German Shepherds Forum banner

Need a little advice on a couple behaviors.

782 views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  Die Fledermaus 
#1 ·
I've had my rescue for just about a year now. That went by fast!
He's so great. I still dont know how old he is. They said they THOUGHT he was 4 when I adopted him. So I guess he's 5 now.

There's a couple things he does I'm just wondering if you would consider them behaviors that need fixing or if you would just chalk it up to personality..

1. -Whenever I take him on walks, anywhere, if i stop moving, he whines. Like he just cant stand still or he might miss something. Its annoying, but its not excessive so I mostly just ignore it.
When it gets excessive is in the truck. When i load him up and when we arrive where we're going, he whines and paces like crazy. Not during the trip. During the trip he just hangs his head out the window and gets drool slopped all over the cars behind me.
But when the truck is stopped, nothing stops him from being all whiny and pacing. I'm assuming he's just exited to do something and cant hold in his excitement.. I'm not sure how to address that issue. Lately I throw the ball until he's tired BEFORE I go anywhere. I get him all panting and then put him in the truck, which helps A LOT, but he's still not nearly calm.
Any suggestions?

2. Slightly related to the first issue, he cannot stop moving inside the house. I dont mind that he follows me around. Its endearing and sweet, but when I sit down on the couch, he keeps moving all over. Pushes his face on my lap, slobbers all over me, circles the rooms a few times then does it again. This is all at the end of the day after he goes on walks and chases the ball. I have to tie him up inside to get him to relax. When he's tied, he actually will lay down and sleep. Its like he needs a physical stopping mechanism to make his brain stop moving his legs. I'll give him a kong and it'll keep him busy for a few mintues. I just would love if I could leave him off a leash in the house, but he gets me all stressed out with his constant moving! lol

3. Back to the ball. I think he's addicted. Like if I were to look at his face and compare it to a meth addict who is about to shoot up, I would pretty much assume his ball is a dime bag. I've taken to hiding his ball in the bushes and trees and under dirt and mulch and telling him to "go get your ball" "go get it" "find it" and he tirelessly jogs the property and he finds it 90% of the time. Then i throw it until his legs look like they're about to fall off. Then he cools down, drinks some water and he's ready to do it all again forever and ever until the END OF TIME.

4. When I hike off leash with him, he always stays about 50' in front of me. He'll come to me if I stop walking, but if I'm moving he's 50' ahead and looks back every 30 seconds to see if I'm coming.
My other dogs dont do this. They stay much closer. I was told they are "forward herders", and that's normal. Does that sound right? Should I be teaching him heel or is this an ok way to be off leash also?
 

Attachments

See less See more
3
#2 ·
i didn't see an "edit" button, but to edit about inside the house. I searched the forum a little more and found that tethering them inside is fairly common i guess?
How many people do that? I figured i was one of the few and I feel better about it if other people do it as well.
 
#3 ·
Sounds like he just never learned to settle.Tether him for now and investigate how to teach the Place command.Give him a defined area like a blanket or dog bed where he must stay until released.He can move around at will but in his place.He will learn how to relax there.
You may be overstimulating him with too much activity and not enough regenerative down time.
The whining is just overexcitement.Normal.You can teach a quiet command if you choose.My Samson howls when we get close to a fun destination in the car.I feel your pain:)
Walking ahead is no problem if you have a good recall.They move at a much faster trot than us humans.My dogs are all over the place when we hike,with frequent check ins like your dog.
The ball obsession is normal too,and can be used as a reward when training.He sounds like a great dog!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Die Fledermaus
#5 ·
Thank you! :)
He really is a great dog. Those are his only issues which are all livable! haha

I was able to train my other dogs to stay in their beds really well. He's my Everest. He doesnt give up. I'll just have to keep trying. He responds to treats, but not as food driven as my other dog. So its hard to know how to motivate him to do what I ask. I cant use the ball for stuff like this! lol
At least I do know the tethering calms him. And he absolutely LOVES his crate. He practically runs there at bedtime and if he's in, its hard to get him out until morning. But its in our bedroom and I dont want to have a giant crate in the living room. We dont have the space.

Thanks for the feedback on everything. Makes me feel better.
 
#4 ·
He is a cutie. Thanks for giving him a forever home. Sounds like he has settled in well. It took our 3 year old girl over a year to be able to settle. The leashing sounds like a good idea.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Die Fledermaus
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top