[DUL958]

I have a 12 week old GSD puppy, who weathered winter snow like a trooper. The first week we had her, she went outside in the rain to go potty and was all, "Rain-schmain....not scared of rain!". After having many dogs scared to get wet, this was a blessing.

Now, all of a sudden this morning she doesn't want to go out and pee because she'll get wet?

I am at a loss. I basically had to make her come out with me and hold an umbrella partially over her. She looked at me like I had stabbed her to the heart. There was a bubble over her head that said, "bad mommy!"

This is my first GSD puppy. Is this something that she'll grow out of? Is it like her ears, an up and down situation? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Lauri & The Gang]

Puppies go through several fear periods when something they took for granted one minute now scares them.

Best thing to do is make rain = FUN!!

Feed her in the rain. Take her favorite toy outside and play with her in the rain.

Not much fun for you (I HATE getting rain on my head - yes, I'm weird) but it will help later in life.

 

[MaggieRoseLee]

Lauri is right on with this. I get excited when it rains, make the 'happy we are going outside noises'.............. I get happy when I am IN the rain with her. I may run and play, take her toy out, play ball with her............. happy happy happy, joy joy joy.

Heck, I go for long hikes in the rain! MUD DOGS! Catch the start of this... Watch the dogs and listen to ME! Bretta (the older dog) knows the game. But it's a new one for Glory B (the puppy) and you can see she catches on very fast!

 

[DUL958]

Wow!!! Thanks for the information, Lauri & Maggie (hey, I'm a Maggie too!!). You have beautiful dogs.

When I got home last night she was back to not caring? Go figure. Today we went for a walk in the drizzle and I prepared myself with her favorite chew toy, thinking I would have to coax her. Well, I always have to coax her initially on the walk - she would rather stay at home and play tug. Once we get down the driveway and a couple of houses down, she's good. But, she didn't seem to mind the rain again.

Who knew that I was on the right track - Maggie, I use this same happy voice when I walk with her. I constantly tell her that she's a good girl. When she stops or tries to herd me back to the house (it's funny that she's doing this at 12 weeks) I stop the happy voice and use a firm, "No", and then when she starts walking with me again I resume the happy voice. She loves the happy voice.

I've never had a puppy before, and she is a TREMENDOUS amount of work, but it's so rewarding too. She's smart as a whip. I'm trying to figure out why she doesn't want to go for a walk - I thought that all dogs naturally like walks. Have either of you had puppies that didn't want to walk and had to be coaxed with treats?

German Shepherd Dog Forums - DUL958's Album: 'Lil Girl - Picture

 

[MaggieRoseLee]

I've never had a puppy before, and she is a TREMENDOUS amount of work, but it's so rewarding too. She's smart as a whip. I'm trying to figure out why she doesn't want to go for a walk - I thought that all dogs naturally like walks. Have either of you had puppies that didn't want to walk and had to be coaxed with treats?

My GSD puppies tend to NOT like to leave the yard either! They'll chase me all around the outside of the house, but not necessarily like to continue down the street. So that's not how I exercise them. I do all the many daily pee/poo trips all around the yard, and I can throw the ball a bit.

But you saw in the video what I really do to 'walk' my pups. I pack them in the car. Drive to somewhere new. Best is if I can then have them OFF leash for a few hours to romp in the mud.... But even ON-leash in a new place they seem to keep moving and want to stay with me and not loiter.

If I even pack them in the car to drive down the block, get them out for a romp, there seems to be less of the 'can we go home NOW' thing going on....

 

[DUL958]

That's great to know.

As soon as she hits 4 months, we'll start going to the park. Per our vet, there has been an outbreak of parvo and some other ailment (can't remember now for my life), recently and she's seen a few dogs die even after all of their shots. Well, Sofie just had her last parvo shot, so we just started walking around the neighborhood. The vet says for now, until she's 4 months, not to let her around other dogs.

I tell her that she's a super-puppy all of the time. She's just so darn good, but when she's bad, she's so darn bad!! She can be obstinate. Not sure if this is breed specific, or just her. When she plants her butt and doesn't want to walk, there is no amount of tugging that will make her. And, the more determined you are to go, she gets more determined to stay. Cheddar cheese works pretty well, but in such small pieces you have to hold it right in front of her nose - after 10 minutes of that your side starts to hurt. Today I used a bully stick for the smell, and a visual. I held it in my left hand so that she could see it (same side that she walks - about 6" from her mouth), but not reach it. When we got farthest away from the house, still in my happy voice, I told her that she was good and let her have it. She carried it all of the way home, almost prancing. So far, this has been the best walk yet. Hopefully, instead of rewarding her AFTER we get back, rewarding her at this point in the walk might help.

I've been watching Ivan Balabanov training DVD's re: when to reward and clear communication. I've read so many books, and watched so many DVD's, and it seems that everyone has a different opinion. There is so much uncertainty, and I have anxiety about "screwing her up", and making sure I do everything just right. Whew! Reading these boards has been very helpful. Thank you so much for your replies. I hope that my puppers will turn out as good as your babies!

 

[tatiana]

I'm a wimp in the rain too!

I must be a wimp myself, as I hate to go out in pouring rain.

What I did was acclimate my puppy to a large red/white golf umbrella on the porch for about 15-20 minutes. She sniffed it first, then I opened it gradually, then we walked around the porch with it up and over us.

This afternoon it's raining incredibly hard. We went outside with the umbrella over us without any problem. She doesn't pay any attention to it.

If it's only a very light mist I haven't bothered with the umbrella. I think it was good for her to get accustomed to and ignore the umbrella. I also take it with us on both our morning and evening walks regardless of rain threat. Use of the umbrella as a deterrent to other dogs was recommended by my local animal control officer.

 

[DUL958]

Follow up....

Well, now do we not only NOT mind the rain, but we have great fun playing in the kiddie pool full of water.

I waited for a very hot GA day, and took her for a long walk. Came back and slowly introduced the water at just the feet level. Pretty soon, "we" had decided that the cool water was a great thing to mess around in and bite at.

Still would prefer to not have the bath, but doesn't mind so much anymore, especially on a hot day.

She's a funny girl -- makes me laugh all of the time. :wub:

 

[Holmeshx2]

lol glad your pup is coming along well. Gotta love Shepherds. Same things we love about them are the same things that make us hang our heads and that is their intelligence. They are so darn smart they can figure out what needs to be done and wanted from them to pick up so quick but when they really don't want to do something they use their super powers for evil lol. Gotta love them

 

[AvaLaRue]

I wonder why I never came across this thread before!! This has been of great insight to me.

Ava's first walk a couple weeks ago was smooth as could be. Every single walk since then....as soon as we get 20 feet out of the yard, she plants her butt and refuses to move. She will consider it for a bite of hotdog.

It's encouraging to know that this is just not her being stubborn but it's a GSD characteristic. I think I will start doing what was mentioned...pack her up and take her away from our house/yard and see if that works!!

Thanks!!!!