in a shelter so they didn't have to deal with the "problem" anymore.

To make the long story short, both Rocky and Duke were rescued and got the surgeries needed... Rocky's brother, Duke, eventually got adopted and now Rocky is in the process of becoming an added family member to my home (after the rescue does the home/yard check not this Sunday, but the next Sunday on the 10th of March... YAY!) which will be exciting.

My question to you guys is if you have any recommendations for books to read, sites to see, and how to handle a dog that is very timid and needs rehabilitation. So far, these are the sites and books I've looked at:

dog behaviour, dog obedience, dog trainers, puppy training, dog rescue assistance, canine behaviour, canine obedience by Jan Fennell the Dog Listener Amichien Bonding

Guide To Living With & Training A Fearful Dog | Fearful Dogs



Any other advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks so much. Oh, and here is Rocky (Soon to be renamed Soja... got it from my favorite Reggae Band. Their music is amazing!)

SCGSR Available Dog

^His info was written before he got his second hip surgery which happened last month (January) and he's been recovering. He all ready had swim therapy as well as SENSE sessions (which helps rehabilitate the mind and replace anxiety with confidence).

Ok, I'm done. I'm just so excited as this will be my first GSD, which has always been a dream dog of mine.

I'm not experienced enough to offer you any advice, but would like to say that he's very handsome, and good on you for wanting to give him a home he deserves.

I also have never rescued, but omg, he has such beautiful eyes. Congratulations on the new family addition.

I have rescued lots of dogs and here goes my opinion. He is beautiful and I don't believe that you can go wrong with a rescue dog. You seem to understand that they can come with issues, but sometimes they surprise you and all of those issues go away in the right home. If you put your heart into it, they will become your heart. Thank you for giving this dog a chance, I don't think that you will be disappointed. Please update once he comes home.

Thanks, everyone! I agree... he is HANDSOME. He's also a big boy. 100lbs and is actually in need of GAINING weight. I love big dogs. I used to have two yellow labs (brother and sister, the passed away from old age and cancer) and I promised them both as well as myself, that I would adopt my next dog.

Thank you for your opinion and advice! I plan on being incredibly patient with him. He's going to be moving into a home with four people (my parents and my boyfriend) and we all understand that we can't overwhelm him, we have to let him feel comfortable coming up to us. We aren't going to make it a big deal either (where we all four don't greet him the first day he comes home). We will basically hangout wherever we usually hangout around the house, and if he comes up to us, we get down on our hands and knees with our sides facing him so he doesn't feel threatened. Let him sniff us, etc. We don't want to push him into anything, we want him to trust us and be comfortable.

I will definitely be keeping you all updated when he moves in. :)

Hi Natalie. I adopted a dog who was 5 yo and had been neglected in a backyard. He wasn't even house trained. We had some resource gurding issues when we first got him (luckily not with food just toys). I started out by tethering him to me at all times. I did it because he wasn't house trained, but in retrospect I think it helped him bond with me and feel secure. It took about a month (he wasn't tethered to me that whole time, just about a week) and all of a sudden he was like a new dog. I think once he knew he was with us for good he relaxed and just let us take control. Now we have had him 6 years and he is the gentlest dog in the world. Honestly, it is like he is completely different than the dog we adopted. Rocky sounds like a great dog. I am sure that with a loving home he will be a great dog.

Congrats on the rescue. Hope all goes well with the home check.

Do you have any reason to believe he has issues either with dogs or humans or are you just assuming so because of his past? I've fostered many dogs and the majority of them are just fine. My dog Kaiser also spent the first year of his life outside, probably on a tie out because he has a mark on his leg that looks like one had been wrapped around it for a while. He was skin and bones when his breeder was forced to surrender him. He is by far my most stable dog.

I mention all that because I see often people feel bad for a dog's past and try to compensate which can cause problems. All Rocky cares about is that he is now in a loving home. Enjoy him. Set clear, fair rules and boundaries and start your relationship off the way you want it to be from day one.

You have a good list of resources to help you should issues pop up. I would also add Grisha Stewart and Suzanne Clothier to your list of trainers to check out. Any of their books or blogs will be good information.

RangersMom and GSDRaven, your stories made me feel even more confident that I am making the right decision. :)

In response to your question, Raven, I was told that Rocky is very timid around people. It takes him a little bit to warm up to you. I met him with my parents a couple weeks ago at his foster home, and it took him five minutes to gain the courage to take a treat from my hands. During that process, I was sitting down on the floor... my side facing towards him, and I was just talking with the foster mom whilst holding out the treat. I will say, Rocky is incredibly gentle when he took the treat from my fingers. He seems like he wouldn't hurt a flee. He's house broken and great with dogs and cats. The cat actually bosses him and the other dog around.

All in all, the three of us were at the foster home for a good hour and a half, and the three of us were only able to pet Rocky once or twice. He kept his distance with us the majority of the time. I did see how he acts, though, with the foster mom. He's so lovey dovey. I can't wait until I gain his trust so I can do that to him. It'll be a process, but I've got all the patience in the world. I'm going to school online full-time, so I would be home with him every day.

Thanks for the advice, and I will look into those books from those trainers as well!

Do they think that Rocky might be a better fit in a home with another, confident dog?

Our Tehya was also extremely shy around people when we adopted her. She was between 1-2 years old and had been in a shelter for a couple of months. Once she was more relaxed in our home, I took her on daily walks in the neighborhood and asked everyone I saw if they could interact with her. It was amazing how many people would help and follow my instructions on how to greet her. We started very slowly, with the first few times there was no contact at all, just someone coming near and talking to me. Not even any eye contact. She came out of her shell in no time and now shows no fear at all with people. She's naturally a very affectionate dog and just needed a little help to learn that people are good. Of course, my neighbors all think I'm a nut, but that's the trade off.