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Recent adoption - concern
Hi,
My husband and I adopted a 4 year old Weimaraner last weekend. We knew we had some work to do with some separation anxiety and leash aggression. We had an appointment set up with a trainer on Sunday afternoon. While we were on a walk on Saturday morning, we saw another dog coming our way so we pulled onto the grass, but Gus lunged toward the other dog and as my husband went to grab his collar, he must have unlatched the leash and Gus went after the other dog. After we got them separated, I went to apologize to the other owners and make sure there dog was OK. He was, but while my husband was holding Gus back, he bit his finger. When we explained all of this to the trainer on Saturday, she didn't seem overly concerned and felt like it was something we could work on. I'm just concerned that he may be a liability. We live in the city, so it's nearly impossible to take a walk without running into other dogs. I'm just really torn about what we should do. He really loves people and is pretty good inside the house.
Sorry for the novel, but any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated!
Re: Recent adoption - concern
Thanks! Can I ask what the difference is between a trainer and a behaviorist?
I'm a little concerned that the city environment might be too much stress/stimuli for him, but I'm not sure how we make that determination.
First, I commend you for rescuing /adopting...way to go! As I read your post I see a few things that I hope you will consider... Gus is adapting to a lot of new situations....new home, new people, new food, new rules, new environment etc. That being said, taking him for walk right away is overwhelming for a lot of dogs. Take it slowly...first take him and get him used to your own back yard...then up and down the street...then a short block...you get the idea.. All on a leash... For dogs that lunge or pull hard while on a walk, I fully recommend the Newtrix collar...it is well worth the 45 dollars to have a dog walk so well and to have him stay so calm. A backup connector is part of this collar that attaches to your dogs collar as a backup if it comes off for any reason...thus, no more fear that he could get lose again. Google it and watch the video to understand the mindset behind the colar. If you have a retractable leash, throw it out..with this type of behavior, you need to be close to your dog with a three foot lead max...trust me on this one..you won't be disappointed.
The nip was a nervous reaction with a new handler...actually it was probably an error on the human side of the equation...rather than grabbing and holding the collar, have Gus go into a sit or down command and your husband can stand on the leash to hold him in place and still hold the loop end of the leash. It won't hurt Gus and the handler won't have his hands in a compromising position.
I wouldn't panic,but I wouldn't turn a blind eye either...Good for you to look for help...and better when you follow through. Sorry for the novel of my own, but I encourage you to go slow and open his new world to him in pieces.
Please let us know how you are doing.
PJ
I also agree with the recommendation of a behaviorist, rather than a trainer. There is some more info on the difference in the Pets Board FAQ (see link in sig), but in a nutshell. A veterinary behaviorist is a vet trained in the science of animal behavior, so kind of like a human psychiatrist, they can look at the whole animal including their physical and psychological condition, as well as how you are training and communicating with them. A trainer only looks at how you are training and managing your dog, which is fine for some conditions, but if you have a dog with anxiety or other underlying conditions simply training may not be enough.
May I ask how familiar you are with the weimaraner breed? I have one and they are truly amazing dogs, but definitely not the easiest dogs to own. Because of their intelligence and their intense bond with their owners, they tend to struggle with anxiety, which can manifest itself in a number of problem behaviors. A lot of physical and mental exercise, good structure at home and positive, confidence building training can all help, but many, including my sweet girl, also need the assistance of anti-anxiety medications. I'm not saying that you should jump straight to medication by any means at all, but working with a behaviorist who can take in the whole picture and introduce meds if needed would be very, very helpful with a dog like this.
I hope things get better for you and your new dog. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
ETA: I thought of a couple more things to mention:
In the meantime, while you're getting scheduled with the behaviorist, I highly recommend Patricia McConnell's "I'll Be Home Soon" for separation anxiety and "Feisty Fido" for leash reactivity.
I tend to recommend positive (force free) training methods for all dogs, but in a sensitive, people-pleasing dog like a weim, it is absolutely essential. You can really cause harm using harsh methods with a soft, anxious dog, so please make sure any trainers you work with are using positive methods.
I live in the city in a condo with a weim, so it is do-able, but I won't lie: it is a lot of work. Plan on doing a lot of exercise on leash (like running or biking together) and doing even more mental stimulation indoors (which can be just as exhausting but in a different way). I actually have a post on my blog about this subject if you're interested.
"The hardest thing is to live richly in the present without letting it be tainted out of fear for the future or regret for the past." - Sylvia Plath
Hi,
Thanks for all the advice! We've met with the trainer twice now and are working on positive associations when we see other dogs. I will look into seeing a behaviorist as well. I'm hoping that after a couple of the private training sessions we'll be able to do group obedience, but right now I don't want to push it. We did a lot of research into Weims, but have never owned one before. The books you recommended were also recommended by the rescue, so I'll definitely check those out too. He has some separation anxiety, just with my husband though and from what I can tell it's pretty minor. I know they're a lot of work and need a lot of exercise! We want to run with him, but need to have him walking on a leash better first (pulling a lot). We do about an hour walk twice a day, and a dog walker takes him out for a half hour in the middle of the day. I appreciate the input and am feeling a little better about the progress we've made so far.
Thanks so much for posting an update! I'm so glad to hear things are going well for you. Our girl was a heck of a puller when she first came home too, but she was quick to pick up on loose-leash walking/running. Hopefully your dog will be the same. You sound like just the kind of dedicated owner a dog like this needs, and I hope everything works out well for y'all!
"The hardest thing is to live richly in the present without letting it be tainted out of fear for the future or regret for the past." - Sylvia Plath