Help with 5 month old GSD - Detached with family members - Page 1

Very active when he goes to the park and the beach.  Loves playing with other dogs.  Runs and fetches the ball/coconuts..etc.  At home seems very detached and aloof.  Does not get up when the door bell rings.  Is not really interested when any new visitor caomes in. Does not greet me or my wife when we come home after long speels out of the house.  what could be wrong and what can we do?

Sounds like a dead battery. LOL
Really now, what kind of food is he on?
Does he seem to have any pain, or walk funny, and has he always been this way, or is this new?
Sounds like something is wrong.

Sounds like your puppy finds it easier to communicate with other dogs than with people. Dogs are more fun.

Try feeding all meals by hand, use a clicker. Make it a happy time.

Click a fraction of a second later give food. Your puppy will start to bond with you and will start to understand the clicker. Make it fun and games and keep lessons to about 5 minutes.

Once your puppy understands the clicker, you can use it to teach basic obedience - - lure into sit, click, treat........same with down... at this stage 90% praise and treats.....

It will learn that communicating with you is a good and happy thing.

Feeding all meals by hand help to create a strong bond, and obedience does too, if its done correctly.

I would take him to puppy kindergarten class with both of you.  I would do it right away.  BOL  Nan

Do you play with him with a ball at home or only out on a walk?  Sounds like he needs to see you are more fun and fun at home as well as outside, interactive fetch and tug games are best.  I wouldn't let him mix with other dogs until he is more interested in you since at these stage you are not standing up to well in comparison and preferring other dogs is becomeing a habit.
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Margaret N-J

How's his hearing?

Interacting by playing & obedience are all tied together.  Your dog will be perfectly happy forever being a "wild thing" playing with other dogs if you let him but he will become harder & harder to control.  Going by the info in your post, he doesn't have a dog aggression issue & that's good.  So now you should work on almost exclusive bonding with you & your family.  Like Margaret says no more dogs for awhile.

Lots of people would say "get a good trainer" but how are you supposed to know who & what constitutes a "good trainer"?  A good first step is to watch some videos on how to train your dog--Ivan Balabanov "Obedience without Conflict" is great or Michael Ellis "The Power of Playing Tug with Your Dog" or The Power of Training Dogs with Food" are great basic videos & will open up a new undestanding for you through simple games.

I often mention Ivan & Michael but they are the best especially when you're a novice.  It's a great place to start!  Good luck!

Go camping over night with him one on one once in a while. 
Feed him 1 x per day only so that he is still little hungry. 
Do not force your self on him , but let him come to you. 
Do not be too bossy but be more permissive. 
Ignore him if he ignores you.
Have routine of walks.
Do not alow him to paly with other dogs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Take him for all car rides. 
Put him in a kennel for day or 2 days.
Play ball with him. 
Make sure that he understands that all good things come from you only .  ( Petting , playing, praising , food , high pitched voice approval.) 
 Love him no matter what. 
Prager Hans 

Lack of socializing and handling in the first 8 weeks of puppy's life could be the cause, as well as that he is in a pack orientation phase with 5 months and requires leadership. You don't need a puppy kindergarten, you need lots of socializing around other people as well as obedience training, as said above.

"Go camping over night with him one on one once in a while"



This works like a charm........

Tent camping in a "primative" area, not RV camping.....