Sky, seven months old now! - Page 2

 Nans, 

Tell me about it. It is amazing the power these beautiful creatures have.

Ibrahim,

I know you've been waiting for long to see Sky. I am a lazy girl, I admit. But the only thing that was holding me back is that I was trying to get the stack photo. Eventually, I couldn't 

Nice looking pup,
Some work on a long line done properly could cure some of your problems without the pinch.
Use the dogs and cats has distractions.

Rania
When the time comes that you can use a leather collar with your Pup then you will be in control, at the moment the Prong is the Pack Leader of your Dog not you. you will never hardly get a more High Drive Dog than my Female Pup Izzy but when we are ouitside the property area she knows that there is only one boss and that is me, That is there from a young Pup, What you imprint at a tender age stays with the Puppy as it grows, it can be a high drive Pup but still be in control of the handler and it must be so for the Pups sake.
As no one knows how you handle him no one can say if you have or are doning it right or wrongly
 About 6 weeks ago i bought a Prong for Izzy but it is still in the Bag, One day when we really get down to the finer points of work then i expect i will need it but only as a reminder i hope it is she who will use it not me,
But at the moment i do not need it on,  a leather collar is doing fine, but that was put into her at a very young age gently but regular and it works
 Time,  Treats and Praise then you will not need a prong or pinch collar at 6 to 7 months old no matter how the Pup is for after all it is still a puppy
Steve1

Cute puppy, but one thing about the prong is if you absolutely must use it for your safety, you should make sure it is on properly to avoid doing damage to him. It is on him very low. It should be up high behind his ears for proper use and results. It needs to be high and tight and you have it very loose.
Best Luck with him!
Stacy

Raina,

Talk about testing you...I gave Echo a rawhide bone to chew.  Something I don't normally do but with the cold weather she needs something to keep her busy or she will climb the walls.  I monitor her chewing carefully because I don't want her swallowing a big chunk and ending up with a blockage.  Well, she had worked on this rawhide for quite a while & I decided she needed to give it a break.  She has never, ever been food aggressive but when I reached down to pat her on the head before taking the rawhide, she gave a loud, nasty growl and postured to let me know it was her rawhide.  My husband was on his feet immediately just as I grabbed Echo by the side of the face and laid her out while snatching the rawhide from her mouth.  With the two of us standing over her and making it clear she had messed up, she got the point but good.  She lay with her head down, eyes averted and no longer had any interest in the the chew toy even when offered to her.  Now she willingly gives it up when I tell her to.  I make sure I walk "too close" when I pass her giving her every opportunity to screw up again.  Being a GSD she didn't need more than one lesson.  I believe any dog worth his salt will test you at least once.  If they survive, they make good companions.  LOL 

Deb

I was also going to comment on the placement of the collar, but Stacy beat me to it. If you are unsure on how tight get with your trainer.  Prongs like any collar has to be used properly and at the right time to make sure you deliver a placed correction .
Always,
Cee

Sky is handsome. I also use a prong on Benny who is 7.5 months  as a precaution when we are walking for the same reason as yoi and Debi Sue. Sometimes he gets very excited by other dogs,or cats. I only weigh 20 pounds more than Benny and the prong ensures I can keep him safe. Most of the time he is great and I rarely have to correct him with it. When training in the yard or house we do not use a collar or leash at all and in our Obedience class we use a halter. 

Before going to the prong I tried a head halter ( Gentle Leader) and Benny hated it, would run wje he saw me with it, grad his face on the ground to try and get it off. He does not mind the prong at all, I just see it as another tool, along with the harness. clicker, tug, and everything else

For me if a Pup is trained then when you say Voot over here means side, then it will stay at your side if it does not and requires a stronger aid such as a prong collar to make it stay at your side then the handler is not in charge of the Dog, but the Dog is in charge of the handler simple as that
Steve1

Guilty as charged Steve. 

Echo is much better than she used to be but she is hard headed and I would not trust her off leash at this point in time.  I need all the help I can get and she could hurt herself on a choke collar so the prong is best for her at this time.  She does like to please me but there are times when she forgets I exist and off she goes.  It's a good thing our training field is fenced in.  It's funny, but when she gets away from me it's usually to go up and over the A-frame and back several times.  It's all a lark to her.  She's so proud of herself when she does this.  Definitely a work in progress. 

Deb

I am guilty too. She was young 50lbs  and that damn prey drive for a running deer or squirrel was too much for my old bones to hold on a flat collar. When she was smaller a ball would do the trick with the here command. I fell once and had to teach the prong, she understood it was just another collar until ( i hate this part ) there was another deer issue - she corrected herself, all I had to say was Here the split second she hit the end of the line. She is a very smart dog, no more issues with running tree rats or deer. Since she is older and really understands OB she is clear in the mind on where she needs to be when off leash out in the farm fields. The prong was just another teaching tool that was used properly at the correct time. Thirty tougue lashings and dinner :))))  is my sentence.
Always,
Cee