Hi,
How can I tell if my 10 month old female German shepherd has weak nerves? Does this include hyper activity? she gets very excited when she sees people she knows and jumps up on them and when I throw her ball she gets so hyper she knocks things over. She also gets very nervous if I scold her or yell at her, she is so sensitive that she will not eat for a while if she knows im mad and it makes me very irritated but if I don't yell I don't think she will learn.
she seems to have a hard head but does know comands sit stay and come and lay down, even almost knows the out but forgets it all when excited she does not listen when we are in crowds.
she is very protective and has a wonderful bite when we do rag work and great prey drive but gets along good with my cats. Actualy is over protective she barks at any noise out side. What my questions are is what is seen with weak nerves and are all GS hyper until older? Also how can I control her barking at odd noises. She goes crazy at the door bell like she wants to bite someone. she will bark and even slobber and her hair is all up on her back. She has chased children to but only to run up to them and run back. some days she just looks at people and does nothing. I am very worried though should I use a shock colar when she acts agressive? She is my first GS I want to be sure she grows into a normal behaved one.
Heather

She reminds me of a showline female I had, she was always in a defensive mode.She barked at everything and she ran to anyone and like you said would run back (at a young age)until one day 2 years later)my pest control guy left our gate open and she ran out and bit our neighbor for no reason.She was bending over to get her news paper and bit her in the butt..(she was 2 at the time) Also when I walked her if someone crossed our path she would try to bite them as they would pass us.I got rid of her when she turned 3.I had too many kids coming in and out of my house to take the chance anymore with her..We tried everything.She had bad nerves and bad judgement.Her hackles were always up when she would bark at things , that's a dog that is on the defence and not comfortable with what's going on and to say the least nothing was ever major for her to react that way. I'm not saying yours is like mine but some of the things you are saying remind me a lot of my old female.

Wow, I can tell you are really looking for help. Hopefully you will find some comfort in the forum. I can feel you right through the screen.

she gets very excited when she sees people she knows
Most young pups do. Put her on leash and collar and correct the jumping, practice sitting for affection.

when I throw her ball she gets so hyper she knocks things over
dont play in the house. Throwing things a longer distance will wear her out more ( and save the valuables)

She also gets very nervous if I scold her or yell at her, she is so sensitive that she will not eat for a while if she knows im mad and it makes me very irritated but if I don't yell I don't think she will learn. Is the yelling working? If It were I dont think you would be posting. Eds videos are a must. You will never see him yell... Sounds like you wanted a Buick and got a Ferrari. Channel her energy into obedience. If you know that she is sensitive then why are you yelling? Your yelling is only going to make her more nervous. Puppies can be frustrating, and they require a great deal of patience.


she seems to have a hard head but does know commands sit stay and come and lay down, even almost knows the out but forgets it all when excited she does not listen when we are in crowds.
I dont think she has a hard head if you have taught her this, I think she is sensitive and anxious and gets disassembled in public...and I am sure your frustration isnt helping. You need to go to something a little less crowded like a park with people in the distance and gradually work your way up to a full fledged outing.

she is very protective
at 10 mts that concerns me. I would say less bite work and more obedience and socialization. Unless you are building confidence, but by the sound of the post you may need professional help to separate the two.

Actually is over protective she barks at any noise out side
Nervous in crowds, barks at noises, doorbell, slobber, hackles up...Fear. More socialization and desensitizing to noise.

She has chased children to but only to run up to them and run back. some days she just looks at people and does nothing
Runs up at 10 mts, what happens at 2 yrs, and why is this pup off a leash knowing her behavior? some days she just looks at people????the other days????

E collar...I wouldn't. Not from what you described. Not yet. I think you need a better grasp at how to deal with each problem that you are having. If she has a frustrated owner who yells and she is sensitive and wary of some people, yelling will only confirm to her that people are not to be trusted. She sounds like she is getting defensive.

If what you are doing isn't working try to located someone that can come and help you.

Great answers, Danielle.

The poster is not acting like a leader. She needs to calm down (yes, I know this isn't always easy with an adolescent whether canine or human) and stop yelling. The pack Alpha never loses control. I hope she will read and follow the training advice in Ed's articles. It will definitely help her.

I have a few questions:

1. Is the dog on a NILIF program
2. How much, if any, daily obedience training is she getting.
3. Besides play, how much exercise is she getting. Does she get at least one long (an hour) walk each day?

Hi,
Thanks to all for the good advice. I am trying to build her confidence with the rag work but maybe she sees this a bite training?? I do agree we should go out for walks perhaps in parks more with small amount of people. I have done this at least 15 times in 6 months, maybe she needs more. She does get 45 to an hour a day of exercise a 30 min walk on leash and the rest we play fetch in the yard long distance throwing and lots of running. if its raining we just do that in the home. I am confused though I know there is a leash law but is it illegal for me to let her chase her ball and play fetch in my yard? The neighbor kid was saying hi to my dog in a loud voice just goofing around I guess and that is when my dog started barking. I have had people come to my home and she barks a while and then makes friends with most of the people if they are there for at least 15 min barking will stop, although one man in particular she does not like at all and will bark at him and never stop. I had to put her in the kennel. I have done many things to show her I am the leader I eat before her. I give her comands and she does listen but when she is in the fear and barking mode I can't get her out of it like when the door bell rings she is ready to attack. would a EL collar stop this if I only used it at times she is acting this way?

Also I give her comands at least 10 times a day is there more to obedience training I should know about? sometimes she seems afaid of me and will wet on the floor when I give her a comand usualy when she has not seen me for a while. I have never hit her or treated her badly I just yell no or stay if she does not do it on the third time, she gets many treats for listening. theres weeks that go by and she does not wet. sometimes I feel like Im dealing with a differnt dog she will listen one day and the next act aloof. I am thinking that it is because she is young yet. are my worries an over reaction?

Hi Heather. Based on the information from your posts, which is limited by it's very nature (not your fault) I'm not sure that anyone could accurately "diagnose" your dog. In addition to the suggestions already made about the info / podcasts / articles / DVD's availabe here, do you have access to a trainer - preferably one who has lots of experience with working / high drive type dogs?

As a newbie myself, I can't even describe the peace of mind I get from working with a 20+ year experienced working dog trainer. We do our best to learn from all other types of resources, but that first hand help is invaluable putting all the pieces together. I also realize that good, qualified help can be hard to come by.

Maybe if you share where you are located (generally) someone might be able to recommend a trainer that you might work with? There is no replacement IMO for years of experience when it comes to reading dogs. Especially high drive dogs. (and I am far from having the highest drive dogs on the planet - and that has been a humbling experienc!)

Best wishes - look for more info and maybe some personal help before writing your dog off.

Beth

Here is my opinion,

I think the ball in the yard and running is great, although you may find if you work her mind for an hour you will get a pooped pup. Much more pooped than chasing a ball. That is mindless. Working obedience will give you a better result. It exercises her brain. Then end your sessions with a run in the yard. I am gathering that you dont have fences in your yard? Otherwise the backyard would be the option for off leash running. If that is the case you are limited. I am never one to say E collar with out diagnosing and putting my eyes and hands on the dog and the owner. In some cases it is okay if you are working on specific problems, but again, you have to be careful as to not ruin the dog in the process.

In one of the posts some mentioned NILIF and that is a great place to start. I would cart her to the park 3-4 times a week. It is kinda like losing weight. The dogs brain is a muscle. No different than a leg muscle, or arm muscle in theory. If you are conditioning a muscle you need to do that everyday till the muscle is fit. Once that happens, you then can go to the gym 3 times a week and maintain the muscle. If you loose 20 lbs and then go back to eating fast food and skip the gym, your muscle will deflate. Same goes for the brain. You have a dog that is Nervous high energy. That is who she is. That will never change. You wont wake up on day and have a low drive couch potato. So because she is who she is, you have tailor a life that is suited for her. If she needs 3 days a week at the park to condition her to people and keep her fear at bay...Than that is her work out. Over time you will reap the benefits.

Now the aggression may be over your head. Your dog is showing signs of concern, the good news is she is very young. The bad news is it is going to require a great deal of patience and time on your part to get her in line. I have no Idea where you got her, what her lifestyle is like, how you have raised her, how her parents were....so it is kinda like calling the Doctor and saying "Doc, My tummy hurts" and he say "Great, let operate". It is hard to give you a definitive answer with out evaluating her. I would hate to tell you one thing and have it go wrong.

My suggestion is this, call a few trainers and see if they can come and give you an evaluation. It may cost a little money, it may be very affordable. Call around, ask around and see what you can dig up. Go around to some classes in your area...Agility, Obedience...leave the dog at home. Just go scope out whats going on and see if you can get a feel for the trainer. Many do private lessons. I have many clients that are really strapped for cash that i see on a as needed basis because they are committed. You may want to have one lesson or two to get you on track. This isnt a 3yr old problem. This pup has been alive for approx 300 days. So you have an opportunity to turn this thing around. If you do nothing it will get worse. Dogs dont grow OUT of aggression, they grow INTO it.

One thing you might try is doing your training session outside with the caveat that her reward is to chase the ball. My GSD is 19 mos old. I used to work w/him everyday inside the house and he was rewarded with treats. He loved it but it was not killing two birds with one stone. I love to multi-task .

Here's how I do it. My backyard is fenced so I can take more liberties, i.e. I don't need a drag line or an e-collar, etc.

I give him a command "sit". He sits properly (read: quickly) he hears "Good boy" and I immediately throw the ball. He returns for the next command. I tell him "zueruck" (back up/walk backwards). He walks backwards, he hears, "Good boy" and I immediately throw the ball. I repeat all his commands throughout the exercise BUT, I intersperse it with random throws that he gets to chase for having done nothing. It keeps it fun for him. Not too intense. I never end the session with a command he carried out in a mediocre fashion, i.e., walking backwards for 3 steps instead of 20. I also stop giving him commands when I think he's getting pretty tired. I end it with random throws he gets to chase without having to do anything.

He LOVES these sessions. It tires him mentally and physically .

Also, can't remember if you posted walking but I really believe what Cesar Millan says to be true about that being a good bonding experience. I'd squeeze that in as much as I could too.

Lastly, I can't help but jump on the band wagon because I think it's critical that you get this message: please stop yelling at your dog. I think yelling is akin to sensory overload. If your boss, friend or significant other screamed at you when they decided they didn't like something, you'd hopefully kick them to the curb. Screaming is nothing more than scarey noise. No message every gets across. Sorry, I'll shut up now.