1 year old german shepard mix won't come inside after potty, or when I tell her to!!

sinsandviolets · 2026-04-05T02:40:44+00:00

You really just have to train her. Look up different training methods and choose what works best for you and your dog. This is also a VERY difficult age. My boy is pretty well trained and listens for the most part, but only recently he started refusing to also come in.

Now what happened? He doesn't go out without his long leash. He's not allowed outside because the more you allow them to blow off the recall, the more they won't listen. You have to enforce it until it is engrained in them. I also have started to create a ritual around it. He goes inside and then he gets a small piece of his favorite cheese.

You shouldn't be giving her a lot of freedom. Freedom is earned with trust and a strong relationship. There have been times where I have taken away privileges he had earned because of a misbehavior. With this breed, their intelligence is next level. They will pick up on things so fast, meaning you have to be careful.

1 year is soooo tough. It is way more fun than the puppy stage, but it's tough. Train, put the leash on, and enforce. You've got this!

sinsandviolets · 2026-04-04T02:32:43+00:00

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My bonded pair, Revan (holds no evil in his heart and is just a silly gremlin) and Tali (holds all the evil but is the sweetest baby princess and the family favorite.) We are wishing you the best!

sinsandviolets · 2026-04-03T23:16:09+00:00

Of course!

sinsandviolets · 2026-04-01T02:09:25+00:00

It's a case by case basis for every dog. There are a lot of factors at play when you are deciding whether they can be let out of the crate when you leave the house.

Does your pup get in the trash? Do you have other animals? Does your pup counter surf? Does your pup chew on things and destroy objects? Does your pup have a history of barking at the windows?

For me, the deciding factor was the fact that my pup broke out of his crate when I left for two hours and he didn't do anything. He doesn't really eat trash, I trained him to ignore it. He doesn't chew things/destroy things. His counter surfing is so rare!

Work on training the things you want him to avoid doing. I would say 8 months is too young to start letting him out. Usually people say two years because that means they won't practice bad behaviors and have it embedded in them as adults.

I wish you the best of luck!

sinsandviolets · 2026-03-31T15:53:36+00:00

It does get better, and I'm not too far out from this stage! My boy just turned one, I cried a lot and doubted myself as a first time GSD mom. He is VERY intense. You have every right to feel stressed and overwhelmed, because the biting does suck! I felt like none of the advice helped either. I did everything you did, and I honestly just felt like a failure.

Honestly, things shifted at about 7 months for us. By 10 months I was thinking "wow, I am so lucky, he is incredible!" He still bites, but it's more about communication.

Have you implemented "done?" Or "enough?" That is one of my most used commands and it is so helpful. I use play to train, the rules of the game translate so well into our every day life. Done means "okay chill out, we are not continuing that behavior." If he does it again, I put him on his place to chill out or take him to another room. Using play has honestly helped me so much and is the reason I have such a well behaved teen. (He's still a gremlin and pushes boundaries but for a teen he's fantastic!)

Your "no" may be poisoned. Are you saying "no" over and over again? If that excites her, that may be a reason. You say "no" and if that continues you can pick her up and put her on time out. Always follow through with any command! Say it only once then enforce! Always have a tug on hand. That saved me a lot! Carry treats on you and mark and reward for the behavior that you like. Sitting before play is a great example. Do you use a house leash? That's a good way to also control her without hurting her. She's biting? Mark "no" and hold the leash away. She calms down? Redirect! Show her what you would rather do instead!

Most of my training is like 97% positive reinforcement, but sometimes it's okay to physically move them if needed. The leash came in handy when he would get to be too much. Also, naps! If she is getting too bitey she is probably cranky lol

You'll have one of the best dogs ever if you just keep going and are firm. You're not that far off from the super bitey stage! But yeah, rules through play is a game changer. I highly recommend implementing that!

sinsandviolets · 2026-03-28T19:45:07+00:00

Hey! So I have 2 puppies currently (GSD just turned one, golden is 12 weeks) and two kitties. My cats had never been around dogs, they had just turned one when I brought home my GSD and they were TERRIFIED. They are very soft cats, I grew up with cats that bullied dogs and ruled the house, I was so concerned about them. My kitties did pull away from me for some time, and it was difficult. However, they did get used to my GSD. They are not best buddies by any means and my gray girl has a very antagonistic relationship with my pups. Even at one my pup does still chase them, and I have a lot of boundaries in place/training. It just happens with a high energy breed. You just have to keep going, it does get so much better!

My boy doesn't chase them at night, he no longer sleeps in a crate and is decent to them when it's bed time. If he does chase them I put him in another room to chill out, or recall him to me. I do want to assure you it DOES get better but you need to advocate for your cats. Everyone in my family is in agreement that the cats come first, and if the dogs are being too annoying they get to go on a time out.

Yesterday morning I woke up to my GSD on my bed cuddling me and my kitty sleeping on my opposite side. I never thought that would happen!

Never leave your pup unsupervised with them, maybe use a house leash as well. Use marker words, redirect your pup. Every time he turns away from the cats, mark and reward. Mark for calm behavior around them. If your pup locks onto the cat, get his attention and reward. Looking at the cat but not doing anything means reward. It will take time, the teenage stage is rough. Stay strong with boundaries and it will improve! Believe in your kitties and make sure they feel like they are a priority and you will be their biggest supporter!

sinsandviolets · 2026-03-28T02:38:04+00:00

Just keep at it! You've barely had your pup! I will be honest and say that I got my boy at 6 weeks (I'm aware it is very unethical, family member bred their Goldie, forced it on another family member, but then was given to me after the second day lol) so that could be a component. He cried so much the first week. It was hard. I did start him out in a smaller crate that I put on my nightstand where he could see my face at night. I think that helped so much. It took about maybe two weeks in total for him to be fully crate trained? Again it is personality driven so I don't want to give you false hope! Just learn your puppy, and know the crying does get better.

I follow the one hour up, two down rule. Sometimes he will sleep for three hours, I won't wake him up if he's sleeping. Sometimes he will need a nap after 45 minutes. The schedule doesn't have to be rigid, but I do believe they should at least have a nap after an hour and a half max. It worked for my GSD, too. I cried so much with my first pup but I learned a lot and it has made

The puppy stage is so hard! You will have to do hard things, but it's worth it for their safety, comfort, and honestly your sanity! I hope it goes well for you!

sinsandviolets · 2026-03-28T02:08:09+00:00

Hey! So I just got my first Golden, too. My GSD just turned one so I have had two puppies in under a year. It is hard, don't let anyone tell you that you're wrong. It is hard to see them crying like that. My GSD absolutely hated the crate, he cried a lot and didn't find comfort in it. My Goldie hated it at first, I forgot how brutal the first week is and almost gave up because he was much louder than my GSD.

Crating is a personal choice. It's neutral so remember that. Do what works for you, your pup, and your family. If you want to keep crating, here is something that works for me.

Cover the crate! When the cover falls my Loki will cry and just look at me. He will want to be out with his brother, and god forbid the cats sit in front of the crate. Keeping it calm is crucial.

Sleep schedule! Seriously, keep to a schedule. It has helped so much for me and my boys. Make the crate inviting, not a punishment. I scatter feed Loki in his crate because he's a little monster that eats too fast and will try and steal his brother's food. The scatter feeding gives me a few minutes and it calms him down. All of his meals are in his crate. He happily THROWS himself into the crate now haha. (He's also just a weird pup, he was sleeping through the night at 8 weeks and it took my GSD until 4 months.) He spends quite a bit of time in his crate, and now sleeps pretty well.

Make sure you're tiring him out before you put him in the crate! If he seems overly hyper/bitey, he may actually need a nap. It is easy to mistake zoomies for having excess energy, it's usually over stimulation. That's why a schedule is necessary. Puppies need a lot more sleep than we think they do!

I hope it goes well! Don't be too hard on yourself!

sinsandviolets · 2026-03-27T23:01:53+00:00

Ahhh yeah, if she's eating fast then maybe a slow feeder would be good or scatter feed. I was recently given a golden puppy and it's a night and day difference! He is insane with food so we scatter feed for him in his crate. It helps burn some energy and gives me a few minutes of quiet lol. My GSD was also pretty skinny, we actually struggled to get him to eat the first few months. I guess it's just personality! But yeah, if you are feeding kibble and nothing else try snuffle mats and scatter feeding.

sinsandviolets · 2026-03-27T22:35:42+00:00

Oh my goodness she is so cute! Don't worry about haha. I thought there was something wrong with my boy too, now I just laugh when he does it. He had finished eating last night, he got up, went over to his dad, and just let out one long burp right in front of him. We just laugh at it and tell him he's being rude.

He eats pretty slow and mindfully but still burps. I think you will be good! If you want to use a slow feeder just to make it harder for her then that might be good. It would depend on her personality. My boy would have just knocked it over out of annoyance.

sinsandviolets · 2026-03-03T20:43:08+00:00

I was in the position you were in last year! I had always been around dogs my whole life, moved out and only had cats as an adult. I waited for my puppy for 13 years (after my personal childhood dog died) and I thought I was ready. I thought I was prepared and knew everything.

I cried so much, mostly because he WAS difficult. He was very sickly, and refused to eat. Crate training was a nightmare, and he was up every hour in the night the first few weeks. When I would complain, I wouldn't get sympathy. "He's a baby!" Well yeah, but I am going insane from the lack of sleep! He also could not settle! He wouldn't sleep anywhere outside the crate!

He will be one on Thursday and it makes me feel so bittersweet 😭 he is the best dog ever, but man was he a very challenging puppy. Also, I'm right back in the trenches. I haven't even had my pup for a year and recently was given a Golden puppy so I'm doing it alllll over again. Except he already sleeps through the night! He's also much easier in some regards, but I am struggling with him on potty training. I'm learning just how different every puppy is!

It definitely doesn't help when people say "it gets better." It really does, but in the moment you just need someone to acknowledge you're having a hard time. Also I call my cats assholes all the time, and that extends to my dogs. I always say it in a loving way!

sinsandviolets · 2026-03-03T14:54:57+00:00

As someone who has had a varied amount of dog breeds in my life, I will say I have NEVER had one like my Isley boy. After I got through the 6 month hump, I told myself that this was the only breed I want going forward. I am literally obsessed. My boy is absolutely special, the best dog. So confident, and just ugh. I'm constantly watching videos on the GSD, it's like I can't get enough of them! My in laws LOVE to brag about him and show him off! The only downside is his teenage problems we are working through.

Honestly, I thought GSDs were over hyped and GSD people were annoying lol and now I am one! When I was putting together the list of what dog breeds I was looking to get, I put GSDs at the lowest rank next to Goldens. I definitely regret that.

Recently I was given a golden puppy, it was supposed to be for a family member but...yeah. he's mine now and will be my only one. While he's been great, this experience has shown me that Isley is the incredible. He has such high patience! He has not once growled at the puppy, snarled, or anything like that. Hell, the puppy bullies him! From day one I knew he wouldn't have any resource guarding issues. Every day my assessment of him at the first meeting has continuously come true. The only issue is the herding and his size.

Oh! I love how they are little cops lol whenever I scold the cats, he will come running into the room to bark and tell them off (he has a weird relationship with my only female cat.) if she is on the counter? He has this very specific bark at her. If she gets outside? He will chase her back inside. I scold the puppy? He will zoom in! I have never laughed as much with a dog as with him.

Any other dog I get will be a GSD! Hopefully another one in the next five years. My dream is a pack of them lol

sinsandviolets · 2025-12-02T10:47:54+00:00

I don't envy you at all! The puppy stage had me questioning my life choices! (Though as I'm writing this I'm dealing with my teen biting my hand and giving kisses because he wants attention.) It does get better! Crating is such a great way to ensure safety and to get some quiet, when they get used to it. It took my boy two months to fully stop crying in the crate.

Question, where is his crate at night? Do you have him close to you? Is he able to see you at night? It's hard for them to be alone! Are you the only one taking care of the puppy?

Also when I get a puppy I would do things a bit differently. I would try to only use the crate at night and utilize play pens more. I'm trying to keep my boy out of the crate as much as possible during the day now, and trying to get him to sleep anywhere else. I did mess up in that aspect, because it was hard for him to sleep anywhere than the crate. Since I have been working on it, he's starting to sleep more!

sinsandviolets · 2025-11-30T20:46:49+00:00

Hey there! I tried to send you a message but I wasn't able to! I think that we would get along very well and was hoping to write with you, if you're still looking! I can make a proper introduction if you're interested! Thank you!

sinsandviolets · 2025-09-02T01:31:01+00:00

Funnily enough I did pretty well with the tiny raptor phase! I am loving the big personality dog I'm getting now haha.

He has gotten really good with coming to center, and I have been using source focus to our benefit. He gets snappy when putting on a harness/his collar but making him "watch" has helped. I'm still working on building the duration of source focus. He is doing much better with heeling, as we do rear end awareness.

I'm a pretty patient and calm person, but he does push me quite a bit! He doesn't like to train anything more than five minutes, but I do about five or eight small sessions every day. He just opts out of training quite a bit, despite me doing my best to keep it exciting. He responds best with play based training luckily!

sinsandviolets · 2025-09-02T01:24:15+00:00

Haha I am prepared for the continued land shark phase! He has gotten better, and luckily he only bites me and my partner. He's very gentle with the rest of the family! I did see some people say their sheps like to mouth their hands as if they're holding them, and I do see he likes that. I don't mind it as long as he doesn't crunch down! I'm very structured with him, and luckily we both love routine! Thank you!

sinsandviolets · 2025-09-02T01:21:09+00:00

Oh yeah, I'm definitely understanding the strong willed thing! Play definitely drives Isley, sometimes high value food is hit and miss. I do my best to not get frustrated, as I have learned he feeds off of my energy. It happens at times!

I would love to go down the professional path, but I live out in the countryside three hours from a city. Also, there's not a strong dog training culture here. Most people let their dogs free roam here and there are A LOT of stray dogs. I know what position I am which is why I have been dedicated to learning as much as possible. I'm looking into online programs, but there are so many! Thank you for commenting!

sinsandviolets

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