Oh dear things are much worse...

[DelsMum]

I know its not the miracle answer to everything but do you think he gets enough exercise and mental stimulation?

[charlie]

Originally Posted by Cruz's mama

no grew up with them in the family, mum had them and so did my aunt but this is my first, you can probably tell and although I didnt know at the time they were puppy farmers, i knew I was doing the wrong thing taking a puppy from that kind of home but I couldnt put him down, I felt so sorry for him.
I must also say, this has not jsut started, he has been displaying this behaviour slowly in drips and drabs since about 10 months old.

The only reason i ask u is even if u have grown with the breed having one to train and bring up is a whole different ball game u have to think long and hard about a breed of this kind and i come across so many cock ups with german sheps which is a brave shame for both owner and dog.

Just a minor error and can create endless problems socially can i ask is he castrated?

[Cruz's mama]

Originally Posted by charlie

The only reason i ask u is even if u have grown with the breed having one to train and bring up is a whole different ball game u have to think long and hard about a breed of this kind and i come across so many cock ups with german sheps which is a brave shame for both owner and dog.

Just a minor error and can create endless problems socially can i ask is he castrated?

to be fair I understand this but you have to start somewhere, right?! I did the research and read all the books, dvd's etc before I started. I was booked to take one the week after from a VERY reputable breeder but my heart melted for the poor soul - he was a trembling wreck and I couldnt bare to leave him.
i have blamed myself so far for almost everything that has happened because YES i am inexperienced, and NO i am not a trainer and cant read the body language...
I read on here of people who paid full whack for their dogs, got all the papers, bought from reputable breeders and still have issues with their dogs.

If it is my fault he is like this then I will take full responsibility for that but it still doesnt help the situation I am in now.

yes he was castrated at 7 months on the vets reccomendation..

[GypsyGSD]

No my dogs dont follow me they are told to stay and they do and now make no attempt to even get up when i move they might look but thats all, you have got a few issues I agree and you feel under a lot of pressure when is the new trainer coming to see you ? you need someone who has the knowledge of strong minded gsds as pam and others have said it will be a long road but not impossible it will take time and a lot of hard work xx

[Cruz's mama]

Originally Posted by DelsMum

I know its not the miracle answer to everything but do you think he gets enough exercise and mental stimulation?

Well at the moment probably NO, i have nowhere to take him - i cant walk on the streets and I am struggling taking him to dog parks. I am finding myself having to drive into the middle of nowhere, out of civilisation to exercise him.
We live in the centre of a town. If we lived out in the country where there was no traffic or other dogs, he would be a gem

can i add, i try to do training most days - or games in the house like tug, hide n seek etc, tracking etc hide the sausage

[super D]

Can I ask your state of mind when you walk him.
I dont mean this in a nasty way to you.
My boy got bit by another dog, a nasty wound and had an op, subconsiously i was so worried....Anyway, I can make Dalton go from calm to psycho GSD in a heart beat if im not careful, like I think sometimes "Oh crap, there is a big dog", like on my sweet jesus, and feel my heart beat go higher, and I can gaurentee you i can make Dalton go mad, like come here I'll have ya sort of thing, snarling at themouth ears flat, in the ill rip ya head off body language, because he thinks "mum is scared, I must proptect her"
Hope this makes sense
xx

[charlie]

Originally Posted by Cruz's mama

to be fair I understand this but you have to start somewhere, right?! I did the research and read all the books, dvd's etc before I started. I was booked to take one the week after from a VERY reputable breeder but my heart melted for the poor soul - he was a trembling wreck and I couldnt bare to leave him.
i have blamed myself so far for almost everything that has happened because YES i am inexperienced, and NO i am not a trainer and cant read the body language...
I read on here of people who paid full whack for their dogs, got all the papers, bought from reputable breeders and still have issues with their dogs.

If it is my fault he is like this then I will take full responsibility for that but it still doesnt help the situation I am in now.

yes he was castrated at 7 months on the vets reccomendation..

Proberly to young tbh i always like owners to appreciate the puppy stages right thru to adulthood after all thats part and parcel of owning and gaining experience of ur dogs.

See thats the thing that i come across all the time its down to lack of knowledge and how to handle and work the breed in general and most importantly good social skills right from day one of owning the puppy.

Its never about blame its how u go about changing the situation u have now if u get me this is the best way to move forward but i will let u know not taking him out will not resolve the issues ur experiencing now it will only make him more frustrated and aggressive u need to know how to do move forward with the right guidence and i hope u get that from this trainer.

How old did u have him from?

[Kissy1921]

Sounds very much to me as if he is bored, and doesnt get enough mental stimulation or exercise. These are working dogs, and need a tremendous variety of 'things to do' to keep them happy, if they dont get this then it builds up into frustration and that has to come outside somewhere.

I see that you have involved trainers to help you, and well done for that, but this dog needs more than simple training. A dog can be taught to sit, down, wait and stay, but without exercise and stimulation he will still go bananas if he doesnt get that.

It could also be his age, the teenage terrorist, has he been neutered? This may calm him down somewhat.

What is he like off of a lead? And has he been socialised with other dogs and people from an early age? This is something that a few owners fail to do, and pay for it as the dog gets older.

I also feel that this is also due to anxiety and lack of confidence, maybe he feels that when your hubby is away, that he is the leader of the packand has to protect you, and he cant really cope with that job, they dont like to be pack leaders.

If he were mine, I would consider enrolling him in agility classes, and get him to use his energy into something he would enjoy, rather than being aggressive towards people and dogs, these are working dogs and I feel that this would help him a heap, plus build up his confidence.

Please let us know how you get on ?

Good luck with it xxx

[Cruz's mama]

Originally Posted by super D

Can I ask your state of mind when you walk him.
I dont mean this in a nasty way to you.
My boy got bit by another dog, a nasty wound and had an op, subconsiously i was so worried....Anyway, I can make Dalton go from calm to psycho GSD in a heart beat if im not careful, like I think sometimes "Oh crap, there is a big dog", like on my sweet jesus, and feel my heart beat go higher, and I can gaurentee you i can make Dalton go mad, like come here I'll have ya sort of thing, snarling at themouth ears flat, in the ill rip ya head off body language, because he thinks "mum is scared, I must proptect her"
Hope this makes sense
xx

Up until today, I wasnt that bothered with other dogs becase he wasnt really too bad with dogs, just more the traffic and pushbikes or strange men coming towards us, but well today after he attacked 5 dogs in a row on our walk, it was hard to not think "oh dear here comes another dog" can you see where I am coming from? it was getting ridiculous, i have to be responsible as well as relaxed, as even tho he was muzzled people were not impressed. But I was shocked as I have never seen him so bad. I was giving him the option to say hello as he usually would just sniff but nope, it was just pin em down first ask questions later

[DelsMum]

Originally Posted by Cruz's mama

Well at the moment probably NO, i have nowhere to take him - i cant walk on the streets and I am struggling taking him to dog parks. I am finding myself having to drive into the middle of nowhere, out of civilisation to exercise him.
We live in the centre of a town. If we lived out in the country where there was no traffic or other dogs, he would be a gem

can i add, i try to do training most days - or games in the house like tug, hide n seek etc, tracking etc hide the sausage

ah I see. The reason I asked is if for any reason Jerry Lee doesn't get his 2x 1 hour off lead free running (like a couple of weeks ago when he did a brilliant job of slicing his paw in half and was on lead walks only for 2 weeks) he was like the devil incarnate. if its any consolation I nearly cried too! twice!