# Calming techniques for jumping and anxious behaviors



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

I started this in another thread about my five year old jumping over food excitement at meal times. I feed him in his crate, he gets so excited when I'm getting his food he jumps on me or the counter, then races to his crate and is all over the food bowl when I feed him. I need calming techniques. When he's excited he also races around and jumps on the furniture.


----------



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

That should be "five month old." He also gets wound up in puppy kindergarten and I'm afraid we are going to be asked to leave. He starts pulling and lunging on the leash. They require we use a flat buckle collar to train and he is now strong enough that I can barely control him using one in that situation. He is good with people, but gets too excited around other dogs. The first week I could distract him with Sit/Watch but this week he just wanted to play and was all over the place. The other dog owners are afraid of him so we were isolated. They let the dogs meet at the end of class and they all avoided me. The instructor said I can use a Halti, but I wasn't planning on training with one. I need something that will calm him down when he's distracted. The clicker and treats work for about a second, then he's up again and trying to play. The class is huge and the assistants aren't very helpful. They say, be sure to click with a treat and control your dog. Most of the other puppies are tiny or calm breeds. Even the Pitt is better behaved than mine is.


----------



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

One more thing I didn't mention. Unless he's playing with our other dog, he's unusually calm for a puppy. Most of the time he's playing quietly with a toy or lying at my feet, so this out of control behavior in a group situation was completely unexpected.


----------



## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

I'm sure the class instructors won't allow it,but a prong collar would be so much more effective to communicate with your dog.


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

The first step I would do and this should set the bar for everything else.... Once the food is in the bowl, put him in a sit and tell him to wait, you can hold your hand up to enforce it. He has to stay put, if he moves during any part of the process you start all over. The goal is that all 4 ft have to be on the floor to get anything. He is not to move until you release him(short times at first and increase time as you go) he will learn that he isn't getting that food until he is cslm and sitting. You have to be consistent and you have to folks through. He move, you start over.


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

LuvShepherds said:


> That should be "five month old." He also gets wound up in puppy kindergarten and I'm afraid we are going to be asked to leave. He starts pulling and lunging on the leash. They require we use a flat buckle collar to train and he is now strong enough that I can barely control him using one in that situation. He is good with people, but gets too excited around other dogs. The first week I could distract him with Sit/Watch but this week he just wanted to play and was all over the place. The other dog owners are afraid of him so we were isolated. They let the dogs meet at the end of class and they all avoided me. The instructor said I can use a Halti, but I wasn't planning on training with one. I need something that will calm him down when he's distracted. The clicker and treats work for about a second, then he's up again and trying to play. The class is huge and the assistants aren't very helpful. They say, be sure to click with a treat and control your dog. Most of the other puppies are tiny or calm breeds. Even the Pitt is better behaved than mine is.


I don't think they should isolate you guys for this, he is a puppy and puppies do get excited. How is he to learn if he isn't allowed around the others? It's not your problem that they are afraid of a 5 month old excited puppy, as long as you have control of him they need to worry about their own dog. You have go work on the focus and watch me's at home, it doesn't end at class. Teach him touch, auto check ins and stuff like that to keep him busy in class. Up your treats to a higher value, ditch the clicker and use your voice. Bond with this pup outside of class so you can walk in and show all of them what you guys are capable of.


----------



## Findlay (Jan 8, 2015)

LuvShepherds. I totally get your dilemma. It's the same situation i was in when my pup was 4 to 5 months old. Honestly, he could pull a sled across Alaska at 4 months old.
Our trainer likes to evaluate pups before enrolling them in his basic obedience class. After observing Finn on leash, he asked me if I'd object to a prong collar. I said No, whatever he thought I needed to control him on-leash. 
He recommended and fitted Finn for the H. Sprenger prong collar. Then he showed me how to put in on him, and how to use it for walking on leash and for training. (it needs to be properly fitted).
When we went to our 1st obedience class I noticed that ALL of the GSDs and GSD pups were wearing prong collars.
Finn is 17 months and he still wears his prong for walking and during training. I would never never part with his prong collar.
I think you will be happy with the control you will get from a prong collar and it is immediate.

And as far as the social stuff goes...don't worry too much. GSDs play rough and other dog owners see that as aggression when it's really just the way your dog plays.

If you can, look for a trainer who knows and understands gsds. 
Someone on the forum might be able to recommend one for you in your area. You will learn more from someone who knows the breed. 

Ps. I was looking to do a nose work class at a training facility and the woman who grooms Finn told me that the trainers at that particular facility do not like to work with GSDs.
I was emailing and calling and was wondering why nobody was getting back to me. LOL!
Good luck and take care.


----------



## Strikker (Dec 2, 2015)

llombardo said:


> The first step I would do and this should set the bar for everything else.... Once the food is in the bowl, put him in a sit and tell him to wait, you can hold your hand up to enforce it. He has to stay put, if he moves during any part of the process you start all over. The goal is that all 4 ft have to be on the floor to get anything. He is not to move until you release him(short times at first and increase time as you go) he will learn that he isn't getting that food until he is cslm and sitting. You have to be consistent and you have to folks through. He move, you start over.


This is how we worked our dogs with dinner (although we used a down-stay). Realize that at the beginning it will take a great deal of time and starting over. The more you work this you will notice your dog will understand dinner comes faster if he stays. Good luck!


----------



## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Waitting for food as what llombardo said is a great way to teach your pup your pup some self control. The leave it or what ever word you may use is a great tool to have. I also highly recommend a trainer who is familiar with german shepherds. I think you will be much happier. Also if your dog likes a ball or toy and he can fetch and knows how to stay. Rolling the ball and having him at a stay position also helps with some impulse control. You can also,use treats. Put him in a down position and have him stay. Put a treat a few inches from him and you using the leave it or wait command then give him the treat.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

LuvShepherds said:


> They require we use a flat buckle collar to train and he is now strong enough that I can barely control him using one in that situation. He is good with people, but gets too excited around other dogs. The first week I could distract him with Sit/Watch but this week he just wanted to play and was all over the place. .


Because you were as boring as dirt to him. "Sit/Watch" That's like taking a 4 yr child to the playground full of kids and asking them to sit and watch.

I am beginning to despise most pet trainers. First, if he's pulling on a flat collar he is hurting his throat. Second....

Here's the word for you...

Engagement. Engagement. ENGAGEMENT.

Be exciting. Is he food driven? Take him into that building and put food on his nose and move with him. Let him chase the food. Throw the food and recall him (teach him that outside of class before doing it in!) Let him smell the food in your hand and play keep away with it. Get a good ball on a string and move it around. Let him chase it. Then play tug with him. You need to BE his reward.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I'm rereading your thread. You need a new trainer and a new group.


----------



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

We have several different things going on. Thank you all!

1. Meals. I read what you all said here and in the other thread where I got off topic. I took it all in, then looked at his from his perspective. What is innate to him and what was I doing wrong that let him think getting so wound up he sometimes barfs up his food is ok? I realized when he's wound up, I am too. I'm a high energy person and I usually race in to measure out his food in the morning. At lunch, I took him outside and wore him out first. We played with a tug toy, then did leash work. Then I walked in to get his food, slowly and didn't talk. He went for his crate, but he did it calmly and was sitting quietly when I got there. I did end up releasing him and got him out of the crate so I could put the food down. If I put it in from the outside, he is closer to it than I am and has already started gulping it down before I even set it in the crate. He was calmer, he ate slowly and I was calm. I think I was getting him worked up!

2. The Class. We have two warring dog clubs. The old style that uses positive relationships and requires a training collar has classes only in obedience toward titles and he isn't old enough. They must be over five months or wait for the next class. It starts in February or March and I'm already on that. The other club holds the titling events and offers all kinds of classes, even therapy certification. They put on a dog show but they are positive only. My fear biter went through their obedience wearing a pinch. The soft collar is only for puppy classes because they play and can get injured. But they wouldn't let me give him a correction even when he was trying to take a nip out of an assistant who insisted on Stand for Examination even after I told her he would try to bite. He did. Served her right. I saw it coming and yanked him back, and she didn't criticize me for that correction. It was a waste of a class. 

My current female took the puppy class and it worked well for her. She loved it. This guy is too excited for the class, but I paid for it and I'm stubborn, so I will finish it out mid February and then move to the other class with the other club. I took one dog through the old style classes and she did very well with it. They prepare you for obedience matches. They use positive reinforcement but they don't allow treats in class because the dogs are too busy. They use other rewards.

Jax, I love your sense of humor. It IS boring as dirt. I was bored and he picked up on it. I also didn't bring high value treats because he has been having stomach issues, but those are gone now, so next week, he gets meat treats again. I can do all of that. In fact, they pretty much ignore me so I can do whatever I want. The previous weeks I kept him busy because we were so far ahead of the class, he already knew Sit, Down and Leave It. This week we were working on getting the dogs to leash walk and come, so we were moving around more but also standing around a lot between exercises. We also worked on No Jumping but of course he wouldn't jump when I needed to so I could teach him Off. 

We also have a private trainer and I think I'm going to work with him on the other stuff. He owns a GSD and the smaller club's trainer owns a GSD. Both are working line dogs. I was hoping to save money but it's worth it to put in the investment now.


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Maybe I missed it. Why aren't you putting him in his crate and then preparing his food?

When you then come to the crate, have him lie down and do not open the crate door until he does. Tell him to stay, put the food dish down and then walk away. Wait until he manages to lie down. If he jumps up when you reach for the latch, Eh! and stand back up. Wait, Tell him to lie down. Try again. Do this when you have enough time. 

A food motivated dog will learn that he MUST lie in his crate before the food is put down, because you simply do not put it down until he does. Once it is down, close the door or not, and walk away. No more baloney with the dish, but if he wants his food...

These dogs are smart, they can get it. If you give in, though, and go ahead and give him the food while he is still being a nut, he will just learn that he has to be as nutty as possible to get the food, so wrong lesson learned. 

You have to be more patient that Job. But it will pay off in the end.


----------



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

He screeches and wakes everyone up in the morning if I crate him while I get his food, so I let him out of the bedroom to pee outside, then into the kitchen for the food, then feed in his crate in the other room. I guess I can let him sit in there after he goes outside and make a racket until he learns not to, but my husband might not speak to me. Dogs and I get up very early. I have smaller night crates in my room and larger ones near the kitchen for daytime so the puppy can be closer to me when he has to be crated.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Do you feed him in a crate? These are creatures of habit. If you feed him in one place, he will most likely go to that place and wait. Work that place with a down. So when you are making his meals you can send him there to wait.


----------



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Yes I always feed him in the crate now. I tried feeding him in the kitchen with my female and he wouldn't stay out of her dish. She isn't food possessive so they would both gobble her meal and then run to his. I don't want them eating the other's food, so I immediately switched him to the kennel with the door close.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

use the kennel as place then. Have you ever played Crate Games?


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

How about, let him out to potty, and while he is outside, put his food into his crate. Let him run to his crate, open up and feed him?


----------



## Hector3 (Jul 23, 2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wyzalvYVxM


----------



## Hector3 (Jul 23, 2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3re_5xEMfw


----------



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

An update. I had good results yesterday. He jumped less, he sat and waited for his food. This morning, he was all worked up again, so I let both dogs run in the yard until they dropped. I brought him in, made him sit in the kitchen and treated for good sitting. When he got up, I made him sit again. I did that until I saw he was calm, then I got his food. He jumped once on the counter, and I did the yield dance suggested in the other discussion, and he got confused and moved away. Then I got him into his crate and made him Wait. I stood there until he was calm, then fed him and he was fine! Yay! He's still jumping a little for toys, especially his own toys that we get out only when I'm working with him alone, but I can deal with that. I also have to remember that we have good days and then we have puppy days, and he might not always remember, but we are working toward 100%.

I decided to test him out in a training collar and it worked so well, he's going to the next class in it. If the instructor complains, I'll take it off, but for now why not use what works? I used a food lure that Jax suggested first, and then he was walking so nicely, I dropped that and used the clicker when he was in a perfect heel position. Otherwise we just walked. We made it 1/2 mile, which at his age is very good.

I also checked and that club doesn't put on a dog show, they help sponsor one put on by someone else. It probably doesn't matter that much but I didn't want to give the wrong information. So I don't need to belong to the club if we want to show later on. Probably just obedience, the AKC winners are always all American Lines.


----------



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Hector thank you. Those are great suggestions and I will try those too.


----------



## Findlay (Jan 8, 2015)

LuvShepherds said:


> An update. I had good results yesterday. He jumped less, he sat and waited for his food. This morning, he was all worked up again,* so I let both dogs run in the yard until they dropped.* I brought him in, made him sit in the kitchen and treated for good sitting. When he got up, I made him sit again. I did that until I saw he was calm, then I got his food. He jumped once on the counter, and I did the yield dance suggested in the other discussion, and he got confused and moved away. Then I got him into his crate and made him Wait.* I stood there until he was calm, then fed him and he was fine! *
> 
> LuvShepherds. Just a heads-up.
> One way to avoid Bloat in dogs, reliable studies warn against exercise before or right after feeding.
> ...


----------



## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

He was calm by the time he ate but I will remember that.


----------

