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Wow...they really do just grow out of it

1K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  Raisedbyshepherds 
#1 ·
I've been a long time lurker on these forums and finally decided to post something. I have an almost 6 month old male GSD named Cody. We brought him home at 7 weeks and it has been ****. Crate training was a challenge due to 3 rounds of giardia treatments. Once it seemed like he was catching on, the giardia would hit him and the poor guy couldn't help himself. Thank you public dog park by the way. Three different obedience trainers and he was the typical "land shark" I kept reading about on these forums. About 2 weeks ago, I was at my wits end. I thought I had prepared myself and my house for Cody, but nothing was working. All of the reading, training and preparation wasn't working. I was so close to just giving up and surrendering him to my neighbor who is a vet. All I could think was that I had failed and done something wrong. Cody was chewing on anything he could find, including my arms, shoes, my two daughters, everything. I became concerned for my children's safety.


Then, last week, someone swapped my dog for another dog. This dog actually listens to me..."No" actually works. No more voracious biting and jumping. What the **** just happened? All of a sudden he was the dog that I wanted my family to have around. He was compliant and patient. He listed to me and actually followed instructions.


My point is to let anyone know who is ready to throw in the towel to not give up. Stay the course and stay strong. It is so worth it. I am no dog trainer by any means and a half-ass dog owner if the truth be told. Don't give up. I just love watching Cody play with my two daughters now and have fun. No fear of biting or getting hurt.


Thanks for the support.
 
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#2 ·
That is around the age that I've usually noticed things getting better too. Not perfect by any means, but keep working with him and he should continue to improve.
 
#3 ·
Both of my dogs came to me as pups. As youngsters they have both been different. My big boy played rough and every touch was an invitation to rumble until he was a bit over a year old. We used many tugs and gloves and carrying of tree limbs. Now at three years old he is calm and confident. With outlets for those urges, he has gotten very good at understanding the "rules of the mouth".

My female, aside from having a different personality, learned from my older dog. After teething she stopped chewing on humans. We also made sure she had outlets for her mouthing. She preferred cloth toys so I had to be diligent about making sure loose threads were always snipped away. I also had to make sure she knew the difference between her toys and our belongings. At a year and a half I am enjoying all her young energy. And she helps me bring laundry to the washing machine.

Yes, enjoy that youngster craziness. Use that exuberance as a training tool! If they love to play, play becomes a reward for good behavior. it is so worth it.
 
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