Need some tips please? - Page 1

I recently acquired a pup back from a family who took him home at 8 weeks and basically turned him loose on 400 acres and let him run around doing what ever the hell he wanted!!  He is now 16 months old and a rude, obnoxious teenager who thinks he don't have to do nothing!  =)  I can't get him to focus and bond with any of us...  I have had him for about 3 weeks, and we have been working on basic stuff...  sit, walk nice on leash, wait for food...  just easy non traumatizing stuff.  But he is very stubborn and rebels even on the sit.  He will throw temper tantrums and even try to jump up and bite at my hand when I won't let him do what he wants.  The first (very) small correction I gave him he bit my hand!  This is so disturbing for me because I know how I start the pups out and to see one of them like this, it is upsetting.  He likes treats but it is hard to keep him focused on me more so than the other dogs.  I only bring him out with me and no other dogs, because he totally ignores me around the others and wants to bite at them and fence fight them.  So.... this is a bit of a tougher case for me and I really don't know what else to do.  Any tips are very much appreciated...  Thank you!

You could really benefit from lessons with a trainer.  I would not use treats at this point his obedience foundation needs to be done on your terms, not his.  While they do have a place in training, treats can often me mis-used, and the key is dogs must do things both with and without treats.  Take him out alone if the other dogs are too big of a distraction at this point.  But once he has bitten your hand now for correcting him, I would say you are at the point where you need a trainer to coach you through this, because there could be any number of issues going on from handler error, not enough clarity to the dog, and/or leadership issues.  The dog-aggression is also a lack of obedience and control.

Try using some of Koehlers methods,  find one of his books.

If your not up to a physical workout best to look for a good trainer.

Bonding will take a lot of time and effort on your part, if you don't have the time forget it.

If you get the book read it several times before you begin, don't take short cuts.

Learn to train dogs if you are a breeder that is a skill you are going to need from now on

Learn to train your dog, but you are at the point where it's out of your hands.  You need a trainer, not videos, books, or advice from strangers on a dog we've never seen.

Also, I would not recommend Khoeler, it's an outdated method and the book (which I own, by the way so I've read it) has many things I would consider cruel, or just bad training.  For one, checking the dog on a choke chain, that's not the proper way to teach heel.  Training should have clarity and be fair to the dog, which means teaching before you go correcting them, or in that case jerking their head off with a choke chain.  The book also says if your dog chews something up, take the object, place inside, and tape his mouth shut, among other tidbits.  Highly aversive.

Thanks Doberdoodle & Two moons for the advice, I am actually contacting a few friends who are trainers because I feel this is more of a leadership/rebelious problem with him, and that I am not used too... 

I have 6 shepherds, all that I have raised and trained myself, they are all well behaved and obedient.  I asked for advice because clearly I am struggling with this pup, therefore I asked!  He is not a typical shepherd who is watching you like a hawk and watching your every move as mine do that I raised.  He is a shepherd that has been left to his own devices and is clearly unruly and a loner, something I am not familiar with nor do I know how to fix.  I have trained my dogs to come, sit, stay, down, stand...  But Cesar Milan I am not...  I have never seen a shepherd like this who could care less about the humans...  It is sad...  but we will conquer, I won't give up on him that easy, I just need some help to get him there.  

Bonding requires much time and effort, there is no shortcut for this.
Getting his attention in training is much easier.

Do what you feel comfortable with as far as training but the bonding takes effort, no one can do this for you.

I notice he is getting better with me, he watches me more and stays closer to me, and yesterday I was curious to see how he would do off leash because he was so good about sticking with me, I unhooked him from his long line and he was doing great... until he saw a car and then chased it clear down the damn road!!  Ugh...  So of course I am calling him and he is totally ignoring me...  and then he finally came just trotting back to me like nothing ever happened!  So I hooked his butt right back up and that won't happen again!  Give me a heart attack!  Thank god I live in the country on an old dirt road that is not busy!