# Adopted an unsocialized GSD - please help!



## taylor0226 (Sep 18, 2012)

Six weeks ago we adopted a 1 yr old GSD. At the shelter, they knew a bit of his history as he was an owner surrender. For the first 6 months of his life he was kept in a crate for 17+ hours a day. After that, he was bouncing around shelters and foster homes for about 4 months until he ended up at the shelter I volunteer for. He became quite comfortable with me after a few hours of letting him get to know me on his terms. I completely fell in love with him!! 

Long story short, my family adopted him. He is completely comfortable with and loves my brother and I (both 20) and my younger sister (15). The problem is with my parents! They have tried everything to get him comfortable with them! He is still extremely distrustful of them and scared. He growls and barks at them sometimes if they walk up to him and runs the other direction when they walk in a room. We took him to 6 weeks of training and had some improvement, but have seemed to hit a wall. He is still terrified of strangers but will stay next to me and not try to run the other direction anymore. 

Loves other dogs, seems to boost his confidence. The main thing I am worried about is his behavior with my parents! I don't want him to be so scared of a stranger walking up to him in public that he lashes out or something bad!

Sorry this is so long but anyone who can help me out with some ideas or methods would be so so so appreciated, I just want to help him work through his past!


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Since he trusts you and your siblings, you seem to be going int he right direction. I would encourage your parents to not interact with him directly, not even look at him, but have them carry a bunch of treats and drop them as they walk around the house so he will see them as cool treat dispensing, non-confrontational people. They might try sitting in a kitchen chair and let him investigate them while they ignore him and continue to drop treats on the floor. An in-home visit from a behaviorist would be a good idea too. Thanks for giving him a chance!


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## taylor0226 (Sep 18, 2012)

Thanks so much for your reply, we are definitely going to try the treats!


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

I like Stosh's suggestion, and I would take that even farther by having your parents be the only source of food, all the time. And having him "work" for it, by asking for whatever behavior he knows that he'll readily comply with.


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## taylor0226 (Sep 18, 2012)

We have tried to have them hand feed him. If he doesn't eat the first bite out of their hands, he doesn't eat. He is just so stubborn that he would rather go days without eating than come near them even for food. 


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

Have you tried steak, lol?


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## Muneraven (Sep 4, 2012)

Hi,

When I was your age I had a collie/GSD mix named Noah who was a lot like your dog. When I moved home with my parents to go to community college, he struggled to learn to trust them. The advice people are giving you here is just right: Ask your folks to not look at the dog directly and to drop treats for the dog and eventually participate in feeding the dog. Give the dog time. Show the dog that your parents are part of YOUR pack. Eventually my dog Noah came to love my parents and, when I went on to a university, my parents were fine with keeping Noah at home and I just drove home on weekends to see them all. And when I went to grad school in Alaska, well, my mom wouldn't have let me take the dog, lol. By then my dad was sick and Noah was a great comfort to my Mom. 

One thing I have learned from the pets in my life is that, sometimes, a pet who loves you dearly will have the capacity to step up and be a special companion for someone else as well. Someone who needs love. I have seen cats, dogs, even horses do this. So be patient with your dog. Reassure your parents that it will pay off if they give the dog time.


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## taylor0226 (Sep 18, 2012)

Lol no we haven't. He has a very sensitive stomach and is restricted to mainly his dry food and the very few kinds of treats we've found that don't upset his stomach. Sure would be easier to get him to come around if he could get an exciting tasty treat for it though!


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## taylor0226 (Sep 18, 2012)

Muneraven: thanks for sharing your experience! It's nice to know that your dog came around so hopefully there is hope for my guy too 


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I would not have let him bond so closely to you and your siblings for starters. That's a recipe for disaster and a "life line" type bonding that is needy and neurotic.

You need to work on breaking that bond. Leash the dog at all times. Have your folks take him on a leash (if it's safe for them to do so and he's not a bite risk) and take him around the house.

They need to take control over his space (by leashing and crating) and food, by hand-feeding. No treats are giving without the dog sitting first, for the treat-giver.

This dog is a neurotic mess and you need to work hard on getting him "right" again.

Mind Games (version 1.0) by M. Shirley Chong Start having them do these, and you start doing them too.


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