Rescuing a 9 month old female German Skepherd

[mark.lee]

We are going to get a 9 month old female GSD. The guy at the puppy mill was going to use her as a breeder dog. One look at her and I made a deal for her. Got a crate, treats, leash, collar. Gonna bathe her as she has fleas before bringing her into the house. Vet appointment tomorrow. She hasn’t been house trained but seems very calm and peaceful when I met her yesterday. Comments appreciated.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello Mark and welcome to the forum.

Congrats on your new addition! Was this dog actually raised in the puppy mill for the whole 9 months or was there just a plan of potentially using her?

Edited October 7, 2018 by Adrienne Farricelli

[mark.lee]

Hi Adrienne,

 

Thanks for the reply. They planned on using her to be a breeding dog. I made a deal with the guy and brought her home 2 days ago. She was so freaked out and scared the first night. Yesterday was better but going to the vet was traumatic. Potty training her So far has been difficult. But we had some success this morning. She finally started to eat and do great in the crate last night. When do you think I should start Brain training?

 

Regards

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Thanks for the clarifications. This makes things easier, as puppy mill dogs are often kept in cages and are undesocialized. I am assuming therefore that prior to you owning her now, she has lead a pretty normal life, living in a home and used to being around people. However, from the difficulties you are encountering, they seem suggestive that she may have had a rough start in life. In any case, kudos to you for opening your heart and home to this gal in deep need of help as it sounds like she was surely destined to a very sad future.

 

It takes some time for new dogs to gets adjusted to all the sights, sounds and smells of a novel environment. Usually, with time, things get better as their senses habituate. A little help may at times come handy to help them through and prevent them from developing phobias. Unfamiliar sounds are often one big trigger for many new dogs. By identifying what sounds evoke fearful reactions, you can move forward to implementing some behavior modification to create new positive associations. Here is a read on how to accomplish this:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/

 

This article instead will give you a glimpse through the eyes of a fearful dog:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exposure-therapy/

 

While this one can help you familiarize yourself with the "approach avoidance dance" seen in many fearful dogs:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/approach-avoidance/

 

A 9 months, your new dog may go in and out of a fear period. Following are some tips on how to tackle these times:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-periods-8-10-weeks-6-14-months/

 

You will find other helpful reads in the phobias section of the archive:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/

 

Under the puppies section of the archive there are also reads for successful potty training:

 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/

 

Fear at the vet is often seens in dogs who weren't taken to the vet often enough as puppies with the goal of making it a happy place to be. Here you will find some tips on making those visits less scary. I would suggest a facility that has been Fear Free certified. I hope your vet gave her a clean bill of health!

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-of-the-vet/

 

Here is where to find Fear Free practices:

https://fearfreepets.com/resources/directory/

 

Glad to hear she has been feeling comfortable enugh to eat and do great in the crate. Brain training can be started right away, but I would focus more on certain games that do not require too much concentration for now and that can help her relax and learn that you are the source of great things. I would therefore skip the obedience 101 section for now until she is more relaxed and just do some basic brain games keeping the session short and sweet and making them very rewarding. You may want to skip using a clicker too for now if she startles easily. You can use a verbal marker instead. I suggest through reading the course introduction material from the beginning in module 1 just to know some basics and what to expect as you progress.

 

If she is not too afraid of your hand and hand movements, you can start with training her to target. Here is the targeting section.

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/

 

Also, look into my eyes can come handy as she'll learn not to fear eye contact and look into your eyes for directions:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/look-into-my-eyes/

 

As she gets calmer and more receptive to you, you can then progress through the course. Always making sure to take baby steps and prevent asking too much at once which may cause stress or frustration.

Edited October 7, 2018 by Adrienne Farricelli