HELP ME WITH GSD PUP IM NEW TO THIS - Page 1

HI my name is Damien I have a 5 month GSD her name is Raven. When I bought from the breeder, he told that he would come once a week and help me train her. Well he is “always “ busy, so I’m training her myself. Ok she sits and stays on command I am trying to get to lie down and jump up…..I also just started to make her heel when we go for runs and walks. I am new to all this please HELP. One more thing when Raven gets excited she has a bad habit of chasing her tail also she loves to dig but I am sure that’s my fault for leaving her alone and bored to long ……..ANY TIPS WOULD HELP!!!!!!!! Thank You -D-

Damien , How old are you? and why did you get yourself a German Shepherd? Also what age did you get her?
Understand behaviour and how they develop, it might help....

At around 8 to 10 weeks they experience the first fear stage – when puppies can be alarmed by normal objects and experiences and need positive training…I prefer to just getting the puppy house trained and start basic clicker training and let them really enjoy themselves.....myself personaly (because of this) feel when people collect pups at 8 weeks this could cause problems.......so I try and go for 7 weeks.

By 9 to 12 weeks they’re refining reactions, social skills (appropriate interactions) and are exploring the environment, spaces and objects and beginning to focus on people. This is a good time to begin training, but really speaking let your dog be a dog but at the same time “like children” let them know and understand the rules. Begin 'Nothing in Life is Free' training.....

3 – 6 months (Ranking) they go through their teething stage (and associated chewing) and most importantly around the 4-14 months stage they experience another fearful stage, so bear this in mind if your pushing your dog toward the protection phase....so look at their behaviour if you see the signs. Earlier socialization should help this period pass smoothly. Do not punish a fearful dog when in this stage; instead help him overcome his fears through classical conditioning. Make new experiences fun and rewarding by playing games and offering treats before the pup has a chance to become fearful.

I would not train a dog to some sort of guidelines (manual style) and compare with other young dogs….go with the flow and try not to flood your dog. Join a club (depending on your goal and objectives) and enjoy yourself.

So apart from the first 6-8 mths are critical ref the development .....I seen dogs have one bad experience as a pup and this will or could be a huge issue in adult life.
You have got to be careful not to walk to much and I would not go for runs just yet.....and if your dog is being neglected and has started to chase her tail and dig up the garden, make sure you have enough time to actually look after her, physicaly and mentally. Try and not make these issues a habbit, or this will cause you problems in the future.

So my advice would be to join a club and get advice from like minded people who can actually see the dog, see your expereince, and advice correctly rather than random comments on a forum......you will not be able to train and know everything from a forum so seek help and advice buddy !

Hope it all goes well

Absolutely NO jumping up. 

No no no no jumping. And as for running, they don't need to go running with you at such a young age, especially on hard surfaces or long distances. Both of these will hurt their development of good hips.

Keep in mind, your dog will be average weight of 60 lbs.  Do you want that size dog jumping up?  This is what you need to keep in mind with anything you teach her.

Find another trainer.  You seem to be very new to GSDs.  You need a trainer to help you.  GSDs are not for the novice. 

Hi and welcome to the board. Prepare yourself to the opinions of the group. A thick skin is necessary and what we "offer" is just that....you will make the final decisions on how your dog acts with you.

I do not agree that shepherds are not for novice people...they take the understanding of dog developement and once you have the basics, you will be ready to go. There will be periods of them trying to challange you but if you can prepare yourself for it, then all will work out.

The best advise I can give is to socialize socialize socialize. Let your puppy be a puppy with consistant rules she must follow. Food, as mentioned, is a great tool to get her to do what you want without harsh corrections. And as also mentioned running this early on can cause bone and joint problems. Just because the dog looks "old enough" does not make it so. You would not ask a young child to run with you. Same for your dog.

A club or group of any venue whether it be obedience, schutzhund or .... is a great tool to help you along. Make sure you feel comfortable with the group as some groups make newbies feel inhibited and not want to ask questions or made to feel stup

Congrats on your new pup!