Dog Owner Chat V. 5

[Huggles]

Hi everyone. I’m posting here because I don’t really have anyone to talk to this about and I’m feeling really discouraged.

To preface this, I have a 3 y/o rescue German shepherd. Formerly reactive, pretty large behavior case, nervous, soft dog. We started training in the sport of IGP/Schutzhund with a club and I have been a handful of times.

They are a very nice group, but as a pattern of the sport they are much harder on their dogs than I prefer, especially due to my dog being so sensitive. I also just paid a probation fee which I think is part of what is making this harder.


He still gets nervous and distracted by people, especially if I lose him and let him trail off on his own, bark, or look for too long. So my typical training style is to keep him with me with food and take looking around completely off the table by constantly feeding him. This has worked for me so far and he continues to get better doing this. In fact he was doing fine in club when I was still showing them how I work my dog, rather than them telling me what to do.

But their methods clash with my methods. And the more I practice what they say, even if just at club, the less engaged he gets, and the more stressed he gets.

I have been in a bad mood since last training (Sunday) because I felt it was very stressful and I kept losing him and he started to lag, which normally he forges. So I have been feeling very upset and discouraged as well as torn on what to do. I am not a confident person myself and this is proving to be harder than I thought to advocate for my dog, his needs, and my preferences.

I don’t really have anybody to talk to about this so I’m hoping someone has an outside eye that can help me out a little bit in my decision and thinking process 😞

[Siven]

Hi everyone. I’m posting here because I don’t really have anyone to talk to this about and I’m feeling really discouraged.

To preface this, I have a 3 y/o rescue German shepherd. Formerly reactive, pretty large behavior case, nervous, soft dog. We started training in the sport of IGP/Schutzhund with a club and I have been a handful of times.

I'll be honest, as a dog trainer in training, I highly recommend against IGP with a dog who isn't 100% stable and sound.

[Huggles]

Hi everyone. I’m posting here because I don’t really have anyone to talk to this about and I’m feeling really discouraged.

To preface this, I have a 3 y/o rescue German shepherd. Formerly reactive, pretty large behavior case, nervous, soft dog. We started training in the sport of IGP/Schutzhund with a club and I have been a handful of times.

I'll be honest, as a dog trainer in training, I highly recommend against IGP with a dog who isn't 100% stable and sound.

We don’t do protection, just tracking and obedience. And he gets to play with a tug every once in a while. Several of the dogs at club were rescues with past issues and they come and turn out great. One member has had 6 rescue dogs get their BH.

[eleutheromania]

Hi everyone! I have been diagnosed with PTSD and autism and I am looking into a Standard Poodle to become a psychiatric service dog. I don't know where to start though to find a breeder or trainer. It's a lot of work, but I am ready for it.

For a standard poodle, make sure all breeding dogs have OFA chic #’s, and titled. For service work, I would want breeders go to ENS/puppyculture/avidog etc protocols and temperament test the litter. This means you won’t know what puppy is your’s until 6-12 weeks. Also ask if they have produce service dogs, not just SDiTs.

A good resource would be going to the Poodle Club of America Breeder Referral List ( if in the US) and going through their database. Be very transparent when you discuss your intentions with the puppy and if they wash out. If this will be your first owner trained, I would also attempt to contact some trainers or programs that do train/provide service work to get input and advice from

Also it is highly likely you will be waiting and the right puppy may not show up until a few litters later for you with whichever breeders you choose, so be prepared to wait for the right dog to start with.

[Fantelle]

hi guys! long backstory ahead but tldr; i have a terrier mix of 1 nd a half years old who won't stop pulling on the leash.

he was born in a shelter to a mom who was found pregnant out on the streets, and i adopted him there when he was 2 months old. the shelter didn't provide a foster family and took poor care of the puppies, so i do believe that him spending his first two months there caused some of the behavioural issues i'm having with him now.

anyway, when it comes to leash training, i've tried everything i can think of. in my opinion he seems frightened/uncomfortable/overstimulated being outside, which i think causes him to ignore the training that he otherwise has no issue with inside the house. i've done a ton of obedience with him (first at a dog school, then just at home), so he knows heel to a T. but outside, he won't even look at me or take treats. he barges forward, ignoring any leash pressure, until i stop completely. then he runs back next to me, and waits until i step forward again. as soon as i do, he shoots forwards and the process is repeated.

if he didn't want to be outside at all i would simply not walk him and provide more indoor stimulation, but he seems to beg me to walk him. he's very excited to have his leash put on, and if i keep stopping on walks he'll whine. he also loves running around the local dog park. i believe that if i let him outside without his leash on he'd run straight to the park. all that being said, he's definitely afraid of any passing vehicle on walks, and sometimes also passing people/dogs (both of which he has 0 issues with in other scenarios).

i've tried the "stop whenever he pulls method", and as i said he comes back to me well but shoots off again as soon as i take another step. switching directions hasn't worked either. treats don't work as most of the time he won't take them. neither sweet talking him or being strict seems to have any effect. taking it very slow by training just in front of the house and in our street doesn't work either. training him to yield to leash pressure in the house does not translate to outside of the house. exercising him mentally or physically before a walk does nothing either.

i've had a dog trainer come twice (i couldn't afford any more), and he gave good advice about expecting less from my dog (i had high expectations on walks which led to a lot of frustration). but when it comes down to it, all he said was 'you're doing good, just keep doing what you're doing and your dog will get there. he just needs more time'. it's been over 6 months and i feel like my dog's walk has just gotten worse.

is there anyone who maybe has some advice? i'll take anything at this point, i'm at a complete loss.

[aoishin]

hi guys! long backstory ahead but tldr; i have a terrier mix of 1 nd a half years old who won't stop pulling on the leash.

he was born in a shelter to a mom who was found pregnant out on the streets, and i adopted him there when he was 2 months old. the shelter didn't provide a foster family and took poor care of the puppies, so i do believe that him spending his first two months there caused some of the behavioural issues i'm having with him now.

anyway, when it comes to leash training, i've tried everything i can think of. in my opinion he seems frightened/uncomfortable/overstimulated being outside, which i think causes him to ignore the training that he otherwise has no issue with inside the house. i've done a ton of obedience with him (first at a dog school, then just at home), so he knows heel to a T. but outside, he won't even look at me or take treats. he barges forward, ignoring any leash pressure, until i stop completely. then he runs back next to me, and waits until i step forward again. as soon as i do, he shoots forwards and the process is repeated.

if he didn't want to be outside at all i would simply not walk him and provide more indoor stimulation, but he seems to beg me to walk him. he's very excited to have his leash put on, and if i keep stopping on walks he'll whine. he also loves running around the local dog park. i believe that if i let him outside without his leash on he'd run straight to the park. all that being said, he's definitely afraid of any passing vehicle on walks, and sometimes also passing people/dogs (both of which he has 0 issues with in other scenarios).

i've tried the "stop whenever he pulls method", and as i said he comes back to me well but shoots off again as soon as i take another step. switching directions hasn't worked either. treats don't work as most of the time he won't take them. neither sweet talking him or being strict seems to have any effect. taking it very slow by training just in front of the house and in our street doesn't work either. training him to yield to leash pressure in the house does not translate to outside of the house. exercising him mentally or physically before a walk does nothing either.

i've had a dog trainer come twice (i couldn't afford any more), and he gave good advice about expecting less from my dog (i had high expectations on walks which led to a lot of frustration). but when it comes down to it, all he said was 'you're doing good, just keep doing what you're doing and your dog will get there. he just needs more time'. it's been over 6 months and i feel like my dog's walk has just gotten worse.

is there anyone who maybe has some advice? i'll take anything at this point, i'm at a complete loss.

have you tried the stop pulling! harness by sporn? it is about 10-15 usd and can be found at walmart if you are in the states. i am currently trying to train my 3/4mo puppy with it, and it's been helpful so far.


-my pup backstory, need help lol-
she and her littermates are a product of a backyard breeder, virtually no human interaction because she is considered a "farm dog" (pyrenees mountain mix)

as of now i'm having trouble with her being mouthy and biting the heck out of me (i know she's teething, but she tries to go for blood it seems)along with urinating a little when she sees other people.

any advice for this would be appreciated thank you!

[eleutheromania]

@Fantelle; I would definitely trying just leashing him inside and walking him inside to outside. This seems like it should be taken in baby steps unfortunately. It definitely sounds like over stimulation. I would be careful of any pulling aids(harnesses head collars etc) as it doesn’t stop the pulling when the don’t wear it. I’m not sure if you’ve tried this already but if not, walking him up the driveway and back home or just putting him in a sit by the sidewalk to let him calm down somewhat.


@Its; for the biting just keep redirecting with a toy etc and a firm no. She is testing boundaries and teething at the same time. Make your boundaries clear on what is positively enforced versus unwanted behavior. Turn your back when she goes for your hand or arm, grab toys and play with her to tire herself out, to include teething toys if you have any. The urination sounds like submissive peeing. Some dogs grow out of it some don’t. Definitely work on confidence building games and take her out once she’s fully vaxxed to desensitize her to people.

[Fantelle]

@Itsamedes thank you for the suggestion. he had a harness as a puppy but pulled a lot with it then as well, so i moved on to other harness and leash tools (to no avail). i will be investing in another harness again (old one no longer fits) to at least relieve pressure on his neck, but i don't believe that the tools should have any effect on how he walks. as i said, i tried many leash tools in the past (harnesses, choke collars, retractable leashes, bungee leashes,...) and none of them ever had a positive effect on our walks.

he now wears a flat collar, and i use a simple fixed length leash. imo there is no real reason why these wouldn't be appropriate for leash training.

@eleutheromania yeah, you're probably right with the baby steps. it's just frustrating because i feel like i've started over so many times. but i'll give it another go! also good to hear that someone agrees it might be overstimulation, that makes it easier for me to find the right resources online!

[Velveteen Hound.]

A harness is just going to make pulling worse. Drop the harness.
I have a puppy (actually she is one, but she’ll always be my puppy)
Who is a hound/with a sprinkling of terrier. All of 36 lbs, but an absolute terror to walk on lead.

I tried everything,
Finally gave in a went to a professional and put her on a prong collar.

It changed our lives. She is a blast to take on walks now, where as before I got to the point I genuinely hated walking her on leash.
It absolutely should not be your first choice- and I would not reccomend just going out and buying a cheep one (absolutely recommend herm sprenger )

But it sounds like you have tried multiple methods… you may want to look into it. There are some good you tube videos on proper use, and a lot of really good Facebook groups willing to help judgement free for beginners.

When used correctly & appropriately prongs can be life savers.
Terriers can be a bit bull headed, sometimes it take more that a flat lead 🤷‍♀️

[payno.]

Guys I need some suggestions please, so I’ve mentioned the fire in our house and how we’ve lost our beagle copper in the fire.. copper was my fiancées dog, his support baby, his best friend… he’s been pretty down and depressed lately…. Does anyone know of anything I could do to cheer him up even if it’s a little bit? I’ve been trying to find beagle stuffed animals when I go into Walmart and they don’t have any, I did get him a ornament that was a personalized one and wrote his name on the bone under the beagle but I’m not sure what else I can do, if anyone has any suggestions please let me know…

I’ve been trying to comfort him in all this because I just lost my support cat of 12 years in October… I know how he feels and that’s why I’m kinda struggling…. I was so bad last night that I took tiggers ashes and fur (they’re in a zip lock bag because we’re personalizing the boxes) and slept with him… it’s difficult but I just need some different options son how I can make him happy with there being nothing beagle related in the stores 😔

Thank you in advance!