[spinkamor]

Sorry this is a long read!
My 8 month old GSD has been turning into a beast from ****. He won't listen anymore, doesn't come when called, barks insanely at random strangers and children, barks and lunges at other dogs on the street, pulls like a maniac on leash and just refuses to do anything I tell him to. It feels like he's regressing. He's been in classes, and everything I taught him seems to have evaporated.
I talked to the trainer, and we're putting him in classes again. Hopefully that will help.
But as for now, I'm afraid of taking him out because it's summer and there are children EVERYWHERE. I live downtown, so our walks are filled with lots of people, smells, random little dogs, and CHILDREN. He growls and barks at children that are near him, and I'm so afraid that if I slip up and let go of the leash when he lunges, he will nip them! I already get the dirtiest looks from parents and I feel like a bad dog owner. He also barks at dogs and kids when we're in the car, but it's not that big of a deal because I can just drive off.
He's almost 80 lbs now, and I'm a 90 lbs female. I'm so very afraid one day I'll lose grip on the leash And it's such a chore to take him out now. I don't know how much more I can take. And everytime I'm walking with him, I am so scared we're going to turn a corner and see a dog or a child

It's not the exercise component, as I take him for an hour long walk in the morning, then a few hours at the dog park, then another walk, then at night, he gets an hour at a park with the other dogs in our condo.

Also, it's not JUST children and dogs. Just those two set him off FOR SURE. I was at the bank the other day, waiting for my boyfriend to finish work, and since dogs are allowed in, I sat there with him. One woman walked by and locked the door (as it was closing time) and he went ballistic and barked and growled REALLY loudly with his big boy bark. The entire bank turned in shock, with horrified looks on their faces. I had to sheepishly take him outside to wait. And when one of my boyfriend's coworkers came to see him through the glass window, he decides he doesn't like it and lunges at the window, barking insanely. The coworker jumped back from the window screaming

I am thinking of bringing really good treats to the dog park and do my training with him there. Because when I do training at home, he is perfectly fine. But once we step outside, he is another dog. Hopefully, training him with distractions around will work and also the classes will help. But do any of you have any other suggestions? Especially with the barking? I am so upset and tired. I don't want to have to resort to anti-barking tools

 

[GSD07]

You didn't write anywhere about what you do when your dog reacts? What do you do when your dog 'refuses to do anything I tell him to'? You will need to be able an 8 month old pup otherwise what are you going to do with a mature 2-3 year old male?

Also, your size and weight have nothing to do with your ability to control your dog. Get a prong, gentle leader etc, whatever works, but you have to be able to handle your dog at all times.

 

[DJEtzel]

You didn't write anywhere about what you do when your dog reacts? What do you do when your dog 'refuses to do anything I tell him to'? You will need to be able an 8 month old pup otherwise what are you going to do with a mature 2-3 year old male?

Also, your size and weight have nothing to do with your ability to control your dog. Get a prong, gentle leader etc, whatever works, but you have to be able to handle your dog at all times.

This.

Also, he's only 8 months old? Your training should just be beginning and you should never be leaving the house without a bait bag of treats or you're never going to get the behavior you want.

Start look at that training from a distance asap with a clicker if possible, and invest in a prong collar stat.

 

[gsdraven]

Muzzle. Now. Whenever in public.

Classes aren't going to fix this, your dog needs one on one attention to work on this behavior.

 

[spinkamor]

This.

Also, he's only 8 months old? Your training should just be beginning and you should never be leaving the house without a bait bag of treats or you're never going to get the behavior you want.

Start look at that training from a distance asap with a clicker if possible, and invest in a prong collar stat.

I have a prong collar, Easy-Walk harness, and a Gentle Leader. We've had these for a while now. Easy-Walk stopped working after the first week. He got used to it and learned to pull with it anyway. Prong, he pulls anyway. Gentle Leader, he stops every 3 seconds to take it off. We've had the Gentle Leader for about 2-3 weeks and he hasn't learned to live with it. Still hates it and tries to take it off every chance he gets.

Also, when we're outside, he loses interest in treats. Doesn't care for them when he can see the world....

 

[spinkamor]

You didn't write anywhere about what you do when your dog reacts? What do you do when your dog 'refuses to do anything I tell him to'? You will need to be able an 8 month old pup otherwise what are you going to do with a mature 2-3 year old male?

Also, your size and weight have nothing to do with your ability to control your dog. Get a prong, gentle leader etc, whatever works, but you have to be able to handle your dog at all times.

I say NO! and pull him the other way so he can't continue to look at what he was barking at.
He used to sit every time I tell him to, in the elevator, intersections, etc. Now he just looks around like he cant hear me and doesn't listen. So I say it firmer and louder until he does. It's just frustrating!

 

[wolfy dog]

Get in contact with a trainer who can teach you clicker training (do not meet aggression with aggression) and who can teach you about behavior asap, preferably private lessons to start with. You need to educate yourself on how dogs learn and what makes them do the things they do. This dog is at great risk of becoming dangerous and ending up at "who-knows-where" or worse. If you cannot make this commitment, re-home him while he is still young, to someone who is able to deal with this. In the meantime do not expose him to triggers that you and he cannot handle.

 

[DJEtzel]

Muzzle him, prong him, and correct him for pulling. If you aren't in control of your dog, he's going to hurt someone. Start clicker training silky leash inside and around your yard ASAP and click to calm/look at that clicker training when out WHILE muzzled, from a safe distance. Don't correct lunging/barking/growling, ignore it and move on. Only reward for calm attention on you or the object of his desire.

 

[wolfy dog]

Muzzle him, prong him, and correct him for pulling. If you aren't in control of your dog, he's going to hurt someone. Start clicker training silky leash inside and around your yard ASAP and click to calm/look at that clicker training when out WHILE muzzled, from a safe distance. Don't correct lunging/barking/growling, ignore it and move on. Only reward for calm attention on you or the object of his desire.

You contradict your own advice by telling the OP to "correcting him for pulling" , yet "don't correct lunging", which is pulling.
That is confusing to the OP and the dog.

 

[DJEtzel]

You contradict your own advice by telling the OP to "correcting him for pulling" , yet "don't correct lunging", which is pulling.
That is confusing to the OP and the dog.

I'm not contradicting anything.

Correcting the pulling and not the reaction is pretty simple. This is a very simple IDEA, but if people can't understand, they would most certainly be better off going to a real behaviorist who can make them understand.

 

[Meeka]

I'm not contradicting anything.

Correcting the pulling and not the reaction is pretty simple. This is a very simple IDEA, but if people can't understand, they would most certainly be better off going to a real behaviorist who can make them understand.

I had a trainer told me the same thing. When my pup acts out, ignore her. but when she pulls, stop and correct her. 2 different things. It's a bit hard to not correct her when we're in public and she's barking up a storm. I'm afraid people would just look and be like "do something about it and shut your dog"


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[Meeka]

Spinkamor my pup is the same! She's almost 10 months now and everything I've trained her on want out the door! She will listen just fine at home but if we pass that front door, nothing else matters. Treats, toys, and praising doesn't work. She can care less. I've read that at these ages, they're considered teenagers? So they'll rebel and do whatever they want? My pup is driving me nutts too so you're not alone


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[DJEtzel]

I had a trainer told me the same thing. When my pup acts out, ignore her. but when she pulls, stop and correct her. 2 different things. It's a bit hard to not correct her when we're in public and she's barking up a storm. I'm afraid people would just look and be like "do something about it and shut your dog"


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Well, correcting a barking dog just makes the reaction worse because you can't control the situation for them and the feel the need to do it themselves. You shouldn't be caring what other people think OR setting her up to fail in a situation where you know she will react.

 

[GSD07]

He used to sit every time I tell him to, in the elevator, intersections, etc. Now he just looks around like he cant hear me and doesn't listen. So I say it firmer and louder until he does. It's just frustrating!

Dog training 101: never repeat your command if you want your dog to listen. Say once, your dog ignores you, you make the dog sit, praise. Right now you are basically teaching (and very successfully!) your dog to wait until you repeat your command a few times, and until your voice reaches certain level of decibels. Trust me, your nagging is very frustrating for your dog!

 

[spinkamor]

Thanks for all your suggestions. He's been doing great lately! I realized I just had to be more firm and consistent with him. I just had to let him know I'm not someone to walk all over and he's been okay