show your husband this thread.

really, your family does not need this!!!! this dog is already four years old and it is not going to be easy at all to rehabilitate him.

please rehome him now before your husband gets any more attached to him. surely, he must understand that the safety of his family is his first priority.

These are my thoughts based on your comments; your husband is definately NOT the pack leader to this dog! He is a buddy that the dog thinks will back him up if required, which is why things seem to get worse when he (your husband) comes home. The dog was okay for the first day or so because he did not know you yet. Now he knows that he can control you. It sounds like this dog is a dominant dog but not an alpha dog; i.e. he can be controled.

The situation you have described is dangerous to say the least! You and your hubby need to work together to get a grip on this situation, not ASAP.. this needs to be done right now. Search the articles on Leerburg, start with "Introducing a New Dog to a Home with Existing Dogs". Print out the free e-books Dealing with an Aggressive Dog and Ground Work. This reference material will be invaluable to you. If you have the financial means I would also recommend the dvd, Dealing with Dominant and Aggressive Dogs; it will SHOW you exactly how to introduce the dog into your home.

Do not take this situation lightly. Right now your son, yourself, and also your husband are facing the potential for a bad bite or an attack. If your husband insists on having a dog to exist in the house with him the ways you have described (on the couch cuddling, etc) he should get a different dog to it with. What you have described shows that there is not enough experience, dealing with dogs, in your household to handle an animal like the one you have described. That's not meant to be "a poke" at you, just a simple fact.

I'm sorry if this post seems a little harsh, but the facts are harsh.

I agree with you Brad. The other thing I am worried about is the 2 other dogs in the household. Imagine the stress they must be feeling having this new dog come in and taking over.

Kimberly

 Quote: alice oliver

show your husband this thread. ....

And this:
http://www.leerburg.com/kidbites.htm


Not to jump on the bandwagon, but everything is being handled wrong with this dog.

I would have to agree with the others who recommend rehoming the dog. Three dogs is often a recipe for disaster just by itself. In all honesty, it takes A LOT of experience, research and practice to be able to handle a dog like this and if EVERYONE in your house isn't TOTTALLY on the same page it won't work anyway. What is the deal with husbands who don't do research and yet think they know everything??

It sounds like your heart is in the right place but I think this dog needs a professional. Focus on training your dobie, he deserves the attention.

Angela, every source of information available to help you and your family is right here on Leerburg. You have to read it and read it all. I suppose you know that.

I think keeping the dog would be difficult at best if you had a more enlightened partner. I suppose you know that too.

I'm just curious why you opted to get a third dog? My apologies if this comes across as abrupt, I don't want it to...if either of you were skilled in pack leadership you probably wouldn't be posting because you probably wouldn't be having the serious problems that you are.

I suppose getting this dog seems, to me, to be akin to learning how to drive in a Ferrari Enzo. Probably too much power under the hood for a novice, even if you have 2 other cars sitting in your driveway.

I guess I'm just confused as to why you'd add a third dog - a powerful breed - with an unknown history.

I really feel for your other two . I hope the experts here on the forum and the articles on Leerburg help you to make the right call - whatever that is for your family, only you can truly decide.

My husband wanted this dog. I was happy with the 2 that we already had.

He was hoping to have him "police" trained for work but I don't think that will be possible with this beast.

We have a good friend that does K-9 training for a local police department and he told my husband that judging by what he is doing right now, it is only a matter of time before this dog tears me apart. I guess he doesn't believe that.

He feels that I should try to do things the way that he is doing them and things will be fine.

I just can't stand the way that the GSD has terrified the other 2 dogs in our home to the point that they are constantly shuddering or looking over their shoulders to see if he's there before they can relax. The cocker hasn't eaten much since Friday. And he LOVES his food!!

Thank you all for all of the advice and my husband and I WILL be having a chat about this tonight and all the feedback I have gotten.

In the meantime, keep your son away from the dog and explain to your son that he shouldn't ever try to "force" the dog into anything, into a crate or through a door. Feed this dog in a crate or outside or in the garage where your son and the other dogs can't get to him. Don't let your son wrestle on the floor with the dog or allow the dog in his room. If it were my son I would tell him to be "aloof" to the dog (of course explain what that means.

 Quote:

He feels that I should try to do things the way that he is doing them and things will be fine.

He is wrong - wrong - wrong!! No offense to him but that is just the way it is. Perhaps this dog may be a good police candidate but he is too old now anyway. Besides, before that could happen the dog needs basic training first, regardless if he has already had it; he hasn't had it from you, yet.

I can understand what your husband is probably hoping for in/from his dog and why, but no one and I mean NO ONE can get that overnight! It takes years of precise, dedicated training to acheive those types of goals. And those goals are not for hobbyists, they are for serious trainers willing to put forth the effort to do what it takes to train, maintain, and properly house and live with a true working animal.

If this is his goal, then good on him! But he will need to start off slow. Learn, shadow veteran trainers, practice what he learns and then apply it to his own dog.

someone just posted and then deleted their post i guess. i was just posting to agree with what this person wrote--you should get rid of the dog while your husband is at work. better to do that, and to face whatever fallout may come in your marriage, than for you and/or your son to wind up in the hospital or dead.

i thought that was a good suggestion. i don't know why it was removed.

angela, all i can say is that if MY husband ignored the kind of professional advice your husband is ignoring, he would be out on the street so fast he'd never know what hit him.