Trainer suggests rehoming our dog - thoughts?

[nihao]

I'm sorry if this comes out longwinded...

Our 9 mos. rescue (Embark tests show top 3 to be Aussie/Husky/GSD) developed reactivity around 6-7 months. He was happily going to group puppy kindergarten at 4 mos. and puppy daycare without any issues. He left puppy daycare at the end of December because he needed to be neutered. We wanted him to stay intact longer so we held off. He became reactive over winter. Leash, dog, cars and people reactive. He went back to the certified trainer at the daycare facility for an evaluation and a private lesson. Trainer suggests we rehome him to an experienced owner because he is a "working/herding" dog and he might be reactive because he needs a "job". I'm still working on what we learned with her. He has improved (no longer fearful of cars) albeit very slowly. And, we will continue private training lessons.

Do we get a second opinion? Maybe it's just puppy adolescence? I'm also worried the longer we keep him, the more bad traits are ingrained him in. Would it be best if we rehomed as a puppy/young dog?

Also, behaviorists within a 2 hr drive are not taking new clients. FWIW, our trainer believes that our dog does not need medication and that it's fear based not anxiety.

TIA!

Edited to add: Thank you for all the comments! When I posted, we already had a new trainer all set for Monday so we could get another opinion. I will continue to look for a behaviorialist and ask the vet if they’d consult with one.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@nihao I would personally love to know how they distinguish between fear and anxiety, personally, lol. Yes, definitely get a second opinion.

A lot of these behaviors aren't uncommon for a high energy dog, particularly a herding breed, and IMO, it's not so much lack of a job as it is that in a traditional environment (ex. on a farm) those behaviors wouldn't be an issue because they wouldn't be part of daily life.

There are real benefits to having a "job" but you are just as capable of giving your dog a job as someone else; just look into any number of dog sports to see what fits your fancy. The real issue will come down to the environment you are in and if a professional thinks that it is workable or too high stress. Based on what you've said, it seems workable with the right support.

 

[hughflowers]

@imagebeastmarkbeast I can't remember where I read this or how accurately I'm describing it so take it with a grain of salt...

Fear is an instinctual, deeply rooted emotional reaction to a stimulus the dog is currently experiencing. E.g. a dog flinches when a door gets slammed

Anxiety is a conditioned/learned mental reaction to a stimulus the dog is expecting to happen. E.g. a dog spends all day staring at the door just in case it slams again

Fear cannot be completely eliminated, as it is a basic emotion and an integral part of the dog's psyche. However anxiety can be avoided/improved and fear responses can be diminished through positive reinforcement counterconditioning, socialization, practicing potentially scary things in a safe way etc. E.g. practice shutting the scary door at a volume the dog doesn't flinch at and give treats and praise, then slowly work up to louder and louder slams, then generalize to other doors closing loudly etc

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@hughflowers That makes sense, I guess I'm still wondering how the trainer gets to "it's just fear, no need for meds". I'd be willing to bet that if the dog is fear reactive to that long list of things, they are also quite anxious while out and and about and would therefore could potentially benefit from medication (also, dogs who are fearful of only specific things can benefit from medication too).

But thanks for the explanation, I've never thought to tease it out like that.

EDIT: Just to clarify, I am not saying the dog needs medication - he's young and proper management and good experiences may be plenty. I'm just not super comfortable with some of the blanket statements this trainer has apparently made.

 

[hughflowers]

@imagebeastmarkbeast Yeah the trainer's statements seem to be somewhat hastily drawn (after only one training session), and a bit too definitive for an area that would be better suited to a specialized behaviourist

 

[nihao]

@imagebeastmarkbeast I would also like to know how she differentiates between fear vs. anxiety.

We do have the means (more training and behaviorists [if we can get an appt!]) and the space (to set-up a dog run) but hearing that our dog needs to have a "job" makes me wonder if he's ever going to be happy with us.

Our dog is not aggressive or reactive indoors. We have young kids and he has never shown any aggression. Ofc, the dog is always, always supervised.

 

[tommyosmena]

@nihao A "job" can be a lot of things, it doesn't have to be the traditional herding sheep/farm type job. Agility is great for these breeds, trick training, fetch, advanced obedience, nose work, joring (pulling sports) asking him to find his toys, etc. Basically you have to work his brain in addition to exercise. Involve the kids in sports/training if they are old enough. This is a really common age for dogs to get reactive.