Nature VS Nurture/Tino's Evaluation PT 1 - Page 4

Therese If you are going to place Tino in a new home I fully agree you should disclose any and all of his "issues" to the possible new owner. Then you can sleep well at night knowing you did your best to advise them. I would hold back his papers and perhaps require he be neutored. This may or may not help calm him some. It seemed to help mellow out my girl.

As far as socializing the puppies, if it were me I would handle them daily from birth. If possible let them be born inside where they can hear alot of household noises. Hold them close to your face, put different people clothes in the box so they become familiar with peoples scent. If they are to be born outside provide a radio or some form of noise that they can hear. Have friends come over and play with them and handle them as much as you are able to. Always monitor what is going on. Like little kids when their eyes and ears open and they realise they are individuals things can be scary (I remember human babies go thru a shy stage at 5 months when they realise they aren't part of mom). Give them alot of toys to stimulate their play drive and try to take them on excursions around your property or yard. If you have cats introduce them too. When you find them new homes educate their owners on the importance of continuing their socializing. It the best you can do and just hope for the best they will turn out OK. Also don't forget to keep up on trimming their nails, it can get mom pretty sore if you don't. Good luck.

why did the first owners rid the dog?  bad nerves?  scared of getting sued?  dog bit someoone?  or was it the ever cleaver move or divorce?

IMO  you dont have a choice, in this matter but to get him out of your home immediately...If you think hes  ROCKO now....wait till he sees baby pups moving around,,,,,how are you gonna keep him from eating the pups ,,,,,prey bait for some grouchy males......seen it over and over...if you reach for one of them and he has it.....you're going down, first  Im finished   well warned....

It doesnt matter what is good for the dog....good is to get ;him out of your house.......You  just dont get it.....Im a woman ,64 and I had one of those kind of females ,brought to me ., to see if I could change her....I changed her......shes in a coffin with a marker over her head....should have never been bred or sold to 5 owners who she destroyed in accesss of 35,000.00 of property in three years....I ended it....its called   Tough Love......you may have to make that choice......There are times when this kind of discission has to be made....and btw    if he bites one person, or two   you wont be making that decission.....the AMIMAL CONTROL   will be making that for you while you put whoever back in one piece....and dog bites hurt and they take months to heal...and sometimes years.....

I'm surprised your family members haven't taken action already .

Peter, Tino went from the breeder/handler/trainer to the breeder because the breeder/handler/trainer was getting out of GSD and was going to concentrate on the Dutch Shepherd etc. THe breeder that bought him had several litters out of him ( from what i understand) and had 3 new dogs comingin the folowing week and needed the room. I waslooking for a stud and he offered me Tino for his usualstud fee, $500.00.

Again, Hindsight is 20/20

Therese

Yellow Rose!

AMEN!  You said it in a nut shell! 

I have been thinking though that maybe this dog needs to be evaluated by a PROFESSIONAL!  Some of his behavior leaves alot to be desired and we can not diagnose his issues from the symptoms (behaviors) a novice person gives us!  It would be like a doctor trying to diagnose breast cancer over the internet or phone!  This do is dangerous to her child, I believe that with all my heart!  But maybe an OK dog in the hands of someone who has the experience to know EXACTLY what this dog needs!  This dog may need a dirt nap but we can't properly asses that in the confines of this forum!  Could be bad behavior due to a dominant attitude and the owner knows not how to handle the dog!  Many hard SchH dogs out there that with the proper training are good working dog but not very good pets!

Vickie

www.PowerHausKennels.com

This dog is not a schutzhund dog,,,any dog that acts like this wouldnt make it two seconds in any club I every knew of.....its a mute point....this dog is an undesirable.dog.....it belongs with a one man or one woman owner that wants a pet to guard its house or home and undivided attention and if after a month or two   , then that decision of how undesirable it is, can be done.....if it wouldnt work for the others , it wont work for the next....Shandra  ,,,,give it up....You need to work on your relationship with your   CHILDREN   

Shandra:  Quit obsessing over this DOG....you have a son that needs you, and needs your undivided attention.....and you have other children.....you dont need a dog......if you want a german shepherd   buy a puppy , a 3-6 mos old , that hasnt gotten bad habits or temperaments yet, and let the kids and the dog bond and grow....a good line gsd will start protecting at7-12 mos old  ...thats all you need ...is a gsd to alert and tell you someone is at the door......later he will not bite you or your son, but stand alert and sure and do his job ,,,,for you not against you .....even men have hard times handling a dog that growls  . I have the hardest and the toughest lines of fighters in gsd there are, and I have never had any one of them ever ,ever growl at me...  Now , I bought a 16 mos old Korbelbach pup and he growled at me 2 times.....I ended it,,,at that day and that day was the last....He would be in the grave if he had done it again , and he knew that after 36 hours past....

Get in a club, and read about how to chose a gsd pet....read about behavhour problems with your kid and a german shepherd...this is not a bouvier , or a cocker, or a Rotty, or a great dane or a box , chow or even an australlian shepherd.....

The german shepherd has to be corrected with happiness, reward and positive reinforcement   not a spike or a choke or a e collar....you train a pup with love and prey drive and;food drive...'

The dog in your house was not raised that way....he is dangerous and you cant correct it....a professional can  reroute some of what is wrong, but the minute the trainer hands you the lease....its all back to square one.....you do not get it.......you dont know dog behabioural problems, much less how to train one without behavioural problems.....

Learn that first , without someones elses baggage....just like in a new marriage and a divorce.....if one has baggage,,,,you get it and you have to carry it.....  it will either weight you down to his or her level , or it will terminate one of you.....

Yellowrose- I wanted to tell her the same thing you did and suggest the pine box but I figured she'd think I was insensitive.  I love animals, all animals but there are some that just aren't meant to be "domesticated" and to have an animal that you can not have as a part of your family to interact with on a daily basis seems rather pointless to me to own.

Shandra- here's something to think about to ease your discomfort in getting Tino out of your home....you mentioned this litter of pups coming...right or wrong regardless of if you should have bred him they are on their way like it or not and you can't go back now...so what if you kept a pup (which is a crap shoot on if it will be anything like Tino) but at the very least you can have everyone in your home establish a bond early on with the pup including your son.  I think this would be better for you to start with a pup you can begin to take to a club that can help you along with any issues that may arise.  I would have suggested investing in an older trained dog from a reputable breeder but you mentioned that funds are an issue; so I think your best alternative is to contact a rescue for Tino BEFORE this litter is born and then go from there.  You will get attached to a pup just as much as you are attached to Tino if not more.

Trailrider, thank you for the suggestion with  pups. They will be born and raised inside. They will be handled alot, I love to cuddle them. Our summers are to hot for Xena to be outside, She is predominately black with penciling on her toes and red sable on her feet and ankles. Xena is an excellent housedog, well housebroke and doesnt get into the trash lol

Yellowrose, Justin and Tino are seperated at all times now, there is no issue with contact there until the situation is resolved. I have to disagree  with you "It doesnt matter what is good for the dog....good is to get ;him out of your house." It matters to me what is best for Tino as well as what is best for me.

Powerhaus, I have to agree with you, He needs to be assesed by a professional, I think he knows I am inexperienced and not a dominate person. I dont have problems with him myself other than his lack of training or listening and that would probably be taken care of with the proper training by  or with the assistance of a professional no way of really know without attempting it. That is a mute point right now.

Luvinmydog. I am not obssessing over TIno, I am trying to do what any good dog owner would do, find a solution to the problem or find the appropriate home. What kind of dogowner would I be if I couldnt handle a problem with a dog and rather than seek advice/assistance or a new home for him, just take him out and shoot him? What would that say about me as a human? My relationship with my children is just fine, thank you for caring. The only child home is my youngest, 15 years old. I am 45 years old, not a youngster by any stretch, Ijust dont have the experience with this type of dog behaviour. If it were just me and Tino we would not be having this discussion. Being that he is a large dog, he would not go everywhere with me, he would stay home as an inside/outside dog and things would be fine. Since that is not the case here we are.

Therese

I think everyone is wasting their breath.  It is like pulling teeth with this woman.  She has no problem with her child leaving the nest, but when it comes to the dog, she will try everything to keep him there.  Very sad!

yeah Don, and trying to get folks to read the part where I said I am going to find Tino a home elsewhere is like trying to get a blind man to read a book. How many times, how many different ways do I have to say it for it to be understood?

As far as my son leaving home when he is of age, That is part of life, we raise our kids to be what we hope are good, caring, productive members of society and when they are ready to spread their wings and live life on their own we have to let them go. What is wrong with that?? SHEEESH

Therese