Behaivor / Health Advice Needed

[rdubb1031]

I actually have a couple of issues I'm dealing with right now that I could use some suggestions on.. We are dealing with:
-Excessive barking at anyone that walks by
-Constant whining while in the car
-not listening to commands when not on pinch or shock collars (I try to keep her on flat as much as possible, but she doesn't obey)
-taking food from my son (he gives it to her, but I want her to not take it)

On top of this she was diagnosed with a partially torn ACL yesterday.. anyone with suggestions on any of the above would be appreciated.
Thanks,

[sharkey19]

How old is she? I know a lot of people here, myself included, had to suffer through the evil teenage stage (6months-1yr of age) when they totally stop listening to you.

[fuzzybunny]

Originally Posted by sharkey19

How old is she? I know a lot of people here, myself included, had to suffer through the evil teenage stage (6months-1yr of age) when they totally stop listening to you.

Really, that stage must have been delayed for Jazz because he just turned 2 years and he is a real butthead right now. I started Agility with him to try and bring focus to him.

[Jax08]

Originally Posted by rdubb1031

-Excessive barking at anyone that walks by

LAT game! It very much works!

Originally Posted by rdubb1031

-Constant whining while in the car

I used a clicker and a treat. When she was quiet, click and treat. When she whined, she got an No! Seemed to be working!

Originally Posted by rdubb1031

-not listening to commands when not on pinch or shock collars (I try to keep her on flat as much as possible, but she doesn't obey)

In all honesty, how is your relationship? Not your owner/pet but your WORKING relationship? I had the same problem with Jax when I trained her with compulsion on a prong collar. It's taken alot to retrain her so she looks to me for guidance instead of ignoring me unless she had a correction collar on.

Originally Posted by rdubb1031

-taking food from my son (he gives it to her, but I want her to not take it)

Train your SON. The problem isn't the dog.

[rdubb1031]

GSD is 4.. did Puppy training, basic and off leash.. now she's just pushing her boundaries with me..

the car is the biggest problem, we've tried crate (1st year), then we tried positive reward with treats (no luck), even shock collar (no luck).. she paces, spins, whines, cries.. you name it, she does it...

easier to train a dog than a 1 and a half year old..

how much training can I do with a torn ACL? if I go CM I need her on a strict "no activity" diet... ugh..

[kiya]

Originally Posted by fuzzybunny

Really, that stage must have been delayed for Jazz because he just turned 2 years and he is a real butthead right now. I started Agility with him to try and bring focus to him.

Lakota will be 2 in January and let me tell you oh boy butthead is putting it mildly. I keep telling myself she's just like my Cheyenne was, she won't be mature untill 3 years old. She's Dr Jeckyle & Ms Hyde, sweet as pie but stubborn.

[Rott-n-GSDs]

Originally Posted by rdubb1031

the car is the biggest problem, we've tried crate (1st year), then we tried positive reward with treats (no luck), even shock collar (no luck).. she paces, spins, whines, cries.. you name it, she does it...

Where does she go when she goes in the car? If it's only vet visits and other things with negative associations, that's probably why she doesn't like the car. You need to make sure there are fun reasons to go for rides, too.

Are you sure she doesn't get carsick? Feeling icky is another reason the car could be a bad thing for her.

Have you tried giving her something like Rescue Remedy, Stress Calm, etc. about an hour before the car ride?

Definitely do NOT revisit trying the shock collar or other corrective measures... she is anxious about the car and applying punishment only tells her that she is correct in being anxious.

easier to train a dog than a 1 and a half year old..

True enough... although food offered freely is a tough temptation to overcome.

Basically, you need to teach her that food offered from ANYONE is off limits unless you give the okay.

One way to do this is to have a helper take a treat of low value. You will have a high value treat (make sure she doesn't see/smell it yet). She will try and get the low value treat. The SECOND she stops looking for it/trying to get it, mark that behavior (a clicker is a great tool) and give her your concealed high value treat. Once she starts understanding that the key is to leave the low value treat, you can teach her your command word.

how much training can I do with a torn ACL?

This is going to be tough, because you won't be able to tire her out physically. You will need to teach her some mentally stimulating games. One thing I did was put a bunch of tennis balls in a muffin tin, with a treat hidden under one of them. The goal was for my dog to find the treat. Lots of fun!

You can also work on stays, sits, downs, etc.

if I go CM I need her on a strict "no activity" diet... ugh..

With Luna, we did need to decrease her food intake a bit (be sure to include your treats in your daily meal calculation). If your dog acts hungry, feed some green beans... they're pretty much an empty filler.