I don't have any advice, but Kaiser meeting the puppies - AWWW! What a good boy.

 

What a sweet story!Good boy Kaiser

 

I love it!! Im proud to hear when a GSD does good. Especially a friends. Awesome!#

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I wouldn't let him greet the orher dogs at training. He is pulling, which you do not want him to do, but then he still gets to greet the other dogs, which is what he wants to do. What incentive does he have not to pull toward them if he still gets to greet them no matter how he acts?

I'm pretty militant about training being for training, not for greeting other dogs. I'm the same way with walks. I don't want the other dogs to have value to my dogs while we are trying to do things. There are lots of ways to fix the pulling, depending on your training style preference. Has your trainer given you any advice on how to stop it?

 

No he doesn't get to greet them no matter how he acts. Only at the end of training, when he has done a good job and he gets the instruction "ok, go play" then he is allowed over to say hello. If he is pulling towards the other dogs we work on sit and distract or walking away (heel, left turn, right turn etc). After 1 hr of training he is tired, he isn't as excited and he doesn't pull to get to the other dogs because he has been working next to them for an hour and that is when he gets to go over for a brief hello. At no other point at any other time during our walks/outings is he allowed to greet any other dogs.

 

Kaiser has been giving me some issues on our walks and at training lately... if he sees another dog he really pulls towards it to go and play, it is totally non aggressive but it is very frustrating for me and him I'm sure. And I'm also sure scary for the other people walking their dogs as it looks like a big german shepherd wants to attack their dog... I've noticed that people aren't very good at reading dog body language.

I don't allow him to go play, I distract with food/toy and make him sit, other times we walk in the other direction if I see that the distract technique isn't going to work.

At training he pulls to see the other gsds at the start and then calms down and gets on with what he is supposed to do, so that is good. At the end of training I say to him "go play" and I give him about 1 minute of meeting the other dogs before I take him away. He usually gets over excited and jumps on the other gsds, so we leave before this escalate.

Yesterday after training all the little gsd puppies were waiting their turn to start training - 12 weeks old or so... super cute. Kaiser was desperate to go and see them. I was worried he would get over excited and jump on them but thought I would keep a short leash and let him just go over and say hello. So I say to him "gentle, they are just little" gosh, you would have thought he understood me... he went down on his tummy, crawled towards them and stayed down whilst licking their faces... he was super cute and gentle. I couldn't have been prouder of my guy who is usually so over exuberant. And when I said "Lets go" he got up and walk away with no issues or pulling to go back to them. Ahhh it melts your heart when they get it right :wub::wub::wub:

I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood. I took the part I bolded to mean he pulled to see the other GSDs and succeeded. If that's not the case, my bad!

 

Kaiser did great meeting the little guys.. That is fantastic. Kaiser is still a young guy himself right not a year old yet? good boy Kaiser.

 

He is 8 months in 2 days.

 

"At the end of training I say to him "go play" and I give him about 1 minute of meeting the other dogs before I take him away. He usually gets over excited and jumps on the other gsds, so we leave before this escalate.

and

"No he doesn't get to greet them no matter how he acts. Only at the end of training, when he has done a good job and he gets the instruction "ok, go play" then he is allowed over to say hello"


I am sorry but that is a contradiction .
Letting the dog go visit for one minute builds frustration beautifully. One minute ?
That is a tease . What state is the other dog left in ? Just enough to be stimulated and
then left - that goes for both dogs.

And as cute as your story is you are still enabling a behaviour you are having some problems with .

quote " Kaiser was desperate to go and see them"

so what happens ?

" I would keep a short leash and let him just go over and say hello"

even if he was gentle and crawled on his belly -- he still was satisfied and rewarded by going over .

so when you are out for your walks both you and the dog are frustrated.

he sees another dog and his focus shifts to that dog and he starts pulling you in that direction.

who cares if he is not aggressive and just wants to play. Maybe I am that other person with a dog with
issues who does not enjoy any dog coming into his zone - and will not "play" .

well yes

"And I'm also sure scary for the other people walking their dogs as it looks like a big german shepherd wants to attack their dog... "

Those people at training club with the very young pups took a chance . Your dog wasn't in control - excited .
Their pups might be at any point of social experience and might take an advance of a large dog as intimidating.

If I had a pup and I wanted to do a social visit I would go to the "other" dog -- once I see a calm state and handler awareness and control.

 

I understand you have years and years of experience, but unless you have actual useful advice instead of criticizing me don't bother replying in my posts. Nothing you have said here is actually helpful it is just putting me down and totally negative.

 

Kaiser sounds like a fine dog and you just need to figure out how to train through this and alter behavior. Again, wanted to emphasize gently... it is you that needs to change not Kaiser. It does sound like he pulls and eventually gets what he wants from the way you describe it and that it appears to not have improved? How old is Kaiser? My first thought is to train you on how to use a prong (training) collar but maybe he is too young (< 6 months??) I don't like the idea of all the pulling on his neck and trachea.

I am no longer that excited about training classes especially when there is "play time" involved. I guess it works for some. But many puppies just get overstimulated and then I think you lose control and then I think you have taken steps back in training. I prefer working one on one with a very good trainer. So much more gets done than in a class. I also like training that does not include play time with other dogs... play time with me... yes.. that builds a bond with you and not a bond with other dogs. Taking a break to recharge, yes, but dog/dog play time no. If my dog is going to socialize with other dogs it is completely separate event especially as puppies. With trained adult dogs it may be different. But I want to structure training as "work" or the "job" and bonding with me.

Is this a class with an instructor?

Just my two cents for what it is worth. Good luck. Sounds like a very nice dog.

 

Maybe I haven't described it clearly. He may pull towards other dogs when we are out on walks but he never gets anywhere near them. He is never allowed to meet never mind play with other dogs whilst we are on walks.
The training class is once a week with an instructor and it is only GSDs there. When we first get to class he pulls to go see the other dogs, he doesn't get to go over to them. I do heel work and downs etc away from the group and once the class starts we join in and he is fine to work next to them, he doesn't misbehave during training and is quite happy doing his work next to the other dogs. At the end of training when everyone is tired and relaxed then he is allowed to go over and meet/play with the other dogs. That is the only time he gets to interact with other dogs at all. We don't have any other dogs at home, and we don't go anywhere where he gets to play with any other dogs.

 

I've conditioned a word that will stop Jupiter in his tracks no matter what and I only use it when his focus goes array and he is clearly doing something wrong. I also paired it with focus so he will turn to me and watch my face after he stops being bad. I rarely use it anymore but I have a new puppy to train now so i see if I can do the same thing twice.

Be confident in training, know beyond a doubt that your boy will get it right. Put that positive energy out there for him and you and you will see a difference.

Right after training when people are letting their dogs play would be a perfect opportunity to strengthen your guys training by making him sit and watch, down and watch. Heel towards the playing and then away. Like you said he get plenty of social interactions from just the training alone.

Is he walked with a flat collar, harness or what?

 

Thanks. He is walked with just a flat collar.

 

Dogs don't tell time, beginning or ending of class. You walk in and he sees the dogs and wants to play. Why not? If the last time he was there he played, he'll want to play. If he behaves he gets to play at the end? I'd separate where he plays and where he trains at this age. Carmen is correct, you're rewarding him by taking him over to play with them. Had I had one of the puppies I would have been upset that your brought your larger very excited dog over to my puppy. I'm glad it turned out well, but he could have unintentionally spooked one of the puppies. Training time is training time, not social time.

 

This! Wolf is four and a half months old and I am having similar struggles, except he barks. He has tried pulling and I've nipped that in the bud really quick by doing about turns and refocusing attention. Have you tried that method? When you're out on a walk, the moment he pull do a complete about turn taking him with you and refocus his attention on you, then reward with praise and a treat.

At training, the training ring needs to be just for that, training. My club has a very strict rule about not letting dogs play or approach one another in the building because the building is for training and we are conditioning our dogs to understand that. Outside the building they can approach if they behave.

My recommendation would be to not let him meet dogs who he pulls towards, regardless of when he does it. Remove him from the situation, refocus his attention. Also, don't let him meet other dogs during training, including after. If he meets other dogs right after training, that's what he will remember when he comes back and you can build frustration in him by not allowing him to meet dogs the next time you go to training.

If you're out and free walking, ask some people if your dogs can greet one another, but do it slowly and reward him for good behavior. I'm teaching Wolf to sit and wait for the other dog to approach, if he pulls we do an about turn and he doesn't get to greet the dog. Same thing for if he barks (which we're slowly getting better at).

Kaiser sounds like a great dog and I've enjoyed hearing about him. Puppies will be puppies.

 

I understand you have years and years of experience, but unless you have actual useful advice instead of criticizing me don't bother replying in my posts. Nothing you have said here is actually helpful it is just putting me down and totally negative.


oh good grief ---- when you go to work in a club , get ready for trial , you get advice from an observer , a COACH ,
who will point out things that you can't see or appreciate .

You can't see what you are doing .

The dog sounds like quite a nice dog . You are the one that needs to change things up .
member DutchKarin said the same thing !

your thread is a complaint . Struggle . Frustrating . So a logical answer would examine why is there a struggle ,
how would you resolve it.
Answers were given . Consistent similar answers by 3 members , self included .

"He may pull towards other dogs when we are out on walks but he never gets anywhere near them"

so then wait till he gets older , stronger, more determined, more set in this behaviour and see if the walks will be pleasant and something to look forward to ---- or a "struggle" a necessary chore

so easy to fix .

don't close your mind to some good ideas .

 

opening sentence
"Kaiser has been giving me some issues on our walks and at training lately... if he sees another dog he really pulls towards it to go and play, it is totally non aggressive but it is very frustrating "

 

the OP's dog also barks -- but that is information from another thread.

easily fixed problem though ---

training and application of the expected behavour happens in the class but must
follow out into real life . -

you know what the dog will do - so you have to be ready long before and give the dog a reminder , correction
re-direction before

dogs don't have to go and greet one another --- at least not "stranger dogs"

 

Have you considered putting Kaiser in a down/stay (on leash) while the other dogs are playing? All three of my dogs had to spend time watching other dogs train and play while they were in a down. Trust me at first, they whined, they broke the down, etc. but they were given corrections each time until they learned to lay there quietly and watch. This is something a trainer had me do with my male 9 years ago (at first I thought he was nuts or at the very least, being mean) and it's stuck. It's simple and effective. Removing a dog while the other dogs play doesn't in my opinion teach a dog anything. They need to be exposed to the stimuli (other dogs running, jumping, playing) and learn that they aren't always invited to the party.

 

Have you considered putting Kaiser in a down/stay (on leash) while the other dogs are playing? All three of my dogs had to spend time watching other dogs train and play while they were in a down. Trust me at first, they whined, they broke the down, etc. but they were given corrections each time until they learned to lay there quietly and watch. This is something a trainer had me do with my male 9 years ago (at first I thought he was nuts or at the very least, being mean) and it's stuck. It's simple and effective. Removing a dog while the other dogs play doesn't in my opinion teach a dog anything. They need to be exposed to the stimuli (other dogs running, jumping, playing) and learn that they aren't always invited to the party.

^ Very good advice.

You can also work on this on your own at parks. Not off-leash dog parks, just regular community parks where people walk their dogs, throw balls, etc.

 

Carmen said "you know what the dog will do - so you have to be ready long before and give the dog a reminder , correction
re-direction before"

This is what I do...over and over and over. Until, hopefully, it sticks! LOL!