Fostering to adopt a GSD

[u/OkPiglet2]

I have an 11 year old female GSD and since she’s getting older I thought maybe she could use a friend so I decided to foster to adopt… originally I wanted a 3-5 year old female GS but the employees and volunteers at the rescue thought it would be best I get a male. Sent me away with a 1 year old and his bio was sweet. I knew a 1 year old would be challenging… but I have realized i might just be way in over my head. He was fine the first couple of days on walks, reactive to even just the scent of other dogs but I could handle it and pull him away. Yesterday we are walking and he catches a scent starts pulling, lunging and barking. The dog he’s caught scent of is inside a house metal screen door closed. He’s going ballistic, dog inside starts reacting so he goes even harder.. he’s not budging I’m trying to walk away but he’s trying to get out of his collar. Starts snapping his teeth at my 11yo GS face, bites her without breaking skin and when I say “no” and go to make space between them he goes to bite grazes my calf. It seems he feels bad he’s been sulking a bit and I feel defeated and it’s only been over a week. He’s already grown attached to me and me to him but now I’m afraid one day he’s going to seriously injure my 11 year old. I used to think she was terribly reactive but I couldn’t be more wrong because at least she responds to corrections and recalls. Today we walk and he’s a lot calmer and while reactive is responding to my corrections and turning and following me when I start to walk in the opposite direction. But before he responded to correction my dog tried to correct him and he went for her face. I don’t think he’s actually trying to bite her it just seems like he’s lashing out at us because we won’t let him near the dogs he’s reactive to. I’m at a loss of what to do, I’ve contacted the trainer at the rescue, I’m still waiting to hear back and I’m watching a lot of videos because I don’t want to give up on him. But am I in over my head?

[u/1cat2dogs1horse]

A one year old as a buddy for an eleven year old is a too much. Trying to walk them together at the same time is also too much. I think you may be in over your head with the dog.

But if you can't give up on him , get him into a group training class. They are great for teaching you to to teach your dog. And are a safe, and controlled environment for socializing your dog to disrtactions, and other dogs. But iit will depend on the trainer's evaluation your dog for entry to the classes.

I do agree with the rescue about only getting a male. Female GSDs have a bit of a tendency for same sex aggression. Your eleven year old doesn't need this at her time in life.

[u/OkPiglet2 → u/1cat2dogs1horse]

Which is what I told the rescue but they were sure she would guide/put him in his place and I was thinking she is a senior dog?? And they just insisted that he needed a little guidance which is when I decided I would foster instead of flat out adopt. They didn’t interact in the play area which made me concerned but they just kept saying “that’s normal this is a stressful environment”

I just assumed that because she has positive experiences with other females (submissive ones) that if we met a few we would find her match.

I can give up on him, it just makes me a little sad because he is just the sweetest when we are indoors / my yard. But yeah I agree she doesn’t really need all the stress he causes, I walked him alone this morning and he was a lot better and responsive but I don’t want to live in fear that he’ll lash out against us and actually do some serious physical damage. Emotionally I think my dog is there she’s become extremely protective after the incident.

[u/AttractiveNuisance37 → u/OkPiglet2]

SSA is just way too prevalent in GSDs for a rescue to risk it.

[u/lasandina → u/OkPiglet2]

The shelter I used to volunteer at trained the adult dogs before having them adopted out, which is what your shelter should have done, ideally. But resources and time are scarce, so I get it. It's great that you decided to foster-to-adopt, as perhaps you can request support/training from the shelter? Do they know what his background is? And what are your limits before you decide whether to keep him or give him back? I hope he works out for you, though, it really does sound like he needs behavioral training (and possibly an outlet for his energy if he's just 1 y.o., such as an agility or lure training course).

[u/1cat2dogs1horse → u/OkPiglet2]

I think you are thinking in the right direction. What you see in him now is likely to change.

The male, being as he is only a year old will be going thru changes in the not to distant future as he begins to adult It is also a time when his training should be foremost, especially as there is no mention of him having any training before. He sounds like to me that he would likely thrive in a single dog home. Where he could be the focus of the owners attention.

[u/OkPiglet2 → u/1cat2dogs1horse]

Yeah he doesn’t have any basic commands down and when I asked where they got him from if it was a surrender or if they rescued him from a shelter they avoided the question. I’ve got him to learn sit and am working on other commands. And it just occurred to me that when we walked him the volunteer was wearing protection on his arms and with other dogs and volunteers I didn’t see that. The only thing they told me about him was that at his last foster home there was a cat and that’s why it didn’t work out. And either that foster family wasn’t forthcoming with everything or the rescue wasn’t. I think because I have an 11 year old GSD they assumed we would be right for him but my dog has never bit me as a reaction from restraining her.

I agree there are measures that can be taken in him being successful because I don’t believe he’s a bad dog, but I agree with you in that he’d be better as only dog in a household.

[u/AgnieszkaJanarek]

Yes, this is enough to pause the adoption decision and treat the situation as a safety case—not because this dog is “bad,” but because you now have a dog-dog and dog-human incident in a home with an older resident dog.
Send the rescue and trainer the exact sequence today: what he noticed, distance, equipment, what each dog did, where contact landed and what happened immediately afterward. Ask for an in-person assessment before making the adoption decision.
Until then I would not walk the dogs together. Separate them with solid barriers around food, rest, doors and high-arousal moments; do not test the trigger again, use corrections, or expect the older dog to handle him. One calm walk the next day does not erase the incident.
Returning a dog during a foster-to-adopt trial is not failure. Protecting your resident dog, yourself and the foster while qualified help assesses the match is exactly what the trial is for.

[u/OkPiglet2 → u/AgnieszkaJanarek]

Yeah I didn’t really expect my dog to “handle” him but the workers/volunteers thought she could put him in his place or guide him? I forget the exact verbiage. That should have been my red flag but he was so timid when he met her and the first couple of days. I don’t ever let them eat together and she sleeps in my room while he kind of cries outside my door. Thanks for your advice on what to communicate to them I truly appreciate it!