somebody anybody help
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| When you say she goes crazy, you mean that she just gets overly excited, right, not agressive or mean or anything.
The thing with sheepies is that they tend to hold on to puppy tendencies for a long time, so even though she is a year and a half, she is still well within the usual 'crazy' behavior period of these dogs. Since sheepdogs ARE so big, it makes it that much more important to have them trained. If you have a smaller dog that 'went crazy' it would be easier to restrain them, but with an 80 pound dog pulling on the lead, it can be hard to control. Is there someone stronger (I'm not implying that you are weak!) than you who could possibly go with you to training with other dogs? That way they would be able to restrain her better than just you alone could. I know I like going on walks with my husband a lot more than by myself because he can control Barney better than me, like when Barney will randomly get startled by something and try to bolt... Also, when on a walk, maybe a gentle lead leash would help. It kind of looks like a muzzle but isn't--it goes around their mouth/nose region and basically when you pull on it, their head turns and they can run and pull on the lead because their head is to the side. Also, you didn't mention how old your children are, but it is important to get them involved in the training of the dog, so that the dog knows they are not alpha above the kids. My parents' sheepdog is 8 and it took her a good few years to settle down...When we were kids my parents got 2 bouvier de flandres and these were NUTTY dogs. We were so afraid of them. My parents eventually had to give them away because they were so crazy, but maybe more training would have helped..who knows, I was only 7 so I don't know the whole story... Anyways, GOOD LUCK!! |
| How long have you had her? Did you have a trainer one-on-one for that reason or for another issue? |
| Bless you for rescuing her. It doesn’t sound like she had much training before.
The things you describe can be easily dealt with. I really recommend formal training, whether it is one on one or in a group. Your trainer can teach you how to deal with these things. When done correctly and repeatedly you’ll find it very effective. It is also important that the entire family know exactly how to respond to certain behaviors. Once you learn the techniques, they are easily transferred to other behaviors. I would look for a trainer who uses only positive methods. Sheepdogs do not react well to aggression or negative training. Sheepies are smart. I’m sure she’ll pick up on it right away and you will all be much happier and have lots of fun together. |
| Hi,
Not to worry there is a light at the end of the tunnel! At this age she is still a big pup. Large or Extra Large breeds take a bit longer to mature and sheepies seem to go through a change around the age of 3 and settle down a bit. You can do some things in the meantime..like not use a traditional leash but rather a haltie or harness. It seems that the experience of most of the people on here..haltie's seem to work the best for them. Prevents the dog from pulling and being only the same weight as my sheepies..this have been a life saver for me! You also need to establish that you are the alpha in the household..(The Boss) as homes where the dog thinks they are only leads to problems. Be firm and consistent and you made need to re-establish this with her by trying hand feeding for a while. Make her view you as the boss and nothing comes free for her. Another thing that seems to work well with sheepies whom thrive on motivation and praise is reward her for not pawing. Sometimes it's not enough to get them to stop but provide an alternative behavior ...then the praise. Perhaps hold her , make her sit while the children pet her...lots of good girl!!! Then a treat perhaps if she is food motivated. If she doesn't do what she is told walk away and ignore her..sometimes it takes a couple tries before they get the idea. I no longer have small kids in my home but I always made Merlin sit or lay down if kids wanted to pet her for fear he would knock them over. Good luck! Marianne and the boys I'd also call a few trainers in your area and explain the situation and see if perhaps they can introduce your girl at one of their classes if they know of her history beforehand. |
| Another thing to keep in mind is, "how excited are you and the family interacting with her?" The more excited you are, the more excited she'll get. I'm not suggesting you never have "excitable" fun, but you have to be consistent with this while she's learning when that behavior is acceptable. As soon as the play goes beyond the acceptable limit, stop immediately.
Sheepdogs remain "spiritual pups" forever. They just look like BIG, trained or untrained dogs as they age. At 15, they're slower, with less energy maybe, but they always surprise you at least once a day by doing something to remind you that the puppy is in there longing to come out. |
ButtersStotch wrote: How long have you had her? Did you have a trainer one-on-one for that reason or for another issue?
i HAVE HAD HER SINCE AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, NO WE JUST THOUGHT A TRAINER COMING TO THE HOUSE ONCE A WEEK WOULD BE GREAT. SHE DID THIS FRO TWENTY LESSONS, WE LEARNED A LOT BUT I THINK I NEED SOMEONE THAT KNOWS SHEEPDOGS, NOT TO MANY IN THIS AREA. |
A. Yager wrote: Bless you for rescuing her. It doesn’t sound like she had much training before.
The things you describe can be easily dealt with. I really recommend formal training, whether it is one on one or in a group. Your trainer can teach you how to deal with these things. When done correctly and repeatedly you’ll find it very effective. It is also important that the entire family know exactly how to respond to certain behaviors. Once you learn the techniques, they are easily transferred to other behaviors. I would look for a trainer who uses only positive methods. Sheepdogs do not react well to aggression or negative training. Sheepies are smart. I’m sure she’ll pick up on it right away and you will all be much happier and have lots of fun together. THANKS FOR THE ADVICE, SHE IS SMART (VERY) I GOTTA LET HER KNOW WHOS IN COMMAND. THATS HARD SOMETIMES |
Marianne wrote: Hi, Not to worry there is a light at the end of the tunnel! At this age she is still a big pup. Large or Extra Large breeds take a bit longer to mature and sheepies seem to go through a change around the age of 3 and settle down a bit. You can do some things in the meantime..like not use a traditional leash but rather a haltie or harness. It seems that the experience of most of the people on here..haltie's seem to work the best for them. Prevents the dog from pulling and being only the same weight as my sheepies..this have been a life saver for me! You also need to establish that you are the alpha in the household..(The Boss) as homes where the dog thinks they are only leads to problems. Be firm and consistent and you made need to re-establish this with her by trying hand feeding for a while. Make her view you as the boss and nothing comes free for her. Another thing that seems to work well with sheepies whom thrive on motivation and praise is reward her for not pawing. Sometimes it's not enough to get them to stop but provide an alternative behavior ...then the praise. Perhaps hold her , make her sit while the children pet her...lots of good girl!!! Then a treat perhaps if she is food motivated. If she doesn't do what she is told walk away and ignore her..sometimes it takes a couple tries before they get the idea. I no longer have small kids in my home but I always made Merlin sit or lay down if kids wanted to pet her for fear he would knock them over. Good luck! Marianne and the boys I'd also call a few trainers in your area and explain the situation and see if perhaps they can introduce your girl at one of their classes if they know of her history beforehand. |
| Thanks everyone for the info, I will keep you posted on how it is working out, I now feel like I am not alone trying to raise another kid. This has been a wonderful experience and I am grateful I have some sound advice from friends that can relate. |
BVILLE wrote: THANKS FOR THE ADVICE, SHE IS SMART (VERY) I GOTTA LET HER KNOW WHOS IN COMMAND. THATS HARD SOMETIMES
Establishing yourself as the head of the pack is really important. Our dog is always trying to push the limits to see if he can get us to do things his way. Try to read The Dog Listener by Jan Fennel - it really helped me understand how dogs view the world and it has good suggestions that are easy to follow. Good luck! |
| Seriously, that's just the nature of a happy ole enlish. I have seen a couple of extremely quite nervous sheepdogs and that is a sad sight. Their feelings are so on the surface to see one's spirit broken is to much. Bam-Bam is totally obnoxious when company first arrives or he meets with anyone on his walks, but many who have grown to know him, realizes a pat on the head and aknowledgement is all he wants. For those who don't care to deal with him I place him in our bedroom while they visit and we have just learned to accept this is part of his genetics. You have to love them, because they are certainly not like any other dog you will ever have and there is not to much that can be done to tone down their happiness and excitement. I am in total aggreance that the way they are greeted, be it in a quite manner does help a little. GOOD LUCK ! |
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