Bullygirl

Does Jasper sleep outside? It sounds like it from your posts. Yep, he does. Have you thought about crate training him? No actually. My bullies all have crates. Guess I should go searching for a bigger one for Jasper! Great idea, thanks! How well did you actually research the breed before you purchased it? Obviously not enough! If he's a full on pup you should have turned him down. How was I to know he was an alpha pup and I shouldn't take him? I was on a waiting list for about 12 months to get him. I was in no rush. The litter came up. I visited the litter a few times (5 hour drive each way) whilst they were growing up. I was shown which were the 'show dogs' and which were the 'pets'. I had two to choose from. I chose him at about 6 weeks of age. Picked him up at 10 weeks. He wasn't a full on pup when I saw him! He was cuddly and sweet just like the rest of them were! YOU bought the dog its up to YOU to nip things in the bud Why do you think I'm here being abused for asking for help? I'm trying to nip things in the bud. You said you have tried chaining and muzzling for 17 months ... No, he hasn't been chained or muzzled for 17 months, that is how old he is. He has been getting put on the chain on and off for the last 2 weeks, along with the muzzle, as we were told it MIGHT help stop him barking. It didn't work. I'm repeating myself. I don't do it all the time and it doesn't happen anymore! I am giving up now! Thanks for all the constructive help. I will be contacting a dog trainer and taking him to them asap. I don't need anymore abuse or anyone else telling me its all my fault. I already know it is, that is why I asked for help, not abuse. I have never claimed to be a professional. All I asked for was help.

Ok, I'm back from the dog walking as my pregnant feet can't take anymore today (No, the neglected GSD is not back, he is still out with hubby)! Where do I start.... I CAN'T GET THE QUOTE THING TO WORK! Yep, he is allowed in. He stays calm on a mat in the loungeroom each night for about 2 minutes. Then, all hell breaks loose. He starts running around and around the house in circles, jumping on lounges, taking things like remotes, shoes, cushions, toys etc then jumps on the door to get back out????? Yep, breeder said "He was the alpha puppy, I always knew he would be full on." Will do. I don't believe in dogs and babies being together. My 3 year old can't go near him as he jumps on her. It's not worth the risk. That is also something the breeder said. I looked up his web site and it sounds like a great idea to go see him with the dog. He is minimum 10 hours from me so it would be a massive trip but worth it by the sounds of things. Certainly something I will be looking in to. We spend time with him during the day too. Husband and I are both shift workers who work alternate shifts so there is always someone here day and night. If we are not here, my Mum is. She spends time with him too playing ball, hosing him(loves the hose) lol! . During the day he has sand pit which is just his alone (not my daughters). He digs in that and buries his toys. He has a clam shell which is filled with water and he lays and splashes in that. He is seperated from our old dog but he gets to play with the hyper lab that is next door almost every day. They let the lab into our yard and he goes into their yard to play as they do work full time day shift and their dog gets bored. Like I said before, he has been on a chain for a max of 5 minutes and this is only something we have tried. It is not something that has been happening for the past 17 months. I reckon we have been trying that one for about the last 2 weeks. Someone we asked suggested that punishment for barking, like chaining up for a short period or locking up for a short period might stop the barking. It didn't work, that is why I am on here asking for help. It is not a practice I will continue to do, it is just something that was suggested, I tried it, it didn't work. I'm no dog trainer, I don't know these things. And he was in eye sight the whole time he was chained. We didn't leave him without being able to see him for fear that he would hurt himself. We are far from cruel people. He was only tied as a trial as stated above. He was never left like that. He has acres to run loose on, fully fenced during the day. Yep it is. He gets plenty of bones. Loves them but buries them in his sand pit after about 2 minutes of chewing. If I was not willing to do anything to have a great family pet, I wouldn't be here on this site and the dog wouldn't have lasted 17 months! (Oh sorry, got him at 10 weeks so less than 17 months). Rehoming is not an option that I like. I don't get dogs to dispose of them because they don't work out. I don't believe animals are disposable because you don't like them anymore. The problem is not that I'm not willing to help the dog, it is that I have no idea what I am doing with him. That is why I asked for suggestions! I'm not used to owning such a full on dog. I've never had a dog that was ill behaved, its all new to me. I've never lived far away from help either so this is something new too. How does anyone go to work and run a family if they have to spend 24/7 with the dog! I know now that getting a German Shepherd was obviously a massive mistake for me as I obviously don't have enough time to spend with him. I was honestly of the belief that an hour and a half a day walking would be enough, along with the tid bits of trying to train him and the games during the day of ball etc. He also runs free all day. I didn't know they required more than that. I honestly don't know how any of the other GSD owners spend so much time with their dogs! Sounds like I need to be unemployed and have no family to do so! (I mean that in a nice way, no offence to anyone unemployed etc). That was just a suggestion and when you are at your wits end, you will try anything to stop the barking. Like I said above, it hasn't been going on his whole life. It was something I was told MIGHT work. I'm new to this breed. My Bullies have all been angels. I've been very lucky. I've never had a full on dog before. This happened for minutes at a time, not hours! No offence taken. I understand I'm hopeless with him, there is no denying it! Yep, I don't understand him. That is why I'm asking for help! Nice! My old Bully is inside watching TV.... GSD is still out walking with hubby. Thanks to everyone for their help. I will be contacting a training place soon and try to work out a solution. Looks like it will be a while spent away from home with the dog having us both trained. Actually, I'll have to send hubby, I'll have a new baby!

Thanks for the nice replys! I have googled and found some interesting articles on dog behaviour etc as suggested by Tonymc. I will read up tonight and start tomorrow with a new training regime! As for now, gotta go, its time for the daily walk! Thanks again!

Tonymc, googling now.. thanks heaps! I agree, he thinks he is the leader...

Kavik, We have been using food rewards. We spend 10- 20 minutes daily actually trying to train him (remember we are not professionals and have only been to obedience schools with other dogs in the past, when we weren't rural)! Then, he goes for a walk, half hour to the river and reserve, about half an hour swimming and running around, then about half an hour back home. This used to be a lovely part of the day but now he has started to pull (after never doing it). I use a check chain and have been 'checking' and 'releasing' but he keeps pulling. He used to walk right beside me and has never pulled even once before. Like I said before, he will come, sit, stay, drop and shake hands BUT only if he has absolutely NO distraction or wants to. Some days I can have food in my hand (He likes liver treats) and call him and he will just look at me and totally ignore me. Some days he will do everything I ask. He loves his ball too... but only gets that when we are actually playing with him or rewarding him for NOT barking. He doesn't have it in the yard with him all day. This is probably wrong too. I don't know. I've never owned a GSD before.

He is not locked up or chained up all day at all! He is free to run around the yard. We are in a rural area, not a tiny yard. . He only gets locked up for a few minutes at a time WHEN he barks or gets put on the chain WHEN he barks and is then let off as a reward for being quiet. No amount of telling him NO for barking or saying BAH or any other command to stop barking has ever worked. The longest he has ever been put in the laundry or on the chain would be about 5 minutes. I hate dogs being locked up or chained up but I was told it might work, so I tried it. It didn't work. That is why I am HERE ASKING FOR HELP! He is certainly not left in a back yard, he is walked EVERY DAY down to the river and reserve, let off to run and swim whilst there. I'm no dog trainer, hence why I asked for help. I can only go off what I've been told to do by others. I was told at obedience school that 10 - 20 minutes training a day was what you do? What am I supposed to do? I cant help having to work, neither can my husband. Does that mean we can't own a dog because we have to go to work? He is NEVER home alone as my Mother lives with us too. She spends as much time with him as she can whilst running after a 3 year old. I really don't need criticism when I'm trying to do my best. I've done a lot more with this dog than most would do. At least he is not locked up in a tiny run or something all day and left alone.

Persephone, I know we need a trainer desperately! There are no trainers anywhere near us. I would have to drive 3 hours each way to get to the nearest one! I don't know of any I can just call up or email for advice. Oscar, thanks for the reply, I only play tug o war with Jasper because I was told by last dog trainer it was ok so long as I win the game. I always make him let go of the rope and then I take it away inside with me. I was told if he gets it then he has won. I don't let that happen. He doesn't have an ounce of aggressive behaviour in his body, with us or other animals but he does seem to dominate when he jumps on us and totally ignores every command! I dunno! I can't win with this dog!

Firstly, this is my first German Shepherd, our family has only ever had English Bull Terriers which were show dogs and perfectly behaved, calm, sweet etc. So, I'm a novice to a different breed. BIG MISTAKE! My husband has had 3 German Shepherds in his family over his 30 years but were owned by his parents so he didn't really have a lot to do with the training of them etc. Our dog, Jasper, is a pedigree (we have his papers) but is not going to be shown or used to breed with, he is just a family pet. He is 17 months old. Before I get into what he is doing, we have taken him to the Vet and asked if we should de-sex him to calm him down. We were told no as it will make no difference to such a highly strung dog. Aaagghhh. This is what he does...Please remember my husband and I are both shift workers full time but when we are not here, my Mother is here with my daughter. She can't control him either. He barks, NON STOP, its unbelievable. He barks at wind, a car driving past the front yard, the people next door going into their yards to water their lawn. They can't even put their washing on the line without having Japser bark at them non stop. So, we chained him up each time he barked, hoping to teach him a lesson. We would let him off when he was good. Nup, hasn't worked in 17 months and it's done regulary. He barks on the chain! So, we muzzle him when he barks and take it off when he stops making noise. He is crazy, he lets us put the muzzle on, stays quiet for about 5 minutes, then as soon as we are about to take it off, he does this horrendous half bark, half howl thing from under the muzzle. It's actually just as loud as his bark! So, we lock him in the laundry. He barks the laundry down. Jumps on the walls, scratches the doors down, rips the wood off the doors, chews the cupboards in the laundry, jumps on top of the washing machine and looks out the laundry window barking. Chews the laundry window! So, we muzzle him in the laundry... viscious cycle. He does the hideous bark/howl with the muzzle on in the laundry. So, we are literally awake and up out of bed every single hour at the least every single night checking out why he is barking. We have never found a reason, there has never been a person in our yard, etc. We are losing the plot as we have a baby due in about 3 weeks and already getting no sleep! He rips every single thing up in the yard. He is even chewing the house! He is literally ripping the cladding off the house, and chewing the metal up. I had my car in the back yard one day under a car port cleaning it. I came inside to have lunch. When I returned to my car he had ripped the front number plate off the car and had chewed it up! He pulls washing off the line. Every single day. He has to be chained up whilst washing is on the line or we have to sit out the back watching him. He chews up every hose we own. We have to take the hose in and out of our house each day to water the plants. Very inconvenient. He literally jumps on our glass sliding doors the whole day long trying to get inside or get our attention. It sounds like the whole house is going to fall down. We can't be outside with the bloody dog all day and the minute we go inside, he starts jumping on the glass doors. Now, he does get walked each day but only once as we are full time workers with a 3 year old, another old dog that has to be walked seperate as we can't walk the two of them together (because of Jasper). We have 2 horses also. Oh, our yard is HUGE too. He is not in a small yard, we are in the country. He used to be great to walk, he would walk beside us, not pull and never have to be checked on the chain. Not anymore. He has started pulling and no matter how much we check him, give him treats for being good, he is now ripping our arms off each walk and just will not listen. Walking him used to be a nice part of the day. Not anymore. He jumps all over our old Bull Terrier, who is 12 and in her last days unfortunately. She has heart failure and dementia and is being medicated heavily. She yelps obviously when he jumps on her, he really hurts her, so they have to be seperated. She stays inside or in the laundry and gets let out regulary to wee etc. It is becoming a horrendous chore as she can't even walk around her own yard at her leisure as Jasper has to be chained up or locked inside the laundry whilst we let her out. He will then 'eat' the laundry and bark the whole neighbourhood down if he is chained up trying to get to her. He jumps on us, right up to our heads, everytime we go out the back. We tell him no, tell him to sit before we walk out (he can sit but only when he wants to) then as soon as we are out, he jumps on us. Not good when I'm 35 weeks pregnant. Not good either when my 3 year old DD can't be near him as he pushes her over. We are really, honestly, at our wits end. It has gotten to the point where I cry when I look at him. I am starting to hate him and that is not the way I want to be with a family pet. I've never been without a dog, I love dogs so much, but I really can't cope with him. Oh yeah, we are in very rural remote NSW. We have no kennel clubs nearby, no training nearby. We got him in Melbourne and the breeders are 5 hours away. We would be about 3 hours each way to the nearest kennel club. He started very basic obedience training ourselves at about 4 - 6 months. He does sit, stay, come, walk on lead, but, only when he feels like it. He has been the same the whole 17 months of his life. I have taken every dog I've owned to professional obedience training but now we have moved to a rural area, there is no one around. I'm doing everything the same as I've done with my other dogs, I just can't seem to get through this GSD's thick skull. Some days when I'm trying to train him in the yard, he will sit first time and everytime, stay for 5 minutes, walk on the lead like an angel, then the next day, all hell breaks loose and he wont come when called, won't sit, jumps around like he has ants biting him. The only thing he does all the time is shake hands! He likes doing that! He accidently got out of the yard once when we were moving the car into the yard. He was chained up as we knew he would run out. He literally snapped his collar (he is now on a metal choker when chained up because of that) and he ran out the front. He kept running up the street, all over the road, totally ignoring us calling. He was gone for about an hour and we ended up finding him a few house up, curled up in a ball with a cat hissing at him. It was the funniest thing I've seen! He was terrified of the cat! I really have no idea what to do with him. I wish I was closer to training! He has been 'trained' by us every day for about 10 to 20 minutes but nothing seems to work if he doesn't want it to! We have tried the water spray in a bottle. He LOVES water. He thought it was the best thing ever. So, I put a tiny bit of citronella in the water bottle and sprayed his legs with it when he was barking or jumping on the old dog. He tried to eat the water stream so I stopped doing that fearing he might get sick. He has had a citronella anti bark collar which did nothing. He just put his head down trying to look at what was spraying him in the neck and kept barking. He was barking with a whole mist of citronella around his head, sneezing, coughing and still kept going. We used that collar for a couple of months and it did absolutely nothing. So, we got one of those ultrasonic collars. The one that has the high pitched noises that only dogs can hear. It only seemed to affect our old dog, who is almost deaf! She would prick her ears up each time it went off! But, the GSD, he didn't care. He kept barking... and barking... and barking... We do praise him when he is being quiet. We go out and play a game with him when he is being quiet like ball or tug o war. We also let him come inside and 'visit' when he is being quiet. He is very good for about 2 minutes inside, then its like something takes over him and he jumps all over the lounges, runs through the house, picks up toys, shoes etc steals them! We put chilli all over the house and on my Daughters swing set as he was eating the plastic bits on it. He still ate the foot pegs off her swing set and the plastic seats even with chilli powder on them. We put curry all over everything then and he absolutely loved that. He licked it all off. Then ate the plastics. Is there any hope? Is there anyone out there who knows how to get into the head of a German Shepherd? He has cost us a lot in purchase price, training collars etc and I'm not the type of person who gets a dog then gives it away or puts it down because its not working out. I just thought after 17 months he might calm down or get better or finally obey us! Nope! Are there any training places where we could send him? I only ask that as a last resort as we have no training nearby and the only way I can see him being trained is to send him away as we are very remote. Please help!