Rescue dog - advice

Silver-Moon

Silver-Moon

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Hello all, looking for a bit of advice on my new rescue dog. Will give you a brief outline below (but this may take some time) :eek:

Spock is a 6yo German Sheperd x rough collie. He has had 2 homes previously as he was removed from his first home for cruelty (they were awful and used to dangle him over th toilet by his back legs and flush the loo and other equally godawful things) he was removed and re-homed (I don't know by whom) and in this other home he was generally ignored and mistreated. The old owners are known to the police.

3 weeks ago he escaped from the garden and got hit by a car, taken to the vets where his owners barged in and removed him, refusing to pay or for him to have treatment. Anyway long story short he was removed by the police that same night and we re-homed him & sorted out injuries etc.

He has terrible separation anxiety, which we are working on, and he has improved no end, but he is very funny with men! he is fine with my husband and my brother and nephew, but any other man he literally goes ballistic at and will bark until he is almost hoarse! he is fine with women and he is brilliant with the cats and the horses. We keep him on the lead in public places but when a friend let themselves into the house yesterday he jumped up and caught our friends arm...it wasn't a bite or even a nip as such! he is better if you ignore him and let him come to you in his own time.

On top of this he has developed Diarrhoea today, poor boy! Do they tend to have sensitive tummy's? we have no idea what he was fed before but is not keen on dried food, but will eat a mixer with tinned food.

I have never had a GSD (my old girls were a German Shorthaired pointer and a Weimerana) so i need a bit of advice about handling etc. He is generally obedient and will heel, doesn't pull on the lead etc it is really just the man thing.

He is still intact but is booked in to be gelded next week :rolleyes:

PHEW!!! wrote more than I meant to, so Toblerone or Maltesers all round to anyone who gets this far!
 
My rescue dog took at least 6 mths before any man could get near enough to touch and even now 3yrs later she is still very wary and you may find he is never fully comfortable with men.

I suppose I know her and her limitations so never put her in a position that she feels vulnerable, although she has never nipped or bitten anyone.
 
Hopefully you might notice some calming down after the trip to the vets next week, but I'm not sure what you do about getting them used to men. Maybe enlist the help of some trusted friends who are dog people and once they have ignored his bad behaviour, when he is quiet and nice, get them to reward his good behaviour with their voice and treats? Although I admit I've never had a dog with this issue thankfully.
 
If there is any hint of aggression around (as in jumping up and catching someone's arm) it is best not to mess with trying this and trying that - if it gets worse you have a real problem and may have signed his death warrant. Get a properly trained behaviourist off the APBC list - they are experienced and knowledgeable and properly qualified. http://www.apbc.org.uk/help/regions I did some training as a behaviourist and aggression is one of the presenting problems you never mess with.
 
Thank you everyone,

He is such a wuss in all other things and hides from my cats!

I am hoping that he will settle as he has had such a rough time recently and it is only yesterday that he started with the barking/jumping etc so I am wondering if he felt threatened. Will look into a behaviourist too as he is such a lovely, loving boy in all other respects and I really don't want to give up on him
 
I wouldn't stress *too* much about jumping up and grabbing a sleeve - a bit rude but if he'd meant to bite, he would have bitten. A strange man let himself into your house/his territory.

I know very little about rough collies but yes, GSDs can be prone to sensitive tummies.
It may also be stress related.
They are also naturally suspicious and can display defensive tendencies as you have described, particularly with his start in life.

GSDs are happiest with a job to do/an occupation so you might look into some structured training, they can be prone to gobbiness/reactive behaviour and firm but fair handling is the best way to deal with them and with as little conflict as possible.

Having said that a behaviourist or trainer might be an answer. As you say I would take it at his own pace, keep it all light hearted and don't try to force any contact with men, start small and simple and build up and make his association with men a pleasurable one (chucking some food on the floor etc).
At this stage I would see if you can meet men (!!) in a neutral setting before bringing them into the house.
 
Try a DAP infuser in the meantime, it might help him to feel calmer about life. I would also get a crate, cover it with a blanket and let that be his little spot where he can feel safe and secure.
 
I would absolutely not let anyone enter the house without you (as your friend did). Not becausehe may be aggressive, but to give him the chance of not becoming aggressive. This sounds like an animal that is going to need some pretty sensitive handling. He's been through so much that I expect it's going to take quite some time for that damage to become undone.
 
Agree with JillA. Get a behaviourist in ASAP to deal with issues with men. I have a nervous GSD. I rehomed her at 5months and she had rarely been out of the house and was terrified of everything. She is scared of people and worse with men. However, she just barks but backs off. With the help of a behaviourist I have a normal dog now though she is still nervous of people.
GSD's do tend to have sensitive tummies. It's a case of find something that suits your particular dog.
My other GSD has severe seperation anxiety though I am starting to see light at the end of the tunnel, again I advise to get a behaviourist advice.

Good luck, I love GSD's. I have only ever had one tht didn't have my issues but that's what happens when you rescue x
 
My rescue dog is very nervous of strangers (some more than others) and especially men. They did not know this at the rescue centre as they hadn't had her long enough. They did know she was nervous/aggressive with dogs when on the lead.

When she first met my dad (a couple of days after I got her) she was terrified! How she reacts though is to look as aggressive as she can - lots of barking and hackles up etc. She would never jump at anyone though - she wants to keep away.

However, once she knows 'that man', she is complete role-reversal dog and, quite frankly a total tart! :) She wants them to throw her toy for her, wants them to stroke her etc.

What I found was I had to make sure any stranger who she met (ie a friend of mine) did not try and stroke her/interact with her/look at her or anything. She needs to accept people on her terms. The problem with my dog was/is people want to stroke her and 'chat' to her but this terrifies her and she reacts by barking and this generally gets the reaction she wants (ie person backs off and leaves her alone). I tell them to leave her, let her check them out if she wants to and they are not to stroke her etc.

She has got sooo much better on the 1 and a half years I've had her. She doesn't react quite as much as she used to and now, sometimes some (only some) strangers are allowed to pet her! I warn people what she may do and why she does it. She stillhas some moments where she decides certain people are terrifiying but it is getting less and less.
 
One of mine was very odd with people, never mistreated, just a funny one. We asked people to ignore him then just give him a treat casually. Ignoring him has worked wonders and now he loves attention, loves to be on anyone's knee :D Ignoring is a fab technique (for naughty kids too!)
 
My rescue dog was similar to begin with. He didn't know what praise was!
I used positive reinforcement by every time he came to me he was praised, every time he did anything I asked him he was praised. If he did anything I didn't want he was ignored.
When anyone came to the house they were told to ignore him unless he approached them in a calm way. If he did they were told to praise him and so on in all situations.
He loves a cuddle now and anyone can come in.
He's a Border collie.
 
Hi did you get your dog from a rescue centre? Just I know places like the Dogs Trust have a support group within their area you can for help with your dog?
 
Speak to Sahara S, her GSD has had big issues with new people and she has exhausted the possibilities to help her dog who has improved vastly.
 
Thank you all so much for your advice, it really is very much appreciated.

The separation anxiety has certainly become much less in the last couple of days and we are in the process of crate training and we got a DAP diffuser.

He met our yard owner again yesterday and although he barked a lot Alan just ignored Spock and eventally he started sniffing round and had a fuss with him!

I really do think it is just a lot of patience with him and making him realise that not everyone is out to hurt him, we took him bac to the vets yesterday and they were so pleased with his progress, although they also suggested a bhaviourist which we are going to look into, oh and he is booked in to have his boy bits cut off on Tuesday :eek:

thank you all once again x
 
Have you got him insured? If you have most policies will cover you for behavioural treatment.

100% think that seeing a APBC behaviorist is the right way to go. Would never hesitate with fear related problems xx
 
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