Behavior Problems

Christina

I have a 8 months old german shepard male which whom im going to have neutered very soon. I dont know if this will help the problems im having with him but i have a fence everytime he goes outside he jumps it. We have added more fence to it to make it 7 to 8 feet high he still jumps it somehow. He has lots and lots of yard, toys lots of toys hes pretty obedient as far as sit stay shake hands roll over type stuff pretty good on the leash as far as that goes he just jumps the fence all the time to the ppoint i have veryy mad neighbors.
Threatening to call the pound on me. Some people have suggested putting electric fence up some has said invisible i cannot afford invisible fencing so im thinking about possibly electric my only problem is i dont agree with this idea i think its imhumane but yet ossibly the only thing i know to teach him not to jump the fence i dont agree with dog chains only if they are going on it
for a few mins. Do you possibly have any suggestions !
i love my dog i dont want to get rid of him nor get into trouble for him i just want to find a solution where i live there are no dog parks althow he is very social love people kids other animals of all kinds. He used to go everywhere with me until my fiancee got a new car then he doesnt want his car getting dirty. Any surggestions????

Hello Christina,

This is a tuff issue. I am sure your dog is leaving because he is lonely. Neutering him will help this and make him more content to stay home.
The best solution would be to create a kennel in your yard. Many stores sell portable panels that you can use to create a kennel and you can cover it. It will cost some money but you are looking at some cash no matter what you do here, invest in what is going to make along term difference. There are some
important aspects to build into the kennel, if you go this direction let me know and I will let you know what they are.

You can also crate train the dog. This would mean that you can leave the dog inside, in the crate while you are gone. This has limitations but a crate is a great tool. Watch the video segment on crate training.

The invisible fence is not more expensive then an electric fence. You buy a unit, string wire around the perimeter of the fence and put the collar on the dog. When the dog get close to the perimeter of the fence it vibrates or beeps. If the dog gets closer it shocks him. The electric fence is the same as
is used with livestock, when the dog touches it it gives a shock. There are many difference styles of electric fences, go to you local livestock store, I have seen one that is a mesh fence 4 feet high meant for goats. Is it inhumane? The dog will be zapped a couple of times and then learn. It is more inhumane to let you dog run free and get hit by a car!

One more suggestion, you may look into getting a second companion dog for your dog. You have to get the right dog for this, there is also a segment in the video on this.

Any more questions please let me know and best of luck!

Regards,

 Lisa
                                     doberman
                                     Male, neutered. Owned him 4 mos.
                                    dogproblem: He is 9 mos old and becoming protective of our yard.  Barking is 
                                    the problem.  He barks when someone walks by or he can see someone through the 
                                    fence, the problem is that he doesn't always stop barking when the stranger is 
                                    gone.  He sits in the middle of the lawn and just keeps barking.  When I'm 
                                    outside with him I can say "Ok, that's enough, no barking" and he stops (or 
                                    maybe I just distract him). If I ignore it he can go on for 10 minutes.  One 
                                    neighbor has complained, don't want anymore complaints.  My husband says I 
                                    reward it by saying something to him. I just want to resolve the problem.  
                                    Thanks!  Lisa

Hello Lisa, barking dogs are a big problem in cities and neighborhoods. First off you must realize that a Dobie is a protection dog, it is in his nature. Your husband may be right if he is barking to get your attention. In that case bring your dog in with you whenever you are at home. They hate to be separated from their family. If this is not the case then a command to stop is great. In fact you should teach your dog to bark on command and teach him to stop. The best way to deal with a dog that is protective over its yard is to build him a kennel. A kennel of good size but one that can contain him with shelter and a place for exercise. This would be the place for the dog when you cannot play with it or manage it. The tendency would be for the dog to react to people outside the kennel but perhaps not outside the yard. In other words it guards the kennel but no the yard. You must include the dog in your day to day life, take him everywhere you can, always have him with your family when possible. Also find an obedience class for him and look into doggie daycare. Both with help with socialization which is very important for your Dobie!! Also review the section of the video on the keys to success it describes some games that can save your relationship with your dog and maybe your neighbors. Any more questions just ask

Fong

Pit Mix
Male, spayed, one and half month
dogproblem: My son adopted him from an animal shelter and he is about two year
old sweet boy and bonds to my son well. His problem is he is too energetic and
too active. He pulls hard when I walk him if he sees/sniffs something or other
dogs. He does not know how to be a friend with other dog, ether barks fiercely
or even bite one small dog once. Now my neighbors with their dog try to avoid
us if they see us on the street. And he gets so excited and wants run wild when
we bring him out, we have to pull so hard I felt I almost choked him. I love
this dog since he brings love and affection to my lonely son. But my son will
be back to college in two weeks. We dont know if we can handle him after my son
is gone, especially my husband just wants to get rid of him. It breaks my heart
if we have to. But my husband says pit-bull is very hard to train and we would
be in big trouble if someday he run away and bite somebody.

Hello Fong, Working breeds like Pitts take a lot of work. They need obedience classes, they need intense socialization and dedicated owners. They also require good facilities so they do not escape. Talk to your vet they should be able to give you a referral to an obedience class. Perhaps your son should look for another home for the dog if that is direction you are going. Of course the lesson is that you buy a dog for its lifetime... I would be happy to help with specific questions on his behavior. I would start with keeping the dog on a leash for two weeks while you find a good obedience class.

Regards