Re-Homing My Dog

[Gigabyte]

Hi,

I hate to say, but yes I'm considering...

I got my Alsacian about 10 months ago when I was living in a relatively large home with a pet-friendly park near, and my house was the last one on a dead-end soi, so besides the neighbors and the "regulars" (postman, security guards, pizza delivery guys) no one was coming that far in that soi. However he had some behavior issues that needed to be fixed, such as barking at some people he didn't like, jumping on all visitors he didn't bark at, and pulling his leash non-stop while walking.

Now I moved to a new place (townhouse), much smaller, in the middle of the main soi, new village, with lots of traffic including kids on bicycle, construction workers and potential home buyers. Before I moved here, I have sent my dog to a 2-month training school in a place called "Pet Oasis" in Nonthaburi, however my dog came back the same or even worst. The ownwer of the training school I went won't reply my mails, he seems pretty useless now that he got his money. I have tried a few tips here and there from websites and friendly advises, I just cannot make them work. OK, I now work up to 18 hours a day, 6-7 days a week to pay that new house, and I'm the only one here to really take care of the dog, so that certainly don't help much if I don't have the time and energy myself.

My dog isn't bad, he's actually quite friendly and playful, and I like him, but he gets really out of hand... He selectively hates some people for no reason that I can understand, trying his way through the steel gate, and barks like crazy just like he wants to kill them. People get scared, and I would myself. The other night I was walking the dog, and the security guard actually ran away across the main road of the village when he saw us coming and my dog starting to pull like a working horse just to try to get him. I lost my balance and almost felt. I have countless scratches from his crazy jumping, so does my g/f and my daughter, and we have a few wasted shirts/blouses/T-Shirts as well. He's nearly 40 Kg, which is not much less than my g/f or my daughter, and I'm the only one who can actually hold him on a leash. He's like a hyperactive Energizer Bunny, jumps on us all the time like a crazy kangaroo, and he won't mind choking to dead when I walk him and he sees something that grabs his attention. I would love to bring him to the road leading to my village at night to spend energy catching tennis balls; it's about 300 m. long, no house there, just a stretch of road between another village and a factory, with two large walls on each side, but my dog likes to jump in front of cars and won't ever come when I call him, and I'm sure I will get into trouble if he runs after who happens to walk there.

I wouldn't mind giving him a second chance and try to make him behave like a "good" dog, however I don't really have much time and budget, and I obviously lack the skills to train him. I'm also worried that he might not be much happy here in a small place so that's why I'm thinking that he might be happier in a place where he can spend his energy and be happy, not locked in a small car park in front of a town house most of the time.

Any advise very appreciated... I posted here before about his bad barking habits, but it's worst now.

Thanks in advance...

[JohnLeech]

First thought is that he needs exercise, which if you're only home for 6 hours a day he obviously isn't gettng and isn't going to get. Without that, as a basic necessity, he will only get worse.

Obedience training without the owner present is of minimal use unless it is for a specific purpose, such as house training; it could acclimatise him to other dogs or people, but if the conditions he was kept in were totally unlike yours he would not visibly "learn" a great deal. In some ways you should be lucky that he has not got much worse and that he should still be readily trainable by someone with the time to spare, which you clearly don't have.

"locked in a small car park in front of a town house most of the time" is not the right place for a large, young, active dog and the longer you keep him there the more of a problem he is likely to become. The younger he is the easier it will be for someone with the time and ability to train him.

It looks as if you already know what the best option will be for all concerned - hopefully he will find a good home if you put him up formally for adoption.

[Gigabyte]

First thought is that he needs exercise, which if you're only home for 6 hours a day he obviously isn't gettng and isn't going to get. Without that, as a basic necessity, he will only get worse.

Obedience training without the owner present is of minimal use unless it is for a specific purpose, such as house training; it could acclimatise him to other dogs or people, but if the conditions he was kept in were totally unlike yours he would not visibly "learn" a great deal. In some ways you should be lucky that he has not got much worse and that he should still be readily trainable by someone with the time to spare, which you clearly don't have.

"locked in a small car park in front of a town house most of the time" is not the right place for a large, young, active dog and the longer you keep him there the more of a problem he is likely to become. The younger he is the easier it will be for someone with the time and ability to train him.

It looks as if you already know what the best option will be for all concerned - hopefully he will find a good home if you put him up formally for adoption.

Hi!

I guess that you got it perfectly right.

I feel quite bad about this whole thing, as I'm usually the one homing stray animals (mostly cats) ever since I can walk and find them on the street... I recently just spent over 50K in the last month on a cat with kidney failure, cat with a physical handicap that I rescued from SCAD about 3 years ago. And yesterday he just passed away, and we're all sad about this.

Correct that my dog won't improve and might even get bad and nasty if kept in this jailed and isolated environment, so it's not too late now. As I said he is a happy, healthy and joyful dog, he just need the space and a bit more attention.

Where/how can I put him up formally for adoption? I'm willing to financially support for transportation and spaying, plus extra food and advanced cash to make sure he's well taken care of. He doesn't have a pedigree, however he seems really from the right blood.

Please PM me or reply to this thread if interested or can help me find a way...

Thanks!

[JohnLeech]

Try putting him up for adoption here, for a start! If you and he are lucky he will find a good home with someone here. If not, try posting photos and an honest advert with your local vets. I can't help as I am at "max" at the moment, with a dozen dogs 8 of whom are permanent residents with a pretty firm pecking order, but hopefully someone can.

Post a few photos here, as well as details of his age and anything else you think may be useful and keep your fingers crossed.

You shouldn't "feel quite bad", as there is no point beating yourself up about it - someone else will probably be only too happy to do that for you!. Sometimes things don't go according to plan and all you can do is the best you can for all concerned; if that means finding a new home for your dog, then its a heck of a lot better than saying nothing about it and dumping him at the nearest temple.

The best thing you can do for your dog in the meantime is try to give him all the exercise you can, whenever you can. He needs to run, not just walk, and sometimes that needs a bit of imagination. I know that may not be as easy as it sounds, but it could make all the difference to both of you.

Good luck.

[Peterbigeyes]

I can't adopt your dog but heres wishing you all the luck in finding a suitable owner : )

[Gigabyte]

Thanks all for your positive response and suggestions.

I took some pics this morning and I will post in a separate thread.

I still feel a bit bitter about this, however it is correct to say that my dog will be happier in a place where he can exercise and be useful rather than be locked in a small place. He's young, healthy and smart. He deserves better, he's a good pal.

Details will come later today, watch the post about an Alsacian looking for a new home.

[mandrem]

Very sad to read your story your dog sounds a handful but like many people will agree dogs are pack animals and need a pack leader.It sounds like you are not strong enough to be the pack leader there are very few dogs that are untrainable but alas many dog owners do not have the strength to be the pack leader therefore the dog becomes the leader.I have owned and trained rottweilers for many years my wife could walk anywhere with two of them on leads with ease not matter whether another dog or human walked past her.Again it is all about the pack leader syndrome.All this does not solve your problem but hopefully gives you an insight as to the problems you have encountered what makes it harder is the size of the dog.I took in a great dane for a freind who could not control him so i have experienced first hand what you have gone through.I wish we could help you but we live near Hat Yai so a little far away from you.I agree totally with the other post to train your dog you need to be present with the trainer so that you can be taught as well.

The best of luck finding a new home for him i will look out for the pictures of him.

[kaiyunj]

hi friend

Use to suggest "more execrise" make him be tried, seem it is not working? Have to be patient, believe him.

By the way, if want to find one to adopt, i would like to do. thank you

Jacky

[bina]

jacky,

if u are interested in gigabyte's dog please pm him (personal message)... i remember, u also have an alsacion german shepherd...

giga: u can upload the pics in this thread...no prob....

bina

israel

[Milo]

dam_n shame, I've two bitches and would have been interested in taking on your dog at the beginning of the rainy season with time in hand to train him? Piece of cake.

However, our touring season commences at the beginning of next month and we too will be away for 3weeks out of every month, I'd need way more time with him than that I'm afraid. Currently looks like this season will come to an end for us around the end of March. If you're still stuck then, give me a shout.

The 'Alpha male' assessment was right, you should have bought a bitch? You can't send a dog away to training school either, with a one-man-dog like these it MUST be done personally.

I'm used to terriers, which are far harder to train (especially in the packs we used to run!), training doesn't take long you know? 1hr/day MORE than enough. You could try this too; http://www.viatekproducts.com/SPD/bark-stop-professional----ultrasonic-bark-stop-trainer-by-viatek--730000-1092346761.jsp or similar, there are other citronella collars & all-sorts, remote controlled, you name it.

I use a 3' length of Alcathene (the blue water pipe?) 1" dia to keep the soi dogs away from my girls when walking them if they're on heat. I've never used a lead with any dog after training. Back in the UK I worked on the motorways, my dogs were allowed to wander around on-site with me, well, when the RE or safety officers weren't around to object!

[JohnLeech]

The problem Gigabyte has has nothing to do with training, the pack leader syndrome, Alpha male assessments, ultra-sonic bark deterrents, citronella emitting collars, pieces of cake, etc, etc.

The problem, as Gigabyte clearly identified it, was that he "now works up to 18 hours a day, 6-7 days a week" and the dog spends his life "locked in a small car park in front of a town house most of the time", which is why he thinks that his dog "might be happier in a place where he can spend his energy and be happy" and so he is looking for a new home for him. That's all.

I am sure that all the Dog Whisperers here are as good as they say they are, that their baby daughters can control packs of rabid pitbulls with a single glance from their prams, that they have never been bitten by any dog or had their dogs involved in a fight with another dog, unlike the rest of us incompetents, etc, etc, but why does this (or considerably worse) have to come up every time someone posts trying to re-home their dog?

Sometimes circumstances are such that through no fault of the owner re-homing a dog is the only practical solution but as a result of these posts, well-meaning though they may be, either the thread gets closed early and a potential new owner may miss it or the owner takes the easy way out and dumps the unfortunate dog at the nearest temple.

While I am as open to any ideas on dog training as the next man, and as interested (or not) in other people's experience, why can't these be restricted to threads on the subject so the original thread can be kept open and on topic?

[bina]

when he will post a thread with the dogs pics etc, i can close the thread as an adoption thread... meanwhile, let it run.. everyone is civil and giga deosnt seem to mind..

bina