# 13 week old puppy wont listen



## SantosJ (Aug 10, 2017)

Hello, i got my puppy when he was 8 weeks, his name is Crixus, ever since i got him i been constantly reading in these forums about german shepherds, looking for advice, tips, etc. his is my first dog EVER and i really want to develop a great bond with him but its getting hard And i feel im making no progress with him. I always feed him At the same times, i train him to sit, lay, stay and he does those great indoors only. When we go outside its a whole different story, he will ignore me, never comes when called, even inside he doesnt come, i cant take him out on walks because he just sits or pulls towards a different direction, its a nightmare. He also pulls trying to go back to the house, he cries and whines and jumps trying to get me to walk back to the house. On saturday we going to our second puppy obidience class. Any thoughts?


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## Eli Griffin (Apr 5, 2017)

i was in the same position as you. I got my first dog in march when my boy was only 8 weeks. He is now 7 months and has changed so much. At 13 weeks they are still experiencing A LOT of new things which will totally distract them from listening to you especially outside. Still take him on walks and just keep working with him. As they get older they will listen more and the bond will become tighter. When Eli was that age i started to think he didnt care much about me but as he got older i cant separate him from my side. I know the feeling of being frustrated but try to keep a happy voice when training and use a lot of praise.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

lol - even in the picture the dog is shutting you out -- (eyes closed or looking at the ground)

"never comes when called, even inside he doesnt come"

People seem to come on to the forum and brag about progress in training listing sit , lay down , and stay .

Well the dog was born knowing how to sit , and lay down , and even stay in a place .

At the same time I always say that THE most important command is the RECALL - come --- fail proof -
no matter what is happening or where .

Start with recalls . nothing else - this will be the only thing that he will be rewarded for - be it food , play or attention.

start with having him tethered to you when he is not in constructive confinement.

all other things can be reintroduced - but I wouldn't focus on that , I would focus on and reward the recalls.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

He is still a baby. He is not supposed to know formal obedience at his age. Is he in an obedience class or a puppy class? Just 6 months ago, someone online put down a dog that was overtrained from a young age. Right now training should be play. Work on having fun with him, do off leash recall where he follows you because he wants to, not because you are forcing him to. Dogs will naturally sit when you hold a treat or a toy in front of them and raise it so they have to look up. If you are anxious and try to do too much too soon, your dog will not enjoy training. Carm is right, he looks shut down.


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## SantosJ (Aug 10, 2017)

Just a puppy training class(the first one was teaching sit ans focus)he does follow me around though, maybe i am expecting too much from him at this age, i just read so much about training them at a young age before i got him that i thought thats the main thing i should focus on


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