The Spotted Devil

You sound like me! Want to try everything but not sure how to find the time

It's a very trying stage isn't it!!!! My pup was very full on from the beginning but had an "attack of the teenagers" at 9 months (i.e. what does "come" mean again? ) and again at 12 months. The trick is to be very, very consistent and do not give in. Ever! :p Zig is now nearly 14 months and is an absolute delight, although still very intense. Please be very careful with your GSD and don't over exercise him (i.e. running, jumping, fetch games) in the hope of tiring him out and making him manageable - over exercise (along with genetics and diet) is a risk factor for hip dysplasia. I can highly recommend you try something like clicker training - I use it as part of Zig's training but have been doing quite a bit the last few days as I have an injury that is preventing me from doing as much with him as I'd like. I also use toys as part of the training - playing hide and seek with them or asking for a behaviour (e.g. sit, drop) before a gentle retrieve. With the humping, my pup tried this one on from when he was very, very young! Perhaps some of it stems from over-excitement but I just won't tolerate it - I tried a number of approaches (ignore, tell him to "leave", isolate, remove item etc) but a quick jet of water from a spray was the best and the quickest solution. Oh, and my lad is entire as I show him. The long line, as already suggested, is brilliant - I purchased a 10m and 15m from eBay and they come in handy. I combine that with a big reward for coming back to me....food or a toy/tug game. You have to remember that chasing the horse is probably a whole lot more rewarding than coming back to you. I take Ziggy to the beach regularly and there are a lot of distractions with other dogs and lovely smells. His recall is excellent now, however, as he knows that if he turns smartly and races back when I call he *might* get a cuddle or a healthy dog biscuit or a cheezy treat or, delight of delights, steamed chicken Keep the little rascals guessing :p Following his recall (practiced 6-8 times on every free run) he gets released to go and play again. If he suddenly goes "deaf" (not for ages now), I quietly approach and put him on lead and do some obedience work on the beach......then he is let free and we practice the recall again. Just noticed this from your post: I know it would have been hard for your husband but what he did was completely counter-productive and it won't help!!!! The best (but sometimes most difficult) thing to do is turn and run in the opposite direction and call puppy in an excited, welcoming voice. But don't let it get to that.....get a long line and do some serious training with him. Some people also train their dogs to recall to a whistle to remove the emotion from their voice! Barking - Ziggy has never been much of a barker but I always praise him when he does bark, then call him straight to me and ask him to "steady". Lots of praise for being calm. Desexing - dogs that are desexed before they stop growing may grow very slightly taller than their counterparts (because the sex hormones stimulate the closure of the growth plates). This may be made more obvious by slightly less muscle mass associated with low testosterone levels. I imagine this is what your breeder was getting at. Desexing may be a good option for your boy, but it won't be a quick "fix" and you'll still have to deal with the teenager for a bit longer. Good luck

A dog's individual preferences never cease to amaze me......my lad likes his chewable Sentinal Spectrum so much I now make him work for it

Specifically with the cats, especially now that Zig is a bit older, although just as playful :rolleyes: I try to be aware of triggers - one of the worst is about half an hour before dinner time when the cats are pacing like lions and teasing Zig and he responds by getting sillier. I will sometimes simply split them up - take Zig out into the garden for half an hour or crate him in the lounge room etc....sometimes prevention is easier Now that Zig does know what "leave" is, if he doesn't leave the cats when asked he is very calmly and quietly place in his crate for a few minutes. Removing him from his social world is the worst punishment :D I tend to give my "leave" command in a very deep, drawn out tone - yelling is completely pointless because it hypes Zig up...plus it's not nice to have to yell :D If Zig so much as loses eye contact with the cats after I've asked him to "leave" he gets an enthusiastic "good boy" so he understands what is going on. If I have a clicker handy I will reward the behaviour with a click/treat. It's a slow process but we're getting there... Good luck and be patient....I find the cats are just as responsible for the conflict but the pup is easier to train :D

;) Isn't she just? Nah......not cute at all Kidding! I :p ;) ;) Miss Mia....she's adorabubble with that twitchy, "Bewitched" nose!

Normally Zig's meal goes into his puzzle cube/ball but last night I fed him his whole meal while doing some clicker training....I've been laid up in bed for a few days so he has lacked a bit of mental stimulation....I just sat quietly in a chair, ran through some standard exercises and then taught him a new one. He slept very soundly after dinner

I remember reading in the Yahoo Aussie Dal forum that a number of people use listerine for hot spots.....you may well be right, though, Janba....ouch!

What about some tug games? I definitely don't have a dog that lacks confidence but I believe it's a great way to build it....especially if you let them win a lot more often

My lad likes to pee on the lamp post.....if he walks nicely on a loose lead and he gets what he wants

Feeding a growing puppy is much more critical in terms of nutrient balance than feeding a healthy adult dog. Adults cope with slight imbalances much more easily. So, for someone who is experienced in understanding what a puppy requires (in terms of calcium-phosphorus ratio, protein requirements etc) to ensure optimal skeletal growth (basis for soundness in adult life and old age) I say go for the BARF/raw approach if it is convenient. Without that knowledge, particularly in a larger breed, I would err on the side of caution and recommend an excellent quality dry food (I'm switching to Eagle Pack at the moment) as around 85% of the diet. For the rest I feed Zig half a wing at bedtime, healthy training treats (e.g. Nature's Gift, steamed chicken) and the odd Farrell broken in pieces and stuffed in a Kong. I'm definitely not a vet (and certainly don't believe everything they say) but I am an Animal Scientist, and associate with some excellent nutritionists. If you MUST feed wet food, I believe Nature's Gift to be one of the better options.

This is purely my experience with my lad who is very, very pushy and OTT but not at all object/food possessive. Firstly, at the beginning of play I hold the tug toy very loosely and ask Zig to "give" - if he doesn't it slides straight out of my hand and is no fun for him! When he was learning, we would repeat this until he understood. Now I just say "Oh well" and ignore him for 20 seconds which works a treat. If he does give on command, he is immediately rewarded with an enthusiastic "good boy!" and a subsequent tug game (I actually say "tug! tug!") which I let him win OR I throw the toy because he also loves to fetch. If I happen to have a clicker on me, I sometimes reward an excellent toy release under pressure (e.g. when he is a bit hyped up and OTT) with a click/treat. He is coming along very well and is learning self-control and having fun at the same time

I use Aloveen on my Dally too because they are a breed known to have sensitive skin - wonderful stuff although I don't have to wash him very often

Bravo for your honesty Sas Zig was a bit the same for the first 6 months - I was so busy correcting and praising and correcting and praising It's so much work with some pups that you don't seem to have time to do the fun stuff! Even my show trainer confessed he'd never seen such a determined young pup He was an adorable looking lad but a complete ratbag! But persistence and consistency have well and truly paid off and I truly love him and enjoy his madness now....it's just a case of channeling all that energy and intelligence...AND training my OH :D

Wow! Thanks for that info - I too would love to do tracking one day with my Dally...he goes mad for hide and seek with a toy and a few of his relatives have done tracking too.

Hey Bub - if you want a dog that shreds and tears, perhaps we could do a swap :D :rofl:

Good to see he's on the mend! I haven't any personal experience but hear about it a bit on the Yahoo Dal Group - it really is the oddest thing!

It's only a problem if you want to spit the food. :rolleyes: Thanks for that mental picture!!! :D

I was involved with a pilot program with the RSPCA where we did a similar thing. The dogs' daily ration was measured out and placed in a covered container outside the pen. If dogs were nervous we would calmly put a piece of food through the wire so they associated us with good things :D Once they were keen for attention they only received food if they had 4 paws on the ground/sitting and were quiet. It made that area of the quarantine pens a pleasure to be around - all the dogs were calmer and quieter when the volunteers were in the area. My pup is a bit similar to Ptolomy's two by the sounds of it - unless it's for recall practice on the beach, he has to have a reasonable meal before I ask him to work (even in the show ring), otherwise it's like his brains are all scrambled :rolleyes:

And in rescue too - it's very untidy :rolleyes:

Redmum, with regards to the type of crate.....I wouldn't trust a young pup in a soft crate (bearing in mind I have a Dally!) - they'd probably rip it up :cool: Perhaps look at getting a solid crate to start with and then, down the track, if you want to take your dog on holidays with you a soft crate is a fabulous investment

Definitely need to treat the cats (I use Revolution spot on) - they are a free public transport system for fleas!

Just to reply to this part of your question....no - crates are definitely not like cages although it does seem a bit odd at first glance. The idea is that they are like a lovely dark, safe den - I place a sheet over the top of Zig's crate to keep it dark and cosy. They are not designed to leave the dog in all day of course but I quite happily leave Ziggy in his open crate in the laundry (and he doesn't leave it despite the open door once he's gone to bed) for 4 hours if I'm going to Uni or overnight. I can't trust Zig on his own in the house or the yard for more than about 2 minutes so it's a wonderful way to keep him calmly out of mischief if I can't supervise. If I go to Uni in the morning, I make sure that Zig has had at least 2 hours of awake time - this might include a free run at the beach and then some down time. Just before I leave, he gets half his breakfast, the rest when he goes to his crate (his eyes are generally hanging out of his head by then ) and sleeps very soundly until I come home. Usually he stumbles out of bed all toasty warm, so I know he hasn't suffered! In addition, when he was younger he found it very difficult to sleep in the loungeroom because there were so many distractions (cats etc). He would get ratty like a tired toddler so I'd put him in his crate every few hours for a nap. Very funny Even today, we were pulling the Christmas tree apart and Zig kept trying to pinch and eat the pine needles :rolleyes: so I just put him in his soft crate for 10 minutes (he can still see what is going on) - he curled up in a ball and went to sleep It can also be very helpful when toilet training as puppies/dogs generally tend not to soil their sleeping area. Plus, if you've got a couple of youngsters already you don't want to be leaving puppy or dog unsupervised with the kids so it's an excellent management tool. Do a search on crate training - you'll find lots of tips....but I recommend food as a wonderful inducement. Zig only has to hear me fill his puppy kong with biscuits now and he's in his crate before I can say "Time for bye byes!"

Hi Redmum I'm not experienced with the lovely Schnauzers but just remember that, sometimes, having a puppy is like living with a toddler.....in my case for 12 months IMO having an inside dog is wonderful...don't discount the Standard Poodle either - ripper dogs, smart, energetic and athletic - they look fabulous in a good pet clip too. Whatever breed you end up choosing, it is vitally important that larger breeds (in particular) are not over-exercised in the first 18 months as it can be very damaging to hips and joints. As for crate training, this is the first time I've used it (been a while since I'd had a pup) and, to be honest, I cannot recommend it highly enough I was a little hesitant to begin with so had an open crate (old solid airline type) in the laundry for Ziggy. He just loves it...it helps that he always gets his puppy kong with a few biscuits or a chicken wing at bedtime! I also purchased a soft crate for showing/traveling and that is now set up in the lounge room. If I can't watch him for 5 minutes or the cats need a break then I can just pop him in the crate to keep him out of mischief. If it's a cooler day he will often snuggle in there of his own accord and it has been fabulous when we have been away from home. I hope that helps ETA: Where are you located? It may well be worth your while getting out to a few dog shows - it's a wonderful way to see breeds of dogs, meet the breeders and get a feel for temperament and health. My best advice is to not be in a hurry - I don't expect anyone to wait as long as I did (2 years!) but it was worth it 100%.

I have to agree - 2km is too far for a pup - having a rest in between does not matter...it's the constant pressure on the joints and the damage this can cause to the growth plate. I've seen the results of this and it's not pretty ;) Walking on lead at this age should be about education (i.e. not pulling, learning about the world and strange sights/sounds) not exercise IMO. If he's overweight, you would be better off reducing the amount of food pup is eating. Let puppy play and romp in the yard or in the house with you. When I took my young pup out to a cafe, we would drive there, walk a few blocks to the cafe and teach him to sit quietly at our feet (or on my lap when he was a baby). That's plenty. I still only walk my pup on lead for 10 - 15 minutes on alternate days and he is 13 months old - the other days he has a free run at the beach for 20-30 minutes and is indoors with me the rest of the time. If pup is getting up to mischief (like mine does!) do some training to tire puppy out mentally :D

I've got Ziggy on Sentinel Spectrum and have never seen a flea nor evidence of one :D