Paranoid German Shepherd

wilbret · 12-18-2006, 07:07 PM

Hi, first time poster here!

My family grew up breeding GSDs, and we have our first 'nutcase.' (sorry if that offends anyone).

My dad bought a female from a remote line to replace an old girl we lost last year. Unfortunately, the dog appears to suffer from separation from her previous owner.

The dog acted perfectly with the owner, but with us she is skittish and jumpy. She will not allow anyone to even touch her under most circumstances, and is standoffish. She will not bite or get aggressive, she just lets us know she doesn't want to be touched.

She will get into the truck with my dad, but that's pretty much the only time you can catch her.

She does ease off when she has a buddy to play with, and sometimes she will let the kids pet her. It is most odd.

Do any of you have tips on how to get her to back to normal?

Curbside Prophet · 12-18-2006, 07:15 PM

How long have you had the dog? And how old is she? Welcome to our forum!

wilbret · 12-18-2006, 08:19 PM

It's actually my dad's dog, so specifics are rough...
Got her this summer, and she is approx 3 years old.

Dulce · 12-18-2006, 10:38 PM

Why did you take this dog at 3 years of age??????

That's the problem. You just randomly took this poor dog from its owner. I don't blame it for acting like this.

wilbret · 12-18-2006, 11:40 PM

Wow.

On what basis do you assume we RANDOMLY TOOK this dog? What the frak is your problem? Thanks for playing.

I don't know why I'm wasting my effort typing to you.

Dulce · 12-18-2006, 11:43 PM

Ok, you don't need to be rude. You posted on a PUBLIC FORUM to get some asnwers, and I responded accordingly.

If you think that's rude, then that's ok. The asnwer to your question is quite obivous. Maybe think about it a bit more.

Curbside Prophet · 12-18-2006, 11:48 PM

Hmmm...would you say most of your interactions with her have been forced? Because I'm wondering if you ignored her for a few weeks if she would come looking for your attention. Often times a paranoid dog is just looking for someone to listen to them. And the trust that she once had with her previous owner is now gone, so now she doesn't know who will listen to her. And forced interactions can reinforce this void within her. I'm of course typing what I imagine the situation to be, and forcing a bit of human theory into it...if it makes and sense I don't have a clue, but I don't mind throwing a dart in the dark at times. Can you tell us what her daily routine would be?

wilbret · 12-18-2006, 11:53 PM

Dude, thanks for the advice. My problem is solved. We'll just give the dog back to the lady who had to part with her. That's a great plan.

Are you 12?

When I need advice on murderous dogs, I'll ask you. Thanks again. You are quite the ambassador for this board!

Cheetah · 12-18-2006, 11:53 PM

**Removed something. Nevermind, this is more appropriate for a PM... >X.x;<

That said, Wilbret, if you just acquired this dog, then she is probably nervous of her new surroundings and feeling out of place. Give her a safe place to hide in the house, and let her come out when she feels comfortable. Bribe her with treats, and have anyone visiting do the same. Find the stinkiest treats you can! Try not to tower over her when trying to pet her. Instead, get down your knees and maybe turn to the side. This is a less threatening stance for a dog.

If you have her on a leash at this time, don't try forcing her by creating tension on the leash. It will only make it worse.

I hope that helps!

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilbret

When I need advice on murderous dogs, I'll ask you.

Also, I am confused by this statement... >O.o<

wilbret · 12-18-2006, 11:59 PM

There isn't much forced interaction. My dad gets up and she gets in the truck with him (he's a farmer). We've had GSDs for 30+ years, and they enjoy the routine of riding and working. Enjoy is an understatement.

She is very peaceful in the car. Outside the car is another story.

She will not come when called. She will come to investigate things, such as treats, another dog or a small child. She will not allow you to approach her.

She prefers to sleep in the flowerbed over her kennel. The male dog sleeps in his kennel and comes when called, and is the typical GSD we are used to.

Obviously, the problem is that the owner was a show dog trainer, and she is a former show dog. We really hoped that the new male would give her a buddy to calm down. So far, not so much. They frolic and play, but she still reacts the same way. There is no way this dog has ever been abused. The problem lies in the fact the situation was quite the opposite.

It's a mystery...she has a very happy expression on her face and loves to play with other dogs. When on a lead, we can run her through some basic drills from her competing days, but that's about it.

Dulce · 12-19-2006, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilbret

Dude, thanks for the advice. My problem is solved. We'll just give the dog back to the lady who had to part with her. That's a great plan.

Are you 12?

When I need advice on murderous dogs, I'll ask you. Thanks again. You are quite the ambassador for this board!

Exuse me? MURDEROUS DOGS? Exactly what is that supposed to mean??

And I'm not a dude. I was trying to be helpful, not be an a** like you.
Grow up.

wilbret · 12-19-2006, 12:04 AM

She has been around now for over 6 months. She is an outside dog and hasn't taken off looking for her owner.

As the pvs poster suggested...the pvs owner could not keep her. My goal here is to find a way that we can work with her to make her more approachable. There are several children in our family and it makes the moms a little nervous. Normally our dogs are very mild mannered and lovable.

Hopefully this thread has calmed down. :-)

Curbside Prophet · 12-19-2006, 12:05 AM

Sorry for all the questions...I find this very interesting. But, has the previous owner ever been back since you've had her, and if so, did she act normally? I wouldn't be surprised if it took a year for this one to come around...or I could say a year before you guys crack her code. It can go both ways sometimes...at least I think so.

skelaki · 12-19-2006, 03:30 AM

As you know, having had GSDs for so long, they tend to be one person/family dogs and take a long time to accept a new owner. When she's not off with your dad, either he or you should tether her to you while you go about your business. Don't pay any particular attention to her, just do what you'd do normally. As far as not coming, if she was a show dog she was probably never taught any obedience. Working with her on basic obedience training a few minutes a day will also help the bonding process. As will putting her on a simple NILIF (nothing in life is free) program. I know you said that she's an outside dog but bringing her into the house with you for a period of time each day will also help the bonding process.

wilbret · 12-19-2006, 08:32 AM

Actually, he does let her in the house at times and she will just crash on the floor. She can't stay inside much because one of the grandkids has allergies.

I hadn't thought about her not being taught obedience. Very interesting.

And no, the pvs owner has not been around.

workingdog · 12-19-2006, 11:09 AM

i'm sure she will settle in with time. It has always bothered me, that people can just get rid of their dogs after they have became bonded with their people. It is soooooo hard on the dog.

wilbret · 12-19-2006, 07:06 PM

Yep, we figured there would be a period of anxiety, but had hoped it would wear off over time. In retrospect he/we should have just gotten a puppy, but the owner had to get rid of her and we thought we were doing a good thing.

Will keep working with her around other dogs. (We have a large family and all bring our dogs to the farm when we visit).

Will you keep you posted... let me know if you have any great ideas.

GSDSRULE · 12-19-2006, 11:56 PM

Hi, I'm new here, but I love GSD's.

Why did this "show lady" have to get rid of this dog? It will probably take awhile for her to adjust, and sadly she might not ever do so.

I would try the NLIF and obedience training.

wilbret · 12-20-2006, 06:36 PM

I'm assuming you quote 'show lady' to show you don't believe she competed with her dogs.

Actually, her relationship ended and she was forced to move to a location where she couldn't keep all of her dogs.

She had a complete trial setup in her backyard (tunnel, teeter, jumps, etc.) that we observed her/our girl run through and she showed us some basic commands that worked while there.

I have performed my due diligence on NILIF, and will see how it applies. Some of it does, some doesn't.

Thanks again

skelaki · 12-21-2006, 02:24 AM

With NILIF the main thing is to decide as a family what rules you will all enforce for the dog and to be consistent in enforcing them. Otherwise the dog just gets confused. Start with a few simple rules that are working for you and go from there as needed.