Can I keep this foster dog?

[DebbieBustamove]

I am currently fostering dog who was being brought over from Greece at the beginning of November. He has been with us three weeks today. I stipulated on my application that I wouldn't be able to take in a reactive dog as I don't have much experience with them - I also have an ASD daughter (11) who struggles with understanding that loud and noisy does not always equate to scary and threatening.
He is an English Setter and a lovely dog. Gentle, polite, playful. High energy as expected. I started taking him round the block after a few days settling at home and as soon as he saw another dog he was lunging, barking, jumping into the air - I struggled to hold onto him. I think it is frustrated greeting rather than aggression - the rescue have told me he was found with other dogs as a stray and was kennelled with dogs and only started showing reactivity when on a lead in the UK so it wasn't known about him previously. The rescue have been brilliant and sent round a trainer to give me some advice. She advised keeping his walks short so as not to stack his triggers and avoid other dogs for at least another three weeks.
I'm really struggling to keep him happy. We live in a small house with a small garden and as soon as he got wind of a cat he was over the 5ft fence and down into the neighbour's garden to get it (can't get out of gardens onto road luckily!) so now he is on lead in the garden as I'd be heartbroken if he attacked a cat. We have short walks for sniffing and fresh air but he is pacing at home and seems really bored. We live in a fairly built up area so he is startled every time we go out - by traffic, by people, by noises - then add another dog into that and we're fucked really. We playing games at home and teaching him 'watch me' and 'find out' to aid distraction but I'm struggling so much - I can't constantly entertain him and DD won't come out with us as she is scared of him kicking off (fine with him in the house).

I don't know what to do. Just got back from a long line walk in the graveyard and saw another dog on the other side of the road and was all over the place. It takes him ages to calm down afterward, whining even after the dog has gone. I find it so stressful and dread taking him out but at the same time he's not getting enough exercise if all our walks are so short, surely? What more should I be doing? Will it decrease over time? I honestly think he would be happier somewhere more rural and possibly with another dog playmate but I'm not experienced enough to know.

If anyone has any tips or advise I would appreciate it. He's a beautiful dog and I'd love to keep him!

Ha! 'Find Out' game sounds really threatening! I meant 'find it' of course!

Could he have a halti head collar when walking, it would prevent the pulling and lunging. I hate long lines, plenty of people don’t have full control of their little dogs -some are winding themselves around my legs!-when they are on a retractable line.

halti
Cheaper on Amazon btw.
It would be easier to reward him sitting nicely and not pulling your arm off if you were able to control him more.
However, if you have a small house and small garden then short walks for such an energetic dog don’t sound ideal & if being so reactive doesn’t suit your family needs then it might be best to ask for someone else to take him.

Someone else has suggested something similar - a figure of eight collar I think? I only take him on a long line when in graveyard to give him the illusion of freedom - plus it's very quiet in there! He walks on a harness with a 'Nervous' lead on it as well as a halti lead to restrict pulling. Sometimes he looks back at me and is surprised to see me - he's very much in a 'zone' when out and about and I'm trying to get him to check in with me more!

I do wonder if our house is wrong for him. We've had to put film up on the windows so he can't be looking out there all day losing his mind every time a dog walks past. I'd love to take him to the woods or the nature reserve nearby but he gets so stressed I was just hoping it was a matter of time more than anything :(

Why would he be more stressed in the nature reserve? I was going to suggest something just like this, taking him somewhere much quieter with lots of space to run ?
We often take ddog a little distance from home for walks more so that she can be off lead as she loves racing about.

@Wildrobin sadly we live in a very dog heavy town and the nature reserve is always busy with them - I don't drive, so we have to get there by foot which is also very nerve-racking for him. He can't run there unless long-lined as only been with us three weeks and not responding to recall. Looking to book a secure field to give him some space so hoping we can do that this month. The trainer said with dogs their triggers stack one on top of the other so something that startles him - a car, a dog, a dustbin - can impact on his whole day and he can take nearly 48 hours to recover from a particularly bad day - it's part of the trauma of coming here I think, they needs lots of decompression. I suppose I just thought exercise would help him cope with that but can't properly exercise him even a little as he is so reactive!

It also makes me :( that DD is frightened of him kicking off and won't come out on a walk with us. It's a shame. In time if he settles she will be okay but I need to deal with his response to being on-lead first. I'm going to suggest to rescue that he stays with us till new year as don't want him rehomed over Christmas (too stressful) and see how he gets on till then. He's a lovely, bright dog with a lot of bounce and I'll be sorry to let him go. Was hoping there would be an easy answer!

Based in my knowledge of Romanian Street dogs… Three weeks is really early for walks? He is still adjusting surely? His stress levels must be sky high. Maybe dial it back in terms of what you are asking of him?

@Phrenologistsfinger - yes, that's what the trainer said. She said keep walks short and not structured and try to avoid other dogs. I just don't know if he's happy because he's pacing from the back door to the front and back again like he's desperate for exercise. We haven't been further than five minutes from the house in three weeks, certainly can't make it anywhere else, it's dog city out there.

We do lots of licki-mats, snuffle mats and scatter feeding as well as find it games and some teaching ('sit' etc) - he's such a bright dog and seems to like us but even just taking him round the block is fraught

I've got a nervy sprocker, and we only walk really early morning and late afternoon as she finds too many dogs overwhelming.

I think you're completely overwhelming a dog that's only been with you for 3 weeks, and need to go back to the beginning. The honest reality is that you've got a street dog that's not used to human contact and sees other dogs as a threat. And is going to take a huge investment of time and dedication.

I'd carry some really tasty treats when you go out, first to attract his attention, and to reward him when he voluntary looks to you for guidance.
I can confirm that the figure of 8 head collar is very good for stopping a dog pulling. Use a lead on the harness as well because a dog can back out of the figure of 8.
Carry a whistle when long-lining to get his attention, reward when he comes to you.

@RubyTuesday70 - when you say overwhelming him, what do you mean? I walk him early in the dark and late at night so we don't see too many people or dogs. I'm not sure what else I should be doing but happy to take advice as I'd really like it to work out.

Gorse Haha I have pockets full of disgusting tripe sausages and frankly I stink but I will keep doing it. I might look into the figure of 8 - does it take a while for them to get used to it? He happily accepts the harness but don't want to overload him.

@Gorse - think we definitely need to build our bond so can start practising recall on the long line. He's so loving and sweet I just want him to have everything he needs!

How old is the dog?
My dog was very reactive and I lived in a town with (it seems) more dogs than people. I used to walk after dark which was pretty good as much less pollution around the streets and far fewer dogs about. The golf course at night was fantastic exercise for him! It's easy to become almost reactive yourself, a problem I had to work through, because these things are self reinforcing. In the end it was me causing the problem. As soon as my dog is off the lead all is fine, in fact he's not really very interested in other dogs at all. It will get better for you. Maybe in a few weeks, when he's more used to you and UK life in general, he could go to some sort of training classes.

Was he a street dog or a discarded pet or working dog? I would imagine a stray or street dog COULD find lots of things strange or disturbing that we take for granted. Traffic outdoors and things like the TV indoors.
I went from a halti, which my dog hated, to the figure of 8, which he seemed to find much more comfortable.

If he’s a foster dog then please seek advice from the rescue for whom you are fostering.

Our Romanian rescue took a long time to settle. 3 weeks is very early days. I remember him freezing solid on a walk down the road and I had to pick him up and carry him home (he is not a small dog!). In the early days we took him to a secure off lead place once or twice a week for a small fee. Guaranteed no other dogs and he could just zoom around. might this be an option for you? Does your dog have a crate? I wasn't really a fan but our dog was much calmer in the house when he had a crate to go in to escape us. We never shut it, and he had it for about a year until he stopped using it in favour of a normal dog bed. He still likes to bark at passing dogs, cats, postmen etc though!

@Gorse Yes, I think if he's off-lead he would be happier meeting other dogs - I think it's frustrated greeting rather than aggression but I'm not experienced with it so it gave me a shock. I already suffer from Panic Disorder so don't want to transfer my anxiety about it onto him - part of the struggle is keeping myself calm! He was dumped by a hunter - setters are used out there for hunting birds and he points and 'sets' when he sees something interesting in the garden - so unsure of his history. He's friendly and very keen, but everything in a home is very new to him - hoover, binmen, kettle. Poor thing!

@JayAlfredPrufrock The rescue have been brilliant. I spoke with them in the first week and they sent a trainer to my house by the second who was brilliant and really helped me with brain games and dog psychology. Unfortunately she is away for two weeks and today has just been so urrrrgh I wanted to reach out for advise.

*advice

@noscoobydoodle Oh no! I had to lift him up the steps into the garden on the first day and he went stiff as a board in my arms. No crate but he has safe spaces he has chosen himself - under table, behind sofa and in his bed. He has the run of the house but is frightened by the stairs (no carpet) so stays downstairs. I have asked a friend if she could drive us to the nearest secure field - I'd happily do it once a week with him just to siphon off some of his energy.

Sounds like you're doing all the right things. As others say, it's early days yet. Taking him to a secure field is a brilliant thing, hopefully you'll be able to go there regularly. Be patient and keep CALM

Firstly, 3 weeks is no time at all for dogs to settle in, it takes much longer than that to adjust to a completely different environment.

Secondly - don’t use a halti or a figure of 8 head collar without running it past the rescue first, they work by causing discomfort, they’re literally designed to be aversive, very few rescues would be ok with those kind of training aids.

And lastly... he might not be the dog for you, I’m not saying he’s definitely not btw, you might find once you’ve given him more time and started working with him that he is, it’s possible, but more... fostering with a view to adopt does sometimes mean it’s not the best fit and they may end up going elsewhere that is a better fit, but that’s ok... you’ll still have been a positive step towards him finding the home that’s right for him.

I have a reactive dog and quite honestly it’s not worth it. It ruins being a dog owner. I love him and would never give him up but I wouldn’t have got him if I’d known about the reactivity.
In my experience, especially with foreign rescues, the reactivity may decrease in time but not enough to the point where he is the nice family pet you want/need.

There are plenty of non-reactive dogs, go for one of them. Don’t sacrifice 10+years.