Who here has a Shepherd???

[Charger Aficionado]

  I just got this guy off of Craigslist...  He was SPOILED ROTTEN.  (Came complete with Doggie Cheese Puffs, Doggie-Food Catsup, and all sorts of expensive stuff...  He's AKC and VERY WELL MANNERED in the Ramcharger, but wants to jump on me when I go out back...  He like, stands-up, and pushes me in the gut with a paw, and/or nips at my hand...  I feel bad because I whalloped him when he did that, allthough he did make a mark on my "paw"... 

  Is it normal for these guys to BOUNCE off the wall???  He has been fixed...  She gave me diet doggie food, but he seems really skinny...  I wonder if she was just using her "diet mentality" on the dog (she was very thin and VERY HOTT)...  I'm thinkin' if I feed him a little more it will slow his metabolism and energy down a little no??? 

[Todd Wilson]

  I just got this guy off of Craigslist...   He was SPOILED ROTTEN.   (Came complete with Doggie Cheese Puffs, Doggie-Food Catsup, and all sorts of expensive stuff...   He's AKC and VERY WELL MANNERED in the Ramcharger, but wants to jump on me when I go out back...   He like, stands-up, and pushes me in the gut with a paw, and/or nips at my hand...   I feel bad because I whalloped him when he did that, allthough he did make a mark on my "paw"...  

  Is it normal for these guys to BOUNCE off the wall???   He has been fixed...   She gave me diet doggie food, but he seems really skinny...   I wonder if she was just using her "diet mentality" on the dog (she was very thin and VERY HOTT)...   I'm thinkin' if I feed him a little more it will slow his metabolism and energy down a little no???  

Let me get this right here...........you didnt get a puppy but a full grown dog you dont know from someone you dont know? You are going to have your hands full trying to train this dog or get it to mind you.  You dont know this dog and this dog is big enough to whoop your ass. Be careful!  Your "whallop" could be a bad thing for you!


What little I know about the German Sheps   is they can get the hip dysplasia or how ever you spell it and a skinny in shape dog is better then a fat dog when it comes to the hips.


Todd

[89MOPAR]

 I have a german shepard mix, probabaly 75 % or more shepard.
Anyway, he will go up on his back legs and put paws on your chest. I think he just wants to be at our level sometimes.
He doesnn't nip the hand. 
Between the standing up and wanting to jump on you in the yard - he is telling you he wants to play.
Run around the yard with him...
Usually I chase him for a bit, then I let him chase me- he will try to come up and nip the arm, sometimes, but we know it is play, and I outweigh him by a good  140 lbs, so how bad can it hurt ?
Dog won't do that to strangers.

Sounds like you got a good dog, now invent excuse to re-visit prior owner and chase her around the yard !

[Charger Aficionado]

   Well I had a brain-fart and thought it would be good since he was already house broken...   He's only 18 mos, I think I can train him...   He sits WELL, but doesn't even do other simple stuff...   He has been to obediance school, and maybe I should follow-up with the trainers...   He did start to get crazy with me when I "whalloped" him, but we came to an "understanding" real quick.   He came back at me and I grabbed his collar, and pushed him down... down... down...   He is strong but was soon flat on his chest.   This was the first day only.   Now things have progressed ALOT, and I am certain I will keep him.   I only paid $200 bucks for him and that was a deal after I missed a Champ line Rott for almost a grand.   Otherwise he is awesome...   We go out walking alot, and in this pic above we are out in the country for a stroll...   That SOB ran 30+ MPH when I first let him out and he chased the R.C...   I was pretty amazed...

[Charger Aficionado]

Sounds like you got a good dog, now invent excuse to re-visit prior owner and chase her around the yard !

Dude.  I WILL get a pic of her and post it...  She was awesome...  This dog likes chicks ALOT...  It's funny.  After meeting his "mom" I KNOW WHY!

[Charger4404spd]

I have a 9 yo shepperd. He is full blooded but could not get papers on him sinse his mom had the litter prematurally.
He too likes to wrestle and jump up on me. All he wants to do is play ball. He grew up with a ball in his mouth, so much so that he has worn his teeth down. Now he likes to cram his head down in a 5 gallon bucket, sling it up in the air and try to catch it. He doesnt mind very well, I guess some of it may be due to the fact he was abused early in life, but hes a very good dog. He always lets me know when something or someone is outside.

Last pic is my Husky that passed away this July.

[Blown70]

When growing up we had WHITE germans.... Those and the ones you have are smart dogs.  They will learn if you take the time.  Ours would only jump up if you told him "up" and patted your chest.  He LOVED to play and would just grab the arm not hard just to let you know.....no in  a mean way at all.

He would sit, stay, fetch, etc on command.

Take some time with him and you will have a great dog. 

[Arigmaster]

You have nothing to worry about with your German Shepard, He is only 18 mos. old and they usually really come into their own (mature) at about 3 years old. Some Shepards are very skinny with very long legs. This is a line bread for speed and agility... Others follow more of a strenght and solid solid build. (Its all in the breeding) The high protine and low fat diet is good for him especially because they need higher protine till at least 2 years of age. You may want to put him on a potato and duck formula... Occasionally give him fish & potato. I have found that the rice formulas don't do well for most working dog breeds... (potato is better source of starch and roughage than rice)

As for the jumping up, there is no need to strike the dog. For the best result, you need to give him a stern "No" and don't stop at just making him lie down. You need to roll him on his back (he will resist this) and hold him there for a couple minutes untill he submits. This is putting him in his place and establishing you as the Alpha. You need to repeat the "NO" command once he is on his back untill he stops struggling. The same applies to the nipping and biting your hands. You need to put him down and hold his muzzle closed at the same time and use a stern "NO".

All that said, when it comes time to let him up, dont let him off the hook quite yet. Make him sit and stay for a moment then give praise for good behavior... It may take a week or so but he will get the message and will end up sitting and waiting for you to acknowlege him rather than jumping in your face. He will also respond to the "NO" order better when he wants to jump on guests or family members....

Hope that helps you some...

[Blown70]

I LOVE THAT>..... I can make it can you.....hehehe

[hemihead]

I agree with Arig.I have a 13 y.o. Shepard and I would never think about any other breed.She loves all people but doesn't like other animals.When we wrestle she nips at my hands and even bites but knows not to bite hard.She bites my son softer than she bites me. lol.
They are nervous dogs and tend to be hyper.Very loyal and smart.You need to keep teaching them different things so they don't get bored.
If they get bored , they get depressed.

[TheGhost]

My dog is half-shepard, about as obidient as a rock, and very hyper.   I love him anyway, though.  He's also the friendliest dog I've ever seen.  The ONLY time he barks is when he really has to go outside, when a stranger is at the door, or when he is playing with one of us.  Never at any other dogs.  He doesn't bite, either.  He nips, though.

[Charger Aficionado]

As for the jumping up, there is no need to strike the dog.

Oh, I didn't hit him when he jumped-up, just when he bit HARD...  I think he bit because I was pushing him off of me...  I do appreciate all of your guy's advice!   This is cool...

[Arigmaster]

I just wanted to add one more thing about the nip and bite thing....

It is not limited to german shepards, it actually is a problem with many dogs. There are some breeders who will remove the puppies from their mother too soon and we have found that these dogs are more prone to nip or bite more often. It isnt because they are mean but more so because they don't know any better. During their first 3 to 4 weeks their mother and litter-mates teach them that this hurts. Not in a mean way but they do get the message. Some breeders (mostly puppy mills or backyard variety) will remove a pup at 2 weeks. This is all about $$$. Those pups have consistantly shown more hyperactivity and tendancies to nip and bite compared to pups taken at 4 to 5 weeks old...

This doesnt condem the dog but it does take a bit longer to break them of this. One way that really helps is to socialize the dog with another dog who is a bit more well adjusted...

By the way, I don't have shepards any more... I have Samoyeds now and I have to say, I have never had a dog that was so loyal and so good with kids and other animals! They really have great personalities!

[Guns N Rotors]

Here's my 3 year old, White German Shepherd Rex III...

[Guns N Rotors]

His baby picture.

[RTPTRON]

This is my Australian Model of the Shepard, Annie.  She is checking out my GN the day I brought it home.  She is a little pissed because there is a damn Buick in her driveway.

The next picture is from the Kent Charger Meet.   It is not my car.

[dkn1997]

if he jumps on you, step lightly on his feet.  they don't like it.  No need to beat him

[dart3404]

This is a good web site to visit. It has a lot of good advice from a professional trainer and breeder of GS dogs. http://www.leerburg.com/articles.htm

I also recommend getting a couple of good books.
Here are some that i have read and feel have some useful info for you.

How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend : A Training Manual for Dog Owners; New Skete Monks/T/1978

Good Owners, Great Dogs (Paperback)
by Brian Kilcommons, Sarah Wilson

Good luck with him, he is a beauty.

[ck1]

  I just got this guy off of Craigslist...   He was SPOILED ROTTEN.   (Came complete with Doggie Cheese Puffs, Doggie-Food Catsup, and all sorts of expensive stuff...   He's AKC and VERY WELL MANNERED in the Ramcharger, but wants to jump on me when I go out back...   He like, stands-up, and pushes me in the gut with a paw, and/or nips at my hand...   I feel bad because I whalloped him when he did that, allthough he did make a mark on my "paw"...  

  Is it normal for these guys to BOUNCE off the wall???   He has been fixed...   She gave me diet doggie food, but he seems really skinny...   I wonder if she was just using her "diet mentality" on the dog (she was very thin and VERY HOTT)...   I'm thinkin' if I feed him a little more it will slow his metabolism and energy down a little no???  

We have had germanshperd for about three genrations, my Mon had one when she was a little girl that was actually saw combat in WW2, they are very good dogs, hopefully he Will grow out of jumping on you but if he dose not it will take some professional training.........he looks like a purebreed? do you know?  if it is the usually stay thin and he proably doesn't eat much now? but keep him thin, they do get bad hips around 8 to 10 years so bad that a vertebrae will slip on them just below the shoulder paralyzing them sometimes.....you shout be able to see there ribs and no belly from there on back to the groaning.........we have to now and both are female.....one is purebreed without papers their other is not........Mickey the purebreed she is hipper just like what your dog is doing and is about 6 years old and hasn't grown out of it......I kinda like it for we live on a big farm and she is fun to chase and be chased around.......anywho very nice looking dog you got.......you know if both ears stand up most of the time with out flopping down to the side you got a good breed of a German Shepperd....that means there alert at all times.........good family guard dog.........

[Charger Aficionado]

if he jumps on you, step lightly on his feet. they don't like it. No need to beat him

  Again folks, I didn't "Beat" him when he jumped...   I beat him when he bit the hell out of me...   

We have had germanshperd for about three genrations, my Mon had one when she was a little girl that was actually saw combat in WW2, they are very good dogs, hopefully he Will grow out of jumping on you but if he dose not it will take some professional training.........he looks like a purebreed? do you know? if it is the usually stay thin and he proably doesn't eat much now? but keep him thin, they do get bad hips around 8 to 10 years so bad that a vertebrae will slip on them just below the shoulder paralyzing them sometimes.....you shout be able to see there ribs and no belly from there on back to the groaning.........we have to now and both are female.....one is purebreed without papers their other is not........Mickey the purebreed she is hipper just like what your dog is doing and is about 6 years old and hasn't grown out of it......I kinda like it for we live on a big farm and she is fun to chase and be chased around.......anywho very nice looking dog you got.......you know if both ears stand up most of the time with out flopping down to the side you got a good breed of a German Shepperd....that means there alert at all times.........good family guard dog.........

  Yep, he's a registered purebreed...   His ears are usually straight-up...   I noticed the little girl that the previous owner had, was tugging at his ears...   I mentioned that I heard that was bad for shepherds, and she said she never heard that.   My mom had one a long time ago, and I heard her say this.

I had a only a blanket for him at first, but got worried about his hips, so I went out to Walmart and got him this huge doggie bed... It's pretty heavy duty, and has a waterproof/removable case, but it was $39.99...  (Almost as much as that price-gouged $34.99 Gen Lee that doesn't work)...

[Brock Samson]

  Congrats JUDE on your new best friend!.. and friendly they are,.. playful as heck with tons of energy inna pretty stout package...  :yesnod
looks like a keeper now ya got the relationship figgured out..
30 MPH sounds about right, if ya think that's bad get a Graet Dane..


now , let's see Momma!

[MichaelRW]

Sheperds are great dogs. I have owned two, not at the same time and their personalties were like night and day. One was very friendly to most everybody and the other was not. The one that was not friendly was almost too protective. I had to keep an eye on her when strangers were around.

I highly recommend dog obedience school. The school actually teaches you on how to teach the dog. The learning curve for the dog is much quicker when you are consistent in the method you train it.

Best of luck with your new buddy.

[sandmbmx88]

my dogs eyes are constantly glowing like this....shes very easy to find in the dark...

[Charger4404spd]

I bet that shepperd could hear a mouse fart!

[psykicpup]

if he tends to nip duing play try shouting 'oww' in a very loud hurt kinda voice & pull away or turn away- he will probably be mortified that he has hurt you...used that on our dogs once they were old enough to realise teeth can hurt lol