[Zipra]

Hello, I live in los angeles and I don't even have a GSD yet. I'm honestly trying to get everything in order before I even get the dog. My last GSD had massive anxiety problems and had issues with her health because of it ( diarrhea every time we left the house )
Back then I didn't have the money to afford a good trainer. But now I do and I'm looking to start early.

I live in the valley currently although I may be moving. I'm looking for a trainer who doesn't use pain methods as a training method. ( no shock collars )
Our dog would be mostly a support animal for anxiety and other mental illnesses so obedience and extreme socializing would be a must. I would also be interested in training for sports as well.
Both our jobs allow us to bring our dog to work, which means she needs to be well behaved .

I'm having a really hard time sorting through trainers who don't use pain methods or trainers who only train for protection. I want a trainer who can work with the dog to bring out her natural sense to please and have her attention focused on me at all times. Someone who can gently train the reactive properties some dogs have, to have a gentle obedient girl.

I'm willing to do kennel training or group. I just need some recommendations. The amount of trainers in los angeles is very overwhelming.

 

[IllinoisNative]

Are you sure you don’t want a Lab or a Golden? German Shepherds aren’t really recommended as service dogs for anxiety issues. If you’re struggling with anxiety, your GSD will feed off that. Herding dogs are VERY in tune with their owners. The fact that you struggle with anxiety and had a previous GSD with anxiety doesn’t bode well. Not saying for sure that your anxiety played a role with your last GSD, just that it might have. There are some genetic components. That’s not to say you can’t find a GSD that will work. It will just be tough. I’m sure others will weigh in saying to look for a breeder that has proven success with a dog in the service/support/therapy field.

I just know that if I’m tense, my GSD is tense. I have a GSD and also struggle with anxiety...so I know of what I speak. I had a Golden, and she would have been far more suited as a psychiatric service dog.

I would also look for a balanced trainer. There is no cookie cutter approach to training German Shepherds. What works for one, doesn’t necessarily work for another.

Good Luck!

 

[Zipra]

Are you sure you don’t want a Lab or a Golden? German Shepherds aren’t really recommended as service dogs for anxiety issues. If you’re struggling with anxiety, your GSD will feed off that. Herding dogs are VERY in tune with their owners. The fact that you struggle with anxiety and had a previous GSD with anxiety doesn’t bode well. Not saying for sure that your anxiety played a role with your last GSD, just that it might have. There are some genetic components. That’s not to say you can’t find a GSD that will work. It will just be tough. I’m sure others will weigh in saying to look for a breeder that has proven success with a dog in the service/support/therapy field.

I just know that if I’m tense, my GSD is tense. I have a GSD and also struggle with anxiety...so I know of what I speak. I had a Golden, and she would have been far more suited as a psychiatric service dog.

I would also look for a balanced trainer. There is no cookie cutter approach to training German Shepherds. What works for one, doesn’t necessarily work for another.

Good Luck!

I have had bad experiences with labs. My anxiety is not bad enough that it effects me on the exterior. I don't have bad breakdowns or panic attacks or anything. The reason a dog helps is for the stability and companionship to stop my brain from running off.
Herding dogs in los angeles is a nightmare. They are too high of drive if not exercised enough they become un-attentive. I had a herding dog for a while and even with walks and runs it wasnt enough for her.
Training dogs helps with my anxiety and dogs willing to do all sorts of tasks works best for me and my previous GSD really fit that bill.
Im looking for a trainer that can help with the socialization and desensitizing the dog

 

[IllinoisNative]

Gotcha. I wish you the best of luck. German Shepherds are a herding breed so be careful with the breeder you select. I have one that’s great, but he needs a ton of exercise to settle.