My stupid pup...

[shelleyd2008]

Ugh!! My stupid German Shephard pup, Baby, got loose again this morning!! I just last night put my two newly hatched hens in a tractor that we just made, and the stupid pup went right for it!! She tipped the dang thing over!! One hen has week old chicks, and she high-tailed it outta there. The other has been hatching for the last 2 days, and still had some eggs. Her nest is too high for her chicks to get out, so she stayed on the nest. Thank God Baby's chain was stuck on the side of the pen, or she would have probably killed the hen and the chicks!! I don't know what I'm going to do with that stupid dog!! Any ideas on how to keep her tied up? She pulls anything out of the ground that we tie her to.

 

[Chirpy]

First, remember... that's what puppies do! So don't be so angry with her. You just have a challenge on your hands... smile and take this challenge! GSDs are generally strong willed and are working dogs. They NEED to be doing something productive or they get bored and get themselves into trouble.

She's naturally going to be very attracted to those small, jerky moving little fuzzy feathered chickens. You will have to work consistently with her, not in anger, to teach her that they are off limits. It will take most likely take a long time as she is considered a puppy until she's two years old and will likely continue to act like one through that time frame and possibly beyond. (My 12 yr. old GSD still thinks he's a puppy at times... I love that!) In actuality her training should continue her whole life.

Tying a dog up is actually very hard on the dog. It frustrates most dogs and will aggravate them causing them to act worse then they may normally act. Tying up a GSD is a good way to make an aggressive dog. If there is anyway to find another solution than tying her I would highly suggest you do so.

Is it possible to get a dog run for her? Or better yet, can she be in the house with you and your family? Use a puppy crate to help train her. You should take her for a minimum of 1/2 hour, preferably longer, walks at least twice a day.

Take her to puppy obedience classes, that will help both of you learn how to train her and work with her. She's going to be with you for a long time (GSDs live 12 to 15 years or longer) so start working together now and you'll love her for all those years.

I have a GSD and have had one in the past. They are probably my favorite breed but they need a 'pack leader' from their human or they will become the pack leader themselves and then you have trouble.

Best of luck with your puppy.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
If I could have her in the house I would. My son and I live with my father atm, and he doesn't allow dogs in the house, expecially not that big! She was just running around lose forever (we live on 10 acres, in the middle of nowhere, about 300 yards from the nearest road), until I bought some young chickens at the local sale. They were probably about 2 months old, and she killed 3 of them before I knew it was her doing it. Now whenever she gets loose, she heads right for the little ones. I haven't lost anymore, yet, but I know it's just a matter of time.
I hate tying dogs up, that's why she was running loose. The dog runs run over $200, and I can't afford that right now.
Baby is the most pigheaded dog I have ever seen! I have tried to train her, but she just does what she wants. She is very smart though. My dad believes that the way to teach a pup to leave chickens alone is to throw them in with a mother hen. We did that with Baby, and she learned which chickens to leave alone.
I had a Golden Retriever that I took to puppy classes, and i still remember how to train them, but Baby is just too stubborn. It would help if my kid wasn't there distracting her when I am trying to train her, but he is always up my butt.
Thanks for your advice. The only reason she is tied is because I love her too much to get rid of her. Eventually we will have our own place, and then she will come inside with the family, but until then this is the only option. I will keep a lookout for any runs for sale though, cause I know that is better for her.

 

[Chirpy]

I totally hear your frustration. My GSD isn't allowed inside very often because my hubby and son have severe allergies and then asthma to him. (He does come in for every thunderstorm because he's a big baby and afraid of the sound! We figure he more than deserves that after being so wonderful for 12 years.)

Can you tie her with a light chain to something like a tree that she can't pull out of the ground? Maybe to a building somehow?

GSD's can be so dominant and stubborn... that is why it is so critical for us to become their pack leader. Sounds like you are trying to do that. She may just need more time to grow up and outgrow some of that obnoxious puppy behavior. Getting through the first two years of a large breed puppy can be soooo hair pulling out!!! I can't add up the damage that some of our big dogs have done when they were puppies.

Watch craigslist for used dog runs or fencing panels. Around here they can go for very cheap... sometimes. You just have to keep a close eye on it to be the first one to respond to those adds.

I hope you can move soon. It's got to be so sad to having to keep waiting for that big, wanted move.

Good luck with your challenge!

 

[Cetawin]

You have a certain challenge on your hands but not an impossible task. She is young and very trainable.

I would not say she is stubborn, she is just a puppy...and like a toddler, they have a short attention span.

It is going to take time and constant reinforcement to get the point across that the chicks are not subject to her play...that is all she is doing...playing because she knows no better.


Good luck with her.

 

[BFeathered]

You have a challenge alright! You also have a very intelligent puppy who's going to take training, love and time to grow into a wonderful dog. A large crate ( usually less expensive than fencing/runs) is not a cruel place to keep her when you can't supervise. Dogs are denning creatures and the crate becomes their den/safe place. I've worked with rescue groups and animal clinics for a long time, and I can tell you that a crate is something you'll wish you'd never done without. It's saved sanity and probably a few dogs' lives. Obedience training is the other must-do. It's never too early to start, and with positive reinforcement, it can really be a fast, fun route to desirable behavior. (I really like clicker training) BTW, puppydom does indeed last a good 2 yrs in larger breeds like GSD, so be patient. My Ridgeback and Airedales have all taken their sweet time in becoming "civilized" adults --ROGL. Good luck!

 

[chickypoo]

Have you tried clicker training? I have yet to find an animal it won't work on if you do it right.

When you are working with your puppy though your child needs to be somewhere else and you need to be in a very controlled area. No distractions and keep the sessions short.

 

[shelleyd2008]

No I haven't tried clicker training. I actually had forgotten about the clickers. The only problem here is that there aren't any pet stores. I don't know if the feed store would have them, probably not, tho they do seem to have most everything else. I did try treat training. She loves to play fetch, but she doesn't like to let go. My son, who's 3, will wrestle it away from her, only to have her jump at his hands and bite him to get it back. The treats were a big flop. Instead of getting her to let go of the frisbee, stick, ball, or whatever she had, she would just sit there waiting for more treats! She wouldn't even go after the thing to fetch it!!

She already has killed some chickens, tho, two for sure. She will probably always do this right?

O btw, I do have a large breed dog kennel that I had for my golden retriever, that is no longer being used as a hen house (

), but how long could I leave her in there? I can't bring her in the house, and I surely can't let her run loose.

She is about 7 months old btw. I am not sure how much she weighs, but I would say at least 45 pounds.

 

[billiebrat]

I have 8 GSD ranging from 4 months to 4 years. They are very stubborn, but that gets better with age. At 7 months she is still a baby, she does not think about much other than eating and playing. She sees the chickens as fluffy toys, she doesn't mean any harm intentionally. If you don't handle it right though it will only escalate to much worse. It takes tremendous patience and time, which I am guilty of not having, I do my best though. They say if you keep them busy at that age and wear them out it helps. Repeatedly enforcing in a positive but stern way that the chickens are off limits might work. Mine do well with that with their limits on where they can be in the yard, well some of them do. The younger ones just haven't gotten it yet. Good luck. They are well worth the work. Oh I forgot to add. I have used a whistle or a soda can with some pennies in it. Blow the whistle or shake the can when they get into things they shouldn't. Sometimes it is enough to distract them and you get their attention. Depends on the dog though I think.

 

[shelleyd2008]

The whistle would probably work actually. Never thought of that. I usually just scream my fool head off, which of course, just like a kid, she totally ignores. But when she was running loose, if she wouldn't come when I called her, I would whistle. She came running faster than ever! The soda can usually is a good distraction as well. It has been about 6 or 7 years since I had my golden in puppy class, so there are a lot of things that I have evidently forgotten. Thanks everyone for your tips!! Keep them coming!!