dominance
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Resource control is a great way to gain control over your dog and allow him to know who is boss so to speak. Basically everything good comes through you and the dog must work to get what it wants. Feeding time, dog must sit and wait for your command to eat. Going outside for potty dog must respond to a command from you. Pets, command first. It is also vital to continue with working on obediance and basic commands with your dog, it is a lifelong process and if you slack so will your dog. I have a seven month old GSD as well so I can relate to an extent.
Now what kind of "dominace" issues is your dog exhibiting? Without more info it is hard to say what the best approach would be at this time. Also is he neutered? Neutering helps out as well.
Now what kind of "dominace" issues is your dog exhibiting? Without more info it is hard to say what the best approach would be at this time. Also is he neutered? Neutering helps out as well.
thanks for replying adrienne, recently buster has got very ignorant and not doing any thing i tell him sometimes he wont even sit when i tell him. Its not that he doesnt know the commands because he does, i think its a case of "im higher in the pack than you so i dont have to do what you tell me". I am lucky enough to have a large open area at the back of my house that he can run of lead, we just walk in and out of the house off lead up untill about 2 weeks ago there was no problem but now he just plain refuses to come in wether he is on or off lead. Allot of the time after our walk i litterally have to pick him up and carry him the last 30 meters he is just so stubborn. and then the worst thing that really needs sorting out when we are out walking, again wether we are on or off lead if he sees a drunk bloke he goes crazy,barking and growling he doesnt actually go for them but as you can imagine a big dog like a GSD doing that to you is not very nice.Ten lastly i think he is a racist (you will proberly call me a racist for saying that but im not joking) if we see a black bloke or indian or any other color for that matter he goes crazy at them too.Asyou can see these things really need resolving,i have been searching the internet to find infomation about it and i came across this site http://www.a1k9.co.uk/about.asp it sounds really good has anyone had any exsperience with these people? if i was to send buster down there for 4 weeks would he still remember me when he came home?
Don't get too bogged down with this dominance thing. Very few dogs are truly dominant. This sounds like purely a matter of not having any training and a need for more socialization around the people your dog seems to have a reaction to. I would suggest a group obedience class with a trainer who uses positive methods and who has a good reputation. When you give a command, you need to make absolutely certain that you can enforce it. When you give a command and the dog blows you off, he's just learned that he can do just that.....ignore you. So, don't call the dog to "come" if you're not able to bring him to you. You need to do some active training with a long line and have some treats in your pocket. Get the dog excited and make yourself very, very interesting and fun to your dog. Run the other way and make yippeeeee skippeeee fun noises, clap your hands, hide behind something, jiggle a toy...whatever you can to entice your dog to come. When he is just a few feet from you and you're positive he's going to come, add the word, "come." Then when he gets to you, praise him lavishly and give him a few very special, out of the ordinary treats. (small) Be consistant. The same with sit, down....work on stay for very short periods at first. Praise for baby steps. Make everything you ask of him worth it to him, whatever you want him to do has to be made more interesting and exciting and rewarding than whatever has his attention at the moment. You must be able to enforce ANY command or else, don't give it.
Socialize your dog more. Get him out and about and let him see some people who he is reactive toward from a distance...not right up close and when he sees them but is not yet getting all tense, reward him, give treats. Associate these people with good things. Over some weeks, get a little closer. Ask some strangers if they'll toss your dog a treat when he sits quietly. Do not reward if he's going balistic.
You can teach your dog to "watch" you when you give the command to watch. Hold a treat by your face and when he follows his eyes up there and is looking at you, praise and give the treat. Say his name first and then "watch." Do this every day till he gets in the habit of looking at you when you tell him to.
Obedience training will make him look up to you more and respect you more. He'll know who his leader is and should settle down. Use positive methods, not harsh ones. Reward good behavior and distract from and give alternative behaviors when you don't like something he's doing. Don't give payoffs for bad behavior and don't let him self reward. For instance, when he's thinking about barking and lunging off the leash at someone, catch him before he does and tell him, "watch".....and then "sit." Keep his eyes on you if you can. Praise him for doing those things. Try to prevent him from doing the no no before he gets riled up.
Teach "leave it." That's another very useful command. He needs to leave things alone. You can set up some enticing objects in your house or in your yard and walk him past. When he shows interest in them, say, "leave it" and keep walking. When he pays attention and continues walking without trying to go for the objects, praise him and give him a good treat.
Hope some of this helps. He really doesn't sound like he's dominant to me...just needs some training and socializing. Most dogs aren't. They'd rather not be as long as you are a clear, consistant leader and a fair one and show him what you want and show him how wonderful he is to comply.
Hope some of this can be of use to you.
Socialize your dog more. Get him out and about and let him see some people who he is reactive toward from a distance...not right up close and when he sees them but is not yet getting all tense, reward him, give treats. Associate these people with good things. Over some weeks, get a little closer. Ask some strangers if they'll toss your dog a treat when he sits quietly. Do not reward if he's going balistic.
You can teach your dog to "watch" you when you give the command to watch. Hold a treat by your face and when he follows his eyes up there and is looking at you, praise and give the treat. Say his name first and then "watch." Do this every day till he gets in the habit of looking at you when you tell him to.
Obedience training will make him look up to you more and respect you more. He'll know who his leader is and should settle down. Use positive methods, not harsh ones. Reward good behavior and distract from and give alternative behaviors when you don't like something he's doing. Don't give payoffs for bad behavior and don't let him self reward. For instance, when he's thinking about barking and lunging off the leash at someone, catch him before he does and tell him, "watch".....and then "sit." Keep his eyes on you if you can. Praise him for doing those things. Try to prevent him from doing the no no before he gets riled up.
Teach "leave it." That's another very useful command. He needs to leave things alone. You can set up some enticing objects in your house or in your yard and walk him past. When he shows interest in them, say, "leave it" and keep walking. When he pays attention and continues walking without trying to go for the objects, praise him and give him a good treat.
Hope some of this helps. He really doesn't sound like he's dominant to me...just needs some training and socializing. Most dogs aren't. They'd rather not be as long as you are a clear, consistant leader and a fair one and show him what you want and show him how wonderful he is to comply.
Hope some of this can be of use to you.
I agree Bridey. Dogs can become spoiled brats just like human children and grow up to be obnoxious adults who push push push to have their own way without regard to anyone else. They need a good, clear leader, just like our kids do. It's irrelevant what wolves do for the most part. Sure, there are some instincts left, but we're not wolves and only conspecifics form packs. Dog's can tell we're not wolves or dogs. So, while we need to set rules and enforce them, we don't need to constantly be trying to compare ourselves and our living situation with our dogs in terms of wolf packs and trying to match behavior for behavior to that of a wolf pack. That would be futile.
Ok your are gonna think this is a crazy but, I used to have a Rottwieler not a dog you want to have dominating you. Anyway everything was going well until about 20 weeks of age when she decided she wanted to be the boss. My father Told me that I need to regain control and to do this I needed to mount the dog (not that way) So my not so small puppy anymore at 5 months now weighing almost 60 lbs. and growing. I took her into a room and and I stood over her straddling, she immediately began to fight me and try to take control I grabbed her, still straddled and lowered her to the ground where i held her very tightly and would not let her go until she settled down, which took a while and pretty much wore me out fighting with 60 lbs of muscle and gnawing at my arms legs and whatever else she could get a hold of, but after doing this about 6 times over a period of a week she gave in. I regained control and she realized I was the Master and not her. Never had any problems since, except for the occasional I dont want to listen, This was 15 years ago and I have never had a problem with any dog after using this technique which I include in all of my training techniques. Good luck.
Well, sure....if someone did that to me and was able to hold me down, I'd have to submit too. There's nothing behaviorally unique about that manuver.
One would never have a problem with a dog getting spoiled and nasty in the first place if they're a clear leader. That involves setting rules, teaching, enforcing rules, controlling resources. If a dog or human child wants to live, they need to perform certain behaviors. If they want the luxuries of life, they need to perform behaviors which we desire of them, which will get them those luxuries (treats, toys, going out to play, attention, affection etc). If one does not look at it that way, and thinks of themselves as not a leader, but a slave to do their dog's will, then of course, there will be problems with spoiled, nasty dogs who develop an inflated sense of entitlement.
One would never have a problem with a dog getting spoiled and nasty in the first place if they're a clear leader. That involves setting rules, teaching, enforcing rules, controlling resources. If a dog or human child wants to live, they need to perform certain behaviors. If they want the luxuries of life, they need to perform behaviors which we desire of them, which will get them those luxuries (treats, toys, going out to play, attention, affection etc). If one does not look at it that way, and thinks of themselves as not a leader, but a slave to do their dog's will, then of course, there will be problems with spoiled, nasty dogs who develop an inflated sense of entitlement.
All my technique does is to show the dog that I am the one it needs to listen to. Being its slave master is far from what this does, my dog is above and beyond spoiled with treats toys walks, car rides and romps in the park. My dog does not fear me as the slaves did. Nor did I ever hurt my dog using this technique. But being that this was a ROTTWEILER certain training techniques needed to be used with out injury fear or extreme discilipine.
I didn't mean that you were a slave master. I meant that dogs who are spoiled....any dog, in general are often made that way because their owners feel that the dog should have everything the way the dog wants it and the owners become the slaves to their dogs. When you control the dog's resources and train using positive methods, you won't end up with a dog who is trying to run your world. LOL.
It's quite dangerous too...a risk of getting bitten. You're putting a dog on the defensive and that's not a good place to put a dog. You were lucky that all turned out well, but it is not a good training practice. There are safer and less threatening ways to show your dog that you're the one who's taking care of everything and that he need not try to control anything. And it doesn't matter what breed it is. Canine behavior is canine behavior with some small variations in temperament. But the fundamental instincts and learning behavior are the same.
Dodgers, it might give you a bit of good news to know that every single solitary male GSD pup I have ever known gets stupid when they hit adolescence. I mean it. Their brains just fall out and they do some of the most unbelievably dumb, stubborn and sometimes obnoxious things. You just have to ride it out with a loving, but firm and consistent hand, keep working on training - in a positive, non-corporal manner, and know that they DO grow out of it, as long as you do your part.
Something that really helps the male GSD to grow up, I've found, is to give them responsibility. They thrive on responsibility. When you leave the house, tell them to watch the house. Poor Bimmer, he gets to watch the house AND try to keep the grrrls out of trouble. You should see him roll his eyes at me and drop his ears back when I tell him that 
Doberluv and bridey, you say it so well. Dominance seems to be a word used for a "catch all". To force a dog into submission by rolling it onto it's back, holding the dog down etc can lead to some people being seriously injured. For any rescue dog I have taken in that has no manners (to some they may have said they were dominant ) I used the NIFIL where they had to earn every thing.
A confused dog is a dangerous dog, a dog that knows how to earn items and learns the rules of the house by being shown (not forced) is a wonderful member of the family. I have seen far too many Rottweilers, Shepherds and many other dog breeds ruined by people who have used forced training methods. I have worked at clinics and seen these dogs have to be put to sleep. A spoiled dog can be a monster, an untrained dog with no guidance can be dangerous.
Think of a spoiled child, think of these situations. A parent in a grocery store the child throws a temper tantrum wanting a chocolate bar. The parent submits and gives into the child and buys the treat. The child has learned a new behavior to get what he wants. A child in a grocery store, throws a temper tantrum, parent grabs the child and spanks the child and gives him a beating...the child submits, shuts up and then gains a fear of this parent. What the child has learned is this person is unpredictable and scary. Then you have the parent who looks at the child throwing the tantrum, puts down every thing and says OK, we're going home. They havent given into the child and they have learned that they are not going to get what they want and the rest of the day in town is at an end. No going to the park afterward as normal...just home. The fun has ended. The child learns that temper is not going to get him what he wants. The child is not dominant, he has just learned a behavior that has worked for him.
This is how it is for dogs as well...a dog that has been pushed down and held or alpha rolled has not learned any thing but fear and that their owner is scary and unpredictable...in the long run this dog could become very dangerous with an owner who used such tactics. Teach a dog what you want, don't force it. I have rescued a few dogs that "other" people couldn't handle due to dominance/aggression. These dogs have come around 110%with the NIFIL policy and it's a win win situation for every one. My dogs have learned a great default action to earn what they want. Instead of being pushy or forceful they will sit down and act sweetly to get an extra treat.
) I used the NIFIL where they had to earn every thing. A confused dog is a dangerous dog, a dog that knows how to earn items and learns the rules of the house by being shown (not forced) is a wonderful member of the family. I have seen far too many Rottweilers, Shepherds and many other dog breeds ruined by people who have used forced training methods. I have worked at clinics and seen these dogs have to be put to sleep. A spoiled dog can be a monster, an untrained dog with no guidance can be dangerous.
Think of a spoiled child, think of these situations. A parent in a grocery store the child throws a temper tantrum wanting a chocolate bar. The parent submits and gives into the child and buys the treat. The child has learned a new behavior to get what he wants. A child in a grocery store, throws a temper tantrum, parent grabs the child and spanks the child and gives him a beating...the child submits, shuts up and then gains a fear of this parent. What the child has learned is this person is unpredictable and scary. Then you have the parent who looks at the child throwing the tantrum, puts down every thing and says OK, we're going home. They havent given into the child and they have learned that they are not going to get what they want and the rest of the day in town is at an end. No going to the park afterward as normal...just home. The fun has ended. The child learns that temper is not going to get him what he wants. The child is not dominant, he has just learned a behavior that has worked for him.
This is how it is for dogs as well...a dog that has been pushed down and held or alpha rolled has not learned any thing but fear and that their owner is scary and unpredictable...in the long run this dog could become very dangerous with an owner who used such tactics. Teach a dog what you want, don't force it. I have rescued a few dogs that "other" people couldn't handle due to dominance/aggression. These dogs have come around 110%with the NIFIL policy and it's a win win situation for every one. My dogs have learned a great default action to earn what they want. Instead of being pushy or forceful they will sit down and act sweetly to get an extra treat.