Maura
Posted : 1/7/2010 4:03:16 PM
If you can get out of the house, do so.
If you are stuck, you need to be the adult. Treat the GSD as though he is your dog. What would you do? You have a dog that was rescued from some lunatic and now must incorporate him into your household. You have trained your Goldens, so you have some experience. Remember, you are the Benevolent Dictator for Life. Charge up the clicker with this dog. If you've never used clicker, you will love it. To charge up the clicker get you and the GSD in a private environment with no distractions. Click once, give treat. Do this 20 times. He's smart, he'll probably learn the click/treat chain in five clicks. Do click and treat 20 more times, but now make him wait one second, then two seconds, then one second, then three seconds. By click 20 (click 40) he should be able to wait and anticipate over five seconds. I'll bet he'll do ten seconds or more. Do not be surprized if he mouths the clicker. This means he understands the association, that the click brings on a treat. Once you have him charged up to the clicker you can start training him with it. There are lots of articles and lots of books on clicker training. Start with a simple sit, which he probably already knows, but it will give him a chance to build confidence and a working relationship with you.
Also, you should be the one feeding him. Use a high quality food, one whose first ingredient is a meat. Some dogs do not do well on a corn based food (like Purina) and it may show in their temperament. Anyway, let him watch you put kibble in his dish. Tell him to sit. He sits (you have food, he'll sit). Praise. Tell him to wait. Wait ten seconds. Give him his release word (like "at ease", or "lifeboat",...) Click and put dish down. He needs to get in the habit of waiting for you to release him before he gets to eat. This puts you in the alpha position in a nonconfrontational manner. Do this everytime he is fed. Do not free feed this dog.
Keep treats on you. As other posters said, you should be keeping the dogs separate at this time, so treating and training will not get confusing with all three dogs in the room. Work this dog on sitting constantly. When you enter the room and he rushes you, hold up the clicker for him to see and tell him, "sit". Click and treat. When he is sitting in front of you without being told, you can omit the click and just use praise and treat. When he needs to go outside he sits at the door or it doesn't open. After teaching him to sit at the door, next step is for him to wait until you open the door and say, "King, out".
As soon as you see him respecting you, add a nice neck rub to the click and praise. You will be gradually omitting the treat, and you want him to accept petting as a praise. When you feel that you are getting ahead with him do long line work. This will exercise him and help to further cement your position as leader.
This dog should not be on furniture or beds. You probably can only control your bed, so keep him out of your room. If your father throws up a roadblock to your training schedule, call your Social Services/Child Protective Services in your county. They take a dim view of dogs biting children.