RE: Kraftwerk Kennels - Page 2

Agree with Nia.  OGBS has some good points as well.  Look for a schutzhund club in your area even if you don't want to do bite work they might at the very least point you in the direction of a capable obedience trainer or you can just work on ob with them.  Getting proper obedience training is essential here. 

Just because you have a prong collar on the dog does not mean anything if its not fitted properly or used properly.

Anyhow best of luck

jeff

WHAT IS HIS PEDIGREE ? : )

SadinSarver,
I am going to send you a pm. 

Sounds to me like you got a little too much dog for what you can handle.  All the behaviors you have explained as problems seem to be signs of anxious, "I don't know what to do with myself because I don't have a job" behaviors.  You say you have experience with German Shepherd Dogs yet you mention that you, your former K9 officer husband and a "professional" trainer all decided to "spay" your male dog as a solution?  Let us know how that works out for you.  Any professional trainer that is worth his/her salt and knows and understands stronger temperament in working dogs, will not suggest that "spaying" or in this case castrating a dog fixes all behavioral issues.  Seek help in your area with someone who truly understands aggressive behaviors in canines.

Hi, I bought a puppy from Kraftwerk in February 2009.  Rico, as we call him, is now 7 months old, 85 pounds and almost 5 feet tall.  He was an absolute NIGHTMARE when we received him.  I was one of those suckers that paid the extra $1000 for "puppy training" classes.  Rico had absolutely no training and didn't even know his own name.  It took us three months to fully house break him.  He was very aggressive and very distructive.  Shortly after he turned 6 months old, we enrolled him in Schutzhund training through Alpha K9 in NJ.  He is doing much better now.  He loves "working" and responds very well to it.  His trainer is amazed at how quickly he learns. 

Rico is very energetic, maybe more so than I wanted, but he is an awesome working dog.  He is a great "watch dog" and is very protective of my children.  Since he begain his training, he is more accepting of the children.  He allows my 18 month old to pull his ears and crawl around him (obviously this is completely supervised and I pull the baby away as quickly as I see it). 

I guess what I am trying to say is that the dogs that Kraftwerks sells are breed to be working dogs.  I didn't fully understand this when we bought Rico and believe me, I was ready to return him.  It wasn't until he started his Schutzhund training that I realized what he was breed to do.  Granted, as a house pet, he eats shoes, furniture, CD's, toys, etc.... but as a working dog, he is amazing in action.  The trainer has assured me that he will begin to calm down as his training intensifies.  My husband takes him to the park daily to continue his training.  We've learned that about an hour before bed time, Rico must be taken outside to play ball or he is up all night....

Rico was also very nervous when he began training.  I believe, don't have any proof though, that Rico was pretty much unsocialized while at Kraftwerk.  The first time my husband took him for a walk, he was afraid of his own shadow.  It took 3 training sessions before he would respond to the Schutzhund trainer.  I am not sure what trainer you use, but our Schutzhund trainer says that neutering or spaying dog is not what calms the dog down.  If the dog is not responding to you and your husband, then you may need to do what we did....Find a Schutzhund trainer, you and your husband take the dog to obedience training and you and your husband give the commands, NOT the trainer.  The dog has to learn that you are the dominate force in the house.  (the trainer and the vet told me that the reason the dog does NOT respond so quickly to me is because I have a "squeaky" femine voice.  Rico responds VERY WELL to my husband.)

Good Luck and don't give up.  You just need to find the right trainer.

Jeannette

sorry to be blunt, but it sounds to me like there's nothing wrong with the dog,  just got sold to the wrong owner.

it would be in your and most importantly the dogs best interest to place him with someone equiped to handle him.  and the trainers you are taking him to don't sound like they know jack shit about training working dogs, if they did,  you would know what the [problem was and been told how to correct it.

your dog is showing dominance issue's with you because you have not been the pack leader, he is destructive because he is bored and has no mental or physical outlet.

 

this is my main complaint with the large scale breeders who sell puppy after puppy.  many do not take the time to screen owners and place the working puppies in appropriate homes.  they sell to the first person who walks up with $2500, doesn't matter if the new owner knows what they are getting into or not.

edited: I am not implying you are a bad owner,  but this dog is more than you can handle.  you should place him with a competent trainer, and find your self a little easier to handle dog.
first time he growled and snapped at me,  I would make him think hell had come on earth.  he would have been taken off his feet and knew how upset he had made mama.

Ditto what Uberland said....

Working line dogs are a different ball of wax.  Depending on the genetics behind them, and the balance of various traits some should NOT BE OWNED BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC.  (Notice I said SOME... this isn't a  rip on working dogs) That's not to say there's a thing wrong with the person, or the dog.

   I have a friend who had just lost an American Show/obedience line pup she got from me at 13 years. Who (against my advice) bought a pup from a man who breeds frequent "Working Import Line" dogs.  Though she loved the pup like crazy she ended up with the same kinds of issues as you have... including the dog @ 8 months seriously biting the Vet. (This Vet is VERY calm and easy going around dogs, didn't provoke in any way... the dog just "went Psycho" and in 1 second turned and nailed him with little or no warning)

The dog may have done fine with an experienced Schutzhund minded owner, rather than as a pet...Or as a Police/Military K9 but  he required strength in training and hard correction (Dominance) to control his behavior, and being pet owners they were not able to do this.  The Breeder later admitted that the prior breeding of the same 2 dogs had one that had to be euthanized before it was a year old also because of uncontrolled aggression... yet he repeated the breeding.. AND sold it to an unsuspecting pet buyer.  The result... another dog who died @ 8 months, 2 heart broken owners who LOVED Shepherds, and now will not get another one due to the emotional impact of this.... and a breeder who has AGAIN repeated the same breeding (3rd time in 18 months) and is advertising in the local pet listings in the classified.  No doubt he'll again sell to pet owners, and not tell them that 2 dogs of this breeding have had to be euthanized...   *sigh*   It isn't the Dog's fault, It isn't the owner's fault... I lay it squarely on the head of the breeder for doing a bad breeding in the first place (nervy dogs) and for not screening the buyers because he wanted a quick buck...

(No this isn't someone who would ever bother to be on a Database... he has a few dogs just for breeding and selling pups locally... NOT what the GSD needs for an image... grrrrrr)

Researching your breeder before purchase is the best defense against getting a wrong match.  This is so simple yet many do not get it. 
The owner as much as the breeder should be responsible.     The dog is the one who loses.

I agree with everyone who is stating you are over your head with this dog. I understand this all to well. I have walked in your shoes, I got myself way over my head years ago, you have 2 choices you either get help now and get caught up or you give that dog to someone who can handle him. If you do not you are taking a very big risk of someone getting hurt, and that does not have to even mean being bitten by the dog. His jumping alone can cause somone to fall and break a hip or crush a disk in your back. There are many ways you can be hurt by poor behaviour other than just being bitten. Unless you get help, your family and the dog are at risk. Just curious, your original post was 9/9/09, have you done anything to correct this situation?

SitasMom,
How long did you put up with that dog?  I would never keep a dog I had to carry a broom to keep
him off of me or couldn't turn my back on.  No way in hell would I put up with that, or one
that growled or tried to bite me if I took something away from him.  I agree with Uber on that
scenario.  The dog wouldn't know what hit him.

Did the o/p ever come back.  I am worried because she said her husband had a head injury and that
seems to be a terrible accident waiting to happen.