# Advice on our potential rescue dog



## Craig Smith (Jan 16, 2012)

Hello,
Hoping for some advice on our current adoption of a 2 year old rescue German Shepherd male. We met him yesterday for the first time. He's about 2 and been cared for at a vet's office for the last year as his owner died. From my understanding he received good care but not much outside of a being kenneled for the better part of the year. He was pretty much everything we were looking for: out of the puppy phase, basic obedience, and he didnt try to kill our other dog, and he walked great with us when we took him for a brief walk. We are a bit concerned because he seemed very aloof and not very engaging. From what I know of GSD's, that's kind of how they act around strangers, but my wife was concerend because she thought he was a bit too disengaged even with his foster. This certainly is not enough to keep us from getting him, and we still have to do the in house visit at our home. I was just hoping for some advice or some reassurance that we can get him to turn the corner when we adopt...


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

TAKE HIM!~

If he's such a wonderful dog that a vet's office, who I am sure has more than enough work to do and other things to spend money on........ has spent the last YEAR keeping him, then he sounds fantastic.

Many GSD's don't even go to their LE/bomb/drug/seeing eye person until they are over a year old so he's still very young and will be able to bond well with you. It takes any dog about a month to figure out their new place ... and best thing would be to go into this with lots of love, giving him tons of play and exercise, buy tons of tug toys, and always have a pocketful of treats!

DO IT!!! 

:thumbup:


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

And when you do we need PICTURES!!!


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## San (Mar 22, 2012)

Is the foster someone who works at the vet's office? Is there one specific person who takes care of him? 

GSDs are generally aloof. I got my female GSD when she was 2.5 yo, have had her for 4 years. She was quite aloof when we got her, in fact, she hid in her crate all the time. It took a few months (there were a few things we could've done differently but we didn't know better then) for her to come out of her shell 100%. She is now very bonded to us, follows me around the house all the time, and you wouldn't be able to tell that we got her as an adult. 

Our senior GSD rescue (passed away earlier this year) was 8-10 yo when we got him. He was very aloof when we got him (he was taken in by the rescue as a stray, and kept for boarding facilities for 5-6 months). We did a mini shut-down with him, gave him time to slowly adjust to our household, he became very attached to my husband after a couple of months. Followed him around the house all the time, and always waited for hubby outside of the bathroom door whenever he was in it, it just takes time. 

I would give your new guy a little "shut-down" period when he arrives to let him adjust to your daily routine, don't overwhelm him. Once you pass the shut-down period, tether him to you/your wife in the house, give him a lot of one-on-one time, do a lot of motivational training, and you will see difference soon 

Best of luck!


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

My older female is probably the most aloof GSD I have owned but she follows me everywhere-just think she likes to be with me-think if a dog has been at a vets for a year its going to take a while for him to bond-so just give him some time and sounds like he'll be an awesome dog-Hope you take Maggie's advice...


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## Craig Smith (Jan 16, 2012)

Thanks for all the encouragement! It was helpful. We just wanted to make sure we were making the right decision for us and the dog. He is in a good foster home, but has only been there for about a week, so I am sure he is adjusting to that as well. We have an "in home inspection" coming up along with him doing a visit. Will post pictures and update if it works out...


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## Craig Smith (Jan 16, 2012)

What do you mean by "shut-down" period? I think I know what you mean, but I am not sure...


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## San (Mar 22, 2012)

I think I borrowed the term "shut-down" from msvette2u on this board. I've also learned a similar concept on Leerburg, Ed Frawley called it "groundwork." 

Anyway, this is what works for us. When a new adult dog comes into our household (we have 3 resident dogs and we foster for a GSD rescue), we keep the dog separated from our own dogs/other people for a period of anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks, depending on the dog's state of mind (a stressed out dog gets longer period of isolation, a dog that adjusts well may only need a few days of isolation). 

The dog is crated in a room that is away from the hustle and bustle of our household. During the isolation period, we feed/potty the dog and give him time to adjust to the routines of our household. We do not pet/cuddle/love on the dog. It gives the dog a chance to just watch without feeling pressured to do anything. Other than caretakers, no one else interacts with the dog. If this were a more active dog, we would still walk him (since our yard is tiny, exercising in the yard is not an option. We try to pick a time when we are least likely to meet neighbors or other dogs), otherwise we do not walk him during the isolation period.

Hope this helps


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## dbellamore (Feb 10, 2005)

our rescue (probably about 3 years old) spent his first two months in our foyer watching us. he was able to see the entire first floor of the house. We would approach every once in a while and give him a pat and say "good boy". 

After the two months he ventured out into the living room where i was laying on the floor and watching TV. He laid down right next to me. I started giving him full body messages very gently. It became a nightly routine. Though I was never able to touch his feet. 

He died five months ago. I miss that boy!


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Two week "shut down"!

"I introduced her to 15 people" " he was a bit leery but seems to like my other 3 dogs" 
"she went everywhere with me " 
All in the first few days of the new home..... (!!!) 

Two weeks later we read 
“I think we will have to rehome the new dog" "the new dog barked and nipped at my kid" 
"we had a dog fight"

Ok, folks, here it comes; some feel this is extreme, why? I really do not know. 
But when bringing in a new dog, post finding, adoption, buying, etc, Give it time to adjust to you 
your family and the dogs in the new environment. 

TWO WEEKS - "shut down" 
For the first two weeks, (sometimes even longer) a dog takes in the new environment, who is the top 
persons, dogs, who ARE these people! By pushing a dog too fast and throwing too much at the dog we look like we are not the leaders and the dog can feel it MUST defend itself, as the leader is surely 
no one he has met so far! 
We coo, coddle, drag the dog to home to home to person to person, and the dog has NO idea who 
we are. 
As member Maryellen here said, "This is the dating period NOT the honeymoon" 
When you first met your "mate”, you were on your best behavior, you were not relaxed enough to be 
all of yourself, were you? Just think of the things you do physically once you get to KNOW a person, 
you wouldn’t run up to a stranger and hug them and squeeze them! 
Imagine, if on the first date, this new person, was all over you touching you and having their friends hug you 
and pat you on the head, and jostle your shoulders, then he whisked you off to another stranger’s home and 
they did the same thing. Would you think this person normal and SAFE? Wouldn’t you feel invaded and 
begin to get a bit snarky yourself? Wouldn’t you think to push these people away for obviously your date 
is out of their mind and they aren’t going to save you from these weirdos!! 
Yet we do this to our dogs, and then get upset or worried that they aren’t relaxed and accepting of EVERYTHING 
instantly! 

By shutting down the dog, it gives the dog TIME to see you, meet YOU, hear and take in the new sounds 
and smells of your home. 
I crate the dog in a room by itself if possible.(Believe me, dogs are sensory animals, they know more than you think without seeing it). 
I take it out on a leash (so I don’t have to correct it ..I don’t have that right yet!), I give it exercise time in the yard, 
I do no training at all, just fun exercise and maybe throw some toys for fun, leash the dog if you don’t have a fence outside. But I DO NOT leave my yard, AT ALL. 
No car rides, no other dogs, (unless crated beside them), no pet stores, no WALKS even, nothing but me, my home, my yard. (Unless of course the dog needs to go to the veterinarian) 
Believe me dogs can live two weeks without walks. Walks are stressful for there is so much coming at you! And the new person you have no clue who they are yet. The dog may react to something and we start correcting it with the leash and we just installed a VERY STRESSFUL moment to the dog! 
TEACH the dog by doing the shut down, that YOU are the one to look to, that you are now here for the dog! He can 
trust in you and look to you as its new leader!! 
In the house I have the dog out only for about 20 minutes post exercise/yard times. 
And, ALWAYS on a leash. 
Then PUT THE DOG AWAY. Let it absorb and think. 
I do not introduce the dogs for these two weeks, they can be side by side in the crates, (not nose to nose for they can feel defensive) . Some dogs will bond instantly with the other dogs if we don’t bond FIRST with the dog, and this can lead to some other issues, as the dog will look to the other dog(s) for guidance and not YOU! 

Literally in two weeks you will see a change in the dog and begin to see its honest and true personality. 
Just like a house guest...they are well behaved and literally shut down themselves these first few weeks, then 
post this time, they relax and the true personality begins to shine thru! 


So, please, if nothing else for your new dog, give it the time to LEARN YOU as you are learning who they are! 
This method works on shy dogs, confident dogs, abuse cases, chained dogs that come in, rowdy dogs, all temperaments!

(From PBF’s “luvnfstuff”, revised for spelling errors)


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## San (Mar 22, 2012)

msvette2u's version is a lot more detailed and easier to follow


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I copied this off the web, btw. 
We did this with incoming foster dogs when we started rescuing, before we knew there was an actual 'procedure'


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

Strange my rescue did that herself when she entered our home-she loved her crate


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## San (Mar 22, 2012)

My female GSD hid in her crate all the time when we first got her, at first I thought she didn't like us  Then as I learned more and more about dogs, I realized she was just uncomfortable in her new environment and her crate was her "safe place." 

Over time as she become more bonded to my hubby and I, she spent less and less time in her crate and followed us around the house instead. It took a few months, but it was kinda funny 'cuz I was so sad and I kept telling my husband that our new GSD didn't like us 

This was before I learned about "shut down." When we got our senior GSD rescue later on, we did the "shut down" with him and I think the adjustment period was less stressful for him and he became comfortable faster.


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

This doesn't apply just to rescues, either. My breeder told me to just spend the first two weeks working on potty training and BONDING with my boy. He hasn't been on a walk yet, hasn't gone anywhere yet... nothing. After his next vaccines this week, I will start taking him out. He's already started that bonding process and follows us everywhere. I could see it in his eyes, though... he was looking for who the 'leader' was. Since he was a well bred pup, it didn't take long. However, this is the first time I've done this, and I think it was completely the right thing to do. It's too bad that more breeders, rescues, etc. don't tell people to do this. Training other things can start when they are totally comfortable. Taking them out to socialize can wait 2 weeks... it's not going to make that much difference. I want my pup to know me and to trust me first. That way if there's something that he's unsure about when I take him out, he will defer to me first. He's already starting that. This is EXCELLENT advice!!


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