Hi there

We celebrate one week with Case tonight.

He is a +/- 18 month old male who has been neutered. He was picked up as a stray in San Jose and after a month in pounds and a foster home I adopted him. Very underweight, mouthy and totally untrained - we've had a great first week. Case shows no sign of aggression to other dogs, kids or people. However, birds, lizards and squirrels set him off.

Case is crate trained and for some reason will give paw. He's getting the idea that he has to sit before going through doors.

He is a big dog and quite underweight - I'm feeding him 3 x 2.5 cups of Royal Canin GSD and taking him for 1-2 hour hikes each day and adding in 2-3 five minute play sessions in the back yard. My goal is to build him up by 5 pounds till he's still skinny, but so I can feel his ribs but not see them all. We're losing what his adoption mum called his "cattle butt". Otherwise he's on leash in the house all the time and / or in his crate.

Each day is different, one I think I'm taking huge steps and the next feels like we have slid backwards. He's definitely a project.

My first question is an observation that he does not make much eye contact. He seems very independent and non linked to me. Is this normal and is this simply a 'case' of my expectations being wrong. Last night for example on our walk we stood next to each other silently and still for nearly 5 minutes with him keen to move on. It took 5 minutes before he looked up even with occasional hand movements from me.

My next question is when would you begin obedience training? I'm working under the idea that we need to get an established pack structure before i begin that work.

Many thanks. I feel like I need more help than Case. As my girlfriend says, i'm very trainable :-)

Rob

After one week he not even sure that he's your dog. He's been bounced around quite a bit and it may take several weeks to a few months for him to feel like this is home and really get comfortable.

With new adult dogs, I don't expect much at all for the first couple of weeks. I keep things low key and let them decompress and settle in a bit.

Not making eye contact when you're out on a walk seems pretty normal at this stage of the game. There are so many things to take in and he still doesn't really know/trust you.

I'd give him a few more low key days and start in with positive reinforcement/marker training. Teach him that looking at/focusing on you is a good thing that is highly rewarded. Start somewhere with no distractions (your kitchen or living room before his meal is great) then very gradually move to other locations add in distractions - this can take up to several weeks to getting him to focus on you during a walk. Training will help build pack structure and and a relationship with your dog.

Very few adult dogs take to you right off. My first one did - took her 3 days and her attitude was "you are my person". The second adult I got at 20 m/o and after a month I was like "what did I get myself into?!?" No focus, no attention span, he didn't *need* me and I was kind of this person in the background. Really made me step up and work a lot harder . Fast forward a few years and it is totally different. He is focused, he trusts me, he wants to work and please. Time and training do wonders for your bond with your dog

Hi Mara

Thanks for this. I was 99% sure that it was my expectations that were the issue as I've never had a GSD before, let alone a rescue.

I am totally in your second adult dog camp. I'm an accessory who provides food at the moment :-) I need to "step up".

I will take your advice and give him a second week of low key days with lots of good experiences so I build his trust and confidence.

I'll make eye contact a highly rewarded behavior as well.

It's amazing how much my life and home have changed in this last 7 days :-)

Rob

Congratulations, Rob. I hope your new dog-centric life is a happy one.

Mara gave you great advice. I can't remember---are you tethering Case to you when he's not crated? People I know in cattle dog rescue tether (NEVER "unbonded" for the first 2 weeks of a new human/canine pairing) and swear it works miracles. It's unworkable for most of us who work outside the home, but it's certainly an interesting concept.

Establishing a mark or giving value to a word like giving a treat upon hearing the word yes will do wonders for your relationship with your dog. Don't expect anything in return just say yes and give him a treat. If your consistent your dog will understand quickly that he can trust you, even if it's only for a treat.

Hi Robert, Congrats on your new adoption! I would definitely look into and read about marker training. When done correctly (and it is easliy learned) you will be able to train that "look" command in no time at all. If your new dog is food driven in the least, you will be able to train almost ANYTHING in no time at all! Good luck and keep us posted. And pics!

Barbara

For the last 36 hours i've been marker training LOOK

It works great!

Case is sooo cool and ultra smart. Unlike me :-(

Rob

Congratulations on your new dog!

Take it slow and keep your bonding expectations low, as Mara mentioned. Keep up the marker training; it will do wonders for building that bond.

 Quote: Robert Holloway

My first question is an observation that he does not make much eye contact. He seems very independent and non linked to me. Is this normal and is this simply a 'case' of my expectations being wrong. Last night for example on our walk we stood next to each other silently and still for nearly 5 minutes with him keen to move on. It took 5 minutes before he looked up even with occasional hand movements from me.
Rob

This is the perfect scenario to mark and reward. ie You wait patiently for the dog to look at you with no prompting (he will, eventually) and you mark and reward. This will help in getting him used to looking at your face/eyes. Take advantage of any opportunity that presents for rewarding spontaneous eye contact. In addition to working on your 'look' command, of course.