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gun
Posts:2
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| 07/10/2007 8:01 PM |
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I need some advice. Tonight my newly rescued GSP from a shelter showed aggressive behavior towards a family member. When I turned my back to walk back in the house, the dog, growled, barked and made an attempt to bite my family member. This occured after he was already down talking to me but the dog did growl and bark as he approached and then everything seemed okay. I am very concerned about this! We recently adopted him from a shelter but there was no real history available. Mind you that he is great with us but does give a growl and bark towards strangers. He is also not nuetered yet and is approx. 2 years old. Is this truly aggression or just a protective nature to his new owners? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I must say that I am very nervous about what happened tonight.
Please offer input and possible suggestions.
Thanks,
Gun |
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kmoalbany
MH
Posts:107
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| 07/11/2007 7:56 AM |
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| I would watch closely -- he could just be fearful as he adjusts. But you might want to find a good trainer/behaviorist http://www.apdt.com/ that's a good resource for finding someone with credentials. |
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Katie - GSP Rescue in NY |
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Hasty
Lake of the Ozarks, MO.
Posts:15
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| 07/11/2007 10:28 AM |
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| You should be concerned because the safety of your family should always be first priority. A lot of shelter dogs are troubled dogs, most people don't get rid of/lose their prized pets unless there is a bit of a problem. First thing you need to do is to get him fixed. Then you should talk with a trainer/behaviorist b/c an unstable dog isn't much different than having wild animal in your house. The shelter you got him from should have contact numbers for good people. Who knows why he is like that, just be smart and carefull. You don't know it's history or what things may trigger aggressive behavior. Almost any dog can be helped and turn out to be a great dog. |
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MOOSE1
Fruitport, MI
MH
Posts:1789
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| 07/11/2007 5:10 PM |
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This may sound odd to ask but is the family member elderly at all? Our male GSP is unsure of my grandfather because he walks hunched over with a shuffle and he does not think that is right. He got over it in a few minutes but he did a lot of growling and barking at him at first. No offer to bite though. Just a thought as well. Some dogs are sensative to this type of thing. What we did is packed my grandfather full of treats before he came in the house and Moose was good to go from then on  |
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Rajah-APBT- USUV UMJCH Flying High Rajah-TDI Certified
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Cody- GSP- AKC/CKC CH UKC UWP GRCH Legacyk n Estate Sunray Minor FDJ CGC Tested
Tucson-UJJ CH Legacyk FlwrCrk The Old Peublo
Rumor-UMJ URO1 GRCH BNJ Rumor Has It-RN RD CGC NA II
www.ezydog.com |
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gun
Posts:2
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| 07/11/2007 7:21 PM |
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Thanks for the input everyone. I have had three GSP's prior to this one and not one ever acted like this (although I got them as puppies). When he is in the house he listens very, very well as long as there is no distraction that he is focused on. Tonight my wife was outside and he was growling and became intensley focused on her through the window. He would not even acknowledge his name nor any basic commands... just very intense. This behavior is really bothering me. I realize he is new to the environment but this behavior is really concerning me. Am I over reacting, expecting too much. I am ready to throw in the towel already and return him to the shelter. He is scheduled for a vet appointment tommorrow for a check-up and to schedule his nuetering. I am really not sure about things now and feel as though I may have made a mistake with this rescue. We are having a very difficult time finding information about his past.
Pardon my rambling, just looking for some support here I guess.
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7855
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| 07/11/2007 10:47 PM |
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A couple of things come to mind as I read this post:
1) My 3 year old is very protective of anything on her turf (yard or house). She will respond with a growl and barking to anyone she doesn't know or recognize until I tell her it is ok. Then she is fine. She even watches me to see how I react. After that she becomes their best friend. So, it could be something like that. She didn't develop this until she was about 2.
2) Certain things like dark glasses, hats, dark clothes, etc will bother both my shorthairs. So is there anything unusual when your dog reacts? If so, you might try desensitizing him with whatever it is.
3) Could your dog have a vision problem? My mom has a cocker that we think has trouble seeing in certain lighting and she reacts agressively as a defense. Once we identified the issues, she was very consistent and we could control the behaviour.
I would get the dog neutered and observe carefully. You might even do a bit of controlled testing with the dog after he is neutered.
Good Luck! Hopefully with a little patience this will work itself out. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
   
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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Juno
Sask, Canada
MH
Posts:83
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| 07/12/2007 8:46 AM |
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I am by no means an expert and I have seen no aggressive issues with Juno but I am currently reading this great book that gives a whole different outlook on dog behaviour and pack dynamics that I am finding very interesting. I recommend it, it outlines that a lot of dog problems are due to the dog's anxiety over thinking that it is the leader of the pack in the absense of another strong leader figure in the pack and once you can prove to the dog that it doesn't have to take care of everyone because you have it under control the dogs whole attitiude will change. The book is "The Dog Listener" by Jan Fennell. I am finding it very interesting. I am reading it under the thought that it is just one person's take on dog thinking but a lot of what she is saying makes sense and the things that we are trying from the book really seem to be working. According to this book there are four simple steps to showing your dog that you are a good pack leader that don't involve and force or aggression. The thinking is based on the dynamic of the wolf pack.
Just a thought. Good luck and don't give up. I'm sure that with your help and patience your new dog will be able to find a forever home at your house. |
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hjackson
West Mansfield, Oh
MH
Posts:131
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| 07/12/2007 9:35 AM |
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I would defintely find a behaviorist
where are you located at? |
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~ Heather
neverbendgundogs.angelfire.com |
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wgspr rescue
Milwaukee, WI
MH
Posts:630
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| 07/13/2007 9:28 AM |
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| Dogs only read body language, maybe the family member's approach was too in that dogs space? Sounds like fear agression to me. I'm afraid, I dunno who this person is, why is he getting down and getting into my space, therefore I'm gonna just react right away to lay down the ground rules? Ummm, control is what you need here. When anyone enters the house, place dog on your imaginary spot, or create a rug; where dog MUST be when there are new folks. I'd only release dog after everything settles with entrance. ANd then tell people leave the dog alone, DO NOT GET IN HIS FACE, OR SPACE. Let him come to you, let him sniff you over, let him decide when he's ready to interact; when feels safe enough to interact. You gotta remember, each rescue dog carries baggage. They remember EVERYTHING! Maybe this person reminds him of something in his past that was negative, and therefore he does not have the dog's trust yet. Bonding and trust and time are your keys to the cure, is my opinion. |
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Lisa C. Rossman
WI GSP Rescue, Inc (wgspr.com)
"Until there are none, rescue just one!"
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Diamond
Southwestern Ontario
MH
Posts:349
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| 07/14/2007 10:14 AM |
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Posted By Juno on 07/12/2007 8:46 AM
The book is "The Dog Listener" by Jan Fennell......
Yes I have read this book also and it is really really good, the techniques work and are easy to remember. I highly recommend reading this....try finding it at your library if you don't want to buy it first.
Just a word of encouragement too is that I had a similar experience when I rescued my dog, he had a few little run ins with some family members of mine, they all took place with in the first few months he was here...and looking back on them now it was really more our fault then his...first he was new and didn't know what the rules of this strange new pack were, or even who the leader was (and though I thought I showing him, I wasn't speaking his language very well), he also had very little human contact since he was in a kennel for over a month. Every instance stemmed from fear (though I couldn't see that at the time). I had not given him security in knowing that there was a fair and trustworthy leader to take care of him.
I also believe that he had been abused in his past (but that's a long story)....therefore contributing to his fearful responses. He is a really sweet dog and is really well behaved now...the only thing we watch is, if he is sleeping that we (or let visitors) get to close if he is sleeping really sound....because the odd time he would wake up to fast and give and little growl before he realized it was one of us.
I really hope you get your hands on that book though...even if you don't decide to keep the dog it will help with the next one. It really helped me and at the time I thought I was doing pretty good *laughs* there's always room to learn something more. |
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Ace1cappuccino
Carp Lake, Michigan
MH
Posts:1618
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