Chicagoans in need of Rescue

[DubyaT]

Hi Everyone,

We adopted our Dutch Shepherd Otis from the city pound almost a year ago. We likely saved him from euthanasia. We were completely unaware of the traits of DS's and he was listed as a pit bull mix. We are fairly certain that he is full DS. Since we have had him he has developed behavioral issues that have really made things difficult. He is now aggressive towards other dogs, cats and most recently small children. Yesterday he snapped a very young child.

We took him to the Anti-Cruelty Society but they said he would likely be euthanized. We are fairly certain that these issues would be less severe in a more rural environment and some training. We've tried listing him with rescue groups and talked with friends in other regions of the country about re-homing him. We realize that certain training classes may help but we would never feel comfortable allowing him around small children and being in the city it's hard to avoid close interaction with other people and dogs. It's also not all dogs. We think that were he to have a home with some other scrappy working breeds that he would do just fine. We appreciate any advice that the board may have to offer. We already feel like extremely irresponsible dog owners but are trying our best to do what's right for Otis. Thank you all.

WT

[DubyaT]

Hi All,

We have been getting some positive responses from people in rural areas nearby with interest in Otis despite his shortcomings. We are hopeful that something works out and he finds a happy home. We believe that with the proper training and wide open spaces that he will thrive. I wanted to respond and clarify that he is an extremely sweet animal and we love him dearly. The city is just too dense and full of stressors that give Otis tremendous anxiety. If anyone here would like videos of Otis doing tricks, fetch or find it games, I can be reached at wyatt.steele@gmail.com. Thanks.

WT

[JayT]

Perhaps you could upload his videos to YouTube and post the link here? Just a suggestion.

[DubyaT]

I'll upload them soon and get some videos in this response. Thanks for the suggestion.

[cake73]

WT,

Is this the same Otis that was mentioned on the Dutch Shepherd Rescue yahoo group (not affiliated with NADSR)? You might want to post the photos here, too.

[DubyaT]

We have found Otis a wonderful home in rural Indiana with a welcoming family. We will be driving Otis down tomorrow morning. We are extremely upset and become moreso as tomorrow approaches. We will miss him so much but we know that this is the best for him. Thank you all for your responses.

[Marjolein]

[DubyaT]

Well I grappled with whether to post this response. Things did not go as planned. During our initial meeting Otis bit the mother in his potential family as she reached under him where he had his ball. Granted reaching near a dog's most prized possession when you had only just met may have not been the best idea, the behavior is unacceptable. She did however still want Otis and chalked it up to a freak incident.

After we had said our tearful goodbyes we headed back to Chicago. We received a call from the mother that Otis would not allow her 12 and 9 year olds into the house after they had brought them from their dad's house. It just wasn't going to work out. We met the dad half way and now have Otis back with us.

I reached out to our trainer to see what our options are. The crux of her email is that we are likely facing the choice of euthanasia due to the liability that his behavior represents and the likelihood that it will get worse. She felt that the quality of life that he is likely to have would be poor and that we in good conscience cannot pass him off.

We are extremely distraught as we face this decision but we see that his behavior gets progressively worse without many blatant causes. Six months ago he loved kids. Now he snaps and snarls. It's difficult to write as he lays loyally at my feet after licking my face to get me out of bed. We struggle with whether it's all our fault or whether he had traumatic experiences on the Chicago streets as a young stray.

We welcome suggestions from the DS community and hope that you'll offer words of support.

[Sugars Mom]

Call Ceaser Milan?

It's a shame when great dogs have behaviour problems that prevent them from "having it all".

My heart goes out to you and hopefully a solution can be found.

[Schlussdibusti]

Call Ceaser Milan?

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/c ... -Episodes/

Your public library may have the DVDs of his show as well.

He is not a dog trainer but certainly has some good ideas to solve behavioral issues. Although not everybody agrees with his method, it's worth a try at this point.

I love his statement:'" You don't always get the dog you want but the dog you need."

[SCFamily]

Thank you for posting so honestly, WT. Our hearts go out to you and Otis and all of us who love him.

[Marjolein]

That's so sad... Sure hope that you will find a better option than euthanasia... Otherwise he is in good health? No pain somewhere to trigger behaviour?

[DubyaT]

Otis is in excellent health and physical condition according to our vet. He was given a clean bill of health last week. He is a beautiful dog. He loves to play ball and is extremely fast. He knows a whole host of tricks and knows many words and commands. The difficulty for him is fighting against his natural instincts as he matures.

We have not found a situation for Otis but have been reaching out to as many experts/groups as possible to possibly find a situation that would work for him. We are preparing ourselves emotionally for the possibility of euthanasia. We want him to be surrounded by people who love him in that situation. It's a very difficult thought, but he cannot be with us with so many children in the neighborhood.

Thank you all for your support and know that this is a very difficult decision for us.

WT

[DubyaT]

I wanted to post a small picture of Otis but this is the only one that was small enough to fit.

[Sugars Mom]

Awwww, how cute

[DubyaT]

I've received some interest from a company that does K9 training for law enforecement and protection. Could any board members shed light on what the training is like and what sort of existence it would be for him? Based on what I've mentioned about him, would he be a good fit? Thanks.

[Schlussdibusti]

This is exactly what they are breed for, consequently this is a perfect "existence".
Most issues arise when a working dog breed like a DS does not have a "job" or any other challenge (IPO, Ring training). They WANT to work and be useful. See it as a blessing that a professional K9 trainer shows interest.

[Christie M]

This is exactly what they are breed for, consequently this is a perfect "existence".
Most issues arise when a working dog breed like a DS does not have a "job" or any other challenge (IPO, Ring training). They WANT to work and be useful. See it as a blessing that a professional K9 trainer shows interest.

I agree that this is what the breed was trained for - however, like any industry, there are reputable and non-reputable people in this industry. In my opinion, there are somethings that are worse than death, and being placed with the wrong "working" people can be one of them. Do some homework on the individuals involved before handing your dog over.

[DubyaT]

Well after further research it appears that this group is not trustworthy and not a good place for Otis. Thank you for suggesting that I research the individuals involved. Well, I guess we're back to square one.

[GSDNanny]

Sorry to hear of your situation with Otis and am thankful you are actively seeking a solution. You got him as a young pup, right? And so he is what about 12-18 mos old now? He's definitely pushing the envelope as he matures. I have one now 5 yrs old that came to me with the same issues your Otis has. Got her when she was 7-8 mos old, and she had already gone thru four other 'homes' for lack of a better word. The longest was in a home with several small children who tormented her. We have worked thru the dog aggression issue but have still been unsuccessful with children so I just avoid them completely. A child's safety is not something I want to compromise while training a dog through this. I do wish you luck in finding a placement for the dog. Sounds like it will take someone who can get a handle on him and soon.