New Puppy Schedule

With all of you that are getting a new puppy, below is rough puppy schedule to help you make the most of your day. Now when taking your pup out to go potty make sure you use the words “outside” and “potty” as much as possible. This way when your pup is older you can say, do you need to go outside and go potty? and if your dog is like mine they get super excited starting to run around and race you to the door.

When you pup is little you will want to take him everywhere with you, and that is ok, but your pup needs to learn that he is not always going to get to go everywhere and that sitting in his crate for a few hours while mom goes grocery shopping is ok. So don’t spoil your pup to much.

 

Enjoy your new pup and if you ever have questions feel free to email me at germanshepherddogs@doglover.com

Bringing home a new pup

Are you brining home a new puppy?? Are you stressed or nervous? Do you know what you need??

Check out below for helpful tips to make things easier on you and your pup.

1. Set up a Pick up Day with Shelter or Breeder and Plan Ahead
Get on the same page with the shelter or breeder and set up a day and time that works best for both of you.  You will want to be able to spend the first two to three days with your new puppy uninterrupted, so plan ahead with work to take a day or two off.  My suggestion would be to pick up your new puppy on a Thursday or Friday so you will have those days plus the weekend off to spend time getting better acquainted.  I don’t think a full week off from work is necessary- you will want to start getting back into your regular routine as soon as possible. These first few days you will be teaching the pup the rules of the house and making the change from shelter/breeder to home life easier.

2. Begin to Purchase Supplies
It is really important that you are fully prepared when you bring puppy home.  You won’t want to spend one minute of time away from your pup to go pick up an odd or an end.  Take your time when picking out items- I found it to be a very enjoyable and fun process.  Also, don’t limit yourself to just buying from pet stores. You can find a lot of cute, unique and quality items at TJMaxx, Marshalls and Home Goods, amazon.com, Walmart, target, even Dollar Tree. Other great places to look are farm and outdoors stores., like Big R, Tractor Supply, Bass pro, Cabalas and others. An ultimate list coming soon of all the items you will need to buy. Now with a puppy things get chewed on, especially leashes, don’t spend top dollar on everything. Also remember, puppies grow quick and the collar you buy now will most likely not fit in 2-4 months so don’t spend top dollar on a collar until they are abut a year old.

3. Talk to the Shelter or Breeder About Your Future Pup’s Current Daily Routine
Understanding what your future puppies daily routine is crucial to having a smooth transition home.  Things you should discuss in detail with the shelter or breeder are:

• What is a full day like for my puppy? Does he have a daily routine?
• How often is he currently being let outside to do his/her business?
• What is night time currently like? Is he being let out during the night to do his/her business?
• How often and how much is he being fed?
• What food is he being fed?
• How much and what type of exercise is he currently getting?
• Is he at all crate trained? If so, to what extent?
• What commands or words are currently being used to train him?
• Does he know his own name?
• At what stage is he with his puppy shots and vaccines?
• Are there any other heath concerns specific to this puppy?

Knowing all of the answers to these questions will help you to continue the pup’s daily life in your own home and cause minimal disruption. Remember, you are essentially taking a baby away from the only thing they have ever known.  He is going to feel unsure in the new environment of your home with people he doesn’t really know.  Continuing his daily routine and training will help him feel more at home and will make your life easier. Also bringing or shipping a blanket from your house to be with the puppy the last 2-3 days he is at the breeder/shelter will help your pup recognize your sent as good because you are introducing it at his current safe place. When you pick up your pup make sure to bring the blanket back with you because it now has smells of his original safe place which will also make the transition easier.

4. Puppy Proof Your House
You will want to create a safe environment for your new puppy when he comes home.  Some of my suggestions for puppy proofing are:

• Taping down or concealing wires and cords where puppies cannot reach them (my dogs loved cords!! Especially phone chargers and laptop cords.
• Research and remove any houseplants that are toxic to dogs, ex. palms and Cala Lilys
• Start getting into the habit of picking clothes and shoes up off the floor where your pup cannot reach or putting them in a room that will be off limits
• Getting into the habit of closing the toilet seat if you don’t already
• Rolling up and storing area rugs so your pup cannot chew the edges

Taking these precautions will keep your pet and your belongings safe.

5.  Discuss with your Household who will be Responsible for Puppy Chores
If your puppy will be the family pet, I think this is one of the most important steps- discussing with you family who will be responsible for what when it comes to the new pup.  Outline with your household all of the chores associated with the dog- walking, feeding, training, letting him out to go potty, etc. and decide who will be responsible for these.

Also consider the middle of the day, who will come home from work and let the pup out and who will wake up in the middle of the night to let the pup out. As your pup gets older this is not a problem but until that point there needs to be a plan.
6. Learn a Little About Dog Training
If you are a first time puppy owner or you have not had a new puppy in a long time, it would be a great idea to brush up on training basic commands, crate training and potty training.  There are so many great videos on YouTube that teach you how to teach your pup all of these things.

7. Set-up Pet Insurance
Something to consider when having a pup is to get pet insurance. This can be a helpful tool to use when you run into an unexpected illness or if an accident were to happen.  Vet bills can add up quickly and you can protect yourself from these unexpected costs.  Most employers offer pet insurance if you already have health insurance through them- it can be very cheap too, about five dollars a week.  This is just something to consider but is not required.

8. Seek Out Local Vet and Make Appointment
If you do not already have one, find a local vet and set up an initial appointment for a few days after you bring your puppy home.  They will do a check up and make sure he is in good health and administer any shots or vaccines that are due.  If you have any health concerns about your puppy this is a great time to ask your vet.

This is also a good time to do a Google search for your nearest animal hospital for your future reference.

9.  Set-up Puppy Things
About 3 days before you bring home your new pup you should start to set up all of the supplies you have gathered. This would include setting up your crate if you are going to use one, taking the tags off everything and putting away all other supplies so everything will be readily available when you need it. I say 3 days because this way you can decide and move things around before the pup gets home. If your like me you set everything up, your significant other comes home and moves everything then you have to compromise on where things are going to go. Also a good idea to go o the store and get cute baskets and everything for your pup. You will also want to set up a “DOG” folder. In this folder you will store all important documents pertaining to your pup. Vet appointments, make sure you get a print out of everything the doc did. Keep all shot records, bloodline papers, extra dog tags (for the case that your dog breaks his collar and loses his tags) all microchip paperwork, basically everything important.

10. Prepare your Vehicle for the Puppy Voyage
Congratulations! You have managed to maintain your sanity awaiting the fateful day you would bring home your new best friend 🙂 You will now need to prep your vehicle to bring home baby.

Prepare your vehicle, bring towels to clean up any messes, treats, the leash and collar in case you need to make a pit stop on the way home to go potty. If your car is large enough to fit a crate in the back, set it up and line with towels and throw in some plush toys.  This is a safe and easy way to transport the dog home.  If your car cannot fit a crate and your dog is small enough, bring a large laundry basket and line with a towel and plush toys. This is a really easy way to transport the pup- I would recommend someone sitting in the back with the basket just in case.

Put your dog where you want him to sit from now on. Enforcing rules as early as possible will make things easier later. I saw a post on facebook yesterday asking for advice because this guys GSD pup sits in his lap when he drives, knowing this dog is not going to stay this size he now wants to do something to fix it. Don’t let it get that far, set boundaries from day one and enforce them everyday.

11. Enjoy your pup while they are little, while enforcing rules. Have fun and play games with your pup. Check out Indoor Brain Games for dogs, Indoor Brain Games for dogs 2, Indoor Brain Games 3, Indoor Brain Games 4 for all kinds of games and activities to do with your pup.

 

I hope this helps yall. I am putting together a list of supplies you will need when bringing home your pup and will be posting it tomorrow. I hope you all enjoy.

If you have any questions feel free to email me germanshepherddogs@doglover.com

Indoor Brain Games 4

Ok yall this is going to be a long post but I hope you enjoy it. Continuing on with my indoor games to beat boredom. Check out the earlier posts here Indoor Brain Games 3, Indoor Brain Games for dogs 2, Indoor Brain Games for dogs.

20. Give Your Dog Regular Grooming Sessions

Although your dog won’t find a grooming session as exciting as a game of tug it is something that needs to be done from time to time. Our dogs need to be brushed, bathed, have their teeth brushed, and have their nails trimmed when they start to get long.

Some dogs tolerate grooming better than others, and the more you practice using positive rewards the easier it will become. Don’t be afraid to hand out lots of treats during a grooming session – you want to ensure your dog will associate grooming habits with a positive experience.

21. Play a Game of Tag With Your Dog

Playing tag will require a partner. Each of you will sit or stand at one side of the room with a toy or some treats. Take turns calling the dog over and rewarding them when he comes. Make sure your dog is receiving lots of positive reinforcement each time they obey. This is a simple and fun way to reinforce a reliable recall.

22. Create Your Own Indoor Obstacle Course For Your Dog

Create your own obstacle course inside your home. Have your dog jump over some towels, weave through his toys, and then lay down on a blanket. Use your imagination and come up with a set of obstacles for your dog to follow. Once your dog has learned how to jump over the towels you then move onto the toy weave. Building on prior tricks will keep your dog mentally stimulated and encourages focus.

23. Blow Bubbles For Your Dog

This is my absolute favorite activity to use when I’m under the weather. It’s such a simple way to keep my dog happy, entertained & exercised.

I don’t know why but some dogs are fascinated by catching bubbles. There’s even a wide selection of pet bubble making toys on the market. You don’t have to go out and buy special bubbles either – the bubbles that are available for children are nontoxic. If you have a child in the home here’s proof that babies, dogs, and bubbles are the most adorable thing on the planet.

24. Buy Your Dog a New Toy, Make One, or Rotate Them

Studies have found that dogs get bored with their old toys. You can either buy your dog a new toy to get their enthusiasm going or you can rotate their toys. Instead of giving your dog access to all of their toys all the time give them a couple. If you rotate one of their old toys back into the mix after awhile they’ll have some of that original enthusiasm back.

You can always make their toys more exciting by ensuring you’re engaging with them by playing fetch or tug. Toys take on a whole new value once you get involved and start playing with it as well. There’s also a ton of DIY toys you can make from household items such as old t shirts, towels, and denim.

25. Make a Doggie Play Date

Does your dog have some nice dog friends? Invite them over for some play time. It’s so satisfying to see dogs engaging in play with one another, and it’s pretty much guaranteed you’ll have one tired dog at the end of the day. You’ll also have a chance to catch up on some chores while the dogs create their own wrestle mania in your living room.

26. Brush up on Some Old Dog Tricks

Just like us our dogs need a refresher now and then. When’s the last time you asked your dog to roll over or play dead? If it’s been awhile get out your clicker or treats and run through the drill. Have your dog practice all of their commands to make sure they’re not getting rusty.

27. Teach Your Dog the “Go To” Command

Does your dog know how to go to the couch or to his bed? This trick is simple to teach and it’s helpful when you’re making dinner or having guests over. If you tell your dog to go to his spot while you’re making dinner enough times it will become a habit. No dog in the kitchen while cooking means you won’t be finding dog hair in your dinner as often.

28. Teach Your Dog to Grab His Leash

Before we go for a walk I have my dog go and grab her leash. She also has to fetch me my boots and her harness. It’s not asking much, but it’s enough to keep her focused and busy while I’m getting ready. Before I taught her to go grab those items she’d be spinning around, whining, and jumping while I got everything ready.

29. Teach Your Dog to Turn On/Off Lights

This can come in quite handy when it’s getting late and you find yourself needing some more light and you’re feeling a bit lazy. Instead of having to get up and turn on the light have your dog do it for you. To start with this trick a touch stick or good “touch” it command are handy. If you have a small dog you might have to improvise to make it possible for your dog to reach the light switch. Don’t attempt this trick if the occasional scratch mark on your wall will bother you.

30. Work on Impulse Control For Better Manners

Dogs, like children, have to be taught that they can’t always get what they want right away. From a puppy learning bite inhibition to teaching an adult dog to “wait” on command, impulse control keeps our dogs out of trouble and safe. Brush up on the basic impulse control commands like leave it, wait, stay, settle, and down. These commands are important if your dog ever gets loose or decides to chase after that squirrel.

31. Make Some Simple Dog Treats

Your dog might not be an active participant in the making of dog treats, but he’ll certainly be reaping the rewards. You can make your own simple dog treats instead of going out to the store. It’s nice knowing exactly what goes into what our dogs are eating. Not only will you have a great supply of training rewards on hand but you’ll also impress your dog with your excellent culinary expertise. Check out my homemade Category for homemade dog treats. Minty Fresh Breath, Homemade Chicken Jerky, Homemade Chews.

32. Teach Them To Say Please by Sitting

Does your dog come up to you and nudge your hand when they want something? If you don’t find this behavior desirable teach your dog that sitting politely is the key to gaining your attention. Don’t be afraid to teach your dog how to act – without guidance they develop bad manners.

Our dogs look to us for cues all the time, they like to know what’s expected of them. Reward polite behaviors handsomely, with consistency your dog will get into the habit of asking for things in a polite manner.

33. Snuggle Up & Relax With Your Dog

After a nice training session or game there’s nothing better than a little bit of relaxation. We all need time to unwind, and many of our dogs love to lounge around with us. Before bedtime each night I sit on the floor with my dogs for a bit. It didn’t start off as anything planned but now when 10:30 rolls around they are putting their heads on my lap begging me to sit on the floor and rub them and snuggle before bed.

Well yall that’s all I have for today I hope you enjoyed and ill add more as I think of them or find the. Also feel free to post your ideas in the comments.

If you have any questions feel free to email me at germanshepherddogs@doglover.com

 

Indoor Brain Games 3

Continuing our indoor games for dogs, Check out the past post and check out below for the activities for today Indoor Brain Games for dogs, Indoor Brain Games for dogs 2

 

13. Play a Game of Tug of War With Your Dog

Tug of war is extremely tiring, both mentally and physically. The good news is you don’t need a ton of room to play so it can be done indoors. Make sure your dog has a good “drop it” or “leave it” command and have some fun with it.

Contrary to what some people have said for years playing tug will not make your dog aggressive. It’s a simple way to exercise your dog as long as you follow a few basic rules. Earn some bonus fun points with your dog by letting them win sometimes.

14. Teach Your Dog to Clean Up His Toys

If your dogs toys are kept in a container or bin teach them to clean up after themselves. If your dog already knows “drop it” have them pick up a toy and give them their drop it command once they’re standing over the container. Praise them like crazy, then rinse and repeat. Eventually with consistency you’ll have a dog that will be able to clean up after himself.

15. Get Some Puzzle Toys For Your Dog

Keep you dog mentally stimulated by giving them a puzzle to solve. There are a ton of dog puzzle toys available, as well as treat dispensing toys like the Kong Wobbler.  There’s also a ton of great DIY toys out there you can make. I love the simple muffin tin game – if you have a muffin tin and some tennis balls you’re ready to play.

16. Make Your Dog Work for His Food

We give our dogs a nice comfy life – they get a warm bed, lots of attention, and their meals for free. But our dogs were bred to work alongside us, many of our dogs are missing out on some mentally stimulating activities. One of the easiest ways to challenge their minds is to make them work for their meals. You can make your dog perform some tricks before he gets his dinner, or you can have them eat from a food dispensing toy.

17. Play a Game of Fetch/Catch With Your Dog

Most of us do have some extra room indoors for a simple game of fetch, but if you live on the 5th floor with a St. Bernard you should probably skip this game. Hallways, stairways, and big living rooms are popular choices. My dog and I love playing soccer in the basement with her Jolly Ball. Be careful with heavy toys around anything that’s fragile or able to be tipped over, and it’s probably not a good idea to play fetch inside the kitchen.

18. Master The Art of Doggie Massage

Learning how to give a dog massage is enriching for owner and dog alike. A nice massage can help soothe and relax nearly any dog. Daily dog massages are great for older dogs or those with arthritis, it helps soothe sore and achy joints. Giving your dog a massage reduces anxiety, relieves stress, improves circulation, and creates a great bond between you and your dog.

19. Try Some Free Shaping Games

If you haven’t heard of 101 things to do with a box you’ve been missing out on some fun training opportunities. It’s a great foundation for learning how to practice free shaping techniques, and it only requires a box and a clicker. The basic principle of shaping games is to encourage our dogs to try something new. They get to make their own decisions and increase their mental and physical flexibility. You start out with a box on the ground and without any cues let your dog investigate and decide what to do.

 

Well yall, I hope you have a wonderful Monday and stay warm. If you have any questions feel free to email me any time germanshepherddogs@doglover.com

Indoor Brain Games for dogs 2

Aaaahhh, yet another day of freezing cold temperatures and lots of snow. Below are more activities to do indoors to work your pups brain. I will be posting more for the next few days so be sure to check back. Here is the first post of the series I am doing Indoor Brain Games for dogs.

7. Use a Stuffed Kong For a Nice Challenge

If you’d like to keep your dog busy with a toy for awhile stuff a Kong with something yummy. You can freeze peanut butter or broth, or just put some treats inside and give your dog something to work for. There’s a ton of dog safe options Dog Safe Human Food.

Also Check out my other post Activities for dogs for more toy ideas.

Check out these Kongs on Amazon.com.

8. Teach Your Dog The Names of Their Toys

Have you see Chaser the Border Collie? She knows over 1,000 words and can pick out any given toy among 800 just by it’s name. We can’t all be overachievers like Chaser, but we can teach our dogs the names of their toys.

Start by playing with one specific toy and giving it a name while you do. After some practice & praise your dog will assign that verbal name with the chosen toy . Once your dog has learned that specific toys name you can test their skills by seeing if they can pick it out among their other toys.

9. Teach Your Dog How to Play the “Go Find It” Game

Once your dog knows the names of some of their toys teach them the “go find it” game. Have your dogs toys in a pile or container and tell them to “go find” their favorite toy. Keep it fun for them by rewarding them handsomely with a treat or quick game of tug when they succeed. This game will give your dog a great mental workout.

10. Master the Basics of Obedience Training

Does your dog know all of the basic obedience commands? Does he have a reliable recall and stay? Even well trained dogs need a refresher course now and then to keep them sharp. All dogs should have a reliable sit, down, stay, drop it, and come here.

11. Teach Your Dog a New Trick

Does your dog know how to weave through your legs and jump through a hoop? There’s always a new trick you can teach your dog.  Once your dog knows a bunch of tricks step it up a notch and combine their learned behaviors into new tricks.

12. Work With Your Dog on Some Clicker Training

If you don’t have a clicker I’d recommend picking one up next time you’re at the pet store. When training a dog every second matters; it’s so easy to miss the chance to communicate with our dogs the instant they do the behavior you desire. When you use a clicker you can mark the exact moment your dog made the right choice.

I hope this help you beat the boredom today. If you have any questions feel free to email me at germanshepherddogs@doglover.com and don’t forget to check back tomorrow for more.

Indoor Brain Games for dogs

Ok, I don’t know about where you live but here last night we got our first good snow storm and it is cold. My GSD loves the snow and is spending all of his free time begging to go outside. My short hair pit bull how ever is not so excited to go out side. Lets face it I am not either. So below in this post and several others for the next few days I will be posting Indoor boredom busters.

1. Play The Which Hand Game

If you’ve been thinking about teaching your dog some scent work games this is a great game to get you started. The only thing you’ll need is some dog treats. If you don’t have dog treats on hand you can use fruits & veggies (be sure they are on the safe list, Dog Safe Human Food, or make some Homemade Chews, Homemade Chicken Jerky or other homemade dog treats.

How to play the which hand game with your dog:

• Place a treat in one of your hands.
• Close your fists and hold them out in front of your dog.
• Let the dog choose which hand it’s in.
• When your dog sniffs or paws the correct hand open it up and give them the treat.
• If he chooses incorrectly don’t discourage him, it takes a few tries to catch on.
• A gentle “touch” command will be helpful.

Our dogs have excellent noses but they need to learn to utilize them.

Just like us they’re used to relying on visual cues in their normal day to day activities. Simple nose work games help hone in their natural sniffing ability, and it’s a nice mental workout.

2. Try The Three Cup Game

One step up from the which hand game this game is also commonly referred to as the shell game. You place a treat under one of 3 cups and have your dog choose the correct one. Once they get the hang of it you can start mixing up the cups so they’re not just relying on visuals.

3. Play Hide and Seek With Your Dog

This is by far one of my dogs favorite indoor games. Have your dog sit and wait while you go find a hiding spot. Call them once when you’re hidden and praise them enthusiastically when they find you.

4. Play a Game of Tug for a Nice Workout

If you’re snowed in you might not have an opportunity to get in your regular amount of exercise with your dog, but that’s where tug comes in handy. Not only is a game of tug great for teaching your dog some basic impulse control, it can be a great workout for you both.

5. Make a Scavenger Hunt or Play Find The Treats

Grab some smelly treats and have your dog stay while you go hide them around the house. Start with some easy hiding spots and work your way up once your dog is accustomed to using his nose.

6. Teach Your Dog to Fetch My Slippers/Paper

Dogs love having a job to do, even if it’s something as simple as fetching you your slippers. Make them feel extra useful by teaching them the names of some items you wouldn’t mind them retrieving for you. If you want to impress all of your friends teach your dog to fetch you something from the fridge. To make it easy on your dog tie a towel around the handle so it’s easy to pull open the door.

 

Well that should be enough games for today, check back tomorrow for more indoor boredom buster games. I hope you and your pup enjoy the snow and as always if you have any questions feel free to email me at germanshepherddogs@doglover.com

Pet Proofing

Happy New Year!!!

Did you get a new puppy or dog for Christmas or new years??

Are you noticing how mischievous puppies are? Turn your back for .2 seconds and they are gone getting in some kind of mess that they aren’t supposed to be in. Below is a picture that should help you pet proof your home.

 

I hope you all enjoy this post and your new family members. If you ever have any questions feel free to email me at germanshepherddogs@doglover.com

Surviving Puppyhood

The puppy years are always the hardest. The cute little face, the ears, the head tilt are all so cute. They all also make it extremely hard to punish or discipline that cute little face. The best way to live through puppyhood is consistency use the same punishment for the same wrong doing every time. Also keeping the same rules everyday no matter how hard it is to enforce. If your pup is not aloud on the furniture today, they are not aloud on the furniture tomorrow.

Also a schedule to keep everything at the same time everyday. Feeding time at the same time every day, then bathroom, then play time, then nap time, etc. etc. etc. remember to schedule bathroom breaks about every 2 hours to lessen the house accidents. Keep several chew toys available for them, all different hardness, and textures.

Most important of all have fun. they are only young once and they grow up so fast!!

If you have any more questions feel free to email me at Germanshepherddogs@doglover.com

I will add more to this post as I think of more to write.

Training Collars

There is large controversy over the e-collars because they use an electrical shock to correct the behavior of your dog. Well guess what, just like everything else they have improved greatly in the past few years. I remember with our first family dog when I was young we only had the choice of shock and we had 10 different settings of shock. It also cost about $100. Now most collars have a beep setting, 100 different vibration settings, and 100 different electrical shock settings. The best part most cost less then $50. My favorite part, you can control two different collars with one remote.

Here is an Amazon.com search for dog training collars.

Here is the collar I use for my dogs.

What I love about training collars.

First, I have only used the shocking feature once. I always start with the beep feature, then gradually increase to vibration, stronger vibration, stronger vibration, then low shock and increase as needed.

Second, My Pit bull and I used to take long walks through the field next to the house and if she was way in front of me and starting to roll in cow manure I cant just say no, but I can push the beep button on the remote and she stops immediately and runs back to me. She also tries to go through the fence and go out to the highway and again I push the beep button and she comes running back. These collars are great for off leash training our dogs.

Third, My GSD I use the beep feature as an attack command and the vibration as an out command. The versatility of these collars go as far as your imagination.

Fourth, My parents-in-laws use the same collar I do for one of their dogs that barks a lot. They use the beep feature when he is outside barking at well anything and everything. The beep stops him from barking and he goes back in the house. This dog is older but has learned very quickly what the beep means and that if he keeps going so does the beep.

Fifth, These collars can adjust from very small to very large. I use the same size collar for my 100 lb German Shepherd as my 45 lb Pit Bull as my parents 70 lb Chocolate lab. The collars also come with 3 different size posts for the collars to go through the extremely long hair of our GSD to the minimal hair that my Pit bull has.

Sixth, NO BATTERIES!!!! you don’t have to go looking for those pesky little specialty batteries. The collar that I use is rechargeable, both the collar and the remote use the same charger and they don’t take long at all to charge.

Seventh, When I bought this collar I only had one dog, now I have two, all I had to do is go onto Amazon where I bought it, find the same model and order a second receiver and collar strap. The owners manual tells you how to program the second collar with the remote and viola.

Eighth, I only use the collar like every six months. After my dogs have learned, I’m not aloud to climb through the fence and try to get to the highway, or I’m not aloud to roll in cow poop, or I have to stay where mom can see me; I don’t use it until they start acting up or “forget” they aren’t aloud to roll in poop. I keep the collar in the dogs bed room and when I need it I can use it.

Ninth, …… um…… um I think eight things is all I have. But I really do like these collars. They have save my dogs from getting hit by cars on the highway and have helped me so much with training.

If you guys are debating weather it is the right thing for your family and have questions feel free to email me anytime and I would be happy to answer any questions. germanshepherddogs@doglover.com

I hope this helped answer some questions and I hope you enjoyed.

Barking: To much

Do you have the dog that barks at every single thing, like the leaf or plastic bag blowing in the wind? Do you want to stop this? Below is a great way to keep your dogs confidence to keep barking when they need to and not bark when there is no real threat.

First, do you have a release word? When dogs are barking at something they are protecting you and telling you there is something there that you need to see. If you reply with “STOP BARKING!!! AAAAHHHHH STOP!!” its not going to do much. If you reply with “out” that will do a lot more. When you say out, you are telling them it is no longer a threat and that you see it. Its the same word police use for their K9’s to release a bite on someone. It is our way of saying it is no longer a threat and thank you.

If they don’t stop barking you say “out” again and touch their head while saying it. This will show them that this is their release word and that mom/dad is here and I will handle it.

Once your dog has stopped barking praise them, for stopping and for brining your attention to it. Now if it is a leaf blowing in the yard, you don’t want to encourage that so you give one pet for stopping and then walk away. To much attention will make them bark at everything.

If you have tried this technique constantly for about a month and it is not working for you I would try a training collar. Like these, most of these collars have 3 levels of correction. 1. a beep noise on the dogs collar for them to realize that they are doing something wrong. 2. an adjustable vibration setting for the dogs that ignore the beeping noise and keep going. 3. an adjustable shock setting for the worse case scenario. I have only had to use the shock once on my dogs. My favorite out of all of the collars is this one it has 100 settings for vibration and shock so you can start off lightly and increase until your dog listens.

I will be doing an entire blog post on these collars so look for it in the near future.

My dogs bark when the door bell rings, when someone knocks, sees a dog or other animal(except for animals you hunt, then they just stare intently and don’t move or make a sound), or when the kids across the street are screaming.

Also check out my post: Barking: To little

As always I hope someone learns something from this post and if you have any questions or comments feel free to email me at Germanshepherddogs@doglover.com