# Brought home a new GSD puppy...Help!



## frenchfri47 (Jul 29, 2013)

We just brought home a 10 week old German Shepherd puppy. He does not like being in his crate and neighbors have told us that they can hear him barking from their apartments. The first night the cops were called to our house. He is getting a little bit better. I put a clock in there to mimic his mothers heart beat and I also cover the crate and play soft music. I reassure him that I am next to him in the bed. When he is not in the crate, he is sleeping by our feet or following us around. I have never had a shepherd before. I also have a harness on him when we are outside and when he doesn't want to be out, he runs to the door and always tries to back out of the harness. I feel like he is not going to the bathroom as much as a puppy should. The past 2 days he has been going in the house. I will take him out for almost an hour and he will not go, I bring him in and he goes. Today luckily he has gone outside everytime. Does anyone have any tips to limit barking? I'm afraid our neighbors will call the cops again, I know it can be annoying but I don't know what else I can do until he is comfortable.


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## dpc134 (Jan 14, 2013)

Unfortunately, the only way to crate train your new pup is to put them in the crate and let them bark and cry all night until they finally stop. Do not pay attention to them or let them out until the morning.
When I crate trained my shepherd, the first night she cried all night! I got 0 hours of sleep. The next night she slept for 6 hours, the 3rd night and after, she sleeps through the whole night without making a sound.
The worst thing that you can do is let them out or tend to them when the pup is crying in the crate. They are smart animals and if you pay no attention to them, they will realize that is not making any difference if they whine, so they will stop.
Some take longer than others, but typically, it will only take a day or two to solve.
Also, as for going to the bathroom in the house, try purchasing puppy pads (they have a scent that makes dogs want to go to the bathroom) and put it outside where you want them to pee and poop. Always take them back to the same place and praise them when they go in the right spot (bring treats with you). This will take some time to get right, but it will happen.
Good luck and have fun!


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

Are you putting anything in the crate with him? Stuffed kongs, chew toys, etc will all keep him busy. The worst thing you can do while crate training is give in to the whining and barking. Ignore, ignore, ignore. He will get it. They are really smart. When my pup was out of her crate I would hide neat cool stuff in there for her to find when she did look. It made the crate a fun place where she got good things and could relax. Covering the crate may help as long as it isn't too hot. Are the neighbors complaining about barking at night or during the day. Are you leaving him in the crate all day while you go to work? If so, all day and all night are a really long time for that young of a pup. Could you consider day care or a friend that might come over and walk him in the middle of the day? 10 weeks is not too young to crate train. You have to be positive about it and don't give in to the heartbreaking howls, whines, etc. 

As for the housebreaking - it takes a little while but you have to be consistent. Take the puppy out and stay out there until he goes then praise, treat, etc. Take the pup out after waking, eating, playing, any activity that gets them alert. That way he doesn't have a chance to go in the house. Always praise him when he goes outside, even give treats. I even eventually use a command - Find your spot! This will work but it takes time and you have to really pay attention. If in the house, leash the pup to you so you will know when it begins to sniff for a spot to pee or poop. As soon as you see that behavior, go right outside with him.


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## frenchfri47 (Jul 29, 2013)

Yes I have been putting toys and a kong in with him at night. The first night, the neighbors heard him crying at night, although, another said they heard him during the day. It is rare that I leave him alone, only if I'm running to the store. There are only 3 days where he is in the crate during the day and I hired someone to come walk him in the middle of the day.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Is the crate in the bedroom with you?


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## frenchfri47 (Jul 29, 2013)

Yes he is in with us.


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## belladonnalily (May 24, 2013)

I always throw a few treats in the crate so he goes in to hunt for them on his own. The first week or so we got up with him a lot, but every SINGLE time he left his crate we went straight outside to pee, then straight back to his crate (w/treats thrown in). No affection or talking, just business. After about a week, it was once a night and after 3, he slept all night. 

Maybe we were lucky, but the treats seemed to help as did the no playing or loving on at night. 

Also, our pup is modest. He likes a private spot to do his business. I spend several nights a week at my apartment in town so I know that can be tough. Try seeking out isolated areas or even let him sniff behind some bushes. If he looks ready, turn around as if you aren't watching. Seems silly, but some just have a hard time learning to go with you attached to them. 

My last suggestion would be to take any free days you have to crate him and then take him out after he settles down and reward him. Ignore when he cries. Repeat. Its easy to keep him out with you during the precious free time you have to spend with him but after a few days, he might get it.

Good luck!

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## belladonnalily (May 24, 2013)

Also, I couldn't stand him having no water at night, but we did limit it. A very small bowl with just enough for one wake-up helps control things so you'll better predict when he has to go. Our pup loves water and would be peeing all night if we didn't do this. 

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## vwitt (May 22, 2013)

I just want to chime in and say your neighbors sound like jerks. I would think a neighborly talking-to would make sense before calling the police. 

Hopefully a couple days of tough love in the crate will do the trick. Hang in there, it will work!


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

frenchfri47 said:


> Yes I have been putting toys and a kong in with him at night. The first night, the neighbors heard him crying at night, although, another said they heard him during the day. It is rare that I leave him alone, only if I'm running to the store. There are only 3 days where he is in the crate during the day and I hired someone to come walk him in the middle of the day.



I think he just needs a chance to get used to it as long as you aren't leaving him for hours alone during the day without someone coming by. Maybe for a little while the person could come by twice during the days you are gone. 
Are you putting anything in the kong? Some peanut butter and kibble frozen into the kong last a long time and pup gets tired trying to get it all out. Also lots of playing before bed time wears them out too. So play a lot and have lots of fun before bed then he will be ready to crash out. Put the kong in the crate and when he wakes up he will find it or he will find it before going to sleep and probably fall asleep licking on it.


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## Okin (Feb 27, 2013)

There was a few nights that I slept on the floor next to the crate so my fiance could get some sleep when my pup was young. They will grow out of it but it is tough at first. I'm not sure if this would be possible but moving the crate in to the area you sleep might help.


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## Markobytes (Sep 11, 2012)

Having the pup just cry it out is not the best way to crate train. A better way would have been to give the pup a positive association to the crate before throwing him in and ignoring his cries. I spend days throwing treats in the crate until the pup is walking in on his own. I then will place a bone or bully stick in and let him lay down in the crate, then I will shut the door but I open the door before he feels trapped. This way there is a lot less stress on the pup but then you do ignore the whining unless it is to tell you he has to go to the bathroom. It is also better to sleep on the floor with the pup out of the crate, the pup will be less stressed overall. This pup is no more than a baby and may be too intimidated to relieve himself in an area frequented by other dogs. Make the night time breaks all business but extend the daytime excursions past the bathroom breaks. Limiting a pup's water supply to keep it from peeing is plain stupid and not healthy. If you can eliminate the pups overall stress it will adjust a lot more quickly.


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## kare71913 (Aug 5, 2013)

Just a few suggestions (may or may not help):
*Leave the crate open & available to him during the day (with toys & whatnot inside) - make it inviting & not a punishment. praise him if he goes in of his own free will
*during the day leave him in there for shorter amts of time 30m-hr & give him a treat after taking him out... 
*i'm not sure about the inside the house part / not wanting to go outside; My first dog did get a blatter infection (i was young and tried to crate train him too long  )... thus he'd have to go ALL the time, in or out - but it was obvious, not something where he was choosing to go inside rather than out. . .


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## jmoney (Jul 21, 2010)

Putting it next to the bed where they can see you will help. I also made it a habit to wake up every 3 hours and see if the pup was awake, if yes, then we went outside in case she needed to potty, then back in the crate, with a small treat. Over the next week I expanded the wait time. I never left her in there for more than 6 hours for a few weeks after that.

I didn't have anywhere else to put the crate at the time, but eventually, after a few moves the crate ended up further and further away from the bedroom, now its on the other side of the house.

It gets better, but try an avoid an accident in the crate and try to stick to a regimen, if the puppy realizes crying gets them out, you are in for a long haul


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

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We have always used a medium size fan ran on medium to low. It seems to calm them down alittle. But at his stage, he is going to try anything to get your attention to get out of the kennel. You do have to ignore them and do not interact with them while in the kennel. It just prolongs the crying. 

Also, you want only enough room for then to turn around and lay down in the kennel. When you get them out, carry them to the door, tell them potty verbaly and take them outside. It is important you take them to the same potty area everytime. Wait awhile let them mill around until they go. Also take them out right after they eat. Same spot in the yard. Over time they will get the idea that your wanting them to go outside to potty. They will get to the point they will willingly go to thier potty zone to go. 

Be patient, and give it time. It'll be worth the while in the end.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Patience and time, you do have a new 'baby' in the house. Tons of great info around the site. 

Did you have a chance to look thru ---> http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...-time-owner/165774-gsd-puppy-primer-tips.html


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## ODINsFREKI (Jul 30, 2013)

All of my dogs worked like a clock, they would go pee about 10 to 15 minutes after eating and having a drink. If they are not relieving themselves often, as they should, you may have given him a negative association with going potty. 

The only thing negative I do to a puppy the first time they pee in the house is make them get it on their nose and then take them outside. When they go, I act like they just cured cancer and give them treats.

The crate should be a secure place and not used as punishment. Leave it open when you are home and make sure it's clean and has entertainment. A puppy will trash the hotel room very quickly and you should clean it out ever few days. 

If they wine a little at first, you can throw a dirty shirt of yours in there for him to chew on and cuddle up to. Don't react to his cry, it will only get worse if you are at their beck and call. 

I groom my dog every night and then massage them. It takes all of 15 minutes to do. They become relaxed and I get out a treat after the grooming. I toss it into the crate and give the command, then when they are in there lying down I give another treat, a chew toy and close the door. A few minutes later I will put in another treat through the openings on the side and say good night and kill the lights. 

The only time he will wine for me is if he wants to go outside and pee. That tends to happen at about 2am. As they get older, they can hold it. A puppy will need constant attention to be a good dog.

Good luck!


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## Dbrooke407 (Apr 18, 2013)

First, let me go ahead and say there is NOT just one way to crate train a dog.

Second, the harness issue is something i had to work with my GSD with as well. it's not hard, just a little time consuming. 

Finally, the outside/potty thing can be fairly easily resolved. It will take discipline on your part though. Schedules can be sooo important for some dogs!

I'm currently in the process of getting a certification as a Dog Obedience Trainer. If you'd like some advice, send me a message and I'll get right back to you! 


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

When I got my puppy I went to my neighbors and let them meet him. Then I brought up that their would likely be some crying in the crate the first few night and apologized in advance. I live in a townhouse, so only 2 neighbors to worry about, but introducing the "cute adorable pup" and letting them get "invested" in him worked miracles. 

Now my neighbors feel good about him, never complained those first few nights and it helps build a relationship. 

You have gotten lots of good advice on crate training him. 

Good luck! And enjoy. Trust me the baby stage is short, then you are in the obnoxious adolescent/ teenager stage. It sucks!!! LOL!!


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## Smokie21 (Jun 6, 2013)

I have a 10 week old puppy that we crate at night and when we leave. I go to school so some days its a short time period and sometimes its a longer period. He seems to do fine with this sometimes he does have accidents. I had someone tell me NOT to put any toys in his crate for a safety issue. I thought this was odd because he is a puppy and would be very bored. Would it be ok to put in his elk antler or a kong toy?


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

Smokie21 said:


> I have a 10 week old puppy that we crate at night and when we leave. I go to school so some days its a short time period and sometimes its a longer period. He seems to do fine with this sometimes he does have accidents. I had someone tell me NOT to put any toys in his crate for a safety issue. I thought this was odd because he is a puppy and would be very bored. Would it be ok to put in his elk antler or a kong toy?


Absolutely ok to leave a kong. Preferably, filled with a snack like kibble and peanut butter frozen in. It takes a long time to lick out and gives them a protein fix as well. Antlers are good but if you leave one in there make sure it isn't one that the pup can crack or splinter. I noticed the smaller dog sizes splinter really easy. Don't put stuffed toys or any toy the pup can chew pieces off of and choke on or eat what it isn't supposed to.


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## Smokie21 (Jun 6, 2013)

pyratemom said:


> Absolutely ok to leave a kong. Preferably, filled with a snack like kibble and peanut butter frozen in. It takes a long time to lick out and gives them a protein fix as well. Antlers are good but if you leave one in there make sure it isn't one that the pup can crack or splinter. I noticed the smaller dog sizes splinter really easy. Don't put stuffed toys or any toy the pup can chew pieces off of and choke on or eat what it isn't supposed to.


Thank you I appreciate the response. I have bought 3 black kong toys (bone, ball, and regular kong) and I've tried the peanut butter frozen a few times and he gets through it very fast lol. I see so many people on here say its ok to leave toys in the crate I may give it a try. A friend acted like I was crazy for asking (she has two GSDs) and said he would choke. I couldn't live with myself if something happened. 

Do you think by leaving a toy in his crate while we are away could possibly help with his puppy biting? He just nips a bit but sometimes goes into a full on bite fest in the middle. We have tried almost every theory and none seem to help. We have tried no, redirect, scruffing (this seems to make it worse he tries more and harder to bite and this was recommended from the vet office). Sometimes he is even getting my face or any part of me he can get. I'm open to any and all suggestions. I've read a few posts about keeping him on a leash when dealing with cats I may have to do that but now he is only sometimes too hyper and going after them. Tonight he was sitting close to one of our cats and all was fine (we were right there if he went to move). I am starting an obedience class on Oct. 9th hoping that this will help. We also have an excersice pen for indoors or outdoors we use so he can be with us and play with his toys while we can do housework and such so he won't get hurt. Is this a bad idea? I am open to any and all suggestions from more experienced owners. I apologize if this is a bit scattered and in the wrong place.


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## Dbrooke407 (Apr 18, 2013)

Smokie21 said:


> Thank you I appreciate the response. I have bought 3 black kong toys (bone, ball, and regular kong) and I've tried the peanut butter frozen a few times and he gets through it very fast lol. I see so many people on here say its ok to leave toys in the crate I may give it a try. A friend acted like I was crazy for asking (she has two GSDs) and said he would choke. I couldn't live with myself if something happened.
> 
> Do you think by leaving a toy in his crate while we are away could possibly help with his puppy biting? He just nips a bit but sometimes goes into a full on bite fest in the middle. We have tried almost every theory and none seem to help. We have tried no, redirect, scruffing (this seems to make it worse he tries more and harder to bite and this was recommended from the vet office). Sometimes he is even getting my face or any part of me he can get. I'm open to any and all suggestions. I've read a few posts about keeping him on a leash when dealing with cats I may have to do that but now he is only sometimes too hyper and going after them. Tonight he was sitting close to one of our cats and all was fine (we were right there if he went to move). I am starting an obedience class on Oct. 9th hoping that this will help. We also have an excersice pen for indoors or outdoors we use so he can be with us and play with his toys while we can do housework and such so he won't get hurt. Is this a bad idea? I am open to any and all suggestions from more experienced owners. I apologize if this is a bit scattered and in the wrong place.


I learned really fast that unless we're discussing medical things, vets need to stay quiet. They don't know anything about dog behavior and training or dog nutrition. Of course there are a few exceptions, but for the most part don't listen to your vet about those things. 
Kane took a few months to learn his bite inhibition. I had to take him to a room and wait for him to start biting and then get up and leave the room, shutting the door behind me. Counted to 15 in my head and went back in. After about a week he figured out that when he would bite me, I would disappear. Since he wanted my attention, me disappearing was a disappointment for him. 

Keep in mind that GSDs are called "land sharks" for a reason though! From what I've seen, they tend to take a little longer to learn bite inhibition than other breeds. Again, there are always exceptions. 


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## Smokie21 (Jun 6, 2013)

Dbrooke407 said:


> I learned really fast that unless we're discussing medical things, vets need to stay quiet. They don't know anything about dog behavior and training or dog nutrition. Of course there are a few exceptions, but for the most part don't listen to your vet about those things.
> Kane took a few months to learn his bite inhibition. I had to take him to a room and wait for him to start biting and then get up and leave the room, shutting the door behind me. Counted to 15 in my head and went back in. After about a week he figured out that when he would bite me, I would disappear. Since he wanted my attention, me disappearing was a disappointment for him.
> 
> Keep in mind that GSDs are called "land sharks" for a reason though! From what I've seen, they tend to take a little longer to learn bite inhibition than other breeds. Again, there are always exceptions.
> ...


Thank you I've heard that before and I will have to give it a try. He seems to be getting better until the middle of playing or I take a sock away he gets very very into biting and will do it a couple times in a row. Take anything else away from him and its not a big deal. My vet didn't tell me this it was the receptionist but I'm concerned with my vet because when I discussed getting the puppy I had already done a lot of research picked a breeder that imports dogs from Germany. He said to make sure they are OFA or don't get it. Well they were done in Germany so it is German a stamp and he didn't know anything about it. (I changed to him because no one else seemed able to diagnose my cat and not just give him steroids) I would like to find a vet closer to me that will do the same for my cats but knows the GSD breed well. Probably asking too much LOL.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

Smokie21 said:


> Thank you I appreciate the response. I have bought 3 black kong toys (bone, ball, and regular kong) and I've tried the peanut butter frozen a few times and he gets through it very fast lol. I see so many people on here say its ok to leave toys in the crate I may give it a try. A friend acted like I was crazy for asking (she has two GSDs) and said he would choke. I couldn't live with myself if something happened.
> 
> Do you think by leaving a toy in his crate while we are away could possibly help with his puppy biting? He just nips a bit but sometimes goes into a full on bite fest in the middle. We have tried almost every theory and none seem to help. We have tried no, redirect, scruffing (this seems to make it worse he tries more and harder to bite and this was recommended from the vet office). Sometimes he is even getting my face or any part of me he can get. I'm open to any and all suggestions. I've read a few posts about keeping him on a leash when dealing with cats I may have to do that but now he is only sometimes too hyper and going after them. Tonight he was sitting close to one of our cats and all was fine (we were right there if he went to move). I am starting an obedience class on Oct. 9th hoping that this will help. We also have an excersice pen for indoors or outdoors we use so he can be with us and play with his toys while we can do housework and such so he won't get hurt. Is this a bad idea? I am open to any and all suggestions from more experienced owners. I apologize if this is a bit scattered and in the wrong place.


I think Dbrooke is on the right track. They don't call them landsharks for nothing! When you leave the room and come back be sure to start fresh. This phase will pass but you have to be firm in not letting him chew on you in the mean time.


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## ODINsFREKI (Jul 30, 2013)

http://youtu.be/-kGrr9d4cUU

It's a freaking puppy! It's a freaking German Shepherd!  Great stuff here!


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