# Walking on leash has drastically improved!



## intothevoiddd (Feb 11, 2014)

When my (not so) little dude was younger he was pretty awful on a leash. We tried taking him to training through the humane society which absolutely backfired on us, as he was uncomfortable with other dogs off leash. Scratch that, he was uncomfortable with dogs in general. I have had dogs my whole life, but he's my first GSD, and I greatly underestimated what it would take to properly train one. We ended up taking him to training at an ex-military dog trainer, and this guy just... was AMAZING. He really did wonders for us. We took our dog when he was roughly 5-7 months, and everything was great, he was awesome on a leash, no complaints. But once he got into the teenage phase we started having issues again. He suddenly decided he hated all dogs and all people. Especially kids, bikes, and anyone who dared so much as to look twice at him. We spent many months working with him through this, and it just plain sucked. 

As of the past few weeks though, it's like a light switch flipped. One he reached about 14 months old, he suddenly became very well mannered again. He walks politely on a leash without pulling, and if he starts to get too far ahead a simple "no pull" will put him back in his place. When we pass other dogs he no longer freaks out, and if he gets antsy I just tell him "leave it" and he moves on. He is learning to love people, and especially loves getting complimented by people when we pass by. He is a lot more fluid and willing to follow my lead when things come up, like turning a corner and running into another dog walker. 

I was particularly impressed with him the other day, we were walking and suddenly out of nowhere he stopped and sat on the grass next to the sidewalk. I didn't realize what he was doing at first, but then I heard footsteps and turned around to see someone jogging up behind us. He just politely moved out of the way and let them pass... Typically this would be something that would get him VERY upset as he doesn't like strangers approaching quickly. Another day we approached a corner and as I slowed down to let a car pass he stopped and sat down and looked at me waiting for direction. I am just so proud! He is turning out to be such a nice little man. The hard work is certainly paying off. 

So for those of you struggling, just know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It was so bad for us at times that I would come home and cry. He was so awful, he was scaring people and just totally out of control and I just thought WHAT did I get myself into?? They are so unlike other breeds and training is a wildly different experience. What really helped us though, was that I learned to let go. I would take him for walks and I'd be tense and worried just waiting for him to do something bad. But once I realized that he was feeding off my emotions it became so much easier... you really have to stay calm, and even when things get rough you need to stay cool and control the situation with a calm and directive voice and actions.

And although we are doing much better, there are times when he still throws temper tantrums. The other day we walked past a house with yappy little dogs that snarl and get aggressive through their fence, and when we crossed the street my dude got pissed off and started crying at the top of his lungs because I wouldn't let him yell at them through the fence. Now I can find the humor in these events, and we're able to move on from them quickly without any real scene


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## Graychamp (Nov 17, 2014)

Yep, sounds about like my experience too. There was a time where I didn't take her for walks because I knew it was going to be a battle and she was going to win it. I soon learned that a stern correction followed by praises - consistency - and getting her outside every single day was the key. She's essentially fine off leash now. I can tell her "leave it" if she sees a rabbit off leash and she'll stay right next to me. Now of course I always have her e-collar on just in case but I have not had any issues with her for some time. Anyone having issues just be consistent and hang in there. With German Shepherd dogs it's a battle of wits and who can outlast the other haha.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Great story!Kudos to you for being persistent and working through those teenage issues.


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## Chai (Dec 11, 2014)

Wow, this is great. Well done! Very inspiring as well, as I sometimes lose sight of that light at the end of the tunnel!


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Congrats!! I hope you keep this thread in mind when you need a boost in confidence! So awesome when you start seeing it all come together!!


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