Help finding home for GSD - Page 1

Need help finding a forever home for this girl. Really need an experienced GSD home as she is a rescue with some aggressive issues. Please see attatchment for picture. This dog is in the Memphis Tn area.
  This GSD was rescued but her current owner but he has been called back overseas to work security. He really wants to find a great home for this girl. /uploads/ltsgsd/files/GSD.jpg
Xandra was almost a year when Kenny got her in November of 2010. She was pretty aggressive when he got her. She remained in the backyard of someone's house for a year straight. She remained in the vets kennel for 2 weeks after she was taken there by the previous owners. She was very aggressive towards the staff of the vet clinic, but once the leash was snapped on, she was fine. Kenny slept with the leash on her for three days before finally deciding she needed a bath. She didn't take to the bath too well, and ran right down the stairs, but that was the first time she came right back to him without being called and nuzzled him... no growling, no aggression.   Need to feed her by herself because wherever she was before, she used to have to fight for her food. Not good around other aggressive dogs Can play with her, pet her, while she's eating and drinking with no problem Bites out of fear and out of protection Was very skiddish Kennel is her safe zone; don't even have to cover it. But if you go near her kennel, she'll feel threatened. Needs owners that will be around to spend time with her. Will take treats out of peoples hands gently, but with people she doesn't know, she'll growl the whole time but won't bite. Protective of kids. Scared of other dogs even if they're not aggressive. Around 2 1/2 years old as of April. 95 lbs Knows how to sit, knows her name, Likes sitting on the couch but doesn't like sleeping in the bed, but does sleep right beside the bed. Likes being brushed Good in the car (as long as you keep her out of your lap) Very loving once she gets to know you Has all her shots, just recently got her yearly done 4 Months worth of heartworm and frontline meds When she gets comfortable, she starts digging Indoor/Outdoor dog Likes tug of war, halfway plays fetch Very playful, but sometimes she doesn't know how hard she's biting while playing. Almost clumsy/goofy when she's playing; doesn't realize how big she is. Very high jumper Since she's been abused, hitting for punishment is a no-no


My contact info is ltsatc@bellsouth.net.  

I can't believe this post has got no responses. Sure she's a bit of a challenge, but not a lost cause by any means. If I didn't have 4 right now, (one as you describe) I would be all for it. Don't think she would get along with my GSD's. I will post this on other sites as well. Is she spayed? Is there a pedigree? Let me know, Take Care   Pete

I can believe it. It's very sad, but it is what it is. There are tons of homeless animals right now, and this one has issues. From the sounds of it, genetic issues. I don't buy the "abused in a past home" explanation that most rescue animals come with. Sorry to be harsh, but 90% of the time, it's genetics, not abuse, that cause the aggressive, fearful, and other problematic behavior. There are homeless animals who don't have these issues and still can't get adopted for a million different reasons.

This is why breeders who breed mediocre dogs are so infuriating to me. They literally cause the deaths of millions of animals yearly. The idiots who buy from these breeders are just as guilty.

Unfortunately I have been one of those idiots that bought dogs from a pet store and breeders I didn't my homework on. I didn't have the knowledge or technology that is available to me now. YEP I was a rookie that was raised around and loved the breed no matter what. The people on these sites and my trusty computer have given me MORE knowledge. We do have one GSD(Titus)that definitely was not breed properly and has issues with storms,fireworks,gunshots..... pretty much all loud noises and a few other quirks....but wouldn't give him up for nothing. If i didn't have my hands full with some Very High Drive Working Pups (that are my PRIDE and JOYS) I would consider Xandra!!! She's beautiful and not hopeless. KUDOS to you Itsgsd for your honesty about her and her quirks...  We'll be prayin she gets a good home.
                                                    Joyce

Not talking about the same people. I'm talking about the "informed" breeders who still don't care enough to be honest about their breeding stock (you hear excuses all the time for poor temperament), push them off on the unsuspecting impulse buyers, and the buyers who buy a dog w/no homework, then decide the dog is too much work and dump it. This dog is now on her third home. Does that help a dog w/genetic issues? Hell no.

 

JENNI, while I agree that too many rescues are diagnosed with being beaten, i disagree that 90% is genetic. Even a very nice puppy can be "abused" by a lack of socialization. People buy nice Pups all the time and leave them in a kennel or tied up for the first year or two without any interaction. Maybe we can do an experiment with your next litter. You can give me a pup and I'll promise not to do anything but feed it in its kennel. I promise that's all I'll do! No training or anything! :P

Hey wasn't there a rescue section on this site? I can't find it.

Chaz, I did that experiement already.  He went dual purpose. 

I will stick with 90% of the people who say their dog was abused are incorrect. Maybe the dog was neglected, or owned by idiots, but I  have seen maybe 1 in 10 of all overly submissive dogs who were actually beaten. People assume every dog in a shelter was beaten, every dog who is a submissive pisser was beaten, every dog who lies down or crouches when meeting a stranger was beaten, every dog who hackles up and growls at men was abused by a man, yada yada yada.  Not the dogs' fault, of course, but if they'd understand the REAL issues the dog is dealing with instead of coddling them because they were "abused" the dog would have a hell of a lot better chance of overcoming it. Ya know?

I have a Pit Bull who is a typical Pit Bull in temperament; he's very soft, compared to my GSDs. If I get upset with him, he cares. People have asked me if he was a rescue or abused because he gets the sad face when I'm pissed off at him. He's been a spoiled brat since he was 6 weeks old and left here by my landscaper;-). He's the happiest dog I know. He's simply very handler sensitive. I've been accused of all sorts of crimes against him (not really me, but people assume he's a rescue or an ex-fighter, or all sorts of outlandish things), but truly, it's just his genetic temperament. He's never had a bad day in his life. Worst thing that's ever happened to him is I threw him out of my room for snoring too loudly.

Jackie, I think it moved to the regular classified section; there's now a category for rescues along w/males for sale, females for sale, puppies, etc. I posted one a few days ago. 6yr old retired narc dog....any takers? :-)

No sorry, I just got a 1.5 year old black gsd male, need to find him a LE job.

I will look there, thanks Jenni.

My most solid dog is my rescue, who came from an idiot who kept him on an 8 ft. chain for most of his first 3 years. If ever there was a dog who SHOULD have issues, it's him. His only issue is he gets a BIT nervous during thunder storms, and barks at the sound of a gun. Givie him a harsh correction: he gets over it very quickly. (He has a stubborn streak, or harsh corrections wouldn't be necessary.)

My softest dog is the one I've had since she was 8 weeks, and I KNOW it's genectic, because other owners of these dogs have said the same thing. The dog was fine until a certain age, then overnight they become fearful. It's called a 'fear period', and often the dog will require very intense socialization to get over it. Some never do. (She's not a GSD, BTW.)

This same dog will shrug off thunderstorms, and the sound of a deer rifle being fired close by, so the gunshot test is not always a good indication of strong nerves.

Go figure...