[Nanook19]

My germanshepherd will be 11 weeks next week and we have had her since she was roughly 4 or 5 weeks. Way to soon go be away from mother, I know. Now that we have started some training, I've noticed some things that I'm not sure how to correct.. we are kennel training her, she isnt out of the kennel unless supervised and is pretty good at going to the door when she needs out.. there have been some accidents where she will just get up and go right there if I dont get up in time. She sleeps in her kennel at night, but DOES NOT whine or alert me when she needs to go potty, she will wake up and sit there and stare at me and if I dont wake up, she goes in her kennel. But every morning when 8am hits, she is whining and wants out to play. Why wont she whine in the night to go potty but will in the morning to be let out and played with? We have a schedule in the night and it's usually 12am ,3am 6am that I will get up and let her out and reward her for going. I just dont get it... 2nd thing is her collar... she does pretty good with a harness and I've been trying to train her with getting use to having her collar on
. But this has been an issue.. she freaks out! I'll put it on her and she will fight the whole time and choke herself..and then freaks out more. Should I give up on the collar and stick to the harness? Also any tips on biting would be amazing! I had a 1year old and she does nothing but try and chew on him, even when told no and given something else to bite... I do think its playful but he his little and she has those Sharp puppy teeth...

 

[LuvShepherds]

Being quiet at night is a good thing. Appreciate it! I would do two things. Give her all the she wants until about 6 or 7 pm, then pick it up. As soon as you wake up in the morning, take her out. As she grows, her bladder size will increase and she will be able to hold it longer.

A harness will eventually encourage her to pull on the leash. Show her the collar and give her a treat. Don’t put it on her, just treat her. Do this until she comes to you for treats when you are holding the collar. It might take a few days. Then have someone else treat her while you put the collar on her, then continue to give her tiny but delicious treats while she wears it. While she is getting treats have someone remove the collar. She will learn the collar goes on, she gets treated and then it comes off. Gradually increase the amount of time she is in the collar. Food is soothing and rewarding, both, so it’s a good way to condition her. Don’t overfeed her while you are using the treat method.

 

[Malibu]

I can not even finish reading this because it hurts to much..
YOU need to get in a class ASAP to learn how to raise a puppy, any puppy..
YOU DO NOT START TRAINING A DOG @ 11 WEEKS OLD
YOU CAN'T EXPECT ANY ANIMAL TO LET YOU KNOW THEY HAVE TO GO POTTY
that is as far as I got on your thread. PLEASE, PLEASE, sign up for classes YESTERDAY. SORRY but it's a must

 

[Chip Blasiole]

You definitely should start training a puppy as soon as you get him. Eleven weeks old is not too young, unless you are saying training should have started sooner. IMO, puppy classes are generally not a good idea. They are essentially a major source of distraction which prevents a puppy from focusing and learning. Plus, there are way to many poor trainers out there calling themselves trainers because there are not requirements to call yourself a trainer.

 

[techinstructor]

I think everything you do with a puppy is some sort of training, for they are learning whether it is intended or not. Absolutely you should train a puppy at 11 weeks. Now... how you train.... and what you train is important. Baby steps for babies. Set appropriate expectations and break down the skills so that the puppy can be successful. You are correct to put the puppy on a schedule for potty. It will be a long while before they will learn to "ask" to go out, but eventually this will occur. It seems to me that if she is going at the hours you stated, she shouldn't be going in her kennel. Maybe you need to restrict water earlier in the evening.

As for the collar, I agree with LuvShepherds. Reward her and she'll get used to it. Collars will provide much better control than a harness.



For biting, I would keep toys handy and put one in her mouth whenever she starts biting on you. She needs to learn bite control. I do this by making a big deal, e.g. "OUCH" and "Ease up!" along with theatrics so that she knows this is unpleasant for you. Obviously, she's not going to learn this on a 1 year old, so you need to restrict her access to the baby until she can control it.

I do think puppy classes are beneficial, mostly because it allows them to learn how to be around other dogs during a critical developmental time for socialization.


Just my 2 cents worth....