German Shepherd Puppy Training

Kaylami

Hi everyone,

Im new to this forum but I need some advice.

After a lot of research and visits to many different breeders (most were horrible obviously thought the dogs were weapons as opposed to animals) :mad:
I finally got my german shepherd puppy.
I have considered two training programmes for her. But I cant decide which would be better.

One - last 2 weeks and is residential meaning she would have to go for 2 weeks and at this stage id rather have her at home to bond with the family.

Two - a trainer comes to your home over a period of six weeks and teaches you to train your puppy.

Have any of you any thoughts on which would be better for my pup?
Thanks in advance

andreac

Please do not send your dog away to be trained!!

Training is about building up a bond with your dog and getting the reward from working with your dog which cant be done if you arent there, plus you dont know how your dog will be treated at this place...

Can you not go to group classes? I highly recommend thse esp for a GSD as they need lots of socialisation and interacting with other dogs from an early age.

Toulouse

I would not recommend residential training. You need to be trained as well as the dog and if it's the place I think it is then do a search in this forum for it.

How about a good training class where you bring your pup along? You can bring the family, it's good fun. Your dog gets lots of socalisation at the same time which is important with a breed like the German Shepherd.

If you're looking into training then look for places that use positive reinforcement. If you post where you are located then I'm sure people on the board would be more than happy to recommend someone or you could ask here http://www.apdt.ie/

toadfly

Kaylami wrote: »

Two - a trainer comes to your home over a period of six weeks and teaches you to train your puppy.

This one

You (and your family) have to be trained, not just your puppy. I have heard some awful horrible reviews of a particular training company that take the dogs for 2 weeks and would never recommend sending a dog away to be trained.

Best of luck with your pup...any pics?! We love pictures of puppies around here!

Kaylami

Im in Louth

If anyone has any names / locations of puppy classes I would be very grateful !

I didnt want to send her to the residential but my vet recommended them!
Semmed a bit strange to me cos how would your pup listen to you then?

I will try and get a pic up later as Im at work at the minute!

Thanks

Toulouse

The place I was talking about is Louth too, steer clear. Can't believe a vet would recommend them.

Try Maureen http://www.dogsbehavingbadly.ie

I don't know if she does group classes but she'll defintely point you in the right direction.

If you could make it into Dublin then without doubt you should check out Dog Training Ireland http://www.dogtrainingireland.ie/home.php

andreac

Kaylami wrote: »

Im in Louth

If anyone has any names / locations of puppy classes I would be very grateful !

I didnt want to send her to the residential but my vet recommended them!
Semmed a bit strange to me cos how would your pup listen to you then?

I will try and get a pic up later as Im at work at the minute!

Thanks

Oh i know the place hes on about i wouldnt send my dog there if you paid me!!
There are classes down at Cloghran by the airport on a tues night or try dublin dog training.

I really would advise group classes as GSD's need a lot of socialisation from a very young age or you will end up with problems.

http://www.dublindogtraining.com/home

Kaylami

Thanks Toulose,

Ill give her a ring now

toadfly

Toulouse wrote: »

The place I was talking about is Louth too, steer clear. Can't believe a vet would recommend them.

andreac wrote: »

Oh i know the place hes on about i wouldnt send my dog there if you paid me!!

We were thinking about the same place

Kaylami

TillyGirl wrote: »

We were thinking about the same place

Is this place outside Knockbridge/ Louth Village?

Ive asked around and some people have given it great reviews others reacted like you all did.

My vet said it was best place for a GSD.

I spoke to a few trainers and some seem like complete chancers - telling the price before asking anything about my dog :mad:

Kaylami

andreac wrote: »

Can you not go to group classes? I highly recommend thse esp for a GSD as they need lots of socialisation and interacting with other dogs from an early age.

Since my pup got her vaccinations I take her everynight to a dog walking group. About 5 people all go walking with their dogs.

She was very nervous at first and barked and pulled out of fear but now shes great! I read how important it was to socialise them and she gets on Great with our Yorkie and 2 cats!

Thanks Andreac

andreac

Kaylami wrote: »

Is this place outside Knockbridge/ Louth Village?

Ive asked around and some people have given it great reviews others reacted like you all did.

My vet said it was best place for a GSD.

I spoke to a few trainers and some seem like complete chancers - telling the price before asking anything about my dog :mad:

Vets dont know everything, trust me. That vet is probably getting commission for recommending that place.

ppink

Kaylami wrote: »

Since my pup got her vaccinations I take her everynight to a dog walking group. About 5 people all go walking with their dogs.

She was very nervous at first and barked and pulled out of fear but now shes great! I read how important it was to socialise them and she gets on Great with our Yorkie and 2 cats!

Thanks Andreac

Just a small comment on this. we have several dogs and got a female GSD pup, she is well socialised with all our dogs and my sisters dogs etc but it seems she accepted all of those but when we later her into a park she launched at any other dog that even looked at her! it made life difficult for a while and to be honest as she had access to some many dogs we never thought for a second that she lacked socialising or that there would be any issue.
Funnily enough our 2 male GSD's had the same exposure to "stranger dogs" or less than her and were never an issue at all!
Looking forward to seeing the pics:)

Kaylami

ppink wrote: »

Just a small comment on this. we have several dogs and got a female GSD pup, she is well socialised with all our dogs and my sisters dogs etc but it seems she accepted all of those but when we later her into a park she launched at any other dog that even looked at her! it made life difficult for a while and to be honest as she had access to some many dogs we never thought for a second that she lacked socialising or that there would be any issue.
Funnily enough our 2 male GSD's had the same exposure to "stranger dogs" or less than her and were never an issue at all!
Looking forward to seeing the pics:)

ppink thanks for your comment!

It never occurred to me that she might react strangely to "Stranger" dogs.

How did you help your get over it ?

Tranceypoo

andreac wrote: »

Vets dont know everything, trust me. That vet is probably getting commission for recommending that place.

Would not surprise me in the least!!

ppink

we changed from our woodland and mountain walks to park walks...basically anywhere we found other dogs we took her.

We praised her or gave treats for ignoring other dogs or distracted her with her kong and eventually we got her to a point that we were able to sit in the vets like "normal" dogs and not have to use the side door straight from the Jeep:D
It was not easy though on her or us so hopefully you can avoid ending up like us. it was certainly a BIG lesson learned by me!

Kaylami

was she always that way with other dogs ppink?

If we meet dogs when out walking ( I walk her round a town in the evening so plenty of dogs)
she stiffens up and almost goes to point . Paw up ears cocked. but as soon as you break her eye contact shes grand. I give her treats when she ignores the other dogs.

ppink

i never noticed too much when she was really small but when she got to maybe a year old it became a big issue. I think by then we had just isolated her too much into her own circle of familiar dogs.
sounds like you have your girl sussed straight away! I am sorry we did not take the opportunity to go to dog shows and places like that to expose her more at a younger age, that might be an idea for you if you are close to any?

Kaylami

I just spoke to the dog trainer and shes booked in for a class starting in 2 weeks time. She said I have to get her out meeting as many dogs as possible . Although I take her to her walking group does anyone have any ideas of how I can get her to meet other dogs?

**Vai**

Walk her in busy places is the way Ive been doing it. Or friends dogs. Id be more inclined to train the dog myself but if u dont have time Im sure the classes will work wonders for the general training side of things.
Ive got nothing but time luckily enough and my GSD is fast becoming a very well trained lady. Just said Id put in my 2 cents on home training being an option, no matter what breed the dog.

Kaylami

**Vai** wrote: »

Walk her in busy places is the way Ive been doing it. Or friends dogs. Id be more inclined to train the dog myself but if u dont have time Im sure the classes will work wonders for the general training side of things.
.

Thanks Vai,

I walk her round the town every evening she spends time with friends dogs, loves people its just dogs she meets on the street she stiifens up at.

I have started training her myself at home, I am halfway there with the toilet training and she can follow basic commands (sit, no,down,) I wanted a professional to make sure I was doing it right so I was causing any problems for my dog.

Have you any tips for me ?

Shammy

Kaylami wrote: »

Thanks Vai,

I walk her round the town every evening she spends time with friends dogs, loves people its just dogs she meets on the street she stiifens up at.

I have started training her myself at home, I am halfway there with the toilet training and she can follow basic commands (sit, no,down,) I wanted a professional to make sure I was doing it right so I was causing any problems for my dog.

Have you any tips for me ?

If you have trained her to those basic commands , well done , the next one you should try is "come" and after that "stay".

If you have the money for a personal trainer well in good, but it seems your doing fine on your own , maybe just lacking a bit of confidence ?

Keep up the good work.

Kaylami

Thanks Shammy,

I dont really have the money but I just want to do it right!

I am working on "come" at the minute I bought a book on dog training and it helps a lot.

I just want a professional to help me get thing spot on and give me help to understand my dog better isnt that what all dog owners want?

Shammy

Kaylami wrote: »

Thanks Shammy,

I dont really have the money but I just want to do it right!

I am working on "come" at the minute I bought a book on dog training and it helps a lot.

I just want a professional to help me get thing spot on and give me help to understand my dog better isnt that what all dog owners want?

Come can be pretty easy once you find out what your dog really likes be it a treat or a toy, wave it in front of him and keep backing away saying "come" , the dog will follow you regardless of what your saying but with repitition it realises what you want him to do .

For "stay" the easiest one that works for me , is to put cut up ham into a small clear plastic bag , have him in sit , drop it in front of him (about 1 foot) , as your dropping it say stay , (have him on a lead). When he stays pick up the bag , take out a piece of ham and give it to him , retry with a further distance . Doing that twice a day it will only take a few day for him to know what stay means.

You are God to your dog , you feed him , play with him , walk him etc etc. Most important thing is that you are the master , and always have control of situations.
Remember to have fun with him , but be firm when needed , and most of all enjoy the gsd , they are my favourite breed .

leopardus

There are some really good books out there. Ian Dunbar has two which give simple, easy to follow training guide-lines for pet dogs. I particularly like the way the training is targeted at preventing future problems and issues; much easier than correcting established behaviour.

'What to do before you get your dog'

and

'What to do after you get your dog'

They're cheap, small and should come free with every dog!

The other book I was really impressed by was 'Culture Clash' by Jean Donaldson.

http://www.amazon.com/Culture-Clash-Revolutionary-Understanding-Relationship/dp/1888047054

The Sweeper

Kaylami, a few tips I've found useful:

Google the NILF training method - NILF meaning Nothing in Life is Free - it helps you to apply training all of the time.

With an intelligent, large breed like a Shepherd it is vital to remember - it will not take your dog long to learn something, but it will take WEEKS AND WEEKS to UNLEARN something - NEVER let your dog do something you don't want them to do. If you don't want them on the couch, NEVER let them up once or you'll be teaching them the 'off' command for weeks. If there's a place in the house you don't want them to go, NEVER let them in there. If you don't want them to eat shoes, and you catch them with a ruined runner, NEVER be tempted to just leave it with them because it's already wrecked - you'll be placing every other shoe you own in clear and present danger.

Use your mobile phone - recording a training session is REALLY useful. Most of us cringe when we hear our own voices recorded, but it's really instructive. I discovered that my praise noises were confusing - the same pitch as an admonishment, but softer - I was much better off making my praise far 'squeakier'.

I was also able to see if my commands were timed correctly or if I was way off - e.g. the dog started to sit as soon as he saw the treat, but before he got the command. That's fine, but I want my dog quite well trained, so we've been doing 'puppy pushups' - sit, lie down, sit, stand, sit, lie down, stand - so the pup has to go from sit - treat - lie down - treat - then back up to sit again and that's a hard one, because it's an effort to get up from a lie down. I discovered my pup was so used to the habit of sit, then lie down, then treat, that I'd get him to sit, treat him, and the moment the next treat appeared in my hand he'd just lie down - something to work on when I want him to stand instead.

This is where a trainer comes in useful.

In my opinion, a good trainer does NOT train your dog. They watch you, and they'll show YOU how to show your dog what you want.

Giving your dog a command that they don't understand is pointless, and essentially you waste the effectiveness of the word.

The most basic way to teach sit - show your puppy a treat. Then lift it up over his head and back - he'll follow it with his nose and as he tilts his head upwards, he'll automatically drop his backside to the floor - as he does it you have to perfectly time saying sit! and rewarding him with the treat as his bottom hits the floor. It is pointless to say sit, sit, sit, sit, sit, sit until your dog gets bored and sits down to rest his legs - because he hasn't suddenly copped on to what 'sit' means.

Last tip - NEVER admonish your dog for not obeying a command, unless you are 100% certain he knows what the command means and just can't be arsed (they'll start this in their teenaged period, anywhere between 6-14 months for a Shepherd I think - they just don't feel like doing what you want them to do, and this period tests your bond with your dog so be prepared!)

Kaylami

Thanks everyone for your advice.
I got a lovely snap of her this morning so ill post it later.

Narsil

The Sweeper wrote: »

Kaylami, a few tips I've found useful:

Google the NILF training method - NILF meaning Nothing in Life is Free - it helps you to apply training all of the time.

With an intelligent, large breed like a Shepherd it is vital to remember - it will not take your dog long to learn something, but it will take WEEKS AND WEEKS to UNLEARN something - NEVER let your dog do something you don't want them to do. If you don't want them on the couch, NEVER let them up once or you'll be teaching them the 'off' command for weeks. If there's a place in the house you don't want them to go, NEVER let them in there. If you don't want them to eat shoes, and you catch them with a ruined runner, NEVER be tempted to just leave it with them because it's already wrecked - you'll be placing every other shoe you own in clear and present danger.

Use your mobile phone - recording a training session is REALLY useful. Most of us cringe when we hear our own voices recorded, but it's really instructive. I discovered that my praise noises were confusing - the same pitch as an admonishment, but softer - I was much better off making my praise far 'squeakier'.

I was also able to see if my commands were timed correctly or if I was way off - e.g. the dog started to sit as soon as he saw the treat, but before he got the command. That's fine, but I want my dog quite well trained, so we've been doing 'puppy pushups' - sit, lie down, sit, stand, sit, lie down, stand - so the pup has to go from sit - treat - lie down - treat - then back up to sit again and that's a hard one, because it's an effort to get up from a lie down. I discovered my pup was so used to the habit of sit, then lie down, then treat, that I'd get him to sit, treat him, and the moment the next treat appeared in my hand he'd just lie down - something to work on when I want him to stand instead.

This is where a trainer comes in useful.

In my opinion, a good trainer does NOT train your dog. They watch you, and they'll show YOU how to show your dog what you want.

Giving your dog a command that they don't understand is pointless, and essentially you waste the effectiveness of the word.

The most basic way to teach sit - show your puppy a treat. Then lift it up over his head and back - he'll follow it with his nose and as he tilts his head upwards, he'll automatically drop his backside to the floor - as he does it you have to perfectly time saying sit! and rewarding him with the treat as his bottom hits the floor. It is pointless to say sit, sit, sit, sit, sit, sit until your dog gets bored and sits down to rest his legs - because he hasn't suddenly copped on to what 'sit' means.

Last tip - NEVER admonish your dog for not obeying a command, unless you are 100% certain he knows what the command means and just can't be arsed (they'll start this in their teenaged period, anywhere between 6-14 months for a Shepherd I think - they just don't feel like doing what you want them to do, and this period tests your bond with your dog so be prepared!)

Wow that sounds very familiar:rolleyes:

We have a 10 month old and he loves playing with other dogs so he pulls and screams to get over to any other dog he sees now. He completely ignores my commands even though he knows what i'm asking him

Roll on the end of the teenage time;)

**Vai**

Kaylami wrote: »

Thanks Vai,

I walk her round the town every evening she spends time with friends dogs, loves people its just dogs she meets on the street she stiifens up at.

I have started training her myself at home, I am halfway there with the toilet training and she can follow basic commands (sit, no,down,) I wanted a professional to make sure I was doing it right so I was causing any problems for my dog.

Have you any tips for me ?

Repetition is the best tip you'll ever get, as well as the great advice from The Sweeper. Practise makes perfect. The kind of basic obedience you mentioned is definitely something that can be done at home and will begin strengthening that bond that we all want with dogs.

The walking part, I had exactly the same problem, she would stiffen up and start behaving aggressively. Best thing Ive found so far is the halti collar. It works wonders for powerful dogs that either pull or become aggressive to other dogs on walks. I only bought it yesterday and today was like a different dog when I walked her.

TechnoPool

i did a very good one with my GSD zeus down in esturay kennels in swords


dublin dog training is the place that runs it

+ 1 on the halti, doh i use the canny collar version

sral1

Narsil wrote: »

Wow that sounds very familiar:rolleyes:

We have a 10 month old and he loves playing with other dogs so he pulls and screams to get over to any other dog he sees now. He completely ignores my commands even though he knows what i'm asking him

Roll on the end of the teenage time;)

Sorry to disappoint you but this behavoir is not going to change, if anything it will get worst. Your dog is growing to prefer the company of other dogs than you. I would find a good working dog trainer now before it goes to far. check out www.dtail.org :eek::eek::eek:

Kaylami

Hi everyone,

Some bad news

Sadly my puppy died last week. She had been poisoned.
The vet thinks she ate a rat/ mouse that had eaten the poison.
Has anyone ever heard of this happening?

ppink

How awful, poor puppy:(

I have no experience of this, thank God but I would bevery very mad if it happened any of mine.

An awful thing to happen and just before Xmas too, very sory for you Kaylami

tk123

OMG thats terrible news about the poor puppy

The Sweeper

Kaylami, I'm so sorry this happened to you.

Sadly it's not uncommon for a dog to be poisoned - either accidentally or deliberately. Poisoning from rat bait is very difficult to treat - it causes massive haemhorraging in the dog, and the usual treatment is injections of vitamin K and complete bed rest nearing the point of forced immobility. The same elements that make the bait tasty to rodents also makes it interesting to dogs, so your pup could have gotten hold of a dead rat or mouse, or just as easily gotten hold of bait itself, out on a walk, near a waterway, or if your neighbours put down rodent bait near your property boundaries.

Bait poisoning can work very quickly and in a young dog it can be almost impossible to reverse. It's a really horrible thing to happen to you, not least so near Christmas. Sympathies to you and yours on the loss of your pup.