What Should I Do With My Dog?

[Needanswers7777]

I found a German Shepherd-Labrador mix puppy about 5 years ago. She was starving to death. I took her home and raised her till she was around 8 months old. She was too big to live in a tiny flat so my dad decided to take her to his farmhouse and keep her there. Since she's been there she's been neglected. She got pregnant 4 times and became nearly paralysed due to a virus. I was busy with college, but I finally went and spayed her. She's so healthy, playful and strong now and the vet said she has the energy of a one year old dog. She's not very well trained though. She has eaten hens and ducks and she's very aggressive. She has a metal chain that she has broken several times. I'm a petite woman and I don't have the strength to even take her for a walk. She's so dear to me I want to provide a better life for her and take her abroad with me in less than a year. I want to keep her in a garden, but I'm not sure how to deal with her aggressiveness and reassure the neighbours will be safe. I'm not often near her to train her. I visit her every 2 months and my dad simply doesn't care. Spaying hasn't subdued her aggressiveness.

[calmck]

I would have her assessed by a specialist rescue and see what they advise

[pixie374]

If she is going to live with you, you need to spend a lot more time with her. Hire a trainer to help as well.
Aggressiveness, could be anything from character, lack of proper care and exercise, fear, and so on. You need to find out why.

[Atheist]

Maybe you should worry more about the welfare of your nearby humans than that of your dog. How would you feel if your dog ate a baby or your kitten? I think a dog that is so aggressive should be kept away from other creatures.

[pastafreak]

There are others on here with way more experience than me. But my opinion is that unless you can spend many hours with her under the guidance of a trainer, she is not going to change. I understand that you love her and want to do the best. But just visiting her won't cut it. She needs professional training.
I honestly think you'd be better off put ting her up for adoption via a shelter that will place her in the right environment.

[jourdain2]

Tricky. Our small, rescue terrier was so badly treated before we got him (we didn't know how bad he was) that he has 'fear aggression' with other dogs and is suspicious of people until he gets to know them. We've managed, and he's lived a happy little life, although keeping us on our toes, but you have extra size and strength to cope with.
I don't think you need to worry about a garden as long as you make sure that it is really dog-proof.

She was missing you and attention and love during her growing spell. Your dad obviously didn't have time for her. To remedy this is going to take time.Don't worry too much about the killed hen etc. in the past - one of my sister's very well-bred & cared for labs. couldn't resist a fluttering bantam when young.......... but soon learned to be bomb-proof. Again, it comes down to training.

All is not lost, but she needs continuity of care and training. How can you only visit her every 2 months if you want to keep her in a garden? Sorry, may be me just not understanding.

You definitely need professional help with her i.m.o.. Good luck to both of you. :)

[wolf63]

I adopted a five year male of the same mix in 1992. He hadn't been castrated and had been badly treated. He had fear aggression, as jourdain2 mentioned below.

He wanted to attack everything that wasn't a member of my friends or family. To his'pack' he was a lovely boy. Walking him was stressful as he was also overprotective.

Unless you have experience with dogs and are willing to get a dog trainer to help you make her less of a time bomb I would advise you to consider having her rehomed with someone who understands her situation.

I had Robbie until 2001 when he was 14, he had mellowed with age but he still wore a muzzle.

I hope you manage to get her away from where she is now.

[Needanswers7777]

Thanks for all of your helpful answers. I actually live 4 hours away from where she lives and I'm super busy with work and my studies, but I'm building a strong CV to go abroad and I've already thought about what kind of house I want to rent to be affordable and have a garden at the same time. I think I need to find a way to spend more time with her before managing to take her with me abroad.

[ladybirder]

I presume you will be getting a job when you and your dog go abroad? Are you going to leave your dog in the big garden all day on its own? If not what arrangements will you make?

[Needanswers7777]

ladybirder/ Yes, I'll get a job in that country. I'll be living in a house with a garden where I'll keep my dog near me to take care of her.

[Prudie]

If this is for real and you really care about this dog contact a rescue centre and let them find her a decent stable home that knows what they're doing. Your future plans are flimsy and a big dog like that doesn't deserve to be kept by a single person who is out working.

[ladybirder]

I've been reading your other posts needanswers and I think Prudie is right. Please do what is clearly best for this poor dog.

[bednobs]

i agree. You barely see her and have lived with her for less than 8 months in a 5 year life. I dont get why she's so dear toyou, and if she is so dear how you've let her be neglected, chained up, get pregnant over and over

[Needanswers7777]

ladybirder/ How did my post imply the fact that my plans are flimsy?

[Needanswers7777]

bednobs/ I'm young, busy working and studying, living at a hostel, etc. Would you be able to keep a big dog in a hostel while working and studying?
She's dear to me, because I pay for her living and whenever I'm dare I made sure she gets all the attention she needs. She's not aggressive towards me.
I'm tired of explaining. I won't be convinced anyway.

[bednobs]

no i would not be able to look after a dog in your situation, and wouldnt want/try to
you DID not give her allthe love and attention she needs, what with visiting every 2 months and all - dog need attentio evry day, not every 2 months

[bednobs]

just to be clear, you say "dear to me" do your mean dear as in the emotional aspect or dear as in expensive?

[pastafreak]

You will absolutely have to hire a professional trainer before you think of having a future with her. Are you able to commit to that?...time and cost? It will also be a pointless exercise if she stays where she is now. She needs socialising unless you think she's going to spend the rest of her days in a garden.

[Needanswers7777]

To clear up things I have to say my father is bad-tempered man who doesn't allow me to visit his house more often. And of course she's dear to me in the emotional aspect. I don't view her as an expensive object. If I were that indifferent to her I would sell her and make a good deal of money to start a good life abroad. You know nothing about my life. Even after all these years my dog shows more affection to me than to any other person. There must be a reason for that.

[pastafreak]

It's great that she shows affection to you. But this is about how she behaves with others...other dogs, small animals, people. If she is big, strong, aggressive...how will you manage her on walks? Can you?

[Needanswers7777]

Pastafreak/ I'm thinking about saving my money to take her to a care center near the hostel so that I'll be able to train her every day for at least 15 to 30 monutes. I might not have the money to hire a trainer her but I can definitely teach her to socialise. Even though I visit her every 2 months she shows affection to those whom I love. And that garden is not like solitary garden in the mountains. We'll have neighbours who most likely have dogs.