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5 Posts
Hi everyone,
This will be a bit of a long read but in short: I have a small terrier mix rescue (past 7 owners, never been trained, been hit, locked up and in a car crash) and a GSD (1 previous owner, got locked up and crash as well by ex partner), the GSD has recently decided to hump dogs and tends to growl and try and hold onto them when they don't like it and my little one barks like crazy at every dog she sees.
Here the background. I am in training with both dogs for 1.5 years now and they have improved greatly. Both are great with children and humans, my barky terrier even loves our neighbours cat and my shepherd is just a dopey ball loving dog. But here is the thing. I am a bit of an emotional/sensitive person and love my dogs dearly. I try to exersize them safely and my GSD has great recall. However, I always had run-ins with other owners to a point where people hear about me (stories by then make me sound like a violent crazy person with 2 vicious monsters). Here the scenarios:
1. My little dog barks at off lead/ or close on lead dogs. Owner gets angry, GSD starts responding (tail wagging) screaming ensues including *people like you should not have a dog*. Funnily enough they laugh at the terrier and then claim my GSD was aggressive
2. My GSD plays ball or just sniffs around. Another off-lead dog chooses to come close and the owner starts shouting at me to get my GSD on lead (because obviously a GSD is always dangerous). Now my dog notices other dog and wanders over to sniff the bum, I call him back and here are 2 possibilities: he comes back, I get yelled at and insulted nothing else happens, or he humps the dog and all hell breaks loose (often by the owner,
sometimes the dog growls and it sounds dangerous and everyone freaks out)
I often meet lovely people who understand dog behaviour but just as often I meet the type of people who think lifting their labrador into the air (full grown) is a smart choice when another dog approaches.
I just don't know what to do. If I let my GSD off lead he will want to say hi to dogs and people freak out. If I don't his social skills will get worse. My dog trainers (he was assessed by 3 independent trainers all saying neither of my dogs is aggressive both require standard training and socialization) tell me he needs to be off lead and I cannot restrict him because of the odd angry man but I just can't handle the abuse and I always feel sorry for the other dogs which usually turn scared once their owners start screaming.
I am having him done this week so the *how dare you own an intact male* attack becomes useless but I was told by the vet and the trainers that it won't change his humping because it is not sexual but a dominance issue. Apparently if it were aggression or sexual he would do it all the time to anything.
I have been told to put a muzzle on the GSD (despite the fact that he hasn't ever bitten anyone) but my concern then is that people will scream more thinking he is a biter?
Anybody any advice?
I know I can't get the world to love me and my dogs but I would like not to be hated on sight and for my dogs to be able to learn to interact...
This will be a bit of a long read but in short: I have a small terrier mix rescue (past 7 owners, never been trained, been hit, locked up and in a car crash) and a GSD (1 previous owner, got locked up and crash as well by ex partner), the GSD has recently decided to hump dogs and tends to growl and try and hold onto them when they don't like it and my little one barks like crazy at every dog she sees.
Here the background. I am in training with both dogs for 1.5 years now and they have improved greatly. Both are great with children and humans, my barky terrier even loves our neighbours cat and my shepherd is just a dopey ball loving dog. But here is the thing. I am a bit of an emotional/sensitive person and love my dogs dearly. I try to exersize them safely and my GSD has great recall. However, I always had run-ins with other owners to a point where people hear about me (stories by then make me sound like a violent crazy person with 2 vicious monsters). Here the scenarios:
1. My little dog barks at off lead/ or close on lead dogs. Owner gets angry, GSD starts responding (tail wagging) screaming ensues including *people like you should not have a dog*. Funnily enough they laugh at the terrier and then claim my GSD was aggressive
2. My GSD plays ball or just sniffs around. Another off-lead dog chooses to come close and the owner starts shouting at me to get my GSD on lead (because obviously a GSD is always dangerous). Now my dog notices other dog and wanders over to sniff the bum, I call him back and here are 2 possibilities: he comes back, I get yelled at and insulted nothing else happens, or he humps the dog and all hell breaks loose (often by the owner,
sometimes the dog growls and it sounds dangerous and everyone freaks out)
I often meet lovely people who understand dog behaviour but just as often I meet the type of people who think lifting their labrador into the air (full grown) is a smart choice when another dog approaches.
I just don't know what to do. If I let my GSD off lead he will want to say hi to dogs and people freak out. If I don't his social skills will get worse. My dog trainers (he was assessed by 3 independent trainers all saying neither of my dogs is aggressive both require standard training and socialization) tell me he needs to be off lead and I cannot restrict him because of the odd angry man but I just can't handle the abuse and I always feel sorry for the other dogs which usually turn scared once their owners start screaming.
I am having him done this week so the *how dare you own an intact male* attack becomes useless but I was told by the vet and the trainers that it won't change his humping because it is not sexual but a dominance issue. Apparently if it were aggression or sexual he would do it all the time to anything.
I have been told to put a muzzle on the GSD (despite the fact that he hasn't ever bitten anyone) but my concern then is that people will scream more thinking he is a biter?
Anybody any advice?
I know I can't get the world to love me and my dogs but I would like not to be hated on sight and for my dogs to be able to learn to interact...