# Rescued older GSD now need help



## amarquez70 (Jun 10, 2011)

Hello. I'm new to this thread. I rescued a 7 year female GSD from an elderly home where the owners passed away leaving the GSD in the home alone for 2 months. The neighbors came by and fed her, but she was protective of her owners home. After several others tried to adopt her and save her (not able to bond with her), I came by to interview with her (with my daughters) and we seemed to make a connection. I was selected and the next day I brought her home (minus the girls as she was not used to children and I wanted them to be safe). Since we have been together (1 month now), she has been extremely obsessed with my every move. Whining and crying, pacing and panting, and generally distressed unless I'm lying in bed. While I'm sleeping, she checks on me several times throughout the night and I have to speak to her to tell her I'm okay. She likes the girls, but when they are with me (I have 50/50 custody with my ex), she barks at them if they come near my room, or if they call out to me, if they move towards the area I am in. She doesn't growl or act aggressively, just barking and looking at me whining. I don't know how to help her. I hurt for her wondering what happened in her home. I know the woman who owned her did not socialize her or take her outside her home other than vet visits. Any suggestions to help her be at peace will be greatly appreciated. She is very sweet and I believe she can turn around, but I don't understand how to help her at this time. I can't hire a trainer (single mom), but I am willing to put in some time for training myself.


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## Mac's Mom (Jun 7, 2010)

I believe this is called resource guarding. You'll get some great advice here on how to work through it.

Meanwhile, thank you for saving her. Welcome to the forum. Good luck


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Where are you located at? There might be someone in the area to help you. 

Your girl is very insecure, and very bonded to you. You may want to hire a trainer. You don't need to go every week. You go for a lesson, and once you've learned and taught your dog, then you move on to the next step.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

She may be resource guarding. You could have the girls feed her and have them walk her, do obedience training with her so she starts to bond with them as well. 

I think she's also having separation anxiety as well.


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

amarquez70 said:


> Whining and crying, pacing and panting, and generally distressed unless I'm lying in bed. While I'm sleeping, *she checks on me several times throughout the night and I have to speak to her to tell her I'm okay*.


I think what is also important here is how you treat her. Have you done any informal training?

Even though she has been through a lot, she needs to know that you are her leader and you will protect her. She also needs to know that it is not acceptable to bark at your children, or wake you up at night. 

Sometimes, when one adopts a dog with a rough past, they tend to coddle it to make up for what has happened to them. It's imperative that you do not fall into this trap.

I'm not saying that you're doing this, but from the statement I quoted and put in bold letters, it kind of sounds like you are trying to reassure her when she is acting in an insecure manner. You sound like a very compassionate person by nature and compassionate people try to comfort others. 
This may translate into other interactions between the both of you. When she is panting and stressed do you try to reassure her? Dogs do not see this as reassuring and at the same time you may be reinforcing insecure behavior.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

> I rescued a 7 year female GSD from an elderly home where the owners passed away leaving the GSD in the home alone for 2 months.


I agree with the above post by Tbarrios but rereading the OP I really noticed the above quoted sentence in relation to her checking on you at night.

First, did her owner pass away leaving the dog alone with the body? (could be why she checks on you at night. How traumatic that would be for her) And second, the dog was suddenly left alone without a single person in the house with her for two months? (she must have been terribly confused as to where everyone went)

That, to me, screams a perfect set up for separation anxiety.


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

amarquez70 said:


> I hurt for her wondering what happened in her home.


It is also important that you do not let your emotions dictate the way you interact with her. Dogs can pick up on how you're feeling very easily, but it doesn't translate in the same way.
If you are acting in an emotionally unstable manner, she will pick up on it and feel as if she has to lead your pack, which could be a reason she is acting so stressed. Being an alpha (I hate to use the word alpha because there is such a negative connotation attached to it) does not come naturally to most dogs and it is very stressful for a dog that is forced into an alpha position.
Show her that you are confident and that you are willing to move forward with her, not live in the past.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Tbarrios333 said:


> I think what is also important here is how you treat her. Have you done any informal training?
> 
> Even though she has been through a lot, she needs to know that you are her leader and you will protect her. She also needs to know that it is not acceptable to bark at your children, or wake you up at night.
> 
> ...


I agree with this but not for the reasons stated.  

A strong leader - kind, consistent, clear - as stated above IS what she needs. When you do this you can also be reassuring, but in a different way than what people think. 

You can start with doing NILIF. Dogs really thrive on the consistency of this. You don't have to do the big ignore: Nothing in Life is Free

I have a foster right now JUST like this. By just being her boss, kindly, I am reassuring her. She doesn't need to worry, I will take care of things. 

When I took her to the eye doctor, that her previous person (placed in a nursing home) also went to, they said she looked SO relaxed and so good - because she was not worried about taking care of things like she was before. 

I think this happens to our dogs when they become the caretakers, and it is a very hard habit to let go of for them. And it pops up from time to time and she does resource guard. But when they do let it go, they really can enjoy things. 

Congrats and thanks for taking her in, baggage and all!


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## Mac's Mom (Jun 7, 2010)

I agree with the above posts. The panting & pacing sounds like separation anxiety to me. Mac used to do this when one of us would leave the room. Or when I take a shower. And I'm prone to coddling...had to force myself to correct the behavior instead by enforcing lay down and/or stay.


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## Mac's Mom (Jun 7, 2010)

Jax08 said:


> I agree with the above post by Tbarrios but rereading the OP I really noticed the above quoted sentence in relation to her checking on you at night.
> 
> *First, did her owner pass away leaving the dog alone with the body? (could be why she checks on you at night.* How traumatic that would be for her) And second, the dog was suddenly left alone without a single person in the house with her for two months? (she must have been terribly confused as to where everyone went)
> 
> That, to me, screams a perfect set up for separation anxiety.


Wow that makes a lot of sense.


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> A strong leader - kind, consistent, clear - as stated above IS what she needs. When you do this you can also be reassuring, but in a different way than what people think.
> 
> You can start with doing NILIF. Dogs really thrive on the consistency of this. You don't have to do the big ignore: Nothing in Life is Free
> 
> I have a foster right now JUST like this. By just being her boss, kindly, I am reassuring her. She doesn't need to worry, I will take care of things.


Yes, this is more what I meant, but you explained it better. You can definitely reassure her through NILIF, just not the conventional way of telling her everything is okay


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Yeah exactly! (that NILIF can be reassuring) I always want to make sure people don't think you can't be "lovey" to a dog that's all weirded out. You can, as long as they don't think you're freaked out too. If that makes any sense!


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## amarquez70 (Jun 10, 2011)

*Thank you everyone for your thoughts!*

Thank you so much for the quick responses to Tara's situation. Yes, I am a comforter!! I also understand she needs a leader and we are working on that position. The panting happens when I move around too much. I don't know the whole story, but I do believe that maybe her owner did pass away in her bed. I don't want to coddle her and I do believe she will be an excellent companion once we get past these issues. She doesn't tear anything up in the house while I'm gone. I do believe her previous owner was bedridden. I have given the girls "walking duty" because Tara loves her walks and exploring. She's not mean about her barking, just as a warning to me, not them. It is still a bit unnerving though. She's not fond of treats, but I discovered she likes grilled chicken. This afternoon, I made a little extra and gave the girls some to feed her. After this scenario, she followed my oldest daughter around the house for some time!  I am used to being the "alpha leader and training the dogs I used to own in my old marriage. I will check into a local training center for tips (I'm in Cocoa Beach, FL) and see if I can learn a few basic procedures. She doesn't know basics (sit, lay, quiet). She doesn't have a clue even for a treat! When she checks on me at night (and it is getting less now, only if there is a noise from my phone) I tell her in a firm voice to lay down and she goes right back to her spot.

I am disconcerted that she still barks at people when they have been in the house with me for several days. I do keep my authority in my voice when speaking with her, but she doesn't seem to be able to control herself, like it's an impulse with her. She always turns to look at me to check my reaction, which is usually a verbal No or "uh, uh" sound. My fiance came to visit for my birthday and he woke up late one morning, moved around quickly trying to gather his items. Tara kept barking at him (after three days!!) and then she jumped up on the bed and laid on top of me as if to protect me from him. I want to work this out as I believe she has the ability to be a great family dog, but I want her to be at peace too. What are some basics I can do to let her know I will protect her and build that trust? It's been about a month and a week with her now. Thank you all so much for the help and keep it coming, I will utilize what I hear.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Tbarrios333 said:


> It is also important that you do not let your emotions dictate the way you interact with her. Dogs can pick up on how you're feeling very easily, but it doesn't translate in the same way.
> If you are acting in an emotionally unstable manner, she will pick up on it and feel as if she has to lead your pack, which could be a reason she is acting so stressed. Being an alpha (I hate to use the word alpha because there is such a negative connotation attached to it) does not come naturally to most dogs and it is very stressful for a dog that is forced into an alpha position.
> Show her that you are confident and that you are willing to move forward with her, not live in the past.


I absolutely agree with what Tbarrios said. Take it from somebody who dealt with a highly abused dog. I tried to find out what happened to him and it ruled the very beginning of our relationship which caused him to stress out over stuff like "shadows on the wall". 
They more I found out about what he's been through, they more insecure and unstable I got into my abilities of rehabilitating him. 

It's important to know what was going on but you don't need to know details and if you know them, don't let those emotions rule over what is important.


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

Definitely go with NILIF and keep working on obedience as that will help you develop a bond with her. Providing structure can really help her gain confidence. When she knows how to sit, make her sit to go outside, sit for food, sit for walks. 
I would look into clicker training so that you can capture behaviors that you like such as sits, downs, etc. Keep using high value treats like the chicken.
It's hard to know over the internet what exactly is going on. Lack of socialization can also be the reason that she's barking at others. She may be afraid of them. 
People with unsocialized dogs like playing the LAT (Look At That) game. Hopefully others with more experience can come in and comment.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Tbarrios333 said:


> Definitely go with NILIF and keep working on obedience as that will help you develop a bond with her. Providing structure can really help her gain confidence. When she knows how to sit, make her sit to go outside, sit for food, sit for walks.
> I would look into clicker training so that you can capture behaviors that you like such as sits, downs, etc. Keep using high value treats like the chicken.
> It's hard to know over the internet what exactly is going on. Lack of socialization can also be the reason that she's barking at others. She may be afraid of them.
> People with unsocialized dogs like playing the LAT (Look At That) game. Hopefully others with more experience can come in and comment.



Absolutely and take it one step at a time and slowly. Give her time, lots of time. Don't expect fast results. It all depends on the dog and how fast she's bouncing back. Some dogs recover faster, some take more time. 

Agility is a great way to boost confidence too. But give her time to adjust to the new surrounding. My boy wasn't doing agility from the beginning, first he had to acclimate to the new place. He watched, was walked around the premises and allowed to look at everything. 

A seven year old dog isn't old. They can still do things and agility is a great way to build a relationship and a bond. 

Tracking is another way to build a strong bond and relationship as well as confidence. 
If you have the time and resources (clubs) to do it, I'd definitely try that out.


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