Skye GSD

Only ever feed my GSD with dry food (Royal Canin) topped with a little extra of either cooked roo meat, cooked mince or tinned sardines/tuna. She is now 10mths and has never had a bath - all our friends comment on her lack of dog smell and beautiful coat and I believe it is directly contributed to what we feed our dogs. My 1st GSD was fed tinned food, raw meat and dog roll and he would get extremely smelly which required regular bathing. Next 3 GSD's were fed good quality dry food and in their lifetimes were only fully bathed with shampoo a handful of times.

[quote name='Grey' date='30th Dec 2009 - 08:10 AM' post='4220798' I would like to thank those that responded in a relevant and fitting way to this thread , however, as with Raz, if anyone i ever know asks about shepherds (and seeing my girl and how happy i am, a few do) i would never direct them here. Unfortunately, most threads where a question is asked regarding shepherds (anyone remember that almost informative thread re back slope months ago?) becomes a mud slinging match where those that are genuinely after information feel unwelcome and walk away with a bad taste in their mouth] I, too, am new to this thread and was looking forward to some relevant information regarding specific training for owners of new GSD puppies. I almost did not come back but have decided to put my two cents worth in! I am not a newcomer to the GSD breed - my current puppy is now 9mths old and is my 5th over a 40yr period - however, with each new puppy comes a new set of challenges. I have gained CDX with two of my previous dogs but have owned GSD's simply for the pleasure of owning them - not the kudos of winning obedience/show/trialling comps. I read an article not too long ago that stated that 80% of GSD puppies were sold to "pet" homes so how about some positive reinforcement for those that don't care how their dogs stack up against the "show" dogs but maybe need some encouragement to get their best friends to portray the breed as the fantastic all-rounder it can be.

I am a newbie to DOL but have never cried so much since my beloved Sascha girl left me last year - my thoughts and prayers are with Jed and her beloved pack. Skye and I have both lit a candle.

I am now on to my 5th GS and altho looked at other breeds b4 getting this pup I just could not go past the temperament of the GSD. The last 3 that I have had (all bitches) were obedience trained in a club environment for the first three years of their lives and I could take them anywhere. My 1st GS was a male and due to the fact that I had not started my family, he was my "baby" - BIG mistake. He was fantastic with the children when they did come but due to not socializing him as a youngster he was a horror with other dogs. I totally take responsibility for that and hence the learning curve that came with it. My advice if you decide to go the GS route is to get a bitch puppy and join your local GSD Club. My GSD's were the most loving and loyal companions - my new girl has big shoes to fill but know she will get there.

I am also in WA and could do with some assistance in training an extremely headstrong 9mth GSD - have already trained with 2 independent trainers but am no further ahead so could you please let me know who you went through?

Ultimately, if you're a clever dog and you have a good handler, you'll learn how to avoid the choking sensation all together, as the OP's dog has. Before using a choke chain/check chain/training chain a handler must know how to use it otherwise it becomes no more effective than a flat collar. I have recently purchased my 5th GSD (over a span of 40yrs) and the training methods used today by most clubs/trainers are so different with the main thread being food/toys as incentives/rewards. My beautiful new girl is now 9mths old and is neither food nor toy driven in a class situation (works perfectly for food at home but there is far too much to look at in the real world). I have trained all my other GSD's with the check chain method - gaining CDX with my 2nd girl and competing in obedience with my 3rd and 4th - so do know a bit about training. Thought I would try the new methods of training with Skye - mainly because a flat collar is all that some clubs will allow - and all to no avail. Even waiving the most scrumptious treat under her nose would not deter her fom pulling. Favourite tug toy fared no better. Tried a front-leading harness for daily walks (does work and I was impressed but totally went against my belief that you should be able to control your dog without trussing it!). I reverted to a check chain 3 days ago and I now have an absolutely changed dog. Do I choke her with it? - I do not. Try putting a check chain on your own wrist and giving a quick snap with a lead and you will feel the pressure that is asserted and the quick release. It is more the sound that interupts the dog's current thought pattern and brings their attention back to you. I also use plenty of verbal praise. I believe that the check chain still has it's advantages on tough dogs but am only an advocate when used correctly. If I had a soft, focussed dog that was not like the social butterfly that I have, I would certainly be trying all other methods first.

First time here but know where you are coming from. I am on my fifth GS over a period of 40 yrs and my beloved new pup (8mths) has every trick that the other 4 had collectively! OH has late model Commodore wagon which is normally backed in to the drive with the boot open when we are taking pup out. This particular day it wasn't backed in and pup mistook front of car for boot and ended up clearing the bonnet and landed on the windscreen!! Lovely claw marks on bonnet! Whose fault - mine, as I should have had her either on lead or under control. Aaah, the joy of puppies!!