I dont know if its my imagination and I am looking for trouble or all just temporary adjustments...so comments/advice please Leerburg family...I will try to be brief..

Had to leave my 6 month old GSD for 9 days. Left him with an older lovely,country couple who he knows and I know and who have 40 years in obedience training and judging. Very different set up to my house( I am city they are in the wilds) but he was inside and part of the house rather than kenneled, which was my only other option. I Left his schedule , food,toys, treats etc etc...plenty of instructions. He is a great dog, well...

I Picked him up yesterday and he seems to be a completely different dog. VERY jumpy, pulling away, doesnt particularly want to be petted, won't come anymore when called and keeps running to his kitchen crate and going in and sitting down in the corner. Just now I called him for a hug & kisses our morning ritual. He usually comes and rolls over etc, etc...hearbreakingly, he ran past me and was fighting to get into his crate and away from me...and I mean fighting....what's up with that? I ignored him, let him go in his crate with the door opened and carried on as if nothing happened, which is what I am doing now ....

I have done all the training with him so far and he was very obedient and responsive before. Should I be worried or is it just that the terrible 2's hit in the few days I was gone and this is coincidence? This isn't my first GSD but I never left the other one with anyone. Is it my imagination or is it just resettling? Seems 9 days wasnt long but then I am not him am I ...so comments please?

Apparently he has been entertaining, delightful, responsive and positvely the perfect model of willingness in my absence. I did notice when I got there that there were 2 boys about 10 and 12 who had been with him for a day and a half apparently. The comment was "they wore his ass out" he had great fun, he was chasing and nipping at them and he has got quite mouthy in a week..that horrified me,I havent allowed that AT ALL! However not much I could say...They also said he was allowed, while supervised, to chase cats and birds in their fenced yard and he was hilarious...something else that horrified me. I have tried to minimise all of that behavior, I live in suburbia. This morning on the leash he was a NIGHTMARE....skittish, jumpy and very nervy, stop, start, ahead behind...I just controled and kept moving at a good pace ignoring and rewarding the good bits...

He ate as usual, has pottied as usual, was quiet for 8 hours overnight and is a bit more settled at the moment, relaxing chewing hell out of his Kong...I am having a FIT though....I know whats in my mind to do but everyone here always has great comments so...Thanks in advance for the help, go easy with the ass chewing...I had to go and I thought he was with the best people...

My personal opinion is stay the course and he'll get through this. Whether something happened to him or whether it's a full moon or the age or whatever doesn't really change how I would handle it personally.

I had to leave my GSD for 10 days when he was 5 months and he was a little funky to me when I came back, too. Not to the extent that you describe, but much more aloof than normal. I even posted about it here, too! And he was with someone I trusted 100%. But still...young dog, strange place, different handling and then as soon as they get adjusted to that then I come up and yank him out and bring him back. Even kids will act funny coming home from a vacation! Especially if they get to run wild while they're gone.

What I wound up doing was just going back to tethering him to me for a couple of days and it worked pretty quickly.

The other thing to keep an eye out for is your reaction. When you miss a dog, it's natural to be a little out of character when you see them again and get a little overly lovey or act strangely to them. Not that that's what you're doing, but if you're bothered by something it makes sense that you could be giving off some weird vibes to your dog.

Consider it a readjustment period and try to act normally. My guess is that he'll be himself in a couple of days to a week. I wouldn't worry just yet.

Hmmm, stimulation overload perhaps? It sounds like there was no structure there at all, and you provide a LOT of structure, so maybe it's just a 180degree turnaround from what he was used to and he became overwhelmed? He is young, and if he's been sheltered and not exposed to a whole bunch, he could just be "weirded out" for lack of a better term.

You may never know WHY, but I agree w/Amber the "why" isn't as important as how soon he bounces back and falls back into your routine.

I wonder if they misinterpreted his actions, and he was frightened by the boys and the woods and all that, and now his hesitation on a leash is fear of something he didn't worry about before? Who knows?!

Amber THANKS,

As you confirm, My natural reaction was to be more aloof than he and tether him to me for a few days. I told my family, ignore him, dont call him or ask him to do something, if he comes to you don't fuss at him. They are pretty good, they dont like what they saw yesterday and want to get ur pup back ASAP. I told them we have all been gone and we all feel odd returning, imagine how he is feeling...

I am going to give him today and observe, maybe he just needs sleep. He jumped in the truck in his crate yesterday and was snoring before we were 1 mile down the road!!!

The really odd thing was, for all the experiance and reputation(and I love these folk, dont get me wrong)...he didnt seem to have particularly bonded with them. I stood back and watched the melee of the way they and he were behaving (as pack leader would, I remained aloof and quiet) I thought to myself...you enjoy the last few minutes of this "Captain Chaos" cos this AINT happenin when we get home...oddly it was as if he was showing me that he needed some direction that he hadnt had in my absence...One of the kids cried because they didnt want him to go, it was all very strange to watch..

I likened it to grandparents spoling and winding up their grandkids to be returned home like banshees...

Thanks for your speedy reply, it certainly confirmed my thoughts. Interesting to see what others say...or add

Jenni,

Yes, I was wondering if the boys were all to much for him....You are right, I am very structured with him and VERY calm...like I said not my first time around the block with GSD's so nothing goes past me...Nanny 911 here!!

I was waiting for my return to start short bursts of marker training with him and so will commence that here in a few days...give him something "new" to think about....he will love it, he is totally food driven and I am excited at the prospect!

OK...he is asleep again...methinks some quiet puppy crate time with his blankie!!! She says this tongue in cheek waiting for the comments about me humanizing him...

Thanks Again Jenni...I love that photo of your dog BTW

 Quote: Kathryn Grigel

Thanks Again Jenni...I love that photo of your dog BTW

That's not a dog; it's a bear. Just ask anyone.
Thanks.

Still a cute photo either way...what do I know about black dogs OR black bears....

So... "blankie time" turned out to be 5 hours of unconcious sleep snoring his head off...methinks I have one very tired puppy!! I am the one who is supposed to have jet lag after a 27 hour flight through4 time zones...he was only 45 minutes away...little spoilt brat!!