ABSOLUTELY on the marker training. Many of us have been training for more then a couple of yrs and for me, I look at it as an epiphany in dog training.
Ask any training questions and they will be answered here on LB.

Update. Monday we had terrible ice all over our roads so in the morning Sidney took Sabor out to the backyard to let him loose leash in the backyard. Even with distractions he recalled perfectly (if slowly a couple times when he first saw the squirrel up one of the trees).

That afternoon for the afternoon session we tried a tennis ball to see what he knew about two-ball or fetch at all. He retrieved enthusiastically and retained his recall. He was naturally willing to spot the ball out when he came back to us so it was very simple to reinforce an Out command and reward it with food treats.

This picture shows him waiting intensely for Sidney to throw the ball as we made him Down every time. http://instagram.com/p/lIbcpRk3hX/

The progress he has made in just a week and a half is astonishing. I just am amazed that he had been rehomed so many times. We know he was in at least four homes so I really was holding my breath for a complete basket case. He is so EAGER to learn. He WANTS to please us and engage with us whih makes it so easy to teach him the rules that are important to us.

Just wanted to give you the week 1/2 update.

Angela

You've got a really nice agreeable dog there. My dog's older sister was like that, very willing to please once she bonded with me.

Sabor probably could have made a great service dog for a disabled person with a temperament like that. Wonder why he was re-homed so much...did they give you any idea why? Maybe it was just people being impulsive when they selected him, perhaps knowing he was a great dog but then realizing they didn't have the time?

He was turned into the city pound near Oklahoma City when he was roughly a yearish - I'm guessing it's like you were saying...big + puppy-energy...who knows. There are also military bases there so it could have been a transfer situation.

Then he was sent to a foster home for a bit to get him out of the 5-days-to-death shelter. They neutered him and micro-chipped him, etc. They adopted him out at the beginning of the year and he was picked up a month later by the police loose in the street by a major interstate. He had a no-bark collar on but no collar, ID tags, etc.

Thankfully the scanned him and contacted the shelter from his microchip (the new owners had never re-registered it in their names.) The shelter gal said they called and emailed several times and never heard anything back so after 4 weeks when they heard we were looking for a German Shepherd they rehomed him.

I have no idea what happened with the first home. No idea what happened with the second home. The shelter's foster family said he was "high energy but willing".

High energy I can deal with - I have FIVE KIDS for crying out loud. But I realize not everyone can. And if you don't have a system in place (like the Pack structure ground work) to start to manage that energy you can feel overwhelmed quickly. I think it's really crappy he was just turned loose like that but thank goodness he was picked up and is in a good home now.

And that's really the most important thing. We are working through everything as best as we can because we don't know the full history - we don't know where the gaps are in his training. But his ATTITUDE and TEMPERAMENT have been so stunning to this point I don't think I could have special ordered a dog to better fit our family.

Tresa when I volunteered driving for shelters I heard all kinds of crazy reasons people gave up their dogs. One lady didn't like the smell of the dogs farts. One guy thought his dog would help him pick up chicks but it (and I quote) "didn't work too well for me." There's no telling. I just hope we can do right by him now.

Third time is a charm?

Angela <><

Sounds like a keeper to me!

Hmmm running loose wearing a bark collar, yeah sounds like they didn't take any time with him. He was probably bored out of his mind and got loose and when picked up the owners figured he was safe at that point and didn't return the calls because they didn't want to fool with him. I'm so glad YOU ended up with him! Five kids???

oh and..."Didn't like the smell of the dog's farts"? LMAO

 Quote: Tresa Hendrix

Hmmm running loose wearing a bark collar, yeah sounds like they didn't take any time with him. He was probably bored out of his mind and got loose and when picked up the owners figured he was safe at that point and didn't return the calls because they didn't want to fool with him. I'm so glad YOU ended up with him! Five kids???

oh and..."Didn't like the smell of the dog's farts"? LMAO

Yes I imagine they just turned him lose in the yard and ignored him and then wondered why he didn't behave well. *wry grin*

Five kids = awesome house. Busy. Fun. Slightly chaotic - we specifically asked for a dog that would be more tolerant vs sensitive and high strung. Energetic is fine, high strung/nervous dog? Goodness they would have a heart attack the first day in our house.

Update on Sabor - he's been spending more and more time out of the crate with us during the day. Generally learning to stay down and out of the way laying in a corner of the room when the kids are hyper, loves to play fetch with the family (always supervised still), and loves to hang out with us outside when we are doing yard work.

We are going to pick up the obedience, marker, and focus work videos and begin working him on all those things so he can come to the soccer field with us for games and practices now that soccer season has arrived. I want him better on recall first though.

He is settling in nicely all around and we're so pleased.

Angela <><