Dog Owner Chat v4

[Faybell]

Honestly I'd rather advice on how to rehome her. No offense to you guys but we didn't just decide this on a whim. We thought about it a month ago... it's not an easy decision. If we keep her we will just be miserable taking care of a dog we feel doesn't return our affection and if we give her up we are going to be depressed for a long time... either way we are going to be hurt, but we feel she just isn't fitting in and we want to give her a chance to find a person she can be happy with.

Imzadi83: I think you did? It's not like I haven't tried working on it. Every time she spots a person I would shower her with treats. All it's seems to have done is get her better at focusing on me instead of the person. Though I've been working with her for four months with nothing but positive training and I feel like she doesn't even trust me... I'm not sure how long it would take to get her to be even remotely be calm around other people. If it was just other people I would continue working with her... but she acts aggressive to me and my SO if we leave for a day. I can't emotionally handle a dog I feel doesn't return my affection after having her for so long. We haven't looked into medication but I don't think i should have to medicate a dog for it to like me.

I'm going to talk to the shelter we adopted her from to see what they think (it's a no-kill shelter). I wouldn't mind fostering her but I don't think my SO likes the idea. He feels it would only hurt us more if we fostered her now that we've decided to rehome her. I can't blame him for it. My SO has really bad depression and anxiety and this situation is only making his depression/anxiety worse.

I'll try and get a video of it though I'm practically blind outside. I'll try getting a friend or family member to come over and film it inside.

[Imzadi83]

Honestly I'd rather advice on how to rehome her. No offense to you guys but we didn't just decide this on a whim. We thought about it a month ago... it's not an easy decision. If we keep her we will just be miserable taking care of a dog we feel doesn't return our affection and if we give her up we are going to be depressed for a long time... either way we are going to be hurt, but we feel she just isn't fitting in and we want to give her a chance to find a person she can be happy with.

Imzadi83: I think you did? It's not like I haven't tried working on it. Every time she spots a person I would shower her with treats. All it's seems to have done is get her better at focusing on me instead of the person. Though I've been working with her for four months with nothing but positive training and I feel like she doesn't even trust me... I'm not sure how long it would take to get her to be even remotely be calm around other people. If it was just other people I would continue working with her... but she acts aggressive to me and my SO if we leave for a day. I can't emotionally handle a dog I feel doesn't return my affection after having her for so long. We haven't looked into medication but I don't think i should have to medicate a dog for it to like me.

I'm going to talk to the shelter we adopted her from to see what they think (it's a no-kill shelter). I wouldn't mind fostering her but I don't think my SO likes the idea. He feels it would only hurt us more if we fostered her now that we've decided to rehome her. I can't blame him for it. My SO has really bad depression and anxiety and this situation is only making his depression/anxiety worse.

I'll try and get a video of it though I'm practically blind outside. I'll try getting a friend or family member to come over and film it inside.

Medication isn't a matter of making the dog like you, but if there is something going on with her neurologically and/or psychology she may just not be capable of "liking" you on her own. Just like people dogs can have anxiety so bad that no amount of training, love or patience can fix it, and medication can be valuable tool to help. I understand if you don't want to go down this road however, but I wanted to dispel the misconception that people regularly have towards medication.

As far as rehoming her I think talking to the shelter where you got her is the best way to proceed. See what they say, and what your options are. I don't know what kind of contract you signed when you adopted her but you may only be able to return her and not be allowed to adopt her out on your own.

[taurus ;]

You may have to search long and hard for her new owners. Vashti's owners searched for 5 months and the week I discovered Vashti, that Friday they were going to put her down. I think they held off pretty long for a dog with a bite record of 25 people and a distrust of men (now that she's blind I'm sure it's deep voices, not actual men).

It may be easier since Aika hasn't seriously bitten anybody. Maybe reach out to dog trainers. Do you know any who would be interested in training and then rehoming a dog? Or a no kill shelter, but most of those actually mean 'only no-problem adoptable dogs/puppies.. Maybe a rescue that regularly deals with problem dogs? Contacting the shelter where you got her seems good too, especially if you signed any kind of contact/agreement when you initially adopted her.

I hope this doesn't put you off dogs or even Aika's breed. Maybe get a dog from a breeder next time? Dog behavior in shelter and home environment can be drastic and in some cases, totally unexpected and unwelcome.

[Imzadi83]

You may have to search long and hard for her new owners. Vashti's owners searched for 5 months and the week I discovered Vashti, that Friday they were going to put her down. I think they held off pretty long for a dog with a bite record of 25 people and a distrust of men (now that she's blind I'm sure it's deep voices, not actual men).

It may be easier since Aika hasn't seriously bitten anybody. Maybe reach out to dog trainers. Do you know any who would be interested in training and then rehoming a dog? Or a no kill shelter, but most of those actually mean 'only no-problem adoptable dogs/puppies.. Maybe a rescue that regularly deals with problem dogs? Contacting the shelter where you got her seems good too, especially if you signed any kind of contact/agreement when you initially adopted her.

I hope this doesn't put you off dogs or even Aika's breed. Maybe get a dog from a breeder next time? Dog behavior in shelter and home environment can be drastic and in some cases, totally unexpected and unwelcome.

Just want to add in that a responsible breeder would be the way to go if going to a breeder. A dog from a BYB (so many out there still don't know the difference) can have just as much of a unstable temperament/lack of socialization/etc. that you can run into in shelters/rescues. That's where most of the dogs come from, after all responsible breeders would make sure none of the dogs they breed ever wind up in that situation in the first place.

Yes, dog behavior is really hard to assess in a shelter. If you still want to rescue in the future I'd recommend a dog who's been through a foster home so you get a better idea of their temperament. It's not a guarantee, but it's a better indicator then them only having been in a kennel environment.

You might also consider a rescue you feel comfortable fostering for with the understanding you eventually want to find a dog to adopt. Not all rescues will be open to this but some will and it will allow you to get to know a dog(s) in your home before you commit to adopting one. Though regardless I think you need and deserve a break right now so please don't feel pressured to get another dog right away.

[plecostomus enjoyer]

i'm working on teaching my dog, chance, how to get on his back legs and sort of "hug" me on command so it's easier for me to hold on to him. (he's almost as tall as me standing on his back legs) he's doing it for treats right now and im trying to get him to do it without needing a treat involved.
i've been teaching him to do things to help me out and comfort me for awhile, as i am VERY high functioning. he's a very droopy, chubby dog and petting him and touching his fur is very calming and relaxing. and his fur smells really nice, which is a bonus lol. he also comes to sit on my lap or feet on command and is actually very good about knowing on his own when he needs to come sit by me so i can hold and pet him. i dont leave my house often so he's with me almost always and it's very helpful to have him around. and i find that having him beside me where i can hold and pet him if i need helps a bit with my speech. i love my dog so much, he's very important to me and really helps me function a bit more normally and when im talking about him i feel less afraid and shy and can actually have a conversation. plus he plays a mean game of tug-o-war. i love him with all my heart, even if he does drool on my stuff sometimes. honestly i cant even imagine my life without owning at least one dog. they bring me such joy and comfort. (i'm absolutely going to look into rescuing another coonhound or coonhound mix in the future when i'm moved out on my own. my experiences with these dogs have been so wonderful and i love coonhounds of all types, they're truly very special. in general, i find rescuing dogs/rehabilitating dogs very rewarding.)

//sorry, every time i talk about my dog it either turns into a big long ramble about how much i love them or how special my dogs are to me

[Faybell]

I plan on talking to her old shelter tomorrow. If they really mean they just don't put down dogs with problems then I'll talk to my SO about fostering her until we find a new owner (pretty sure the shelter we got her from has fosters). I think he would be okay with that if it was the only option. I don't think she would seriously injure someone (bite hard enough to break skin) ... but we don't really want to test the theory. I'll see if the shelter has someone that knows how to deal with aggressive dogs to maybe test it?

I tried finding a trainer in our area to work with her but couldn't find a real positive trainer. The only one I thought might be positive turned out to teach dominance crap.

It hasn't put us off but we will probably take months to even "think" of adopting or looking into a breeder for another dog. We still love her it just hurts that it doesn't seem like she feels the same way.

Imzadi: if we go to a breeder it will be a responsible one... but yeah it will probably be a few months minimum before we look into adopting another dog from the shelter or contacting a breeder to get on a wait list.

Edit: I don't really want to make another post since this is kind of depressing so I'll just update this in case anyone is curious what happened. Her shelter did require us to bring her back if we ever decided to give her up. It's a no kill shelter so she'll be fine. We brought her back the other day. She didn't bite or try to attack the lady we handed her to. Me and my SO are depressed about the situation and I've had a few anxiety attacks... in a month or two we'll try adopting again.

[juicebox!]

I hate putting a damper on things but I'm pretty depressed. Aika isn't getting better and even acted aggressive towards my SO yesterday. She treats me like a stranger if I'm gone for a day or if I'm wearing new clothes and it just hurts to be excited to see her after being gone but her not caring and even acting like she will bite me when I return. Me and my SO are talking about rehoming her or bringing her back to the shelter... but it's just if she acts like this would anyone even want her? We've had her for four months. Shouldn't a dog be bonded to us by now?

we had a dog like this. he was a year old and we rescued him at 11 months. he didnt get better and it was just awful having to keep him away from people. he did eventually get rehomed. he apparently loves kids. he followed around the little boy and didnt react to the parents at all. so maybe she would be the same way? very sorry you have to go through that.

Hello there dog owners/lovers!
My family’s getting a puppy for Christmas! I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on breeds? We are planning on getting a purebred - but we’d like a more uncommon breed. Probably around medium sized, no spaniels and pretty fluffy is what we’re thinking. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

i have always wanted a nova scotia duck tolling retriever. they are absoloutely gorgeous and seem to have a great temperament. theyre on the smaller side. easy to train, eager to please. they are high energy though. probably make a good sports dog! i would look into that breed if you think theyd make a good fit.

[plecostomus enjoyer]

i thought it would be interesting to see what kind of dog breed(s) would suite me best, i'm very curious.

Have you had dogs before? What breeds? yes! a malamute, a pitbull, a golden retriever/gsd mix, boxen/walker coonhound and a mutt
Are there any breeds that have already caught your eye? If so, why? not really any specific breed ^^
How much time a day do you have to devote to training your dog? i'm able to spend any time im not asleep training a dog, which is anywhere from 12-14 hours
What kind of grooming needs are you prepared to handle? i'm fully prepared for tons of shedding, with lots of brushes and dog combs and time to dedicate to brushing and any other grooming needs (and lots of experience grooming dogs with different kinds of fur)
What kind of energy level are you looking for? not extremely high energy, a dog with enough energy to play and hike for at least a few hours !
What do you plan on doing with your dog? nature hiking, playing outside (fetch and running mainly), going for walks in the neighborhood, and cuddling of course.
What size dog are you wanting? medium to very large
What age dog are you looking for? anywhere from 1-6 years old
What kind of livestyle do you live? (Active, couch potato etc) i spend a fair amount of time in bed but i'm often out hiking and walking

[Imzadi83]

i thought it would be interesting to see what kind of dog breed(s) would suite me best, i'm very curious.

Have you had dogs before? What breeds? yes! a malamute, a pitbull, a golden retriever/gsd mix, boxen/walker coonhound and a mutt
Are there any breeds that have already caught your eye? If so, why? not really any specific breed ^^
How much time a day do you have to devote to training your dog? i'm able to spend any time im not asleep training a dog, which is anywhere from 12-14 hours
What kind of grooming needs are you prepared to handle? i'm fully prepared for tons of shedding, with lots of brushes and dog combs and time to dedicate to brushing and any other grooming needs (and lots of experience grooming dogs with different kinds of fur)
What kind of energy level are you looking for? not extremely high energy, a dog with enough energy to play and hike for at least a few hours !
What do you plan on doing with your dog? nature hiking, playing outside (fetch and running mainly), going for walks in the neighborhood, and cuddling of course.
What size dog are you wanting? medium to very large
What age dog are you looking for? anywhere from 1-6 years old
What kind of livestyle do you live? (Active, couch potato etc) i spend a fair amount of time in bed but i'm often out hiking and walking

Northern Inuit perhaps?

[juicebox!]

i thought it would be interesting to see what kind of dog breed(s) would suite me best, i'm very curious.

Have you had dogs before? What breeds? yes! a malamute, a pitbull, a golden retriever/gsd mix, boxen/walker coonhound and a mutt
Are there any breeds that have already caught your eye? If so, why? not really any specific breed ^^
How much time a day do you have to devote to training your dog? i'm able to spend any time im not asleep training a dog, which is anywhere from 12-14 hours
What kind of grooming needs are you prepared to handle? i'm fully prepared for tons of shedding, with lots of brushes and dog combs and time to dedicate to brushing and any other grooming needs (and lots of experience grooming dogs with different kinds of fur)
What kind of energy level are you looking for? not extremely high energy, a dog with enough energy to play and hike for at least a few hours !
What do you plan on doing with your dog? nature hiking, playing outside (fetch and running mainly), going for walks in the neighborhood, and cuddling of course.
What size dog are you wanting? medium to very large
What age dog are you looking for? anywhere from 1-6 years old
What kind of livestyle do you live? (Active, couch potato etc) i spend a fair amount of time in bed but i'm often out hiking and walking

an american line doberman may be what youre looking for! they can be high energy or couch potatoes. they are perfectly okay with hiking and running but wouldnt mind playing a 30 minute game of fetch or just cuddling on the couch. they are very intelligent and pick up on things easy. i own an almost four year old doberman i didnt start training until this year and he knows more than my 5 year old mastiff mix has throughout his life (oops). mine is a bit small. i couldnt give you exact weight or height. but i know they can be huge. most can excell in dog sports such as agility and flyball and some even do schutzhund. they do shed but theyre easy to keep clean as they dont have long hair. they come in a variety of colors.

i dont think this is good breed for you if you want a dog that gets along with everyone and everything. it probably will if you do some intense socialization but they are prone to same-sex aggression. also if you cant deal with breed discrimination. youll get it and it happens a lot. i think this may be a breed you should look into though! one may fit your life perfectly.

i own one and he doesnt fit my life perfectly but he makes my life perfect (ehehe cheesy,,). hes very loyal and intelligent. hes by far the smartest dog ive ever own. but the breeds he competes with are mastiffs, great pyrenees and dachshunds soo. he, personally, does get anxious around off-leash dogs and people. im sure he would do much better if he was socialized as a puppy. he also is emotionally sensitive. if im anxious, so is he. but he is an absoloute perfect dog and i know so many others who love the breed. theyre intimidating but actual goons. they love to cuddle and be with you. mine could run for hours but hes also fine with burning off energy by sprinting around the backyard.