I have a 100 pound, 18 month old GSD. He had been crated for the first 11 months of his life. He was in the crate 15 or more hours a day. One day the previous owners little boy (6 years) let him out of the crate, Buster was so excited that he jumped on the boy and knocked his front teeth out. (of course they got rid of him)
I have had Buster for about 7 months now. I have had him through obedience class which he did pretty well at. My problem is that even with the classes he still doesn't see me as the alpha. My husband who does nothing with him he will listen to. I just don't get it. I spend time working with him, (walks, clicker training etc) and he ignores me. He still jumps on me (even after correcting him what seems like a million times), he is very mouthy when playing. My 2 sons are afraid to play with him. I can't blame them. I would just like to know if there is some video or book (preferalbly video) that I can use to train him more. He is a very friendly dog he is just more like a puppy then an adult. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Pam <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Sad story.... might be a great dog tho! If you have corrected him a million times, they must not be good ones... if a Video is what your looking for try Basic Obd from Ed's video store. It will give you lots of good correction advise and a basic training program to follow.

Who feeds Buster? This will go a long way with Alpha Status anlong with the order of feeding. If your hubby feeds him and does nothing else he is Da man who brings home the bacon. Your right about one thing tho you have a 8 week old puppy that is 18 months.

Good luck and thanks for saving buster.

Buster,
Is Buster still being crated? If so how much time does spend in the crate.
As Lonny suggested, you should be feeding this dog, no one else.
I suggest you letting him out of crate if being crated,giving any and all treats to him, his world should be centered around you. This is what most dogs want, work on this and you will see a big change in his attitude.

What type of corrections are using?? :rolleyes:

Good luck with Buster, Keep us posted. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

He was in the crate 15 or more hours a day Sorry...but I think that's majorly stupid on the part of the former owners.
I would wonder how his hips are at this stage...

Dogma, I agree about the previous owners. I had his hips checked at the vet as soon as I got him. He could barely walk at that time.
I no longer crate him. (although the trainer said I should <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> ) When I am at work he is in the basement so he has room to move.
The corrections I use are to give a quick pull on his choker and say no. Sometimes it works sometimes he gets more "crazy".
I am the one who feeds him. I make him sit and put the food down for him. I no longer feed him from the table. (yes, I know that was stupid to do) I just can't resist his big brown sad eyes, lol.
Thank you for the advice. I will check out that video. Pam

Hi again, I thought maybe I should add that Buster is with me all the time. I go the the bathroom and he waits outside the door, I go to the basement to do wash, there he is. Does this matter? Thanks again, Pam

Pam...put Buster on a Prong Collar when you walk him, he'll self-correct and you'll really see the difference. Ed refers to it as "power steering for dogs", I've even seen a miniature poodle (though heaven knows why) wearing one in an obedience class. Good Luck.

Hi Marj, I do use a prong for walks, and you are right, it helps greatly. Should I keep the prong on all day? I have heard you shouldnt do that. The choker doesn't do much because he just tenses up against it. Pam <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Hi Pam,

When you are correcting Buster, you say that you give a quick pull on the choke collar. Are you tugging at the collar or are you snapping it? If you're tugging it, you can tug all day and he is never going to mind you. Make sure that you are snapping it quickly and releasing immediately when correcting. You want to be sure that the choke collar makes a noise when you pop it.

I agree that you should try a prong collar. I also have a 100 lb. GSD, and although mine has huge issues compared to Buster, I wouldn't be able to control him at all without the prong. The prong works much faster and with fewer corrections than a choke collar, and I believe it is far more humane if used correctly. You should see results much quicker this way and Buster will definitely know what you're trying to tell him. My puppy required a prong at about 8 months of age, because she would choke herself senseless on a regular choke chain. It's amazing how fast she learned not to pull when walking <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Good luck with Buster!

Melissa

Nooooo....only keep the prong on if he is under supervision. You should not leave a choke collar on unless he is being supervised. He could strangle himself to death. If you are going to be watching him, you can leave the prong on with a leash attached while in the house. That way, when he does something you don't want him to do, you can grab the leash and issue a correction.