I've recently become the owner of two dogs, a four year old German shepherd and a eight week old Chihuahua mix. They belonged to my uncle but he recently passed away and no one was able to take them in but me.
He didnt exactly socialize the Shepherd to well so it has a big fear of strangers especially tall men and is pretty dog aggressive to larger dogs, she is okay with puppies though.
This is the first time I've ever owned any type of dog so I was hoping you guys could help and answer a few questions for me in regards to training them both and raising them to be good dogs. They are random questions i just want to make sure I'm training the puppy correctly and helping the Shepherd get over her fear.
In regards to the older dog how do i help her not be so afraid of people and dogs? I'm afraid to take her for walks cause I don't want to run in to other people and dogs so she has gotten into digging really big holes in the back yard. Also because she cant go on walks she try's to jump out of the yard how do I train this out of her?
As for the puppy I'm currently crate training him and its going okay but is it okay to leave him in there when i don't want to watch him every second? He'll cry and whine a bit but he has toys in there so he'll start playing with them and then fall asleep. We also don't want him on the bed unless we say its okay so when he try's to jump up I'll put him on his bed and play with him and give him tons of attention and treats and when he chooses to lie in his bed we'll do the same thing.
Are we doing anything wrong so far?
Pic kinda related looks like the puppy
I would recommend a behaviorist for thr older dog. She will need counter conditioning and it can be difficult to do. I would also take her on walks during off hours when there is a reduced likelihood to find people. All and all, she would benefit greatly from professional help.
Sounds like you are on the right road with the pup though. Only thing I would recommend is adding a word to the action of relocating him to the bed. Before you move him to his bed, tell him "Bed!" AND do what you are doing now.
>>2161789
Well where i live I've noticed a lot of dogs do get out of there yard and I'm not sure when would be safest to take her. I will take her to a behaviorist though thank you.
Thank you I'll the word bed to it.
Also when we play the puppy plays he likes to bite pretty hard when we play i give him another toy to chew on that but he still likes to snap at hands will he grow out of it eventually?
Whoops sorry ignore the gibberish line sorry
>>2161796
If you have a large yard, then perhaps look at training her to play fetch, or play with a flirt pole. Both are great ways to exhaust a dog.
Google bite inhibition in puppies. He will not grow out of being nippy if you don't train him. It comes down to yelping really loud when he bites you, and then ignoring him for a period. But do your research to get the long story.
>>2161800
I do play fetch with around the evening times she loves chasing tennis balls.
Thank you we'll try doing that from now on.
The older dog is afraid because you are afraid. You have to show her that you are in control of the situation. The fact that you're nervous makes her nervous and could lead to her feeling like she has to protect you by attacking.
Leash train her in your yard. Praise her when she is relaxed. It will take a lot of patience especially since she's an adult. Teach her the "heel" command and praise her when she focuses on you.
What does she do around strangers? Growl, try to bite, try to get away?
>>2161806
She growls, barks, and try's to run away we never really get close enough to anyone to see if she'll bite. She'll hide behind me until they come closer then she jumps in front of me so yeah I know its cause she thinks she needs to protect me, but I'm not really sure what to do.
>>2161808
Correct her. When she growls or barks tell her "No!" Or make another sound of disapproval and keep walking. When she is good with walking with you without taking notice to strangers (praise when a stranger is around and she pays them no mind) then you can work on what to do when a stranger wants to meet her or talks to you etc.
>>2161809
The problem with that is first I have to get her to listen better on leash she gets distracted to easily and getting her attention is pretty hard. I haven't had her for to long so she still hasn't connected with me to much.
Good on you for taking those doggos in OP.
Another question about the puppy, so were crate training and we let him have toys around but whenever we try to play with one he runs after the toy takes it from us and takes it back to his crate it was really cute at first but now we're worried that he may become aggressive and territorial with his things should we correct this? Or is it normal?
Also he barks a lot to get at attention and when he doesn't approve of something like when we tell him no is it bad should we stop this? How do we stop it?
>>2161949
thank you I wasn't too happy about it at first but my uncle loved these dogs so I couldn't let them go to a shelter and now I can see why he loved them so much.
>>2161809
>Correct her. When she growls or barks tell her "No!" Or make another sound of disapproval and keep walking
Oh Jesus. Punishing a fearful dog is the worst possible thing you can do. Also, punishing a dog when it's trying to communicate it's discomfort to you serves to teach the dog not to warn you when it's about to bite.
OP, do your dogs a favor and get a book on dog training, or better yet sign up for a training class. There's a lot of shit advice out there and the very last thing you want is a fear-biting GSD.
>>2162096
Thank you
Is there a certain book you recommend?
>>2162177
"How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves" by Sophia Yin
"Do over Dogs: Give Your Dog a Second Chance for a First Class Life" by Pat Miller
"Don't Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training" by Karen Pryor
"How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend: The Classic Training Manual for Dog Owners (Revised & Updated Edition)" by the Monks of New Skete....just an fyi with these guys-- they suggest corporal punishment in some instances. 90% of their ideas are good, particularly the stuff about building a relationship with your dog. However, the other books I mentioned are better for day-to-day training.
Also, this is not an exhaustive list. I'd just recommend avoiding Caesar Milan's stuff mostly because dominance theory is outdated and there are better alternatives. Good luck OP.
>>2162456
Thank you I'll be sure to check them out.
>>2162456
>dominance theory is outdated
Can this meme please fucking die?
>>2162096
>confusing punishment with correction
Either way, it is difficult to give advice over the Internet especially concerning behavior. However, it is ultimately up to you, OP.
Like I said, teaching basic commands like "heel" and "leave it" ( a good substitute for "no!" ) would be a good place to start.
And anon has suggested books to help you learn how to do that. Good luck, op.
>>2162477
What would be a good way of correcting a dog though?
Also is playing with a laser bad for dogs? The shepherd loves to chase them but I heard that it could be bad for them?
