SearchHelp! Don't know what to do with my rescue!
Help! I have a 5 year old amazing great energy and temperament male. I always had two dobes. We lost our female in July. We decided to rescue and found a sweet young female unsprayed. She was found near death from starvation. Owner was sent to jail and left her alone in apt.
We have had her a month. She is Velcro with me. She is gentle and sweet to all humans although a bit pushy. My big problem is she will not adjust to my outdoor pets. Two outdoor barn cats and three goats. She wants to kill them all. I have tried everything, I think!
She also has major health issues. A badly diseased neck and back. Her spine requires thousands of dollars in diagnostics and surgery with zero guarantees. I would love to let her live out happily whatever time her spine will give her but, she is a menace to our other pets. Normally the goats and cats roam with my dogs. Now the goats are always locked inter paddock and I fear the cats will leave!
If I return her to the rescuer, they may put her down.
I would love to find a home for her where she is the only pet. She is so nice and fully trained.
Also she bullies my male and he seems depressed.
Are you doing any training? You took in a rescue with issues and that will take time, patience and money. You may need to have a professional come and evaluate her as far as her prey drive, and there may be nothing you can do to correct that other than to be with her constantly and redirect when she focuses in on them. I have a little rescue dog that was feral, and she has an unbelieveable prey drive. It's probably what kept her alive. Surprisingly tho, she doesn't resource guard food in the house, she knows there will be enough for her and the other 3 dogs. She's come a very long way in a year.
Thank thank you for your response. I have an excellent Doberman trainer. He has not met my new girl as he has been out of the country. He actually returns today! I will definetky invest with him. You are right. Patience and time. My gut is she will adapt. She is surprisingly not interested in our indoor bunny! I will keep you posted! Thank you!
If it helps any my collie Goofy had this insane prey drive to anything outdoors but inside animals were totally family and he loved them, he also finally accepted the outside cats, but nothing else - nothing was safe not even baby birds that were on the ground. The chihuahua on the other hand has issues with only the outside cats so I guess they had it covered. Just be careful and safe...... but maybe its the inside vs. outside animals in her mind. She may have had to fight to survive so all these outside critters are a threat. Good luck I will read this for updates on how she is doing including her health issues.
I would love to keep her so I am also interested in training techniques for the cats!