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I don't know what to do. I am really in need of some help.

5K views 37 replies 18 participants last post by  SuperG 
#1 ·
Hello everyone. I bought a gsd male puppy from a reputable breeder. I bought him when he was 3 month 20 days and now he is 3 months 27 days. (He is with me for 7 days).

He lives in our garden. He got vaccinated when I bought him so he was really passive and sleepy. But now he is recovered and he just ruins everywhere. (When I first take him to home I tought he was a shy-fearful puppy and

I still have some doubts [He shows only few fearful traits -I think because he is with me for just few days- but I am paranoid]) He bites everyone (Teething I suppose.) and already scared my 7 years old brother. He follows me mostly but there is %50 chance to comeback when I recall. (Come! etc). I was trying to teach "Sit" for 2 days he does well when there are treats but he just ignores me (he looks like he doesn't care -which I think is normal-) when I do "sit" command without a treat. (should I give up or feel bad about my dog because he is not able to learn "sit" in 2 days? (or I fail at teaching him the command.). And how can I teach him "NO"?

He is mostly playful or agressive and sometimes calm, submissive or even fearful ("Is it normal for a 4 month puppy to be fearful sometimes even he comes from a good bloodline? ). I am really in need of some advice-help. How can I train him? (there is no dog centers around or any experienced dog owners -_-.) And any dog obedience training books for a real "starter"? (A book that can help us) And one of the msot important thing is "leash training". When I leash him with that simple black 1 m (or close) leash he doesn't follow me. He just tries to bite the leash. I want to socialise him well after he gets rabies but how can I do it If he never follows me when I leash him. He even gets stubborn when I leash him. Leash training and obedience training :(. I feel so terrible, (I know the reason is me not the dog). Thanks for any useful advices, I hope we will be better.
 
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#4 ·
Well it is because of my family's religion. Dogs are banned in houses -_-. As I said I can't get a trainer because there is no nearby. I am trying to do my best. By the way he never gets seperation anxiety. Not really useful but thanks for your comment.
 
#3 ·
All that behavior is perfectly normal for a puppy his age. The best thing for a puppy is routine...when you are training make sure you ALWAYS have treats on you to use as a reward. Keep training sessions 2 - 3 minutes tops. Their attention span will not keep him focused on you longer than that. Try to make everything positive with him to help build his confidence. To get my puppy to follow me on a leash I always had treats (hotdogs cut up) on hand to encourage him to want to be with me. Now he does on his own. They are very smart dogs if you can stick to a routine he'll pick it up fast! You've only had him 7 days...you're still new to him. Let him get use to his new environment. There's nothing wrong with you're puppy...don't demand so much of him, he's a baby. He will never make you happy if you expect a perfect pup that doesn't bite...they all do at that age. German Shepherds are called land sharks : ) For our pupppy, we redirected him when he was biting something he shouldn't....everyone always had a toy on hand...he learned fast what was acceptable to chew on. Good Luck!
 
#6 ·
Thanks for your great reply, It is pretty useful. Now I am feeling better about my puppys behavior. I will be using some better treats to encourage him. Well I won't be boring him or myself, I can keep training sessions short and frequent. Thank you again. :)
 
#5 ·
For his biting - which is why GSP are called landsharks; it is very normal. This thread will give you tons of ideas and other's experience with the same thing: http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/puppy-behavior/85888-puppy-biting-teaching-bite-inhibition.html

For socialization, this thread has an excellent conversation about it. Very experienced breeders and owners involved. http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...0-rethinking-popular-early-socialization.html

For training, this web site is an excellent beginning. Has articles and video tutorials. Training Positive | Dog Training Explained

Keep in mind your are working with a baby. Like all babies, the attention span is tiny. Keep training sessions very short and fun. Keep training treats small, you will be using a LOT of treats right now. After 2 days of training a sit, he will still needs treats - normal. Later you will be able to begin phasing out the treats.

Post where you are located, someone may be able to recommend a good trainer close by.
 
#7 ·
Thanks friend, I will read the useful links you wrote and try to get more information. I live in Kars, Turkey where the nearest trainer is 700 kilometers far :) I will be making treats smaller, sessions short. When he succesfully gets leash training I can start socialising him.
 
#8 ·
Oh they are holy terrors in the first few months. Then they get to be around 6 months to a year and feel like they don't need to listen to you anymore, but then they start to mature and then you end up with a really great dog. All dogs go through stages, but I found with GSD's they are extreme. My first few months with my dog were hellacious.

Patience and consistency will pay off.

Are there any dog trainers in your area? Sounds like it would be a good idea to find an experienced trainer to help get you started on the right path. :)

For recalls, get a training line, maybe 20' or so. Never use your recall word without being able to back it up. At my training class, we'd use the training line and our recall word, and a little pop the collar. If they were on their way back to you, the slack in the line will mean they won't feel the collar pop, but if they aren't on their way back, they will.

When they return to you, have a favourite treat or toy handy and have an absolute party, so they know coming back to you is always the right decision, even if a moment before they were doing something naughty. Never punish your dog if it comes when called, even if you caught it digging up the garden or whatever. It's always a party when they come when called.

Otherwise, just keep training sessions short and sweet. Maybe do 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon. If you can squeeze another 15 minutes in before bed, that is good too.
 
#10 ·
The dog is still very young and new to the environment. Expectations should be kept low and training should be fun and easy for the next few weeks.

Spend as much time as possible outside with him just hanging out, tossing a toy, running around, and light obedience. Rule #1 for puppies - a good puppy is a tired puppy. This rule is in effect for biting, jumping, and every other puppy problem. They need both mental and physical work on a daily basis otherwise they get bored and that can lead to neurotic and destructive behaviours

GSD's are bred to herd and be a partner to the shepherd, that means they genetically want to be with their human 24/7 and being separated can be very hard. Their nickname of 'Velcro dog' is well earned, normally that means they can follow you around the house as you're cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, etc. but being outside negates those options so you'll need to work harder at building that bond and avoiding separation anxiety.
 
#12 ·
You both (the dog, you and your family need to be one entity), just as with God, sorry to say. I appreciate your honesty and your Religion, what ever that may be, you have my respect. Now, with that said; the time invested = the dog you will have 6 months to 1 year from now, you've made a huge commitment having a German Shepherd, own you and your family, put the effort in to research, ask specific questions here and the rewards will be Heaven on Earth...

SGCSG
 
#18 · (Edited)
I don't think it's wrong or judgmental to be curious about another's culture. The guys were just asking for their own knowledge. It's been discussed on here before in threads from Amina. Dogs are considered unclean per their religion. Asking questions like this can only be beneficial to all in understanding a foreign culture.

OP- you need to get a kennel up to contain the puppy until he is old enough to be trusted alone. It will be MONTHS! He is out there alone and entertaining himself. Perfectly normal for a puppy. :)

Up your training. There is a lot of youtube videos you can watch. Look up clicker training videos. Sit, Heel, Place, Leave It, Down. All sorts of things you can learn from youtube. There are also books you can buy.
101 Dog Tricks is a decent book
101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog: Kyra Sundance, Chalcy: 9781592533251: Amazon.com: Books

You can start socializing him as soon as he has his vaccinations. Socializing just means you are taking him out to view the world. It could be in a basket! lol Expose him to new things now. Surfaces, animals, noises, people.
 
#21 ·
Welcome! I have learned so much on this forum. It is a great resource and many members really KNOW German Shepherds. GSD puppies are a lot of work, but as they bond very deeply--it is so rewarding. It is well worth all the work. This forum has information to guide and help you. Enjoy your puppy and make training fun!
 
#22 ·
Welcome to the site!

Use the forums as a guide, it has helped me immensely!

You've only had your pup for a week, chances are that your puppy wasn't taught anything with the breeder. It is normal for a puppy to give you difficulty when it comes to leashing for the first time.

Search for puppy bite inhibition and take things slowly. My pup is 4 months old now (got him when he was 7 weeks old) and we are still training!

Get him on a good schedule and train him!


Sent from Petguide.com Free App
 
#24 ·
I personally know many muslims that take wonderful care of their dogs. Some live inside, some outside, just like in the US. Most of them wear gloves when handling the dog. No big deal.

I hope the OP hangs around and learns something.

Can't help someone that brings a dog into a home where the owners of the home consider dogs to be dirty and "It is not permissible for a Muslim to keep a dog, unless he needs this dog for hunting, guarding livestock or guarding crops.
If you can't find it in yourself to help, then I suggest you leave the conversation. Plenty of responsible dog owners use their dogs for hunting, guarding livestock and guarding crops. Plenty of responsible owners think dogs are dirty and don't allow them inside. Plenty of outside dogs lead happy lives if the owner is involved with the dog regularly.
 
#25 ·
Thank you David!

I've deleted a whole bunch of posts that did nothing to help, but was attacking the OP's religious values.

There has been a number of similar issues lately where on-going attacking of another belief or different values derailed threads and showed appalling insensitivity to the OP's situation - let's keep post to a helpful, positive tone - we are here to help people with their dogs, and every one has a unique situation.

I've been criticized for keeping my dogs indoors, and not outside in kennels - so really you can't please anyone, and you can't expect everyone to share your own views, but we can help if we want to, and stay away from the topic if we don't feel that we have anything POSITIVE to contribute.

ADMIN
 
#26 ·
I guess by now, you have read all the comments that it is normal for what your pup is doing. As for training I have found some really great dog training videos on YouTube.com. Use lots of treats and positive training while your dog is still a puppy. My dog would only listen if I had treats until he was almost 9 months old. Now he's pretty good in listening without treats unless I'm training something new.
 
#28 ·
I believe my anecdotal evidence shows that not all dogs in the middle east are filthy feral animals. To believe that one dog, in the home of someone who cares enough to seek help, is destined to living in austere conditions because of the owner's religion is stereotyping to an extreme. How your experience trumps anyone else's automatically is beyond me.

The discussion is not about general acceptance of dogs in a particular culture, but rather a specific dog in a specific situation. The type of closed minded generalizations in which you speak lead to judgemental trains of thought which encourage cultural segregation. If one family can have a happy and healthy pet dog today, maybe there will be 2 families tomorrow.

David Winners
 
#30 · (Edited)
Hello everyone, I wasn't able to use my computer for 3 days. I apologise. First of all, I'm 18 years old (you can still consider me as a kid, I don't know), I really care about my dog, our leash training is perfect now (%70 progress and still getting better), he learned sit and now we are learning "down". I use bolied chicken pieces and sausage for treat. "We both learn fast." The bond between me and Johnny is growing. ^_^. He made me a more responsible person. Now I use most of my money and time for him. Climate is perfect so he never feels uncomfortable in outside. I even sleep with him in our garden sometimes. He plays with my chickens, swimming, sleeping under the trees etc. About the religion issue. My "family" is muslim. There is nothing weird or bad about it. They pet him they love him, they supported me for buying him. They just clean their hands etc after petting him. They don't want to share or home with Johnny because they worship in our home. (Well Muslim books, Koran, etc says that dogs make the worship meaningles. [Please don't argue like "this is meaningles" or something since I can't change this belief] I think I am responsible, I love my dog more then some people that share their home with their dog. I was hanging with my friends or reading books most of the time but now there is me and Jhonny. We wander around, play etc. I bought him Origen Large breed food and now trying to change his diet to it by the way. I am really thankful friends. "Whoever" replied to this post got my best wishes. Have a nice day.

By the way Turkey is not in middle east.
 
#33 ·
This is great news! I hope you stick around and get more involved in the GSD community.


David Winners
 
#31 ·
Sorry everyone - I deleted an additional number of posts that were off topic and in violation of board rules, and a few posts that would not have made sense on their own without that context - so some people might wonder what all the fuss is about.

Thank you all who have been the voice or reason, even if your post was deleted. :)
 
#35 ·
That's a great update, keep up the good work :thumbup: GSD puppies can be real terrors when young but the work and effort you put into them is paid off ten fold :)
 
#37 ·
yeah, great to hear, OP. sorry for stirring up the pot. i didn't see what posts came after mine asking about the culture and the no dog thing. i was truly interested, tried to word it as nicely as possible and am glad that wasn't one of the offensive deleted posts. i am interested in the beliefs of other cultures and have never heard about the no dogs, only no pigs. goes to show how much cultural training the US military gives before deployment being i spent 15 months patrolling the al-rasheed district of baghdad.
 
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