Any advice or just hugs please, as decision is made greatly appreciated

C

catherine22

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We have just taken on an 8 month old weimeraner, we already have 2 and did have another until we lost him in november.
He was given to the weimeraner rescue centre, told them he was a bit 'mouthy' and had knocked their 18 month child over (not hurt it, or anyone) but that is why they wanted to rehome him.
He is brilliant with other dogs and has loads of fun with our 3 year old (too much sometimes -and they're both boys ;-( )
The problem is he barks, viciously, at other people in the house and if you don't remove him he will then start growling, or if you take him into some one eles house. He leaps towards and barks at people when they walk past, even on the other side of the road when he's on a lead (won't risk him off it)
Considering we only picked him up on friday he has settled in really well apart from this problem, you also can't dicipline him - he doesn't respond to being shouted at, smacked (on the bum). Don't have a spare cage to crate him, as the only one is our 3 year olds.
The upshot is he is going to a behaviouralist tomorrow to be hopefully 'treated' then rehomed, and we haven't just got rid of him but he is unsafe to have around the house, as we live with a disabled elderly family friend and we can't trust the dog around him. and becasue we are back to work on tuesday - the dogs come to work with me in an office, so I can't take him there as i cant trust him and can't leave him at home as i can't trust him.
Feel like we've let him down and he's been from the original people house, to kennels, to us and now to a behaviourist all in the space of 10 days, just feel really sorry for him and hope he can be 'fixed' (if he can't he will be investigated then PTS if neccessary) and find an ideal home. if it was just the 2 of us we would try and work through it but he's just too much of a risk given our circumstances
Just had to write it down, he is a 'mark of the hound' weimeraner as well and is stunning, it's just gutting
 
Part of me feels sorry for you going through this, part of me wonders why you took on another dog when you live with disabled relatives, and don't give it longer than three days to adjust...

Its stressful for a dog to have to go to a new home and get used to new people and dogs. I would think that out of all of them, this new dog needed a crate or space.

Our second lab was from a rescue. He too had been chucked back and forth. We were his fourth home in his first year of life. He was a bit hyper for the first few months, it has taken patience and time, but now we have a lovely dog.

I really hope that the dog behaviourist can help this dog and that he finds a good forever home next. I hope that you get your life back, but I would stick with the dogs that you have until your situation changes..
 
I would expect you to hand him back to the weimeraner rescue to be sorted out.

I often get Bassets in with exactly the same issues and would not let one out to someone with your circumstances. The right dog for you would come along before too long.
 
I agree you really should return him to rescue, he is not "yours" to hand to a behavioirist and a breed rescue will already have access to breed-knowledgeable trainers.
Male weims can be very reactive towards strangers if not well socialised and as this chap has been passed pillar to post his reaction is not surprising. At 8 months he is a long way from a lost cause, however I do agree that your current circumstances are not appropriate for him and he needs to be worked with elsewhere.

I hope there is a happy ending for this chap x
 
Any decent rescue would have made you sign something to say the dog is to be returned to them if the need arises.

Shame you do not have the time to devote to him, I imagine he is pretty confused atm- most dogs within days of rehoming them would not be perfect citizens.
 
I was a bit shocked that a rescue would give someone living with disabled relatives who has to take the dogs to an office all day a young energetic dog..:confused:
 
Im another who thinks you should hand him back to the rescue but Im amazed they did not assess him properly and took the original owners word for it as to why he needed rehoming. It sounds to me he needs to go to a experienced home and would expect the rescue to have access to a behaviourist familiar with that breed.

It seems to me this dog is showing all the signs of insecurity which is hardly surprising given his experience. This is not a dog for a novice and no disrespect to you op but you know he is too much for you. Well done though for trying to give him a chance.
 
It does seem very odd given your situation and they obviously knew of the problems with the dog in the first place :confused::confused: He has only been in your home for 3 days remember - it takes dogs a long time to adjust and settle and it seems as though he has been through a lot already, poor mite.

Our late GSD had exactly the same problems and it stemmed through fear but we worked through it and learnt to live with it more or less - never managed to 'fix' her with dog aggression but built her confidence with people and got her obedience to a level where she could be trusted off lead to come back.

We have just taken on a 12 month old GSD who has severe fear problems - she was kept locked in a back yard, barely fed and abused. She has not seen anything before and needs socialising - its something we'll work through but it takes time and patience, but she's here for keeps now and with regular training, routine (most important!) and care she is coming on in leaps and bounds.

Heartbreaking as it is, if you haven't got the time or the facilities to put the work into this dog, I'd suggest giving him back to the rescue he came from.
K x
 
He has gone back to the resuce, we've been in constant contact from them since we got him and everything has been done through them, but he has gone straight to their behaviourist rather than back to normal kennels. however it is not looking good for him from their first assessement of him it seems he has been well socialised with other dogs but it seems not with people,but we'll wait to see if she can turn him around and then find him a suitable home.
We do have experience with the breed which is how we knew something wasn't right straight away, which is how we ended up with him as he couldn't be assessed due to christmas etc before being rehomed to us so it was all an unknown and purely based on the word of his old owners which clearly was not the truth (thats what the behaviourist said). if the rescue had been told and see what he was like he would have gone directly to the behavouralist rather than being passes from kennels to us then to another kennels
as a side point our dogs are not 'stuck in an office all day', they are out every morning before work, out about 10am, out for a walk at lunchtime, out again in the afternoon, then big walk usually with the horses in the evening, surely thats better than being stuck at home?
 
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