Skye GSD

The only thing that two trainers will agree on is that the third trainer is doing it all wrong - same thing is happening here Not everyone has the funds to see a behaviourist at the drop of a hat so in the meantime people who have the courage to use this forum would like some constructive information based on OP's experience with aggressive dogs. Funny that poodlefan would gladly string up a GSD that attacked her dogs but is totally against a GSD owner doing it - see, I am even lowering my standards to match the theme :D

To all of you who have turned this thread in to a personal vendetta to try and prove that your way is the best way - shame on you All anyone ever asks on these forums is for advice - not a war of words between opposing factions. I,too, have a very reactive 14 mth GSD whose lunging was escalating. No good trying to use food or toy lures when your dog is in the red zone so tried front harness and found it very good to prevent the lunging but did not stop it. I have now gone back to a choke chain and have strung her up several times coupled with a treat for submission and focus - can now walk past other dogs without the barking and lunging and this is only after 3 weeks. We are still a work in progress but that lasts as long as you have your dog - respect is not a given and you have to earn it from your dog and that does not always mean feeding it a treat every time it looks at you. I will also add that I am only small and almost retirement age so to have my dog under control is paramount. I am also an experienced GSD owner/handler/trainer and love my dog to bits ;)

Wow - He is beautiful - welcome to the world of GSD's - you will never want to be without one once you have owned one (maybe they own you as well )

Good luck for tomorrow everyone

Huski: should have clarified that I also have a reactive pup and once in reactive mode she will not accept food or toys in a class situation. In order to overcome this I have had to revert to the coke chain method and have had a huge improvement in her attention span. If she acts up, there is a consequence and as soon as the attention is returned to me she gets the reward. Having gone through puppy class/beginners in a club scene and two trainers who train in small classes, we spent more time outside the training area than in it as Skye was so reactive/disruptive. She believes she was put on this earth to play and waving food & toys in front of her in the reactive mode, I may as well have stood on my head. I am not saying that my dog never gets rewards - at home she is trained with food and toys and her obedience level never ceases to amaze me but we cannot display this with other dogs around as the attention span is not there. Since using the choke chain on our daily walks she has improved out of sight and where I was only managing the inattention before we are now conditioning the response so she can see the food treat. My initial reaction to this thread was that not all dogs can be mellow and food orientated - we that have the reactive dogs have to often use a tougher approach to get the desired behaviour.

Geez - I am really having a hard time taking in all the food lure training. I can think of nothing worse than having to continually have food on you in order to ensure your dog follows your directions. After suffering thru structured classes (that insisted on food and toy training only) with a high drive/dominant pup that was not interested in either rewards in a class situation, I have returned to the choke chain method with probably 95% accuracy. We are still a work in progress but what we have achieved in 3 weeks I struggled to achieve in 9 months using purely positive methods. Only wish we had K9 training in Perth. Shelle - your video reduced me to tears - what a fantastic result

We currently have extended family as house guests and they have brought their 5 yr old miniature fox terrier (Holly) with them. She is the cutest little thing but very much a lap dog and terribly spoilt. The problem we have is that she wants to kill my dog :D - Skye is a 14 mth old GSD so cannot understand why this stupid little thing continually attacks her through the ranch slider - baring her teeth. Skye will ignore most of the time but I don't fancy having to prise Holly from her mouth if she decides to retaliate for the bad manners being displayed. We have had to keep them apart for most of the time but I have now decided enough is enough and this is Skye's house so she is not going to be relegated to outside just because the house guest does not like her. Skye can also be reactive to other dogs so I don't want this to create a problem with small dogs as to date she has been great with them so Holly is now relegated to the bedroom when I feel it is time for Skye to enjoy our company inside. You cannot force dogs to be friends just because the humans are and I for one would rather take precautions and avoid the vet bills at all cost.

Given the cost and time it takes to equip yourself to handle such dogs successfully,the insurance and liability issues that attach to dealing with dog aggression and the volunteer basis of many dog clubs, I don't see a quick solution to the issue. But isn't that what we try and do on this forum - give others the benefit of hindsight so we can try different things in order to counteract a potential problem? Isn't that why the books and DVD's are promoted as good learning tools? Even better if you can discuss your problem/s face-to-face with someone who has seen/heard/been in a similar situation just for a bit of reassurance. Instead, because it is becoming increasingly about user-pays, the dogs/handlers that have issues will be left to languish in the backyard compounding the problem.

Thanks for that - agree with you 100%.

Kavik - I am really interested in your issues with Zoe - what methods did you use and what would you have done differently?

You're right. It doesn't. But it sure lessens the chances of the dog developing unwanted ingrained behaviours (eg leash pulling) AND means that issues requiring professional help are likely to be identified (and hopefully acted on) far earlier. I also took Skye to puppy classes and then obedience - we are still reactive but I have no doubt that I will end up with one helluva good dog given time - it is just frustrating that everyone points people in the direction of behavourists when not everyone can afford it. Don't get me wrong, I have no objection to behavourists/personal trainers and will gladly pay the fees but some people who come on these forums do not have the extra $200+ which is why we need to have people at a club level who will help them inclusive of their club fees and without prejudice.

Skye is not fearful either and I am doing the same style of training as you Staranais. I understand that the majority of training clubs are designed to instruct handlers how to train their "normal" dogs" and having been an instructor at a GSD club in NZ some years ago, cannot understand that there is not more assistance/guidance given to handlers at current clubs who are obviously having a problem. The head instructor at my old club (what I wouldn't give to have him here right now - maybe he would like a free trip to Perth :D ) always walked the training areas and we, as instructors, could introduce him to any member that requested or needed extra help. He even ran free training sessions on a Sunday afternoon that became such a success that we would end up with 10-15 GSD's and Rotti's interacting off-lead after our sessions with no problems and we had several bad cases of reactive dogs amongst them. Just wished I had listened more carefully back then as my GSD was near "perfect" - boy have I lived to realise that now

You are not the only one who has had this problem with the GSD club - 4 out of a class of 7 have pulled out for exactly the same reason. Think it is really sad as 80% of GSD puppies are sold as pets and we all want the best for our dogs. After all, how your dog behaves in public is the best advertisement for your breed (any breed) so I cannot understand the inability to supply this to the owners who want a well-trained dog but not neccessarily enter the obedience ring. I now have a personal trainer and will consult with her before giving you her phone no. I live in the Baldivis area and know that she travels all over Perth.

We have two SPEYED GSD bitches in the extended family (one is mine and the other is my daughters) so although they do not live in the same house there are visits every 2 to 3 weeks. All was well until 3 weeks ago when my 13 mth old decided to retaliate to the warning signal from the older female (6 yrs old) and it was all on. We have just visited my daughter again this last weekend and are now having to split the bitches totally as there is a definite leadership war brewing. Have heard other stories of bitch-feuding but have never experienced it until now - certainly not for the feint-hearted and I am definitely not a pushover for any of the family dogs. Guess my point is that even tho' our bitches are both speyed, the problem can still exist and it can happen at anytime so we are now having to be extremely vigilant. Hope your girls will fare better than ours.

I have owned 5 GSD's. (1) - Dax - from a reputable breeder - HD in both back legs which were operated on in varying stages, skin complaints all his life, ruptured bowel at aged 8 which eventually gave him permission to cross the rainbow bridge (2) - Cass - from a reputable breeder - the most beautiful bitch and my 1st CDX - left us at age 10 with spinal meningitis (3) - Shar - from a reputable breeder - just hitting her stride when poisoned by a delusioned neighbour at age 4 (4) Sascha - my heart dog - from a BYB - the most wonderful natured girl I have so far owned and my 2nd CDX. My daughter bought her litter sister and the two bitches (although not brought up in the same house) were the best of friends during their lifetime and both had the same fantastic temperaments with never a cross word between them. We lost Simba at 9 with spinal meningitis and we lost Sascha last year at 11 with cancer. Their breeder owned both dog and bitch, puppies were kept in a great environment and were not released to their homes before nine weeks of age. (5) Skye - from a reputable breeder - she is a beautiful high spirited ratbag and at only one year old is yet to reach her potential. I also researched the breeders in Australia as I wanted to renew my obedience enthusiasm and she was flown from Queensland to us in Perth My youngest daughter bought her GSD from a BYB in Perth six years ago and although sold as a "pedigree without papers" has turned out to be a crossbreed with temperament issues. Their 2nd dog is a Maltese/Shitzu x bought from a petshop - because he was so ugly that my son-in-law reckoned no one else would buy him and he felt sorry for him - cute little man and Skye's BF Would I buy from a BYB again - NO Would I buy from a petshop - NO Would I buy from a reputable breeder - DEFINITELY

Agree with geo - NO to both!

Thanks Megan - book and DVD now ordered - can't wait to get them. Monah - Skye is my 5th GSD over a span of 40 yrs and apart from my first one (the beautiful Dax who was my baby and therefore not trained as he should have been due entirely to ignorance on my part) she is definitely the most challenging. Having already gained CDX with two other girls Skye is proving to be a little minx with her lack of concentration and high drive. We will succeed but as they say "miracles take a little longer" Just love DOL as it lets you know that your dog is not unusual and there are certainly other avenues to explore if the current ones are not working for you. Also the fact that I have gone from the 11 year old beautifully trained Sascha who I lost last year to the puppy stages again and I have to keep reminding myself that she is still only a puppy.

Have thoroughly enjoyed the comments of all on this thread. I, too, have a reactive GSD who has just turned 12 months old. Like others, the trigger can be across the other side of the park but does not really go full blown unless we are passing each other. The club we were attending did not offer much support - in fact, we spent more time out of class than we did in it as I kept getting told to walk her away in no uncertain terms (am sure the instructors used to be school teachers as it made me feel like a detention was imminent if I did not comply and I am in my 60's!!). We now have a personal instructor and she is great but I am keen to purchase the Control Unleashed book. Is it available in Australia or do you have to buy it direct from USA on line??

We flew from NZ to WA and brought our 7yr old GSD on the same flight with us. Sascha had never been crate trained but managed great. If you use any of the pet transport companies they will supply the crate and pick up for you. You also just leave it behind when you pick your dog up at your destination and someone else has to clean it out!!! More often than not the dogs are far better being handled by the transport people instead of the owners as they are not getting the worried vibes transfered and you don't look like the baddie that put them in there - only the wonderful mum who got them out! I remember looking out of the window of the plane while we waited on the final loading and heard the couple behind say "oh - look at the lovely GSD" and there was my baby being loaded in the hold below us. My new GSD flew from Brisbane to WA and was equally fine.

In the time I have had Skye (9 mths) we have only had 2 days of teaming rain in which I refused to walk! Good ol WA weather Love Shyla's coat - will have to invest in one for Skye as I normally walk every morning (we start in the dark at 6.30am) and irrespective of weather. Getting colder here now - only 2deg this morning but a beautiful sunny day.

GSD's 4EVER will be most impressed with you! So easy and so effective - use 2 x leads looped together as shown in the GSD section for taller handler or smaller dog. Works brilliantly and you have so much more control.

GSD's 4EVER was the clever person who posted this in the GSD forum and I was the one who was lucky enough to benefit from it. My 11mth GSD is now a pleasure to walk and I would recomend this method to anyone having problems with a pulling dog.

My GSD is now 10mths old and we have had the inattention "thing" going since 5-6mths in our obedience classes but have now started to turn the corner Not sure if this is due to my training or the fact that she is growing up!! Roast or BBQ chicken/pork/lamb is always on the menu for Sat nite as the leftovers are now cut in to thumbnail size treats and bagged for training on Sun morning. Training during the week I use polony/cheese/schmackos - all in very,very small pieces. We walk every morning for 30-45mins and finish with a 5min training session at a different park each morning (we have 14 small parks in our suburban area plus an oval so I have no excuse not to train!). If Skye starts to lose focus in the training class I take her out of the training area and train on my own while still maintaining contact with the instructor but not slap bang up against other dogs that are just there to socialise.