Plzzz help :)

[Ariyahn]

VERY Confused...

Guys puppy school does not open until Fed 2012, so I really need some people who have GSD to give me and my family some advise.

I've been reading alot that you should not yell at them when they do something wrong??... However when we baught the dog which was a breeder through the German Sherpard Club in Victoria they said to confidently say no biting and hold her mouth each time she nips.

Do i do that? Ive heard alot of people saying giving them something else to chew on and taking their attention of your hand and onto a toy.

My other question is,

I want her to stay outside i find it hard to get back in, ill ask her to stay, she wont she just wants to follow me which is fair enough its cute but at the same time she needs to stay outside sometimes, im forced to yell and say "NO!!" Stay!!" but she doesnt listen, of course if there are treats she listens but thats if i stay outside with her.

Im forced to get her colar and kinda push away her from the door a few times so i can get clear to go back inside the house.

She also follows me around the house but she is still a bit of a nomad, she sits with her back to us or otherwise always near us but closeby.. is this love ? Attachment forming? Or cause i feed her haha?.

Anyway all in all she is a good girl she has alot of work to do, but im completley lost as to how to punish her etc as I have not really had a dog before.

Also should we get a clicker or continue what im doing?

We baught Zoe on the 21st so its been 7 days.... She has learnt drop, stay, sit, shake hand.. i mean she is very intelligent.

But we are lost as to how to teach her certain things plz help us reinforce positive characteristics from the start as we have a son and i want to do everything right.

Thanks alot guys

[jetscarbie]

I want her to stay outside i find it hard to get back in, ill ask her to stay, she wont she just wants to follow me which is fair enough its cute but at the same time she needs to stay outside sometimes, im forced to yell and say "NO!!" Stay!!" but she doesnt listen, of course if there are treats she listens but thats if i stay outside with her.

Your pup wants to be with you! GSD's love to be with their humans. You didn't say how old your pup is but it sounds like she's still young. She may be scared especially if she was in a litter with her brothers or sisters and mom and was removed from there. It may take her a little while. Most bounce back pretty quick. Yours has only been with you for 7 days.

GSD's are notorious for forming strong attachments to one person. That's why they are called Velcro dogs.

Yelling at dog's really does no good. It's better to work on her "stay" I've found that I get more done with my dog if I make training into a fun type of game. "Stay" in my opinion, is one of the best commands to teach any dog.

I always redirected my pup's biting with a chew toy. That biting stage usually passes when they get a little older. I also found that exercising and throwing balls would wear a pup out, so they wouldn't be as quick to bite on stuff. They were too tired.

Getting into the puppy class in Feb sounds like the right way to go. You will be glad you did.

Good luck!!

[JakodaCD OA]

I"m assuming also this is a puppy,,I never ever leave my puppies outside alone..go with her..Like the above poster said,,these dogs are 'velcro' dogs and just WANT to be with you, so stay with her.

I never reprimand my young young puppies with 'no's',,or yelling,,I redirect, ignore and keep moving in a different direction.

Work on the positive stuff she does, it sounds like she's got some of the basics down already thats GREAT!! Keep working on those,,Praise & Treat for all positive stuff, ignore or redirect negative..

Sounds like you'll be fine until Feb

[DanielleOttoMom]

GERMAN SHEPHERDS ARE VELCRO DOGS! They want to be with you.....
Please don't leave your puppy outside unattened. She could get hurt being alone outside or get into some thing she not suppose too. So please go with her outside every few hours while your teaching potty training. Puppies are like babies they need to be monitored. Do you have a crate you can put her in when you need a break or if you need do some thing? This is also a very helpful tool while potty training as well. Love to see some pics of your little girl.


Bringing Your German Shepherd Home

Leerburg | The Ground Work to becoming Your Puppy's Pack Leader

Leerburg | Training Puppies Not to Bite

[Bluecatdemoness]

I've been reading alot that you should not yell at them when they do something wrong??... However when we baught the dog which was a breeder through the German Sherpard Club in Victoria they said to confidently say no biting and hold her mouth each time she nips.

Do i do that? Ive heard alot of people saying giving them something else to chew on and taking their attention of your hand and onto a toy.

Yes, you should not yell at them when they do something wrong. It doesn't really do any good. When she bites you, redirect her to a toy and make it look like the toy is a lot more fun than your hand.

I want her to stay outside i find it hard to get back in, ill ask her to stay, she wont she just wants to follow me which is fair enough its cute but at the same time she needs to stay outside sometimes, im forced to yell and say "NO!!" Stay!!" but she doesnt listen, of course if there are treats she listens but thats if i stay outside with her.

I really would not recommend leaving the puppy outside by herself. There are just way to many things that can go wrong. Puppies are like children in the sense that they must be watched carefully to make sure that they are not getting in to trouble, or that someone isn't going to "pupnap" them. (Which happens more than you would like to think.)

Also, a thing about the word "NO". It can be a useful word, but you must know that the puppy completely understands the command. When we say "No" to a dog that refuses to do a command such as stay, and they do not truly understand that we are trying to command to stay, it can be a setback. It's great that you have started the basics with her, but remember it's also only been 7 days. Also, as Jakoda said, make the training fun and positive. She sounds like a smart girl, and it is great you are getting her in to puppy classes. They are wonderful.

One last thing I would like to recommend is Nothing In Life Is Free. (NILIF) You can read about that here: Nothing in Life is Free

She also follows me around the house but she is still a bit of a nomad, she sits with her back to us or otherwise always near us but closeby.. is this love ? Attachment forming? Or cause i feed her haha?.

As the above posters said, GSD's are Velcro dogs. Even the bathroom is not privy to privacy from them!

[Twyla]

"I've been reading alot that you should not yell at them when they do something wrong??... However when we baught the dog which was a breeder through the German Sherpard Club in Victoria they said to confidently say no biting and hold her mouth each time she nips.

Do i do that? Ive heard alot of people saying giving them something else to chew on and taking their attention of your hand and onto a toy."

Please don't hold her mouth when she nips. I have known dogs to become reactive and BITE when people put their hands close to the mouth after the owner doing that. It becomes a hard habit to change for the dog.

GSDs are landsharks. Their needle sharp teeth does hurt when they latch on. At one point I had toys stashed in every room and carried one in my pocket to redirect when the nipping mood hit Woolf. Thankfully they do grow out of this.

[MaggieRoseLee]

When your puppy is outdoors, then you should be outdoors too. That way you can be working on teaching your puppy to be housebroken and working on the bonding and relationship building that is key to our relationships with the dogs.

Frankly, if your puppy did NOT want to follow you into the house, I'd be very concerned. It's nature to have them want to learn, bond and stay with their pack. It's a perfect time to work on the 'come' cause they want to 'come'!

Ton's of good info on General Puppy Stuff - German Shepherd Dog Forums and Puppy BITING!!! Teaching Bite Inhibition

[Cassidy's Mom]

She "doesn't listen" because she doesn't understand what those words mean! You need to train her how to act, puppies don't come pre-programmed with that knowledge, all they know how to do is be dogs. Dogs bite, they bark, they dig, they eat, they pee, they poop, and they chew. They do not understand our verbal language.

And please stop worrying about how to punish her. At this point you should be concentrating on teaching her how TO act, not how not to.

[Cassidy's Mom]

I just checked - this is a 3 month old puppy that you've had a week. I thought that should be added to your thread so people know the situation. Personally, I would not be waiting a month or more for classes. If you are well versed in dog training and have some prior experience raising a puppy it might not be that big a deal, but it sounds like you don't. Can you find another class that starts sooner?

[Debbieg]

if you can't find classes just yet Michael Ellis has many videos on puppy raising and obedience. There are some free streaming one too. I really like the one on training with markers.

Leerburg | Dog Training Video List