# Elderly mother in need of trainer (NC)



## KY/NC April (11 mo ago)

My elderly mom has gotten a new, very high-spirited, German Shepherd puppy. Her pup is super smart, like most GS, and listens really well to my mom. Her most worrisome behavior is she gets so excited when my mom comes into her fence, she wants to jump up on her. Since getting this pup, my mom has developed some medical conditions that have caused her to have some really bad issues with her balance. I am scared her pup could knock her down and she could end up with a broken hip (or worse). My mom lives in NC but I live in KY so I am unable to help her with the pup. If you know of a good trainer in the Salisbury/ Kannapolis/Concord, NC area, please let me know! I would be forever grateful!


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Even with a trainer, will she be able to handle the dog?


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

With your Mom's age and health, I don't think a german shepherd puppy is an appropriate breed choice for her, I am sorry.


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## drparker151 (Apr 10, 2020)

Even without jumping on her or doing anything on purpose a GSD puppy is awkward and clumsy and could very easily bump and knock down or trip a person with balance issues.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

KY/NC April said:


> My elderly mom has gotten a new, very high-spirited, German Shepherd puppy.


With respect, why?
Without family living with her to help, this seems like a poor choice. This breed takes significant energy, training and exercise for years or a decade. I guess the problem most people are hearing is even the initial description of your Mom as elderly. Why a large, working breed?


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

There’s Chet at Carolina training center in Stoney point. I don’t think this dog sounds like a good fit for your mom based on your description. If she wants a shepherd, I would recommend one that’s at least 2 and has had some good training.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Has she / have you contacted the breeder? How old is this dog/pup? This is the very reason I am not going for another pup when I am heading to my 70's.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

I hope to kick off before I get unsteady since I plan to have a GSD until the day before they bury me


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## Pawsed (May 24, 2014)

Is the puppy kept in a pen outside or is this a pen in the house? These dogs want to be with their owners at all times, not living outdoors if that is the case.

I agree that this does not sound like a good match. At the least this puppy needs more exercise and more interaction with your mother.

Adopting an older dog might be a better fit, but that dog would still need to be with the owner and have plenty of exercise. It may be that this is not the right situation for this breed of dog.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Pawsed said:


> Is the puppy kept in a pen outside or is this a pen in the house. These dogs want to be with their owners at all times, not living outdoors if that is the case.
> 
> I agree that this does not sound like a good match. At the least this puppy needs more exercise and more interaction with your mother.
> 
> Adopting an older dog might be a better fit, but that dog would still need to be with the owner and have plenty of exercise. It may not be that this is the right situation for this breed of dog.


"when my mom comes into (the dog's) fence"
Good point.

No idea how old the pup is either, OP has disappeared since the original post.


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## KY/NC April (11 mo ago)

Sorry I haven't responded back to everyone until now. 

In response to the questions about why my mom got a GS pup, even though she is elderly (72)... She was still so physically fit that she felt she could handle a pup. She was stronger and more physically fit than most 50 year olds I know. This past summer my mom was able to mow her yard, climb up the ladder to do repairs on her house, and carry 100 pound bags of food like they were 5 pounds. She has always been active and really healthy. Last year she had her yearly checkup plus all the other tests they run when you get older. Everything came back with flying colors… no high blood pressure, no bad cholesterol nor any other issues. She has never needed, nor taken, medication for anything other than the occasional antibiotic.

Because of that, 8 months ago, when her old GS passed away, she didn't see any reason not to get a pup and, to my dismay, went out to get one before I even knew she was seriously considering it. Mom worked with her pup and trained her to sit, stay, lay down and she learned to no longer play-bite. During this time, the shepherd was an inside/outside dog. (She and mom were inseparable.) 

Well, mom got Covid last month (PLEASE don't make the posts all about Covid and politics) and her health took a nosedive. She became really weak, developed memory and balance issues and ended up in the hospital for over a week. Her confusion and memory issues have finally (mostly) cleared up but she is still really unstable on her feet. 

Anyway… while sick, her pup had to be boarded for almost 3 weeks. Her pup came out acting like she never had any training. After a couple of days, she is back to sitting and laying down on command but will no longer stay in place and has started jumping up again. Part of me felt like it was the excitement of seeing my mom again, and thought she would calm back down but she has been home almost two weeks and hasn't gotten better. 

Unfortunately, not just because of my mom's health issue but also due to another unrelated issue, the pup is now almost always outside in the large fenced in area. My mom is in love with her pup and refuses to part with it, which I can understand. 

I wish I could stay here and help train her pup but I live in KY and must return next week. I was hoping to have a training plan in place before I leave. I'm also begging mom (and pup) to come stay with us for a while (forever).


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## Pawsed (May 24, 2014)

So sorry your mom has had these problems. I hope she continues to recover.

Could the puppy's breeder suggest a trainer to help her? Maybe even a board and train situation?


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Part of the confusion was your initial and subsequent posts, describing Mom as elderly.

I don't think of 72 as elderly at all but she is currently health compromised. I think the best choice (short of re-homing) would be to get a trainer in to help and regular help exercising the dog. A pup that age spending the majority of time in an outdoor pen with inadequate exercise will NOT be well behaved on balance. This breed and working line? A bad idea.


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## Hopps (Dec 5, 2021)

KY/NC April said:


> Sorry I haven't responded back to everyone until now.
> 
> In response to the questions about why my mom got a GS pup, even though she is elderly (72)... She was still so physically fit that she felt she could handle a pup. She was stronger and more physically fit than most 50 year olds I know. This past summer my mom was able to mow her yard, climb up the ladder to do repairs on her house, and carry 100 pound bags of food like they were 5 pounds. She has always been active and really healthy. Last year she had her yearly checkup plus all the other tests they run when you get older. Everything came back with flying colors… no high blood pressure, no bad cholesterol nor any other issues. She has never needed, nor taken, medication for anything other than the occasional antibiotic.
> 
> ...


I'm so sorry your mom's health has been iffy as of late. I'm glad the brain fog has cleared up. Like another person said have you considered doing a board and train? That will give your mother more time to recover and ready herself. 

Even though your mom's health and all the bad stuff that happened isn't her fault, the dog's quality of life is probably suffering. That seems like a very sad way for a dog to live, especially at a young age. You mentioned the unrelated reasons for the dog to be outside. Would that ever change if the dog was trained or is it a permanent arragement regardless? 

I knew a lot of people in my life that often kept their dogs outside only and it mentally affects the dogs in a fairly negative way. I'm not sure if it is fair for the dog to be out there. A lot of the time, loving the dog isn't enough. I hope a solution can be made and if not, I hope she sees that the dog is suffering and she loves it enough to rehome it. 

The dog is only going to get bigger and bigger. It can seriously harm your mother (not on purpose at the very least). One of my neighbors love their GSD (oversized, 100+lbs) and after the father got serious brain damage, no one could walk the dog. The dog was too strong for the other family members. Now they can't have the dog off leash in their own backyard because they're fearful of him escaping. He hasn't been walked in about 4-5 years.


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