My family has recently purchased a German Shepherd puppy. We’ll be taking her to Puppy Preschool (dog obedience classes) but I was curious if anyone had some good training tips? Any secrets/favorite methods?

Best advice: Start off right by becoming the dog’s pack leader. Here’s how:

A. Behave like a leader at key points of responsibility within the pack and that makes you the leader.

1. Eat your own meals before you feed your dog. Even if you have to munch on a cracker while he watches, make sure he knows you’re done eating before you allow him to start eating.

2. Make and enforce at least 5 household rules (such as "No begging at the table" and "Stay off the furniture").

3. Lead the walk, with the dog walking beside you, at heel. Never use a flexi-lead because you can’t control your dog if he is 15-25 feet out in front of you.

4. Exercise the dog by a brisk walk with the dog at heel at least once a day, preferably twice a day. A dog can walk for 5 minutes for each month of his life up to the age of 12 months; after that he can walk as long as you want to walk. Be sure to check the surface on which he’ll be walking - if it is too hot or too cold for you to rest your hand on, it will be too hot or too cold for his feet. You can get booties for him at some of the larger pet stores, or try Paw Wax.

5. Playing with the dog is demonstrating affection for him; it’s a bonding time. Be sure you start the play and you end it.

6. Own and provide all resources like food, treats, bones, and toys. Leave food down only 15 minutes then pick up the bowl. Give toys to dog when you want to play; put toys away when you’re done playing.

7. Ignore the dog for at least 5 minutes when you come home so he will recognize that you are "top dog" in the pack.

8. Greet strangers (guests at home, friends and passersby on the street) first and direct the dog how to react to them.

9. Protect the dog from onrushing, off-leash dogs, dogs who are harassing them, and dogs who challenge them.

10. The dog gets NOTHING (except water and potty breaks) unless he works for it. "Working" means obeying whatever command you offer, such as sit, stay, stand, and down. (This is the essence of the NILIF program.)

11. Never pet the dog or comfort it when it is misbehaving. Never talk in a high squeaky voice to a dog. Dogs don’t understand what it means to have their feelings hurt.

12. Don’t let the dog sleep in your bed until you are sure he sees you as his pack leader; you don’t want him to try to own the bed.

B. There are four "MUST READ" books you can probably get at Amazon.com. They will explain all the rituals listed above.

1. The first is "Be The Pack Leader" by Cesar Millan. Teaches you how to be a pack leader.

2. The second is "The Dog Listener" by Jan Fennell. Teaches you how to get willing cooperation from your dog.

3. The third is "The Art of Raising A Puppy" by the Monks of New Skete. Teaches you how to get a puppy started right as a member of your pack.

4. The fourth and last is "A Member of the Family" by Cesar Millan and Melissa Jo Pelletier. Teaches you how to raise your dog from the moment you get him to the moment he has to leave you.

C. You might consider signing up for "Sessions with Cesar" at http://www.sessionswithcesar.com , where you’ll find video and audio lessons, as well as printable materials to help you learn to be your dog’s pack leader and help you learn to handle specific behavior problems.

Good luck!

Apacapacas

I tried the puppy training pads at an early stage, now my dog will nto go potty otuside at all. We coudl be outside for hours then i let him in and he goes straight to the pad to pee. However i recently tried movign the pad to another location closer tot he door, however he still went to the spot where the pad was. He is trainined that, there is only one spot to go potty pad or not.

Well you trained him to go INDOORS, ON the pad IN a certain area. Back to the crate training and take him OUT to potty this time. He should catch on quickly as he has been through the drill once, already.

The local dog school/hotel/spa place said a 7 week basic obedience course for my 3 year old dog is £70, its in a class of 8 with 1 instructor. Is this too expensive? The dog already knows sit and can be recalled.
oh and the classes are an hour long

It does seem a little steep, but what you need to look at is exactly what you are getting for your £10 an hour. Is it working towards competition standard obedience? If so then i suppose that could be about the right sort of price. If all you want is a well mannered, obedient dog I’d look on the aptd website for a trainer in your area that runs classes.
No-one can guarantee that you’ll end up with a super reliable recall,stay,etc every dog is different and will learn at a different rate. Also, every handler is different, some are just naturally able to communicate well with their dog, others need a bit more practise. Some people will practise at every opportunity, others won’t bother to do any training with their dog until the next class. Dogs do need to be socialised too, so training classes are important in that respect.
I’d ask a few more questions about the classes before committing yourself, such as what qualifications the instructor has. They don’t necessarily need qualifications, experience counts too!
Hopefully these training classes use kind, reward based training. the days of dragging and jerking dogs around on a choke chain in a village hall are long gone…………….or should be! lol
Good luck

Did you take your dog to obedience classes?

No, not unless it was absolutely necessary.

I have a dog that has been seriously abused. She cant walk very well but needs to go out all the same. She jumps up and snaps at the lead, bites it, rags it and shakes it. She’s almost possessed as soon as the lead comes out and I try to put it on her. I cant walk down the road - its embarrassing. Is it stress? How can I make her calm down and stop it? Many thanks for any suggestions.

she just doesnt like being controlled.

You should first let her sniff the lead before you put it on her. give her a treat for just sniffing. if she bites it then take it away.

bring it back and try it again.

do that like 5 times.

then put it on her collar.

if she doesnt mess with it then give her a treat.

take it off

then do it again

3 times

then go outside in your backyard.

if she bites it take it off.

put it back on and if she doesnt bite it give her a treat.

keep doing more and more and soon she will be a perfect angel on that part

ahah

i would use treats she likes a lot…or some boiled chicken in tiny peices works wonders.

you can switch from treats to praise to treats…helps ween her off.