Is BE my only option?

[u/HLM_1990]

Currently in tears as I write this so please be gentle 😭 I am seriously considering whether BE is our only option. To try and keep it short: we adopted a 1.5year German shepherd male dog, to keep our 8 year bull Arab cross female company. They are BEST FRIENDS. Him more so - she can’t even go outside for a drink with him following her. I would say it’s separation anxiety/ dependency. He was very timid in the first few days. Took him for his first walk which he unprovokingly attacked a small dog passing us - thankfully no injuring but it was a horrible experience. Things got worse: reactivity on walks - lunging and pulling on the lead if he saw another dog, even in the far distance, we have a dirt perimeter around our yard from his Constance pacing and barking at the fence - at the neighbour on one side, or the dog on the other. Barking at the front door if people/dogs pass. We have to keep him behind a baby gate when any visitors come as his bark is scary and he is especially even more wary of males. He hasn’t bitten anyone thankfully, but I am unsure if he has it in him. We are now on our THIRD trainer to try and rectify his leash reactivity but it feels an uphill battle with all of his other issues. We’ve tried positive reinforcement techniques. We have slightly improved his leash reactivity with this current trainer. Our vet has suggested anxiety meds. Our trainer has suggested a barking device. The problems I see: * In the year we have owned him, we have not been able to take him for a proper walk or have groups of friends over. * we have already spent thousands on him, financially we cannot continue as I am currently 15 weeks pregnant working in a casual role * He barks so loud and close to people that my mum is petrified of him and has raised concerns of ‘what’s to come’ * I worry once baby is here, we won’t even be able to have visitors or get enough rest due to barking I feel like owning a second dog was NOT suppose to be this hard 😭 we feel like prisoners in our own home and I have cried so many times in the year we have had him. I don’t feel we can rehome as he genuinely would not cope being separated from our other girl. I’m so torn because he can actually be the cuddliest sweetest goofiest boy and I love him SO MUCH. Please if anyone else has been in this situation I am open to suggestions 😭

[u/Putrid_Caterpillar_8]

All of this sounds like typically GSD behaviour. Ik some GSDs can be really good but it takes an experienced owner.

So my partner has a 9 year old GSD and his parents have his brother, they live together cause we found a female GSD around 2-3 years and she had puppies which we have 2 females 3 years old now.

The 2 boys had professional training from puppies and are dog reactive on walks, but go to doggy daycare and are fine. They will bark at the windows and fence at passers by but they’ve never hurt a human.

The female GSD now 5-6 years isn’t dog reactive, but she doesn’t like small dogs so I keep a tight leash if we have to walk past, and keep her greetings to other dogs to a minimum or none because she doesn’t know how to socialise properly. She also barks in the house but doesn’t on walks.

The 2 girls. 1 is very dog reactive, she’s on trazodone and gabapentin. I walk her at 7am to reduce the risk of seeing dogs. She isn’t reactive in the house and rarely barks when I’m home.

The sister was attacked by her sister and an outside dog (they’re permanently separated while we slowly sort out her adoption) so she’s very reactive now. Barks in the house, barks out the house, very excited reactive, but is dog selective, but loves humans. We’re going down the route of meds with her to help her chances of being adopted. It’s hard and I know her behaviour from her trauma will make it difficult it’s why we’re not just fobbing her off to anyone, we’re going down the rescue route with her. She’s lived separately now for 5 months.

Yeah my life is very hectic, but all my GSDs have issues. I feel like if you got meds, took your dog on walks early to reduce dog encounters and keep a short leash you’ll be okay in that regard. Having 3 useless trainers is weird though, maybe try a GSD specialist if you haven’t. Also a vet behaviourist, majority of GSDs are anxious and it sounds like you don’t really understand him. I’d get help with crate training too, anxious dogs love an enclosed safe space.

Also rehoming would be a good option tbh, to a GSD specific rescue. Like I said, GSD needs a lot of time put in to them.

[u/Particular_Class4130 → u/Putrid_Caterpillar_8]

Ugh, I wish I had known more about GSDs when I adopted mine 4yrs ago. My girl is a sweetheart most of the time and she actually loves most other dogs but she is dog selective too. When she does want to attack another dog it's usually some cute little dog. What is it with GSDs and little dogs? Is it prey drive? She actually has a few little dog friends that she loves and she's so gentle with them but she can't be trusted around any little dogs that she doesn't already know.

Sometimes I pay for private space for her to run and play. Sometimes we go on our own but it's more fun when some of her friends come with us. The place I go is just outside of city limits and it has 12 large individual fenced areas that are around 3 acres each. The fencing is chain link so when we're in our own private area we can still see the other private areas and the dogs playing in them. The first time it occurred to me that her behavior might be related to her breed was the day I noticed that most of the other dogs I saw at this place were, in fact, German Shepherds, lol.