# 6 months old - not listening, just sniffing



## Nepenthexx (Apr 27, 2015)

I have a 6 ½ months old female working line gsd. When she was almost 6 months she stopped listening at some times and started leash pulling again. Usually when she is not listening she is sniffing EVERYTHING (or seeing another dog close by).. this happens at walks and in new places. She is a high energic and very social gsd, always been very brave.

How normal is this? Is she already affected by lots of hormones at this age? What do you do when you get no contact at all with her when she is busy sniffing everything? At home and on some walks she is listening, very little pulling and being really good girl, but then suddenly some walks are terrible right from the beginning or it just snaps in the middle of the walk.. she starts pulling like crazy and wants to sniff everything and cant get any contact. 

We have gone to two puppy classes, she often tried to pull to other dogs and wanted to play/greet them (also people). That improved, she started to listen to my "leave it" at most times. She is able to focus very well while other dogs being around in some distance. On walks she also mostly listens to my "leave it" when passing people but doesnt listen at me when passing other dogs. I have seen improvements though, shes just pulling for a while at the other dog nowadays (never been barking unless the other dog barks or she doesnt rly know what it is) and settles down much faster. Still has work to do on this because shes just focused on the dog and doesnt really listen to my "leave it" here from the beginning as with people. Not too worried about this though.

We started a tracking class (also gonna go start new obedience class this week). She waited in the car for a pretty long time waiting for her turn. When I got her from the car (it was a new place for her) she was excited and did not listen to me at all or care about the food in my hand. It was absolutely terrible, I tried to make contact with her to start the tracking but she is just so busy pulling and sniffing the grass where the other has went and didnt care about me at all. I felt embarrassed and out of control. How do u teach the dog to make contact in situations like this? The tracking itself went well but the beginning was no fun. Felt like everybody else had better control of their dog than I did.

This is my first own dog and that makes me worried at some times if things are normal and what to do about it.


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

6 months can be a challenging age as you're finding out  That's good you've enrolled in tracking classes since that seems to be your dog's main interest. It's is normal for a young dog to take a while to settle down in a new situation. I think she did quite well for the first time, and the next classes should go better. For focus, you may want to try clicker training.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

engage her, make yourself as exciting as possible! At 6 months, the teething is almost over so tug can begin again. Did you tug with her when she was younger? 

High value food rewards should help too, make her chase your hand for them, or upsits....do restrained recalls when you train and praise her when she runs to or through you. 
Instead of 'settling her down', I'd opt for getting her ramped up,tease her with a toy and then ask for some focused heeling, positions, focus, then reward her. 
Sniffing can also be avoidance or calming signals so make sure you know the real reason for her doing it.


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## Nepenthexx (Apr 27, 2015)

Mary Beth said:


> 6 months can be a challenging age as you're finding out  That's good you've enrolled in tracking classes since that seems to be your dog's main interest. It's is normal for a young dog to take a while to settle down in a new situation. I think she did quite well for the first time, and the next classes should go better. For focus, you may want to try clicker training.


I have been training with clicker ever since I got her at 8 weeks old. The clicker training is working very good when she can focus but when she is focused on something more fun (dog/sniffing smthing) she can even ignore the clicking sound if looking at me fast and I click. This happens even if the treat usually is high value treat for her (but apparently not higher value than what shes doing?).


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## Nepenthexx (Apr 27, 2015)

onyx'girl said:


> engage her, make yourself as exciting as possible! At 6 months, the teething is almost over so tug can begin again. Did you tug with her when she was younger?
> 
> High value food rewards should help too, make her chase your hand for them, or upsits....do restrained recalls when you train and praise her when she runs to or through you.
> Instead of 'settling her down', I'd opt for getting her ramped up,tease her with a toy and then ask for some focused heeling, positions, focus, then reward her.
> Sniffing can also be avoidance or calming signals so make sure you know the real reason for her doing it.


I did tug with her when she was little and actually been doing it the whole time.. but being carefully with her teeth. She loves to tug and also to fetch ball (got two similar, if she go get the first one I threw, she can fetch the other one when the first one is brought back). 

Today in my backyard we did some recalls and also tried to strengthen her contact word, which would be her name. She got to chase food from my hand when making contact etc. I went very well, she was glued to me. She is really good at positions, focusing and so on when being in the backyard, but when we for example later on went for a walk she ignored me when I called her name. She was busy sniffing..surprise :crazy: Should I be doing A LOT of recalls/contactword and DEMAND her to make contact on walks (by going backwards and interrupting the sniffing?)? It goes better when having high value treats but I cant use high value treats everyday on every walk/training? Or can I? Will it still be high value treats?

She is sniffing places where I am sure dogs have passed, it is the grass beside the road/"ditches" and all kinds of poles and such which dogs often mark. At the tracking class it was were the other dogs which trackes before her, had passed. Seems like its all about the marks of other dogs when I now think about it.. and I am almost 100% sure it is not calming signals or avoidance.

Lately I have also done this thing when I notice that she really want to go sniff somewhere specific, I make her sit (the times she is somehow contactable) and when she sits and is focused on me I allow her to go sniff on "okay" command (command she knows from before.. while waiting for food, entering doorways, going into car etc.). Should I continue doing this every now and then on the walks? Anyone having a dog that is asking you if she can go sniff? :wild:


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## Wolfenstein (Feb 26, 2009)

Nepenthexx said:


> This happens even if the treat usually is high value treat for her (but apparently not higher value than what shes doing?).


I know this doesn't help with times when you NEED to be out and about, but it might be a good idea to work more with a less distracting environment and work your way back up again. If you're out and you can't even grab her attention with something really phenomenal, you need to bring the training back to where you can engage her again. We're working on all of that, ourselves, right now! Tiny baby steps with distractions (where you can) until you find the most distracting environment she'll tolerate and still give you focus. The more you work with that kinda stuff, the more you make the really distracting stuff at least more tolerable, haha! It'll come in time.


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## Nepenthexx (Apr 27, 2015)

Wolfenstein said:


> I know this doesn't help with times when you NEED to be out and about, but it might be a good idea to work more with a less distracting environment and work your way back up again. If you're out and you can't even grab her attention with something really phenomenal, you need to bring the training back to where you can engage her again. We're working on all of that, ourselves, right now! Tiny baby steps with distractions (where you can) until you find the most distracting environment she'll tolerate and still give you focus. The more you work with that kinda stuff, the more you make the really distracting stuff at least more tolerable, haha! It'll come in time.


Yeah, gotta start trying out with different kinds of distractions. Seem to be more distractions as we move rather than when we are pretty much in the same spot and things are moving around us. Ive been in the park where there are lots of movements, she was really great with focusing and doing positions, recalls etc when being in that same "spot" (land of grass beside the roads) but it is often when we start to really move when the focus goes elsewhere. But maybe still good to do lots of both, focusing on same spot and focusing when "walking somewhere". Thanks 

Gotta do lots of work now and she will be absolutely wonderful as grown up :wild: Really pain in the ass at moments but other times I am so motivated and it is so much fun!


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## Nepenthexx (Apr 27, 2015)

Terrible morning walk. Tried to pull more than usually and was focused on other dogs we passed way before than normal. Could sit on my command at sometimes but tried to peek on the other dog or focus was completely elsewhere. Did get some focus when trying to get backwards but she didnt care for just calling her. Does the dog get this DEAF and focused on everything else when hitting 6-7 months?? Walks like this sucks big time. Bunch of energy from sleeping the whole night or?


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Here are some links you might find useful. 

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/5296377-post8.html

I highly recommend the video on loose leash walking. I would recommend a slip leash and most likely a change in demeanor. When I do it, I don't say anything to the dog. I put the leash on the dog and walk, if the dog starts to pull ahead? I stop and wait for the dog to settle down and then we move. 

It's all about you.


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## robrymond (Sep 7, 2014)

I have similar issues though our male is nearly 10 months now. He can be a bugger from the off, or he snaps half way round the walk and won't listen and pulls. like you say it feels embarrasing like you are out of control and the clicker and treats won't work.

At that point I have to return home to play with him instead such as tug, fetch or hose play in the garden when its warmer. His walks are much shorter lately due to this sniffing activity. 

We can do 5 mile hikes at the weekend and for the most part he is fine until he snaps again at several points near the end of the walk.

It is tough and I feel like we're going backwards. We eased up on his leash to give him more room to sniff and that does help sometimes but other times he pulls away even on the longer leash.


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## Nepenthexx (Apr 27, 2015)

Chip18 said:


> Here are some links you might find useful.
> 
> http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/5296377-post8.html
> 
> ...


Thank you. I have watched those videos before and given it a thought or two. I will try a slip leash and see if it helps at all. The stop-method doesnt seem to work on my dog though. Usually when I have tried the method when she is pulling it just seem to give her time to sniff some more at same spot. Going backwards gets her away from it and she is looking at me sooner or later like "hey, what are you doing?" . Still, that doesnt work the times she goes crazy and circulate, THEN I gotta stop..hasnt happened in a few days now though.


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## Nepenthexx (Apr 27, 2015)

robrymond said:


> I have similar issues though our male is nearly 10 months now. He can be a bugger from the off, or he snaps half way round the walk and won't listen and pulls. like you say it feels embarrasing like you are out of control and the clicker and treats won't work.
> 
> At that point I have to return home to play with him instead such as tug, fetch or hose play in the garden when its warmer. His walks are much shorter lately due to this sniffing activity.
> 
> ...


Exactly. We can also do longer walks where she is mostly doing good.. little to no pulling and listening/watching me, but then again there are these horrible walks which you either recognize from the beginning or it just snaps on the walk and nothing seem to work. Maybe more but shorter walks would be good also..dunno, Im gonna try at least.

I have also tried to ease up her leash and at some walks it works but other walks it doesnt matter how long her leash is.

Tell me how it goes and if you find some useful techniques.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

your pup acts up, just to return home to be rewarded with tug and play....IMO, the pup is over the threshold and acting out because a long 5 mile walk is too much for this age... change up the walk with some relaxation, play while walking and keep it fun while throwing training into the mix. When out on walks, why is sniffing discouraged? It is instinctual to use the nose, dogs noses are so much of what they use in gathering information. Unless you are formally training, there is no reason to not allow the dog to enjoy the walk. Too much control for so long in an immature brain will cause the pup to act out.
Extinction bursts happen in dogs, just like they do with toddlers. 
Understanding Extinction Bursts in Dogs


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## Nepenthexx (Apr 27, 2015)

onyx'girl said:


> your pup acts up, just to return home to be rewarded with tug and play....IMO, the pup is over the threshold and acting out because a long 5 mile walk is too much for this age... change up the walk with some relaxation, play while walking and keep it fun while throwing training into the mix. When out on walks, why is sniffing discouraged? It is instinctual to use the nose, dogs noses are so much of what they use in gathering information. Unless you are formally training, there is no reason to not allow the dog to enjoy the walk. Too much control for so long in an immature brain will cause the pup to act out.
> Extinction bursts happen in dogs, just like they do with toddlers.
> Understanding Extinction Bursts in Dogs


I am not walking mine 5 miles nor returning home immediately every time for play. She can of course sniff, but my main problem about the sniffing is that she wont listen at all when calling for contact. I want her to make contact if asked, for 2 sec at least, even when busy sniffing things. This usually she wont do. We were going for the track at the tracking class and I needed her contact, but no, she was only busy sniffing the grass where the other dogs had passed and wouldnt even look at me.. thats a problem.

But thanks  the bursts do happen though. I will read about it!


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Don't be embarrassed! They are DOGS! And even more, you have a puppy  

It's just something you know you need to work on (like we all do). Think of it as a challenge, and you will be a better dog trainer working thru this!

Have you heard about 'calming signals' that dogs use? It was a huge heads up when I learned that many of the extremely annoying things I thought my dog was doing during training (sniffing, yawning, not looking at me) were actually attempts for my dog to calm themselves and me. Since I clearly was missing a MAJOR communication link my dog(s) were throwing out at me, reading up and learning was a huge help (and that calmed me  ) Buying the DVD and watching it (numerous times) changed my training completely.

Keep up with the dog classes, but have you also been making inroads on all the 'engagement' type training you can practice between classes? Sometimes we can accidentally 'suck the fun' out of training/classes. But if we've been able to really work all the engagement tricks INTO the training then it's amazing how well our dogs listen and learn to US.

Click this link!!! ---> http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...191183-top-training-expectations-puppies.html


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