# New GSD Puppy Guardian



## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

Hi All, We have an 18 week old GSD puppy and first time owners. I have been on this website and I know there are a lot of threads about puppies but wanted to start a new thread and apologise for the length. Firstly, I really love our puppy. He is doing so well. We have managed to crate train him and he is fully toilet trained. We are constantly using positive reinforcement training with him. We have done one-to-one training with him and 2 puppy classes which to be honest were awful. Firstly, he was the biggest puppy there and secondly because of the one-to-one training he was used as an example for the other puppies and guardians in the class. 

In relation to training he does not get out the crate until he sits and waits, he does not get out or in the house until he sits and stay's (sometimes theres a wee hitch), he doesn't get fed until we say 'ok' and so on and so on. I feel like a Sergeant Major at times and the poor pup is in boot camp, saving grace believe it our not I try to make it fun.

As he's currently teething I am managing that and the pain. He is raw fed, I give him a marrow bone to chew on, frozen kong with apple and cheese and I roll up a dish towel, soak it in chicken or beef broth (low salt) and freeze it to help his gums. I also brush his teeth and apply teething gel twice a day via a toothbrush. 

His current routine is get up 07:30, out of his bed (crate), calm down as just woke -fed. Out to pee/poop. Then sometimes he goes a bit zoomy which I redirect with chewing, training and a bit of sniff work -throwing treats etc out into the garden to sniff out. Goes back into bed about 08:45 then out crate about 09:30 for a bit of training, journey in the car and walk. He goes back in the crate about 11:30 am for a nap. Out the crate at 12:30, bit of training and then to an enclosed area in the park where he plays with me and a member of my family off leash, kicking balls and letting him run freely for about 30 mins, short walk back to car. Back home, a bit of chewing, sniffing, then fed and crate about 13:30 as he can't settle when not crated. Out crate around 16:15 or sooner. When my husband is home from work plays tug of war with him for about 5 minutes as its so tiring for the pup (also practice impulse control during play). Bit of training then walk. After walk bit of chewing whilst preparing his feed. Start getting him calm and ready for bed during the early evening. He goes out for pee at 10pm, then 3am, I get him up again at 07:30. Oh my god I sound like a drill Sergeant!! Due to Covid - 19 we are introducing him to a local dog walker to help with playing and walking with other dogs. At present he doesn't react to humans and we are training/redirecting him to walk by other dogs without reacting which is going well with the occasional hitch. 

We are a family of four, me the retiree at 53 (lucky me), my husband at 51, daughter at 22 and son 16. As a family we have always wanted a dog but due to work commitments was not feasible.

Now the problem. Guess what it's me! I am reading and researching so much into the GSD breed that my head is spinning. I have read that GSD are aggressive, passive, need a lot of exercise, don't like a lot of exercise blah blah. As a new owner I have this irrational fear that my puppy when he enters adolescence will grow up and attack me and at times I want to give up. Thank you for reading and appreciate any feedback.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

First of all let me compliment you on the routine you've established. Really excellent! Gsds thrive on structure and leadership.They need to learn how to settle so it's great you're incorporating down time for him.As adolescents they many times develop 'selective hearing' and you'll need those drill sergeant skills
If he's getting out daily to run and do doggie things balanced with obedience training/ house manners he'll be a happy healthy boy and your best friend.
Investigate nose work and trick training if you want to work his mind a little harder at some point.


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## Biscuit (Mar 24, 2020)

Raising a puppy is very intense and overwhelming. Sounds like you are doing a great job. Don't invent problems for yourself, raise the puppy in front of you, not what you read about or is depicted in media.

Be clear and consistent in how you expect your dog to behave.

... and please post a picture of this great pup!


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

First of all, for a first time dog owner you have more on the ball than 99% do, congrats.

One question though:
Why is his morning ritual to get up and be fed prior to going out to pee/poop?
"current routine is get up 07:30, out of his bed (crate), calm down as just woke -fed. Out to pee/poop" 

Although since you are still getting up at 3AM and then 7:30, he cna wait, you're soon going to want to go bed at your normal 10 or 11 and have him go through the night until 7 or 730

To do that, he needs to be conditioned to go out and relieve himself immediately after getting up as he'll certainly have to go. Mine will go multiple times in a 20-30 minute first-thing walk. If you don't want to go out with him at 3AM forever, get him conditioned to go out first thing.

At 18 weeks he can just about go through the night now. My current pup did from 14 weeks.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Do you not know the rules? No advice without pics!


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Puppy classes are good for exposure and no much more. Maybe a little early training. Consistency is good but I would be careful not to overtrain at a young age. 

Pictures are nice but not required. Really.


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)




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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

Thanks for all your replies. I’m new to the site and posting pictures. Will start putting him out first thing in the morning and then stop the overnight pee break.
Quick question- how much is over training. We only do about 3 short sessions and incorporate sit, stay etc throughout the day during walks, before eating. In relation to socialisation I sometimes take him for a short walk at our local out door shopping centre and take him in the car to people watch. Hope I’m not over doing things.
All I want is a happy, healthy dog.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Watch the puppy! They're all different. But just notice when they start to check out, and try to end on a high note before they get tired of whatever you're doing! 

Trust and bonding with a puppy is WAY more important than training, especially at a very early stage. Be stable, predictable, and even handed. Your puppy will be fine!


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

tim_s_adams said:


> Watch the puppy! They're all different. But just notice when they start to check out, and try to end on a high note before they get tired of whatever you're doing!
> 
> Trust and bonding with a puppy is WAY more important than training, especially at a very early stage. Be stable, predictable, and even handed. Your puppy will be fine!


Thanks Tim, Before we introduced raw feeding, the whole family took turns feeding his kibble by hand to help with bonding. Will continue on building trust and bonding. The main problem is me, I have been expecting too much too quickly and need to relax more. When we first got him and I had him on short walks, people we met would say things like 'oh that's going to be a big dog', 'he will be hard work', 'how are you going to handle him, one person actually said 'are you mad'! Nobody would actually say what the hard work is. If it means feeding, playing, walks, grooming, training etc - that's not hard work. My previous job working with the public was hard work!


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

LBryce said:


> Thanks Tim, Before we introduced raw feeding, the whole family took turns feeding his kibble by hand to help with bonding. Will continue on building trust and bonding. The main problem is me, I have been expecting too much too quickly and need to relax more. When we first got him and I had him on short walks, people we met would say things like 'oh that's going to be a big dog', 'he will be hard work', 'how are you going to handle him, one person actually said 'are you mad'! Nobody would actually say what the hard work is. If it means feeding, playing, walks, grooming, training etc - that's not hard work. My previous job working with the public was hard work!


You are doing so much better than most owners. It's not difficult to train a puppy if you put the time in. That's where most people fail, and then it's gets difficult for them. They end up with an adolescent dog that is powerful, bored and doesn't really care what the owner wants. Keep up the foundation work and everything will be easy later on.


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## Biscuit (Mar 24, 2020)

LBryce said:


> people we met would say things like 'oh that's going to be a big dog', 'he will be hard work', 'how are you going to handle him


I actually got the same comments about Biscuit and TBH at the start it rattled me. I got all sorts of things like "your going to have to show that dog who's boss", "show it your the master", "your going to have to train that dog". From complete strangers!

I was essentially waiting for Biscuit to turn on me. I now live by the motto 'train the dog in front of you'. Enjoy your pup!


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

OMG thanks, you are describing exactly how I feel and have even googled 'do GSD's turn on their owners'. Will take your motto onboard as well your advice on inventing problems. I have been so overwhelmed at times, thankfully the rest of the family are chilled.


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## Biscuit (Mar 24, 2020)

18 weeks is whirlwind territory. Have fun! Just don't let the pup know your internally freaking out 😂


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## chuckd (Jul 16, 2019)

Nothing to add except "+1" to all the replies above.

Also, is your pup's name "Guardian", or are you describing him as such? Either way, good luck and have some wonderful adventures with your new pup!


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

[QUOTE, post: 9266497, member: 488961"]
Nothing to add except "+1" to all the replies above.

Also, is your pup's name "Guardian", or are you describing him as such? Either way, good luck and have some wonderful adventures with your new pup!
[/QUOTE]

Hi Chuck, thanks for the post didn't think about the breed characteristics when posting. I meant I am his guardian, his name is Benji. It's now 13:40 here in Glasgow. Since posting and viewing the replies I am beginning to relax. Got him up at 07:15 took him out to pee/poop before feeding. My son and I then played with him and done a bit of training. He hasn't been particularly mouthy up until the last 2 days where when during playing or when he gets too excited he is biting my jogging trouser leg. I stopped suddenly and played 'tree', when he let go I walked away from him and left him alone for about 5 mins. When I let him back in I diverted him with a mins training sit. Put him in his cage with a chew and toys and let him settle down. It's a work in progress and I know we will get there. Thanks for everyones advice.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

He is adorable. Love the ears.
Routine is your friend. I don't do much with puppies as far as training. I lay a good foundation, encourage attentiveness and focus on playing and learning the rules. Lots of exploring and investigation. Take advantage of that puppy curiousity and use it to your advantage.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

Sounds like a great puppy and great owner. Just to put it in perspective, I got my first GSD puppy when I was 10 years old and did all her training myself. Don't make it harder than it really is by doubting yourself. You're off to a great start!


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

LBryce said:


> [QUOTE, post: 9266497, member: 488961"]
> Nothing to add except "+1" to all the replies above.
> 
> Also, is your pup's name "Guardian", or are you describing him as such? Either way, good luck and have some wonderful adventures with your new pup!


Hi Chuck, thanks for the post didn't think about the breed characteristics when posting. I meant I am his guardian, his name is Benji. It's now 13:40 here in Glasgow. Since posting and viewing the replies I am beginning to relax. Got him up at 07:15 took him out to pee/poop before feeding. My son and I then played with him and done a bit of training. He hasn't been particularly mouthy up until the last 2 days where when during playing or when he gets too excited he is biting my jogging trouser leg. I stopped suddenly and played 'tree', when he let go I walked away from him and left him alone for about 5 mins. When I let him back in I diverted him with a mins training sit. Put him in his cage with a chew and toys and let him settle down. It's a work in progress and I know we will get there. Thanks for everyones advice.
[/QUOTE]

Congratulations on getting to the full night's sleep stage . Spend a few hundred hours LOL reading some of the recent biting threads on here and be prepared if "playing a tree" loses its effect. You're coming to an age where ignoring and then redirecting may need a plan B. Or is that C?


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## chuckd (Jul 16, 2019)

Thank you for introducing us to Benji. That name brings back some great childhood memories for me- who else remembers those movies?

Yes, "routine" is your friend and a valuable ally if you start to feel overwhelmed.


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

Thanks again everyone, we have had such a good day. As I am so uptight at times with researching, researching GSD puppy boot camp my family keep me grounded. I mentioned looking at teaching him swimming as I am a good swimmer and taught both my 22 and 16 year old to swim. Before covid-19 I swam a mile a day freestyle. My family as usual took the mick. They teased me about googling swimming classes for puppies, buying a wet suit and swim googles for Benji. Took it a bit further with water wings for puppies and made me laugh with the come on Benji do the doggy paddle. Good to have a sense of humour especially at my expense! keeps me grounded


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## chuckd (Jul 16, 2019)

Assuming an appropriate introduction to water/pool/ocean- In my experience with both, it's at least 10x easier to teach a puppy to swim than it is a human child!


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

I go out with fins on and my dog will easily swim 30 minutes with me. When my kids were younger, she would swim constant circles around them until they would hold her tail and get towed in


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

LBryce said:


> Quick question- how much is over training. We only do about 3 short sessions and incorporate sit, stay etc throughout the day during walks, before eating.


This is a great question! You probably won't like my answer, but it all depends on what training means to you. 

In my view, everything you do with your dog IS training! You call them to eat or to go for a walk, or just for a pet. You have them sit for a treat or before eating, etc.

As @Sabis mom suggested, many people do very little formal training with a young puppy, besides house manners and recall. 

Another member of this forum just got TKN (trick dog novice title) on a 15 week old puppy, in which the puppy has to learn 10 tricks - which can include basic obedience I believe.

Like I said before, the main thing is making it fun, and stopping before the puppy checks out. End on a high note. Fewer correct repetitions is better than more not so perfect approximations.

When my current puppy was young I put her through her paces everytime we went for an on-leash walk. Giving her ample time to sniff and mark and just be a puppy as well. 

Just can't emphasize enough that it has to be fun for the puppy! 



LBryce said:


> Nobody would actually say what the hard work is. If it means feeding, playing, walks, grooming, training etc - that's not hard work. My previous job working with the public was hard work!


People that say this don't know what they're talking about! Training a puppy should be fun! If it isn't enjoyable you're either doing it wrong, or shouldn't get a puppy in the first place!

If you can work with the public, training a puppy will be a cake walk LOL!


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

I have both my dogs doing agility on a homemade course. Harley loves jumping up or over anything so this is right up his alley. The hardest thing is getting one to sit/stay while the other dopes the course; they'd sooner knock the other one of the ramps and hate seeing the other one jump over stuff without getting to join in.Training can be tons of fun.

Or when they cross the final challenge, they can get to chase a stick or ball or tug. They focus, they get tired out, they absolutely shake with excitement.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

WNGD said:


> I have both my dogs doing agility on a homemade course. Harley loves jumping up or over anything so this is right up his alley. The hardest thing is getting one to sit/stay while the other dopes the course; they'd sooner knock the other one of the ramps and hate seeing the other one jump over stuff without getting to join in.Training can be tons of fun.
> 
> Or when they cross the final challenge, they can get to chase a stick or ball or tug. They focus, they get tired out, they absolutely shake with excitement.


I let them compete 

I absolutely love training puppies! I honestly wish they were puppies longer lol


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

Hi, need a wee bit of support. How long did it take some of you to bond with your puppy. I am doing all the caring for him and I know I'm meeting his physical/training/feeding needs etc, but sometimes I feel as though I'm just going through the motions and feel so numb. The rest of the family are much happier with him and love him to bits which makes me feel so terrible. Feel as though they are having all the fun and I'm drained.
We didn't have a good day today. He was a bit more unsettled than usual biting and jumping, could have possibly been due to the fireworks though he didn't show any reaction at the time or may be teething. Anyway, I couldn't get the lead on him or get him out for a short walk without him biting. I just let him settle down and put him in his crate to calm him down on several occasions. Don't want to give up but at times I feel like crying. Life with a puppy!


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

My advice to you earlier when you were getting over whelmed:
"Congratulations on getting to the full night's sleep stage . Spend a few hundred hours LOL reading some of the recent biting threads on here and be prepared if "playing a tree" loses its effect. You're coming to an age where ignoring and then redirecting may need a plan B. Or is that C?"

He's now 19 weeks. What have you changed from what your learned on the dozens of biting threads and why is he still biting you, at least to the point of needing to be crated on several occasions to calm down?

Coupled with your concern that he's not bonding with you and having as much fun as he does with the rest of the family, I'd wager you aren't being form enough with him. And you need to get the family on board with it as well or it can get far worse in the next 2 months.

Bonding is sometimes different with the primary caregiver. Think respect, teammate, partner vs fun cuddling, bonding. You'll be his favorite person by far, not necessarily the person he's most outwardly demonstrative with.

Be prepared when you stop the biting/jumping on you, he'll likely move on to easier targets if they don't get with the program.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

LBryce said:


> Hi, need a wee bit of support. How long did it take some of you to bond with your puppy. I am doing all the caring for him and I know I'm meeting his physical/training/feeding needs etc, but sometimes I feel as though I'm just going through the motions and feel so numb. The rest of the family are much happier with him and love him to bits which makes me feel so terrible. Feel as though they are having all the fun and I'm drained.
> We didn't have a good day today. He was a bit more unsettled than usual biting and jumping, could have possibly been due to the fireworks though he didn't show any reaction at the time or may be teething. Anyway, I couldn't get the lead on him or get him out for a short walk without him biting. I just let him settle down and put him in his crate to calm him down on several occasions. Don't want to give up but at times I feel like crying. Life with a puppy!


That comes with time. It’s like having a human child, some parents bond the second they see their baby for the first time. Others don’t fully bond until they hit a landmark, like the first smile or the first good night’s sleep. Puppies require so much hands on work, we might not have down time to just enjoy them. Mine was the opposite of cuddly so I spent some time every day massaging him, patting his stomach, making him lie down quietly next to my chair when I ate. Suddenly he was coming to me for affection instead of to try to chew on me and the bond I created deepened.

My older dog was a rescued puppy at 16 weeks and was already partially trained. She’s always been small and was so cute and affectionate, I bonded with her before I even brought her home.


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

'He's now 19 weeks. What have you changed from what your learned on the dozens of biting threads and why is he still biting you, at least to the point of needing to be crated on several occasions to calm down?'

Not sure if it is the language barrier but you have misunderstood me. He does not bite me or the rest of the family unless he is over tired, over stimulated or in pain and I deal with the biting firmly. I am very firm with him and that is why he was crated more today because he was either over tired/stimulated (too much testosterone) and he needed to calm down in a safe place.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

What do you mean you "deal wth the bite firmly" and you are "very firm" with him? Are you correcting him? Yelling at him? Pinning him? Redirecting him? Crating him?

What do you mean "too much testerone"? Because my female bit more than any puppy in her litter and was the most dominate. She still is the most civil out of any of the dogs. Were you making a joke? or do you believe that?


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

'He's now 19 weeks. What have you changed from what your learned on the dozens of biting threads and why is he still biting you, at least to the point of needing to be crated on several occasions to calm down?'

Not sure if it is the language barrier but you have misunderstood me. I should have said nip not bite and he stops when I or my family correct him. It is only worse when he is over tired, over stimulated, too much *Testosterone* or is teething and I deal with the nipping firmly and that is why he was crated more today because he needed to calm down and sleep which he did.


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

Think the language barrier is very apparent and I'm not making myself clear and after this post will be leaving the forum. JAX08, I don't really care what you think and am insulted by your post, no I do not pin my pup down, shout at him and would never never hurt him -he's a puppy! I do correct nipping by redirection. Today I recognised he was over tired and needed some time to sleep which he did today. When I said too much male hormone, I meant his hormones are now coming in and he will need time and understanding to cope with the new feelings he has. Was looking for support but some of the replies are not helpful.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

You're insulted because I asked you to expand on what "firmly" means? Really? When any of those options could, and have been, a possibility?

Or are you insulted that I asked if you were serious about the testerone comment? Which I wasn't sure if you were being sarcastic since this is a 19 week old baby. Or when I explained how my female was and that it had nothing to do with testosterone?

I'm just going to go give my attention to someone who appreciates help and answers questions.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

OP, not sure if you got run off or not but twice you mentioned fearing your puppy will attack you when he gets older. Breed matters and the genetics of behavior is real. German Shepherds are the most loyal of dogs and are not known for turning on their owners. Relax and get that out of your head.

What are you doing to lay a fun and adventurous bond between you and your puppy without "the work" that your puppy enjoys?

A LOT of people correct young puppies to discourage the family from being used as chew toys. There are many forms of correction like a collar pop or a poke or even a muzzle grasp while pushing the lips under the teeth which are extremely effective and results are achieved in short order laying the groundwork for an overall far more enjoyable experience with your puppy. 

Have you found David Winners recent threads on puppy rearing? He discusses corrections he uses for puppy biting as well as Adventure Training and his threads are well worth a read.


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

Jax08 said:


> You're insulted because I asked you to expand on what "firmly" means? Really? When any of those options could, and have been, a possibility?
> 
> Or are you insulted that I asked if you were serious about the testerone comment? Which I wasn't sure if you were being sarcastic since this is a 19 week old baby. Or when I explained how my female was and that it had nothing to do with testosterone?
> 
> I'm just going to go give my attention to someone who appreciates help and answers questions.


Thanks for your reply, please give your attention to someone else.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

LBryce said:


> Thanks for your reply, please give your attention to someone else.


There are a lot of good people here. Stay and learn from them. You can try using the ignore feature on those who don't play nice.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

REMINDER:
Per board rules - Be courteous to other members at all times; Be respectful of the feelings of others; Do not use statements that incite conflict among members.

Personal disagreements can be hashed out in PM’s and if all else fails - USE THE IGNORE FEATURE.

Thanks!
Mod team


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> OP, not sure if you got run off or not but twice you mentioned fearing your puppy will attack you when he gets older. Breed matters and the genetics of behavior is real. German Shepherds are the most loyal of dogs and are not known for turning on their owners. Relax and get that out of your head.
> 
> What are you doing to lay a fun and adventurous bond between you and your puppy without "the work" that your puppy enjoys?
> 
> ...


Really appreciate your reply. It is my irrational fear as I was bitten badly by a dog when I was a child. Benji is really a great puppy and so far has a calm temperament. We take him to a fenced in area to play and we have a large back garden for him to explore. He hasn't been a very nippy puppy and when he is it is usually due to over arousal. Today he was just a hormonal, over stimulated wreck which I dealt with. I think I have been doing too much with him in terms of training and exercise. As a retired public health nurse i'm aware of the problems of socialisation during covid -19. I am taking him out in the car to the shopping centre (mall), I sit outside the primary school and high school to get him used to seeing kids going about there business, I take him to watch the daily goings on in normal life, including meeting the postman (mailman).


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

I'm so new to this how do I use the ignore feature


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

LBryce said:


> Really appreciate your reply. It is my irrational fear as I was bitten badly by a dog when I was a child. Benji is really a great puppy and so far has a calm temperament. We take him to a fenced in area to play and we have a large back garden for him to explore. He hasn't been a very nippy puppy and when he is it is usually due to over arousal. Today he was just a hormonal, over stimulated wreck which I dealt with. I think I have been doing too much with him in terms of training and exercise. As a retired public health nurse i'm aware of the problems of socialisation during covid -19. I am taking him out in the car to the shopping centre (mall), I sit outside the primary school and high school to get him used to seeing kids going about there business, I take him to watch the daily goings on in normal life, including meeting the postman (mailman).


But what are you and him doing that is attractive to him and fun?


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

LBryce said:


> I'm so new to this how do I use the ignore feature


Actually the ignore feature isn't such a great thing and most of us don't use it. Just hang around a little bit and learn the ins and outs. Most people here are very nice.


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

Sorry not sure what you mean


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

LBryce said:


> Sorry not sure what you mean


You mentioned exposure, fenced in areas to play (no details), a garden _for him _to explore, but what about fun? How about an off leash hike in the woods, splashing in creeks, following his nose, etc., supplied courtesy ala _you_? No training, no bugging him, just fun and games? These are the types of things I find key to bonding. Has anybody recommended the Stonnie Dennis videos on YouTube to you?


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

LBryce said:


> I'm so new to this how do I use the ignore feature


i’ll send you a PM “Conversation”
(and orange dot should appear in the top right corner near your avatar)


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

I let him sniff food out in the back and front garden and take him to a fence in field to play ball with us without training - just fun. We live in Scotland and love hill walking. As he is so young we take him to our local woods to sniff without training. We take on hill walks but not too far due to his age. Can't let him off lead until good recall as we have become so aware dog owners let their dogs off leash without supervision. Our goal is to get him out with us to do hill walking we love.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

All on lead can result in a situation where a dog can come to view you as what stands between him and the fun things he wants to do. It can be bond damaging.

I can't speak for where you live but unless the other dogs are an aggression risk, I wouldn't worry about them too much.


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## chuckd (Jul 16, 2019)

If you haven't already, you could try using a long line during your walks & excursions in to the woods. The long line also gives you the ability to reinforce his recall when he wanders off a bit, since you can reel him in, thus not allowing him to fail.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

LBryce said:


> Not sure if it is the language barrier but you have misunderstood me. He does not bite me or the rest of the family unless he is over tired, over stimulated or in pain and I deal with the biting firmly. I am very firm with him and that is why he was crated more today because he was either over tired/stimulated (too much testosterone) and he needed to calm down in a safe place.


No language barrier, I was responding to your own words
"We didn't have a good day today. He was a bit more unsettled *than usual biting and jumping*, could have possibly been due to the fireworks though he didn't show any reaction at the time or may be teething. *Anyway, I couldn't get the lead on him or get him out for a short walk without him biting*."

and that you've "been so overwhelmed at times" and fear that you will give up.

You also said that you've been to positive only training so I have no idea what dealing "firmly" with biting means to you. It's not ignoring or crating if your 19 week pup bites at you.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Probably ignoring the people who are attempting to give the best advice.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

Are you in a rural area? You mention hill walks. 

I find that the very best way to bond with a dog and establish a positive relationship is to do fun things. Most active dogs just love to explore. If you are the one providing these experiences, and giving huge rewards for recall, you will quickly develop a bond and great endangerment.


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## Shefali (Aug 12, 2020)

Your pup is ADORABLE and I think you are doing a GREAT job. Ignore all the negative comments from people about what a large dog he is, etc. Honestly, you seem to be an incredibly "together" person and I think your pup is lucky to have you!

Maybe the negative comments are a cultural thing since you are in the UK? I live in Texas and while I've had a few comments about my dog's size (he is going to be rather large for a GSD), most of the comments I get are things like "what a handsome boy" or "he's really well behaved for a puppy". I think people in this part of the world are more accepting of larger dogs.


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

David Winners said:


> Are you in a rural area? You mention hill walks.
> 
> I find that the very best way to bond with a dog and establish a positive relationship is to do fun things. Most active dogs just love to explore. If you are the one providing these experiences, and giving huge rewards for recall, you will quickly develop a bond and great endangerment.


Thanks David, we do fun things with him everyday. We live in a semi-rural area outside Glasgow, Scotland and a lot of dog owners have their dogs of lead without a good recall in place. We have had dogs running at us with no owner in sight. The weather the now is perfect - sunny and wintry for exploring. I have taken on board the advice given and have now got a long line. Looking forward to using it today and from now on until we can safely let him off lead.


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

chuckd said:


> If you haven't already, you could try using a long line during your walks & excursions in to the woods. The long line also gives you the ability to reinforce his recall when he wanders off a bit, since you can reel him in, thus not allowing him to fail.


Thanks, got a lone line today and looking forward to using it.


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## chuckd (Jul 16, 2019)

I should add that sometimes it takes some time to work out the best way for you to manage the line- tangles, puppy feet, snags, going round trees, etc. 

Still, I prefer a long line over a retractable/flexi-lead because the mechanics of working a long-line are more natural, to me. Most of the time, I have the entire length on the ground and I only hold what I need, letting it run through my hand(s) as needed. I can completely set down the line and use both hands when I need to- knowing that I could always step on the line for an emergency stop.

I also believe the dog can feel more "off-leash" with a long-line because, used normally, a flexi will always have a small bit of tension on it.


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

OMG Chuckd Wish I had read your post before we used it. It was a disaster. He got so tangled up that we gave up and just let him off lead. He did come back to us when called but the area is not secure and open to other dog owners. In previous posts I was asked what we do for fun. We have access to local fields that are secure and he is let off lead there to play with us, sniff and have fun. We then take him to the burn (creek) to play in the water and hopefully clean his paws. It is so great to see him having fun off lead but it is not safe without being in a secure area until we have a solid recall which we are working on. We play with him in our back garden (yard) and are teaching safe tug of war which he loves. Honestly, I know I sound a bit uptight but as a family we are trying to maintain a balance between play and obedience training. He had his first turkey neck tonight and it was gone in a puff. Tomorrow he's having his second lamb rib. Right know he's chewing a small goat leg at me and my husbands feet. I am now not going to be so hard on myself and enjoy my puppy.


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## chuckd (Jul 16, 2019)

That's puppies, right?! 

Don't give up. Practice in the garden. Practice before the "normal people" wake up. Practice indoors. Nail down the mechanics & coordination of moving- like walking and chewing bubble gum, lol! Strive for mastery in distraction-free places before advancing. Lure with treats, when necessary & reward BIG for recalls.


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

WNGD said:


> Probably ignoring the people who are attempting to give the best advice.


Hi, I have had a bit of time to think about your comments. I wasn't directing the language barrier to you personal and I'm a wee bit bewildered about your post. I'm not sure why you have taken the hump and highlighting comments in bold. I really appreciate all the advice I get from experienced GSD owners however if you want to give your advice to others then I respect that.


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> You mentioned exposure, fenced in areas to play (no details), a garden _for him _to explore, but what about fun? How about an off leash hike in the woods, splashing in creeks, following his nose, etc., supplied courtesy ala _you_? No training, no bugging him, just fun and games? These are the types of things I find key to bonding. Has anybody recommended the Stonnie Dennis videos on YouTube to you?


Hi thanks for your post. We have fun with him everyday. We play in my garden and we take him to fenced in areas at our local park to explore off leash, we take him to splash about in the burn but we can't let him off leash yet as working on recall. We also take him to fields near us which are also fenced in to let him off leash to play fetch with his balls and frisbee and to sniff. On all of his walks he gets to 'follow his nose' without bugging him. You mention off leash hiking in the woods, but the wood's around our home are used by other dog owners and we are still working on his recall so I think that would be a bit unsafe.

I watched the Stonnie Dennis videos, I love his ethos but my family doesn't live on a property his size (wish I did its a dream for us to move into the countryside) to do all the things he does with the dogs in his care safely - but we are trying to do our best. I have really appreciated all the advice however we are going to adapt the training needs of our puppy so he can adjust to having a happy semi-rural life.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

It takes a lot of time and effort to respond to new(er) or inexperienced owners coming here with often serious issues with their dogs, often issues that should have been dealt with months earlier.

I can't speak for others here who try to be helpful, but all I ask is for owners to take the advice or leave it but not argue or give excuses on why the advice can't possibly work for them or more usually, to get immediately defensive.

No worries here LBryce


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## LBryce (Oct 29, 2020)

Thanks, I am so aware of how inexperienced we are with owning a GSD and as a family we really want to learn. I am really taking on board the advice I am given and really appreciate the time forum members take to answer my queries. Looking back the biggest mistake we made was continuing with the 1-2-1 trainer we had when he was 9 weeks old. It quickly became apparent that they had very little experience with large dog puppies. To be fair to the trainer most people have small dogs around where I live, so when you have a bigger dog you really stand out. We then due to Covid-19 couldn't get another trainer due to lockdown. Luckily we have an ex police dog handler coming this week who has over 35 years training experience with GSD's. The only real issue we have is trying to get the collar on him which again on looking back we would have started that at 8 week's (hindsight is a wonderful thing). We are working on that and he is getting better. Due to Covid and the restrictions I am feeling a bit isolated and to be honest just looking for reassurance that we are doing the right thing for our puppy.


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## Shefali (Aug 12, 2020)

LBryce said:


> Thanks, I am so aware of how inexperienced we are with owning a GSD and as a family we really want to learn. I am really taking on board the advice I am given and really appreciate the time forum members take to answer my queries. Looking back the biggest mistake we made was continuing with the 1-2-1 trainer we had when he was 9 weeks old. It quickly became apparent that they had very little experience with large dog puppies. To be fair to the trainer most people have small dogs around where I live, so when you have a bigger dog you really stand out. We then due to Covid-19 couldn't get another trainer due to lockdown. Luckily we have an ex police dog handler coming this week who has over 35 years training experience with GSD's. The only real issue we have is trying to get the collar on him which again on looking back we would have started that at 8 week's (hindsight is a wonderful thing). We are working on that and he is getting better. Due to Covid and the restrictions I am feeling a bit isolated and to be honest just looking for reassurance that we are doing the right thing for our puppy.


Covid just makes everything tougher. Hang in there, you are doing great.


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