Dog Training

[torco]

Hi,

 

I have a 1 year old pure bred German Shepherd and I have gone through one puppy training program and have done as much as I can on my own but feel like she is still not where I want her to be in terms of discipline. Lets just say she has her issues and as a large dog I would like her to be better.

 

Anyways I was wondering if anyone had any feedback on a good training instructors/places in and around the Guelph Area. I am currently looking at going to Olympus out in Orangeville and Brampton as they breed and train alot german shepherd.

 

Any info/thoughts appreciated

[Big Cliff]

I have had dealings with

dog Trainers

 

I was very impressed with them, they truly are professionals. I know it is a bit of a drive from Guelph but well worth it.

 

Cliff

[BUSTER]

TIME TIME TIME TIME......PERIOD

 

My parents ran a german shepard kennel when i was a youngster,pure breed championship show dogs for many years..1980-1995 breading and boarding...You have to put in loads of time with your dog ,not someone else,you have the basics,you have internet,use it and practice,practice,practice,makes perfect..And I think the rule of thumb is 1000 reps before the dog understands..E.g sit x 1000 before the dog really has it down...

[Jewelbee]

Hi,

 

I have a 1 year old pure bred German Shepherd and I have gone through one puppy training program and have done as much as I can on my own but feel like she is still not where I want her to be in terms of discipline. Lets just say she has her issues and as a large dog I would like her to be better.

 

Anyways I was wondering if anyone had any feedback on a good training instructors/places in and around the Guelph Area. I am currently looking at going to Olympus out in Orangeville and Brampton as they breed and train alot german shepherd.

 

Any info/thoughts appreciated

I have competition dogs and although I understand not everyone wants to be that involved with dog training, ,a 1 yr old is still a very immature dog. Just a word of advice...1 series of classes is not enough, and dogs learn from repetition...so remember, practice with your dog a little bit (1/2 hr) every day. Keep it fun for her/him. And most of all be patient! Also... make sure your dog gets enough excercise daily (makes them a lot easier to live with) Good Luck and don't give up.

Edited April 12, 2010 by Jewelbee

[diggyj]

Best guy for you would be Roger Richards at dogsrrrus. He trains GS's like nobody can. He trained my GS.

 

www.dogsrrrus.ca

[Daplumma]

Its not about training the dog,its about training you.As a few said here a trainer will help you but its you who has to put in the time.I had a GS and was the easiest dog to train that I had.Very intuitive and a strong desire to please.They need to be stimulated and if they get bored they can be trouble.Exercise their mind and they will be happy and so will you.Good luck with your pup.

Joe

[knightfisher]

Success in training a dog is repetition for sure.

But it also has a lot to do with breed.

 

I have two pure bred belgian malinois, mother and 2 year old daughter. These are condsidered working dogs.

For the first few years with the mom, I had no desire to train her, though she would just instinctively listen and do what I asked.

The two year old pup I decided to put a little more attention on training her. And by little I mean a couple of minutes here and there. I only have to tell her once maybe twice to do something and it's second nature. She can be in full flight after a dog, cat, squirrel, and if I call her off she stops on a dime. Whether I have the pup retrive a dog dish or shoes or her own lease, this pup only has to be shown a few times.

The mother who is about 5 takes a little more time to train, which I am putting in a bit of time with, and what is extremely successful is rewarding her with a small treat every time she completes a required task. And again with this breed, doesn't take much time at all.

An extremely successful action is taking your dog out to a large field or nature path. Have a few treats in hand. Tell your dog to sit and walk away about ten feet. Call her and give her a treat. Do it again and widen the gap each time. Have her sit and stay, and repeat. In short order you should be able to make the gap a few hundred feet.

Once you get this little exercise down pat, the dog will be much more under your control and much easier to train in any other aspect you desire.

Utube has a lot of good videos on training, and depending on the type of bred of shepard you have will determine how much time will be needed to train the dog.

 

It doesn't have to cost a cent.

[Muskieman]

I have had very very good success with my Lab/Shep mix and also my Min Pin

by following " Caesar Milan" The Dog Whisperer .....

 

Really worth it.....

 

 

RFS

[torco]

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

I usually take her for an 1hr a day walking throughout the work week plus playtime and random sessions of training. As well as hikes, fishing. I realize she is a working dog and probably needs even more but I can only do as much as life allows.

 

Her original training was clicker training where food and praise were highly utilized. I found this worked well when she was a puppy but less so as she matured. She knows the commands but sometimes chooses to disobey.

 

Some issues which I didn't elaborate on but will now. She is very protective of the yard and barks at any squirrel, person, or sound when she outside. Originally she was good at stopping when directed and recalling to the house but in the last couple months she tends to ignore the command.

 

On walks there are for whatever reason and this is the most worrying for me, certain people and dogs that she becomes aggressive with. She has never tried to bite another person or dog but she definitely aggressive and it obviously worries me that she may one day if I can't control her.

 

Anyways thanks for the replies, I know it takes time and patience and a 1yr old dog is not fully mature. Hopefully we'll turn the corner soon.

[Big Cliff]

Agression in a family pet can not be tolerated especially if uncontroled. Curb it now or you will end up having to put her down one of these days. Hopfully before she bites a child and does some serious damage. She is already starting to show trates (not listening to commands) which you must correct now. A good trainer will teach you how to do that. The next time she chooses to ignor you, do not repeat the command. Go and get her, bring her back to where you were when you called her, scold her. If she shows any agression, grab her by the scruff of the neck, filp her on her back, and hold her there until she submits. She is testing you and right now she is winning! She has learned that there are no consequences she wouldn't be allowed to act like that in a pack environment. You must be her pack leader or she will be yours.

[Jewelbee]

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

I usually take her for an 1hr a day walking throughout the work week plus playtime and random sessions of training. As well as hikes, fishing. I realize she is a working dog and probably needs even more but I can only do as much as life allows.

 

Her original training was clicker training where food and praise were highly utilized. I found this worked well when she was a puppy but less so as she matured. She knows the commands but sometimes chooses to disobey.

 

Some issues which I didn't elaborate on but will now. She is very protective of the yard and barks at any squirrel, person, or sound when she outside. Originally she was good at stopping when directed and recalling to the house but in the last couple months she tends to ignore the command.

 

On walks there are for whatever reason and this is the most worrying for me, certain people and dogs that she becomes aggressive with. She has never tried to bite another person or dog but she definitely aggressive and it obviously worries me that she may one day if I can't control her.

 

Anyways thanks for the replies, I know it takes time and patience and a 1yr old dog is not fully mature. Hopefully we'll turn the corner soon.

Hi again. Once a dog (especially the working breeds) reaches 1 yr to 18 mths they will usually slip back on the things that you think they have learned successfully. It's a lot to do with maturity and some to do with learning curve. I have discovered that about every 6 weeks or so during training a young dog, they seem to forget all that you were so certain they had down pat! Then...bang...they remember

My young dog is very high energy and I look back now and wonder how I survived the 1st year with him. Don't give up!

[bigfish1965]

I would not worry about this. In fact I would be going to dog parks with your pup now. She needs dog socializing and pack training. It is hard for humans to be like a dog.

Shepherds are born protectors..it is an instinct. She will bark. My two dogs (one a shepherd mix) bark at everyone going by. It is simply them saying, 'This is my space.'

You mentioned your walks...is she simply barking and pulling? That is not at all unusual for a year old dog.

Have a trainer assess her for aggression. I think you will find she is just a normal dog. I don't know how I didn't kill my dog when he was young...but he grew out of it. This is adolescence for a dog.

Keep on the clicker training. You need to find a food she will do anything...and I mean anything...to get. Rollover is a treat that most dogs will leap through plate glass to get.

 

Keep the lead short, watch a whole bunch of Cesar Milan and do what he says. He is the best when it comes to understanding pack behaviour and dog anxiety.

[Daplumma]

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

I usually take her for an 1hr a day walking throughout the work week plus playtime and random sessions of training. As well as hikes, fishing. I realize she is a working dog and probably needs even more but I can only do as much as life allows.

 

Her original training was clicker training where food and praise were highly utilized. I found this worked well when she was a puppy but less so as she matured. She knows the commands but sometimes chooses to disobey.

 

Some issues which I didn't elaborate on but will now. She is very protective of the yard and barks at any squirrel, person, or sound when she outside. Originally she was good at stopping when directed and recalling to the house but in the last couple months she tends to ignore the command.

 

On walks there are for whatever reason and this is the most worrying for me, certain people and dogs that she becomes aggressive with. She has never tried to bite another person or dog but she definitely aggressive and it obviously worries me that she may one day if I can't control her.

 

Anyways thanks for the replies, I know it takes time and patience and a 1yr old dog is not fully mature. Hopefully we'll turn the corner soon.

This is when you have to be one step ahead of the dog.You can not let the dog get into a situation where he will fail.You need to see the person or animal first and difuse the situation or correct it in real time.Preferably the latter so the dog makes the connection.A dog barking at stuff in the yard is normal if you let it be normal.If it is undesirable where you live then you must be there to correct it as it happens.To some it may seem unrealistic but it is very doable,just be prepared to spend a lot more time with your dog and dont let him out unsupervised..even in a fenced yard.That will help your dog develope manners and social(with people) acceptance.Predict what he will do next and control the situation and your job will be much easier.I will go on record saying that I live in the country and I want my dogs to let me know when someone comes on the property so the barking thing is not a big deal.A one year old big dog needs to be socialized in a very controlled environment.If you leave a smart breed like that in too many unsupervised conditions( I mean not under direct control..eye contact...physical contact)you will regret it.Its not easy but it will be worth it.Hope it works out for you,its more serious than you think.PM sent

Joe

[torco]

Some good advice here.

Guys some stuff I have already been trying and some new stuff. Good to know that her slipping is part of her maturing and testing me similar to a teenager.

 

She has never shown any aggression to me or 95% of the people she meets. But I have seen it on occassion and as was pointed out want to make sure its dealt with.

 

I am meeting with trainer on Friday that is highly regarded with his work with german shepherds. In fact he does most of his work training dogs for the toronto police.

 

Hopefully he will bring me to the next level with my training of her. I definitely need to be the pack leader and I need to be more firm for her sake.

 

I also need to get my wife more on board. She is not nearly as patient as I am with training her.

[BUSTER]

If time permits, I highly suggest you get into obedience training for the first 3 years or so if not longer, join a club and hit a couple dog shows ..once the dog is trained it's a foundation for the rest of the dogs life. my choclate lab 9-10 years old now responds better to hand signals now than before!! must be loosing his hearing..he he...dont forget to master crate training. Any other questions feel free to Pm me . I can ask my father he was a CKC registered judge and obedience trainer of shepards since mid 80's now retired. but Note, he's traditional choker and lead type trainer,lots of people disagree with that style of training.

 

Good luck

[Marc Thorpe]

I am no expert but have some understanding of living things you would say,very intrigued by all animal behavior.

Having 3 large different breeds(Golden,Lab,Tamaskan-Husky mix) and having owned Rottweilers( the true test of patience )

 

You have a strong/working breed,Sheppard,Roths,Husky,Bulldogs and so on have distinct behaviors and learning processes.

They all seem to know what they represent and project in each breeds unique way (behavioral characteristics and postures)

 

One thing you must assert is Dominance in a non aggressive way

practice laying her on her side with you over her once a day,this is a dominance position which is natural in the animal world,its body language,you will see obedience set back in withing a couple of weeks.

Has the dog been spaded or nutured is important,without fixing they have behaviors which are somewhat harder to break and qwarky.

When she is playing,allow stop time or down time during the play period,this asserts when things are to be and not to be but mostly you decide what you want .... not the dog.

Its an exercise in controlling all situations and time ,whether play time or walk time or just being in the moment

 

I suspect You are going through a disobedience period,somewhat like adolescence,it needs to be re-asserted in a firm but non aggressive way.

Generally large breeds ,depending on the intellectual capacity of each individual dog (not all individual dogs have the same smarts or ability to learn quickly and mature,its all in the eyes ,when you talk to them or address command,those that have facial an eye expression are generally quick maturing dogs,quite smart too) ,the response and aging in maturity will vary like Jewelbee said up to 18 months but in reality it can be as much as 4 years.

 

The dog is at an age where energy levels are high,take her for a bike ride

teach her tricks,1 a week,once or twice a day,feed her mind

 

In regards to other dogs,I suggest you expose her to as many dogs as you can,socializing is the most important factor in attaining full cooperation from commands.

especially have the dog lay while been in an environment with multiple dogs,this will instill peace within the dog when amongst others

 

Teaching a dog to respect commands is a constant exercise and they will always test your limits no matter what age

after all they are animals and know our sentimental attachment,read it much better than you or I could ever

 

 

Like Randy said,watch Ceasar,he has taped into behavioral language and how to utilize this in attaining wanted behavior from our dogs

 

I applies to most all living things

animals are not objects,they are living things with minds of their own

 

if any of it makes sense to you

Good luck,Sheppard are trully magnificent dogs,highly intellectual when you tap into their starving minds

Edited April 15, 2010 by marc thorpe

[Jewelbee]

I am no expert but have some understanding of living things you would say,very intrigued by all animal behavior.

Having 3 large different breeds(Golden,Lab,Tamaskan-Husky mix) and having owned Rottweilers( the true test of patience )

 

You have a strong/working breed,Sheppard,Roths,Husky,Bulldogs and so on have distinct behaviors and learning processes.

They all seem to know what they represent and project in each breeds unique way (behavioral characteristics and postures)

 

One thing you must assert is Dominance in a non aggressive way

practice laying her on her side with you over her once a day,this is a dominance position which is natural in the animal world,its body language,you will see obedience set back in withing a couple of weeks.

Has the dog been spaded or nutured is important,without fixing they have behaviors which are somewhat harder to break and qwarky.

When she is playing,allow stop time or down time during the play period,this asserts when things are to be and not to be but mostly you decide what you want .... not the dog.

Its an exercise in controlling all situations and time ,whether play time or walk time or just being in the moment

 

I suspect You are going through a disobedience period,somewhat like adolescence,it needs to be re-asserted in a firm but non aggressive way.

Generally large breeds ,depending on the intellectual capacity of each individual dog (not all individual dogs have the same smarts or ability to learn quickly and mature,its all in the eyes ,when you talk to them or address command,those that have facial an eye expression are generally quick maturing dogs,quite smart too) ,the response and aging in maturity will vary like Jewelbee said up to 18 months but in reality it can be as much as 4 years.

 

The dog is at an age where energy levels are high,take her for a bike ride

teach her tricks,1 a week,once or twice a day,feed her mind

 

In regards to other dogs,I suggest you expose her to as many dogs as you can,socializing is the most important factor in attaining full cooperation from commands.

especially have the dog lay while been in an environment with multiple dogs,this will instill peace within the dog when amongst others

 

Teaching a dog to respect commands is a constant exercise and they will always test your limits no matter what age

after all they are animals and know our sentimental attachment,read it much better than you or I could ever

 

 

Like Randy said,watch Ceasar,he has taped into behavioral language and how to utilize this in attaining wanted behavior from our dogs

 

I applies to most all living things

animals are not objects,they are living things with minds of their own

 

if any of it makes sense to you

Good luck,Sheppard are trully magnificent dogs,highly intellectual when you tap into their starving minds

Very well said!!!Sound advice from a knowledgeable dog owner!

Edited April 16, 2010 by Jewelbee