I got a couple of questions

[frank87]

Hello every one i own a 13 week german shepherd that is an awsome dog. He learn how to sit and stay in about 30 minutes so i guess he is really smart. I dont keep the dog inside the house only in the garage at night and i put him outside at day time but he does not like to be out side when no one is with him. He scratches the mesh thing that keeps the flys out and he now learned how to open it and gets in. How can i keep him from scratching the mesh and getting in? Also there are times when im with the dog and he wants to bite my clothes and hands. Why does he do that and what can i do to about it?
Thanks in adcance and plz no flaming

 

[fillyone]

I'm curious why he can't come in. GSDs are notorious for wanting to be with their family. I have no doubt that Dante would do what ever he needed to get inside if I tried to leave him out without me.

As far as the mouthing....Puppy If he bites too hard try squeeling or yelping like his mom or littermates would have and then ignore for a moment.

 

[frank87]

i dont let him in because he will pee and crap inside.

 

[fillyone]

i dont let him in because he will pee and crap inside.

Teaching them not to urinate and deficate in the house is called housebreaking and it's not that hard.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=ho...%3Dlo%26p%3D&fr=logout&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8


If you're not going to let the dog in, why did you get one?


I think perhaps I'll step out of this thread before I say something that gets me in trouble.

 

[PuppyBreath]

i dont let him in because he will pee and crap inside.

And he always will unless you're willing to train him. It sounds to me like you're not willing to do that. Dogs are pack animals, and even though we are human, we are their pack leader. He is only a baby and needs a dominate leader. That is YOU!

You can leave the dog in the house and confine him to a specific area of the house with some hard chew toys, water, and something to lay on. Puppies will usually consume all the food you put down, so if fed properly before you leave the house, and provided you're not gone for long periods of time, he doesn't necessarily need food, but water is essential.

Dogs generally will not pee or poo where they sleep so keep the space small, but do allow room to move around. Leave a radio on for comforting sound too when left alone. As young as this pup is, he will need to be taken out quite often, but as he gets older, the time between each outing can be decreased. Praise him with a doggie treat each time he does his business outside too. This will reinforce the idea.. Positive reinforcement works!
DO NOT punish him when he goes in the house! This is non productive as dogs live in the moment, and will not understand the punishment hours later.

As for the biting:

Using just the tips of your fingers, a firm tap to the front of the dogs chest accompanied with a firm "no" should stop the biting, but you have to be consistant until he gets it. Have a toy ready so that you can immediately replace your hands with the toy. Same goes for anything else he's not supposed to chew. Always replace with something the dog IS allowed to chew.

 

[dr2little]

First, please house train your puppy and let him join your family indoors. Leaving a 13 week old pup outdoors is just not safe or kind. Find below some great info. in bold by Redyre on how to house train him.

Also, puppy nipping is a normal behavior and should never be curbed using any physical correction, including a firm tap to his chest. When the pup nips too hard, let him know with a verbal and then either provide an appropriate chew item or withdrawl attention for a few short minutes. He'll soon get the message if you're consistent.
Couldn't this get put up as a sticky? So many requests for housetraining....

House Training

House training your dog is simple if you follow a few basic rules.

1) The puppy must have NO time unsupervised in your home. NONE.
If you are not directly watching the puppy, it should be in the
crate, or outside in a safe area. You MUST watch the puppy at ALL
times when loose in the house. Use baby gates, crates, or tie the
leash to your belt.

2) The puppy should sleep inside the crate by your bedside.
This way you can hear if the puppy should happen to need to go out
during the night.

3) You must go WITH the puppy outside for ALL trips for
elimination. You must have treats with you. When the puppy is
urinating, say "GO PEE PEE" in a nice praise tone of voice the entire
time. When she is finished, pop the treat into her mouth at once, and
praise praise praise. This should be something she gets at no other
time, like tiny pieces of string cheese or boiled chicken. Same for
defecation. Say "GO POOP" while she is going, and food reward and
praise afterwards. You must observe and reward ALL outdoor potty time.

4) Keep a schedule. Feed at the same time, and walk outside at
the same times. Your pup needs at least 4 trips outdoors each day,
and 5 is probably better. Pup needs to go out at wake up time, lunch
time, 4-5 PM, after dinner or any other meals, and before bed.

5) Use a key word each time you go out. I say "Let's go out!!"
in a happy tone of voice each time I'm opening the door to go out with the dog.

6) If you catch the puppy IN THE ACT of eliminating in your
house, CLAP YOUR HANDS, say AH AH, OUTSIDE!! And immediately rush her
outside. If she finishes there, do your usual food reward and praise.

The keys to getting your dog reliably housetrained are:

SUPERVISION: NO loose time in the house if you are not watching

REWARDS: ALL outdoor elimination MUST be observed
and rewarded. If you only do this ONE thing, your puppy will get housetrained.

PATIENCE: Anger and punishment have no place in dog
training. Elimination is a natural and pleasurable experience for
your dog. You can teach her to not soil your house, but punishment
will NOT help. It will only teach the dog to hide when she needs to eliminate.

If you have applied these techniques carefully for 4 weeks and you are still finding spots or piles after the fact, it's time for stronger measures. Roll up a newspaper and fasten both ends with a rubber band. Keep it handy. The very next time you find a spot of a pile that the dog has left behind, whip out that newspaper, and hit YOURSELF over the head firmly several times as you repeat "I FORGOT TO WATCH MY PUPPY".

Works every time.


__________________
Redyre Rottweilers
http://redyrerottweilers.bravehost.com/index.html

 

[PuppyBreath]

Also, puppy nipping is a normal behavior and should never be curbed using any physical correction, including a firm tap to his chest

While the first half of your comment is true, the action of finger tip tap is mimicking a mothers nudge to show her disapproval.

 

[frank87]

thanks, i will house break the dog and maybe my parents will let him in the house when they see that he will not pee or poop in the house

 

[dr2little]

While the first half of your comment is true, the action of finger tip tap is mimicking a mothers nudge to show her disapproval.

No need to nudge and the OP is not the dogs mother. The message can be sent quite clearly and effectivly without anything physical. Remember, with pups one should start the way they mean to continue. One of the reasons (among many others) that this method is no longer used is because a nudge to some is or can become a poke, smack or worse to others. It's simply not necessary so why do it?

By rewarding acceptable play (no teeth), and removing reward (human) or substituting with an appropriate chew item puppies soon learn the rules of play between dog and human.

 

[dr2little]

thanks, i will house break the dog and maybe my parents will let him in the house when they see that he will not pee or poop in the house

That's terrific. I hope you'll keep us posted on your progress!!!!!

 

[Dulce Pit Bull]

A Puppy that young NEEDS to be indoors with its family. Dogs aren't meant to be locked in garages all day.

Please consider potty training, obedience training, and allowing the dog in the house I had a German Shepherd Puppy when I was 9, and she was a hand full!

The key is to not get mad when they have an accident in the house. Take the dog outside, and clean up the mess.

Don't ever "tap" or hit the dog. Dr2little gave some GREAT advice (as always) and their advice should be taken into consideration. Consider a house training book that you can get at PetSmart.