I have been getting a lot of good information from this board about e-collar training and I have come to realize that at least part of my problem is I haven't established pack leadership. I did just order the dvd on this.

After taking Kayla, my 1 1/2 year old, out for potty and a short exercise time today during my lunch break I have a question in regards to does my dog actually need play time, or at least right now for awhile till we get this pack leader thing switched? What prompted this idea is that I have her on a 20' long line while in the yard playing and in order for her to really run after a ball I just let her drag it and can't hold it or she would hit the end full speed. She got distracted like usual at some point and wandered around the yard for awhile till I could get close enough to grab the long line. Was completely ignoring me calling her.

It made me think that until we make some progress and she listens better and has better recall, I shouldn't let go of the long line. But if I don't, she can't really get running and thus no real outside play. She could still get some play time in the house, but outside would just be walks and training. So what do you think? My husband already says I don't give her enough affection and play enough with her (is why he thinks she likes him better) but right now he is deployed for a year and she just doesn't respect or listen to me. Basically she is driving me nuts right now.

If she is getting enough physical exercise from walks and mental stimulation from training could she be a happy, well adjusted dog or does she need the time to run around crazy after toys in the yard?

Also, on average, how long or far would a 1 1/2 year old German Shepherd need to be walked daily if that was her only form of physical exercise?

I believe that, in a wild dog, the opportunity to run around crazy with no rules or limits only INCREASES hectic behavior.

2 walks, 45 minutes a day each, and your obedience sessions will suffice. But, if you're following the groundwork video, you will halt obedience sessions during this period of establishing pack structure.

Re: your husband thinking the dog likes him better because he gives her more affection, he's probably right. But dogs like anyone with a juicy hunk of meat in their hand. Getting a dog to like you is easy, getting respect is totally unrelated, and much more difficult.

Ed says, "You can feed, water and love your dog, and he will like you, but he very well may not respect you."

You can let her out to play on the long line, just do not call her unless you are by the end of the line. At this point do not ever give her a command unless you are in the position to correct her for giving you the paw.

As far as walking, it's great, but how far is totally subjective to the dog. Personally I would rather get her out and play some two toy or any structured game to get her tongue dragging.

My dog was like this, so I used the long line to get control of him. "Come" dog ignores me. "No" dog still ignores me. Start walking towards the dog. The dog runs. Go to the end of the long line (he never knew where it was) and step on it. Dog gets to end of line, self corrects (often with a yelp) and comes to me obediently. "Good boy".

Now I have an e-collar, and that works for the correction. But even so, outside, off leash in my fenced backyard, he wants to play. And so I'll play with him, let him run around. Sometimes I'll chase him, he likes that, but if I stop chasing him, he'll bring the toy to me, to get me to either tug it or throw it for him again.

We do a 30 minute walk a day, which isn't really enough for him, so we play in the back yard. I played two ball with him until he got the idea that he had to bring the ball back to get me to throw it again, and now we play frisbee as well as fetch the ball. I have a rule of thumb I use to tell when he has had enough. If I throw the ball or frisbee, and instead of bringing them back to me he lays down with them, he's had enough. Oh, if I go get the ball or frisbee and throw them again, he'll still chase them. Seems to be something he can't control LOL! But if he lays down, he's tired.