Training, but not working.

[Lurcherlovr 0]

Hi I have asked other people and they haven't been able to give advise, so I thought that I would ask people who know Lurcher's, this is about Diesel my brindle GSD X Greyhound, and I know many wouldn't buy him, but I let my heart rule my head (naughty I know). I copied this straight from another forum that I'm on and the second big lot is a blog on there, as I don't know if I can provide a link to another forum I will copy and paste that to.

 

Diesel has always been a nervous boy, we have never harmed him, and apart from being chased by a westie and growled at by a GSD he has had no problems with other dogs, but he will only go to see them if another dog goes up to them first, he is nervous of strangers, and very protective of me, he has been like this ever since we got him at 11 weeks, and I feel like his breeder had a part in this, but I want to know if there is anyway that we could build up his confidence, since he was a puppy he has gone everywhere with us, no-one has ever shown any aggression to him. Can the breeder make that much of a impact on him, here is a blog entry of how we got him and what it was like, and how come at two and a half he is still showing nervousness, we have tried ignoring it, we have tried comforting it, and we have tried people talking to us before talking to him so that he knows that they are fine, but he still goes behind my legs even when they are not even looking at him. I don't know how we can make him more relaxed, we got a DAP collar, and it made him more confident apart from when people then go to stroke him, if they have a treat he will have the treat and then hide again, even when we have Honey with us who is over confident with everything. Can anyone offer any advice?

 

Here is the blog, any help will be welcome.

 

My parents didn't really want another dog, but my dad always brought a free ads, he buys cheap cars and does them up, anyway every week I would look at the dog section and one week I noticed another litter of Lurchers, the ad was for a litter of 11 black and brindle puppies, for three weeks they were in the paper, and for three weeks I was pestering my parents for one, on the third week they gave up and there was a brindle boy left, we told the people that we would have him and that we would travel the 25 miles to get him when my dad comes home from his day job and pick him up for the £ that they wanted for him.

 

Later after my dad had got home, and my sister was there to look after my little brothers as we didn't want them to have to travel all the way there and back, we borrowed my grampys 4 X 4 as it was better for transporting the dogs, put Honey in it so that the dogs could get to know each other on the way home and set off.

 

When we got there we were put straight in the back garden, where there was a pathetic looking filthy, shaking pup in the far corner, it was my Diesel, as soon as I saw him I knew I couldn't leave him there to be with this 'caring man', I asked to see the parents and the man brought out a fawn whippet and showed us a photo of a white greyhound , I then asked if she had any problems giving birth and how come none of the pups were the same colour of the parents, and asked how come she took no notice of Diesel and he just stayed in his corner, after a while we got the truth, how the mother was a greyhound and his dad was greyhound X shepard and how he was bred for working but the mum rejected and started attacking the whole litter, so he got the 11 pups for free of his mate, but if he couldn't find him a home he would get dumped as he didn't want a dog of that cross, and the breeder didn't want him back.

 

He also asked for breeding of Honey next time she was in season as shes what they want for working around there! We then got out there quickly, but we couldn't get Diesel with out paying the £ for him, and when we picked him up he yelped he screamed and he struggled he wasn't being used to being handled at all, we then decided that we would put him and Honey in the back seat with me, that night a friendship between the dogs was made, a friendship that has never been tested, although Honey used to pick him up on walks and run around with him in her mouth and a friendship was made between me and Diesel, he is so close to me, he knows when I am down or when I am happy, and he always seems to be sat next to or on me when I'm at home, although he is, protective of me and a nervous boy I think that a lot of this is due to his bad start, he was 11 weeks when he got him bless him.

 

 

You can see that I'm really close to my dogs but Diesel has protected me from harm about 5 times since we have had him, from Gypsies for commenting on their dogs, who wouldn't feed their dogs for 3 days before a coursing session in order to make the dogs run for more, to a drunk down the lake who got way too close for comfort, but soon got a face of teeth, but he has been protective of things for no reason to, things that he don't know or understand, even at one point balloons so does anyone have any ideas, its not necessary as I still love him, but I would like him to be more confident. Thanks for reading.

[Guest anonymous]

Hi I have asked other people and they haven't been able to give advise, so I thought that I would ask people who know Lurcher's, this is about Diesel my brindle GSD X Greyhound, and I know many wouldn't buy him, but I let my heart rule my head (naughty I know). I copied this straight from another forum that I'm on and the second big lot is a blog on there, as I don't know if I can provide a link to another forum I will copy and paste that to.

 

Diesel has always been a nervous boy, we have never harmed him, and apart from being chased by a westie and growled at by a GSD he has had no problems with other dogs, but he will only go to see them if another dog goes up to them first, he is nervous of strangers, and very protective of me, he has been like this ever since we got him at 11 weeks, and I feel like his breeder had a part in this, but I want to know if there is anyway that we could build up his confidence, since he was a puppy he has gone everywhere with us, no-one has ever shown any aggression to him. Can the breeder make that much of a impact on him, here is a blog entry of how we got him and what it was like, and how come at two and a half he is still showing nervousness, we have tried ignoring it, we have tried comforting it, and we have tried people talking to us before talking to him so that he knows that they are fine, but he still goes behind my legs even when they are not even looking at him. I don't know how we can make him more relaxed, we got a DAP collar, and it made him more confident apart from when people then go to stroke him, if they have a treat he will have the treat and then hide again, even when we have Honey with us who is over confident with everything. Can anyone offer any advice?

 

Here is the blog, any help will be welcome.

 

My parents didn't really want another dog, but my dad always brought a free ads, he buys cheap cars and does them up, anyway every week I would look at the dog section and one week I noticed another litter of Lurchers, the ad was for a litter of 11 black and brindle puppies, for three weeks they were in the paper, and for three weeks I was pestering my parents for one, on the third week they gave up and there was a brindle boy left, we told the people that we would have him and that we would travel the 25 miles to get him when my dad comes home from his day job and pick him up for the £ that they wanted for him.

 

Later after my dad had got home, and my sister was there to look after my little brothers as we didn't want them to have to travel all the way there and back, we borrowed my grampys 4 X 4 as it was better for transporting the dogs, put Honey in it so that the dogs could get to know each other on the way home and set off.

 

When we got there we were put straight in the back garden, where there was a pathetic looking filthy, shaking pup in the far corner, it was my Diesel, as soon as I saw him I knew I couldn't leave him there to be with this 'caring man', I asked to see the parents and the man brought out a fawn whippet and showed us a photo of a white greyhound , I then asked if she had any problems giving birth and how come none of the pups were the same colour of the parents, and asked how come she took no notice of Diesel and he just stayed in his corner, after a while we got the truth, how the mother was a greyhound and his dad was greyhound X shepard and how he was bred for working but the mum rejected and started attacking the whole litter, so he got the 11 pups for free of his mate, but if he couldn't find him a home he would get dumped as he didn't want a dog of that cross, and the breeder didn't want him back.

 

He also asked for breeding of Honey next time she was in season as shes what they want for working around there! We then got out there quickly, but we couldn't get Diesel with out paying the £ for him, and when we picked him up he yelped he screamed and he struggled he wasn't being used to being handled at all, we then decided that we would put him and Honey in the back seat with me, that night a friendship between the dogs was made, a friendship that has never been tested, although Honey used to pick him up on walks and run around with him in her mouth and a friendship was made between me and Diesel, he is so close to me, he knows when I am down or when I am happy, and he always seems to be sat next to or on me when I'm at home, although he is, protective of me and a nervous boy I think that a lot of this is due to his bad start, he was 11 weeks when he got him bless him.

 

 

You can see that I'm really close to my dogs but Diesel has protected me from harm about 5 times since we have had him, from Gypsies for commenting on their dogs, who wouldn't feed their dogs for 3 days before a coursing session in order to make the dogs run for more, to a drunk down the lake who got way too close for comfort, but soon got a face of teeth, but he has been protective of things for no reason to, things that he don't know or understand, even at one point balloons so does anyone have any ideas, its not necessary as I still love him, but I would like him to be more confident. Thanks for reading.

 

Well written that. I think dogs are the same as humans, you get bold, shy, courageous and scared ones. Some people come from the worst starts in life and get stronger for it, others use it as an excuse for their failures. Unfortunately when you have a shy animal who gets treated bad he goes more into his shell than he'd normally. Luckily for Diesel he has found someone who is very loving and will look after him and in return you normally find the shy ones are the more loyal as they appreciate getting looked after that bit more. I've had friends who have had timid dogs and to be honest, they never really changed. I'd love him for what he is.

[Lurcherlovr 0]

Well written that. I think dogs are the same as humans, you get bold, shy, courageous and scared ones. Some people come from the worst starts in life and get stronger for it, others use it as an excuse for their failures. Unfortunately when you have a shy animal who gets treated bad he goes more into his shell than he'd normally. Luckily for Diesel he has found someone who is very loving and will look after him and in return you normally find the shy ones are the more loyal as they appreciate getting looked after that bit more. I've had friends who have had timid dogs and to be honest, they never really changed. I'd love him for what he is.

 

Thanks, I often feel as I'm failing him as I've seen so many dogs who are over confident, especially my other dog Honey. But sometimes I wonder whether it is just the breeder or if we are doing something to him, when there is no one around he is a confident dog, but as soon as someone strange comes in he retreats back into his shell.

[Guest anonymous]

Well written that. I think dogs are the same as humans, you get bold, shy, courageous and scared ones. Some people come from the worst starts in life and get stronger for it, others use it as an excuse for their failures. Unfortunately when you have a shy animal who gets treated bad he goes more into his shell than he'd normally. Luckily for Diesel he has found someone who is very loving and will look after him and in return you normally find the shy ones are the more loyal as they appreciate getting looked after that bit more. I've had friends who have had timid dogs and to be honest, they never really changed. I'd love him for what he is.

 

Thanks, I often feel as I'm failing him as I've seen so many dogs who are over confident, especially my other dog Honey. But sometimes I wonder whether it is just the breeder or if we are doing something to him, when there is no one around he is a confident dog, but as soon as someone strange comes in he retreats back into his shell.

 

Maybe he is frightened he gets took away from you. Is he with you a lot?

[Lurcherlovr 0]

Maybe he is frightened he gets took away from you. Is he with you a lot?

 

Hes there when he can be there, but he seems to know when I go to college in the morning and lets me go then, but when I leave for another time he sits by the door until I get back waiting for me, he also has problems with other people looking after him, we went away once and he went to a friends house who has known him since we got him, and he was sat in the corner shaking until we got back. And when we do go out if the dogs can come they can come. But he is a great guard dog bless him someone tried to break in, and when we got back Diesel had him pinned up in the corner of the kitchen.

[Doglost Co-Ordinator 4]

The first few weeks of a dogs life are the most important. My first dog was a collie that had been taken away from it's mum at 5 weeks- put in a pet shop, homed,beaten & was in it's first rescue at 10weeks old. i got him from a Collie Rescue that wouldnt normally home to pet homes, he used to cower when you tried to stroke him, would wee if a kid tried to go near him, terrified of men. He'd never work.

We had to tell any one who came to the house not to pressure him into saying hello- if he approached them then stroke under his chin first. Give a treat & ignore him. He was like your dog, really nervous til he saw lads in baseball hats then he'd go mental. He never stopped that- chased one lad all the way down the street one day when I left the door open & was unloading shopping out of the car-had him pinned against a wall.

 

Take time with him, deal with one issue at a time, dont force it. It took me years before my collie would happily let kids sit & cuddle him, he got so he loved the visits from neighbours little girl-she used to come over from school every day & ask if he could have a biscuit. He hated bangs, dustbin lids, cars backfiring & would run off.

Like you I learnt a lot from him, he was my first dog & I wouldnt say a nervous collie was an ideal first dog but we had just over 11 years together before I lost him to cancer. Try leaving a jumper in his bed when you go out, the dap do a plug in diffuser thing as well. I know there's all sorts of pills & potions on the market that claim to do allsorts of things.

Get visitors to ignore him, natural curiosity should make him want to investigate. Persevere you will see a difference.

[Lurcherlovr 0]

Thanks for the advice dog lost, I will follow it, the thing that we are lucky with is that he loves the family members and is a fav pillow of everyone, including a 4 yr old, we had a spare bed for him in my room once, with the other dog so that in the day he could be there, but he was so strange, he would want to sleep up there but wouldn't go up without me, he would pace between me and the door to the stairs until I got there and went up to bed, so I will do the jumper thing and hope that it works, I will try DAP again though, with the other tablets and stuff we had a bully on serene-um and someone told us that might work for Diesel but I would never recommend that, as the dog was more calm and relaxed after we got him off it. Visitors have ignored him, but he is more then happy to just sit on my foot, which I worry is him guarding me as he has his back to me, but is watching everyone else in the room.