The personality of the canine develops most radically between the ages of 8 and 16 weeks. What the average family dog will eventually turn out to be is determined by the environment in which the puppy lives during that critical emotional time period. When an eight-week-old puppy comes into his new home, he arrives with…
Question: A Timid German Shepherd “I have an 11-month-old German Shepherd. We got him from a private breeder at the age of 8 weeks. He was a very happy puppy, and to this day he has never been beaten (at least that I know of). But now, he’s such an introvert that it’s pitiful! He’s…
Question: Mixed Obedience Behavior After Training “My two-year-old male mixed breed is enrolled in an obedience training class. As far as I’m concerned, my dog is learning just fine, because, at home, he goes through all of the exercises perfectly. He knows how to heel, sit, stay, and lay down on command, but when I…
Question: Scared Of Thunder Storms “My friend recently gave me her six-year-old German Shepherd male. She wanted to get rid of him because he is so terrified of thunderstorms that he tears down the door of the house to get in. She says that she has replaced three doors because of him. He seems to…
Question: Too Old For Training? “My dog is thirteen years old, quite healthy, with no obvious physical defects. I was refused enrollment in an obedience class by a woman trainer who said that a thirteen-year-old dog couldn’t be trained. This trainer is quite well known and has authored several books. I simply cannot accept the…
Question: Obedience Through Hot Sauce? “I’ve heard that pouring hot sauce on a piece of meat will teach a dog to ignore any food found lying on the ground. Is this practice of obedience acceptable? And is it safe?” Answer: No! and No! Any trainer advocating that method had better go back to school. It…
Question: How To Become A Trainer “Could you tell me how I can go about becoming a professional dog trainer? I have trained a few dogs, but none for shows. I love dogs and I want to make my training my profession, but just don’t know how to go about it. I have 4-H experience…
Question: Dog Afraid Of Water “Our 1 ½ year-old German Shorthair Pointer has a water phobia. His mother loves the water, and water doesn’t seem to bother the others that were in the litter. My dog’s pedigree (mostly champions) shows Duals and Field Champions so the problem isn’t there. Our dog is trained, but the…
Question: Ignoring My Commands “I am attending an obedience class conducted by a proficient and talented trainer, but still have a problem with my dog which I consider to be very embarrassing. On heeling, for example, my dog does not pay attention: he forges, he sniffs, and acts as if I’m not even at the…
Question: A Scared German Shepherd “I have a 18 month-old German Shepherd that has been obedience trained. I wanted to take my dog through a “personal protection” class and signed up to have him evaluated. The class is offered by a very highly recommended dog trainer. The purpose of the evaluation was supposedly to see…