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  Angel in a Sorrel Coat
Posts: 16030
  
Location: In a happy place | I will get one again. I miss my Dew. He was the most loyal and easy to train dog I have ever had. | |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
 
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | nmeastplains - 2014-04-17 10:37 AM We have one that we found on the side of the road as a little puppy. He is around 6 months old now and HUGE! He is very talkative, funny and very goofy. He loves my boys and plays with them all the time. Please help me to understand how this breed is best trained. He does know his basic commands but when you take him off the leash he is not as mindful.....
They need a firm, calm leader, and do best if they're able to spend a lot of time with the family. Not good dogs to stick in the backyard and only interact with an hour a day. My puppies spend a lot of time on a leash, even in the house. If I'm working on the computer, I will put the leash handle on my ankle. If I'm working in the field, they go with me. If I go to the barn, they go on a leash and get tied up. With maturity comes more freedom, but they have to learn to be with me and follow first. And I do let them have freedom, but it's in a fence until they're reliable about minding and staying put. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 596
Location: Somewhere in the middle of nowhere | Three 4 Luck - 2014-04-17 10:42 AM nmeastplains - 2014-04-17 10:37 AM We have one that we found on the side of the road as a little puppy. He is around 6 months old now and HUGE! He is very talkative, funny and very goofy. He loves my boys and plays with them all the time. Please help me to understand how this breed is best trained. He does know his basic commands but when you take him off the leash he is not as mindful..... They need a firm, calm leader, and do best if they're able to spend a lot of time with the family. Not good dogs to stick in the backyard and only interact with an hour a day. My puppies spend a lot of time on a leash, even in the house. If I'm working on the computer, I will put the leash handle on my ankle. If I'm working in the field, they go with me. If I go to the barn, they go on a leash and get tied up. With maturity comes more freedom, but they have to learn to be with me and follow first. And I do let them have freedom, but it's in a fence until they're reliable about minding and staying put.
Thank you! This is exactly what I was needing to know. We are doing this right now and he is out with us as long as we are there. He leash trained very quickly. How long until they actually reach maturity? He is quite big for a youngster, like around 60 lbs.... | |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 494
| Ive had 2. Both females that were raised from puppies. Both were super high strung but extremely SMART. One was a protective one that would keep people in check if she sensed a threat. She had cornered construction workers before, but I do not blame her as they seemed sketchy. She would chase the horses and bite at them sometime, and attacked another dog so we had her put down. I would probably not get one again. | |
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Location: WI | wonder if that's a female shepherd thing. I have always had male shepherds and they have been awesome dogs. Smart, trainable, loving, travel with me everywhere, calm, friendly, etc. I adopted a female shepherd 2 years ago and she has anxiety issues like you wouldn't believe! She is a great dog also, smart, sweet, good with people and dogs but she had a lot of energy, nervous when traveling, bad with the horses, and a little neurotic (and she is 10 years old). If she would have been my first, she would have been my last :) My 4 yr old male shepherd is the mature one of the group.
I will always have shepherds but have decided only males from now on. :) | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 683
Location: Ohio | hmm89 - 2014-04-16 4:04 PM
wonder if that's a female shepherd thing. I have always had male shepherds and they have been awesome dogs. Smart, trainable, loving, travel with me everywhere, calm, friendly, etc. I adopted a female shepherd 2 years ago and she has anxiety issues like you wouldn't believe! She is a great dog also, smart, sweet, good with people and dogs but she had a lot of energy, nervous when traveling, bad with the horses, and a little neurotic (and she is 10 years old). If she would have been my first, she would have been my last :) My 4 yr old male shepherd is the mature one of the group.
I will always have shepherds but have decided only males from now on. :)
I have always had neutered males in the past and often wondered if there was a difference in attitudes. Friends that own a female said they saw changes after a litter of puppies. I guess aggressiveness and separation anxiety started to show more and more after the puppies were weaned and spaying her later on didn't help very much. No idea how the dog was bred though. Anyone else have issues with females? | |
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Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | hmm89 - 2014-04-17 3:04 PM wonder if that's a female shepherd thing. I have always had male shepherds and they have been awesome dogs. Smart, trainable, loving, travel with me everywhere, calm, friendly, etc. I adopted a female shepherd 2 years ago and she has anxiety issues like you wouldn't believe! She is a great dog also, smart, sweet, good with people and dogs but she had a lot of energy, nervous when traveling, bad with the horses, and a little neurotic (and she is 10 years old). If she would have been my first, she would have been my last :) My 4 yr old male shepherd is the mature one of the group. I will always have shepherds but have decided only males from now on. :)
That's bad breeding/temperament. I prefer girls, even though they do have more of a tendency for dog aggression, especially when they're juveniles. That's something that can be worked through with proper handling, IF you have a stable temperament to work with. | |
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Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | Three 4 Luck - 2014-04-17 3:54 PM hmm89 - 2014-04-17 3:04 PM wonder if that's a female shepherd thing. I have always had male shepherds and they have been awesome dogs. Smart, trainable, loving, travel with me everywhere, calm, friendly, etc. I adopted a female shepherd 2 years ago and she has anxiety issues like you wouldn't believe! She is a great dog also, smart, sweet, good with people and dogs but she had a lot of energy, nervous when traveling, bad with the horses, and a little neurotic (and she is 10 years old). If she would have been my first, she would have been my last :) My 4 yr old male shepherd is the mature one of the group. I will always have shepherds but have decided only males from now on. :) That's bad breeding/temperament. I prefer girls, even though they do have more of a tendency for dog aggression, especially when they're juveniles. That's something that can be worked through with proper handling, IF you have a stable temperament to work with.
Btw, anyone reading this who knew my Rena is probably laughing right now. But it really wasn't her fault, it was those danged terrorists picking at her that caused problems. LOL. She got along great with dogs everywhere else as long as they didn't try to pick a fight--she had every intention of finishing any conflict that was started. No tolerance for BS...  | |
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Member
Posts: 36
| Best dogs I've ever had. Females are much more protective of their family. I have no doubt our male will protect our family but the female will stay with the children for hours outside just watching them. Our male would rather just go and play! AMAZING dogs with the right training! | |
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | My 8 year old female has none of those issues. She is fine (well, she is actually quite perfect... ) | |
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boon
Posts: 4
| I have a 2 year old neutered rescued male. I got him as a very young pup, his mother stopped letting the litter nurse at about 5 weeks. He is very smart, very social in public, and yet very protective of myself and my boyfriend. He is very much a two person dog. He loves horse shows, enjoys playing with children, and loves camping, all in a social setting, but would not hesitate to defend his home or myself. We completed one 6 week intensive training/puppy class when he was about 3 months old. I put him on a leash in crowded public places like the park or a big show, but at home and the barn he is always off leash. He was recently diagnosed with EPI, a pancreatic enzyme deficiency. It is more common in shepherds than in any other breed, is rather treatable once recognized, and can be pricey. He is now on a grain free diet, a B12 supplement, and an enzyme replacement powder with every meal.
All of this said, he is my absolute baby and I would never trade him for the world. I would not hesitate to get another shepherd. He is the most loyal, trust worthy, and honest dog out there. Always fun loving, and always up for an adventure. Quite honestly he is one of my best friends. :) | |
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