I have only had Eva while there is snow on the ground which has not allowed me to see her interact with people/kids outside a whole lot.

As you know kids will make sudden dashes into a run. I've recently noticed many times the children coming in the house crying because Eva's reaction to their sudden movements are to run after the kids, bite the backs of their coats and drag them down into the snow.

I am currently reading/watching/listening to several different links on Leerburg like: http://leerburg.com/groundwork.htm and http://leerburg.com/219.htm and http://leerburg.com/podcasts/theoryofcorrections.mp3 etc ...

So far, everything you all have helped me on has been "spot on" )

FYI: She is nearly always supervised with the kids, but even with that there have been few exceptions.

So the newness has worn off, and the dog is looking for attention?

How did the pacing business get taken care of?
Is the dog still compulsive about it?

 Quote: tam haga

... As you know kids will make sudden dashes into a run. I've recently noticed many times the children coming in the house crying because Eva's reaction to their sudden movements are to run after the kids, bite the backs of their coats and drag them down into the snow.

The dog is unsupervised outside with kids?

 Quote: tam haga

FYI: She is nearly always supervised with the kids, but even with that there have been few exceptions.

Nearly always is not good enough, trust me.


Tell us about the exceptions, because that's what we need to understand.

Tam, this is from a post a month ago, shortly after you had gotten your new dog. That post gave some ideas and suggestions on how to help with this issue. Have you implemented any of those suggestions?

"While outside she gets excited at times and runs up behind us, jumping and putting her mouth on the back of our arms.

At present, none of this really hurts, but it has the potential to do so if not stopped. What I find difficult is to teach her to stop doing this to my smaller children since she does it when I am not looking or am too far from her to quickly stop her."

A 60 lb dog of any breed can kill a full-grown adult.

This dog has already displayed neurotic tendencies.

This dog has already made abundantly clear through its expression of anxiety and stress associated with the children returning from school, that it doesn't particularly enjoy some of its interactions with the kids.

You need to give very serious consideration to whether or not you're capable of monitoring the dog, 24/7, when the children are home and the dog is not crated.

The dog should be leashed when she isn't crated, and the kids are home.

 Quote: Aaron Myracle

A 60 lb dog of any breed can kill a full-grown adult.

This dog has already displayed neurotic tendencies.

This dog has already made abundantly clear through its expression of anxiety and stress associated with the children returning from school, that it doesn't particularly enjoy some of its interactions with the kids.

You need to give very serious consideration to whether or not you're capable of monitoring the dog, 24/7, when the children are home and the dog is not crated.The dog should be leashed when she isn't crated, and the kids are home.

I read your previous posts.

Her parents were both W. German lines with the mother having had American Ch. Show way back to her great grandparents. My dog ended up taking on the American look which the breeder who bought her, didn't realize would happen (I am guessing). So what they did was to decide to keep her as a pet. Due to whatever reason, that didn't work out as they were very busy.


So they sold her to me seeing that I had a few GSDs in the past and could give her a lot of attention.

You have had other GSD's,do you understand prey drive? If the “breeder” did not have time for this dog, why would she think someone with 9 children would?



Is there a reason you chose to purchase a two year old dog verses a puppy or rescue?

Too many people seem to be managing this dog. Just because she is two, doesn't make her easier or ready to be the family pet.The above steps shouid be followed.

Tam,

Those links are all great. Good for you, its nice to see someone being proactive. All of that information will definitely help if you follow it.

Are the kids old enough to explain that running around the dog is a no no? The kids are the first ones I would train in this scenario. Not forever, but just like building distraction in all training, it will be very hard on the dog to learn what is appropriate if the kids are being crazy kids.

Also, as pointed out in the above posts, they have to be supervised or seperated from the dog. No ifs on that one.

It sounds to me that this dog might not be the best choice as a family pet. You can train a lot of things, but temperament doesn't really change. A lot of stuff can be improved through training, exercise, and appropriate outlets for the dog. But the dog is who she is.

There may be some things that you will have to manage for a long time. Are you prepared for that?

Lots to reply.
I thought I posted something like this, but couldn't find it. Thanks for finding it. I don't think I was ever given an answer as to how to teach the dog though ... something like that would have stuck in my mind.

The dog is still new in the house and that needs to be taken in account since every week I seem to find a new rule that I must enforce in order for the dog to live in our home in a healthy way.

The worst of her reactions to the kids outside was when it became warm outside. Since she is still learning her place in the home, she needs to be taught acceptable behavior with the children. She needs to learn that they are not prey for her to go after, nor are they her litter playmates.

I learned A LOT from the MP3 from Ed that is linked above. All of my children stopped what they were doing to listen to that one! My 13yr old even took the dog outside and told me, "Mom. I made sure that I was the first to walk outside and come back into the house. I showed Eva I was the leader." LOL! I plan on listening to that one a few more times.

What I am asking you as trainers and long time GSD owners is a technique in teaching the dog this without accidentally giving the dog the wrong idea. Surely some of you have had a GSD coupled with your children outside while together and have encountered something similar to this???

As for some of the questions asked. I felt them personal and not to the point of the issue, so I won't be answering all of them. No disrespect intended.

As stated in a previous thread. She is adapting to the family very well. Her pacing is not completely cured but we have learned what starts it, how to stop it and have been seeing her replace pacing for the attention of the children. So she is manageable, teachable, desires to please and seems to really love and act well with the whole family.

With all that said. My current plan of action is to wait until the weather warms up to create a training situation where I take the dog out with the children and expose her to them playing football. I will have her on a loooong rope to allow her ample room to play football with the boys. IF she reacts in an undesirable way, I will yank in the rope (she should feel the tug) and say, "nein ... off".

That is all I can think of ... if not that then I suppose I can just go after her every time I see her react poorly ... I really have no other ideas.

Ahhhh!!! Some of your posts did get me upset and I am trying to manage myself ... but seriously Tammy, what makes YOU think a mother with 9 children CAN'T give the dog proper attention? Had I 10 children, I could give my 10th child proper attention ... the dog is no different than another child to me. I grew up with boys, went in the Navy during Desert Storm, dealt with shit most people never have had to encounter in all their life and am raising a large family with no outside family to help me or support me. I am no wimp and I take my God, family and dog seriously (in that order).