[WorriedMom]

I have a 6 month german shepherd/boxer mix. He's been doing great. Potty trained, smart, knows sit, shake, stay(most of the time), wait(when going out the door), lay down, "woof", etc.

Lately he's been ignoring me unless he feels like listening. I know he can hear me but he just doesn't look at me, listen, adn just goes on doing what he is doing. Also, when he acts really bad, I put him in the bathroom as a timeout. He has started flipping over onto his back so i can't take himinto there and will fight me with his paws and even fake play bite me (not hard but still annoying).

I'm afraid hes losing the respect he had for me as a puppy... hes not listening, ignoring me, and really only listens when he is either in the mood or knows he will get something out of it.

He is VERY smart, and I'm afraid for this reason he knows ways to get out of things. For example, if I don't want him to go somewhere whil eon leash, he'll pretend to be callm fo ra minute or two and when i am not paying attentino he'll try to run to where he wants to go.

Also, any time someone lays on the ground he starts growling pawing and walking on them. When he sees another dog I have to use my entire body weight to hold him back, he does not listen when I tell him to sit or calm down.

If anyone has any tips I'd really appreciate ti. I want to curb this behavior and have him focusing on me more before it gets any worse. He is almost 70 lbs at 6 months so I think i need to get ahandle on this before he gets much larger! I'm getting him netuered on tuesday.... don't know if that will help at all....

Thanks!

[cigwyllt]

I'm sorry - your dog sounds absolutely gorgeous My Manny does the same sort of thing but the difference is that Manny is small enough for me to pick up and carry. You know he's not rolling over to be "difficult" - he's being submissive and puppy like so that you will not be cross with him. He knows that you are cross and is trying to show you that he is not a threat.

Is it possible that you are overusing his name so that he has become desensitised to it? It happened with my middle dog - I was constantly saying "Ojo! Stop!" "Ojo! Do this!" "Ojo! Do that!" - and she completely ignored me. I had to start to teach her her name again and that made such a difference.

Why not try using a different method to attract his attention - perhaps a whistle or a squeaky toy - then reward him for acknowledging you and then give a command when you he is focussed on you.

[german sheep]

Anti-control programme – first aid for problems with your dog
How can we see if our dog is taking control, or, what are we doing wrong?

Anti-control programme

there is a big difference between dog training and "redirecting" unwanted behaviour.
By training a dog you actively show the dog what you wish it to do, by redirecting unwanted behaviour you first have to lose the reaction which your dog already shows and you find difficult to handle, only then you can show the dog what you want it to do correctly.

Therefore you have to start from the beginning. Use the link above as a first aid but do it consequently, otherwise you will have no luck in redirecting your dogs misconduct.

LG
gs

[WorriedMom]

Thanks for the input!!

I agree that I think I will have to start from scratch with him again. He still listens and definitely respects me because he knows when I mean "NO!". But, he is getting slightly bolder in his actions..

Leash walking he stays right next to / slightly behind me unless he has to go potty. However, he is a nervous puppy..... scared of going down new streets, or in a direction he think is not towards home once he knwos we are close.... this makes it difficult as he takes some convincing to go a certain way at times. Obviously I can't drag him the entire way so I just wait him out til he decides to follow in my direction... and if I can tell he is REALLY afraid, i'll wait for him to follow in myd irection (ive waited 10 mintues before), and then walk a couple paces and then lead him the opposite way back home... hoping this makes it clear that I am still in control.

Should I really remove all toys and such from his surroundings... only giving them to him when I want?

Also, he has started barking, growling and play mouthing at my family members, and sometimes (VERY rarely), me. I counter this by putting him in him timeout room (bathroom). I'm not really sure what else there is to do in this situation. He does not listen, and if you get up from sitting he runs away. I think he is either 1. trying to initiate play 2. he does it if someone has some food that he wants 3. just trying to get attention.

at 6 months i'm not sure what all this behavior really means, but im doing my best to curb it. We were remodelling the house for approximately 2 weeks adn he lost a lot of walking time during that. Since a week ago I've beendoing his 2x a day walks again and I notice more connection with me already. I also do his recall games (name, come, sit, stay, lay down) for 2 minutes a day... sometimes 2-3 times a day if I have the time.

I find I have to repeat what I am telling him to do a lot ... and if he is getting into business I don't want thim to... he rarely listens unless i physically escort him off the couch, away from the birdcage, off the dining table chair, etc. The article you showed me seems like its saying to get him out of there without ever saying aything. How does this accomplish teaching him things like when I say "get down"?

Any more help is appreciated.!

[german sheep]

Hello WorriedMom,

don't worry too much, the testing of your dog is ok.
At the moment you feel unsure and therefore your bodylanguage translates this uncomfortable feeling to him/her. This is a sign for your dog, that you are weak and confirmes him in his attitude.

To remove the toys is just in case to show your dog that all important things are controled by you. When you would like to spend some time with your dog you can use them for training. Through the toys you can work on the dependency to you. You can teach your dog to let them go, you can train to catch only toys you want him to bring back to you and lay them in your hands and a lot more. But after this time they will be packed away. Then the dog has time to find a rest.

Too much of everything makes the dog feel overstrained, nervous and very often owners mix this signs of stress up with "playingTime". For example when a dog wag its tail or when they fall down on their ellbows we interprate the signs as happiness or invitaion to play. But to wag its tail shows clearly that the dog needs immediately input through the human leader. The dog is in a situation and does not know how to cope with it. To fall down on the ellbows means for the dog that he is in a conflict situation and is willing to solve it without aggression and blood flowing.

Your major task is to watch your dog and when you see that he comes and needs you, then give him something to do, even if it is just laying in its basket.

To understand why using the word "no!" has no learning effect and why all the toys are not necessarily good for our dog-man relationship you can read in my e-book about major erros in dog training. And you really can download it for free! And it really has no virus!!

Title: The Major Errors in Dog Training by C. Benford

This script critically throws light on the following subjects:
Residential training, compulsive training for dogs, yanking on the leash, the usage of pinch collars and electric shock collars, toys, clickers, flexible long leash, punishment in general, sense and nonsense of puppy play groups, dominance theory, to ignore misconduct and problem behaviour and much more…

It clears errors within the use of outdated methods in dog training, and with irony and cynicism lets the reader rethink about the implementation of established devices, and respectively to critically question the usage of such, with regard to our dogs education.

english version

LG
gs

[Marc]

It's natural for pets (just like kids) to revert a little - just don't give up and STAY CONSISTENT.