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My husband thinks our large GSD should not play with tennis balls because one could get lodged in his throat and suffocate him. Is there any truth to this? Otto loves chasing and retrieving them; it's an important part of his day. I'd hate to give it up. He doesn't catch them in mid-air...

Don't give up on ears yet Our GSD's ears (which are large) started going up nicely but then flopped back down when he was teething. I did give him one-half calcium tablet a day for about a month, although I'm not sure this made any difference. Anyhow, one day we noticed that the ears were...

My 11-mo. GSD and I love to take daily walks/runs in the woods, but right now the deer flies are horrendous. I wear a veil and shirt. but even though he has a very thick coat, the poor dog's ears and head are often dotted with flies. Would it be harmful to spray the back of his head and ears...

When this behavior first started (around 7 months), I did just that--"nailed him to the ground" and held him there for as long as I could. He was frantic, biting my hands and struggling to get up. When I did let him up, he jumped and bit me even more. At that point I hauled him into the house...

Thanks for the link to the Tug-a-Jug. I think I'll order it. We do have a treat ball that he likes, and he also works hard on marrow bones (although that's not much brain stimulation). The obedience class instructor warned against playing tug games unless we can win, which is hard for me to...

He is from a German line--a really gorgeous dog. And he was neutered at 6 mos. I think I just have to work harder at keeping him moving. It was just awful in March when the snow drifts had us all blocked in. We threw tennis balls against the garage door so he could chase something and also...

In my defense... I think all three of you are right, but I would like to say that Otto has graduated from three obedience classes and is enrolled in an "All Around Town" socialization class that starts at the end of the month. He also gets walks (actually runs) in our woods just about every...

When Otto (German Shepherd;, now 10 mos) was 7 months, he started jumping on me when outside and biting my arms and legs. I took him to a trainer who gave tips on controlling him and then bringing him inside for a "time out". For a while he was much better, but in the past two weeks the...

JUst recently we noticed that our 6-month-old GSD's lower lip is drooping. This is just on one side of his jaw for about 2 inches. Sometimes he drools from this spot. I know he didn't have this when we got him (at 8 weeks). Do you think his Gentle Leader nose harness has anything to do with...

While you may not be causing pain, the swatting does produce fear. And I think a fearful dog is harder to house train than a relaxed one. We've been training our 4-month puppy for two months now, and while he's getting better, there are still accidents inside. I've noticed that when he's...

We got Otto at 8wks and he's now 14 wks and still not housebroken. The longest he's gone has been 5 days but lately he's peed in the house a lot. He has access to the door and we tried hanging a bell for him to signal us, but he's only used it a few times when he had to go. The rest of the...

Just an update on the cowbell we put up for Otto: It's been almost a week now and for about 3 days he has been ringing it when he wants to go out (not every time, though). He sits looking at the door or turns around and looks intently at us. The downside is that sometimes he just wants to go...

Otto is 13 weeks today. He gets out of the crate around 7 am now that DST is over (used to be 7:45) He gets fed at 7:30 am, 12 noon, and 6 PM (we're retired) He always has water, but in the evening the bowl has a smaller amount in it. (He's always thirsty.) He goes to bed between 11-12. He...

For about the past week Otto has been barking at me (and sometimes my husband) after he is scolded (mainly for chewing at my feet and legs). I do worry about this, as an indication of problems down the line in temperament. Should I be concerned? When he barks I firmly tell him "No!" but he...

An "elderly couple" at 60? Ouch! Wait til you get there... I agree they were totally obnoxious, but please don't attribute it to their ages. Being jerks is not limited to those 60 and above. (Yes, I admit I'm 65 and rather sensitive to the issue! LOL) But anyway, we took Otto to his first...

signal to go out I have the same problem with my 12-wk-old GSD male. He's great about peeing right away when I get him outside, but sometimes he will pee (only once with me right there) again inside about 15-20 minutes later. The one time I caught him at it and yelled, he ran for the door...

Thanks for the good suggestions. I wouldn't train him to the fence until he was 4 months (T-giving) but you're saying that's still too early. I agree that he shouldn't be left alone outside. We're retired and always in the yard. Our last dog loved to sit on the porch and watch the squirrels...

We've had our puppy for almost two weeks and have two crates, one in the bedroom and the other in the family room. Otto loves the one in the bedroom and settles down immediately. He sleeps for about 6 hours, which is great for us. In the a.m. he whines a bit and then I get up and rush him to...

Later this month we're having an Invisible Fence installed around our rural yard, something we just have to do because our beloved dog Sophie was hit on the road last April and had to be euthanized. It's a dead-end road with only 2 houses beyond us, but one of our neighbors is new and has a...

My 9 wk-old puppy will rarely walk calmly on a leash with me (my husband says he's fine with him). He bites the lead and holds on for dear life (and fights staying on my left). Somewhere in chaz I read that I could try a fine-chain leash because he wouldn't like the feel of metal in his mouth...