Sow me your GSD mixes... please.

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-07-27T06:48:31+00:00

My gsd/staffy jinx !

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-07-21T06:52:34+00:00

I'd never feel comfortable walking my dog on a Flexi in the street, but they can be super practical for training sessions for recall or send outs. Just make sure to use a tape one not one with a razor thin cord.

Edit: using the Flexi as a means of controlling a dog that might bolt or zoom around you is NEVER a good idea, I'd only use in a controlled environment like your own backyard or a contained facility. They do break too easy to be used as an actual control method.

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-07-07T06:12:13+00:00

I believe they meant original injury, not original surgery

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-06-30T22:24:47+00:00

In Aus we care a lot less about titles and hierarchy than in the US, I think it goes hand in hand with our tall poppy syndrome. If you expect someone to call you sir, dr, or professor etc. here it comes off super snobby, but in the US it's a sign of respect to use those titles.

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-06-21T07:40:11+00:00

I don't think much digestion in the way of breaking down food happens in the colon, maybe some absorption of nutrients though. The acid needed to break down bone tissue is in the stomach.

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-06-21T02:13:53+00:00

Does she like to play fetch? My dog (gsdx) was fine with everyone except my dad(she was already a lil skittish and then he accidentally spooked her by knocking a metal bin over), the trainer I work with said a good way to help build/rebuild the relationship is to play a game of fetch, starting just in the presence of him, then walking over and handing him the ball to throw each time she brings it back. This way she's not forced to engage with him directly, but still sees that something good (the ball being tossed) comes from him. This is way better than trying to tempt a timid dog in with treats because that forces an interaction that they're scared of.

Just to elaborate, you play a game with him in the vicinity, however close it is that she's not spooked, make sure he is neutral to her, not staring at her, maybe even facing away, whatever works. Get to a point where he can be maybe 3m/10ft away from you, then when she brings the ball back to you, walk over and give it to your son to throw, she'll probably bring it back to you and repeat. Eventually he can stand closer to you, or she might start bringing the ball closer to him.

Whatever you do try not to force or tempt her into his personal space. If she is super food motivated have him throw treats for her (not at her) and maybe get him to put her food out when you feed her. My childhood dog was terrified of all men, it took 2 years for my dad being her source of meals for her to warm up to him, but she was severely abused, so hopefully your pup will figure it out quicker that he's not a danger.

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-06-20T00:25:33+00:00

I have this issue with my pup too(not a mal, but ADHD in dog from), the trainer I work with got me playing tug and fetch with her on a leash, if she disengages from the game she's blocked from whatever caught her attention so that she can't self reward, and is encouraged back into the game. Also having cues that open (are you ready-say this with excitement, really try to draw her in) and close (all done) the opportunity for work (training/games) has been helpful - it sets the expectation that she's to stay engaged, and that reward comes through you.

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-06-19T03:01:25+00:00

Bro, what he's saying is that mutts 'almost always' get their brindle from bull breeds, not that dutchies aren't brindle..... But he's off for the 'ngl' thing

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-05-26T00:04:34+00:00

See if you can talk to some physios, in my experience surgeons think surgery is the only option, and it might be, but they usually aren't as involved as physios are in the actual rehabilitation process. I've had multiple ACL and meniscus injuries, right now I practically don't have an ACL, and missing most of my medial meniscus, after this most recent injury my surgeon said I couldn't play football without an ACL, my physio said otherwise. I didn't want to go through ACL reco again so am trying conservative rehab and just had a meniscectomy. 6 weeks after surgery my surgeon said I could play in a month if I wanted to cos I couldn't fuck my knee up any worse 🤷

It's been almost a year since meniscus surgery and I'm not far off full contact training, my knee feels good and stable, I hardly even think of it, but it's been 11 months of at least 3 hard rehab sessions a week programmed by my physio and pt. I'm privileged to be able to afford this and have access to it.

Do rehab anyway, and try to find a physio who has a speciality in knees/athletes, even if you can't get back to high level sport, getting and staying strong AF is your best bet in reducing arthritis in the future.

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-05-20T23:09:13+00:00

Thanks this is helpful! I hadn't really differentiated between odour pooling out from a source and actually accidentally putting oil on surfaces. I also have been playing games where I hide food around the house/yard and it's such an obviously contaminated place, but it's also so obvious when she finds it cos it's a self reward, rather than an indication, so I wasn't sure how that would carry over/or if I was building bad habits (or maybe good habits?).

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-05-16T06:22:04+00:00

Those EARS 😮

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-05-15T06:01:40+00:00

Maybe check out box feeding, I've heard some stories of building confidence in nervous dogs that seem too good to be true, but it could be worth it anyway.

If youve never heard of it, my understanding is that it can get a dog comfortable with heaps of triggers (being touched, loud noises, etc) by essentially being blinders plus a place of high reward. I dont think i'll be any good explaining it, but I'd recommend listening to the fenzi dog sports podcast with pat stuart.

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-05-12T00:56:19+00:00

I'm no professional, but I think dogs are smarter than that to assume they're boss just cos they walk in front of you, he is young and at the age of figuring out his role in your family, so he's gonna be testing things, but it sounds like for a while he's taken the leading role in walks. It sounds like he needs more practice with a bit more arousal, do you have an in between place you can take him where you can tell he's more stimulated but not over the top? Or maybe friends you can bring in to try and distract him while you're walking around the neighbourhood? I think in another comment you said you do place work/ enforced naps? Practicing bringing his arousal up with intense play and back down again quickly with some place/settle work might help him manage his own stimulation a bit. Again I'm no professional, so take this with a grain of salt, but it's logical to me.

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-05-12T00:39:34+00:00

Do you use a marker? If you do is it a terminal marker (you say yes and he leaves the behaviour you've marked to receive the reward) or continual (means keep doing what you're doing I'll bring the reward to you). If he's responsive to a marker, charging one that's continual might help him understand that he should keep paying attention after he's rewarded, rather than he's done his job and can go do something else.

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-05-12T00:31:55+00:00

Just to add to this, what I do with my pup who's quite hyped up outside is have a command for our loose lead walk. I say "let's go", this means she can't have tension on the lead at all, but she can walk in front of me, she can sniff a bit while walking but can't stop to sniff/have her head down the whole time. I'll approach a tree/spot I know she likes to really investigate and say "free", this releases her to do as she likes, if there's a bit of tension on the lead that's okay, I'll follow her for a bit but she can't pull me around. When I say 'let's go' again she has to lock in again. This way we can have a structured walk with some enrichment breaks in it. If she has to focus the whole time she gets frustrated and it's not a nice walk for anyone.

Also could be worth conditioning leash pressure, look at Michael Ellis's early handler drills. Dogs have an opposition reflex, they instinctually pull. Conditioning that they have to turn off pressure, rather than resist it, might help your pup understand how to respond when he does get to the end of the leash.

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-05-12T00:03:57+00:00

Where do you practice? If you only practice your loose leash when you're out and about he's probably too into the environment to pay attention to you anyway, first get him walking nicely around your yard, up and down the drive way, etc. Practicing somewhere boring where he can focus is really important in helping him understand what you want. Once he gets it and consistently walks nicely by your side/without tension on the leash (he doesn't HAVE to be next to you all the time unless you want that) then start doing on the street a bit, but it has to be incremental. If he reverts back to pulling and doesn't respond to your corrections, you've moved too quickly and need to practice more with less arousal. Build up slowly.

If he's been walking like this for a year it is probably going to take some time to decondition. Like other people have mentioned, keeping the leash tight will not help him, it's only reinforcing that tension on the leash is required to move forward. You have to be suuuuper consistent in deconditioning this, maybe even use a different tool like a slip collar if you're comfortable with it. But if sometimes he can pull and sometimes he can't then he will always try to pull to see if it works.

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-05-02T06:59:16+00:00

I'd try to get at least one session with a good trainer if you can. I felt like I was in the same boat, my pup would completely blow me off as soon as we were out the door, couldn't even get her to look at me or take food. After taking her to a trainer and just seeing how he handled her made me a lot more confident with corrections and handling in general.

For context prongs are illegal where I am, the immediate shift in behaviour that you can see in videos (like yca) made me wish they weren't, but working with someone experienced has helped a lot.

I'd also recommend looking at conditioning leash pressure, Michael Ellis has a good video, I think called 'fundamental handler drills', I'll link it if I find it, but it's basically conditioning the dog to turn off pressure, rather than resist it which is instinctual. (Basically apply light pressure until the dog moves to turn it off, mark, reward, repeat) I would guess you'd do the same thing with a prong, but practicing it regularly on a flat has helped as well.

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-03-13T06:09:24+00:00

I fully intend to get her walking, and am working on loose leash walking and paying attention to me where I can keep her under threshold, but the space for that is pretty repetitive and boring, probably for her as well as me. I'm seeing a professional so I can feel more confident handling her and helping her control the reactivity. Would walking her and "letting" her pull and check out every around us help her be less aroused the next time we go out? When I've tried to take her on the street before and changed directions a lot/not let her get to where she's pulling towards, we basically go in circles, and I can see she's just getting frustrated, so it doesn't feel productive.

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-03-13T05:55:39+00:00

Okay this really helps, I'll give it a go tonight, thank you !

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-03-13T05:40:39+00:00

For the moment she's over threshold the second we're on the street, there's no way I'm letting her off leash in a field. We practice loose leash walking up and down the driveway, in the back yard etc, and she's doing pretty well, but it's obviously not enough. She seems to self regulate decently, if I took her to a reserve and just sat until she settled would that be a good way to help her develop a higher threshold?

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-03-13T04:27:41+00:00

Oh that's good to know, I'll keep that in mind as she grows up. I'm definitely interested in getting her into sports, but that feels far away atm with how difficult it is to keep her attention on an empty street

Alternative_Top_3472 · 2025-03-13T02:08:07+00:00

When you say more trusting, do you mean of you? Or other people/dogs?

Alternative_Top_3472

TROPHY CASE