Umm... so I'm stumped. That happens from time to time...

I was thinking pretty good thoughts about my rescue dog. He was playing tug in a cloud of smoke under fireworks on the 4th. He's great in small spaces, in the dark, on slippery floors, on unfamiliar footing (tested by seeing if a dog will run over (vs. around) sections of metal sheet siding and wooden snow fence for a tossed prey object. He DID spook under a rollercoaster at an amusement park, but when I got him onstage (still next to the rollercoaster), he gave me attention and played with the prey item (this was before any training or drive building). I was thinking he has pretty much OK - decent nerves.

Now that he's learning to heel properly and is beginning some socialization, I'm having second thoughts. He is nervous and reactive around other barking dogs. Meaning he can go to a pet store or vet clinic and be pretty keyed up, but still attentive to me and obedient. If he hears a dog barking, it puts him over edge. Most people would call it aggressive, but it doesn't look like true aggression - nervous, wants to play and frustrated from restraint IMO. I was told he was dog aggressive and even though he's peaceable with my dog (s), been totally neutral to 2 pups he met in passing I'm not testing this.

Now I'm seeing that he is not OK with highway traffic. We started our heeling work in distraction by movin closer and cloaser to the highway I live it. Pretty good. Today we went for a walk (not heeling) and crossed the highway and I see that he is nervous.

I can understand how this would be a little nerve-wracking given that he spent the last year living in an outdoor run at a kennel in the middle of no where. It also explains a lot about reacting to barking dogs.

So, my question:

Was I wrong in thinking the dog has decent nerves? What can I do to get/do a thorough evaluation? I'm sorta impressed with my dog after this. She's either brain dead or has nerves of steel <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

And the reason why I'm worrying about it: I'm hoping to send him off to a narcotics detection training program this spring (cross my fingers). If he washes out, he'll be put in a kill shelter. I don't want to send a dog that will wash out!

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If he washes out, he'll be put in a kill shelter.

Can't you just take him back if he washes out? I find it hard to believe that they wouldn't let you take him back, instead letting him go to a kill... that doesn't sound right. I'll be paying attention to this regardless; it's an interesting topic. And I really hope your dog never ends up in a kill shelter!

1. The program is 1800 miles away. Makes getting him back a little bit more complicated.

2. I don't really want the dog back <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> He would be extremely difficult to place in a pet home because of his high drive. In the previous year he spent at a shelter, he was not looked at ONCE becuase of his drive. There aren't any clubs (S&R, SchH, Weight Pull, Disc anything) close enough to where I live to reasonably expect he dog to get a working home within an area that I can reasonably perform home visits (before and after adoption).

He'd be an awesome little obedience and tracking dog - works for food and ball with a great attitude. He's pretty decent at discing and has been evaluated for disc by some of the top people out there.

The guy needs a working home and smart, active and competent people (that happen to want a silly mixed breed dog). That's a one in a million chance. I'm planning on training him through the fall/winter and see what his best option is in the spring.

Sorry mods - I guess this is borderline advertising the dog. Wasn't intended to be. I hope he can go out to this narcotics detection program. There is nothing in the workd he loves more than SEARCHING for his ball. The drive building lowers his drive. Chuck the ball in some brush and you'll have a highly agitated dog who will happily search for a 1/2 hour (if he doesn't find it sooner).

Perhaps working to desensitize the dog to the barking noise may help? You can get tapes of 'dog show noise' and such in many conformation catalogs (I'm not sure if Leerburg sells any) and play those while playing/training. The noise, without the visual of other, possibly out of control dogs, might not be as big of a problem as he's making it out to be. He doesn't act like this around other loud noises -- the rollercoaster or highway, for example -- so it might actually be the visual, not the audible.

As for the 'kill shelter' bit, I'd contact them and see if it would be possible for the dog to be shipped back to you if it all doesn't work out. More than likely, you'd have to pay all of the shipping expenses, but it's better than the dog being put down. You could have luck finding someone through the internet who could take this dog -- others here seem to have done it.

Are you familiar with theSearch dog foundation ? They use many rescue dogs in their disaster dog training program - dogs that don't work in pet homes due to high drives. I'm pretty impressed by what I've read on their website. Maybe it would be an option for your rescue dog.

Good Luck!

A controlled situation I have found useful for desensitizing is finding homes with dogs behind fences. I scoped it out in my neighborhood and looked for situations that would not result in an agressive fence charging dog hurtling over or through the fence (and yapper dogs are perfect for this)

I just worked my dogs through this repeatedly until we had control. I would think this would have to be resolved before an attempt was made to place the dog as there are plenty of dogs out there with high drives without such an issue.