This is a maunder rather than a question and very long so apologies up front. 

Zak, my rescue GSD  is a kind of 'Jekyll & Hyde' dog.  At home he is the perfect family dog.  Playful with people and other dog, barks when the doorbell goes but only as a warning, happy to greet strangeers one I've given them the 'all clear', clean, non-destructive, empathic... I could go on and on.  Even off lead in the park he gives the impression of gold standard obedience; 100% recall, naturally walks to heel, sits, downs etc on command.  But then...

His traffic problems are too well-documented on these boards for me to bore people again; let's just say that while they have diminished they have certainly not disappeared but recently I decided to take him to a 'fun' dog show to see how he would cope with it. (Had already taken Miss Thing to something similar where she behaved with the calm superiority of one who already knows she's the best dog there - or anywhere else.)  Zak? 

Well, if there'd been a class for 'Most Hysterical Dog in Show' he'd have walked it. He started barking as soon as we got to the hall and continued as we sat quietly(!) at the edge.  Everyone that walked past got a reaction and all attempts to calm him failed.  After twenty minutes it was apparent that he was getting worse rather than better so I got up to take him out; transformation! Once we start walking round the hall we were back to 'wonderdog' mode; calm, non-reactive (to others) and compliant (with me). 

He's the same if we sit down when we're out. Picture the scene: beautiful sunny day in lovely Welsh/Cornish/Devon countryside.  Two middle-aged people happily sprawled on grass trying to read, talk, doze off while constantly being circled, whined at and nudged by neurotic GSD who is only happy when we're vertical and in motion again.

What is going on with this dog? 

Could it be that when you are walking around he feel more free and able to get away from situations but when sitting still he feels he needs to use his fight mode rather than flight.

Not sure. Have you seen a behaviourist?

Or, when you are walking around he's under command and so behaves -have you tried putting him in a down stay to see what happens? So that he's still working despite not moving around.

Anna - my point is: why does he feel the need to be in flight mode in this situation? He is in bodily touch with me (sitting between my knees at some points), I am calm, his kennel mate is calm - I was about to write 'and his other human was calm' but after five minutes OH is deeply embarrassed and has his 'Why did we keep this bl**dy dog?' face on. (This is one of the reasons he is reluctant to get a third dog - it could be another Zak.)  Perhaps it's a territorial thing - too many potential enemies at once; although he's not dog-aggressive he can try to bully with a bit of sly shoulder-charging if a particularly submissive dog comes along.

Goldmali - a down just produces a greater degree of anxiety, he can hardly contain himself.

Perhaps I'm just asking too much of what could still be a pretty insecure dog.  Maybe I just have to accept that Zak is badly bred dogto start with (he's possibly the smallest GSD in the world and is neither bold, confident or intelligent) who has had a minimum of four previous homes, at least one of them abusive, and who is doing his very best for me as it is. But that won't stop me trying.

Behaviourists? Far too mixed a bunch (fruit and nuts).

Thanks for responses,

Mutty
  
 

I don't know, but I've noticed many times with my (insecure!) dog that when I am sitting down he is more inclined to be fidgeting about and misbehaving than when I am standing up.  (I'm talking about when we are in a situation where there are other dogs present, like dog club).  I've sort of presumed that when I'm standing up, and 'taller', he feels less insecure in himself.  Wonder if anyone has got any other theories!

Can't offer any insights really but can sympathise as I have a dog that does something similar. Toto my darling borzoi, he's a real sweety, never gets in trouble (unlike his brother). When we're out walking if he's not playing chases or hunting bunnies he'll walk along nicely at heel even though not on a lead and not asked to do it. Often I'll make a game out of twisting and turning and changing direction in the field and he's always right beside me. However he can't stand it if I stop for more than 30 seconds :rolleyes: He'll shuffle around me whinging and moaning and get louder and louder untill I start moving again. I've started some agility training in the garden with him just for fun and he's the same if told to stand. He'll happily jump a line of jumps, go over the dog walk and see saw, and knows how to stay but when told stand and I leave him he starts whining and looking around him. He'll obviously lie and sleep in the house but never looks particularly happy unless in motion!

Maybe moving occupies his brain enough to keep him calm. I had a guy in my running club that was almost impossible to have a conservation with under normal conditions. He was just scattered here, there and everywhere; no coherent line of thougt. But when you ran with him he was a different person. He had one conversation that stayed on track. The running took enough mental energy to help him focus.

Just a thought.

Interesting thought, and possibly the case with the ops gsd...but surely not the case with mine...he's a borzoi you know....it wouldn't take much to occupy his brain :D

What a coincidence, I have a rescue GSD who sounds very similar. His name is Zak!! Rescued from a pen at 6 months with 2 staffies for company, very very thin, but a 'lovely' dog. I have put hours & hours into training, & at 3 1/2 years old he is beginning to relax. He started to listen to me at 18 months old & his obedience isn't too bad. I found when I went into the hall for tea (after training) that he became very very worried about the other dogs. He almost seemed to think that he had to protect me from the other dogs if they got too close. He still doesn't really settle, he will sit, but never lies down, no matter how tired he is. At home he is lovely, but I have found that agility training really, really has improved him. I was at a show all yesterday & his behaviour was impeccable, he did have a spat with 2 dogs, but on both these occasions the other dogs had lunged at him first. He is taking less & less notice of other dogs, he really is a pleasure to take out. I find he can still be a bit dominant on his home territory, but on our street we have lots & lots of barking dogs who seem to spend all there lives in the garden barking at other dogs as they go past. This doesn't help, but I am getting there, in fact I think I have got there! How old is your dog?

I'd guess he's on active duty in his mind? He's sees you as a sitting duck for an attack, probably from the human form? Who knows what has really happeneds to rescues in their past?
And even if they have been loved and well cared for before their rescue, they are bound to be worried poor things. He sounds wonderful though, regardless of any other problems he might have right now. You are lucky.

Hi Kathryn,

Zak is about four; got him from rescue at about eighteen months.  TBH I've only stuck with him because the rescue made it clear if this, his third re-homing failed, he was for the one-way trip to the Room of Death. (His last homw had returned him because he 'wasn't aggressive enough'!)

I think your right about the guarding though. Sadly Zak has all the protective instincts of his breed but none of the qualities that allow him to do the job well- little confidence or courage and massive insecurity (and very small brain if I'm perfectly honest). Still once you love 'em, they've got you.  Have never thought of agility for him because he isn't very agile but will think it over.

All the best to you and your Zak.

Muttinsbrum - had he ever been in this situation before? ie a hall fullof people and dogs, essentially an enclosed space? For example a dog training class? For a 'flighty' GSD, this could be a massive overload, and i think the other poster got it right that moving occupied his brain enough and took his mind off the situation. Perhaps you could take him to an open air dogshow - where there is more space. He sounds a sweetheart! Lets face it GSD's are fairly quirky at the best of times, but you just have to love them
Kat

well to be honest my GSD wouldnt be too comfortable in a room with lots of dogs nearby, he wouldnt do anything but he would not properly relax, they need the "flight" option which is taken away from them in that scenario,. good for you for sticking with him, it will all work out in the end, never give up, think of what you have achieved so far.