German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America

[Trilini]

Hi, I'm new to the board and would like as much advice as possible. We just rescued a beautiful 3 y/o female. She had been misused, kept in a "box" with excrement etc. It's clear she's recently had puppies-I wonder if she was used as a puppy producer. She's very sweet towards us. Tentative and trying to figure out how to act but learning fast. She's very gentle and doing well with house training even tho. she's never been in a house. Our only problem is her behavior towards our other dogs. She's fine in casual contact but will attack a dog if she is sitting near a human and a dog comes by. It's seems to be a protective behavior. Any suggestions for stopping this would be greatly appreciated. We plan obedience and agility classes in the future.

Pat

[maverickdvm]

I would find a trainer/behaviorist in your area and work closely with them. There is a lot of the training for this problem that is based mainly on watching how you and your dog interact and how your dog interacts with others(human and canine). You will get some helpful hints and things to avoid, etc. from this board but protectiveness/aggressiveness is the kind of problem that I would definitely work with someone with experience that can be there in person. Good luck.

[Trilini]

What's the best way to find a behaviorist?

Thanks,
Pat

[maverickdvm]

You can call vet clinics in your area. Some trainers are listed in the phone book. Some vet schools have behaviorists associated with them if you have a vet school close by. If there is a wirehair club within your state, there might be members that know of one.
There is an animal behaviorist society directory at:
http://www.animalbehavior.org/
There are probably more too with a little searching.

[cheerio]

A word of advice: Make sure that the Behaviorist you are giving your money to has received a formal training and has at least a certificate to prove it. I always recommand that you stay away from those who for a flat fee will come "assess" the dog and give you some advice followed only by another visit or sometimes a couple of phone calls.
You are talking about behavior modification, something that requires work and need a certain lenghth of time. A professional behaviorist will assess the dog and then work with you for several months.

Good luck.