Question about a German Shepherd dog?
I just turned 22, self employed right now, and i'm gonna go find an apartment soon. When I do, I will be buying a German Shepherd. Fortunately, the apartment I want to move to allows pets. The unfortunate thing is my family does NOT want a dog --- mainly cause my dad has allergies.
I'm going to buy him as a puppy. ANd i will do my own training. I been watching a lot of "It's me or the dog" on animal plannet. I think I picked up some goods tips on there about how to train dogs. And I don't think a German Shepherd pup will be hard to train because GSD are considerably smart breeds. Right?
Here is the thing. The lady at the apartment where I'm gonna go to said when you train them you can buy a shocker. I thought that was a good idea, but then later on I feel that was a mean thing to do.
Here's the thing. If my german shepherd does SOMETHING that I DON'T like, I won't give it a treat. For example, if i tell him to sit, and he runs, I won't give him a treat. If he sits on the command "sit", he gets a treat. I will reward my dog when he does something i like after I tell him. I don't think it's nice to shock him for every wrong thing. I have too much respect for these dogs, and I wouldn't want to shock them. My GSD will be partner for life and i want the best for him and he will get the best from me.
Is there, however, any other methods to discpline them other than a shock or not giving them a treat? I want my training to be successful.
Brooker, can i talk to you ? Can you IM me on yahoo messenger - gmanzari0038
please don’t confine a large dog to an apartment – you just turned 22 and are gung ho about living on your own "ohh look at me, i’m an adult, i’m going to buy me the dog my daddy never let me have"
you’re not stable (and I don’t mean mentally), you’re 22. a dog, especially a gsd is a lot of responsibility.
it’s not just about obedience, and how you have this crazy idea that victoria sidwell is the virgin mother of dogs and you’ll do everything she tells you to.
please don’t subject another dog to being rehomed or sent to a shelter in the event you can’t pay your rent, or you loose your job, or you feel like partying all night and not going home…
Go to obedience classes with the dog. That way you will learn the correct way to train him.
Just by letting them know that you aren’t happy with them lets them know that something is wrong by the tone of your voice. There is no need to shock a puppy nor for that fact an older dog. When they are a puppy it is important for them to know the difference in the tones of your voice. For instance when you are happy your voice goes up and when you are unhappy your voice goes lower. Make sure to dramatize this. This helps with teaching them right and wrong, they will want to make you happy. Good Luck
The best thing is to take your pup to dog training classes, you get hands on help from people who know about dogs and behaviour and it is a good start if you haven’t had a dog before, set you on the right path from the beginning……………rather than take advice form "The lady at the apartment" who clearly knows nothing about training a dog or the affect these collars have on a dog, a shock causes, pain and /or anxiety, if a dog is in pain/anxious part of its brain will shut down for protection and it will go into reactive mode, reaction is not a learning mode, so it doesn’t learn, it may stop what its doing to stop the shock and you may very well get other reactive behaviours you don’t like.
If you google "Nothing in life is free" you will get plenty to read about training.
I have a shepherd who is around 5 y/o now. Training him was a good experience because of his intelligence and he has grown to be a great dog. I agree that a shock collar is not necessary because they respond very well to most training techniques without using harsh methods. Positive reinforcements (i.e. treats for good behavior) is adequate, and is punishment is warranted the dog should be put in immediate isolation for a short time (minutes, not hours). Isolation is far more effective of a punishment because of the dog’s strong affinity for human company. They are very easy to potty train, are highly devoted, and will defend you to the death. The one drawback is that they can be very reactive around strangers and will make a fuss until they get to know the person.
Negative reinforcement rarely works on most dogs, in fact in can cause an increase in anxiety, fearfulness, and destroy the human animal bond between owner and pet.
DO NOT TAKE YOUR TRAINING CUES FROM TV!!! It is VERY unrealistic to think you can do what "dog whisperer" does and others on TV. Simply put, these are anecdotal synopsis and there is a lot going on that we DON’T see — it’s edited for TV!
The first step to training a dog, is to train the human! GSD’s are smart, but also VERY stubborn! Be forwarned and prepared. They are also a working dog — they need a job and to work everyday! You must work with this dog using brain and physical activity or it can become destructive or aggressive.
Try finding a positive enforcement class for your puppy. Get a puppy from a GOOD breeder (certified hips, knees, eyes, and elbows). Don’t take the puppy sooner than 12-16 weeks, if you do – get it into puppy class so it can learn proper socialization with other dogs.
Lastly, check out thses books: Clicking with your dog, The perfect puppy, and Culture Clash (by Jean Donaldson).
These dogs love attention. When I trained my GSD, I used the that’s a good girl talk every time she did something right. But we started slow. GSD learn fast. I would not use the shock collar that is what I believe to be a hard way to train a dog of any breed. These dogs aim to please. Working with a GSD in a apartment is going to very hard for them. These dogs need open room. Can it be done, I believe it can but these dogs are going to need to but taken outside to let run and play. So when you start I would start so and easy. When they do some thing right reward them with lots of love and yes treats. When some thing goes wrong I reward nothing. And start over. Once these dogs get going on learn you will see that they now know what it is going to take to get the attention and treat they need. If you keep a good manner though out their training you will see there was never no need to get a shock collar.
its best to try the shocker on your self first, this way you will know if it’s good or not for a dog you want to love you later.make sure when you put it on your self it is making good contact.
i would also suggest that you put it on the (lady),again make sure it is working well and has new batteries for this test.
with your attitude i think it’s best you get a stuffed dog.
Your tone of voice, Lower tone and more assertive for something you do not like, a higher tone and more happy for something good.
Ignoring is a form of punishment for an action you do not like.
When you train your dog give vocal commands and always use hand signals along with the voice commands. Eventually you will only need to give a hand signal for your dog to read your command. All my dogs are trained this way.
IF you start using shock for everytime your dog does something you "don’t like" you will turn your dog into a nervous wreck. I suggest reading some books on training before you get the pup and then setting up training classes with a good trainer for after your pup has all of its shots, usually at 16 weeks. Using a collar for correction the a better way to go, but you can’t start doing to much intense training until the pup is about six months old.
Does your dad live with you? Becasuse if he is allergic to dogs this won’t work with you living in an apartment. GSD’s shed like crazy and you will have hair everywhere. You will also have to spend an hour minimum everyday exersizing the pup. GSD’s are high energy and need stimulation. Make sure you are up for this before you bring a pup into the house.
Go to leerburg.com they have a lot of books and videos on training that could be helpfull to you, also there are free ebooks to read.
A German Shepard is a great dog.
It is large and not well suited for an apartment unless you plan on running it every day.
It is also not good for allergies.
Perhaps you should research dogs and pick one more suited for your family & living conditions.
Go to Google & type how to pick a puppy
A few links are listed below./
Don’t just use one, do some research, each one may help you pick a different dog..
Ultimately, the choice is yours.
As for training, shocking would not be my choice.
(I like the idea of trying the collar on yourself & the lady who suggested it!)
Research training as well as picking your dog.
A puppy is a baby.
Be informed so your puppy does not end up in a shelter because it was not what you were expecting.
I bought this one: http://www.techawave.com/techawave/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=596750
Watching a TV show is not enough to know how to train. You have to remember, these shows are edited for ratings. They can leave things on the cutting room floor. It does not even close to giving you a full perspective on training. Yes, you can pick up little tips, but there is a good amount of important information you are not getting.
I would start doing some reading ASAP. Anything by Patricia McConnell, specifically The Other End of the Leash. Also The Culture Clash. Dr. Ian Dunbar has many good step by step dog books, I think it is Sirius Dog Training series.
You could definitely benefit from a training class.
Yes German Shepherds are considered a very smart breed, but smart does not always translate to trainability. As a matter of fact, these dogs can be challenging and are not usually recommended for first time dog owners. The breed requires a lot of socialization as well.
E-collars, not shock collars, can be an effective tool. While I am not suggesting you use one, it is not necessarily cruel. It does however, require proper training by someone who knows and understands how they work. It is not a simple as putting on the collar and shocking the dog when he is bad. Using an e-collar incorrectly can be disasterous. And to those who say try it on yourself, many trainers do suggest you do. You find that the lower settings (which you use to train) are a tingle to get the dogs attention, not a shock.
Here are some great articles to read if you are interested. Its always a good idea to understand other theories of training, even if you don’t necessarily agree.
http://www.loucastle.com/
IF you are interested in treat training, How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks by Dr. Ian Dunbar would be a great book for you. It is a step by step on training a puppy and uses treats and postiive reinforcement.
I also want to add, GSDs are high energy, very intelligent dogs. They need a good amount of exercise EVERYDAY, and that is not just a walk around the block. These dogs were bred to herd, trotting for long hours, they need a chance to use that energy. They also need mental stimulation. Without these, they can become very destructive and/or develop behavior issues. Please consider how that will fit into your life.
Here is a good forum for GSDs. They can answer any questions about training, selecting a dog, health issues, feeding, etc.
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubbthreads.php
I have had GSDs for years. They are easy to train. I went to a dog training class where they were working on the down command that week. I worked with him on it then went to the class. The instructor said,” Say down then push the hindquarters down.” I said, ” What about doing it on command?” He said,” Oh that’s weeks down the road.” I said, ” My dog does it now.” I commanded him to go down with a gesture and he went down. He said,” How long have you been training him?” I said,” Three days.” He said,” You don’t need to be in this class.” LOL