My mother had 2 wonderful, calm golden retrievers before she decided she needed a watch dog. So she got a German shepherd puppy, and 6 mo later, two more. One of the retrievers died so now she has one calm sweet dog and 3 that are destroying the house. They are all over a year old and not housebroken or even trained to sit. They steal the food off her plate, tear up the furniture, eat holes in the walls and destroy her shoes anytime they’re not on her feet. They climb on the table and jump on her bed and it’s out of control. She says it’s too late to find them new homes because she loves them. The home smells awful and can’t be a very healthy environment for her to live in. Her health is beginning to fail and she can’tdo as much as she used to. Relatives don’t want to visit and when they do won’t even drink coffee there. I’m in another state but my 3 siblings are there. My sister is wonderful and visits regularly to clean and assist. I’m willing to fly there to help when we come up with a workable plan. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Call animal control - if your siblings won't manage the situation 'now'.
Clearly, your mother cannot do anything. As you / someone says they are expensive dogs ... so be it. Sell them. Do what you need to do. It is heartbreaking that 'expensive' dogs were not / are not trained to behave. I wonder why not?
It is important that you/r siblings have your mother medically assessed.
Sounds like she is either depressed, has dementia or both.
It dosn't make any sense to me that one of your sisters visits regularly to clean and assist. What exactly is she doing ? She is allowing a very destructive situation to continue. Someone needs to intervene. If not the family, call Adult Protective Services and/or Animal Control. This is an unhealthy situation for everyone concerned.
Google Teepa Snow. Learn about dementia and how to communicate / work with a person with a changing brain.
Gena / Touch Matters
Where I live, they will be euthanized in animal control care as they are unkempt, likely have heart worms from no vaccines, have no socialization and are in a dangerous breed list.
I'm not sure medical or social workers will enter a house with out of control dogs -- especially German Shepherds. She can keep the 1 calm dog, if she's able to provide proper care for it.
Perhaps the untrained dogs can be fostered? If they are too wild then Animal Control may need to be called but the situation cannot go on like it is without immiment disaster.
Intense training is gonna be the only way for her to keep these dogs but, I would bet, she will only be able to manage one of the Shepards.
I would encourage you to make it clear, no matter who is called, there are 3 German Shepards that have been allowed to be wild. They can seriously hurt someone if they are wild enough to operate as a pack, which is HIGHLY likely with German Shepards that one of them is the Alpha and another the Beta because no human is.
If your mom really loves them, she will let them have a chance at a life that serves their needs better. These dogs are smart and they need mental stimulus, rules, an Alpha human, proper nutrition among other things to keep their heads screwed on straight.
But the sad truth here is that if she is competent? This is then basically her business. If that's the case, I would, were I sister, step away.
The call will come. Will be from hospital, APS because someone called them, or the coroner. You will then, while she's hospitalized, get a full assessment.
There's only so much you can legally do, and this must be legally done.