foster xL pit hurting me during walks

[joani7552]

The pit mix (70 pound unneutered male) i am currently fostering was abandoned in a rental house. he has a good personality but he has obviously been hit in the face and had absolutely no leash training when i got him. he is about a year old and i have been fostering him since november. he is doing well w training in most regards except recall and leash training. he is basically a different dog inside vs outside my house and it is extremely trying.

he is extremely strong and without a prong collar, he would pull my feet out from under me. this is not a post inviting criticism for my use of a prong collar. the rescue organization i am working with to rehome him also uses them. i do not use any leash corrections with him because i do not think it is a good idea for me, as an amateur, to physically correct a dog with a traumatic history. the prong collar is merely there to keep his pulling controllable. i cant spend any more money on the dog. i am in serious financial trouble and i am just trying to give him a good start for his next person.

he has a behavior that needs to stop immediately. i have seen several other posts about leash tug of war, but i have tried all of these solutions with the dog. i just finished a walk with him where he started tugging and leaping and being a maniac at the end of the walk. he ended up hurting me. this isn't the first time i have been hurt during a walk.

this post is mostly about my safety. i am using positive reinforcement with him. if you want to criticize someone, this is not the post you should be replying to. i am dealing with a mental illness and extreme isolation because of my heightened risk factors, on top of my financial difficulties. please keep your trolly meanness to yourself this time.

giving him a stick to play with sort of works, but it has become a bit of a reinforcement / reward for the behavior. i worry that giving him a chew toy would also be a reinforcement. i don't want to yell but i dont know what else to do to get his attention. i am not willing to use a leash correction because he is not going to be my dog permanently. i love the dog but i have a parrot in my house and he wants to eat the parrot, hence the need for immediate rehoming.

please help! i don't want to pass him to a new home with behavioral problems, i dont want to lose my temper with him, and i am really tired of getting injured. please remember, the dog is a giant pit mastiff looking mix and i am only 130. i am at risk of concussion and other injuries when i walk him. he nearly pulled my 220 pound solid muscle brother off his feet the one time he handled his leash (no prong collar then). he is a sweet dog, not aggressive, but is quite frankly dangerous in this context.

You are much appreciated for giving my post your time. I hope you are having a wonderful 2022!

 

[inquirer2016]

@joani7552 Cut walks shorter. When behavior like this comes up at the end of walks, it typically means the dog is overtired/overstimulated.

Practice leash walking inside. This reduces distractions and likelihood of overstimulation so that the skill itself can be focused on.

As a foster, it's also ok to decide that you are not the correct foster for a particular dog and ask your organization to assign the dog to someone else. I know this can feel difficult, but consider if this is in your and the dog's best interests.

 

[joani7552]

@inquirer2016 thank you so much. this is super helpful. i am trying to get him into another foster home actually. he is a wonderful dog and we get along great but he really wants to eat my little conure. i will definitely try doing some leash training inside!

 

[aym]

@joani7552 Honestly, you need to contact the rescue you're working with and be completely honest about your situation. You're absolutely correct in that this is a dangerous situation, of no fault of yours or the dogs. They need to find a solution, whether that be getting you up to speed with training methods, or most likely, getting him into a location that's able to contend with his behaviors & strength. His wanting to eat your parrot necessitates him being placed elsewhere, imo. I completely understand you wanting to help this dog, and you have by keeping him safe, but now we need to get him somewhere where he isn't able to hurt someone. Because if he does seriously injure you or your bird he's most likely not going to be adoptable.

 

[joani7552]

@aym Thank you. I agree with you completely. I have made great strides with sculpting his indoor behavior using positive reinforcement, but he needs to be leash-trained by someone with more experience. I am also responsible for paying for his treats and food, and I am barely able to feed myself right now. Treats are pretty crucial for positive reinforcement training and the dog is barely food-motivated so they have to be pretty good treats for him to show interest! We have found a workable peace for the time being having only one pet out at a time. The dog is fortunately fond of his crate, listens to the command "go home", and even goes home voluntarily because his bed is comfy.

Thank you again for being so supportive. It's a situation that is causing me a lot of stress. I took him in based on an instagram plea for help (it was a friend who discovered him after he had been abandoned by her neighbors). I feel like I have given him a pretty good foundation and his indoor behavior has improved 1000%. He is a very good boy. Just super strong and with too much prey drive for my free-flying parrot house.

 

[aym]

@joani7552 You've set a great foundation for him, and gave him safety in his time of absolute need. Now it's time for him to move on to the next step in his journey, and that's something to be proud of! I'm a dog foster myself & I always remind myself that we are a stepping stone in their journey, and sometimes one of many.

 

[bradk]

@joani7552 Agree with the others he needs a new foster! I am foster coordinator for a small rescue and we NEVER want to put our fosters in a situation that could put them or the dog in danger!

People don't keep fosters for long term for lots of reasons. It is the name of the game and there is no shame (sorry for cringe rhyme) in passing him to a different foster who is more equipped to deal with him!