# Enough is Enough



## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

Archer will be two years old on April 30th. He’s an amazing dog - really. He graduated out of needing a crate when he was 8 months old, he has literally never chewed on anything inappropriate, he’s never counter surfed, he never pulls on the leash, he never had issues with being mouthy, doesn’t destroy toys, behaves like a dream out of the house. Great dog.

I know shepherds are high energy, I know they’re brilliant and need lots of mental stimulation, I know they’re tons of work. I put that work in. He knew over 60 tricks by the time he was 11 months old, literally. I exercise him constantly by going on hikes, playing fetch, playing tug, practicing agility in the yard, etc. I do training multiple times a day, and all of his play sessions include training. He eats out of a Kong Wobbler and not out of a bowl. We do Nosework multiple times a week. I’m always searching for new tricks to teach him. I take him to dog friendly stores to do training and socialization. Point is, I do SO MUCH with this dog.

My problem? He has way too much _go_. I can leave my house at 8AM with him, not get home until after 1PM (we went for an off leash hike, then to multiple dog-friendly stores while I did errands, went to my work to give him a bath, then home for lunch out of his Kong). It took him over 30 minutes after we got home of pacing, whining at me, and bringing me toy after toy before he finally settled for a nap. How long did he sleep? One hour. That’s it. Then he was back to pacing, whining, chomping toys in my face, and otherwise annoying the crap out of me. He cannot rest for longer than an hour no matter how much I do with him. He’s absolutely nonstop, and I can’t tell when he’s truly had enough for the day and I need to stop catering to him or if he actually needs more. I’m exhausted. I love going to work purely so I get a break from him. He’s making my life miserable, and I feel like I’m a slave to my dog. Not a good feeling.

I’ve tried putting toys away in the house and only getting them out when I want to play - he isn’t allowed to decide playtime. That just makes him whine and pace and be obnoxious. He sits and whines near wherever I hid the toys. (I always ignore him, or when I get really sick of it, correct him and tell him to go lay down.) I’ve tried not playing in the house at all and only playing outside so he thinks inside is for resting. Well that just makes him completely obsessed with being outside and he’ll sit at the door and whine. And if I do so much as breathe in the direction of the door, he sprints across the house like a madman thinking we’re going outside. He won’t settle that way either.

How do I know when he’s actually had enough exercise and mental stimulation for the day so I stop feeling guilty and catering to him? Do I really need to get his crate back out and put him back on a crating schedule? How much sleep does a two year old dog need?


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

They can get too much activity and attention. Have you taught him any settling techniques? I started when mine was about 12 weeks tethering him to the table when I ate. He could not go anywhere so he began lying down quietly until I was done. When I wanted to sit and read or watch TV, I let him lie on the couch next to me and rubbed his stomach or between his ears. I rewarded him with praise when he was calm. I also taught a Place/Stay command. It worked.


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

LuvShepherds said:


> They can get too much activity and attention. Have you taught him any settling techniques? I started when mine was about 12 weeks tethering him to the table when I ate. He could not go anywhere so he began lying down quietly until I was done. When I wanted to sit and read or watch TV, I let him lie on the couch next to me and rubbed his stomach or between his ears. I rewarded him with praise when he was calm. I also taught a Place/Stay command. It worked.


Archer knows a place command, and he will stay on his bed until I release him. While on his bed, he stares at me the entire time. He doesn’t really settle there.

He didn’t used to be this bad until after he had his TPLO surgery and he could do nothing but rest. That’s when it got bad with the constant need for entertainment.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

These are my methods to teaching my dogs to settle.


Bearshandler said:


> The first part is making sure that the dog gets adequate mental and physical stimulation regularly. Beyond that I think it involves teaching your dog impulse control and being comfortable doing nothing in the environment you expect him to settle in. Most trainers I see do this using a place mat. They send the dog to it and he is only allowed off or rewarded once he settles and is calm. I don’t use one of those. I have a command for my dogs to go to their kennel. I’ll send them there if they are being unruly or over excited. I don’t close it so they can leave on their own. If they aren’t calm when they do, I will send them back. Usually they come slink back out and lay down. In a more public setting I would just use a down and reward calm behavior with praise or food. I would avoid anything like toys or play that would excite the dog too much. I have informal phrases that signal the end of play. They just develop meaning over time. If I say that’s enough they know to calm down.


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

I know it’s my fault because I do too much with him so he thinks constantly being interacted with is normal. I honestly just struggle with knowing how long I can expect him to rest and how much I need to do with him before asking that of him. It’s hard to gauge for me.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

It’s not your fault but he’s become used to that much attention. You don’t want to provide it anymore, so you need to change his expectations, in a manner of speaking.


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## JunoVonNarnia (Apr 8, 2020)

I taught Juno this one: 








The Sit on the Dog Exercise • Canine Life Skills


The Sit on the Dog exercise is the best dog training lesson you can do at home to improve your bond and create a calmer dog.




caninelifeskills.com





It really helps her settle down. I post about this exercise a lot because it is not a place/down/stay command. My 16 month GSD gets so worked up when I put her on place, because she knows that I am going to release her and then we are going to continue to train etc. 

Sitting on the dog is more about the dog doing nothing because I am busy with whatever (work, TV etc). 
So is not dissimilar to what @LuvShepherds taught. Basically, the dog learns to calm itself. 

When she was about 10 months old, I could not tire her out. We were out and playing for longer and longer, and it occurred to me that all I was doing was just building her stamina. So we supplement with mental work: the beginnings of scentwork and toy discrimination.


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## CeraDean (Jul 9, 2019)

@Bearshandler : “I have informal phrases that signal the end of play. They just develop meaning over time. If I say that’s enough they know to calm down.”

I use this a lot. “All done”, “I’m done” mean to my boy ‘leave me alone, I don’t want to play’. And he’ll huff and pout but then go chill somewhere. 

I also have heavy engagement toys (squeak balls) that get put away when I’m not going to play. 

How long can Archer hold a place? Can he hold it beyond boredom?

To give you a comparison, Vandal is 20 months. I’m giving him about 2 tongue hanging out fetch with OB, agility and fun stuff a day (maybe 10-15 minutes each) and about 1-2 higher level schutzhund OB a day (maybe 5 minutes). This doesn’t include exposure or pick up and play sessions because he tempts me into a quick tug. He also does daily place sessions for about two hours a day during school time.


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

My dog who I consider to be very reasonable as far as energy and drive was recently on 2 weeks of rest for a minor injury. He has been very accustomed to being very active his whole life, training, hiking, having free roam of our big property with his dad.

He got obnoxious in a hurry. He's currently at like mid-level resuming exercise, gentle walks and gentle training with no toy throwing. I can definitely tell a difference.

And your dog had I think a way more intensive layup than mine did. Cut both of yourselves a break, I think- and just reteach him how to chill out. He probably just got used to feeling pent up and needs to hit reset now that he's got his life back. 

And my vote is definitely get rid of certain toys from the house permanently. If I let my dog have a chuckit ball int he house he's OBNOXIOUS. They get left outside the door or put in a basket on the wall inside the door and he is not allowed to ask for them unless we are going out the door.


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

PS YES get his crate back out, definitely! I can't think of a better use than what you describe. You're already doing a ton with this dog, you are more than entitled to just put him up and have a break without going to all this trouble to teach him to settle. You should do that too but do it on your own time and crate him in the mean time to just get yourself some peace.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

When you go out do you sometimes take time to just hang out and watch the world go by, like sit on a bench and watch people walk by, sunset whatever, or it's always 'doing' something with your dog? Same in the yard, is it always about him or you do your own project and your dog does whatever he wants at the moment as long as it's not digging? 

I always dislike when dogs are eating their meals from toys. They are always in a state of anticipation, they know they have to work for every bit, they are emotionally dependent on the owner. Teach him some independence and self sufficiency. Try to control him a little less, I guess, and teach him that's it's ok to disengage in your presence. Sit on the dog exercise is good.


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

GSD07 said:


> When you go out do you sometimes take time to just hang out and watch the world go by, like sit on a bench and watch people walk by, sunset whatever, or it's always 'doing' something with your dog? Same in the yard, is it always about him or you do your own project and your dog does whatever he wants at the moment as long as it's not digging?
> 
> I always dislike when dogs are eating their meals from toys. They are always in a state of anticipation, they know they have to work for every bit, they are emotionally dependent on the owner. Teach him some independence and self sufficiency. Try to control him a little less, I guess, and teach him that's it's ok to disengage in your presence. Sit on the dog exercise is good.


I’m usually outside with him when it’s playtime. I honestly don’t have much to do besides play with him out there. Maybe I’ll come up with some projects to do just to practice being in the yard without engaging.

As far as the food dispensing toy, he has to use one. I’ve tried different slow feeder bowls and none of them work well enough for him. He eats so fast that he pukes it back up if I feed him out of any kind of bowl.


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

CeraDean said:


> @Bearshandler : “I have informal phrases that signal the end of play. They just develop meaning over time. If I say that’s enough they know to calm down.”
> 
> I use this a lot. “All done”, “I’m done” mean to my boy ‘leave me alone, I don’t want to play’. And he’ll huff and pout but then go chill somewhere.
> 
> ...


To be honest, I’m not sure how long he can actually hold a place. He doesn’t ever break it until I tell him to, but I’ve never made him hold it longer than maybe five minutes. He stares at me so intensely during a place or stay (doesn’t chill out), so I’ve mostly used it for things like people coming to the door or needing him out of my way for a short amount of time. Nothing long-term. I can work on that for sure.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Pytheis said:


> I’m usually outside with him when it’s playtime. I honestly don’t have much to do besides play with him out there. Maybe I’ll come up with some projects to do just to practice being in the yard without engaging.
> 
> As far as the food dispensing toy, he has to use one. I’ve tried different slow feeder bowls and none of them work well enough for him. He eats so fast that he pukes it back up if I feed him out of any kind of bowl.


Try spreading his food out on a big cookie sheet. I wonder if teaching him to settle can also teach him to eat slowly. He sounds almost like a hyperactive child.


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## BigOzzy2018 (Jan 27, 2018)

No toys in the house but if I do which is rare it’s for a reason. I only have bones for him to chew on. Ozzy will pester even with a bone, literally will put the bone on ur lap and stare at you to do something, sometimes I throw in OB commands but if I want to be left alone he knows “ur done” and walks away and chews his bone or goes lays down reluctantly but obeys. The house is the quiet zone unless I decide otherwise. My house my rules. Ozzy is very high drive but he has an awesome off switch which had to be channeled and trained at a young age. He is never crated but rules were established young. 
You just need to put all toys away teach a quiet command. Crate is a start for him to learn.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

Pytheis said:


> I’m usually outside with him when it’s playtime. I honestly don’t have much to do besides play with him out there. Maybe I’ll come up with some projects to do just to practice being in the yard without engaging.
> 
> As far as the food dispensing toy, he has to use one. I’ve tried different slow feeder bowls and none of them work well enough for him. He eats so fast that he pukes it back up if I feed him out of any kind of bowl.


Ok with feeding it's a necessity, I understand. Yes, try to do something in the yard, walk around pull some weeds, fix a fence, grill a dinner, walk around and talk on the phone. You are busy, period, and he needs to settle and since the yard is more interesting place then the house, he'll disengage from you and settles faster. When he settles, do not praise him, just do your thing.

I disagree that you need to work on longer stays etc. Stay is work. Work on teaching him to relax which means less control from you, less direction. His choice where to lay down, it's his free time from you. He'll learn to enjoy it.


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## BigOzzy2018 (Jan 27, 2018)

Pytheis said:


> To be honest, I’m not sure how long he can actually hold a place. He doesn’t ever break it until I tell him to, but I’ve never made him hold it longer than maybe five minutes. He stares at me so intensely during a place or stay (doesn’t chill out), so I’ve mostly used it for things like people coming to the door or needing him out of my way for a short amount of time. Nothing long-term. I can work on that for sure.


IMO he doesn’t need to stay in one place for a long period of time. Not fair to the dog. He needs to be taught a command that means go away and chill.


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

BigOzzy2018 said:


> IMO he doesn’t need to stay in one place for a long period of time. Not fair to the dog. He needs to be taught a command that means go away and chill.


If I simply ignore him, he paces and huffs a lot. I was thinking that teaching him to stay on one spot may make him relax faster. It’s hard to know.

He does know ‘all done’ means I’m not playing with him or training him anymore, but that usually only lasts me five minutes before he starts whining and pacing.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

Here's a little video for a beginning disengage game to get started. You can use a ball instead of the bowl. The idea is that the dog keeps away from you and the bowl/toy, and slowly he starts ignoring you. Seems silly but doesn't hurt to try and modify it to suit your needs.


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

As an aside, he is amazing while I’m out of the house. He’s left loose and doesn’t get into any trouble. On Wednesdays I’m gone for a total of 13 hours. I have someone that lets him out, feeds him lunch, and occasionally throws his ball for a few minutes. He never chews on things, gets into food on the counter, barks endlessly, tears toys up. He’s good about settling that way. I think he just sees it as my job to constantly entertain him when I’m home.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

I'm wondering what your energy levels are like, are you high energy yourself, or quiet and calm?


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

Dunkirk said:


> I'm wondering what your energy levels are like, are you high energy yourself, or quiet and calm?


I’m quiet and calm. The house is also quiet and calm. Not much happens around here! I noticed that he’s better about simply sitting and watching me while I’m doing things like cooking or cleaning. He’s the most annoying when I’m sitting down doing nothing.


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## BigOzzy2018 (Jan 27, 2018)

Pytheis said:


> If I simply ignore him, he paces and huffs a lot. I was thinking that teaching him to stay on one spot may make him relax faster. It’s hard to know.
> 
> He does know ‘all done’ means I’m not playing with him or training him anymore, but that usually only lasts me five minutes before he starts whining and pacing.


Do u have chew toys?


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

BigOzzy2018 said:


> Do u have chew toys?


I do. He has absolutely zero interest in them, and I’ve tried all kinds of different kinds. He’s not a big chewer.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Someone posted on another thread that they didn't like consistency or routine with their dogs but I find the opposite is true.

My dogs know that walks are always around X time, including the regular longer daily walks/hikes and the know when meals happen after the morning walk and after the 5-6 pm walk and they have fantastic inner clocks to know when those are pending. If they know it's about 5 or 5:30 they often or always are stretching and looking to me. If I say "no not yet", they wait.

Having a very regular schedule helps them settle naturally and have a terrific off switch because it's just not time.

They also never get people food so they never look to me or whine/drool/beg or counter surf for human food. It's not on their schedule so there's no point.

I'm sure that a consistent schedule helps build a better off switch and content dogs (even though COVID has presented all kids of opportunities for expanded schedules working from home)


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Holy crap! Crate your dog. 

I've had a few that had a hard time settling. If I let Shadow go when she was young she would pace and whine and steal things and get stuck in things until she literally collapsed. I mean like when she was two years old not 8 weeks old.
You are doing plenty and you are entitled to down time. It won't kill him and I it will teach him to bugger off and leave you in peace for a second. 
Once he gets the hint, then you can work on chilling together.


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## CeraDean (Jul 9, 2019)

Pytheis said:


> To be honest, I’m not sure how long he can actually hold a place. He doesn’t ever break it until I tell him to, but I’ve never made him hold it longer than maybe five minutes. He stares at me so intensely during a place or stay (doesn’t chill out), so I’ve mostly used it for things like people coming to the door or needing him out of my way for a short amount of time. Nothing long-term. I can work on that for sure.


We have a “platz” and a separate “place” command. Honestly as time has gone on, I think the two phrases sound too similar and I just have different tones. He seems to understand them but it’s unintentionally difficult for him. If I did it again, I’d change the “place” word and might still. 

One means a focused down that is very strict and the other is a stand-by down that means close but get comfortable. I think that stand-by down (the one he holds for hours but isn’t as perfect) is the one that helped him to understand how to settle.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Pytheis said:


> I’m quiet and calm. The house is also quiet and calm. Not much happens around here! I noticed that he’s better about simply sitting and watching me while I’m doing things like cooking or cleaning. He’s the most annoying when I’m sitting down doing nothing.


This may also explain a little of it. Are you the only one in the home?
I've heard from a number of people whose dogs have trouble settling or are demanding of attention. 
Two issues:
1/ They're bored and only have you for attention
2/ You therefore give them a ton of attention


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## BigOzzy2018 (Jan 27, 2018)

Pytheis said:


> I do. He has absolutely zero interest in them, and I’ve tried all kinds of different kinds. He’s not a big chewer.





Pytheis said:


> I’m quiet and calm. The house is also quiet and calm. Not much happens around here! I noticed that he’s better about simply sitting and watching me while I’m doing things like cooking or cleaning. He’s the most annoying when I’m sitting down doing nothing.


It might be because all his entertainment comes from you. He needs to learn how to entertain himself. You have great ideas here but the 1st one I would do is crate him with a command of chill for example put a bone in crate when u want to be left alone. Just one suggestion of many here.


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## Ohce (Jan 24, 2021)

When my dog was 8 months, I went to a wonderful trainer for a private session related to a behavioural issue. This woman was a many title winning trainer of sheep herding and agility and obedience border collies. Plain spoken, experienced, and incredibly observant. 

In exasperation, offhand as we talked about other stuff, I complained that my dog did not know how to settle. She wanted me to go go go ALL THE TIME. She would down stay, but she would just stare at me, not relax and hop up the moment I even shifted. 

Trainer kinda smiled and said yeah,that's what these high drive/high energy dogs are like. She said - there is no point in trying to physically exhaust one of these dogs, you could do nothing but that and the dog would still want more! She said - tell your dog what you want.

My dog was on leash, at a down stay at my feet, watching me, poised to hop up at a moment's notice. She told me - there, she looked away. Mark that, drop a treat. I did. Dog hopped up after the reward, I put her back in a stay. Trainer said as we continued to talk - look, her ear settled back a bit. Mark that, drop a treat. She rolled on her hip a bit - mark that. Etc. 
You can train a dog to LOOK relaxed by marking when it shows signs of relaxation. You know how they say when you make your face smile, it lights up some of the same areas of the brain as when you are actually happy? If you make a dog act like it is relaxed, it does the same thing. 
Anyway, she had me keep doing that as we spoke. Very quickly, my dog was sprawled on the floor. New environment, new person, tons of awesome new smells (Sheep! Dogs! People!) And my 8 month old crazy dog was relaxed on her side on the floor. That, right there, was worth the $60 private lesson fee and more, and it wasn't even what I was there to learn. 

There is something called the relaxation protocol and it's a more formal version of this that I started to do with my dog. Marking physical signs of relaxation so the dog learns to quickly go from excited to relaxed and do so on cue (I use settle). 

Awesome trainer also suggested I have my dog do a down stay 20, 30 or more minutes at a time while I do other chores around the house, and reward signs of relaxation. Teach her that her job in the house is to relax. She said this was both mental work to tire the dogs brain out, and teaching an off switch. She was right, and it was like I had a completely different dog within days. 

Now - at 2, my dog is generally very relaxed when we aren't working/playing and, even in public, I can say 'settle' and she relaxes back on her hip, and often puts her head down. I had her in a class today, said 'settle' and suddenly she went from turned on and staring, waiting eagerly for my next command, to relaxed on her hip, lying on the ground beside me. Magic. Absolute magic.


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

WNGD said:


> This may also explain a little of it. Are you the only one in the home?
> I've heard from a number of people whose dogs have trouble settling or are demanding of attention.
> Two issues:
> 1/ They're bored and only have you for attention
> 2/ You therefore give them a ton of attention


Two other adults in the home and another dog.


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

I’m outside doing yard work, and Archer is out with me. He found a stick and is dropping it at my feet literally screaming and spinning because I’m ignoring him. My neighbors probably think he’s dying.


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## Sitz&Platz (Oct 20, 2012)

What helped my GSD settle down was having him in my office while I work, and he figured out that there are times when he is just supposed to have his own quiet time and snooze, or play with his ball. I tether my puppies to myself instead of using the crate when they first join our household, and it teaches them to chew on their toy or just do nothing when I sit on the couch and do nothing. It's a skill they have to learn just like any other skill. I always correct bad behavior verbally and redirect, because I don't see that ignoring bad behavior has ever helped me in the past with any of my dogs.


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## Cat Mom Adopts German Boy (Jan 4, 2021)

Curious how long you'll let him fuss before giving in?


This has really been a fascinating thread to read. Such a wide spectrum of ideas and perspectives. I seem to dabble in a little bit of all of them.

I run a household with 3 acres, 2 kids (both homeschooled), 5 cats and 5 month old Bear. I have a daily work load of all the basics aside from everything it takes to teach, train, exercise, play and care for my German boy. (Laundry, cat boxes, dishes, cooking meals, yard work, general house work ect) On top of carving out heartfelt family time every single day! (Which Bear is usually a part of unless napping) So by necessity Bear has HAD to learn to find some time to himself. My husband works a job that demands most of his time so the weight is mine to carry. As a heavy introvert, strict routine is not my thing. I'm a bit more of a "path of least resistance" kinda gal. Haha Though Bear gets his daily time and attention that he absolutely needs and deserves (and I thoroughly enjoy) he has also jumped into our routine of "no routine". In his down time he will find a toy and play or chew or honestly sometimes just cat naps.

This thread has really helped me to reflect on that and see how adjusted he has become. And how these dogs kind of instinctually adapt to our way of life (while we meet them halfway or courseowhether heavily trained to do so or by design.


(Bear chillin' with my 8 year old)


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## JunoVonNarnia (Apr 8, 2020)

I agree that this has been an interesting post. 

I see that a lot of folks are "sitting on the dog" without realizing it. The first time I sat on Juno, she whined/pulled/fussed for 30 minutes. It was a horrible and I wanted to give up. Now she settles in 15 seconds. 

I mostly did not tether her to me when she was a puppy, and now I regret that decision. We moved into a house with 2 cats, which was manageable. My housemate allowed his friend to drop off her 4 cats for 4 months! And now tethering can be stressful.... 

I think some of us, because of experience or talent or patience or whatever, just understand animals better than others. I remember my friend's three old son, making friends with my cockatiel (who hated kids). I remember this kid of his own accord reaching out slowly to pet the bird and looking away at the same time. A few minutes later, my bird was on his shoulder. There are no birds in my friend's house, just cats and a dog. 

This may be why the same technique works better for one person than another. 

(Just being philosophical).


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Have you tried a relaxing massage for him. Start at the head and work your way down to the feet. When I did a puppy class that was part of the class so the pups would learn to be handled and learn to settle with a lot of stimulation going on around them.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Sit on the dog is a great way for dogs to chill out there are you tube videos. It sounds weird but works. I used this to keep to teach max when a pup to chill out in the house watching the kids play volley ball outside in the yard without him. It also became a habit at night when I layed on the couch and would toss the ball around. Max would remind me of the miss communicated, perceived ritual. The leash becomes a automatic grounding magical tool.

As for You dog that does not like physical affection some are just that way. You have to see what works that makes the dog comfortable. Karat was not comfortable with physical affection and never pressed this issue. Some pats a hug and that was good enough. He would give kisses but everything was short and sweet. He would not be one to lay on your feet but by your feet or a few feet away where he can keep watch of the room. However through the years we would touch his legs play a game with his toys-sporadic and not super focused or much thought into it. The few second sessions resulted in a game with his toy. This was over time and he was more comfortable having his legs paws touched to a degree.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

How does he behave with the other adults in your home? When we got our dog, the breeder said her working lines must have outdoor time by themselves. My other dog could not care less about time to herself, but he loves it. I’ve noticed while isolating this last year, we sre together all the time and my dogs have become quieter than ever except during playtime. I think it’s because I ignore them a lot when I’m online or writing but we are all in the same room. Prior to March 2020, I was gone a lot.


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## Cat Mom Adopts German Boy (Jan 4, 2021)

onyx'girl said:


> Have you tried a relaxing massage for him. Start at the head and work your way down to the feet. When I did a puppy class that was part of the class so the pups would learn to be handled and learn to settle with a lot of stimulation going on around them.


Great advice. Having several cats before I got a pup I instinctually rub Bear all over every day. He loves having his legs and chest rubbed. I really think it's helped desensitize him!


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Cat Mom Adopts German Boy said:


> Great advice. Having several cats before I got a pup I instinctually rub Bear all over every day. He loves having his legs and chest rubbed. I really think it's helped desensitize him!


My boy was almost hypersensitive to touch as a young dog, He was vet phobic due to an unfortunate bad handling incident and could not tolerate restraint. I began massaging him a lot, every day, and now he leans into me for touch. He also doesn’t mind restraint anymore, either here or at the vet.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Pytheis said:


> Two other adults in the home and another dog.


Got it.
MY dogs get plenty of attention from others in the house and I think tend to look less to me constantly even though I'm the one that gives them 95% of their exercise requirements


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

LuvShepherds said:


> How does he behave with the other adults in your home? When we got our dog, the breeder said her working lines must have outdoor time by themselves. My other dog could not care less about time to herself, but he loves it. I’ve noticed while isolating this last year, we sre together all the time and my dogs have become quieter than ever except during playtime. I think it’s because I ignore them a lot when I’m online or writing but we are all in the same room. Prior to March 2020, I was gone a lot.


He doesn’t really interact with the other people in the house and he doesn’t care at all about them. He might go say a super quick hello if he hasn’t seen them in a while, but that’s it. They let him out to go to the bathroom and feed him if I’m not home, but otherwise they do nothing else.

Archer doesn’t like to be touched too much and moves away, drops his ears, makes it obvious he doesn’t want to be pet if I try to do it. He only wants to be pet for short periods of time when I first get home or when we first wake up. Any other time he’s hands off.


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## Sitz&Platz (Oct 20, 2012)

@Pytheis, one thing you said that got my attention was "While on his bed, he stares at me the entire time. He doesn’t really settle there." My GSD makes sure he can always see me, I think that's not too uncommon with the breed in general. But in order for you to notice that your dog stares at you all the time, you must be looking at him "all the time" as well. I am saying this a bit tongue in cheek, because I have noticed that most cases when my dogs started to exhibit unwanted behaviors, it was really because of my own actions or attitude. 

If you're feeling stressed or guilty while your dog is pacing around and complaining, then you're probably not giving off relaxed energy signals to your dog, and they're so much smarter than humans when it comes to recognizing our body language. Next time you run into that situation, try to focus more on your own behavior and keeping your calm, and make sure to tell yourself that you don't have to feel guilty for NOT entertaining your dog 24/7.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

@Pytheis It sounds that you actually do not have a needy dog, his behavior around you is because he’s anticipating action and you are the one who always provides it. You really built up a value for yourself and did a wonderful job! Now you’ll just start inserting some periods of no action.

Right now I’m working upstairs and Hunter is downstairs, laying on his bed and sleeping probably. Sometimes he comes upstairs to check on me, look out of the window, then goes back downstairs because it’s colder there. I can move around, make coffee, talk on the phone, and he just sleeps, and I pay no attention to him. When it’s time for a break I’ll call him and he’ll be ready to play and be super excited. This behavior was not natural, he would rather be on the go 24/7. it evolved out of necessity.


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## Jen84 (Oct 19, 2020)

*How Alpha Teaches "Enough"*

Daddy is nice and patient and tells junior "enough" throughout video scene ... @ 2:34 on timer Dad puts his foot down and says, "enough is enough" lol


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

That wasn't even close to how "firm" a communication I thought that would be. Dad was VERY patient


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## Puppy grandma (Nov 3, 2020)

Pytheis said:


> Archer will be two years old on April 30th. He’s an amazing dog - really. He graduated out of needing a crate when he was 8 months old, he has literally never chewed on anything inappropriate, he’s never counter surfed, he never pulls on the leash, he never had issues with being mouthy, doesn’t destroy toys, behaves like a dream out of the house. Great dog.
> 
> I know shepherds are high energy, I know they’re brilliant and need lots of mental stimulation, I know they’re tons of work. I put that work in. He knew over 60 tricks by the time he was 11 months old, literally. I exercise him constantly by going on hikes, playing fetch, playing tug, practicing agility in the yard, etc. I do training multiple times a day, and all of his play sessions include training. He eats out of a Kong Wobbler and not out of a bowl. We do Nosework multiple times a week. I’m always searching for new tricks to teach him. I take him to dog friendly stores to do training and socialization. Point is, I do SO MUCH with this dog.
> 
> ...


Congratulations first off!!!! You truly have done an amazing job. Now take a step back and enjoy. Truly... German shepherds are smarter than us period. We spoil them, they expect more. Now that you have done the most difficult part. You reverse. Build in rest time. Sucks but you are lucky to have a smart dog. So figure in alone time somehow in your hone. This may be difficult. Or leave home. You have been blessed and challenged. Overstimulation is easier to deal with than a dud. Find your schedule now and work that. Be patient and happy. One week persistence with a smart dog you will see “hope”.


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## Mango's dad (Mar 25, 2021)

I wonder if whatever you give your dog for flea/tick prevention could make him more hyper. The Simparica Trio our vet prescribed made our dog pant every time I gave it to him and it gave him loose stools, so I stopped giving him that. Later I found out that some dogs get seizures and/or even die from it. A few weeks ago I got him a Seresto collar which has just been in the news for killing dogs and I noticed that his fur doesn't feel nice and soft anymore, it feels like it has a powder coating now. Maybe I'm wrong but it feels like he is also more hyper now, so I took the collar off and gave him a bath, hopefully he will calm down again.


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## CEMC (May 2, 2020)

This has been a great thread for us because we have the same issues the OP has with our GSD. He's 13 months now and demanding of our attention to the point where it can be maddening. He wants to be with us 100% of the time even when we go to the bathroom. It's not that we mind his company but he can be a real pain when he wants to play while we're relaxing in front of the TV or working in our home office. We are home 24-7 so he's hardly ever alone and apparently never learned to entertain himself. 

The only ways we can calm him down are exercising him with long walks and playing tug or retrieving in the backyard. This is the time we use to train him and afterwards he is calmer but he recovers pretty quickly and he soon starts wanting attention again. 

When we don't have time to walk or play we turn him out in the yard or lock him in his pen. He's miserable in either one. The pen is inside our living room so he gets to enjoy A/C and it's where he eats his meals but he hates being in there almost as much as being left alone outside. 

I plan on starting to jog with him soon so that should help to calm him down and maturity is also bound to help. Luckily just like the OP's dog he does not bark very much at all and although he's loose around the house at night he doesn't chew furniture or bother us when we're asleep unless he has an emergency trip to the bathroom or hears strange noises.. He's our first GSD and we expected (we wanted working line) a high activity level but it has been challenging to say the least.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

I think COVID and dog owners working from home 24/7 has raised a new generation of spoiled attention seeking dogs. I have worked from home much of the time for decades and my dogs have all had to learn a good off switch. A lot of that success is due to a pretty reliable and consistent schedule where they know it's not time to eat/play/walk until it's ....time.

Don't let them nudge your hand, don't let them talk back, don't let them bring you toys, don't constantly pet them/reward a nuisance. That may seem mean to some but they are much more relaxed when they aren't constantly anticipating you rewarding them for anxiousness.


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## Cas_H (Mar 1, 2019)

This is something Fiadh has struggled with on and off as she grows. I'm a full time college student in online classes and during my classes she occasionally still throws tantrums if she wants attention or stimulation during my classes but given that I need her to settle I've found that introducing structured crate time helps a lot, putting her in the crate for a set amount of time every day with a chew helped teach her to relax when I'm in my classes while also not giving her the chance to act out and disturb my classes as well as my other dog. She rarely needs the structured crate time anymore so I don't do it as much during the day but she still often puts herself in her open crate during my class or in her place to nap and chill with a chew.


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## JunoVonNarnia (Apr 8, 2020)

I'm working while I "sit on the dog". Juno just hangs out. She settles within seconds now.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

This is my view this very second while I’m working:


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