Whingeing And Crying Toooooo Much!

[Shakti]

My lovely 2 year old GSD is a very smart dog. He is doing well with his training both Obedience and agility and he stays perfectly EXCEPT...if he cannot see me! Then he just loses his mind!

He cries and yelps and runs about (even if tied) and just cannot think of anything but desperately getting to me.

Do I just try and ignore the crying?....... Difficult because he also moves/breaks his stay and upsets other dogs as he sounds so distressed.

Should I correct/punish him every time he starts crying?..........Seems cruel and possibly counter-productive as to punish/correct him I would need to be in sight!

Help!!

[Kavik]

Have you practiced anything out of sight at home, or only in class?

One thing I can think of (I'm sure others will have better ideas as I haven't trained this yet ) is maybe start small, like behind a tree? Step behind the tree, then step back, and gradually increase the amount of time behind the tree? Once that is OK then something longer/more solid like a small building but again step behind and step back etc.

[Tapferhund]

Brooke, you are not alone in this problem...........a problem that is typical Shepherd , a problem that MOST Shepherd owners have !! None like thier owners out of sight. I have had some who whinge loudly through stress and others who fidget with stress ,which is what one of mine does at the moment.

All you can do is train in LITTLE steps over a long period of time......a second at a time and try and build confidence in the dog that you WILL be back.

I would not be correcting him for it either as it will only make him more anxious about the whole exercise.

Take it one second at a time and if he is quiet return and reward him. I would be doing this from the drop stay only at this stage too......and when you return (after one or two seconds) gently and firmly stroke him from head to tail telling him that he is a good boy. This should help to calm him and when he is calm, walk away again for another couple of seconds.....build it slowly over time.

[Shakti]

Thank you both very much. Tapferhund, I LOVE your dogs! The advice is good - I think sometimes I want to move too fast when I know that he *knows* the exercise and you are right; I need to take baby steps with this problem. He is a beautiful dog but he is from working lines and I have to *lift my game* in order to get the best out of him.