Thread: 2 questions...about behavior

Funny, Fate was similiar as well. Same deal, locked down to avoid parvo... got sick with it.. so was then locked down forever to get over and get healthy again. She would be ok at home, her normal terror self... but then did that head hanging down thing when she settled, she will like bury her head between me and the couch, or through my arms to my back, and she too is super attached to me. (think thats something we will only know from our history, its not the same with Karma, diff kind of affection)

I think what got Fate out of it now, as she is still coming out of that, is now I am socializing her, taking them out on long walks, its just Fate and Karma, but with a bunch of ladies from my work. Also, we have been hitting the dog park a few times as well, and when I feel like taking everybody, we hit the soccer fields so the italians can run and the dobes try to catch them... all pack type activities.

The biggest thing though, I think has to be starting to train with her. Fate always goes to classes with me, so she gets to visit people and other dogs, and then she gets the tail end of my obedience class. So on top of that, I train at night with her.. I dont know, its almost like her confidence is up. She does so well with what I am teaching her, and its a big hurrah!! YEA! she gets all excited and happy. I am thinking it has to do with confidence.

I think the parvo thing definitely forges a strong bond, I mean...we take their lives in our hands. As sick as they are, I think they know YOU are helping & trying and it stays with them!!
I KNOW Fire is insecure. I try to take her places...but a large, growling Doberman freaks people out. Especially when she growls as they walk towards you. I get lots of , "Oh, ok"s....and people backing away. I TRY to explain why. Some people cut her slack & you see that some don't or won't....and just want to get away-quickly.

She does Ok on walks (bikes freak her out)& does her basic commands (I teach them at home). My problem is, I am insecure about taking her out because I don't want to scare other people. But she still NEEDS the interaction. I'd LOVE to get to go to public training classes & get her used to being approached.

Her favorite thing to do is go to the baseball fields & chase Hooter chasing the ball. With Emmie chasing her. LOL

dont forget too, if your freaked out, she is gonna pick that up too... so settle down!

Lots of great advice here! But first, I had to laugh at your last paragraph, Rachael! ALL of my Dobermans did/do that! So much in fact that my son (about 25 at the time) asked, "Doesn't that bug ya??" LOL! I was used to it, but at times it did, especially when they are sound asleep and I'll be right back! I almost felt guilty! I don't think there's anything that can be 'done' about that. Velcro dogs, you know!

Everyone had good advice on the other issue! I think it will take time, patience and persistence. Buddy came to us at 7 months, going from living mostly in a finished basement area, a household of other dogs and one lone female (breeder) to our larger home, open land, no other dog and, yikes, a MAN. He went from that happy go lucky dog in the breeders basement to a painfully shy, confused dog. I'll never forget him sitting in the corner by the door we just brought him through that first night and actually slowly scanning the room in one large circle, ceiling included! What a look on his face, like Where the hell am I? Hubby actually had to carry him out of the back seat of our car AND after he wouldn't move from that corner, carry him to his crate in our bedroom. He was just paralyzed! The fact that he did not snap at him in fear, was a good sign. He never growled, showed teeth or anything like that but would hang his head and turn tail and run back to his crate, a LOT those first several months!

I watched a lot of Dog Whisperer shows! I learned to ignore him sometimes...you know, Cesar's No talk, No touch, No eye contact. But I also followed through at other times, like if I called to him to go outside or I picked up his collar and he ran back to his crate...I'd Always go get him. He had to know that I would always follow through when I called or have a command. I wouldn't get mad or anything, not say a word, just calmly go to the crate and get him. He learned that running to his crate got him no where.

When hubby came home he always ran away. I gave hubby treats to give him AND after a few months of nothing really working (but Buddy getting a tad better) I tried the 'excitement' route...."DADDY's HOME!!!" I go to the door all excited saying that and grabbing 'daddy' and we'd both squat down and invite him over. That worked pretty good! Giving him a treat every now and then made Daddy not such a bad man after all. He now runs to the door when he hears him come home. But it took MONTHS!

As for strangers, I would work with a few friends of yours but I think everyone should ignore her, at least at first. Especially no eye contact as they approach. Let her smell and check them out (without looking or touching her) at her own pace. I know it's hard to take her out because everyone is afraid of her, but getting out more and exposing her is the only way. And like hrd said, YOU'RE fear and nervousness is feeding on down the leash! If you can work with friends, you can work on your fears too. Be calm and hold the leash like you were holding your purse, not a wild animal. Can you feel it already?? The relaxed arm? LOL When you are out in public with her, I would tell people to ignore her and that 'she's in training'. That usually makes people feel better. Like you are enlisting them in helping her!

Wow, so much awesome advice!! I do do the Look at me with a treat thing, and she's good at that....and If I am at the desk & she knows the treat jar is here she will come up & lick my arm, then "give me a kiss by touching her nose to my mouth of I lean over. but it's ONLY when food is in play. If I just want to love on her, the head is down. :/

I do take her out...but sadly I try to do it at night when most people stay away from you, and many people aren't out. I have walked her through a busy evening school playground & while she was nervous, she did do OK & I only had to reprimand her once for growling (at a man stretching on nthe lawn, and I agreed he did look strange).
She has gone to my MILs house & she does OK there...but she is NOT fond of my 2 year old nephew. She growls at him every time he moves...if he gets close she hides behind me. Luckily he never gets TOO close, he stays a safe distance.
I guess I really should look into a trainer. I want to take Emmie to classes to earn her CGC (it'd be SO freakin awesome if Fire could pass that too, someday). I wish I could get Fire into the class, but it says of the dog makes agressive jestures you'll be asked to leave. Now, is growling "Agressive"? To me I would take it as that, it's a warning that the dog is unhappy about something. She's never tried to bite/l
unge/or bare teeth....so I am unsure if I should even bother taking Fire to something like that & wasting $$, because she gets removed right away.

The velcro dog this doesn't bug me , I just wonder why they did this. These guys are our first fulltime house dogs, so we are learning a LOT of things we never knew with our others. I love having them around. I have the safest house on the blocl! LOL, I know I am not affraid being 'alone' most of the day.

Others (and you) may disagree with me, but I really don't like the growling and would correct for that. I would have on my "scowling face" would simply do a "Hey!" or "Shhh" (like Cesar) with my finger in the air, just as you would if your child were disturbing everyone in a theater. Snap your fingers if you need to get her attention and don't back off until she backs off first. Let her know you will not stand for that. I realize she is shy already and one might feel that doing that would make her a bit more shy, but letting that growl go is asking for trouble. As shy as Buddy was, he never showed an ounce of aggression (yea, I feel growling is growing towards aggression, even if in fear) If I were standing next to you and her and she growled at me, I would feel a bite could be next unless she was corrected or I left! lol I wouldn't trust a strange dog that growled at me, would you? She'll need some work on that but I think it can change! She certainly needs some confidence. Try the friends thing first if you can't get into a class. Exposure is hard when you can't find the 'right' setting. But a few good friends are a godsend!

I dont think Fire is aggressive, I think Fire is more insecure than anything.