Should i place my puppy?

[Daisy2943]

The four week puppy im taking care of is now six weeks and has some serious problems. She attacked Daisy today, my maltipoo, and i had to take her to the animal hospital where she got 9 stiches. She already reigns supreme in my house. Shes bitting me and my husband when we go near her food (weve had our hands in her bowl since we got her) and is now drawing blood. I've looked in every training book and nothing is working. I found out i was pregnant today and i don't know if im going to be able to control such a dominating dog. I didn't realize what dominating dog meant until i meet her. I'm afraid if i keep her shes going to kill Daisy, bite someone, and im terrified to even consider allowing her near the baby when its here. My husband is in a tirade about the puppy after what he did to daisy. He wants to place her with someone who has expeirence with german shepherds &/or large dogs. I believe once you take a dog in you keep it. Shes sweet when shes not in attack mode. My friend (the one whos dog had her) turns out not to be a friend won't take her now that shes eating dry food. that was the deal i take care of her until she eats dry food and i either keep her or give her back. I love GSD but now i don't think im cut out for owning a dominant dog. Please give some advice. I don't know what to do about this situation

[wdawson]

well to start off.........why the heck do you have a 6 week old pup....and what kind of a deal is that......oh it eats kibble ...you take it back........bad bad owner.

[erykah1310]

Im confused... are you talking about a 6 week old puppy that you cant control or trust???

[wdawson]

yea thats the jist of this

[Daisy2943]

my "friend" and i use this term loosely has a german shepherd who had a litter of puppies it had 15 puppies and wasn't feeding them all enough so i offered to help her take care of one of them so did my best friend, Lyndsey. So we did the formula thing and so on and i weaned her when she started to be more interested in Charlie's food then hers. thats why you should always get your dog neutered/spayed.The puppies are a mix so she just wants to get rid of them. Me and Lyndsey got suckered in but the adorable faces and passionate dog loving lol. Im a cockerspaniel fanactic Lyndsey is a lab fanatic. Now her intentions are made clear she wanted us to keep the puppies not just take care of them tell they are old enough to be placed. In fact i called her after posting this and she already has given away all the other puppies to a local animal shelter Lets just say the conversation didn't end on a nice note at all. So im stuck with a puppy i don't have the expierence to raise. The biggest dog ive had is a cocker spaniel my parents had papillons. Lyndsey is having the same problem with her puppy but she has the resources to cope with it ( she has a big yard and big dogs dog houses and all the whole nine yards) I don't. I have a very small and medium dog and a tiny yard. Ive very frustrated at the moment with this situation.

[Daisy2943]

its not that i can't control her now it im thinking future about her future size shes already doubled in size. She attacked daisy when she was walking by and attacked her i mean growling showing teeth and pinned her and before we could grab her she had caused a gash on her chest blood everywhere then she bit jason and drew blood. This puppy is already twenty pounds and is just a little bit shorter than my cocker. Im not used to aggresive dogs

[mummummum]

So let me get this straight...you have Charlie who is a 1 year old cocker spaniel with what may be aggressive behaviour towards bigger dogs, Daisy who is a 2 year old malti-poo who barks and growls when Charlie gets wound up ...and you've taken in a 4 week (now 6 week) old puppy ?

I don't know how you ended up with this puppy ~ four weeks is far, far too young to be removed from the litter/ his mother. This was/is a critical time for socialization with his littermates and his mother. Does your friend not understand this aspect of breeding dogs ? Personally I think you have too much on your plate with your own two dogs.

[wdawson]

sorry i jumped down your throat.......but you need to be very clear in your first post........i hope you can work this out.....i still hate the agreement about the feeding though

[Daisy2943]

Read all posts and youll figure out how i ended up with this dog. Weve figured out Charlie's problem and its partly becuase hes not neutered (I'm planning on showing him as a hobby). I went to my grandmas and he meet a couple husky's apparently hes all bark once sniffing is done he was playing with them.

[erykah1310]

I hate to rain on your parade, but as far as your cocker spaniel, well it seems that a few of them are dog aggressive, not because they are not neutered. Bailey is dog aggressive, and attacks. and my Sandy was also very dog aggressive, both were spayed and neutered.
I think you should neuter your cocker, rehome the puppy and then settle with your family. You have too much going on right now.

[mummummum]

Originally Posted by Daisy2943

Read all posts and youll figure out how i ended up with this dog. Weve figured out Charlie's problem and its partly becuase hes not neutered (I'm planning on showing him as a hobby). I went to my grandmas and he meet a couple husky's apparently hes all bark once sniffing is done he was playing with them.

I hadn't read your puppy's history because we were posting at the same time Daisy. Regardless, and I say this with all due respect~ perhaps this was a decision you might have given a little more thought to before this puppy was removed from the litter. And I also caution you against thinking that you have Charlie all figured out after one day of playing with huskies and that his behaviour issues are resolved ~ they are not which you will no doubt see the next time you are on lead with him and encounter another larger dog. Please also seriously consider whether you will have time and energy to train him properly and sufficiently to show quality when as you note you have another dog at home AND you are pregnant living in a small home with a small yard. Daisy I encourage you to emotionally step back from your situation and look at it objectively. As I said before, I think you have too much on your plate right now.

[TeriM]

I totally agree with erykah and mummummum.

[Prin]

I agree too.

And, IMO, forget showing because to show, a dog has to be very social...

[erykah1310]

The Cocker standard for disposition does not allow aggression at all. ( any breed actually)

[technodoll]

daisy, first congratulations on your new baby on the way second, i have shown dogs before and trust me, it's a HECK of alot of work to get them trained up to the point where they look good in the ring. it's an expensive hobby both financially, emotionally and time-wise, and I could not have handled any of it if i had been pregnant or with a baby at home, not to mention dealing with three young, problematic dogs Please reconsider your priorities... your human family, your health, your energy, and do you really have the time for three dogs right now? I would seriously reconsider remoming the young puppy so it has a chance at a good life with an experienced owner (before something bad happens along the way and somebody gets euthanized for biting...), i would get a trainer or some professional help for charlie's behavioral problems and forget about showing - can you see yourself running around the ring with a big belly, bending over to stack and restack and bait, hours on your feet, with a sore back, don't forget all those obedience classes too and the grooming?... yikes Just some food for thought... please think about yourself, your husband and your baby first and then make sure all the dogs have the best possible homes for them...

[Catzig]

Daisy, I have to agree with Mummummum - for several reasons.

No matter how great your intentions are about keeping a dog once you've taken it on:

1) if you think there are problems at six weeks, six months will be a nightmare - and it may only get worse for a while after that,
2) GSD type dogs need alot of work, training and stimulation - it all takes time and energy, every day,
3) the dog is going to sense your uneasiness really early on and will probably react in a less than favourable way,
4) big dogs and little kids are a difficult mix, and
5) your husband is already annoyed with the dog, that will only get worse - and you'll probably want all his help and support for the normal pregnancy-related stuff without having to deal with an unruly pup.

I admire you for taking on this puppy and giving it a good start to life, I'm just not sure this big responsibility is one that is good for you right now.

Good luck with your decision.

[CyberKitten]

I am sure you were trying to do the right thing and be altruistic when you took in the GSD puppy but perhaps you should have researched it -if you show dogs, would you not know that? (I am not being critical, it is just a questions since one can only show a dog that has very specific requirements - you cannot simply show up (no pun intended - I am tired and cannot think well) and "show" a dog. S/he must be certified and she must have been born from a champion. But you did not mention that and maybe you simply did not see the need since it is superfluous to the story about the puppy.

As for the puppy!! 4 weeks is just not acceptable - unless it is an orphan and you have experience!! My best advice is to find a rescue and ask them for help. This person is no friend and is a back yard breeder, which is personna non grata here and to most animal lovers. I know you wanted to help the dog but you have your hands full. Also, as a pediatrician, I advise you not to be in the dog showing biz if you are pregnant. (Tho I am confused as to your role in that to be honest).

There ae others with more experience in raising dogs - I just do not understand the feeding thing. (makes no sense). Why did you take the dog? To help her out - and she said you had to hand feed her (I mean I have raised many orphan kittens so that I can relate to) but usually you do it with mama there=- as well as the puppy's litter mates. If your friend was sincere, she would have had friends come in to assist at feeding time.

I hope to God she has spayed her GSD. And if yours are not show quality and born from champions, they will not be accepted either. Unless they are and you just left that out in this story somewhere.

Good luck - find someone who knows how to care for and socialise a puppy this small, hopefully someone with a female GSD who maybe just had puppies or recently did and if she cannot feed her, at least cane be there to teach her puppy behaviour. Unless you have a lot of experience in that, I do not believe it is possible. Even with orphan kittens, we always have other cats around to help. (and they usually have sibs - tho not all the time).

Good luck!

[papillonmama]

Hello Daisy,

While I agree that one shouldn't give up a dog that they have intentionally taken in as a part of their family, I don't think that that was your intention, at least that's what you said.

Because this was supposed to be on a short term basis, you should feel no qualms about finding this puppy an appropriate home.

In essence, you were duped. The puppy needs more training and attention than you feel you are able to cope with.

I took in my dominant dog knowing full well the type of behaviour that she was displaying, I had time, and resources to train, I also had a lot of experience, and a lot of help from here as well. I worked hard to train my dog, and I continue to work hard at it, because when you live with a dog that might nip or try to take control, you always have to be careful, you always have to watch your kids, you always have to watch your dog, and you always have to be in control. It is a lot of difficult heart-wrenching work, (some days I felt like giving up), but the end result is satisfying.

Only you know what you want to do with your puppy. I don't know your situation, but I can tell you that a ten month old puppy with a newborn will be very difficult. I have twins who are almost three now, I was going to go on about how hard it really was, but I'll just say that, it was really, really, really hard. Plus my hubby works long hours and was often not able to help out. You and your husband need to sit down and talk about your plans, your current situation and what you would like to accomplish.

Good luck Daisy. And congratulations on the baby.

[Frenchy]

I hope your "friend" gets her GSD female spayed. And I hope YOU get your cocker neutered.

[Winston]

You could look for help throught his wonderful organization...

www.gsrt.net

They are a gsd rescue group that have a lot of great advise.

Cindy

[heidiho]

do you have parents at home hel;ping you?????

[TMac]

Daisy,

I agree with what the others said. You already have too much on your plate with the other dogs (especially Charlie) and a baby on the way. While you were kind-hearted and agreed to help your friend with the GSD on a short term basis, you will probably have even more stress and heartaches later when this dog gets bigger. Please look for a GSD rescue in your area to help find this puppy a home where they will have the time to devote to heavy training. It will be the best thing you do for him.

Please please do spay and neuter all your pets who aren't already fixed. Maybe one day in the future when your kids are a little older and the current pets calmed down, then you might want to first RESEARCH and then go ahead and try showing dogs. But - now does not seem to be a good time for the sake of your family.

[heidiho]

oops i didnt realize you are an adult,sorry..

[OntarioGreys]

At 6 weeks old a puppy is just playing rough and rowdy not domnating the household, as far as injuries those are a result of her having milk teeth they are sharp as little razors , and she is is mouthing so getting chewed and getting scratched up by the teeth is the part of the norm that comes from raising a young puppy, it is not a result of viciousness even with the multi-poo, it is an accidental injury due to playing to rough . For temperament to really show itself you have wait till they are older like 4 to 6 months, get some babygates and seperate when you can't watching the pup to seperate it from the other dogs, as others mentioned look for a shepherd rescue to take the pup. I would recommend neutering Charlie as you are not ready for showing/breeding dogs, you still have way too much to learn about dogs and their behaviour and different stages of development.

[Daisy2943]

Okay heres a list of answers to peoples comments/questions. My parents bred papillions so i had expeirence with raising puppies and their nutrition requirements since my favorite papillon Gabby didn't like to take care of her puppies (she had a c-section). I'm used to small dogs so I'm not used to puppies who can cause so much damage. My "friends" GSD wasnt able to feed all the puppies and they were not gaining weight like they should and she didn't want to mess with them so she pawned two of the puppies off on my and Lyndsey since we couldn't stand the thought of a underfed puppy. I wasn't intending on keeping it because of the future size even though i admire GSD's I just wouldn't own one. The puppy grew on me though unintentionally. I'm going to place her with an expirenced family, since i have neither the expeirence or the resources to handle big dogs. The interviews have begun.
Updates!!
Charlie's aggression problem has been identified and is being rectified. I've found an expirenced handler to show Charlie. He wasn't aggresive towards other dogs until recently and his trainer said its most likely due to the changes in the house, the puppy and my pregnancy. Now that ive become aware of this ive been able to make changes to dissapate his aggression and hes doing wonderful. Daisy is healing up good and enjoying the special treatment. Gypsy, the puppy, has learned to climb stairs, so i had to buy puppy gates but those will come in handy later on. Sorry this post is so long

[erykah1310]

Well Good luck with all the showing dreams, and finding a good home for the pup, and also congrats on the baby

[Daisy2943]

Thank you. My husband teases me about wanting to show dogs but i want to better the breed. Like my parents did, Charlie is OFA certified And Cerf certified with both goods. Now with the new lady and the tramp movie coming out I know the breed is going to be overproduced again and lead to more problems or exasperated problems. Vets are expensive lol and this breed is to sweet to be hit with irresponsible byb and irresponsible buyers

[LavenderRott]

My mom bred, trained and showed pomeranians when I was younger but that sure didn't make me an expert on dogs.

There is just soooo much wrong with this whole situation. I think that the scariest part is that you think you have solved your aggressive dog issue in 24 hours.

Find a rescue that can take the pup. Having learned none of his "social graces" from his mom and siblings, he is going to need some special attention that Joe Smith isn't going to know anything about.

[Daisy2943]

For one LavenderRott i don't like to be talked to in a demeaning manner Charlie spent 3 days with his trainer and today he came home with an in house visit where she showed us how to correct our mistakes with his growling and lunging through the leash. Once those mistakes were corrected and are used now he isn't showing that behavior. This is a new behavior because we were more lax on him since he is older now and allowing him full reign with his leash instead of keeping the leash close like we used to therefore not establishing our control. Since daisy barks in reaction to charlie barking she doesn't do it anymore since he doesn't. Ive owned a couple dogs before this duke and button who have since passed away. My mom has breed papillons for 20 years and i have helped her with every single litter. I guess im showing my age now. If you think about it every single one of your dogs has had a behavioral issue at some point. My dogs are young, Ive kept pairs since i got button, so of course they will have some issues.

[Prin]

I don't know why you keep bringing up that your mom breeds. What does that have to do with anything? There's a HUGE difference between having a dog for 8-12 weeks and having a dog for life. Having puppies around all the time doesn't make you a good dog owner nor a good trainer, so I just don't understand where that factors in.

Yes, our dogs have issues, but what Lavender is trying to say is that serious issues don't get solved in 1 day or even 3 days. I think you're getting a little overconfident.

A dog is a lifelong work in progress and I think it just rubs people the wrong way when you make it seem like you think you're already done. If you're already done and weren't really looking for help and suggestions but wanted validation, you'll probably be disappointed.