Dog Walkers/Owners

Urrgh

 

The effort involved in training Abi will be worth it in the end. At work GSD's are used as patrol dogs (prison service) and they are wonderful. At work they are able to do the role that they must do if required, but they live with their handlers and their families at home. My next door but one neighbour is a handler, and at home Bandit plays with his grand kids, and all his other dogs as any dog would. If he's walking him, he'll come up to play with our dogs, and want a fuss and a cuddle. At work when he goes through the gatelock into the prison his mindset changes, and you don't go near him, even if you know him! Just his handler walking him etc.
The effort will be worth it, they are very bright and learn rules quickly if taught in the correct manner.
Personally we own to rescues, a 57 variety cross Benji, and Scooby the daftest staffi cross you could wish to meet. I want them to bark at home when someone calls, but if I choose to let them in they have to accept that, and they do and want a fuss and then go lie down.
Good luck with the training it will be worth it.

 

Benji and Scoopy look as though they are having a blast. Before getting Abi I had no idea dogs were so intelligent, neither did I understand the significance of their body language.

Someone told me that the horrible territorial guarding that Abi does is due to nervous aggression and I should be worried. Thankfully a friend who is a dog behavioural expert looked at the video and said that although Abi was not happy about the stranger in the house, she didn't display any nervous behaviour, but was approaching the guy with confidence (lol... I don't understand these things).

 

Abi will be fine, dogs are so rewarding and worth all the effort that they sometimes need. They will just love you unconditionally.

 

He`s right there`s no aggression in her interest in him, just checking him out.

 

Hi, sorry i did answer this the other day, but my post seems to have disappeared?? Probably my fault. To answer this, she is now 2 years old, we have had her since she was 17 months. She has had police training, but was found to be too nervous to attack, so they could not keep her. They advertised for a home for her on local t.v and we were picked out of many. She is quite territorial, and wants to be top-dog, but is kept in check. She is lovely and loves a cuddle, learns quickly and enjoys her toys and trainng. After only 6/7 months, she is a very different dog and has come to trust us totally. I think we are winning with the dog situation, but slowly.

 

She's gorgeous, Pixie!! Great to hear how you are turning her around

 

Thank you, she is gorgeous, except when she has stolen my apple pie! I was really looking forward to that!

 

Bless him Jake, who recently left us, once took a whole walnut cake of the side in the kitchen!

 

Sorry to hear about Jake Chilli but they can be tinkers can't they.....one christmas my first dog stole a turkey leg off the side....he didn't eat it he just brought it straight to me in true retriever style

 

Kazzie, hope you get back to read this. I had two wonderful GSD in my life, in your video, yours looks like my last guy did in coloring markings. Anyway, yes, working with them does take time and energy and keeping them on the straight path, they are smart dogs. One of the best things to get them to know very well is the down stay. From your video, your dog should have been put in a down stay and that would have been it. It takes time to teach the long down stay, in obedience trials they expect them not to move for 3 mins. even with distractions. I used to take my guys to different advance training classes which would highten the distractions so they focus on "me" and that command. I would recommend, classes and further exposure to public etc. My boys, although separately would be out and about with me everywhere and anywhere. Public interaction is so important to develope good social skills and discernment of good people versus bad people. And then there is the out of sight down stay, which is, where you put your dog in a down stay and you leave his sight. That is a hard thing in the beginning for them, it takes increments of time away, I mean building on seconds to a minute before you can get to a long 3 minute. They really want to always be with you.
But I did achieve that, and could shop with them in stores, placing one in one room and wander to the next and come back and he'd still be laying there waiting. The rewards are wonderful with good training, have faith Kazzie.

 

Kazzie, just re-read your entry, you said, never had a dog before. Recommend getting some books on GSD training and understanding also. Her actions in your video are normal for a GSD wanting direction, she is listening to you, so that is a good sign. She just seems curious. I would not have fussed too much about the workman there. She probably figured out already he was OK. But, putting her in a down stay, praising her for staying there, giving her a nylon bone to keep her occupied would have helped. Remember they also need lots of walks, I'd walk mine 3 miles every day to expel the energy.

 

Thank you for the advice... I certainly need it! We did do the training for down / stay during the good citizenship class... you are right, it is hard for them to stay when you disappear from sight. I need to retrain on this (I had sort of forgotten to use it for visitors, but she goes into a guarding 'zone' when the garden gate opens and I've focussed more on trying to stop the barking).

She gets loads of walking and exercise, but I have slipped with some of the training. Lol, she's flipping hard work!

 

Kazzie, hope you get back. Yes, it is hard work, I would work every night with them for about 20 mins reviewing what they have learned and maybe starting something else. Keep in mind they are smart, you really do not want to waste a smart brain. Make it fun. Keep it fun for them, they only want to please you. And alway end a training session with something you know they know well and give lots of praise. When your starting back to --example---reviewing the down stay, start with a short duration of time, even 30 seconds, praise them for the 30 seconds. Then go back again in to the down stay and go 45 seconds, then praise. The idea is to praise "prior" to them breaking the down stay. Watch their eyes and face so they do not make the "mistake" and get up. Remember if they do not get it, it is not their fault, it is the trainer. Also I never said a command more than once. Smart dogs will just say, well she, keeps saying it 50 times, I will just wait. (ha ha). Stopping the barking---LOL. When it starts you can't. And she truly is just doing her job. But when you walk to the gate she really needs to take the command to sit. That will take time and consistancy. Which reminds me, GSD work better if all training and interaction is black and white, no gray areas, all in your family need to be on the same page.
My boys and I would do fun things, like get a sock for me when I dropped it from the laundry basket (on purpose) boy was he thrilled he helped mom. We would do a "find it game" . Put in a sit/wait, go hide crackers, then release by saying find it. I had them carry the paper for me on my long driveway. You can teach scenting, by, rubbing food on your shoes and shuffle around the yard.
We would do jumps over objects set up in the yard. Don't forget to keep the "heel" in tack, large strong dogs need review always with that.
You might consider a training collar, I hate the wire one and the chain. There are head leads that fit a little snugger so the signal is quicker to them. Then when I was not training with them, the soft collar was put on. Weekends usually, had us an hour of review. Both my guys got obedience trophies. And by the way, try whispering commands, watch her eyes and ears perk up, they really pay attention then.
Miss my boys. Maybe again one day, but it is a commitment. Give her a hug for me, miss that. Again, get a good book. Seek out classes. They really love learning new stuff.

 

Redstar! Wish I could have "liked" your post 10x for such sage advice and sharing your experience.

I've just taught Ozzy to wear a lead harness for our walks, purely to stop him trying to pull my arm out of its socket: I spent a good couple of weeks showing him the lead harness (praising his sniff); encouraging him to put his head through the loop (but without putting it on); then slipping the harness over his nose for a nano-second ... you get the picture Now, my walks with him are a pure joy (for the pair of us!). His ultimate "reward", is when we get back home and we have free run time around the garden, a brisk rub down with a towel and then the ultimate "treat" ... a pigs ear

He still has a long way to go on some issues, but your encouraging post reassures me that, with perseverance ... we are going places!

Thank you!