Hyper GSD bitch, need advice please! (LONG post!)

[JudasFm]

Hi all!

I hope this is in the right forum, if not, I hope someone will be kind enough to move it

Here's the thing: Recently (as in two days ago) I rented a place just outside Xylokastro (coastal town). The owners have agreed to let me stay there cheaply so long as I look after a) the grounds and b) the dogs.

The dogs are two GSDs (Vulkan and Belka) and a puppy (Keito) that's...hmm. Actually, nobody quite knows what breed he is, except I think he's got a fair amount of spaniel in him.

Anyway, the male GSD is lovely (currently stretched out just behind me on the floor with his friend after a hectic morning's play...it's a hard life!) We've got to the point that wherever I go, he's determined to follow just a few paces behind me. He's very well-trained and obedient and although he can be a little boisterous, he's still friendly.

The female, however, is a problem.

Before I go on and promptly get stomped for animal abuse, I would just like to reiterate that the situation was like this when I arrived and I'm doing everything I can to get it changed.

Okay. Moving on.

The female (Belka) is caged. Permanently. The cage is about eight by four with a battered shelter so she can get out the sun (and what little rain we have over here). The shelter, as you can imagine, takes up most of the cage; she literally has enough room to walk around it in a circle and that's about it. If she wants to turn around, she either jumps up on the shelter and down, or (more commonly) does it on two legs, putting her front legs on the bars of the cage.

She's fed and watered, but the food is shaken through the bars and the water...well, the only way to do it is to turn the hose on and let the dirty water overflow (the cage is on an incline, so the water runs off to the side) and then keep going until it's reasonably clean. Other than that, Belka gets NO contact with people or other dogs. The cage is kept just up the road from the grounds, and the road's pretty quiet, so she rarely even sees other people or dogs.

Needless to say, this dog is going mad. The people won't let her in the property because she goes completely hyper and wrecks it, and they won't open the cage door because she bolts (wouldn't you?)

She was going mad when I was introduced to her. When I went up this morning (first time on my own), I let her sniff my hand. She sniffed it, then licked it very demurely and as I (somehow) managed to wedge my hand between the slats and scratch her behind the ear, she closed her eyes and sat down peacefully. Honestly, you wouldn't believe it was the same dog that was hurtling around. When I took my hand away so I could feed her, she wouldn't stop licking and nuzzling my fingers; she even tried to wedge her snout through the bars so she could carry on. I think she was just so happy to be loved (yeah, okay, I know it's corny. So sue me :P)

It does prove one thing though: this dog's not bad. She's just bored to the point of insanity, has far too much energy and is so, so desperate to be loved.

HOWEVER (and thanks for reading all that; I just wanted you guys to have a little background info on her) there is a dim light at the end of the tunnel, which brings me to the reason for my post.

The son of Belka's owner is more dog-sympathetic than his parents. He's talking about getting her picketed out in the yard, which is about twelve feet by eighteen (yes, I know that's not enough space either, but it's a step in the right direction and better than a cage).

This means I can now interact with her freely, without having to do it through the bars. The owner's given me carte blanche to go ahead and work with her (he's one of those people who likes the idea of having dogs more than the reality).

She has been trained (apparently) but is usually so hyper that everyone's given up trying to use the commands...besides, my Greek isn't so good so I'd probably end up retraining her in English (she's more than smart enough to handle it!)

I've never handled GSDs before, although I've dealt with border collies all my life, so I do understand about highly intelligent dogs, but I'd like some advice from more experienced owners. Right now she needs a lot of physical exercise, but even more mental stimulation.

I don't quite know how old she is (being cooped up makes her more hyper and puppyish than usual) but I do know she was bought at the same time as Vulkan, so I'm working on the assumption that she's about the same age (2).

If I can get her calmed down, the owners have said she'll be allowed into the grounds again.

Can anyone suggest some useful training games (bearing in mind there are no balls or dog toys, and nowhere nearby to get them), or even some new commands that are just a bit different?

I know it's a strange (and very long-winded!) request, but I'd be grateful for any help or advice.

Thanks for reading

Jude, Keito, Vulkan and Belka.

[Zisso]

I will leave the advice to the more experienced people here, but I wanted to say thank you for caring about this girl enough to want to get her out and work with her!!!! She sounds lovely.

[gsdraven]

I don't have much in the way of advice.. as you already seem to know mental stimulation is just as important as physical excerise for such a smart breed. I know my girl tires more easily when she is mentally worked versus physically.

Thank you so much for looking out for this girl. She does sound like she could be an excellent dog in the right hands.

[shilohsmom]

This is a heartbreaking story. Perhaps you could order a few toys on line and have them delivered to you. I don't have training tips right now but I'm sure others will be able to share with you some of their ideas.
Best of luck and thanks for helping this little girl,

[scannergirl]

When you say picketed out in the yard, do you mean fenced in or tied out? I wonder if tying a dog like this would make the situation worse.
This girl is lucky to have found you. She might get a shot at a normal life now.

[geokon_2000]

I wonder why they took the time to train the male and not the female? Two pups the same age, decided to train one, ignore the other.

[BlackPuppy]

I have a hyper female, who will run in circles until I take time to do something with her. Surprisingly, my girl is happy and calm just taking a walk. She also loves obedience training. Pretty much, any attention I give her she loves.

I'm certain the dog you are talking about will also appreciate anything you want to do with her. Here is a web site with simple tricks, if you want to start there. http://www.loveyourdog.com/tricks.html Just make sure that everything is happy, even if she gets it wrong. Of course, basic obedience would probably be helpful as well. My dogs will do anything for a small piece of meat.

She sounds like a very sweet girl and just wants some attention. Thank you for taking the time to work with her.

[BlackPuppy]

Originally Posted By: JoanI wonder why they took the time to train the male and not the female? Two pups the same age, decided to train one, ignore the other.

Boy, don't we see that all the time on Animal Police (TV show). One dog gets all the love and the other is totally neglected.

[BlackPuppy]

Originally Posted By: LucinaWhen you say picketed out in the yard, do you mean fenced in or tied out? I wonder if tying a dog like this would make the situation worse.

Good point. From experience with my own dog, she will still run in circles when put on a long line. But a 20 foot line is a lot better that a small cage, at least for part of the day.

[BlackPuppy]

Another though. During your day can you take some time to just leash her and do some daily chores with her attached to you? Physically, that is, it sounds like she will soon be emotionally attached to you, also.