Pedigree - Page 5

Fantom76, where are you finding working lines behind Hills vom Funken Spiel? Everything I see behind him, on both his sire's side as well as his dam's side, is West German show lines...is the pedigree posted for Hills on here incorrect?

Hexe you miss a post Fantom corrected and said Show lines from Croatia

Western Rider, I see Fantom & I were posting at about the same time, so by the time I asked her about Hills she'd already corrected the reference.

HolesInMyBoots, Vancouver is sufficient...just wanted to see if you were within reasonable traveling distance to a particular trainer that might be helpful to you and your pup, while the latter is still young enough that the unwanted behaviors can more easily be eliminated. As that person is in Arizona, and you're in Vancouver, it would be worth the time to email him and explain the situation; he may be open to helping you out via telephone and/or email. His website is here; it also has links to his articles and videos that you may find useful with your pup, too.

I will warn you: this trainer will tell you that the 'why' of your pup's behaviors really aren't important at this point--what matters now is the 'how' of getting the dog past those behaviors, and how to reshape him into a reliable, trustworthy family member that can be safely taken out in public. The 'why' part can be discussed at one's leisure once that's accomplished.   

Thank you Hexe I'll take a look.

Oh, and don't be fooled by the title of the page--while clicker training is one of his methods, it's not the only tool in his toolbox...and he does not subscribe to the theory that "no" is a horrible word for a dog to hear.

I wouldn't over think the prong collar use. It is a great tool for lungers. All you have to do is stand still. When the dog lunges, he learns immediately, the consequences, and he simply stops. He stops, and the collar effect stops. It isn't cruel in this manner, only discomfort. He learns to look to you for forward movement. Your arm muscles are saved, too. With a muzzle and the prong collar, and a calm, non-reacting you, (this is very important!) of your dog's negative expectations by you, you bring back walking with your dog, that is safe. Never mind what looks people might give you seeing a muzzle in use. In the long run, the goal here is the hope these tools won't be a permanent thing.

I would take Hexe's recommendation, too. If this guy can't help you, he might know someone closer to you, that can. You need someone who specializes with aggression, and not just any average trainer.

Glad the pedigree aspect is now solved. Good luck!

If you have ever seen a prong collar used to escalate aggression during bite work, you would take its use seriously. Just pulling back on a leash can trigger or escalate aggression, having a prong on the end of a leash can magnify the possibility. I don't discount methods or tools if they can help a dog, but with a dog like this you need to be ahead of the game. I would also desensitize the pup if you are going to use a muzzle.

OP you are now the owner of a GSD, you are going to get funny looks and distrustful remarks from odd strangers and some people will cross the street when they see your dog coming, no matter if he was the soppiest, friendliest puppy alive. Comes with the territory. Get used to it.

Good point, Marko. I was about to post : there are dogs on this planet that will continue to pull against a prong collar, no matter how still the handler stands, and no matter how calm and non-reacting s/he thinks they are being.

Good point Hundmutter, the only way I could see a prong stoping a lunger would be if the dog exploded so fast and hard as to give itself one hell of a correction that would stay with the dog a long time. Obedience trainers can use a dog's oppositional reflex to set and sharpen positions by getting a dog to go into a prong collar's pressure. So the casual use of a prong collar can get you the opposite of what you seek. But all dogs are different, and not all dogs are going to respond to a prong the same way, especially used on a puppy.

The thing about corrections, they amp him up, and frustrate him, so he throws a temper tantrum. This is why it's so hard to correct his mouthiness, which he is doing. He doesn't mouth as he use to, but he will when petting him, and start throwing a tantrum making a loud whiny noise.

He's a very stubborn puppy. I'm gonna study on usage of the prong, hopefully it works with him, rather than him throwing a tantrum over it.