Can german shepard dogs be left alone for long durations or not?

andrewslim

If you are at work all day, would this be a problem for the dog?

Answer
Of course they can be left alone. Just as you CAN leave a 3 weeks old baby home all day while you're at work. Just as you CAN drive on the wrong side of the road. Just as you CAN leap off the top of a high building.
But don't expect any of those actions to produce desirable results.

In your case there is an additional problem - german shepard dogs don't exist.
And if you'd looked at the screen before submitting your question you would have seen wriggly red lines where the spell-checker was trying to tell you that there is no word "german", no word "shepard".
My breed was developed to HERD sheep in the German boundary-patrolling way, and so its real name translates as German Shepherd Dog - punctuation matters, as does spelling.

Anyone wanting a GSD from me has to have:
⢠A door opening straight onto a yard fenced to not just keep their pet home but to also keep stray dogs and stray brats OUT!
⢠A plan for where the pooch will sleep that DOESN'T involve spending hours locked in a crate. Pups NEED to exercise their fast-growing bones & muscles every minute they're awake. And (if well-bred & well-reared) they have a natural instinct to get away from their nest before piddle-pooing. Catch 22: An enclosure small enough to make that instinct kick in is too small to exercise in; an enclosure large enough to exercise in leaves room to piddle-poo in; a pup left too long in a crate is FORCED to break the instinct that successful toilet training relies on.
⢠Ability to stay home 24/7 for at least the first week, preferably fortnight. It's partly to help the pup adjust to its new "pack" and come to regard the world as a safe, interesting place with you as the centre of everything good in it. But largely so that YOU can observe it 100% and learn its timing & signals for such as "Wanna go toilet" and "Wanna BITE something", so that you can take instant appropriate action.
⢠Ability to provide 3 meals a day, close to evenly spaced, plus constant water.
⢠Ability & willingness to attend weekly training-club classes starting when Pup is 18-22 weeks old.

Assuming that you work the minimal 8 hour day and travel for an hour before & after work, that means that you are away from home for at least 10 hours a day. Do you fit ANY of the rest of the requirements?
Although I am a GSD addict, the requirements apply to pups of ANY breed or cross-breed-muddle.

You must not ignore a pet's real needs.

In addition to the physical needs, herding breeds and bird-dog breeds were developed to be very sensitive to their humans - they NEED to be with their human and assured that they are pleasing their human. Herding breeds in particular were also developed to have incredible initiative - they need it, to work out how to keep the flock safe plus under control while the farmer is absent doing other tasks. That makes Belgian Shepherd Dogs, Border Collies & their derivatives (Eye Dogs, Heading Dogs, Huntaways, Kelpies, etc etc), German Shepherd Dogs and working-line Shetland Sheepdogs GREAT for people who want an intelligent, active dog and have things for their dog to do with/for them - but it makes life hell for people who effectively abandon their dog to its own devices most of the day. (It also often makes life hell for the neighbours...)

Adult GSDs that I have raised can safely be left for up to 40 hours while I attend a family funeral - I have a roofed security run & raised sleeping box per pooch, and ask a neighbour to check that the water dishes aren't empty. For an adult (canine or human), food isn't as urgent as water. And my dogs are used to swapping between my house and their run.
But a newly acquired adult dog suddenly left alone in a run is likely to feel abandoned and express its anguish for the "benefit" of the whole neighbourhood.

If you are determined to go ahead despite our advice:
⢠Add http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/The_GSD_Source to your browser's Bookmarks or Favorites so that you can easily look up such as feeding, vaccinations, clubs, weights, teething, neutering, disorders, genetics.
⢠Join some of the 400+ YahooGroups dedicated to various aspects of living with GSDs. Each group's Home page tells you which aspects they like to discuss, and how active they are. Unlike YA, they are set up so that you can have an ongoing discussion with follow-up questions for clarification. Most allow you to include photos.
Les P, owner of GSD_Friendly: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/GSD_Friendly
"In GSDs" as of 1967

what is the proper way to cage train a large dog?

Lucky

i keep asking questions on how to train my dog and all the answers have been very helpful!! thanks!!

i have only had my dog for a week now. she is a 6 month old german shepard. i work first shift and my boyfriend goes from days and nights. atleast 3 days out of the week we need for her to be in her cage while were at work for 8 hours.
i have a spare bedroom i could put her in.. is that a good idea instead of a cage? she is is that chewing stage. im always giving her toys and large bones.

Answer
if the dog has to stay in it all day you need to get some of the portabe fence they have them at pet food express you can order them online too. @ www.petfodexpress.com or www.petco.com or some pet store and put the crate in it so the dog and get into it and lay down. get a crate that you can make it the size of your dog with plenty of room to move around not to much out it in a quite place.no food or water in it. then as the dog gets bigger make the crate bigger don't make the crate a bad place it's like a safe place for them and it keeps the confined when you can not keep a close eye on them make them sleep in the crate always when they are a puppy then when they get older and feel safe in the crate they will go in the crate all by there self's they will love to go there its their bed make sure you have a clean blanket in it or something that smells like you and they will feel safe always keep it clean you can never keep the dog in the crate longer then few hours when they are older and completely potty trained or they will think it's a bad place keeping them in the crate for a long time is only a last resort thing you have to keep taking them outside and telling them to go potty or play when their little so you get them used to it and you have to be strong and when the cry you can't let in to them or it will not work when they are little they need to go out side everytime they eat or drink so they know to go potty outside and not inside.they will do anything the can to not have to go potty in the same place they sleep or eat

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what is the proper way to cage train a large dog?

Lucky

i keep asking questions on how to train my dog and all the answers have been very helpful!! thanks!!

i have only had my dog for a week now. she is a 6 month old german shepard. i work first shift and my boyfriend goes from days and nights. atleast 3 days out of the week we need for her to be in her cage while were at work for 8 hours.
i have a spare bedroom i could put her in.. is that a good idea instead of a cage? she is is that chewing stage. im always giving her toys and large bones.

Answer
if the dog has to stay in it all day you need to get some of the portabe fence they have them at pet food express you can order them online too. @ www.petfodexpress.com or www.petco.com or some pet store and put the crate in it so the dog and get into it and lay down. get a crate that you can make it the size of your dog with plenty of room to move around not to much out it in a quite place.no food or water in it. then as the dog gets bigger make the crate bigger don't make the crate a bad place it's like a safe place for them and it keeps the confined when you can not keep a close eye on them make them sleep in the crate always when they are a puppy then when they get older and feel safe in the crate they will go in the crate all by there self's they will love to go there its their bed make sure you have a clean blanket in it or something that smells like you and they will feel safe always keep it clean you can never keep the dog in the crate longer then few hours when they are older and completely potty trained or they will think it's a bad place keeping them in the crate for a long time is only a last resort thing you have to keep taking them outside and telling them to go potty or play when their little so you get them used to it and you have to be strong and when the cry you can't let in to them or it will not work when they are little they need to go out side everytime they eat or drink so they know to go potty outside and not inside.they will do anything the can to not have to go potty in the same place they sleep or eat

For Rescues: Where do you purchase your supplies, such as crates, sleepers, etc?

Beth J: Pr

As I have said before, we are in the process of starting a "no-kill" animal shelter. We are shopping around and trying to find the best deals and those who will offer discounts to rescues. This is a huge undertaking, a lot larger than we originally thought and, of course, are going to look for the best deals possible as we will be buying in bulk. In the past, I have used a local auction and gotten very good deals, but they are not going to have everything we need this time.
In the end, we will have the kennel built, but we are still going to need lots of crates and bedding for the dogs and cats. So any and all suggestions will be looked into.
Thanks guys. I have always gotten a lot of strange looks when a question comes up and I say I am going to post it at Yahoo. I have learned this is one of the best places to get good, logical, viable information. So thanks in advance. You guys are the best.

Answer
Peddle donations! Get your 503c status so you can give out tax receipts. I watch Craigslist a LOT. Used crates are fine so long as you spray them down with bleach, let them sit for 15-20 minutes then rinse, preferably in a shower with hot water. You can also find food, toys, etc. If I see something I want and they are not asking ahuge amount, say under $100, then I will first ask if they would consider donating their item to my rescue in exchange for a tax deductible receipt.. If they say no, that is okay too, and sometimes they offer a discount at that point. It never hurts to ask.

Put an ad on craigslist if you have one in your area (www.craigslist.org) asking for unwanted towels, blankets, sheets, whatever. They dont have to be beautiful, just cozy because you will be bleaching them in between animals anyways. Try to find a sewing club who would be willing to take in the donated linens, cut them down to size and finish the edges to make no fuss "beds" to change out quickly. I double mine up with towels and thinner blankets, 4x fold for sheets.

As for getting crates in bulk, just google it and shop around. Search for "wholesale kennel", "discount", "bulk", etc. Also eBay is another good resource.

I really like this site for pet meds, they are fairly cheap and do not require an Rx for the basics. They ship within 4-6 days to Ca from Australia. I use them all the time, they are all top quality.

http://www.petsvetshop.com.au/categories.php?category=Wormers-for-Dogs-and-Cats/Drontal-Allwormer-for-Dogs

We get a huge discount with Pet food express on Canidae all stage natural dog food. We buy it in bulk and often get good discounts on other products there as well, but they are a bit pricey for carriers or bedding.

Finally have a "Stock my shelter" BBQ, wrangle up some cute puppies and kittens to show off then hand out flyers in your community. Provide the basics, hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, cookies, soda, water, fruit, nothing too expensive or involved, maybe find a volunteer to organize games, etc. You can probably find local vendors who would be willing to donate food, since you are a non-profit you need to figure out who is going to be the "face" of the rescue, and that person needs to go knocking on doors, meeting local business owners, passing out flyers or cards, etc. Our local Costco donates food for our events, as does Safeway. Dont be afraid to ask to meet with the owner/manager, though for larger companies I would suggest calling ahead to make an appt as unexpected solicitations are sometimes frowned upon. When you introduce yourself, dont immediately ask for something, simply state you are launching a new non-profit and would like to get to know other business leaders in the area. That would be a great time to invite them to the BBQ.

Back to the BBQ - charge a small fee to get in, to go towards funding supplies for your shelter. At the event set up a booth, with a person there to talk to people and explain what you need, have a printed list handy to give out, with all needed supplies as well as a few facts about how quickly everyday items like litter and newspaper disappear, or how quickly you anticipate going through supplies based on other area shelters i.e. to house 10 cats we will need at least 12 tons of litter ever month, if you are not up and running yet. This is also a great opportunity to solicit volunteersto help clean cages, socialize, etc. You can have another person answering questions and managing a volunteer sign up sheet.

Also you need to build a website asap as most contributors use that as a means to check a company's credibility these days.

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Any good ideas, how to teach my 3 month old NOT to bite?

dog crates pet food express image

Q. She is a Border Collie,Pointer,? mix. She left her Mother at 6 weeks. It was too early, but couldn't be helped. I have given her chew toys, Rawhide chewbones, small tennis balls, to chew on. She still jumps up on me with her front two legs, and bites and mouths. Her teeth are very sharp, so it is painful. I don't want to punish her, but she needs to learn not to do this to people. So far, I have only sternly told her NO! And DOWN! With a hand signal of my hand moving from shoulder height, quickly down to my thigh, pointing an index finger down towards the floor.If anyone has any positive suggestions for training her not to do these two bad habits, in a humane and effective manner, it is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
When i said, I do not want to punish her, I mean, that I know she must be disciplined, in order to learn what is acceptable, and what is not. I just do not want to be cruel, as I believe that cruelty would be unecessary and ineffective. Thanks for your comments so far.

Answer
Uh huh...well, she doesn't quite understand what NO and DOwn mean - unless you have taught her "down" already.

Ignoring does not work - they don't know the difference between being ignored because you disapprove of the behavior or because you are trying to the house cleaned. Spray your hands?? How long are you supposed to walk around smelling funny, eh??? Distracting is really dumb - she jumps and nips and you give he food or a toy - that is called "rewarding the behavior." One of the current weirdest theories is giving the dog a "time out" - what, they are supposed to sit in their crate or pen and THINK about their sins ? Sign that dog up for Harvard if it can do that! Just holding their mouth closed is an invitation to keep playing the game. Another one that just esclates the fun - from her point of view - is pushing your hand further in her mouth.

Your best and most effective means of training are your hands and voice - not the gadgets or things

Now there is a difference between "punishment" and correction.

Punishment is the putting the dog in the crate for a time out.

Correction is showing them that what they are doing is not acceptable and communicating it in a way that they understand the message.

(I just lifted this from my materials that I give clients on behavioral problems so - text is not adjusted for the dog's gender)


BITING:


Puppies bite - that is how dogs and puppies play with each other. He thinks he is playing with you by mock fighting. Its a dog's favorite game - watch two good dog buddies ripping tearing rolling - and diving at each other and grabbing without puncturing.

You have to DO something about it.

Now what is really really neat is your puppy came pre-programmed to understand certain behavior as disapproval and approval. In dog language, behavior is communication.

In a group of dogs, if he nipped the leader and the leader was not amused, they would knock him over, grab the skin on his neck or the side of his face and pinch it without breaking the skin, and growl.

So do what they would do. That is something a dog understands instinctively. Lot of theories out there about yelping in pain and pushing him away (duh...that is what the dog who LOST the mock fight does and the winner is the boss now) or all this other stuff - but your puppy didn't read those books!



Step One: Learn to use your voice. Most people either let their voice slide up in register or they sound futile and weak. You want to deepen your voice and sound like a drill sergeant or a very stern study hall monitor depending upon the age and breed of dog. The word NO is basic to doggy manners (and people too.). The deep sound mimics the rumble/growl of the top dog.

Step Two: Do what the leader would does physically (well, mimic it - biting him wouldn't be fun.)

When he nips at you, roar NO in a deep voice, grab him by the collar or back of the neck, push him down and hold him on the ground and as you are doing that and snap your fingers on the end of his nose or slap his nose with your fingers. While you pin him down and get his nose, lean over him and keep saying BAD BAD BAD - do NOT let your voice slide up, make it deep. Make him look at you and keep eye contact â make your face stern and frown as you get after him.,

Step Three: when you let him up, you relax your voice and face and say "okay, now be nice" and let him come back over and get petted. (That is the postive part.) The more he settles down and gets petted without nipping, the happier your voice gets.

Get after him about EVERY SINGLE TIME - you must be 100% consistent.


Now when he comes over and snuggles and licks and doesn't nip, he always gets "What a sweetie", rub, pet, cuddle, and use a smile (they do watch your face â more than most people realize). And guess what? That is exactly how dogs express approval of each other!


JUMPING


Now there are methods for larger puppies/dogs who think they are a football player going in for a body block, but this a little one yet.


She is small enough to deal with more easily (okay - small is relative - my one dog outweighs me by 20 lbs or so - bit jaundiced on size.) When she jumps up, get your hands on her shoulders with your palms on her chest. Push her back and down and do that stern NO - BAD. Hold her on all four feet - talk to her calmly and soothingly "There, now settle, good punkin, just settle down..easy" and as she stays off you (and no biting either) , she gets pets and stroked - even gets a tummy scratch. The longer she styas off and doesn't try agian, the warmer your voice - you take your voice gradually back up to the "happy voice" so as not to get her all excited again.

Keep repeating it. She will clue in quite quickly though she will have times she forgets in wild exuberance (puppies are like that - mine all very quickly pick up on the phrase "Excuse me -and what do you think you are doing" drawled in the frigid tones of a VIctorian dowager - "we are not amused."

Why does my dashound stink?

RUFAUXREAL

Just got her yesterday - 7 weeks old. Bathed her, but she still stinks. Also, which mini-dashound makes best pet: male or female? When will she stop crying all night? Any other info will be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Answer
Actually Dachshunds are known for having a distinctive body odor (read: "distinctive". Stinkiness is in the nose of the beholder. But they DO have their own odor.) Even my Dachshund-MIX does. I put a nicely-scented conditioner on her after I bathe her.

At 7 wks old she was at least a week too young to leave the mother. But you've already gotten her. Give her a few days to get used to her new home. At her age she will actually be sleeping quite a bit but you should get up at least once during the night to let her toilet. Then let her play a little bit, give her water and a little food, and she should be tired enough to go back to sleep. It will only be a short time before she sleeps all night.

I have two dogs and crate them both at night or while I work. I go home at lunch to let them out. They also have comfy doggy beds to lounge in. The Dachshund-mix loves doggy beds but she also retreats to the quiet, den-like space of her crate at various times. For a small dog in a bustling household, it is the perfect place to get away. The hours that you can crate a young puppy is the dog's age in months plus one. They don't have control of their functions to be able stay in a crate longer than that.

Do not carry her outside to go potty. She should either walk on her own, or be leashed; otherwise, she will learn to wait around to be picked up. Be vigilant now, take her out frequently so she knows that the place to eliminate is outside, tell her "good girl" when she does it right, and you won't have housetraining problems later.

A Dachshund needs effective leadership and firm handling, but patience as well. Use positive reinforcement; harsh treatment will cause them to become fearful. Dachshunds are very food-motivated but use their regular dry food or small, broken bits of treats for training because, if overfed, they gain weight easily.

"This little dog needs an owner who understands how to be his pack leader or he will take over the house, attempting to train the owner rather than allow the opposite. If the dog is allowed to take over, many behavior problems will arise..."
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/dachshund.htm

A distinctive doggy odor, especially if the anal glands accidentally get expressed through over excitement or fear (not a pleasant experience)
http://www.dachworld.com/thetypicaldachshund.htm

The smooth coat Dachshunds have a very distinctive dog odor.
http://www.gopetsamerica.com/dachshund/dachshund.aspx

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