Desparate help needed GWP Behaviour

My friend has a rescue GWP who has a terrible prey drive. He was rehomed as he had killed 5 sheep.
He had been put in with a ram and also they tried an elecric collar and nothing worked. He has had 3 sheep this year and she is at her wits end. She does not want to have him put down but, is surrounded by sheep where she lives. When she took him she did not know about the prey drive. She has had him for 2 years and apart from that he is a lovely dog.
If anyone lives in a livestock free area and would be prepared to take him on could you please let me know.
She has always had GWP's so is no novice.
He is 3 years old. Castrated and a lovely dog other wise. He is going back on the GWP rescue site which is where she got him from.
He is fine with other dogs as she has an old GWP as well who is also a rescue.

Thank you. Ellie

Put him down? What's wrong with keeping him on-lead when out and about? Kiki has a high prey drive and I wouldn't like to find out whether she'd kill sheep or not so she stays on-lead unless I know the area well enough to know we won't encounter them.

He needs to run.
She is not considering having him put down but, does not want to condem him to life on a lead. She had brain surgery last year and now cannot walk as far as she could.

Put in with a ram and used a shock collar? really? Jesus mary and joseph!

Why did she take him in her situation (surrounded by sheep) if he had already killed 5 sheep? (am I reading correctly he was rehomed to her after killing them?)

No reason for him to be put down he just needs to be managed and not let off the lead near sheep? Or have him muzzled as an extra precaution?

Am glad he is going back to the rescue to be given another chance before he ends up getting shot!

theres someone for every dog out there fingers crossed x

I know Ram's are hard as nails but isnt that tantamount to 'baiting'?

I hope the rescue finds it a suitable home

Why is everyone being so nasty about this.
I stated that she did not know about the prey drive when she took him.
She had a brain tumur last year 18 months after getting him. The sheep thing only happened this year and it was only from speaking to his previous owner last night that she found out the true reason he was rehomed. The ram and the electric collar where tried by his previous owner NOT my friend.

What an awful situation.
I hope the people who tortured the dog in the name of training can be named and shamed?
The dog needs to go back to the Rescue - who I`m sure will not be happy about the `training` debacle. If he hasn`t gone back, please remind your friend that the adoption contract usually states this?
I`m sorry for her illness, and hope she makes a full recovery, but this should not have happened.

Your original post did not give much information. It hinted at euthanasia ("She does not want to have him put down but") which immediately gets people defensive, you didn't state that the e-collar and ram were methods tried by the previous owner and you didn't state if the 3 sheep were on seperate occasions or at the same time - I hope it was the latter because the first could be down to a genuine lack of knowledge but after one sheep the owner should have been extra careful.
Lots of people on here own high prey drive dogs and manage it without needing to rehome the dog, when I take on a dog I take it on warts and all and work with problems, this one is easily fixable by keeping the dog on-lead.
Obviously the owner has health issues that limit her though so if she feels a new home is best then that's her decision, but the initial picture you painted wasn't the same as the one you're describing now.

sorry wasnt being nasty more just thinking outloud. You didnt make it clear that she didnt know the reason he was rehomed originally.

so he had killed 5 sheep by the time he was around a year old? thats some prey drive!

Were the 3 sheep attacked on the same occasion or was it seperate incidents? Not that it really matters now but after one incident the dog should never have been let off the lead. Never set up a dog to fail.

Best thing all round for the dog to be rehomed shes doing the best thing she can do. I dont see it having to stay on a lead near sheep being 'condemned'. Am sure he will find a great home.

Edited to delete having read through whole thread.


I too agree best he is found a new home,

Sorry about that.
I did not really want to put about the illness as it is a bit personal. The trouble only seems to have started this year. Unfortunatly the sheep where got on separate occasions.
I myself have a GWP with a bad prey drive but, am fortunate enough to live in an area with great sheep free walks for miles.. I knew about her prey drive which was why I took her as no one else would. I have worked on it and though not 100% she is much better and if I do not know an area I have her on a lunge rein. The sad thing is that I cannot take him myself.

Lets hope the rescue who placed him in this unsuitable home, get it right next time.

He came from a rescue having been placed there for killing sheep, so why did they re home him to a home surrounded by sheep lets face it, if this rescue place him in the wrong home again, he may well end up beign shot by an angry farmer.

The dog should have been placed away from livestock.

Personally, if he was my dog, he would be kept on a long line around sheep, and if he needs to go off lead, find places without livestock around.

I

Blimey your friend has had it rough and to cap it all she is now on the point of losing one of her companions. What a nightmare situation.

She sounds a sensible lady who is trying her best to do what's right by the dog so well done her. I can't offer a home - wish I could, but I do wish your friend well in her search for the perfect home for the boy.

Couldn't you just scream at the 'miracle cures'!! No doubt done in the name of 'this or PTS' <sigh>. In effect, all that has happened in this case (and many others) is traumatised training and traumatised other animal species during that traumatised training - none of which has remotely worked.

I hope a new home is found quickly and that your friend fullly recovers from her recent health problems.

I really want him myself but, I know I could not cope with 2.

I can see their thinking behind it i would just have thought they would employ that tactic before the dog had experienced the 'thrill' of a kill?

Dog - wahey lets chase that!
Ram - take that sunshine
Dog - holy sheep! hes nails thats not any fun whatsoever

dog thats killed - wahey lets chase and kill that
Ram - bring it on big boy!
Dog thats killed - aha this just makes it all the more interesting, something that puts up a fight

high prey drive plus additional over stimulation (penned with ram/shock collar) must = one very hyped up dog when it comes to wooly things and all that must have happened within its first year or so poor thing.

when the advert appears on the site one eye, perhaps you could kick up a stink if it doesnt state 'must not be allowed near livestock' or similar?

I asked elsewhere and got this post from someone who runs a GSP rescue, may be of some help/reassurance?

Hello,

Sezza here!

Yes, I run a rescue for German Short-haired pointers.

I would recommend going via the authorised GWP Club Rescue (and if the dog originally came from them, then it should in fact be returned to them as per the Adoption Contract).

Have they tried contacting the breeder? Most GWP breeders (if not 'hobby' breeders) offer to take a dog back if things don't work out

In fact the GWPC Rescue have that as a guideline i.e. that the breeder should be contacted in the 1st instance. They also have had very good contacts in the past with a GWP trainer whom I believe they try and get problem dogs to if necessary.

On a more general note, please reassure your friend that there are homes out there for known sheep-killers - I have taken in a few such GSPs in the past, and have always managed to rehome them safely to somewhere where there aren't sheep as such places and homes do exist!!

Good luck,

Sezza

Oh what a stressful situation for all concerned and one which your poor friend definitely does not need with her current health situation.
God if i lived near I would offer to walk him myself. I don't know if a dog walker could be an option. Someone who could maybe pick him up in a car/van and walk him someone livestock free or even just kept on a lunge line.
I also thought about the breeder or breed rescue.
Anyway she should try not to get any more stressed about it for her own sake and try to reassure that this can be easily sorted. Just takes a bit of time to find the right answer for the all concerned.
Any pics of him? Might help!
Keep us posted xx

This is no offense to your friend but I'm very surprised that it has taken five separate sheep killings for her to realize this is a big problem (although I appreciate she was not told about the dogs prey drive before rescuing him). The dog has been set up to fail and been allowed to unfortunately practice this behaviour multiple times, probably now to the point where seeking out livestock is all that is on his mind.

I'm sure it is possible to find a home for such a dog, but it is fairly difficult to avoid livestock and wildlife unless you are in a more urban area which perhaps isn't best suited to a breed like a GWP.

In the mean time the dogs "need to run" (which I do understand with this breed) must take a back seat I'm afraid. It won't hurt the dog to be restrained to a long line or exercised elsewhere (secure fields, biking, jogging, etc. -- all of which are controlled) until a more suitable home can be found.

Rescue links:

http://www.gwpclub.co.uk/rescue.htm

http://www.kimmax.co.uk/about/german-wirehaired-pointer-rescue/

He is going back on the GWP rescue site. That was where she got him from.
She spoke to the rescue co ordinater last night.

Good news, hope they can find something more suitable for him.