Do you have this problem with your dog?

Ok, so my dog is not the smartest in the world, but I would think at being the age of 5, he would have learned to walk with me and behave now. No.

The thing is is that when my parents first got him, they never trained him at all. Nothing. It was a big mistake that they never corrected him. The dog was originally for my step-sister because my step-dad told her about it. But she couldn't take him so we ended up with him.

So I go to take him for a walk today. I just want to mention that whenever you say walk, he goes ape shit. He does this all the time. All he does is pull you and sniffs everything. He never walks with you or beside you like a properly trained dog would. He was pissing me off so bad I took him home after I passed like 4 houses on my block because the other dogs came out and he was barking at them and pulling the shit out of me. So I pulled the shit out of him back to the house.

It really pisses me off and I end up smacking him when I get him. I don't hit him hard, but I have to scream and yell and hit him so he gets the idea that what he is doing is bad. I feel bad for hitting him because I try to display pacifism, but he has to be corrected. I don't want to hit him hard anyway because he could go after me. He is a German Shepherd after all. We even have a choker...but that doesn't help at all. It did when they first got it, but my step-dad was really hesitant to get one.

I love the dog, but I would never keep him in my own house without being trained. Any dog I get is getting properly trained.

He's a German Shepherd so he is good for protection, but he just doesn't listen. I don't think I am taking him for any walks anymore. He just can't be controlled. He's a really nice and loving dog too so I hate it that I can't take him for walks.

One of my dogs is stupid like that, I still take him for walks and treat him the same. I've been through a lot with him though, he is family. He pisses everywhere when we walk, sniffs everything, and tries to pull me all over the place. But as long as he is getting exercise and having fun, i'm fine with it. Now my other dog, is like a human. Behaves EXACTLY as a human would, and is much easier to walk with. Although she was barely trained and only taught to sit. But we got her from owners who abused her, so I don't know. I think pure breed dogs tend to be stupid.

dont hit him...thats the worst thing you can do...even tho i get a little bit over aggressive with my dog (a great dane) sometimes too.

Dogs only know the moment,,,hitting after just says you suck at this moment to the dog...

reward as soon as you see good,,, like sit,good boy/girl,,,treat... when he wants to run jerk the collar and say something loud like APP,,,done because that is the only moment you can correct it... sit him,,,good boy,,,treat... he will eventully,,,most times quickly,,,be so intent on getting a treat he will forget the pulling...

Just doesn't work man. Like I said, my parents never trained him when he was a puppy.

Have no idea what they were smoking if they thought he would be ok without any training.

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Originally Posted by Anubis10012007

Just doesn't work man. Like I said, my parents never trained him when he was a puppy.

Have no idea what they were smoking if they thought he would be ok without any training.

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Never to late to train a dog...

He is a stubborn as fuck large dog. lol.

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Originally Posted by Skink

Never to late to train a dog...

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Well, he is my parents' responsibility, not mine. Let them deal with it. I just think its stupid that they have this kind of a dog but has no training. I heard his brother is a god damn prison dog and I think his other brother is a cop dog.

No I don't have any dogs like that even though i have two german shepherds. My dogs are all wanted.

You gotta show him who's boss. You have to hold the leash short until he follows your direction. When he behaves, loosen your grip on the leash and let him wander, and if he misbehaves, tighten it again. Eventually he'll figure out if he wants roaming room, he's gotta behave.

You need a control collar. A prong collar, not a choke-style one; those are potentially dangerous to the animal, but the ones that LOOK scary, with the metal fingers on the inside, are actually much safer, and work by folding open when the dog pulls too hard, but can't cause choking injuries. My friend who is into obedience training and all that stuff calls it "power steering for your dog", and my other friend who has a 220lb English Mastiff- it's the ONLY way to walk him- it won't take long before your dog realizes that you have a lot more control, and the breed is smart enough that he should settle down a little.

Does the dog know how to sit, or ANY commands?
This is what I would do, and you can just practice in the yard until he figures it out:
Put the control collar on him.
Have him SIT. Get him used to the idea that when the pointy collar is on, it's YOUR time, YOU are in charge and he is in training mode. Any commands he knows, work through them. It will probably help to have some treats in your pocket.
Just keep him FOCUSED on you.
Try walking him around on a very short leash, or even holding by the collar itself, right by your side. When he is in the right place, and walking nicely, give him a treat and tell him "good HEEL". Get him used to the new training word "Heel" so that in the future you can tell him HEEL and he will come stand next to you.
If he gets too frisky, say HEEL. Wait a moment to gauge his reaction to the new command, and if he ignores you, give a single sharp tug on the collar. This is called a CORRECTION.
Stop walking, get him back next to you, tell him 'good heel' when he is quiet next to you, and just keep doing this over and over until he understands where he is supposed to be walking.
You have to keep on top of this and be consistent- don't let him wander off and smell things while he is wearing the training collar. MAke him wait for playtime until the collar is off.
Anyway... just a little advice on training. German breeds are VERY intelligent and can also be very stubborn. Trust me, I know; my Boxer mix is a pleasure to train because she's so smart, but if she just isn't in the mood to be serious, OMG what a pain she becomes!!!

when i was growing up, we had a german sheperd. she was beautiful dog - absolutely gorgeous, and she was the sweetest dog ever, but she did have some obedience problems, and would do similar things to what your dog is doing. so my dad took her to obedience school, and after she was trained there, she was much much much better. she ALWAYS listened to him, and listened to the rest of us most of the time. the only thing is, i don't remember how old she was when he took her to obedience school...but i know that we had had her for awhile at that point. that age part though is really fuzzy because we got her when i was 4 or 5 maybe??? so i don't really remember her specific age when she went to obedience school. we don't have her anymore - she got arthritis in her spine, and a few bone spurs along her spine as well, and it eventually got to the point where she couldn't walk up and down stairs at all, and that was the only way in and out of our house. so she was having trouble making it outside to go to the bathroom. she was just really sick - even all of her fur fell off of her tail. so we decided to have her put to sleep, because she was going through so much pain. the week before we put her to sleep, we played with her 3 times a day, gave her a steak everyday, and we brushed her twice a day (her fave thing ever!!!) - we did all that for an entire week. and it made her happy. having her put to sleep was sooooo fucking sad.....because i grew up with that dog. she was the best dog we've ever had, and god i miss her so much. :(

Stinkyattic trains as well as she grows. Just one more thing.......when you say walk and the dog starts with the freaking out just sit down with the collar until he/she settles down. If you don't...all that high energy will transfer to the start of the walk.

Here's a pic of that collar to get.....make sure that his regular collar isn't blocking this one at all and have it so it rides high on the neck.

Have a good one!:jointsmile:

Yeah that collar.
That pic shows it in the unfolded position. Normally, when the dog is calm, the prongs sit totally flat.
Power steering, baby.

Yeah, I fell like this deserves a bump. :thumbsup:Chron's love for aminals is deep, so I think alot of folks using shock and choke type collars could personally benefit from this. If anyone switches, and can prove it, I'd even reimburse them for the collar! Anybody??

Hey man read up on this site Leerburg - Dog Training Videos & German Shepherd Kennel. There is a vast amount of usefull info here.

old habbits ARE hard to break, but it can be done with patients...

to stop the dog from pulling you just have to stop moving and hold the leash firm. when the dog calms down start walking again. every time it starts pulling stop. i kno wthis works no matter what age. my gf and I rescued a dog that is a boxer pitbull shepard mix(Strong), and she had all the same problems you mentioned. weve only had her since june but she was two when we got her. in fact the more walks you take the more it will learn to behave because you will have more oppurtunity for rewarding positive behaivor

I have used choke collars and they ARE safe and humane, and will not actually choke the dog when used properly. It is used just for a quick snap, and it's very uncomfortable, but just for an instant. It should never be pulled on though, just a quick pop. And hitting DEFINITELY does not work. I have a small dog that likes to get hit and slapped and poked and just generally clobbered, she actually begs for it. If she were large I'm sure getting actually HIT hit would just be a carnival treat for her.

take him to petsmart. they have obedience classes there

It's never too late to train your dog. I have worked with dogs all my life. My neighbors bring their out of control dogs to me for advice and I have worked with professional trainers and attended many seminars including some by Cesar Melan (before he was a TV bigshot)

#1 is to be consistent. It's going to take work and you need to do it every day. 10 to 15 minutes a day is better than once in a while. Just understand that it is going to take a bit longer with an adult dog and you have to be committed to working with him.

#2 is positive reinforcement. Reward the dog with a treat when he does something right. Never hit the dog for doing somehthing wrong.

Collar placement: If you are using a training collar (chain choke collar) you probably have it too low. It needs to be up around his upper neck area. To use this method it is best to have a professional show you how to position the collar. A dog's natural instinct is to pull against something low around the neck.

Other things to try: Forget the prong collar. I really think he would do better with a "gentle leader". Ask for it at your pet store and make sure it fits right. You need to measure your dogs' upper neck prior to purchase. It gives you more control over the dog.

Go to a professional trainer. Petsmart and Petco are great for puppy training but not so much for older dogs. You could try Petco but talk to the trainer before you go with your dog.

If you really want to work with this dog, you need to understand dog behavior. Why they do what they do, basically. Read the book "The other end of the leash" by Patricia McConnell. You can get it for about 10 bucks. If you only read one book about dogs, this should be the one.

This guys sounds like he loves to go out but does not get the opportunity to do so very often. The nose of a dog is the same as the eyes of a person. He wants to sniff everything, for him it is like reading the newspaper. This is his enjoyment and his information center. Let him sniff for 5 or 10 minutes before you start your work. He will appreciate it.

I hope this helps.

DJ.....I'm in love......:thumbsup::thumbsup:

i have two dogs, one is the best the other was the worst... one we saved from being put down cuz hes blind, the other was saved from this guy who would tie him and theyd beat him and shit.

i used to hit him a LOT... i wish i never did. anyway hes never gonna be fully trained because if u yell at him or hit him its just expected and its really sad cuz he doesnt know the difference now. for the most part that is, he knows he shouldnt be doing a lot of things and hides all that

anyway back to that shit about hitting him, i wouldnt say i beat him but i would hit him harder than needed, but now i just yell at him, hitting him will go nowhere and i noticed i was going to start to hit him for things he didnt do, def not a good thing, so ya

Syndicate.....i'd love to put you in with a nice sized horse.....and lets see if you can hit that into submission instead of a small little dog.

yeah nothing spells fun like being slammed against the side of a stall by 1500 pounds of pissed off equus... and I was just trying to get a good look at a hoof infection... Miss Priss did not want her foot touched.

well hitting the dog doesnt sound like its helping dont hit him (( he cannot defend himself

that collar looks like something from horror movies!

whats wrong with a stern voice!

poor dog!

kiss the pets ~~

ya idk how well you read or anything but i said i USED to hit him i realized it wasnt doing any good...

my dog is the same way but after about 2 blocks shes normal or what i do
know is run down the street from my house with her and shes good n tired the rest of the way

I have a six year old border collie mix and he cannot for the life of him walk on a leash properly. He's too smart to be led.... sometimes it's the breed, sometimes it's grey matter...

El Fantistico :smokin:

woops Im sorry syndicate I guess I misread that



:beatdeadhorse:

That is one of the easiest problems to solve. A good prong collar patience and consistincy. If he is out of working lines he most likley has high drives. U can use these drives in ur favor. Once u know what motivates ur dog wether it be food or toys(balls, tug toys) u can train him so much easier.

first off you need to be the alpha and take charge.no dog collar or beating or treats will do this for you,so forget that crap.
there are simple things you can do that will let him know you are the alpha of the pack.dogs are descendants of wolves.
dogs,like wolves are pack animals always testing to be the alpha,always.your dominance has to be shown consistantly and frequently.this is a simple technique, no hitting yelling involved.
heres are some things you can do that will let you show the dog you are the alpha of your pack.
first thing is he does nothing unless you let him do it.you are the alpha,
when you go out a door, or in a door with him you go first,always.
he doesnt come through the door unless you say it is okay. dont yell or raise your hand at him if he doesnt do what you want immediately. show him what you want him to do.pleasantly and with patience.
hes not a mind reader and he doesnt speak english till you teach him what your saying.and believe it or not he will quickly.
if he does something wrong make the substitution buzzer sound at the nba. hell stop and look as soon as you make it and know hes messin up.do this as loud as you can with you mouth closed,just no yelling.

secondly, when walking the dog, you are in front, always,you are the alpha,the pack follows you.try this in the back yard first, for ten minutes then take off the lead and watch him still follow you around just like the lead was on.he will do this the very first time,because he's looking for the alpha, and now he knows its you.when you first start with the lead on...if he starts to take the lead, just a sharp tug on the lead will pull him back, if he's a sniffer keep your lead short dont allow him to stop and pull you to a halt, again just a light sharp tug, to let him know you aint happy and to come on.use a poodle leash for this and put it up just below his ears.
third when you get home after work, and he comes up to you wagging his tail all lovey dovey,ignore him,only you initiate contact. you are in charge.hes trying to make you do something he wants,alphas dont do that.after a little while then call him over .and tell him hello there.
and last, make him wait till your done eating, do not let him have his food till you say it is okay. this is important so they cannot be poisened teach them the command that ist isnt okay to eat till they recieve the command to eat it.i learned the trick from a neihbor who raised doberman's as security and attack dogs. dont follow a schedule of feeding,change it up ,let him know you are the one feeding him. its okay to be hungry reminds them its not always gonna be there when they think it is.

the bad thing about people is they arent pack mentality like dogs
if you do these simple things the dog will do what ever he is told
everytime.try this for a week alternating different tasks on different days,for only ten minutes a day.dogs get tired of stuff just like humans.i feel for the dog cause no one takes the time to work with him and he would be a dog you would want around if you just spent the time.its never the dogs fault either.

i have the most well mannered dalmation youll ever meet.
and hes happy because he knows who's in charge of the situation.always.
im still working with the golden retriever we took in.but he's come along way.
hope this helps out sorry so long winded.and excuse my crappy spelling.

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Originally Posted by stinkyattic

yeah nothing spells fun like being slammed against the side of a stall by 1500 pounds of pissed off equus... and I was just trying to get a good look at a hoof infection... Miss Priss did not want her foot touched.

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stinky my aunt got the hoof in the face.she had it comming in my opinion.spooked the horse walking behind it cause shes stupid.
singing out loudly in a bluesy voice with the acoustic jaming out a 12 bar blues scale
she was outta commision for a while
but when she got back, she had a new pretty white smile
can you tell i dont like that troll?and im being nice just using troll
i was thinkin even up to sea hag from popeye.

Good post fiddy!
I've got more dog training advice, this to use on young dogs while they are still small.
Picking the dog up so that its feet are all off the ground establishes dominance too, and gets the dog used to being handled that way- the same as you want to make a habit of handling its feet (so you can clip the nails later) or sticking your fingers in its mouth (so it doesn't get snitty with the vet).
Damn, hoof to the face. That's one step up from a hockey nose job, and more expensive. But we already knew that horses and everything surrounding them is automatically a bank-breaker, yikes! Your aunt doesn't sound like a fountain of common sense. Hope she likes the new teeth though... :eek:

Im afraid of horses ! they can turn on you in the blink of an eye


my Grandpa raised horses

My Mother was riding one of them
the horse threw her off
then stepped on her ankle

That was horrid! Pawpaw had to push my Moms ankle bone 'back in'

she was bed ridden and on crutches for a good year because of that horse

We've known other good folk we attended church with

one horse, a family owned, 'threw' [like a rag doll] their 17 year old boy, up against a pole

he died instantly

I wouldnt have a horse if I got one
at my doorstep


our neighbors have 3 horses I never walk over their and pet them
I never will

:stoned:

my aunt has raised arabians since i was in diapers the horse she stepped behind was a stud and mean mean, he bit a chunk out of the trainer's shoulder literally. so she knew better than to do it.life has a way of eliminating fools that way.silky sorry to hear that you are afraid of them nothing like riding a horse full out across a pasture,only better is a motocross bike.
for the dog those are good points to stinky
also when you feed them be sure to pet them a lil bit, that way they wont bite if some one walks up while they're eating..
i got the puppy on voice commands already, he knew sit, now he knows, lite (lite on your feet,same as down),stay, outside,(which means the back door can stay open but he doesnt come in)drop,(drop whatever your chewing that your not supposed to be).working on clean your feet and he is still comming throught the door when he isnt supposed to. ive only had him about a month.but ill get it down no prob.