Hello to all-
I am new to this forum and wanted to ask a few questions.
I have a 12-week old GS puppy, Kaiser, and I didn't come across this website until after I had Kaiser for a week or so- he was 8 weeks old when we got him. I have the DVD's- Establishing Pack Structure/Basic Obedience Training/Training with Markers/ Your Puppy 8 weeks to 8 months. My question is this-we are on day 4 of the Mental Isolation, and Kaiser does fairly well. His crate is in our bedroom, so I can get up with him at night. During the day, he gets out to go "outside", and to go on our walks- which are 3- 20-25 minute ones in our rural town of 1000 people. He is fed in his crate, and has his Everlasting Fire Plug toy to keep him company. He can hear all of our goings on in our house and the radio is on for him. He cries a little bit, but it is getting better. He does like to "re-arrange" his bedding, is this normal? It's like he is mad at me, or is this "puppy"? Is this the right procedure that I am following? Is there anything else I can do for him? Just last night I noticed he had pudding diarrhea, and I wondered if I stressed him out in the crate to cause this as there is nothing new with his diet.
Any information would be helpful and thanks for "listening"
Melissa Leuzinger

Melissa, welcome, and the puppy folks will see this and explain the difference between puppy and adult pack-structure groundwork; you are doing adult stuff.

If you would, please start a second thread about the diarrhea. Thanks!

The puppy is isolsted in the bedroon all the time, when you are not interacting with him (training, playing)??!!!

I personally would not isolate a puppy at all. I crate them in the kitchen & family room so they can be wherever the action is in the house, when they are not out of the crate tethered to me.

I want them exposed to everything possible, all house sounds, pots & pans banging together, dropping things, cooking sounds & smells,frige & Dish wash doors opened & closed,coffee pot brewing, teapot whistling etc etc...you get the idea. They can't make any sound association with the actual act from the bedroom.

I move the puppy into whatever roon that I am in. You can either move the one crate or buy multiple crates to set up in different rooms. I got tired of dragging crates around & purchased additional crates. It got old fast dragging crates up & down stairs. After having 3 dogs at the same time...I have about 8 crates of varring sizes from young pup to adult dogs.

They sleep in their crate next to my bed when I go to bed. (all my dogs sleep in the bedreoom with me)I want a puppy excited about life & being with me, not isolated from me. They learn to deal with abscents from you when you leave the room for short durations & then return. Like when you shower, do the laundry,take out the garbage etc etc so there are no future seperation issues from being with you. Dogs are pack animals & want to be with their pack. As I type this, both my dogs are laying on the floor near me. They are rarely (by choice) in a room other than the one that I am in.

They are crated in my truck & go everywhere possible with me. There are many ways to communicate pack leadership with a puppy without isolating them. JMO

Adding... that dealing with a new adult dog is much different than bringing a puppy into your home. I have done both.

Hi Melissa, Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new pup!

The ground work/pack structure work you are doing is for ADULT dogs - NOT new pups. This is a time for you to be developing a bond with your new dog, potty training, having fun, etc... (It is not that you shouldn't use the crate during the day, but he should not be in there all day/night with just 3 - 20 minute breaks at this point.)

When with you in the house, Kaiser can be tethered to you via a 6' leash so that he is near you and not able to get into trouble. Some folks also use X-pens so the pup is contained but has a bit of room to romp and play with appropriate toys.

The rearranging of his bedding is normal - not a sign he is mad at you. He might need more exercise / playtime to tire him out a bit more too.

It is fine to put him in his crate after playing / exercising when he needs a nap and quiet time, but teathered to you or in a play area for parts of the day will give you guys a lot more opportunity to bond than if he is all by himself.

I hope this helps and let us know if you have any other specific questions! Pics of the pup too!

I just want to add my "joys of tethering" (to the owner) opinion.

I only wish I had discovered it years earlier, for leaning the dog's potty-language as well as bonding and pack structure. There is nothing like it.

Hello again-
On another post I was asking if I stressed out my 12-week old GS puppy by starting the Pack Structure groundwork, because as of last night he has "pudding" diarrhea? Nothing in his diet has changed.
Thanks for any reply!!

THANKS for all the responses! Did I post on the wrong page- is there a PUPPY page versus an ADULT page?
I feel HORRIBLE thinking that I was doing ADULT Pack Structure and not PUPPY!! Hopefully there is time to change I really want to do right by this little guy and want him to respect me, and not resent me.
This morning Kaiser and I went for our walk and he was very chewy and growly on the leash- he wouldn't leave it alone! How to break him of this??
I had been using the tethering technique before I thought I needed to start the Pack Structure How does one tether to self easily? Is there one technique better than another?
On our walk this morning I had to get between Kaiser and an adult dog that just "appeared" out of the bushes, and I REALLY YELLED at it to get away, and I know this dog from past encounters. After that, Kaiser looked at me and seemed to smile and jumped up on me(which he has NEVER done), like I was his HERO-I HOPE I WAS!! Hope this is a positive sign!!
Thank you in advance for all the responses.

Barbara-
Your German Shepherd is VERY beautiful!! That is what I think of when I hear the name German Shepherd, and that is what I always wanted as a child growing up was that color combination.
Kaiser is my 3rd Shepherd. My first was a full German Shepherd(Toby)she left us in 2004, and my second was a German Shepherd/Belgian Tervuren mix(Buster) and he just left us in December Still have quite a hole, but Kaiser is helping heal in his own unique way.
Thanks again!

Here's the link for the puppy corner (or you can scroll down from the 'forum list' page until you see the same):

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm&c=8


And I think Connie meant you should start a new thread about the diarrhea.

Click on "General Dog Conversation" up top and then "New Post" and write a new post with the new subject. (ex. "pudding diarhea" or whatever)

 Quote: simon tai

... And I think Connie meant you should start a new thread about the diarrhea.

Click on "General Dog Conversation" up top and then "New Post" and write a new post with the new subject. (ex. "pudding diarhea" or whatever)

Yes, I did. And I closed the second pack structure you started, Melissa ... this one is fine. You just don't want a diarrhea topic in a pack structure thread.