# Signs of weak nerves in a dog?



## GSD_Dakota (Dec 24, 2013)

My German shepherd is from solid working lines.. I heard her grandpa or great grandpa was one of the worlds best police dogs, and had some pretty successful dogs in her pedigree. She is Czech/DDR/West german bloodlines.


Dakota is an awesome guard dog. When she sees a dog in our yard, or someone she doesn't recongize, or something that looks creepy she barks and snarls at the window. Hackles are spiked up down her back, tail up. She runs to the door and barks at it, until I hold her back and tell her its alright.

one thing. She gets terrified of blow up pool toys, and in our back yard, if she sees a dog she barks at it from a distance(on the other side of the fence). Her tail is up with other dogs, but if its a blow up toy, her tail is inbetween her legs and shes fear aggressive.

Is this a sign of weak nerves, or is it because she hasn't been exposed to blow up stuff when she was younger?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

How old is she?


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## GSD_Dakota (Dec 24, 2013)

selzer said:


> How old is she?



One year and ten months.. or nine months, something like that


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Yes, she may have some weak nerves going on. What is best is to find someone familiar with the lines and competant to assess your dog's temperament.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I just read your story about Dakota in the stories forum. My suggestion is to go back to your trainer/breeder and CONTINUE with training. 

We are always continually training/proofing our dogs, she is young and more training / socialization/exposure to new things is still needed.

So again, my suggestion, continue with the trainer/breeder .

Oops, forgot to add, you mentioned maybe getting another puppy , I personally would not, until you have a good handle on the one you have. Puppies can pick up the bad behaviors as well as good behaviors from existing dogs.


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## GSD_Dakota (Dec 24, 2013)

JakodaCD OA said:


> I just read your story about Dakota in the stories forum. My suggestion is to go back to your trainer/breeder and CONTINUE with training.
> 
> We are always continually training/proofing our dogs, she is young and more training / socialization/exposure to new things is still needed.
> 
> ...


Alright, I'll talk to my mom about it, haha. I do know about training now, as before I had no clue, but I'll talk to her about it. Like I said in the story, we are going to go back. I can talk to the breeder about it. thank you.


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

I think there is a combination of problems.

You say you can train a dog and the dog is fully trained in another thread but the dog doesn't let go of something when you tell it.

That means the dog has a very limited training.

An off command is a very basic command. Considering the dog has this drive to hold onto objects i feel you can bridge the gap of her fear in the garden using her prey drive. But you need to research much more and spend a lot of time with the dog and find good ways to exercise and toys which she is attracted to and ask for obedience in return for her getting her toy. Once you get an off going you can use tug to train her as well.

I don't know what your club or old trainer is like but I don't like the sound of a place where dogs can fight and have so much contact with each other. Also the trainers dogs should be very well trained considering he is the trainer conducting classes.

The dog being afraid of objects is a sign of weak nerves and environmental stress. A confident dog would burst the blow up toys. I feel a confident dog would also not be so aggressive with strangers. A fearful dog will be nervous of a plastic bag floating in the wind. 

The reaction with strangers can be a sign the dog is feeling insecure in it's home due to nobody successfully taking on the leadership role and effectively controlling the dog and peoples movement withing the environment. Sometimes through body language you can show the dog you are in control and instruct it to act as you like. A place command is good for starters. Any time the dog gets aggro or excited tell to go to a spot and stay there. 

Here's a good site on explaining environmental stress and how to deal with it
Desensitizing and Counter-Conditioning: Overcoming Your Dog?s Issues


Also it can just be the temperament of the dog. Generally I feel it is a combination of upbringing/training, temperament and early socialization.

I have a female non gsd(bullmastiffX) which was human aggressive and environmentally weak nerved. With a lot of training and counter conditioning and with age this dog got much better. I found a good club for training and put in a lot of hours myself and tried different techniques. 

She shows no sign now of fear of objects or people and shows no aggression with people but still is alert and on guard when necessary. She shows a lot of guardian instinct but is balanced and very stable now.

Check these vids on how to walk your dog properly and how to use the leash to control the dog.
Tyler Muto - YouTube

You also can pick up good tips with Cesar's way and CM's tv shows. I find his techniques good for having visitors, getting dog used to people and fearful or excitable dogs. A lot of good hints on how energy and body language is important in dog handling. He has some simple but important rules and guidelines on how to manage a dog.


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## GSD_Dakota (Dec 24, 2013)

MadLab said:


> I think there is a combination of problems.
> 
> You say you can train a dog and the dog is fully trained in another thread but the dog doesn't let go of something when you tell it.
> 
> ...



Thank you. But the trainer is good, the Police force loves his dogs.. sometimes he even donates dogs, they buy from him too. Sometimes Military people buy from him. 

But anyways, that may be the case. My sisters boyfriend teased her a lot when she was young. I always tell him to stop but he didn't, maybe thats another reason... 
But yeah basically Dakota is fully trained. If shes off leash in public, she'll heel, she'll come, stay.. But dropping it is the problem, yes. I'll find ways to train her energy. I go for walks, but not much in public, I do agility. I did have a dog flirt pole but I forgot it at my grandmas house, which is two hours away. 

Thank you.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Frankly, I think your dog is less confident than some, which does suggest some weakness of nerves. This does not mean she can't be a great pet. I agree with Diane, go back to training, and just plan on keeping up training this dog. Lots of positive interaction and completing tasks with praise will improve her confidence. Regular scenes where she she sees a variety of people and dogs, may desensitize her over time. 

Good luck with your puppy.


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## GSD_Dakota (Dec 24, 2013)

MadLab said:


> I think there is a combination of problems.
> 
> You say you can train a dog and the dog is fully trained in another thread but the dog doesn't let go of something when you tell it.
> 
> ...


Btw not sure if you understood correctly, she is perfectly fine with strangers. Its just if shes in the house, she is barking. When they come in the house when we tell her its alright shes fine


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

> Btw not sure if you understood correctly, she is perfectly fine with strangers. Its just if shes in the house, she is barking. When they come in the house when we tell her its alright shes fine


It is really good news that the dog is not fearful of people. It makes her much easier to control and fix the issues at hand.



> Dakota is an awesome guard dog. When she sees a dog in our yard, or someone she doesn't recognize, or something that looks creepy she barks and snarls at the window. Hackles are spiked up down her back, tail up. She runs to the door and barks at it, until I hold her back and tell her its alright.


How would you like her to act. Do you need her guarding the yard when you are there. 

The counter conditioning and desensitizing will help you if you want to mellow out the dogs reactions.

You need to desensitize her to the front door area. I don't feel like going into it now. I explained more in this thread.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/aggression-good-bad-ugly/375937-protective-fearful-ahh-2.html

Also her barking at the window and door is fear of somebody coming into the territory. This is slightly dealed with in this website which I already linked too. This page on fear is worth a read, as are other articles to expand your knowledge. Print a load of these articles out and study them and start to see how the dog is thinking in these scenarios. 
http://www.training-your-dog-and-you.com/Fearfulness.html


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

Also check out Micheal Ellis clips on fear periods.


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## GSD_Dakota (Dec 24, 2013)

MadLab said:


> It is really good news that the dog is not fearful of people. It makes her much easier to control and fix the issues at hand.
> 
> How would you like her to act. Do you need her guarding the yard when you are there.
> 
> ...



Okay, thank you for the information! I'll do more research and training. Maybe consult with a nearer training club. Although I really like how the breeder of Dakota trains, its a half an hour away. There is another professional just ten minutes away.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I would stick with your breeder/trainer since they know the dog best. 

I would also fathom to say, it may not be as much of a weak nerve issue as a training issue, not to criticize, not my intent, but it may be a lack of correct training by you (family) as owners. 

You will get out of a dog what you put into a dog, she's young, if you stick with your breeder/trainer and do as they teach YOU, you may see a big difference.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

GSD_Dakota said:


> My German shepherd is from solid working lines.. I heard her grandpa or great grandpa was one of the worlds best police dogs, and had some pretty successful dogs in her pedigree. She is Czech/DDR/West german bloodlines.
> 
> 
> Dakota is an awesome guard dog. When she sees a dog in our yard, or someone she doesn't recongize, or something that looks creepy she barks and snarls at the window. Hackles are spiked up down her back, tail up. She runs to the door and barks at it, until I hold her back and tell her its alright.
> ...


Has she ever received harsh correction for trying to play with inflatable pool toys? Or have one pop in her face? Might be a past incident that's triggered her response.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

The blow up toy thing is actually a smaller deal IMO than the reaction OP has explained about people/dogs walking by the yard or house.

Although I do think its bad the dog is tucking its tail, its not uncommon for a dog to be a little weary or freaked out about something that is unknown to it. I would just slowly work the dog closer and closer to the blow up toy to get it to realize what it is and why it shouldn't be worried about it. Have you yourself ever walked up to the blow up toy and touched it? Shown the dog that there is nothing to be worried about?

The reaction to the people walking by seems to be out of fear. It's way overkill IMO to need to be that big/loud/barking. The fact that hackles are raised without the threat being anywhere near the dog is not a good sign. I don't mind if a dog alerts or gives a few barks at a passing person, but to be going all out like that? When there is clearly a fence there as well? That's weak nerves in my opinion. A confident dog would stand there and watch the threat, knowing its there, but not worried about it coming closer. It doesn't need to make a lot of noise and make itself look scary in order to scare the threat off. It's probably more interested in the threat coming closer/actually becoming a true threat and then dispatching/dealing with it rather than scaring it away so that it doesn't threaten the dog.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

If the dog was younger, the response to either wouldn't worry me too much. Just walk up to the pool toy and pet it snd in a matter of fact tone, say "just something for the pool." I probably wouldn't say "toy" as dogs are way too smart, and might just think that is their toy.

The same with people, matter of fact voice "that's just Bobby" or "it's just a man, he's allowed to be there" and keep on walking.

With enough exposure to diffferent types of things and people , even a weaker-nerved pup can recover and be less worried and reactive in such situations. 

A dog with strong nerves can come out of kennel situation with very little interaction with outsiders or foreign objects and not have much of a problem at all.

It's ok to exhibit fear, uncertainty, but what is important is that the dog quickly recovers. When Gretta came back at just under six months old. they got her out of the car, and my screwball neighbor fired off his elephant gun over there, which made all of us flinch, including the pup. But she then, she walked forward to investigate the noise. So before the thought "oh, she's gun shy" set in, it was replaced with "good recovery time." 

Another thing to look at, is will the dog eat. A dog that is totally fearful in any situation is unlikely to eat at all, regardless of the treat offered. If your dog is scared of the pool toy, and you call her to you and she comes will she eat a treat? Or if you tell her to Sit, will she eat a treat. 

It's not rewarding the fearful behavior because you are asking for a behavior that she then complies with. The thing is, what to do with her fear of people, is to take a bunch of treats with you, and get closer to people without going over her threashold, and giving her plenty of treats. Let her ignore them and eat the treats. Eventually, you move closer, and still treat, and when that is fine, when she starts looking to you for a treat when she sees someone nearing her threshold its time to move forward and set it up, ask some people to not look at her, but just drop some treats as they walk by or as you walk her by. 

When she starts seeing people as giant treat droppers, then you get your dog-savy buddies to offer her a treat -- eye contact minimal, with an open palm. Let her choose to walk up to the palm and take the treat. The leash should be loose.

When she starts to see people as giant pez dispensers and is wanting to mug them for treats, (I hope you have already started to teach her to take treats gently), you can start having people make some eye contact, or even say "hello girl" and offer the treat. 

Whenever she takes a treat from someone nicely, you say "Good girl! What a good girl you are!" 

This builds her confidence. 

If she is too scared to eat in these circumstances it makes thing a lot more difficult, and you have to stay farther away and take more time. You will probably also need to adjust your overall expectations because that would likely be some very weak nerves, and while you can live with her fine within her comfort zone, she may never be able to live peaceably with your comfort zone, so you might have to manage such a one's environment carfully.


ETA: a big mistake is to have success early on, and move forward to fast, so that it sets the dog back into reacting phase. Give it time. She did not become this way over-night and you aren't going to snap her out of it. Let her feel very comfortable with each stage before moving to the next stage.


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## volcano (Jan 14, 2013)

Is fear of a vacuum cleaner or a water hose bad?


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

this " I heard her grandpa or great grandpa was one of the worlds best police dogs, and had some pretty successful dogs in her pedigree" means nothing . Sire and dam much more important , total combination of the lines. This will show a direction that was taken .
Dog sounds fearful " Hackles are spiked up down her back, tail up."
Not awesome guard dog . Please rethink that . More like dog you need to be on guard about . Careful management -- so that you don't have an incident with a wrongful bite .


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

training and socializing issue?



volcano said:


> Is fear of a vacuum cleaner or a water hose bad?


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

to the OP: find a trainer and start socializing. work with the things
that your dog shows fear of. slowly, a little at a time.


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

i agree with everyone. Some dogs need alot more work/training to gain confidence. most dogs do not come out of the nest being solid and confident. there are bomb proof dogs, but as with any dog they all need training. when fear or less confident is present it takes ALOT of time and training. its very important to work on this and get the right help. by not doing so it only gets worse. Get a good trainer and dedicate yourself to working on this................best of luck!


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## GSDluver4lyfe (Nov 15, 2006)

My dog is czech/west german and went through a horrible fear stage. Everything was a cause for alarm and his own shadow was an evil presence that needed to be warded off with intense posturing. He began to gain more confidence after a year old to 18 months and started to become more self assured. I was told to give him time to come out of that fear stage. That it didnt mean he had weak nerves (only if he didnt come out of it) but that his lines were notorious for fear stages. He's still suspicious by nature but approachable. Now instead of running away from loud noises (gun shots etc) or lawn machines (one of his biggest fears in the past) he runs straight for them still recognizing a "threat" (or in the case of the lawn mower, which he sees as a chance to have fun and bark or herd it. Dangerous, I know) but reacting in a more confident manner. I dont mind his suspicion as its not a liability. Now I have trust in his ability to discern true threats vs. things that should warrent no fear. Give your dog time to grow up and build its confidence.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

could you please share this line "but that his lines were notorious for fear stages"


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## GSDluver4lyfe (Nov 15, 2006)

Mace vom Misteri


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## GSDluver4lyfe (Nov 15, 2006)

They were also right in predicting the dominant traits of Joker vom Erlenbusch and his offspring being serious yet high energy and a little on the "crazy" side when it comes prey drive and the ability to cap it (not saying capping their drive cannot be done). Describes my dog to a tee.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

correct me if I am wrong but isn't (echo) Trpaslik Policia a made up name which borrows the kennel name of the dam and the kennel name of the paternal grandsire ? makes Echo sound Czech , but he isn't .


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

GSDluver4lyfe said:


> My dog is czech/west german and went through a horrible fear stage. Everything was a cause for alarm and his own shadow was an evil presence that needed to be warded off with intense posturing. He began to gain more confidence after a year old to 18 months and started to become more self assured. I was told to give him time to come out of that fear stage. That it didnt mean he had weak nerves (only if he didnt come out of it) but that his lines were notorious for fear stages. He's still suspicious by nature but approachable. Now instead of running away from loud noises (gun shots etc) or lawn machines (one of his biggest fears in the past) he runs straight for them still recognizing a "threat" (or in the case of the lawn mower, which he sees as a chance to have fun and bark or herd it. Dangerous, I know) but reacting in a more confident manner. I dont mind his suspicion as its not a liability. Now I have trust in his ability to discern true threats vs. things that should warrent no fear. Give your dog time to grow up and build its confidence.


running away from a lawn mower is a prime example of crappy nerves. now your dog has solid nerves because it considers the lawn mower a threat and barks at it? why would a lawn mower be a threat? a good dog wouldnt run away from any loud noise. a solid dog would recover quickly. not take a year to grow up and build confidence.....


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

I would have to agree . Not so much a fear stage as a fear state.
that is a pretty serious level when the dog is afraid of its own shadow.


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## Jmoore728 (Oct 17, 2013)

Not trying to take over the OP thread but a few questions and concerns. 

My male GSD pup is almost 14 weeks old....We received him at 8 weeks old....Due to rather bad luck, (weather, kids being sick) we haven't had the chance to take him on the amount of walks as we would of liked....I managed 2 walks yesterday. He has been on more than 2 walks....But not near as many as I would like.... Since having him, he has been great great around all audible noises...
A few things I have had him around....Gun shots, bamboo chatter stick, lawn mower, blower, car horn, plenty of kid toy noises, kids tunnel with milk jugs, bags of leaves, piles of leaves, ice, snow, gravel, sand, tile floor, mud, waded in pond, horses, cows, geese, deer, my sons school several times(high traffic area), scooters, bikes, strollers, 4 wheeler, walking through tall grass, bushes, downed tree branches, other dogs, trash truck, UPS, car rides, thunderstorms, I'm sure I'm missing a lot of other things...But none of these things bothered him one bit....I'm always trying to come up with something when working or playing with him...Even if it seems minor....

One area of concern....Nighttime walks....Once we get a few blocks from the house, he wants to go back....Especially if we are walking and dogs start barking at night,...They started barking, he would alert, then turn around wanting to head home....I would act like nothing was wrong and he would sit and observe the situation....I noticed his behavior and tried crossing the street to get us farther away from the perceived threat....He didn't want to go....I told him to sit and he did. He set there with his ears up looking in the direction of the barking. I cut the night time walk short and we headed back.....When we got closer to the house, he relaxed and acted normal... This occurred 2 nights ago....I understand he is young, and this is something I will need to work on...The following day, we went on 2 daytime walks and he did fine. A couple times he wanted to go back home, but he continued on fine. Hopefully the ice, snow. and crazy low temps will give me a break so I can keep the daily walks up....This is def one area that is lacking repetitions...Would you consider this "normal" for a young puppy? I plan to continue to get him out more at night.


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

there are so many signs of weak nerves and all dogs are so different in displaying them. my fear dog has no problem with a lawn mower or loud noises. his thing is being approached by strangers or strange dogs. also he has more anxiety onleash because he can't get away. off leash this dog has all the confidence in the world, because if there is what he thinks is a threat he feels he can get away. we work on people approaching him onleash and have for some time, better, but never will be 100%. its better when i appraoch people with him and have the people stop walking twards us. my dog also has no fears of different surfaces or things you would think a fear dog would have. he also is fine in a crowd as long as people don't pay any attention to him. weird, but thats how it is. so fear does come in different ways. you work on things and its a never ending journey to help them.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

debbiebrown said "off leash this dog has all the confidence in the world, because if there is what he thinks is a threat he feels he can get away"

But he doesn't have all the confidence in the world. In fact his confidence has not improved . It remains the same as if he were on leash. What has improved is his options . He can flee.

If you want to help the dog don't have people come at him directly frontal approach. Have them come at an oblique angle , no drilling eye contact .

I did rehabilitation for a US broker of import German dogs , mid- 80's . Socialized the heck out of them and then they were shipped to the importer where they went on to homes or what ever clients.
Best training ground for me ever . 

You don't use pressure . Flooding is too much for the system.
Always work within the capacity of the dog . Lot of observation.
the dog is an observer , later when signs indicate readiness the dog becomes a participant . You observe all the time. Your part is to find the right timing . 
Diet plays a role . Started reading The UltraMind Solution: Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First: Mark Hyman MD: Amazon.com: Books . Some very good points about mind - gut connection. Foreword by Martha Herbert M.D , Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Neurology , Harvard Medical School and Director of Transcend Research Program , Massachusetts General Hospital , alone is worth the price of the book .
For the 14 week old --- dark always arouses heightened suspicion . 
Don't push it . You haven't had the dog that long . Let your bond cement more and have the dog trust you.


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## vom Eisenherz (Feb 13, 2012)

Carmspack, absolutely, Echo's kennel name is made up- I could go on and on about that....but I'll refrain.

How, though, is he not Czech? Or are you saying he's not a Czech IMPORT? His bloodlines are Czech...I know the dog, I know his brother...I know more than I'd like to.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

there are combinations in Czech and DDR dogs that would never have been put together by any breeder in the homeland . There is such a lack of reliable factual information on Czech dogs that makes it difficult . quote "the great enemy of truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived, and dishonest -- but the MYTH -- persistent , persuasive , and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast t the clichés of our forbears"
that is a pearl from John F Kennedy 

the emphasis on MYTH is my addition to the quote

you see the same old cut and pasted information on many web sites -- but no one can give you information 

now you have my curiousity piqued , what do you mean by saying you know too much , more than you would like to know ??


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## vom Eisenherz (Feb 13, 2012)

Echo was lucky to get out alive from the place that gave him the stupid double last name. He's an ok dog- I bet he'd be a great dog if he'd had a different life. If it looks like his ears don't stand right, it's because he was in a crate that was too small and they never grew right. When I saw him, at my house, brought here by a friend, his ears were bent forward, just like as if he was in a crate. His full brother, who I also know and had for a while is a GREAT dog, absolutely no issues, super, super temperament. The issues the OP is describing do not ring a bell with me as far as my experience with those lines/dogs. 

RE: Czech...I won't get into that debate, as I don't really define the "lines" like most people do. If you're not breeding for the original purpose the lines were intended, out of a real need, then the dogs will never be as the ancestors were, thus, I don't buy into the mystique of a lot of this "DDR" and "Czech" stuff. But I digress...suffice to say his brother bears the proper kennel name and Echo does not, both are good dogs, one just luckier than the other.


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

debbiebrown said:


> there are so many signs of weak nerves and all dogs are so different in displaying them. my fear dog has no problem with a lawn mower or loud noises. his thing is being approached by strangers or strange dogs. also he has more anxiety onleash because he can't get away. off leash this dog has all the confidence in the world, because if there is what he thinks is a threat he feels he can get away. we work on people approaching him onleash and have for some time, better, but never will be 100%. its better when i appraoch people with him and have the people stop walking twards us. my dog also has no fears of different surfaces or things you would think a fear dog would have. he also is fine in a crowd as long as people don't pay any attention to him. weird, but thats how it is. so fear does come in different ways. you work on things and its a never ending journey to help them.


a dog barking on leash is nervous. he barks because he doesnt want the person to get any closer because he cant flee. a solid good nerve dog wouldnt care if the person approaches because it isnt nervous. imo its not a "never ending journey to help" a dog with solid nerves. its a journey when the dog doesnt have such solid nerves.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

boomer11 said:


> a dog barking on leash is nervous.


That's not true. A dog barking on a leash _might be_ nervous. It might want to play, it might want to tear your arm off...the dogs bark for a multitude of reasons.


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

Blanketback said:


> That's not true. A dog barking on a leash _might be_ nervous. It might want to play, it might want to tear your arm off...the dogs bark for a multitude of reasons.


true. a high pitch bark could mean play. but a deep bark on leash imo is nervous. why would a dog want to tear your arm off for no reason? that imo is also crappy nerves.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

Well, I was being kind of sarcastic, lol. But I think it's best not to make general statements like, "a dog barking on leash is nervous" when there are so many other reasons behind it. You never know who's reading this thread or what they'll take away from it. Hopefully nobody would take anything as gospel truth....but you never know.


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## Jmoore728 (Oct 17, 2013)

carmspack said:


> debbiebrown said "off leash this dog has all the confidence in the world, because if there is what he thinks is a threat he feels he can get away"
> 
> But he doesn't have all the confidence in the world. In fact his confidence has not improved . It remains the same as if he were on leash. What has improved is his options . He can flee.
> 
> ...


Thank you!! I'm trying to gain his trust. No negative corrections (almost) Keeping everything positive...Lots of treats during marker training....Thanks for the advice....

Is there any particular exercises that will help gain that trust? I do all the normal things. Play with him, tug games, walks, car rides, etc etc etc...


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

life with a pup isn't all about entertainment and circus level activity -- pups benefit from a calm environment - need rest to grow and for the sake of the immune system


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## GSDluver4lyfe (Nov 15, 2006)

I have yet to meet someone who tells me my dog has weak nerves and I very much trust the people I used to train with. His breeder is a different story. He's a replacement pup from my previous dog who did have weak nerves but luckily I got a good dog from a crappy situation. So for the name I cannot comment. Plus I never said he saw a lawnmover as a threat, more like a toy to play with. My dog is defensive, suspicious yet approachable. You can say thats a lack of confidence and I guess you can say the same for me. But neither of us let our knowledge that the world is not always a safe place hinder our actions or inhibit our lives in anyway. But we both accept that fact and are prepared to defend ourselves with confidence yet understand that there are bigger badder things lurking in the dark. You can call me paranoid and my dog weak nerved, I just call it being aware and not naive. But thats me, and I trust my dog with my life as Ive known he's saved it numerous times just by his presence alone. Any animal that has no sense of fear or reservation is not a good candidate for survival. Fear is a motivator and will present itself through life, its what you do with it that matters. IMO Like I just said, it is my opinion.


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## GSDluver4lyfe (Nov 15, 2006)

carmspack said:


> I would have to agree . Not so much a fear stage as a fear state.
> that is a pretty serious level when the dog is afraid of its own shadow.


I was being dramatic.  I know what kind of dog I have. And I accept him and I'm greatful for the dog I have. He may have gone through a fear stage but now he is confident. May not be as unnaturally confident as most people strive for but he does his job just fine for me. And the breeder was a piece of work.


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## GSDluver4lyfe (Nov 15, 2006)

vom Eisenherz said:


> Echo was lucky to get out alive from the place that gave him the stupid double last name. He's an ok dog- I bet he'd be a great dog if he'd had a different life. If it looks like his ears don't stand right, it's because he was in a crate that was too small and they never grew right. When I saw him, at my house, brought here by a friend, his ears were bent forward, just like as if he was in a crate. His full brother, who I also know and had for a while is a GREAT dog, absolutely no issues, super, super temperament. The issues the OP is describing do not ring a bell with me as far as my experience with those lines/dogs.
> 
> RE: Czech...I won't get into that debate, as I don't really define the "lines" like most people do. If you're not breeding for the original purpose the lines were intended, out of a real need, then the dogs will never be as the ancestors were, thus, I don't buy into the mystique of a lot of this "DDR" and "Czech" stuff. But I digress...suffice to say his brother bears the proper kennel name and Echo does not, both are good dogs, one just luckier than the other.


I didnt hear about Echo till after I got my dog but the things I heard were horrible. And if my "breeder" (term used extremely lightly) was in cahoots with them she's no better.


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## vom Eisenherz (Feb 13, 2012)

I'm confused. You mentioned not commenting on the name thing...do you own Echo? I was thinking you owned a pup from him... Who bred your puppy?


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## GSDluver4lyfe (Nov 15, 2006)

No I dont own echo, never even met him. My dog is an Echo and Josie pup and my "breeder" owned Josie not Echo. I was just saying I dont know much about Echo because things got pretty dicey with the breeder when I told her my previous dog had weak nerves and was crazy (literally would bite and try to kill anything that came too close. To me thats weak nerves, but to her it was impressive ) she gave me the pup took back the other dog and that was it. No more contact. Never even got my papers on my current dog.


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## GSDluver4lyfe (Nov 15, 2006)

I heard about the kennel in Canada where echo was at years after I got my current dog from people who knew Echo and his situation.


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