This has to be just a regular common problem that can be corrected by a good trainer.
Hopefully someone will step up!
Hopefully someone will step up!
Exactly. And the thing is, he's right. And my money would still be on fear rather than dominance but it basically comes down to the same thing - If something makes him uncomfortable, he growls and snaps, and the person stops. He's smart enough to have trained the people around him. What's so sad is that he's probably extremely smart and that same intelligence re-routed could make him the dog of a lifetime for someone.Quote: He didn't want to be touched on his tummy and the way he was going to get out of it was biting.
I think what that really comes down to is if he can learn to trust people. If he can learn to trust people, than he can learn to be trustworthy himself. If he can't or his nerves are unstable for genetic reasons, then it's another story.Quote: say whether or not dogs like this can ever be trusted
Well, I do not really admire them. They've had the dog for two years and they know nothing about him. They didn't socialize him, kicked him outside, didn't train him, didn't neuter him, didn't do anything.Originally Posted By: EJQ
I certainly admire the young couple because they obviously care for him and they only want what's best for him. They could easily just cop out.
They also ended up with a dog they never intended to have, took him in during a period of extreme grief (her brother committed suicide) and probably did the best they could. These aren't folks who went looking for a dog and then failed the dog miserably. For all we know, they might never have owned a dog (esp a GSD) on their own and don't know a darn thing about owning a dog, including the fact that dogs should be socialized, should live inside the home with the family, trained to do more than sit and down, etc.Originally Posted By: GSD07Well, I do not really admire them. They've had the dog for two years and they know nothing about him. They didn't socialize him, kicked him outside, didn't train him, didn't neuter him, didn't do anything.![]()
I agree, that doesn't serve any good and I don't intend to get into any argument here. If you reread what I posted you will notice that I just said who I admire and who I do not. I don't blame anybody and just hope for the best for the dog. Please also save your anger for a different occasion since I'd had enough of my own share of tragedies and had never used it to justify my ignorance. Sorry.Originally Posted By: 3K9Mom
Maybe they haven't done the best job ever, but gosh darn it, the woman lost her brother in a tragic way and took his dog in when she could have dumped him at the pound on her way to the funeral. Who are you to be so judgemental? And what good does it serve, anyhow?![]()
I seriously doubt that this dog is truly dominant or needs to be "brought back in line".Originally Posted By: Betsy He is way too much dog and way too dominant. He needs to be brought back in line but I don't think we have the resources for that. He is definitely dangerous when pushed out of his comfort zone - and it really didn't look like fear - he was pissed off at us. He didn't want to be touched on his tummy and the way he was going to get out of it was biting.