NO ONE touches my dogs in public!!! My dogs have been trained to ignore strangers. Too many things can go south fast in our wonderful lets sue everyone over nothing society. If you dog's mouth/teeth just accidentially touch someone you are potentially liable in the eyes of the law, especially with a 'dangerous'(SIGH) breed like a GSD, I won't put my dog's lives on the line.

In addition to being out & about in public places like the beach,parks etc, I work my dogs on local sport/school fields daily & have for many years. Like Connie...if someone approaches I just tell them that I don't let anyone touch my dogs & I make NO exceptiions to that rule. If they continue to try to engage me, I ignore them & continue training.

My dogs work around gym classes & sport games & ignore everything & everyone, so they don't act like they want to be friendly toward strangers which does help discourage people.

You have to grow a thick skin & just be a bit curt if it is needed to protect your dogs.

Also teaching you dog a 'watch me' command or formal heel command where the dog is focused on your face & not looking at anyone is helpful if you need to walk pass someone that is trying to ingage your dog. They can't make eye contact with the dog if it is looking up at your face.

That's a good way to be, don't let strange people touch your dog anytime it's really not worth the risk! Only 2 days ago I asked a lady with a GSD at a show training night for the judges (so was a show dog)if i could pet her dog she said yeah he's fine very friendly, now it may have just been with me but the dog was NOT into being petted at all I realized straight away the dog was stressed and stopped and moved back before it may/may not have bit. I don't think you can ever be 100% sure of what your dog/stranger may do and what may happen so play it safe!

As far as the day care goes, it's a good idea to just drop in unannounced at unexpected times. If they're a good place they won't mind at all.

All of the advice Anne and Connie gave you is solid.

 Quote: christy mascari

When I say separation anxiety, I mean she just makes it obvious she doesn't want to be left. Once a week we leave her at daycare. When I hand her off to the kennel worker, she usually runs back to me and sometimes jumps up with a pleading look on her face. I usually ask her to sit, or do some form of obedience, which she does immediately, and then she goes willingly. They say she is very well behaved in our absence. Could this be a puppy thing?

As far as this is concerned, in MY opinion, JMO, this is no big deal; as Anne pointed out, it almost sounds kinda natural. If your pre-schooler did this in the morning, you would comfort him and assure him that he will be okay. You would understand why he would rather be with you than get left at school.

I've seen many dogs with much more serious SA, and it ranges from constant barking to the point of being confronted by the neighbors, to tearing up the house, to weight loss.

My dog pleads harder than that, but she's faking. She knows she'll be okay when I say "See ya later", but she's gonna make a display in hopes of guilting me in to taking her for a ride. I get the same pathetic head-dragging when I won't cave into repeated suggestions for a trip outside, ten times an evening.

 Quote: christy mascari

When I say separation anxiety, I mean she just makes it obvious she doesn't want to be left.

I know a lot of people, when they are getting their dog used to staying loose in the house when they are gone, will give the dog a nice treat upon their return.

I've always had good luck doing just the opposite. I give my dogs a nice cookie when I leave the house. It seems to give them something to focus on besides the fact that I am going someplace without them. They even seem to look forward to my departure as evidenced by the drooling that occurs when they see me getting ready to leave and they know they're not going with me because I haven't gotten any leashes out.

What great information, I truly can't thank you all enough!

Duane: the pre-school analogy is dead on! Sometimes I forget she's still just a puppy at 18 months, she looks so grown-up.

Cheri: I will try your reverse cookie technique, pretty clever!

Brad and Anne:I will endeavor to grow a thick skin...that's the hardest advice to accomplish yet. People are so persistent (pushy) I am from a small town in the midwest and we are programed to be polite at all times=LOL

We have left her alone several times over the last week, and I am pleased to announce she was perfect. It was 10-15 minutes at first, now we are up to 40 min. We will just preserver.
No more daycare....I will crate her 5 hours, come home at lunch, wear her out, then my husband can come home a little early.

Anne mentioned working her dog at a local field/school-Where do people usually take their dog to train? Our backyard is too small for proper training, plus I need distractions. The only place I could find is our local dog park, I take her at off times, and if another dog comes we leave. Not ideal.

Your back yard is fine for many commands, all of which start with zero distraction.

For "background" distraction, I like the outside edge of a store's parking lot, where we are on the grassy edge and the cars and people are seen but not in our faces. (Of course, none of this is off leash.)

You might be outside a dog park, not inside, or outside the fence at the high school football game (not at the entrance where kids are going in and out).

At the edge of the vet's parking lot, or a nursing home parking lot (which I use for a Downtown Dog class for desensitizing to wheel chairs, walkers, etc. .... way out of people's way, of course).

For me, about strangers accosting my dogs, I do not engage. I say something quickly with my back already to them .... polite, but zero discussion.

 Quote: Anne Jones

A main concern of mine would be that you would never know if the dog had a bad experience there, because unless there was physical harm to your dog...they would NEVER tell you & in many cases wouldn't even recognize it if it did happen.

As somebody who has worked in a doggy daycare I thought this deserved emphasis. No "pet parent" was ever told that their dog hated daycare, was a bully, bullied, borderline dog aggressive, etc. Very few of the dogs wouldn't have been better off at home. The staff was clueless.

 Quote: Cathy Goessman

 Quote: Anne Jones

A main concern of mine would be that you would never know if the dog had a bad experience there, because unless there was physical harm to your dog...they would NEVER tell you & in many cases wouldn't even recognize it if it did happen.

As somebody who has worked in a doggy daycare I thought this deserved emphasis. No "pet parent" was ever told that their dog hated daycare, was a bully, bullied, borderline dog aggressive, etc. Very few of the dogs wouldn't have been better off at home. The staff was clueless.

Money talks!

I'm a "reverse treat giver", too. My dogs always get a handful of kibble when I leave the house or a biscuit when they go in their crates.

Vigo is my youngest at 2.5 yo. He is extremely laid back and has great house manners. Even with that, he just started sleeping out of his crate at night. I didn't care for him waking me up at 4:30 or 5:00. We redid our spare room recently and he decided the futon is the best place in the world. Now he will "put himself to bed" and go lay on the futon, staying there until I get up.

Staying out uncrated while we are gone has been a slow process...mostly because I'm paranoid lol. Right now, he stays out on a daily basis from 4:30 until I get home from work between 5:30 and 6:30. This was mostly out of necessity, because my hubby is working a second job and only has time for a quick stop at home to feed and let the dogs out before heading off to work again. Vigo is crated daily from 11:00 to 4:00. I think he likes this time crated...I'm always in trouble if I come home from work early, as he acts like I've interrupted his daily nap :P