Hi there

We've recently adopted a lab X, he's about 1 yr old and very little is known of his background, apart from he came from Ireland as a stray - he had some awful scratch/bite marks on his face when we got him. 

When we met him, he seemed very settled - got on brilliantly with our 8 yr old collie X, us, our 7 yr old daughter etc.  We took both dogs for a little walk, and he ignored everything going on around him although pulled like a train on his lead.  However, he's a totally different dog now.  He's aggressive towards "strangers" in our house and towards all other dogs outside.

We;ve consulted a behaviourist (Recommended to us from a member of UKRCB) and she says it's all down to stress (he shows all the signs of stress - panting, yawning, yelping etc etc).  So for the last month or so we've been clicker training him, he's had loads of chewy things, we've got a DAP diffuser, he's getting 6 SERENE-UM tablets a day and rescue stuff in his water/food, he's been neutered and is on a different food (Oscars)

Anyway, I am starting to get disheartened - I just feel like we are never going to get anywhere with him.  I'm taking his training one step at a time - literally!  I've gone from doing it in the lounge to the back garden and tonight managed to get him to sit in the hall with the front door open and got him to ignore outside and concentrate on me for about 30 seconds - normally the second the door is open he's hauled me outside and gone crazy!!

I just wondered if anyone else had had similar problems with a rescue dog (I've been told since we adopted him that rescue dogs have completely different problems to all other dogs - noone at the rescue place thought to tell us that!) and overcome them.  We all love him to bits and really want to help him - I suppose I'm looking for some reassurance that eventually he'll learn to trust us and that all this time (and money!) won't be in vain. 

Sorry for the very lengthy ramble, any advice (recommended books would be good too if anyone knows of any) and/or words of comfort gratefully received!!

Val

Val, sorry to hear that you are having problems with your rescue dog.  We have two GSDs, both rescue.  We got Foggy first, when our other GSD had to be put to sleep for health reasons.  When we got Foggy, for the first two weeks he was fine then as I started to introduce him to our way of life, things changed.  I learnt that he had been shut away for the first year of his life.  He had not been exercised, socialised or trained. It was a very difficult time for us.  I had to go right back to basics with him.  I would spend 10 minutes at a time, several times a day, working on lead, recall etc.  My main worry was his aggression towards other dogs.  He would quite happily play then the aggression would kick in.  He, fortunately, did no damage, alot of it was noise.  I was in a catch 22 situation as how could he be let off lead if I couldn't trust him but how could I show him he didn't have to be aggressive?  I found some people, with well behaved dogs, who understood my dilemma and agreed I could walk with them.  For the first week I muzzled Foggy and walked twice a day, every day, with these people.  Foggy soon learnt that he had been 'accepted' and could play without losing his temper.  That was five years ago and he is one of the most loveable dogs I have ever owned.  A year later, we took another rescue dog, Mia, who he completely accepted and they love each other.  Mia didn't have any real issues, she was only five months old and had been taken into the rescue centre on Christmas Eve because she was a 'monster'.  She wasn't, she was a puppy who was doing puppy things, like chewing .  Fortunately, for me, she was very easy to train as she is eager to please.

It really was very hard work but well worth it.  You will be disheartened and think to yourself 'what have I done' but I'm sure if you get help and work at it, things can work out.  There was a time, after only two weeks, that I thought I couldn't cope and phoned the rescue centre to say I had to bring him back but I lay in bed that night and thought 'it's not his fault, I'm going to add to his problems if I take him back and he will become a yo-yo dog'.  I spent alot of the time crying and I'm sure this didn't help.  I have owned GSDs for 25 years but had never encountered anything like this. Be strong and think of his good points.  He is still very young and has alot of growing up to do.  It will take time and I wish you good luck.
Kind regards - June

Stick with it - a month (if that's how long it's been since you saw the behaviourist) isn't a long time, it can take a long time for a dog to unlearn the stuff he learnt before he came to you.  Have you thought about phoning the behaviourist to ask their advice?