[LaRen616]

I guess I am in the minority here... I don't think rehoming this dog is an option unless you happen to find someone who likes a challenge and has a ton of experience rehabilitating dogs. Otherwise you are passing the problem along. Putting this dog in a home with no pets and no children is only management of the problem instead of fixing it.

I think GSDBESTK9 and Lies gave you very good suggestions. This dog needs serious NILIF to learn that you are in control. He works for everything, is on leash a lot and gets no privileges.

LaRen, Rogue has the potential to make you a better dog owner if you decide to step up to the challenge. It's the difficult ones that teach us the most. You have to decide if its something you want to do because I'm sure you can do it. If you don't want to, then you have to find someone who does want because just putting in a home with no other pets or kids or strangers is not helping him to over come his issues.

I have done some of that.

When it is feeding time he has to sit and wait for me to give him the ok so he can eat. He will not touch his food unless I say he can.

Every single time we get ready to go outside he has to sit by the door and wait for me to put his leash on and he has to wait until I open the door and say ok and then we can go out, so now he doesn't door dash.

When we go to leave in the car again he sits by the door and waits until I open the car door and tell him it's ok to get into the car.

He is crated while I am at work and he is crated at night.

 

[LaRen616]

Sure hope you are willing to give that up since you plan on having multiple dogs some day. The more dogs you have the more uncontrolable they become, when they become a pack and bond to each other, they will hardly listen to you and will probably become not so friendly with other strange dogs. Just an FYI. Unless of course you have plenty of time and are willing to spend some quality time with each of them on their own.

I wouldn't bring a pack of 2 or more around other dogs at one time. I understand that the pack could gang up on other dogs. But I would like to be able to walk Rogue and not have him want to go after other dogs. When I say I take Sinister everywhere with me I mean I take him to birthday parties and parades and other things, he loves being around people, I want Rogue to be able to be around people. Yes, I can spend one on one time with multiple dogs. I spend one on one time now with Rogue and Sinister. Sinister goes to his "dad's" house alot, leaving me with Rogue. I take him for walks, I give him treats and rub his tummy and I work on his training while Sin is gone.

 

[JKlatsky]

I guess I am in the minority here... I don't think rehoming this dog is an option unless you happen to find someone who likes a challenge and has a ton of experience rehabilitating dogs. Otherwise you are passing the problem along. Putting this dog in a home with no pets and no children is only management of the problem instead of fixing it.

I think GSDBESTK9 and Lies gave you very good suggestions. This dog needs serious NILIF to learn that you are in control. He works for everything, is on leash a lot and gets no privileges.

LaRen, Rogue has the potential to make you a better dog owner if you decide to step up to the challenge. It's the difficult ones that teach us the most. You have to decide if its something you want to do because I'm sure you can do it. If you don't want to, then you have to find someone who does want because just putting in a home with no other pets or kids or strangers is not helping him to over come his issues.

I have to admit...I'm sort of with this. Rehoming a problem dog is almost always just passing the problem along. The reality of the situation is that unless you can find someone who WANTS to work on a problem dog, the dog will continue to be passed until it is euthanized.

I think you got lucky with your GSD. Sounds like he is perfect for you and your lifestyle. Most dogs, even the ones you raise from puppies, are not always so easy. To make this work, you may not be able to adjust the dog, you may have to adjust YOU.

I agree with Carolina. Crates are good. I feed all my dogs in their crates all the time. I eliminate the problem areas. We don't share food, water, or toys. I go through a VERY strict protocol for bringing dogs into my house that lasts for months. Did you go through all the steps for introducing a new dog to your household and routine?

Something that struck me is that Sin waits by his crate for him to come out...They may be spending too much time together. I have a strong preference for my dogs being able to take or leave the other dogs. Rogue may be more uncomfortable than you realize, and constantly asserting himself over the resources can be stressful. Constant exposure to stress can easily make a dog snappy.

If Rogue is trying to control his resources then he certainly doesn't think you are in charge of them. I think you need to step up your leadership. I agree with the others. It's the difficult dogs who teach us the most about how to be quality pet owners.

The Pooping sucks. It's difficult to retrain a messy dog. You HAVE to go back to basics and really make a serious schedule. Just like a puppy.

And yes there is a place for rehoming animals. But when you rehome a problem animal that has aggressive tendencies don't fool yourself- there's a good chance the animal will end up euthanized.

 

[PupperLove]

Oh boy he sounds like he's a handful! First off I don't think anyone has the right to bash you unless they have dealt with this....I am in the process of dealing with fear issues and it's tough, but improving. If anyone bashes you over this they aren't taking into consideration YOUR safety and the safety of other humans and your pets which should always be the most important issue.

What do you do when he gets aggressive with Sinister? My dogs are usually OK with eachother, but sometimes I need to step in because Arlo does not defend himself, and Jackson has left bloody gashes in him. When my dogs get into fight mode over a toy or whatnot, I will but in and stop it because it's not acceptable. If they continue, either the crate, or away from the situation they go. I don't want one thinking they're superior over the other, because I am the boss and I will decide that. BUT, it is probably much easier for me to have to put my foot down for a GSD pup who's 50 lbs, vs. a full grown male who I haven't bonded with. So I can see how it's a huge problem.

I would not be having the dog growling and baring his teeth at strangers or just anyone. I have been having problems with Jackson, fear issues, that get him growling and showing his teeth if he's pushed too far (which IMO isn't any more than normal human/dog interaction) but I have been seeing improvement with him. But I have been socializing him, letting him know he's NOT the boss of anyone, being more firm with him on things unrelated to his behavior just to let him know that I am in charge, and also offering lots and lots of love. I have also realized at the beginning that his problems are something I said I would never put up with, and pondered that I may have to rehome him if he doesn't get better, so I know how you are feeling...probably not so good....I cried alot.

But if Rouge is acting this way, and you are afraid to take him anywhere, he can't be socialized. If you are a little afraid of him, it may be hard to establish leadership and control his dominance. If I felt 100% I COULD NOT trust my dog around all people and kids, there's no way I would keep him. It's too much of a risk IMO. I love dogs and I always have, but LaRen, where would you draw the line? Don't think about your dogs now. Say you didn't have any. Where would you draw the line as to a great dog/ vs. a dangerous dog? Remember that and stay true to yourself. All dogs aren't good in all situations and sometimes people are forced to make tough decisions for the safety of themselves and others.

I would look into a professional if you can't get this under control and would like to keep him. See where it goes from there. He may get better, he may not, but at least you tried.

And as a side note, like others have said, re-homing him is probably not a good idea. If he's shown that he is in fact aggressive (especially towards people), you need to either work with him your self, with a professional, or face the fact he may need to be put down if he won't improve . I know, not very cool options...I know.

 

[Rerun]

The solution for some of the problems.... CRATE!!!! All our dogs eat in their crates, all our dogs will be given bones/treats in their crates.
He goes outside and doesn't poop, back inside in the CRATE!!! Wait 15-20 min. and try again. He will learn.
Now for the other problems, unless you are willing to put the time and money on working with a trainer/behaviorist, find him a home where he would be the only dog and no kids. Someone with experience, but you would have to be honest and open with them about his issues, you don't want to have to be liable later if anything happened.

Not bonding with a dog is not uncommon, even when raising them from a puppy. I have a friend who has 4 dogs, all raised by her from a puppy. One of them she just doesn't like and has never bonded with.

LaRen, this is so very true. I had one dog I just didn't bond with. That dog drove me NUTS. It was a boxer/lab/pit who knows what else. He didn't have the issues yours had, but he had others ones that weren't training issues - they were behavioral (not aggressive in the least). PM me if you want more info. We found him a good home that unfortunately wasn't completely honest about her finances and later said she just couldn't afford a second, bigger, dog. I took him back after 2 months and found him another home which turned out to be permanant. I don't have a single regret about it to this day. It was a heartbreaking decision but it was best for both of us. I have never "rehomed" a dog that I intended to keep, but frankly, in regards to the DOG, I don't see the difference between fostering a dog for a period of time and finding them a home and keeping a dog then deciding to find it a home. Someone else here pointed it out and it made quite a bit of sense. The dog doesn't know the difference, even if you do. He doesn't know that you adopted him vs fostered him. So if it's just not working out, and DA can be a tough thing to work out (Akira will kill Audrey if she gets ahold of her).

Personally I would not have a dog like you described in my home. It is one thing to be DA, but quite another to be people and especially kid aggressive.

Huskies are a tough breed. Not one I would ever own, despite how beautiful they are. They are very quirky and IME I've dealt with quite a few that were quick to bite. I'm not knocking the entire breed, but like shepherds they are the kind of dog that you need to be a husky person to really like and appreciate them.

If this dog is truely as people aggressive as you describe, I would personally strongly consider euthanasia. I would not adopt out a dog like that. Too much of a liability and no matter how much you disclose, some people will think they are miracle workers and assume that loving him will fix it. Too much of a risk.

 

[Jax08]

I'm with gsdraven on this.

First, as JKlatsky notes, he is a resource guarder. This is different than aggression. I think you need to get some professional help and start working on the individual problems with this dog. I love the book "The Other End of the Leash" and "Fiesty Fido"

The second problem seems to be that he is "aggressive" towards strange dogs? Is he truly aggressive? Or is it a fear reaction?

The reason I'm suggesting professional help is you really need to break down his behaviors and figure out what is going on.

 

[Kris10]

Please don't let this dog down without trying other training options first. You adopted him recently yourself because his previous owner didn't want him anymore. He gets along fine with your other dog, right? That's what you have said all along. Not every dog is going to have the same personality. If Sin enjoys going to parties-by all means take him. Do other things with Rogue that he enjoys.
By spending more time with Rogue and working on his issues you may end up with a very strong bond with him.

 

[LaRen616]

Oh boy he sounds like he's a handful! First off I don't think anyone has the right to bash you unless they have dealt with this....I am in the process of dealing with fear issues and it's tough, but improving. If anyone bashes you over this they aren't taking into consideration YOUR safety and the safety of other humans and your pets which should always be the most important issue.

To be honest I am more worried about the safety of children and other family members more than I am worried about my safety and then I am worried about my other pets.

What do you do when he gets aggressive with Sinister? My dogs are usually OK with eachother, but sometimes I need to step in because Arlo does not defend himself, and Jackson has left bloody gashes in him. When my dogs get into fight mode over a toy or whatnot, I will but in and stop it because it's not acceptable. If they continue, either the crate, or away from the situation they go. I don't want one thinking they're superior over the other, because I am the boss and I will decide that. BUT, it is probably much easier for me to have to put my foot down for a GSD pup who's 50 lbs, vs. a full grown male who I haven't bonded with. So I can see how it's a huge problem.

Rogue is always the one that starts the problems, I go to him grab his collar and escort him to his crate. He gets a 10-15 minute time out. There has not been any blood drawn because I seperate them before it gets that far. I will not stand for any of my pets being bullied. I also feed, treat, take outside, walk and take for car rides both dogs so that one does not feel more superior than the other.

I would not be having the dog growling and baring his teeth at strangers or just anyone. I have been having problems with Jackson, fear issues, that get him growling and showing his teeth if he's pushed too far (which IMO isn't any more than normal human/dog interaction) but I have been seeing improvement with him. But I have been socializing him, letting him know he's NOT the boss of anyone, being more firm with him on things unrelated to his behavior just to let him know that I am in charge, and also offering lots and lots of love. I have also realized at the beginning that his problems are something I said I would never put up with, and pondered that I may have to rehome him if he doesn't get better, so I know how you are feeling...probably not so good....I cried alot.

When people come over Rogue is crated, he is ok with some of my friends. I do the no touch, no talk, no eye contact with him when he meets new people. If he starts to act weird or he makes me feel unsure I take him to his crate. I'm really trying with him, I'm trying to love him, I've tried everyday for the past 11 weeks, I dont know what the problem is, I dont know why I dont love him.

But if Rouge is acting this way, and you are afraid to take him anywhere, he can't be socialized. If you are a little afraid of him, it may be hard to establish leadership and control his dominance. If I felt 100% I COULD NOT trust my dog around all people and kids, there's no way I would keep him. It's too much of a risk IMO. I love dogs and I always have, but LaRen, where would you draw the line? Don't think about your dogs now. Say you didn't have any. Where would you draw the line as to a great dog/ vs. a dangerous dog? Remember that and stay true to yourself. All dogs aren't good in all situations and sometimes people are forced to make tough decisions for the safety of themselves and others.

I'm not afraid of him all the time, it's the way he looks at me sometimes, it's the way he lowers his head and looks at me while his tail is almost sticking straight out.

I would look into a professional if you can't get this under control and would like to keep him. See where it goes from there. He may get better, he may not, but at least you tried.

And as a side note, like others have said, re-homing him is probably not a good idea. If he's shown that he is in fact aggressive (especially towards people), you need to either work with him your self, with a professional, or face the fact he may need to be put down if he won't improve . I know, not very cool options...I know.

I would absolutely hate for him to be put down, I do not want that at all. I dont know if I can give him the help that he needs. I honestly dont know if I put all of that work into him and I still dont love him? That makes it harder for me. I dont love him. If I could find someone that has experience with Siberian Husky's and he/she is willing to work with Rogue and get him the help that he needs, they cant have children though, I would rehome him to them. I would keep him here with me until I found a home like that for him but I would not have him put down.

 

[Jax08]

Somehow missed the part about being aggressive towards people. Definitely get professional help. Get a professional evaluation on him regarding the people aggression. Once again...is it fear? Or is it truly aggression?

 

[Liesje]

Sure hope you are willing to give that up since you plan on having multiple dogs some day. The more dogs you have the more uncontrolable they become, when they become a pack and bond to each other, they will hardly listen to you and will probably become not so friendly with other strange dogs. Just an FYI. Unless of course you have plenty of time and are willing to spend some quality time with each of them on their own.

Again I agree with Carolina. When you start adding dogs it's not just about the time to train and socialize the new dog, but there's the whole new aspect of managing a "pack". I've just gotten a new puppy and I'm working on a few things with Nikon and Coke that were not present before we got the puppy. Coke gets very stressed out anytime the puppy cries or whines, and Nikon is becoming possessive of the puppy himself (he wants to bodyslam Coke away when Coke tries to play with the puppy). These are things I could not have predicted but now have to work through, along with training and socializing the puppy by himself and making our bond stronger than his bond with the dogs.

The commitment is to the whole pack, every dog. It's hard to "juggle" and make sacrifices/compromises without having a new dog negatively effect the daily routines of the original dog (my one rule is that a new dog does not automatically mean the original dogs lose privilege, so just because the puppy has to be crated and might howl b/c the other dogs are loose does not mean the other dogs have to go back in a crate just to satisfy the puppy).

You have to train Rogue how to fit into you and Sinister's lifestyle. If you can't do that, then maybe rehoming him is for the best, but honestly I see what you describe as being something that's going to follow him everywhere. He sounds like a more independent dog with some bad habits based on his previous upbringing (or lack thereof). If this is not something you can commit to dealing with, make sure any future dogs are not from a similar situation. The lack of bonding probably stems from resenting the dog. I'm not trying to get on your case because I've had those same feelings myself, but I work through them and it passes, and then looking back I can't imagine a time when I resented the dog or wanted to give up.

Another thing is that you need to work with what you've got and not necessarily what you want. I take it this dog is not a puppy? There's only so much you can alter how he behaves towards strangers and strange dogs. The best time to socialize is when the dog is a young puppy. After that, it becomes more an issue of gaining control and obedience, but likely the dog may never accept strange dogs or care to be social around other people. Forcing the issue can just make it worse, and widen the gap between you two because he will be frustrated. If his behavior worries you because its scary and you lack control, keep him home for now. Work from there out. Work on developing a daily routine, lots of NILIF training, very rigid structure. Work on the poop and water issue. Develop a bond with him and learn how to play with him and enjoy him for what he is. Once he learns to trust and respect you, he may surprise you with how he reacts to other dogs and people. Right now he probably feels like no one has his back.

 

[PupperLove]

I would absolutely hate for him to be put down, I do not want that at all. I dont know if I can give him the help that he needs. I honestly dont know if I put all of that work into him and I still dont love him? That makes it harder for me. I dont love him. If I could find someone that has experience with Siberian Husky's and he/she is willing to work with Rogue and get him the help that he needs, they cant have children though, I would rehome him to them. I would keep him here with me until I found a home like that for him but I would not have him put down.

Aww... I really feel for you right now. Because I know how confusing and hard it is to face the possibilities. And feeling like he's your pet/baby but you don't love him must be really hard too....

It sounds like you are doing a good job with your pets. I know the look you are talking about, my GSD/Husky would do that sometimes. I had him since he was a baby so I trusted he wouldn't bite me. But you don't know what Rouge has been through so it must be a little scary sometimes.

When I talked to the trainer about Jackson, she said that since he has showed a type of aggression, "he is not re-homeable at this point". I don't know if that's some type of law in Wisconsin, or that I could be sued/fined for giving away a knowingly aggressive dog or what. You might want to check into that for Illinois. You would need to disclose that at the time of adoption...but even if you give him to someone else, there could still be that child walking by that gets bit when he escapes the new owners yard, etc.

You know what, you should have him evaluated by a professional and see what they have to say. They may offer some insight on his behavior so you can better understand him and better weigh your options with him.

It's gotta be hard. I'm sure you feel very "stuck" right now. Feeling like you want to do the right thing, you want to work with him but haven't bonded and just feel like you don't love him...I can totally understand what you must be feeling like.

 

[Lilie]

Sometimes there is no bonding, but there is a sense of responsibility. I think Laren feels responsible for Rogue, but she doesn't feel the strong bond that she has for all the rest of her animals. We all want to feel bonded to our animals, we put a lot of time, effort and money into our furkids. It is only human to want something in return. Sometimes it never happens.

If it were me, I'd contact a Husky related rescue. Explain to them what is going on. See if you can get Rogue enrolled into their rescue program, while keeping him as a "foster" until they can locate the perfect home. During that time you utilize every tool that you have to make sure that the next home is successful for Rogue. I'd also go ahead and get him altered to ensure they'll take him into their program.

 

[Rerun]

I respect Carolina a lot, but I personally do NOT agree with what she said about having multiple dogs. I think if you get a group of dogs and let them run and behave as a pack, this could (likely would) turn into an issue. I am surprised that coming from her she feels this way, because I'm sure she doesn't do that.

But if you have multiple dogs and treat them as individuals, yes you have to manage the "pack" but my dogs do not behave as a pack in the sense described. They do not get upset when seperated, they do not form bonds and gang up on other dogs, and they are all still social with other dogs and people. We foster dogs and have new ones coming in every few months and they accept the new dog, play with them, etc.

When we take them out in public they aren't anti-social at all.

Some things we do that might make a difference - our dogs don't all get put in the yard or house together and left. They are seperated throughout the day. A couple might be inside with me, a couple outside playing in the yard. Dante might be in the puppy pen when he's not being supervised. All the dogs except one (the girls rotate) sleep in individual crates at night. We don't allow pair bonding either. They each have preferred buddies but we put different dogs together at different times.

There is individual training and individual outings, or pair outings where two might go for a special outing without the others.

Is there pack structure - YES, most definitely. Are they a "pack" that can't operate in the real world and as individuals? No

 

[ShenzisMom]

I had a feeling, through some of your posts that you were having issues with Rogue and weren't being completely upfront about it for fear of the backlash.

I would go back to step one. Tethering inside, outside, at all times. The second you see him start to squat, rush out the door. When he cannot be tethered, he is in the crate. Spray bitter apple or something similar onto his tail so he does not chew it. Give him a filled kong with banada, peanut butter, green pepper, whatever. It should keep him occupied-I use the big bully sticks sometimes too, the braided ones last longer and should keep him occupied.

What have you tried with the leash aggression? I recently read somewhere that a squeek from a toy sometimes works so you don't have to use a prong to snap them out of it. Is he fixating?
When you come home from work or the store you need to make sure that you give Sin attention first-and send Rogue away. After a few minutes, or as soon as he has calmed in his 'spot' you need to switch. Send sin away and give Rogue attention. If rogue is attempting to steal from Sin you need to correct him immediatly-another reason why tethering works so well. Anything from verbal correction to a leash correction whatever you are comfortable with. If you are not comfortable with physical correction you need to get his attention another way, a verbal correction or redirecting him. You can try drilling him with all the commands he knows to get his attention and off Sin. You have to correct this behaviour, it will not go away on its own.

To get him socialized I have taken treats with me on walks. I began with people throwing treats at her, and progressed to flat hand. She now views people she has met many times as treat dispensors, but is still leery of first meetings.

One thing I will touch on. You cannot, ever be scared of a dog that is under your care. I will be honest here. Me and Shenzi got into fights when she first came here. She was completely wild. Never blood, but I came out of it with bruises. The only way Rogue will become a productive member of your family is if you fight for it. You have to love him enough to fight for him, and with him. You cannot be scared of him. You can do much more harm mentally to him than he could ever do physically to you. And if you truely believe he would bite please muzzle him until he is better socialized.

When I first had shenzi I did not immediately connect with her either. She was wild, she didnt listen, we fought like what seemed constantly, and one day it just 'clicked'. I could never see myself without her by my side now. But it was many a day, and many fights later. It was an uphill battle and if you should choose to battle it you will come back with a very loyal friend.
Further comments:
He gets a 10-15 minute time out. This is too long in my opinion if you want to use the crate as a punishment. If it is a punishment 1-2 minutes max. The dog has forgotten in 15 minutes what it was that angered you. I would use a verbal correction or a light tap on the butt when he is being a butt head. (don't hit him. I mean like what you would do to a child. a small light swat to get a point across)

I'm not afraid of him all the time, it's the way he looks at me sometimes, it's the way he lowers his head and looks at me while his tail is almost sticking straight out.
When he is acting like this you need to snap him out of it. Seriously. Possible to take a picture of this behaviour? Do not be afraid of your animal. Walk up to him and tell him to sit or something. Snap him out of it.
that one does not feel more superior than the other.-Sin should feel superior in this situation.

 

[LaRen616]

Somehow missed the part about being aggressive towards people. Definitely get professional help. Get a professional evaluation on him regarding the people aggression. Once again...is it fear? Or is it truly aggression?

Ok, I'll give you an example of when my 2 aunts met him.

I had him for about 4-5 weeks and my 2 aunts came over to visit and meet him. I told them to come in and sit down, no talk, no touch, no eye contact. They sat down and he went up to one of my aunts and started growling at her. I called him over to me and made him sit. He sat and watched their every move. When my aunt got up to use the restroom he stood up and started growling. I put him in his crate the rest of the time they were there.

One of my neighbors approached me outside while I was taking the dogs out. Rogue was leashed, when my neighbor came towards us Rogue started growling and then it changed to him barking and he was pulling on his leash (towards my neighbor) I told my neighbor that it wasen't a good time to talk.

 

[ShenzisMom]

Ok, I'll give you an example of when my 2 aunts met him.

I had him for about 4-5 weeks and my 2 aunts came over to visit and meet him. I told them to come in and sit down, no talk, no touch, no eye contact. They sat down and he went up to one of my aunts and started growling at her. I called him over to me and made him sit. He sat and watched their every move. When my aunt got up to use the restroom he stood up and started growling. I put him in his crate the rest of the time they were there.

One of my neighbors approached me outside while I was taking the dogs out. Rogue was leashed, when my neighbor came towards us Rogue started growling and then it changed to him barking and he was pulling on his leash (towards my neighbor) I told my neighbor that it wasen't a good time to talk.

You just proved to him that he can make people go away and he doesnt have to deal with people if he says he doesnt want to. In these situations you wait until he calms. Hopefully your neighbor is patient! and again with the treats. Get his attention, sit treat, down treat, etc. Train a calm command, like settle or enough or something to that general effect. It seems you have much the issues I had with Shenzi and there is the light at the end of the tunnel I swear! Me and shenzi get into the elevator with people no problem now. It just takes time.

I love these articles. I have watched his DVDs and they are very informative. Don't agree with him always, but most of the time. http://leerburg.com/articles.htm#AandD

 

[gsdraven]

If it were me, I'd contact a Husky related rescue. Explain to them what is going on. See if you can get Rogue enrolled into their rescue program, while keeping him as a "foster" until they can locate the perfect home. During that time you utilize every tool that you have to make sure that the next home is successful for Rogue. I'd also go ahead and get him altered to ensure they'll take him into their program.

Most rescues will not be able to help with him if she is honest about his "aggression" issues. They cannot afford to have their savings wiped out and not being able to save the 100's of adoptable dogs if they are sued over a bite from one dog that has already show "aggressive" behaviors.

I have aggression and aggressive in quotes because I have no way of knowing if that is what he is really displaying. I think having him evaluated by a professional is your first step toward making a plan on how to proceed with Rogue.

 

[JakodaCD OA]

I think you most likely need a professional to come in evaluate him and help you one on one.

Unfortunately he sounds like he could be a ticking time bomb and a big liability. BUT, with pro help, you may be able to work the issues, figure out his triggers, and be able to safely manage him.

I do think your right, in that, IF you were to rehome him, it would have to be with someone totally willing to take on his issues and a dog savvy person. Rehoming him is putting that liability on someone else

I also agree that sometimes we just can't bond with a dog..I have never had that problem with my gsd's, but I admit, my male aussie who is 10 years old, he and I just don't click and I've had him since he was 12 weeks old..No big deal, he "clicks' with my husband and he is more his dog which is fine by me.

I really think you need to bring in someone who knows how to handle problem dogs and work with you.. Good luck

 

[ShenzisMom]

Is anyone in LaRens area that can point her to a reputable professional? I would hate for her to get stuck with some crackpot...

 

[Jax08]

LaRen - I can not tell from a description whether it was fear based or true aggression. You really have to read the body language of the dog and your reaction, or the way you handle it, is key in handling a dog with either.

Do you have strangers give him treats? Are they allowed to interact with him in any way?

It's actually possible that his "people aggression" is resource guarding as well. You are a resource. His home is a resource. Toys, food, even Sin, is a resource that he may not want to share.

The best thing for Roque is a professional evaluation.

You made the comment that you would never own another husky because of the Siberian puppy you rehomed before. Are some of the problems you encountered with him preventing you from bonding with Roque? That's something you should consider.

Ok, I'll give you an example of when my 2 aunts met him.

I had him for about 4-5 weeks and my 2 aunts came over to visit and meet him. I told them to come in and sit down, no talk, no touch, no eye contact. They sat down and he went up to one of my aunts and started growling at her. I called him over to me and made him sit. He sat and watched their every move. When my aunt got up to use the restroom he stood up and started growling. I put him in his crate the rest of the time they were there.

One of my neighbors approached me outside while I was taking the dogs out. Rogue was leashed, when my neighbor came towards us Rogue started growling and then it changed to him barking and he was pulling on his leash (towards my neighbor) I told my neighbor that it wasen't a good time to talk.