Positive Thoughts for Jake Please

[lzver]

Over the last month of so, we've noticed some things changing with Jake. There has been some behavioural changes like fear around strangers or in strange situations, hyperactiveness, incessent whining, not settling, etc. Now we are completely aware that this all could be behavioural and we're not ignoring that route. Jake hasn't had formal obedience classes and he's not the best behaved dog, but up until a few weeks ago it was manageable. We have started some informal training at home over the last week and he's a smart dog and a fast learner, but has a very short attention span. Up until yesterday we thought he was just an adolescent GSD and we needed to focus on more training. Not that I feel I need to say this or explain our reason, but we had so many health issues with Jake since we brought him home that our time and money was focused on getting him well and taking him to obedience classes was not the priority at the time.

Anyways, yesterday Jake showed aggression for the first time and bit the dog walker that has been coming every work day to take him out and feed him since he was 9 weeks old. We asked a lot of questions yesterday and she believed it was an aggressive attach as opposed to an over excitement situation. She couldn't think of any possible trigger and it was all very sudden.

So after doing some reading and turning to a German Shepherd forum I'm on, everyone overwhelmingly suggested we rule out a medical cause first. And one person alerted me to an article that talks about thyroid problems in adolescent/young adult dogs and it talked about some of the signs being seasonal allergies, itchiness, chronic ear infections, incessent whining, in general not settling, hyperactive, lack of concentration, etc. There are of course some signs Jake doesn't have, but we have dealt with all of the above. So of course that made me wonder if there is an underlying medical issue that all these little things point back to.

So we just got back from the vet. They took blood and are running a full battery of tests. They are checking CBC, organ function, thyroid, endocrine function and a whole list of other things. It is about as comprehensive as it gets for blood work and if there is some underlying medical cause this should point us in the right direction. They are able to run all the tests in house and we'll have the results back later today.

If everything comes back fine, then we know we need to go down the behavioral path. But I feel like we need to rule out medical first. I've gotten some great advice from other Shepherd and dog owners and because of that advice we were able to determine what was causing Jake's digestive issues and he's doing great from that perspective. I suggested tests that our vet wasn't necessarily thinking of that ultimately found the issue. So I feel like I need to follow the advice again.

So, if you could send some positive vibes our way today it would be appreciated.

 

[Danita]

Oh geez
Good luck to you Laura

The last thing you need is a reactive dog, it is very strange that he would suddenly bite the dog walker.
Did he/she describe how it happened?

 

[macawpower58]

You have my prayers and good thoughts. I know what it is to have GSD problems, both health and behavioral caused.

 

[Saemma]

Strong positive thoughts for you and Jake.

 

[Ribbit21]

Definitely, get his thyroid checked. My previous dog had a thyroid issue at a very young age. She had pretty much every symptom associated with thyroid issues. Unfortunately, it went undiagnosed for way too long, since several vets thought her problems were due to her genetic brain damage.


Lots of positive vibes your way!! On the plus side, if it is a thyroid issue it's very easy to treat.

 

[lzver]

Oh geez
Good luck to you Laura

The last thing you need is a reactive dog, it is very strange that he would suddenly bite the dog walker.
Did he/she describe how it happened?

Yes, it is all very strange. I've only had an opportunity to speak with her via text message since the incident yesterday, but she is coming over tonight to discuss in more detail. She can't think of a trigger at all. She came in as usual, let him out of his cage, put his leash on and took him in the front yard to do business. He did is business and that is when the incident happened.

I just got off the phone with a behaviorist that was highly recommended by our vet. It is clear that even if there is a medical explanation, we do need some professional help. I spoke to the wife on the phone in detail and she will have her husband call me back this afternoon. She was really nice to speak with and helpful, so I'm hoping we got lucky and found a good trainer right away. From what I understand from the vet, they love what they do and don't charge outrageous prices. From looking at their website they charge $220 for a 7-week intro obedience class which is cheap compared to the $400 - $500 fees I've seen for some places.

To top things off, a by-law officer came by the door this morning saying there has been a complaint about Jake's barking. God I swear I could strangle my husband sometimes. I've told him time and time it is not ok to let Jake sit in the front yard and bark at people as they walk by. But what do I know. Someone has complained about just this. I guess trying to deal with Jake's health issue's and not doing obedience classes when he was younger is proving to be a mistake.

 

[crystaljam]

Oh Jake - crossing my fingers for you!

If it isn't medical, this should definitely prompt your husband to be all-in for a trainer (I'd go one-on-one first so any issues are dealt with in a lower-stress situation vs a class).

Part of Fynn's anxiety is based on he has always had weak muscles in his rear legs (it took us months and months of at-home physical therapy to get his legs strengthened up - this was due to him and his brothers being in a kennel for the first 14 weeks of their lives) - after our lessons ended, our trainer said that his rear end definitely plays a big part of his behaviour - he is very wary of strangers approaching him from behind due to this. That and trust issues due to said initial upbringing.

So maybe something has triggered in Jake's body as he goes through his second adolescence?

Keep us updated!

 

[BraveheartDogs]

As a professional behavior consultant, I will not touch an aggression case without a full medical workup. It is unethical to do so because medical problems CAN present as behavioral issues. Looking at diet is important too, as high protein diets have shown to increase aggression in some dogs. Thyroid issues can also cause aggression. Ruling out health issues first is really important.

It is normal for an adolescent dog to have a short attention span, but the fearfulness and unsettling behavior sounds like there is something going on.

If medical problems are ruled out, please be sure to find a qualified, positive reinforcement behavior consultant that is skilled in working with fearful and aggressive dogs. There are a ton of hacks out there, presenting themselves as expert who are not qualified to take on these cases. Handled appropriately Jake can improve, handled incorrectly and it will escalate.

Best of luck.

 

[crystaljam]

$220 is a good price, Laura - is this for private lessons/assessments?

Our trainer is great, as she still contacts us every month or so to check on his progress - she really does care

 

[ThatDarnBird]

Oh geeze! Poor Jake. Is the dog walker ok? How bad was the bite? I think you are doing the right thing looking into physical causes. Is the dog walker going to continue walking Jake? If she is you could set up a camera to watch their interaction to see if you can find any clues. It wouldn't hurt to see what Jake does while you're gone anyway.

All you guys will be in my thoughts.

 

[Danita]

Your husband needs to spend a day handling a reactive German Shepherd to realize how much it can affect your life as a dog owner.

Even if they react 1 out of 10 times, it is still there and it takes that 1 time for someone to be hurt and report Jake, to be muzzled forever.

At our Reactive dog class 5 out of 8 are German Shepherds.

 

[wonderb]

I believe 100% that this is physical, given everything Jake has been through. In humans, gut/digestive problems are frequently linked to thyroid problems. I sure hope your vet finds the culprit!

 

[BraveheartDogs]

Please, please, please before giving anyone money or allowing anyone to put their hands on and work with Jake find out 1) what their credentials (vet recommended is not enough, we have a vet in our area who refers all dogs to a shock collar trainer including puppies), 2) find out how they intend to deal with the issue and help jake 3) if they mention "corrections", "ecollars", "shock collars", "dominance", "pack leadership", run for the hills. They should be talking about not putting pressure on Jake, desensitization, protecting him from reactions, etc. 4) ask them what tools they use. If they say that they use shock or e collars or pinch collars, run, that means that they use punishment. 5) If anything they say doesn't sound like it makes sense, or if it sounds like Jake will be uncomfortable do NOT allow them to come or to do it.

You might also check out Association of Pet Dog Trainers - Dog Training Resources or International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) to find a positive reinforcement trainer or behavior consultant in your area.

Yes, it is all very strange. I've only had an opportunity to speak with her via text message since the incident yesterday, but she is coming over tonight to discuss in more detail. She can't think of a trigger at all. She came in as usual, let him out of his cage, put his leash on and took him in the front yard to do business. He did is business and that is when the incident happened.

I just got off the phone with a behaviorist that was highly recommended by our vet. It is clear that even if there is a medical explanation, we do need some professional help. I spoke to the wife on the phone in detail and she will have her husband call me back this afternoon. She was really nice to speak with and helpful, so I'm hoping we got lucky and found a good trainer right away. From what I understand from the vet, they love what they do and don't charge outrageous prices. From looking at their website they charge $220 for a 7-week intro obedience class which is cheap compared to the $400 - $500 fees I've seen for some places.

To top things off, a by-law officer came by the door this morning saying there has been a complaint about Jake's barking. God I swear I could strangle my husband sometimes. I've told him time and time it is not ok to let Jake sit in the front yard and bark at people as they walk by. But what do I know. Someone has complained about just this. I guess trying to deal with Jake's health issue's and not doing obedience classes when he was younger is proving to be a mistake.

 

[Danita]

Vicki is right about making sure they are specialized with aggressive dogs, that is where we have had our best success and support.

 

[BraveheartDogs]

I also want to add that some dogs simply have emotional problems like some people do. They cannot function without the help of medication. Once you start working with a qualified consultant, be open to meds if behavior mod doesn't help him. A lot of people will put a dog on meds without question for a physical health problem like pain, thyroid or allergies, but then will balk at meds for emotional problems and it drives me nuts. I am not saying he needs to be medicated, but I can tell you that when a dog needs that, it is a lifesaver for that individual.

 

[lzver]

Thanks everyone. I feel good about the dog training facility I just spoke with. I'm looking forward to the discussion with the husband today.

She explained that in cases like this, they advise an initial private session that lasts 2 hours to discuss and assess the issues we are experiencing. They provide you with a strict training plan including exercices and hand outs. All telephone and email consultations after this private session are at no cost. If required, additional private sessions can be booked. If good progress is being made, then they recommend a beginners obedience class. I think the initial consult is $180.

I have made some progress with my husband this week. He's seen some of the improvements in Jake just in the short time I've been focusing on training Jake and has started doing it himself. I told him in no uncertain terms last night that it is not ok that Jake bit someone and I'm not sitting around to see if/when it happens again. I booked today off work to get him into the vet and to try to find a behaviourist that can help us. If this is going to work we both need to be on the same page and be consistent with Jake. I don't want to make my husband out to be a bad person. He is frustrated and said it was so easy with the 2 GSD's he had when he was younger - no health issues and they were easy to train on his own. I've told him he needs to get past this and needs to admit that Jake is not is other two dogs and he's different. He loves Jake to death and plain and simple we have to stop using the "he's an adolescent dog" as an excuse.

 

[waterfaller1]

Oh Laura I am so sorry. I hope the walker is ok. Sending positive energy your way and big HUGS!

 

[crystaljam]

We had Fynn on a marvelous Homeopathic medication trial via our trainer's suggestion (she works closeley with a Homeopathic vet) that made a switch turn in his head, so he was happy and calm - it was such a nice change. Now we wait until it's approved for the market (Melatonin and Valerian Root as prescribed have been helping, just not to the same extent).

Our old vet got upset at Fynn the last time we were there (it was an awful visit), and said no medication could calm him or ease his anxiety. He was just a bad dog and nothing could help him. A month later after our classes began, and on the trial medication, it honestly brought tears to my eyes the progress he made.

No one should rule out medical assistance!

 

[Greycloud]

Laura, I am sending positive thoughts your way. I do hope it can be simply treated with medication. I had a Champion Welsh Terrier that began showing aggression towards my daughter. The dog had just turned 2yo. Blood test showed it was her thyroid. We put her on medication and she became the sweetheart we originally knew towards my daughter.
I would really stress to your husband about allowing Jake to bark at strangers. This puts him in an aggressive mode that can carry over to familiar people in his life while he is showing this behavior. I hope everything works out for handsome Jake.

 

[Danita]

I couldn't understand why my dogs were not like Saint Dirk or all of my past dogs either.

Once you get used to using everything as a training opportunity, it becomes habit I am the farthest thing from an expert, but all day long with the girls it is -sit, stay, down, leave it, watch-