Odd GSD Behavior Around Step Ladder and Stool

[Aly]

Morning All,

A long time lurker, I thought I’d delurk to ask the COTH gurus about some odd behavior that my dog, Rachel, recently demonstrated. Rachel is a 12-14 month old GSD that I adopted from a local shelter last summer. She’s come a long way (e.g., SA, D&H leash reactivity) and I’m very proud of her progress. Every now and then, however, she displays some odd behavior that takes me by surprise. Here’s the latest.

Last week, I was mounting a clock on the kitchen wall. Dogs are not allowed in the kitchen, so Rachel was seated in a doorway watching me intently. Figured out where I would mount the clock, went and got the step ladder (Boing! Up go her ears!!), set it up and climbed up to drive in a hanger. Rachel immediately charges into the kitchen, highly agitated and wailing, and starts nipping at my feet. Okay, so this is bad for three reasons: (1) No dogs in the kitchen, (2) No teeth on Mommy, and (3) Mommy could fall off the stepladder (not far, but still) with all this fussing going on.

So, I corrected her, sent her out of the kitchen and started over. Same reaction. I believe in “training opportunities,” so we did this 3 more times before I ran out of patience. I finally just blocked her out of the kitchen and mounted the clock in 5 minutes without interruption. But, she continued to fuss, behind the gate, until I was done.

Yesterday, I decided to rearrange one of the tall cupboards in the kitchen. Rather than the SSL (Satan’s Step Ladder), I grabbed a folding step stool from the hall closet. Rachel, of course, was watching me from doorway. As soon as I opened the step stool, Boing! Up go the ears!! And, we had the same reaction as before: Agitated wailing, followed by lunging and nipping at my feet as if to drive me off the step stool. Sigh. Back came the gate. I blocked her out of the kitchen only so that I could complete my momentary lapse into domesticity.

Clearly, I’ve got to fold some sort of ladder/stool desensitization into her training. But the whole thing seems a head scratcher to me. I’ve heard of dogs/puppies following owners up a ladder, but never one who tried to get you off the ladder.

Anybody ever encounter something like this?

TIA,

Aly

[beowulf]

She probably does not like you being so high up, they are quite intuitive to dangers - it is one of the many reasons they are excellent guard dogs.

My GSD has been gone a few years now, but he also used to get agitated seeing me go up ladders. He would try to come up after me.

It may also be that you are now “out of reach” to her - they don’t like that, at all - after all, their person is their JOB, 24/7, all the time, rain or snow, day in and out. They can’t do their job if they can’t reach you

[Aly]

[QUOTE=It may also be that you are now “out of reach” to her - they don’t like that, at all - after all, their person is their JOB, 24/7, all the time, rain or snow, day in and out. They can’t do their job if they can’t reach you :)[/QUOTE]

Boy is that ever the truth! LOL! I grew up with GSDs, but had forgotten about that aspect of their personalities. What’s the saying? You’re never alone anymore…even if you want to be. The ladder thing is odd though. She seemed to know what it was and started whining as soon as I brought it into the room. This was before setting/opening it up. Makes me wonder what she saw/experienced before I adopted her. Whatever it might have been, she clearly thinks it’s WRONG to be on a stepladder.

Thanks Beowulf.