[terri976]

Hi, we have a 4 year old GSD the we adopted almost a year ago. He is the most wonderful dog I've ever had the fortune to be a part of my family. He is excellent with myself, my husband and all 5 of my kids. He has bonded the most with myself and my oldest son. He loves his walks and playing catch with his ball. ( If you ignore his offer to play he will put the ball on your lap and stare at you until you play.) He's very lovable with the family. No aggressive behaviors with his food dishes or even when we give him a bone. Which is not often because I'm always scared he'll choke on it. LOL!

The problem that we have with him is simply that the woman who owned him before was was an elderly lady and she did not socialize him as a puppy or as he got older. I think she might have been a little afraid of his size and her ability to handle him in a sticky situation. However, she really did show him a lot of affection and love. As for behaving in the house. He has the run of the house. He behaves wonderfully. When we go to bed at night so does he. Either in bed with myself or my oldest son. Which is fine except that he's a bed hog and a blanket stealer ;D

Now, when we take him for a walk or outside and he sees people or other animals he barks and growls , but his tail is also wagging. I have been working with Sarge on socializing him with people. Namely walking him in areas where there are some people but not an abundance of people so he won't be to nervous. And he's improving. He'll now let someone walk near us and he'll even sniff their hand if they are willing to look past the initial barking. I really think with people he's just making noise. I don't think he would bite someone. I haven't tried socializing him with other animals because to be honest I'm not sure of his intentions. We have had one positive interaction with him an another family members dog. But it was a female and a cocker spaniel so it was much smaller. Like I said, even though he's barking and growling his tail wags He loves stuffed animals of puppies. He will groom them and carry them around with him. Will obedience training help there? Or is he really to old to be trained? We have the opportunity of getting another GSD and I would love to get it but not at the expense of Sarge. Any advice there? Thanks in advance

[labman]

There is no substitute for properly socializing a dog while it is young. Telling you that doesn't help the present problem. From your description, I don't think Sarge has a problem with strangers, he just wants to make sure they notice him and come to see him. If you obedience train him, then you can put him in a down stay and keep him quiet as people approach. A good obedience class
Or book is about you learning to be top dog, not the dog learning it gets a treat if it sits. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/. One advantage of a class is that he will get experience being around other dogs and people. An experienced instructor will have had experience with similar dogs and be prepared to help you.

At 4 years, his personality is mature, and he will not change quickly. When my daughter was in 4-H, I saw some older dogs make great progress. What you want should be doable, but it will not be quick and easy. It is a real shame it is likely too late in the year for one of the kids to do 4-H with him. My county has a great dog program, but 1 March is the last day to sign up.

The safest chews are the Nylabones and their rigid competitors. Kongs make a safe, softer alternative. The nubby textured dinosaur shaped Nylabones seem to be especially attractive. Usually you only find them in larger stores such as Petsmart or Petco. The sterilized knuckle bones from the pet store are the safest natural bones. Still I think I have seen increased teeth wear from them.


The pet stores are full of toys that many dogs will quickly chew up into
Pieces they could choke on or cause intestinal blockages. If you are not
There to watch, stick to sturdy stuff such as Nylabones and Kongs. Keep a
Close eye on chew toys and quickly discard anything that is coming apart in
Pieces. Also discard things that are gnawed down to where the dog soon
Will be able to swallow what is left. Rawhide is especially bad because it
Swells after being swallowed. These problems are the worst with, but not
Limited to, large, aggressive chewers such as Labs.

Ropes from the pets' store quickly turn to hazardous shreds. Ones I made
Lasted much better. Go to a hardware or home center that sells rope by the
Foot. Buy 2' of 3/4" poly rope. Melt the ends, and tie knots in it. Get
Them as tight as possible, put it in a vise and pound it with a hammer. Watch
Carefully, and be ready to discard when it comes apart.
:-X ;D

[terri976]

Hey, thanks for the reply. It's great to know where to get his toys but we don't play with tug toys with him. I have heard that its really not good for their teeth. Sarge has a big ball.. Oversized tennis ball that he loves. And of course his stuffed puppies. Those do get thrown out when they are showing wear and tear.
We unfortunately don't have a program like the 4H that you mentioned. At least not one the includes dogs. So, basically, I have been doing everything myself. I love him, he's a great dog. And I just want to make sure that I'm doing everything I can for him and not expecting to much from him by trying to socialize him with other animals at 4 yrs old. I have talked to a friend of mine who also has a large breed dog. We are going to start walking them at the same time each day. Start by walking down opposite sides of the street and either rewarding him for good behavior or scolding him for bad behavior, This is how I started getting him more people friendly so hopefully it will work, Gradually we will let the dogs get closer as we feel more comfortable that nothing bad will happen. I do have a pincher collar that he will pay attention to. I really hate to tug on it but generally one or two tugs does the trick. Also while we walk he is kept to my side. I don't allow him to run ahead or try to walk me. He's very well leash trained. Anyhow, thanks again and I will check into what you told me...

[labman]

Pinch collars are highly effective, but I have heard they can injure the dog if not carefully fitted by an expert. I prefer the head collar. You may want to switch to the Haltie, Promise, or Gentle Leader. They have a strap going around the dogs nose looking something like a muzzle. They work
By pulling the dogs head around. No other way gives you such great control with so little force. Anybody can easily use one with no m0ore than the instructions that comes with them.