Worried about my dogs reaction?

[loeylo]

Hey everyone, just wondering if anyone else is in a similar position or can offer any advice?

We have a three year old rescue dog (had him less than a year) who is a German shepherd collie cross. He is a big, strong boy who wasn't very well socialised by his last owner, and he ended up being seized from them by an animal welfare organisation. Because it went to court, we don't have much info.

Since we have had him, he has improved massively - he isn't as boisterous, isn't so worried over being left, he is more independent and plays more appropriately. I know he would never intentionally hurt anyone, and he is brilliant with kids - we are pretty sure he has been around him in the past as he plays a lot more gently with all the Children we have had around him.

My concern is more that he pulls me off my feet when I get bigger, or pulls the pram etc. he was never walked on a lead and is terrible with other dogs. Because of this, he goes crazy pulling to get to other dogs. We have tried a harness, a choke chain (briefly as I don't agree with them) and are now using a halti to help. We are obviously trying to train him, but he is really vocal and strong and I don't want to be in that situation with a pram or a baby.

Getting rid of the dog is not an option, he is our first baby. I just want to make this work. I am only 4+6 so we have plenty of time.

 

[Mintastic]

Start working with a professional trainer NOW. I am worried about a few of my dog's behaviors as well and starting with a trainer as soon as we get back from our vacation.
Some trainers offer discounts for rescues so look around.

 

[wiiwidow]

I agree! My dog is small so I didn't have this worry, but I couldn't recommend enough spending as much time as possible with a trainer now. He can be trained I'm sure. If you've got the money he could always go to doggie boot camp for a couple of weeks? My old dog trainer used to do it? Just a thought.

 

[LilFooshFoosh]

Our 40 lb dog, Bailey, was attacked when she was a puppy and has had issues with other dogs ever since. (Our 17 lb dog is fine and they are fine with each other, Bailey is also fine with other dogs she knows). We have tried taking her to a trainer, but she would still panic sometimes. She used to pull her leash all the time, really pull- straining and choking herself to the point where she couldn't really breathe. First we tried keeping treats in our pockets (really it was just a couple of handfuls of kibble or crumbled cookies) to try positive reinforcement, when that didn't work we tried a harness and then a chain (not with the spikes that dig into their necks as I find that appalling). What finally ended up working was just threading the leash through her legs. At first it had to be thread between her front and hind legs so if she pulled she pulled her face to the ground and her butt into the air... I imagine this was also pretty uncomfortable in the whooha area as well. It only took 2 days and she stop pulling intensely. After about a week we could thread it between just her front legs (so it was in her armpit area) and she would no longer pull. We can use the leash normally now but that took a while.

She also doesn't bark or lunge at other dogs unless they come right up to us and she feels like we are being threatened, but I can't really fault her for that, as that is what happened when she was attacked.

Sometimes a trainer isn't an option, or sometimes the dog behaves differently with the trainer than with the owners as there is a different relationship.

Hopefully you will find something that works for you. Our dogs have always been fantastic with our son, but we prepped them by poking them near the eyes, pulling their ears and tails and sticking our fingers up their noses & in their mouths. I was very happy we did that when I turned around to find my son laughing because he had stuffed his fist in Bailey's mouth and was trying to catch her tongue, Bailey just lay there with her tail wagging and a huge grin.

Good luck =)

 

[Mintastic]

That's a great idea about prepping them with the poking and pulling! I will be trying that!

 

[LilFooshFoosh]

I just wanted to add- so no one gets the wrong idea- we didn't do anything maliciously or violently. We would be on the floor playing with them and occasionally do something unexpected like pull an ear or stick a finger in their nose. They got tons of praise and treats for good behaviour and sent to bed for the bad.

 

[Mintastic]

Oh no that was clear to me! No intention of hurting my dog!

 

[loeylo]

Thanks for all the replies, ladies!

We have tried dog training in the past, but we always find their methods to be too harsh for him, and he ends up actually worse after a few sessions - at one point he was pooping on the carpet, chewing things, tp'ing the house, scratching down doors etc.

As part of our pet insurance we get therapy with a vet referral but I am a bit worried as you need to declare this when taking out a new policy and it can be difficult!

He is fine on a lead 99% of the time, it is only around other dogs that he causes issues. Just now, we cross the road or walk on the grass, but with a pram it won't be as easy to avoid other dogs.

We have already started prodding him and things. He responds differently to us prodding (we get a playful non aggressive growl or he goes and gets a toy) as to how he responds to children doing it (he lies there until he gets frustrated then he moves away) which is why I think he has definitely been around kids before.

It is scary how many people think that dogs should never be around babies and now I am really scared. I feel so protective over my baby and my dog!

 

[claudinator]

Your going to hate me for saying this,
I love my pets adore them my dogs and cats were my world.
But,
It completely changes when you've a baby. The dog is literally a second citizen until you get back on your feet and you and baba are working things out amongst yourselfs. My husband did allot if the caring for the animals the first few weeks as I was very sick after baba. But after 7weeks the house resumed. We've a a staff and a pug. The staff was a puller but he never pulled when I had the buggy he loves baby Joe. The cats were biters still are but never bite joe even though he wrestles them to the floor. And you know the obvious don't leave them alone together etc etc.

 

[mayacat]

I would interview trainers and find one that uses positive reinforcement only and seems to have a good track record (get references if you can). For an animal that's been abused, any correction that is too negative will push him away. We fostered Great Pyrenees purebreds and mixes for 2+ years and have our own now (same age - 3 years, we got him last Dec). If you want to try to keep the dog, finding a trainer to work on his leash/aggression problems NOW before you start showing is going to be your best option. As you know, it will be harder to train him in a few months.

Good luck!

 

[knobby]

Try a gentle leader:

https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Gentle-Leader-Headcollar-Large/dp/B00074L4W2

My dog pulls and pulls on walks and chokes himself if I just hook a leash to his collar. I got him a gentle leader and it makes a world of difference. The way it works is that if the dog pulls the leash it turns their head, so it is very uncomfortable for the dog to pull, so they don't do it.

My dog hates it and tries to rub his face against my legs to get it off, but it is soooo worth it.

 

[loeylo]

Yeah that is what I meant by a halti, we already use one of those and it is so helpful! There is absolutely no aggression from him it is purely just pulling to get to the other dogs.

I was thinking about it and actually it wouldn't be too bad. The dog is usually in the house himself when we are at work. My boyfriend could do the morning walk before work while I sort baby or vice versa. My parents usually pop in to let the dog out during the day, so they could take baby or dog for a bit and let me deal with the other one. After work there will be two of us anyway.

I don't understand people who get dogs and then get rid of them when they find out they are pregnant. I will make this work, I am 100% committed to my dog! My parents already help us with him a fair bit - they take him overnight or any time we want to get out for a long time, they walk him during the day, and they are generally happy to help as they want their own dog but can't because of their cat! I wouldn't have allowed yawls to get pregnant if I didn't think it could work.

Totally true about not leaving them alone together though! I love him and I trust him, but he could unintentionally harm baby by sitting on it, bumping it over etc. I couldn't live with myself and I would obviously end up resenting my dog too! The dog is actually beig really sweet to me now, he hasn't jumped up on me for days and was walking to heel right through his walk, and didn't even pull to the other dogs we passed! I think he can maybe sense something(possibly from a previous owners pregnancy?)

 

[knobby]

I don't understand people who get dogs and then get rid of them when they find out they are pregnant. I will make this work, I am 100% committed to my dog! My parents already help us with him a fair bit - they take him overnight or any time we want to get out for a long time, they walk him during the day, and they are generally happy to help as they want their own dog but can't because of their cat! I wouldn't have allowed yawls to get pregnant if I didn't think it could work.

Me neither. When you get a dog, you are making a commitment to that dog for the rest of its life. They are like children; they completely depend on you and you are all they know. It is really sad when people give up easily on their dog just because an apartment they want to move into doesn't allow dogs. It is traumatic because they don't know you are saying goodbye forever and they will never see you again.

I think you and your dog will be just fine. Most dogs are wonderful with babies.

 

[loeylo]

I am so hormonal and your reply made me cry!

One of the main reasons we got a dog was because I ha lost two babies and I really needed to vent my broodiness. Yes, there may be a few months where he has to take the back seat in my affections, but I will always love him!

We actually made it clear in the kennels that we wouldn't take a dog who wouldn't be good around kids as we planned on having kids in the future. They are very strict about their rehoming criteria, and definitely wouldn't have let us take him if they anticipated any problems. There was a few dogs which we were interested in which they refused to give us, and he was assessed by a pet psychologist, so I am sure it will be fine!

How people in their late teens -late twenties can make a commitment to a dog who could potentially live 15 years without the thought of how they would cope with dogs and kids crossing their minds bamboozles me! We went through massive upheaval so we could be in a happy position for a dog and a baby - we even moved to a completely different town so we could afford a three bed with a private front and back garden!

 

[mayacat]

After reading the last few posts here, I'm so glad to see people committed to their animals. You kind of lose faith in people working with a rescue after a while and you forget that there are lots of people out there who are willing to work with their dog to make the family work rather than dumping it when you get pregnant.

I really want to thank you, knobby and loeylo (and anybody else who posted) for being as committed to your dogs as you are to the human parts of your family.

 

[knobby]

I am so hormonal and your reply made me cry!

Lol, sorry!