I own a reactive German Shepherd - what do I do?

[llombardo]

Originally Posted by wolf1728

Thanks to all of you who replied.
If nothing else, I can see this will require a lot of work.
As all of you probably know, it is much better to have a dog that you have raised from a pup. Adopting a full-grown dog means you are also "adopting" all the training (or lack thereof) the dog has previously received.

Has this dog ever been around another dog or played with another dog as far as you know?

[carmspack]

Izver do be careful that the people you are hiring are not members of some franchise .

I want a skilled , observant , instinctive, intuitive trainer who can SEE the dog and read the dog. Over my dead body would I fill out a 10 page questionnaire.
I would turn this around and ask them to fill out a 10 page questionnaire . Who taught them. What is their experience. They want your money , they want your trust -- earn it then.
In the meantime you can do a great deal for yourself -- read some good books so that you know when something is grounded or bogus. Dr . Ian Dunbar -- just one true behaviourist as an example.
" We can purchase additional 1 hour sessions as needed after we’ve completed the package we purchased."
that sounds like "business" to me .
Be wary of a trainer that will suggest your bring your dog offsite for the sessions as well. Our Jake behaves differently off his territory and he won’t display the same behaviors there. You need to correct the issues at home and have control over them there first before taking your dog anywhere for training sessions.

Also, be prepared to spend a significant amount of time on training and following a training plan provided by the trainer if you want to resolve the issues. "

I would be wary of the trainer that confined themselves to a single environment , especially the home.
I think a good game plan is to find a local competitive training club . Ask your AKC or Can KC about training clubs.
Here are some in the GTA of Ontario that have been around for decades and hold obedience trials , a good public proving ground for the training that they do Swansea Dog Obedience Club Hamilton Dog Obedience Club - just some examples.
I like when things are out in the open , in public for scrutiny .

I like the idea of a good classroom with a good instructor .

[Ucdcrush]

Originally Posted by Twyla

You say he barks as long as he sees the dog, what else does he do during this? How does he look, his body, face, ears? Is this from inside a fence, house, on walks?

I have an FA dog, had the options of 'boot camps' etc for training, instead opted for training for both of us. We became a team, he has learned to take direction from me. I've learned to watch his language and understand where his brain is.

OP, if you are looking for some concrete advice, answering the above questions would allow it.

In the meantime.. you want to do whatever you can do keep him from reacting. That might mean keeping him away from the window etc., or when you see another dog coming, be proactive and distract him with something. You are basically seeking to change how his brain responds to other dogs. Right now it's frantic barking, and the more he does it, the more it is reinforced.

I have a dog who was reactive (it's been so long since I've had an outburst I feel comfortable saying WAS, and it feels great) and worked through it by reinforcing calm behavior, working at a distance with treats (a distraction for him, but it also served to change his reaction from being frustrated barking to getting a nice treat). Depending on the circumstances of when/where your dog "reacts", the advice may differ.

[Odin24]

Originally Posted by wolf1728

Thanks to all of you who replied.
If nothing else, I can see this will require a lot of work.
As all of you probably know, it is much better to have a dog that you have raised from a pup. Adopting a full-grown dog means you are also "adopting" all the training (or lack thereof) the dog has previously received.

I have a reactive dog that I got as an 8 weeke old pup. He will be 6 months old next week. He is a reactive dog and I have been working with a trainer using the Control Unleashed program. This is working well but we still have a long way to go. Getting a puppy doesn't always mean you won't have some issues to work on together.