Member Questions 7-18-26

Here are this weeks member questions:

Kelly B

Hi, I just joined and will watch the videos as fast as I can because I'm setting up a rescue and just started fostering for another rescue to learn firsthand. I just got two fosters, Mal x Shepherds, 13 weeks old, male and female siblings. The male in particular has been hard to handle for previous fosters, and has a boss-man personality, but I have LGD's and a cattle dog to help me out with that. I don't know Mals, but so far I love their energy and intelligence. They're awesome and I'm a big fan! My question: do I approach everything the same with foster dogs? I see they are quickly bonding with me, and I'm not sure how to proceed. I want to set them up to be successful. Should I just let the natural bonding occur and train them as if they are mine? Will that help or hurt them when they have to leave? I'm new to this and really don't know.

Eric

my pit bull mix is 13 months old. When he was 3.5 months old, we were coming out of the elevator in my building, and right as the doors opened, an adult AmStaff bit my dog in the face. Ever since then, my dog is on high alert in the common halls. When we wait for the elevator, we stand 10 to 15 feet away from the door, and he holds his sit. as long as there's nobody in the elevator, he'll continue to hold his sit. If somebody IS in the elevator, he's aggressive, no matter who is in there. I don't know how to "correct" this behavior. on the one hand, i know it's partially startle response. on the other hand, it's unacceptable to show aggression to people. I know you can't correct a dog if he doesn't know what the correction is for... and this is literally the only time he shows aggression. I don't know how to socialize him to this, aside from asking a friend to just ride up and down the elevator while my dog and I sit in the hallway. What's your advice? I've learned a lot from your content, and really appreciate what you do.

Zach

Hi Robert - Our 2.5 yr old Malinois/Shepherd mix has found her voice and now barks at people who enter our home and gets very scared of others. She nipped at a sitter we had who she had met previously while at home which she had never done before to anyone else she ever met. So now we are stressed to the fact that she may be reactive to people even though she has never shown anything like that to us or previously wirh her fosters. We are going away in a couple of weeks and dont know if we should find a boarding place or have a family member come stay for a few days while we are gone. What would you reccommend?

Michael

Robert, I was walking my 11 month old GSD and out of nowhere a stray Husky approached us. We got lucky because the dog wasn’t aggressive, my dog on the other hand was very aggressive, I’m not sure if she was just being protective. What would you recommend to do, self defense wise in a situation where another dog attacks my dog?