HELP...Emergency

[goodygumdrops]

Ahhh. I need help with this. I just rescued a dog from an owner that said that she was moving into a smaller apartment and needed to rehome the dog. Apparently, the dog was kept outside because it was not housebroken. The dog is not neutered and she said that he was super sweet, blah, blah, blah. Well, today I drove 4 hours to pick him up and he totally growled at me on the way home. When we got home he really snarled and growled at both my husband and son...NEEDLESS to say, I'm pretty freaked out.

I was planning on giving the dog a couple of days to calm down and then have him neutered and cleaned up. Then I found a place that would board and train, or a trainer would come to the house.

Owner says that the dog has never bitten anyone. He's pretty scary to be honest and I am not willing to let my son anywhere near him.

So, is this something to be expected our do I need to call animal control?

[goodygumdrops]

Oh, right now he's outside in the yard. I am not even comfortable bringing him in after the way he snarled at both my husband and son.

He's a 6 year old Wheaten Terrier.

[Doodlebugsmom]

I would absolutely be hesitant to keep him. I would have a hard time trusting a dog that age who showed aggression. However, if you heart is set on him, definitely contact a trainer or behaviorist and see what they think. Maybe with some hard work he can become a fantastic family pet. Terriers do tend to be on the aggressive side if not socialized properly. Good luck!

Oh, and I agree that you shouldn't let him anywhere near your son at this point.

[Baby~Braatens~Mama]

Sorry you are going through this!

[greenmagick]

This is one of the reasons you should only get a dog through a reputable rescue or breeder.

To be fair to him...he is scared out of his mind...it doesnt sound like he is showing aggression...he is showing FEAR! Sounds like he had little to no socialization and that can be hard to overcome. Now, to be clear...fear most definitely can lead to aggression...any dog, ANY dog, will bite if pushed far enough.

I would not do boarding training...if you want to work with this dog you need him to trust YOU. He needs to feel safe and protected. Check out the website fearfuldogs.com. There is a ton of info there. Work with a behaviroist or a trainer who is PR ONLY and experienced with fear aggression.(any compulsion training will shut him down further). If you call animal control, he will most likely be PTS. If anything, try contacting rescue groups and see if they can help.

[ouesi]

Originally Posted by greenmagick

This is one of the reasons you should only get a dog through a reputable rescue or breeder.

To be fair to him...he is scared out of his mind...it doesnt sound like he is showing aggression...he is showing FEAR! Sounds like he had little to no socialization and that can be hard to overcome. Now, to be clear...fear most definitely can lead to aggression...any dog, ANY dog, will bite if pushed far enough.

I would not do boarding training...if you want to work with this dog you need him to trust YOU. He needs to feel safe and protected. Check out the website fearfuldogs.com. There is a ton of info there. Work with a behaviroist or a trainer who is PR ONLY and experienced with fear aggression.(any compulsion training will shut him down further). If you call animal control, he will most likely be PTS. If anything, try contacting rescue groups and see if they can help.

Pretty much ditto to all of the above.
Big resounding NO on the board and train, not only do you want the dog to trust YOU not some stranger, but there are some pretty nasty horror stories out there about what really happens to your dog when you leave them in the hands of others with a timeline for what to get trained.
Rescues take time. This guy has been through tremendous turmoil. Only fair for him to be scared, confused, and yes, defensive.
Let him come to you, always have yummy treats on hand when you work with him, and be encouraging but not overpowering. And yes, get a trainer involved immediately!
Good luck to you!

[goodygumdrops]

Just wanted to post an update. FTR, I have done some rescue but I haven't been in this scenario before. So, I called a certified behaviorist that I found in El Paso. I feel sooo much better after talking with her. So, basically she told me to set up a room for Harley and basically ignore him for the next two weeks. She said that he's so shell shocked that he's growling because he's scared. She actually said that it's good sign that he's growling because it means that he's communicating and that this is just a sign that dogs use to show fear. Anyways, she wants me to water and feed him daily, and I will walk him daily. Then in two weeks, we will start leadership and behavior modification. I am not going to let my son anywhere near him until we begin to establish leadership. I am going to get him to the vet sometime in the next few weeks to have him neuters, teeth clean, shots and any other issues that he may have. A full grooming to make sure he doesn't have any mats. And then we will go from there.

I straight out asked her if this was a lost cause and she said, absolutely not. He just needs some time to adjust and he'll be fine.

Yay!

[greenmagick]

Thank you for being so proactive and giving this dog a chance!!!!

[Oubliette8]

I'm glad to hear the trainer helped!

I had a shepherd/husky mix awhile back, he was a wonderful dog. We had to board him for a few days and when I went to pick him up the kennel staff made a comment about how we owned "that" dog, or something to that effect- which puzzled me because he had never been a problem. So I asked, and it turns out, he had spent the whole first day growling at the kennel staff. They were scared to let him out. Finally one of them found a non threatening way to slip a lead on and get him to the yard, after which he apparently calmed down and was an angel the rest of his stay. It turns out that was his reaction to fear. He later did the same at the vets (we gradually desensitized him to the vet- lots of surprise drop in visits with nothing but treats) He never bit anyone, and I was honestly shocked when I'd heard of his behavior at the kennel- because it was NOT his behavior at home. Some dogs growl to indicate fear- sort of a way to puff themselves up and make themselves seem bigger. I wouldn't advocate waiting to see what happens as with a new dog you just dont know their cues, so I'm glad you're working with a trainer, and the behavior is likely fear based and should go away once he stops feeling threatened.

[Doodlebugsmom]

Yay! Awesome update.

[Baby~Braatens~Mama]

Great update! I'm happy you guys could find a way to work with him!