May 19, 2011
My dog becomes nervous, extremely anxious and out of control in strange places. How can I break this so I can do S&R work?
Full Question:
I have a pure bred German Shepard. His name is Strauss. He is one year and six months old. He is an extraordinary dog when with other dogs or alone, but when strangers are around, all of his training goes out the window. Everything distracts him, ex. bikes, children, etc. He becomes nervous, and extremely anxious, and completely out of control. I want to train him for search and rescue, but am un-able to pass the "good canine citizen" course because of his fears. What would you suggest I do to get him over these fears? I look forward to your answer, as I am deeply perplexed with the situation!Lisa
Ed's Answer:
Your dog will never be an S&R dog. These dogs must be environmentally sound and your dog is not. This is a genetic issue that you can not train out of the dog.
With this said, you can train the dog to mind. At this point he is not obedience trained. If he were he would mind in these situations. I would recommend that you read the Steps of Training on my web site.
Your dog has weak nerves. Dog's with weak nerves can be obedience trained in fact they do well at this because they are nervous in their normal world and training brings structure to their lives. So they feel comfortable when they know they are doing what they are told.
This all assumes that you are a capable trainer and can learn the principles of correction and praise.
With this said, you can train the dog to mind. At this point he is not obedience trained. If he were he would mind in these situations. I would recommend that you read the Steps of Training on my web site.
Your dog has weak nerves. Dog's with weak nerves can be obedience trained in fact they do well at this because they are nervous in their normal world and training brings structure to their lives. So they feel comfortable when they know they are doing what they are told.
This all assumes that you are a capable trainer and can learn the principles of correction and praise.
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