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May 11, 2011

My dog is very smart but has weak nerves. He is very nervous around strangers and any quick moves he reacts as if he is going into fight or flight mode. Any advice?

Full Question:

Hi,

I have a beautiful 2 1/2 year old male Sable German Shepherd that I truly love; however, he has issues that I desperately need help with resolving. Bandit has gone through basic obedience training and I continue to work with him with what I know. He is very smart but based on the pod casts from your web site I believe he has weak nerves. He is very nervous around strangers and any quick moves from anyone other than me he reacts as if he is going into fight or flight mode.

I have had him since he was 6 weeks old and never left him for any amount of time other than 2-3 days occasionally for boarding since he turned 2 years old. I have learned to be stern with him and he listens very well and we have a great bond but I can't take him anywhere around other people or other animals without him acting out. He loves being groomed and we do that weekly because he enjoys it so much and so do I.

He is crate trained and does not have a problem with being crated while I am away. I always crate him when I leave home. He is a big dog, I have attached a picture so you can see but I can't take him anywhere. I have not been able to find a trainer to help me with this new problem and am hoping that with all of your years of experience in working with German Shepherds that you will have some advice.

Looking forward to hearing from you. I would appreciate your help.

Thanks,
Delores

Cindy's Answer:

Dogs like this always respond to increased feelings of security, and that comes from putting them on a schedule that promotes you as a leader in all situations through out the day. By upping the leadership and structure in and around your home, it will help Bandit to let YOU be the leader and be less worried about strangers or other things that are out of his control. A good leader lets their pack members know that they will always be protected. This goes against what most people think when they get a dog, they think the dog should protect them but in most cases this is not going to happen. The dogs look to us for leadership and it’s our duty to provide it.

I’d start with our Groundwork program. http://leerburg.com/groundwork.htm

Pack Structure for the Family Pet http://leerburg.com/308.htm

Dogs with confidence issues also really benefit from marker training.

The Power of Training Dogs with Markers

I would direct you to the search function in the upper left corner of the website for any additional questions you may have. If you type in your key words it will guide you to articles, Q & A’s and posts on our forum.

I hope this helps.

Cindy

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