dog trainer for LARGE 10 month old german shepard

can anyone recommend a dog trainer to train our "puppy" german shepard? the reason i quote "puppy" is because when he stands on his hind legs, he is taller than me (5'5)!


here is our situation. we have had our dog since x'mas last year. main reason is for security. i already know that this dog is somewhat dominating our lives in terms of our garden space. my 3 small kids are afraid to go out into the garden because of him, including myself. don't get me wrong, he is not vicious but just very excited to see us that he wants to play so much he 'jumps" on us. he is huge and strong and i don't blame my kids for being intimidated. my husband loves the dog but realistically, he is too busy working to spend time training him. i am also busy with the kids. the only real caretaker is our helper, who has been able to teach him the basics, but, even then, he doesn't always listen.


anyway, any advice or a number to a trainer would be great. i also feel if there is anyone out there who wants a dog and will give it a lot of love and attention, let me know. i may think about it. our dog deserves it.

Get in touch with Stacey at Ferndale... i am sure she can recommend someone


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We are going to the SPCA, they have regular classes and also offer private tutition. Read More


The valley vet also recommends a trainer who offers private classes, you could try them for the details (tel: 2575 2389). One of the first things to learn is to not encourage the puppy jumping up and getting excited. So trainers now teach that you should consistently use a negative word such as "no, uh uh, naughty" and then turn around from the puppy it will understand that it will not get any attention and stop doing what it is doing. Even when the dog jumps up you should turn away, dont touch the pup and make no eye contact. It will learn very quickly that when it is calm it will get the pats it is asking for.


A trained german shepard is a fantastic dog to have.

Mark helped us immensely with our German Shep- like mongrel who is now a very well-behaved 9 month old. Nice guy, great service- www.wishyouwerehere.hk.com or wishyouwerehere@netvigator.com

I recommend you read the book Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan who is a famous dog trainer in the US before you settle on a trainer but definitely take him to obedience classes. Many people think they can send their dogs away for training and have them come back the perfect dog. That isn't the case. You and your family need to make the time every day to train your dog along with the work of a trainer. Exercising your dog can remedy 80% of the behavioural problems in dogs. When I mean exercise I am talking 1-2 hours of walking every day at a steady pace. If the dog is well exercised and given adequate attention, it will not be so energetic around your kids. If you are training your dog to be a security dog, it is very difficult for that dog to be a family pet but not impossible as long as you work at socialising him properly. Dogs are a huge commitment and just like children, they need attention every day. I have a wonderful, well behaved Australian Shepherd I brought here from overseas. People think it is the breed that makes him such a great dog. But I work with him every day and spend time with him. But all dogs need consistency and training, they are not afterthoughts. Good luck finding something that works. It would be really sad if you gave up on the family friend and give your dog away but better in the long run for the dog if you do not have the proper time for him.

I second the SPCA. Like you our large puppy (Dalmatian) would get very excited around our three children. The course was excellent and we enjoyed it as a family. The dog is very gentle and obedient because of this training. Whatever you decide, training is a must especially for intelligent breeds like a German Shepard, without it, they will cause havock with excess energy and boredom!

If you feel you have no time for you pup, then I'd suggest you do pass him on to someone who has the time to work with him and teach him how to behave. Adelaide is correct in saying ignore him but also what you should do is ignore him wherever he is and you come across him. By that I mean if you go to the bathroom say and come back, ignore him, go outside and back in, ignore him. The Dog Whisper written by Jan Fennell is a great book and also a brilliant website is www.gooddogzone.com Loads of videos with Stanley Coren showing you how to work with dogs and correct problems. All basic training. ie: sit, stay, down etc must be rewarded with a treat so he understands he is doing something right. Reward good behaviour, ignore or correct bad behaviour. He needs to learn what rank he is in his "pack" because he'll take advantage of getting away with behaviours and may become aggressive as a result. Already you are afraid to go out into the garden with him so he'll pick up on your signals (dogs are extrememly sensitive) and use it against you. Dogs aren't dumb. His basic training should be done on a leash so any behaviour can be corrected (never punish) immediately. If behaviours aren't corrected as soon as they happen the dog won't understand what he did wrong. When he jumps up on you he is trying to dominate so you must stop the behaviour or else it may become a problem. Have a look at the website I suggested (the dominant videos) and hopefully they help.

calamari, I have sent you a PM.

i have sent you details of a guy I used for my puppy 7 1/2 yeats ago and we have alot of dogs that are now adults that have been trained by Jack Suen. My dog loves him.