He's a normal puppy Welcome to owning a GSD

 

This has become a depressing day for me... T-T
How do I get past his dominance?

These are some tactics I've been working on...
- I never walk over/around him. I make him move.
- I make sure I eat first and leave his food on the counter until we're finished eating. THEN I feed him.
- We never let him out the door before us.
- I never let him walk in front of me when we walk. If he does I quickly change directions.
- I ignore his barking/whining.
- I never lose tug-o-war.

That's so far it.

 

This has become a depressing day for me... T-T
How do I get past his dominance?

These are some tactics I've been working on...
- I never walk over/around him. I make him move.
- I make sure I eat first and leave his food on the counter until we're finished eating. THEN I feed him.
- We never let him out the door before us.
- I never let him walk in front of me when we walk. If he does I quickly change directions.
- I ignore his barking/whining.
- I never lose tug-o-war.

That's so far it.

I always walk around and over mine, they eat before I do, they do wait at the door, Him walking in front of you is not a dominance thing. Ignore his barking/whining if its not for something important. As far as tug of war...I always let mine win when she was a puppy, it built up self confidence, now I don't let her win, she just does and she has a attitude that she can do anything, just like I want her to be

 

I agree with the above, he is only 11 weeks old with the attention span of a gnat.

They bite, they bark, they growl, they can be brats

My suggestion, get into a good obedience class where YOU can learn as well as the puppy.

If you don't want him in your bed, crate him at nite..I have to tell you, these dogs DO want to be with their humans 24/7 and in bed is one of them )

 

Oh yeah, he's definitely a brat. Crating him at night doesn't seem to work that well. He never stops crying even if we ignore him. I also tried teaching him that being in the crate isn't so bad but he doesn't believe me . He seems to be growing quickly so spending $6o bucks on a crate that won't be in use soon seems like a bit of a waste. No offense.

 

He's a baby figuring out his place in the world.
Don't over-react or over-analyze him yet.
He is new and you are new to him so be patient but keep up the good work.
With GSDs, patience and persistence are the most important qualities to have.
Remember, you are the boss and you may have to be a bit of a drill
instructor at times.

 

you were posting while I was posting

Again, HE IS A PUPPY! , who cares who wins at tug of war? Mine win all the time, doesn't mean they are dominant/defiant dogs.

Work on your basics, sit, RECALL, being most important, always carry treats on you and reward for good behaviors whether you've asked for them or he just offers something that is "good"..

You are not going to have a perfectly obedient behaved puppy at 11 weeks of age..

Find a puppy class

 

He's still a baby.

Take it slowly and don't overact.

He can't be expected to focus for very long and much of what you describe is just his way of getting attention.

Relax and enjoy a normal pup.

Search the site about crate training.

You may want to up his exercise. A tired puppy is a good puppy.

Good luck.

 

Thank you everyone for your responses. We're just worried because we thought it may lead to having an aggressive dog. My golden retriever was always calm so we're not used to the barking and growling.

We'll continue with our training!

Does anyone know when they calm down a bit?

 

Does anyone know when they calm down a bit?

About 10 years or so?? I'm just kidding It gets better.

 

This is a puppy. Stop worrying about all the alpha stuff. They call gsd puppies land sharks because they bite so much Place toys in his mouth when he does this . His attention span is not long yet. Treat train and yes at this age you might have to say it more than once. You have to do kindergarten before you try to do high school. And its ok to let your dog win tug sometimes. Find a good trainer and do some classes but stop worrying about everything he does as alpha. Enjoy him while he is a puppy . This is all normal.

 

I have some 11 week old puppies. The sounds they make! They are NOT defiant. They are puppies. They play with their littermates, using their teeth and they make noises, growls, barks -- that is normal.

If you approach a puppy with the idea in your head that it is dominant and defiant, you will set yourself up to always have to be on top of the dog. It's a puppy. Go to puppy classes.

I think you should use a crate at night. That pup has teeth that can get him in serious trouble. Not just what he can destroy, but what he might ingest. If the crate is in your room and he still whines and cries after you ignore him for three nights, then you have a pretty extraordinary pup.

Usually I will have a special raw meaty bone that the pup only gets in his crate. So at night, he has something safe to work on while he is in there. I have seen them fall asleep mid chew.

Good luck with your puppy.

 

and I also see you had a golden retriever? Let me just say they are no where near close to being golden retriever like, atleast they aren't supposed to be

My girl is 5 and still a wild indian, tho a nicely behaved one

 

Hi There! Good answers so far. I'll be repeating some things, just to have it in slightly different wording, sometimes that helps people learn.

First, so glad you are wanting to learn, and are open to suggestions. That is the first step to success for you and your new pup.

Second, take all that alpha, dominance, and aggression nonsense, and get it out of your mind completely!!

Take a look at your puppy with a completely new set of eyes, and no pre-conceived notions. Everything he is doing is NORMAL baby puppy stuff. He is not plotting to dominate the world, one person at a time. He wants to play and get people to interact with him. That's it. Well, okay, the biting hurts, but as far as he is concerned, he is playing, and not understanding why you won't play back.

He is quite nippy so when he tries to teeth/bite I try to redirect him to a toy.

Good!!! Just keep this up, a zillion times a day. Puppies play with their mouth, and explore the world with their mouth. Redirecting is key, not supressing the natural need to play and explore. This is just something puppy owners need to be patient with, pups usually outgrow the nipping phase around six months of age, when teething is complete.

However, at random times he seems to show a tad bit of aggression to my roommate. He snapped his teeth at her and kept barking with a low body stance. I'm scared that he might show aggression when he is full grown and when we have less control over him. He is growing quite quickly.

He is just trying to get a reaction out of your roomate - means he is bored and under-excercised. This is a good time to play tug and get him to chase a ball, take him out and let him run around a bit.

Was the low body stance more of a front squat with the rear up in the air? If so, that is an invitation to play, and shows ZERO aggression. Come to think of it, pups this age have zero aggression, but they are full of vim and vinegar, and full of puppy energy! (are your eyes starting to see that now?)

I keep my commands to 1 time minimum but he sometimes listens and sometimes doesn't. When he doesn't I force the command on him. He definitely understands the command because when I have treats he has no problem following through. He's learning to ignore more frequently though.

You have pretty high expectations for a 10 week old! I think you have an AWESOME pup that he is already listening to you, and already obeying commands with one command. Much, much MUCH too early to phase treats out. At this stage, you are the one quietly coming in and 'brain-washing' your pup to WANT to obey all your commands without really thinking about it, and this brain-washing will take time and consistency and lots and lots of treats! Everytime he obeys, he should know that nothing but good things happen. Be a treat dispenser, and be happy!!! Puppy can do no wrong! Much too young to know any different. Make this pup feel like he is the BEST, smartest, and MOST AMAZING pup in the world. Radiate out that belief, and your pup will live up to your expectations, but be patient, his attention span is equal to the attention span of a goldfish, so it will take time (like weeks and months of work from your part - but it does get better! )

My landlord came down while eating some cereal but he kept pouncing on her and when we pushed him away he walked away with his tail curling upwards, which I read to be a sign of confidence/dominance. He also seems to sneak onto our bed when we are sleeping but whenever I feel a vibration I assert him with a firm "NO" and push him off, but he keeps on trying to get on the bed. He's extremely defiant.

He is not defiant. He is a puppy and his life revolves around playing and getting attention. Manage his environment so he naturally makes good choices, and can live up to your expectations of him, instead of leaving the choices wide open and giving him too many opportunities to make the wrong choice. If you don't want him jumping on people, put him on leash when people come over. If you don't want him up on the bed at night, let him sleep in his crate.

I know persistency is the key and rewarding good behavior is the way to train, but it seems like we're making no progress at all. People have recommended alpha rolling but it seems stupid to pin a puppy to the ground.

You are absolutely right about the alpha roll! And you don't make progress with such strongly ingrained behaviours in only two weeks. He seems happy, energetic, playful, WANTS to interact with you and other people, that is an AWESOME pup! Celebrate your success, the fun, the bond, the engagement, manage the rest. Let him be a puppy, and enjoy this time. Adjust your expectations, it will all come together down the road.

 

The best advice I can give you is to read this forum.

Read about German Shepherd puppies. Read about the breed you have chosen and its characteristics.

You can't even compare a GSD to a Golden Retriever. They are both dogs, but that is where the similarities end.
Your job right now is to have *fun* with your puppy. Bond with him.
Make him think you are the source of all things good and wonderful.

Play tug and always let him win. Then have a party when he does. Go out of walks, let him explore on a flexi leash, then have him come to you (reel him in if he does not) and make it seem like the best thing ever. Carry treats. Give him treats when he does the desired behavior.

Play ball. Place some treats around the house, take him on the leash, and have him find the treats. Praise him when he does.

Don't make life a regimented chore.
The key to a non-aggressive dog is not dominating him, but forging a strong bond based on trust and respect.

 

I used to believe too that I had to exert my pack leader status by force in order to gain respect. My dogs should obey me because I'm the boss. Period.

My first dog was a spaniel mixed breed from the shelter. He was an easy, happy, effortless dog to own. I always say that he was my confidence-building dog.

Then after he passed on, I got Keeta, also from the shelter. Let's just say that she was a completely different animal. We were constantly in conflict, locked in a battle off will. Oh, she had her good side, and I enjoyed her, but everything seemed to be a struggle: she was wild, wild wild!!! Dealing with her was just exhausting, and not fun at all. I had to admit that what I was doing didn't work, and needed a different approach. I wanted an easy, effortless relationship with her, like I had with my previous dog, and I was even willing to go so far as to admit that my approach in trying to work with her was wrong! (I had hit bottom to allow that possibility to seep into my mind . . . but I was desperate, grasping at straws).

So I did what I never thought I would do. Signed up for positive, reward-based classes! I had sunk so low, that I was willing to give up all my self-esteem and bribe my dog to obey me . . .

Well, at the end of that 8 week class, I had a different dog, a brand new mutually respectful relationship with her, and outlook on training theory that actually worked! Amazingly, both me and my dog had a ton of fun, and grew closer together.

The key to a non-aggressive dog is not dominating him, but forging a strong bond based on trust and respect.

And this bears repeating - and all the advice in this thread is from GSD owners, many of whom have dogs from working lines, and pursue protection training. So yes, the dogs are strong and are supposed to have a certaing amount of innate aggression in order to be fearless police and military working dogs, but the aggression is not something that is always just below the surface that threatens to constantly bubble over if the handler isn't keeping the dog in it's place by force, fear and intimidation - the strength and aggression comes from inner confidence and courage to take on actual, direct threats. No need to be anything but neutral and happy if all is right in the world. In addition, GSDs have a very strong desire and need to bond to their owner, and they wish to please - very important traits in dogs bred to work closely with a handler. So creating that bond and respect is not that hard, if you just relax and be yourself.

 

everything said above


OP please take the good advice posted in the manner it is given, with respect and the end game of building a productive relationship with you & yr dog, that is most all any of the members care about here.

just saying this as people can tahke info in the wrong way sometimes, not saying you are.

good luck, it is supposed to be fun, enjoy yr puppy.

 

These are some tactics I've been working on...
- I never walk over/around him. I make him move.
- I make sure I eat first and leave his food on the counter until we're finished eating. THEN I feed him.
- We never let him out the door before us.
- I never let him walk in front of me when we walk. If he does I quickly change directions.

This won't really matter for the time being, as your pup is not being dominant. You can continue with these 'tactics' if you wish, but of course you are not seeing changes in his behaviour, because his behaviour is not dominance, but that of a baby dog needing lots of interaction to develop mentally, physically, and socially.

Instead of worrying about your pup dominating you (honestly, quite ridiculous, but I know that these concepts are strongly ingrained in our culture), you should be thinking in terms of:

"How can I meet this puppy's social, mental, and physical needs"??

(See what I did there? Moved the focus off the pup, onto you!)

I never lose tug-of-war.

More of un-founded dominance theory crap. Again, not faulting you for going by this, I'm sure you have read and heard this a zillion times from a zillion sources.

Go ahead, let your pup win! Won't make him dominant or aggressive in any way. Quite the opposite: will make him more playful and more willing to bring you toys to play and engage with him. Let him win. Make a big deal out of it! Let him know that he is a great and smart and strong pup! It is a great outlet for his energy, a great outlet for his drives, a great game to build your bond with him, and a great way to help him develop confidence. The same way you allow kids to grow in self-esteem, by letting them feel good about themselves.

 

Hello! I have read all your comments.
I agree to phasing out this "alpha" business in my head and enjoy my little puppy. Thank you for all your advice on making me a better trainer. I did expect too much. My golden was one smart puppy so I kind of assumed they'd be alike. Pretty silly of me.

I know he's JUST a puppy but these dogs grow fast, big and strong. So, it does make sense to be worried considering it's my first GSD puppy and they react differently than Golden Retrievers. Many people gave me false thoughts about their nature and it had me more worried than I should've been. I know when they are raised right that they can be the best dogs.

I got a few questions though.

1. Do I give treats for EVERY time he does something good? I read few of your fellow's comments and I read "don't phase out treats yet". When is a good time to start phasing them out?
2. Is it ok if they walk in front of you or should I fix that right away?

 

I think I understand where you are coming from, since I have a Golden Retriever and a GSD. They are about 2 years apart in age. I didn't want a puppy, because of all the work, potty training, etc. Then I got my golden, such an easy pup. I thought, that wasn't so bad...then came the GSD. They are more energetic and definitely more mouthy. After I got through 6 months, I started forgetting how crazy the GSD drove me. After she was a year, I started thinking about another GSD puppy. It gets better and when they grow up they are worth all of it. With the treats, it depends on how you want to train. I started phasing treats out as they both ended their 3rd obedience class, so about 7-9 months. They still get treats when we practice obedience, but when I tell them to do something, they do it without any issues. Its all about timing. There is nothing wrong with teaching him to heel or loose leash walking now. I found that mine didn't go to far and would come back and circle me. In class we were the demo for a follow me exercise and the teachers exact words were....She won't lose Robyn..she's a German Shepherd.

 

I'm just an average household dog owner, I think you've read a lot of good advice here. I heard or read too that you can make up word commands that you like or want to use, or what comes natural! Doesn't have to be all "formal"commands, unless that's what you like! I say"lets go" to get them up and moving, if they are laying in the hall and I don't want to step over or go around mine will move if I say "beep beep"! I guess I'm saying relax and enjoy! I think the growl at your roommate is an invitation for play too! Do stuff to surprise him too! He'll love it! Hide, chase him, have fun!

 

Welcome to the forum...

Shame on Nat Geo for allowing this alpha/dominance stuff to be perpetuated.
It is as bad as the sasquatch and mermaid stuff on the other channels. Only you would hope you could "trust" Nat Geo....Don't get us wrong, control and respect are VERY VERY important! But you control the resources / have a lot of patience and there are a lot of very helpful folks to get you through the various phases. Of course one on one puppy classes with a good instructor are very helpful - you can't beat someone who knows what they are doing and actually sees your dog and you interacting with it.

I am on my 6th GSD and still get help. Asked a Master Trainer for the police "when do you get to the point you don't need some outside help?" and she said NEVER.

FWIW, ever see how many times Cesar got himself bit? Also there is a lot that goes on between the times the cameras are rolling as well.

Good advice - yes GSD puppies can be exasperating and sometimes for a couple of years.

Rude comments - It is easy to take a comment the wrong way because we rely so much on visual cues we often miss the intent of the written word (OTOH, sometimes the intent is intended to be rude.......)

Anyway.......best thing is to just gloss by anything that you perceive as a personal dig -assume it is not - or report it if it is most assuredly one. Believe me, ignoring it (something I struggle with, too) irks a rude person more than giving them the time of day.

 

Oh, and while I remember this, DON'T try to prevent food aggression by constantly playing in his food, always taking his food away then giving it back, or standing over him and petting and fusing with him while he eats to get him used to interference.
As many new members that sign up to the board looking for help find out, this only creates food aggression - pup at one point will just get totally fed up with the constant interference, and will eventually let you know that, not too kindly.

Leave him alone, so he does not have to worry about anyone taking his food away.
There are a number of threads on the go right now and just very recently with a lot of good advice on how to stop and prevent food aggression, if you are interested in reading up on it.

 

you have a 10 week old pup and you question whether it was raised right as a pup, a 10 week old pup and you question whether it was raised right as a pup, did i say you have a 10 week old pup? hang in there. find a
puppy class and take it from there.

Hi,
my roommate and I got a 10 week old GSD puppy. It's been about 7 days since we got him(so he's 11 weeks now) and I think he may be showing signs of dominance? This isn't my first dog but it IS my first GSD.

He is quite nippy so when he tries to teeth/bite I try to redirect him to a toy. However, at random times he seems to show a tad bit of aggression to my roommate. He snapped his teeth at her and kept barking with a low body stance. I'm scared that he might show aggression when he is full grown and when we have less control over him. He is growing quite quickly.

I keep my commands to 1 time minimum but he sometimes listens and sometimes doesn't. When he doesn't I force the command on him. He definitely understands the command because when I have treats he has no problem following through. He's learning to ignore more frequently though.

My landlord came down while eating some cereal but he kept pouncing on her and when we pushed him away he walked away with his tail curling upwards, which I read to be a sign of confidence/dominance. He also seems to sneak onto our bed when we are sleeping but whenever I feel a vibration I assert him with a firm "NO" and push him off, but he keeps on trying to get on the bed. He's extremely defiant.

I know persistency is the key and rewarding good behavior is the way to train, but it seems like we're making no progress at all. People have recommended alpha rolling but it seems stupid to pin a puppy to the ground.

I bought him from a breeder who SUPPOSEDLY had good feedback but other's say the breeder is really sketchy.

>>>> Maybe he was spoiled or not raised right during
his puppy hood? <<<<

I know he might be testing me but can this lead to future aggression?
Please help! Thank you in advance.

 

I wanted to reply to this thread because my husband and I were the exact same way when we first got our GSD at 10 weeks old! I will say that my husband was always thinking he was trying to dominate him (being another male) I laughed at that all the time. However, I've alpha rolled my pup twice mainly because he was getting to landsharky/crazy biting my ankles and just ignoring him wasn't working! I just held him down for a minute unitl he calmed down, let him up and he was fine. I guess I just figured that if I was a momma GSD she'd let him know enough is enough.

My husband and I constantly pick him up and hold him on the floor like a baby. (mainly to help with socialization and being elevated, touched, held, etc) At 17 weeks he now actually likes it! Although I'm tiny and his 40 lbs is getting a bit much for me to hold.

I let him win at tug all the time. I grew up with airdale and collies and playing tug-of-war with them as a kid all the time. Never did they "develop" aggression from playing tug-of-war. I found it humorous when my friend didn't let me play tug with her mini golden-doodle..."it leads to aggression". Here I have a GSD and play with him all the time. A golden-doodle...seriously.

When I do play tug I have a "done" command that let's him know to release. When he does, he sits and I throw it. He LOVES fetching anything and will bring it right back. Sometimes he holds it in his mouth and we resume tug, other times he'll drop it at my feet and we'll start fetch.

I would just calm down a bit. My husband and I have super high expectations of ourselves and realized we're crazy with our dog. (my 17 week knows 14 commands and at least 8 party tricks..yeah I'm insane - but they're so smart so when he learns something in a day, why not teach him more!) We've calmed down a lot since we got him and so what if he eats a wood chip, a berry, a small rock, dirt...bla bla...he's a vacuum, he's a dog, he'll survive.

 

Tug gets a really bad rap. The fact of the matter is the most obedient dogs in the world are usually dogs being rewarded with a game of tug for their work. There is a whole wealth of information out there on how to use tug to help train your dog and reinforce good behaviors. Definitely go seek it out. Michael Ellis is a great source of information for this. GSDs are a breed that often end up more toy motivated than food motivated as they age, and you should learn to take advantage of this.

You also might find yourself having more success with getting compliance if you start to work the puppy in engagement. Basically all you are trying to do is teach your puppy to pay focused attention to you for a longer and longer period of time. You pretty much just lure the dog around and reward for his attention. A lot of his not following commands at this point are probably not due to him blowing you off they are due to

1. Him not yet having the command generalized (knowing it means the same thing everywhere)
2. Not paying attention because he has a very very short attention span.
3. Not having practiced enough to get it completely right, or he simply is getting confused. A lot of commands sound fairly similar (sit, stand, stay)

Working engagement at this stage is more important than your basic obedience commands. You should do it in lots of different places and not just your home. People that don't work engagement in lots of places often wonder why they get much better attention from their pup inside the house when nothing is going on and can't seem to figure out why they can't get that same level of attention outside in the yard. Paying attention is a learned skill. It's easy to do when there is nothing else interesting going on. Not so easy when there are other things to watch.

There are dominant dogs out there in the way you think of dominant dogs. Dominance as people think of it is an overused explanation of many behaviors out there. A truly dominant dog that has the pack and rank drive to continually challenge its owner where it sees weakness is very rare. Even still they don't really start this behavior until they are adults, although you may see glimpses of it in adolescence. That kind of behavior is genetic and is more commonly found in lines of dogs being bred for defense work.

They are confident dogs, they are hard dogs that can take hard corrections and laugh at you. They walk with their heads and tails high and proud with their chests out. When you really see it there is no mistaking it. There is a dog like that in the k9 unit at a sheriffs department around where I live. He has a defensive bark that will make your sphincter tighten involuntarily. He hits people like a mack truck and bites harder than any dog in the unit. He is (and they are) not the neurotic unsure dogs you see on the Dog Whisperer that simply didn't have boundaries and rules set up by their owners. You don't alpha roll a dog like that you do not already have a very solid relationship with if you value your face hands and arms. I've only seen a handful of dogs like this in person my entire life.

 

You want the crate to be pretty snug too because it cuts down on the anxiety. It's kind of like swaddling a baby. Thundershirts for dogs work under the same principle. Restricting dog movements keep em calmer.

 

I like all the info and shared personal experience from everyone here so much that I made this a sticky. Thank you all for posting and helping out!

 

I have a 14 week old GSD and he is the same way. This is my 2nd GSD and like you with the first one I was a bit afraid of her at first, worrying if I could control her as an adult. Everyone is right here, he is just a baby and nipping is a part of playing and learning his boundaries. Be patient and let him be a puppy. He will learn from you an be a great friend.

 

I can say I am in the same boat as you my friend! I have a 6 month old GSD mix and she can be a terror at times. Slowly but surely replacing my hands with toys has helped her not bite me. One thing I do (and has been recommended time and time again) is when she starts getting too rough I almost yelp and say "OUCH!" to throw her off and "ENOUGH" if she continues and ultimately "TOO BAD" and she gets a mini time out in her crate for about 1 min. She is not 100% at it right now but it definantley helped out. We're almost there the light at the end of the tunnel is not too far ahead we just gotta stick it out! Best of luck!