joy4land Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Hi all! I have a lovely 8 1/2month female GSD Maxine and need some help& advice. Maxine is the most good looking GSD I've ever see(I think ) and she's very smart. As a full time mum of an active 16months baby and just start my own online shop last year, I've been very busy but trying to do my best to look after her. I take her for walk twice a day, traning& playing almost every day, go to local GSD club every Sunday morning ect. but the problem is she will chew everything she could found if I'm not arround. So far, on her chewed list: a new watch, a set of make up brush, 4 plastic bucket, XX garden tools, 3 brooms, garden hose, 4 T-shirt and so many my daughter's toys. My hubby is that kind of person that his kind of handy and like to do the work by himself but always left the tools behind. And every time he left something behind, maxine will find it and it's gone. Since I can't change my husband I'll have to teach my dog. I've tried say "No" when she's doing the wrong thing and gave a lot of praise when she's doing the right thing, but this doesnt work. Yesterday, my husband was checking his golf buggy and put everything on his working staion,while his on the phone(about 10 mins), my dog stole & chewed two wheels and the new buggy was gone. I'm now at break down point and don't know how to teach her anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Would you consider crating her when you're not home to supervise (as long as you're not gone for long), or locking her in a 'safe' room? I'm just a little concerned for her safety if she decides to chew on an electrical wire or something when you're gone. Also, her chewing on things when you're not there to tell her 'no' is only reinforcing the behaviour, IMO. Also, as well as saying 'no' when she's doing the wrong thing, have you tried redirecting her to chew on something acceptable like a dog toy? Wiggle the toy in front of her like you're having a great time, and praise her when she starts to chew on that. If you teach her what things are acceptable to chew, you may find she chews less often on unacceptable things. Hopefully some of the other people here will have other ideas too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 (edited) unfortunately when you keep leaving temptation out there to such a curious and intelligent breed they will investigate ... crating is a great idea, you know what the dog is up to at all times. Also provide things like massive meaty marrow bones, lamb flaps, chicken frames etc for her to chew in the mean time. Kong is great as well, skip her meal and stuff it into the kong - happy dog for a couple of hours (plus that crazy bounce it has which shepherd can resist ) hot chilli sauce or bitter spray applied liberally to things can 'self teach' her that chewing is not always a great idea Edited February 1, 2007 by Nekhbet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joy4land Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 Forgot to say that Maxine love to chew the shoe as well and she pulls the washing off the line regular. Today, when I walked into the back yard and sew the washing all over the grass, I was in tears,,,,,,, I also tried use water spray to teach her. First she was affird of the water steam but then she starts love it and chewed off our hose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joy4land Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 unfortunately when you keep leaving temptation out there to such a curious and intelligent breed they will investigate ... crating is a great idea, you know what the dog is up to at all times. Also provide things like massive meaty marrow bones, lamb flaps, chicken frames etc for her to chew in the mean time. Kong is great as well, skip her meal and stuff it into the kong - happy dog for a couple of hours (plus that crazy bounce it has which shepherd can resist ) hot chilli sauce or bitter spray applied liberally to things can 'self teach' her that chewing is not always a great idea Thanks for all the reply. I'll give her chicken frames and lamb neck ect. to chew, but it wont last long or she will dig and hind it in the garden. I'm thinking crating her as during the night I can hear she's playing with brooms or bucket(now we use metal one but she still empty and play with it) all night long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Your dog needs to be confined when you can't supervise her, if you're only going out for a few hours a crate will be sufficient, but if you spend long periods away a dog run will be a better idea. It is very hard to teach a dog to differentiate between things it's allowed to chew and things that are off limits so putting things away is the easiest way to protect your belongings, expecting a young puppy not to chew things that are left lying around is a little optimistic IMO. You will find that she'll improve as she matures, my three adult dogs can be safely left inside the house if we go out for a few hours, but my two 11 month old puppies are left in a run as they're just too young to be trusted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 ah dont stress. Its the joys of living with dogs ... One day I looked out of my window and saw my belgian running around with pieces of brand new shredded foam matress bedding ... then my mastiff grabbed and entire timber pallet and dragged that around leaving gouge marks in the lawn or how about the time my friend, ignoring my warnings, left her new leather shoes in the dining room and half an hour later my mastiff had punctured holes through both of them. And was fast asleep If you leave it around, it will get chewed. Dont just expect the dog to understand, especially if you are not around the whole time to discourage her to do it. The dog should not have free reign around the house if this is how she behaves. She has designated areas she remains on (and gets treats when she sits on them) like a mat in the living room, mat in the computer room and a crate for night time. Inside means stay there unless you tell her otherwise. Outside - put things away until she gets a bit older. Is there somewhere else you can hang the washing - a side yard or closable patio where you can put up one of those extendable ones. My dogs live in the back and I have tied some nylon rope under my side verandah for my washing. Everyone is happy. What you can also do, is put up the washing and hide inside. Every time she approaches the washing line, let off one of those hand held air horns, or bang two big saucepan lids together to scare her off it. Dont let her see you though, the point is to make her think its not OK but not only when you are around. Remember to provide her with tough toys and rotate them. Dont give her everything at once, every day chuck out 3 new toys. The kong idea with no breakfast is great, Aussie Dog Toys are hardy and last a long time. Plus big marrow bones will keep her busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joy4land Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 Your dog needs to be confined when you can't supervise her, if you're only going out for a few hours a crate will be sufficient, but if you spend long periods away a dog run will be a better idea.It is very hard to teach a dog to differentiate between things it's allowed to chew and things that are off limits so putting things away is the easiest way to protect your belongings, expecting a young puppy not to chew things that are left lying around is a little optimistic IMO. You will find that she'll improve as she matures, my three adult dogs can be safely left inside the house if we go out for a few hours, but my two 11 month old puppies are left in a run as they're just too young to be trusted. Thanks. I'm at home most of the time so thinking a run maybe better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 how long her day will the dog be in the run? its not fair to lock her away for a long time because you cant move a few things out of her reach. GSDs are very intelligent and need mental stimulation as well. Maybe a nice long walk, an obedience session and play time every day will keep her mind off chewing a bit as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joy4land Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 how long her day will the dog be in the run?its not fair to lock her away for a long time because you cant move a few things out of her reach. GSDs are very intelligent and need mental stimulation as well. Maybe a nice long walk, an obedience session and play time every day will keep her mind off chewing a bit as well. She will be in the run during the night and some short day time only. She had all this walk and traning but during the night she's playing&chewing everything in the back yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdude Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 (edited) Dogs of that age need regular marrow bones to chew, and anything chewable in the yard kept out of reach until they mature (around 2-3 years for most dogs). I buy marrow bones from the butcher, then get him to halve, then quarter them so the dog will tend to chew up the smaller bone rather than bury the larger ones. The best way to stop the washing problem is to fence that part of the yard off with temperary fencing. I have heard of people that tie water filled balloons to there washing line to deter the dog with suprise. That may cause a choking hazard though. My dog often pulls off washing if there is a problem with his bedding. Has she got a comfy warm place to sleep? Edited February 1, 2007 by dogdude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarope Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Welcome to owning a German Shepherd. Our Shepherd bitch was the same, she had plenty of toys but she loved our lounge,shoes,table legs,chair legs in fact anything left laying around she would chew up. My arms and legs were covered in bites from sharp puppy teeth. she never came when called, would not stand still to be brushed, a real monster. we did try the crate,she was only put in it for 20 mins at a time, twice a day to give us a brake from her. she was never left alone, she started obedience training at 4.5mths, but it made no difference. she was not a hole digger, that's something. we only used the crate till she was 5mths. this all went on till she was about 15mths, I noticed a change she came when called, I could brush her most times, she started to behave at training. why because she had started to mature, by the age of 2yrs that monster had gone. At no stage did we give up with her. I did think about it,but we love her and could never give her away. My advice is do what your doing now, when she matures you'll wonder what all the fuss was. Our girl is 4yrs old now still a little naughty but I could not imagine life without her. I believe many Shepherds and other breeds end up in pounds and shelters because some people won't put in the hard work, plus many other things that go with owning a dog. All the best with your girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khan28 Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 My 3yr old female GSD was a total terror, I would come home from work and she would help me by pulling all the washing off the line (and didnt even fold it) she would carry my terracotta pots around (small ones) until she wouod here me and promptly drop of course smashing, chew up her bed, chew up my shoes dig up the back yard nothing was too much trouble for her then all of a sudden she stopped cause she stopped beinga puppy! Hang in there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joy4land Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 Dogs of that age need regular marrow bones to chew, and anything chewable in the yard kept out of reach until they mature (around 2-3 years for most dogs). I buy marrow bones from the butcher, then get him to halve, then quarter them so the dog will tend to chew up the smaller bone rather than bury the larger ones.The best way to stop the washing problem is to fence that part of the yard off with temperary fencing. I have heard of people that tie water filled balloons to there washing line to deter the dog with suprise. That may cause a choking hazard though. My dog often pulls off washing if there is a problem with his bedding. Has she got a comfy warm place to sleep? Yes, my hubby made a bed for her and she sleeps on it every night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joy4land Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 Welcome to owning a German Shepherd. Our Shepherd bitch was the same, she had plenty of toys but she loved our lounge,shoes,table legs,chair legs in fact anything left laying around she would chew up. My arms and legs were covered in bites from sharp puppy teeth. she never came when called, would not stand still to be brushed, a real monster. we did try the crate,she was only put in it for 20 mins at a time, twice a day to give us a brake from her. she was never left alone, she started obedience training at 4.5mths, but it made no difference. she was not a hole digger, that's something. we only used the crate till she was 5mths. this all went on till she was about 15mths, I noticed a change she came when called, I could brush her most times, she started to behave at training. why because she had started to mature, by the age of 2yrs that monster had gone. At no stage did we give up with her. I did think about it,but we love her and could never give her away. My advice is do what your doing now, when she matures you'll wonder what all the fuss was. Our girl is 4yrs old now still a little naughty but I could not imagine life without her. I believe many Shepherds and other breeds end up in pounds and shelters because some people won't put in the hard work, plus many other things that go with owning a dog. All the best with your girl. Thanks a lot! It's a big relieve knowing that she might be a good girl one day She's doing good in the traning most of the time. Each Sunday morning she will see so many very well behavied GSDs and hopfully she's learning the manner. I really love her and won't give up on her but my husband is threatening to chained her up if she chewed his golf buggy again! Also, we are going on holiday for 3weeks in March and during that time my friend will live in our house to look after Maxine. My friend likes dog but never have one by her own so I'm bit worried when we back from holiday, what's gonna left in the house/yard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arya Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 He he, poor old GSDs seem to be causing a lot of trouble on this forum lately and as I am owned by one, I can surely sympathise!!! As others have said, take heart, 8 1/2 months is still very young and my girl sometimes seemed positively EVIL in the clever mischief she used to dream up at this age . My advice to you would be to provide as much mental stimulation as possible. So teach her a few tricks, short bursts of obedience training each day, say three or four goes of five to ten minutes at a time when the baby is occupied and you're having a coffee break. LOTS of energetic recall games with ball which is much more tiring for the dog than a walk and will help bond her to you. Take a look at the NILIF program which you'll find on the web. Be FIRM but FAIR with bad behaviour. I believe in correction where correction is due (not too harsh for a youngster who is trying you out, but enough to let them know who is Alpha and biting etc. is not on - and not ever during obedience training when they don't understand and are learning stuff). And HEAPS of praise for good behaviour. In time, the wrecking will stop as she gets older and learns what is and isn't acceptable, if you provide the right environment for her. I must say if you crate her or put her in a run, be prepared to make up for that lock-away time with super fun and stimulation outside of it, otherwise you'll create more problems than you solve. I'm biased but I reckon you've picked the best dog and hopefully you'll think so too in a few months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarope Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Joy4Land I to stood at GSDL training once with my girl thinking, I've got the only monster here. all the other Shepherds were well behaved, what was I doing wrong - nothing I had a hyper-active puppy. so I know you feel, I also know how you will feel when she matures. you will have a loyal,loving,intelligent and protective girl and great with kids. My Shepherd Dog is the opposite he's very calm. ( yes I was silly I got another one) at 15mths he became very stubbon and was always hard to train. when he matured at 3yrs problems disappeared. they are wonderful dogs, you have picked a breed that loves to be with you, a great family dog. enjoy and all the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joy4land Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 (edited) Thanks guys, all these advise are really greatful and sure will make me throught the hard days. I'm doing the TNT with Maxine since I got her and teaching her retrieve by 2 months. She's doing well with the retrieve at home but the problem is she's very timid. I try to bring her to local park as offen as possiable. there has a group of people walking their dogs every day at the same time and they are soooo nice. But she's too scared to close to other people/dog and don't even bothered to look the ball. During the whole time, the poor thing just to hind underneath the pram Edited February 1, 2007 by joy4land Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tibbiemax71 Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 Hi, like the others said, give her big marrow bones to chew, maybe you could fence your washline off so she cant get to it? If you leave things out they are going to get chewed My 2 year old shepherd girl has just turned into what I call a "normal dog" now its like it happend over night! before that her chew list looked pretty much the same as yours Plus she chewed all the kids sand pit toys, only the metal thing survived! they learned very quick after that to put toys away we are on our third hose now (as we are too lazy to roll it up and put it away!) she hasnt touched it yet touch wood, she also had a good go at the sprinkler system when she was a baby! Thats just puppy hood.She will get better when she gets older. Try and look at ways to puppy proof your yard so she cant get to the things you dont want chewed, even maybe fence part of the yard off for her. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khan28 Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Im laughing at MLH with the comments about the hose and sprinkler system, I didnt have to worry about sprinklers as all my hoses had a lovely array or holes all up and down them thus doubling as a sprinkler system, it saved on hose time which left me more time to play with the dogs, they are smart cookies these GSD's LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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