Puppy do's and donts
First of all dont panic!!!
Try to enjoy your puppy. Puppies need lots of routine and structure but also lots of downtime.!! Dont scroll through the internet for the right and wrong things to do instead call me! there is a saying amongst dog trainers, "the only thing two dog trainers can agree on is that the third dog trainer is wrong" it's unfortunate but there are so many places you can get lost on the internet and there's so many things that you're going to be pressured to purchase that your dog really doesn't need there's going to be people in the dog parks who tell you things that are wrong with your dog and all the diseases that your dog has or may get in the near future....... again call me.
The top three points to remember:
1) you purchased a carnivore with really sharp teeth and claws!! They have no concept of decorum or manners.
2)you need to be more interesting than another dog's butt in order to be exciting in your dog's eyes!!
3) don't be too controlling about the outcomes. Be and good leader, not a smother mother.
1) you've purchased a carnivore now it's chewing your legs and you're not quite sure what to do about it. everything you read suggests that you should be a positive reinforcement trainer however the pain on your calf suggests that you might want to squeeze its nose. where is the balance.!? Effectively the balance is in cause and effect, if it hurts swipe it off of you. allow time for that correction to set in and don't react, just turn around and walk away. nothing needs to be said because actions speak way louder than words to dogs.
Point number two if you are in a dog friendly area and all your puppy wants to do is visit other dogs please don't feel like you're less than. please don't feel like your whole world has been turned upside down and your dog doesn't love you anymore. Your dog is experiencing play time with its own species and of course you don't rate. BUT you also dont sniff butt's, eat turds and scratch your bits in public. Remember you are very very different species.
Just wait it out. let your dog become exhausted. follow it. don't micromanage it. let it experience things as long as the environment is safe and fun!! when your puppy is tired that is the best time to walk up quietly clip the leash on and ask him to walk away. This is where a treat goes a long way to help. Never ever overuse your dog's name. If you call it once with no response then quielty walk towards him with a treat. FIDO COME on repeat is the most annoying thing for you , the dog and the people arouns you. Save your commands!! you actually don't even need to speak words to your dog for the first three or four weeks however we are a verbal species and we want to communicate via our mouths. Keep in mind dogs are not a verbal species. They communicate more on a physical understanding of their environments. Make sure your communication is realistic, age appropriate and don't be in a hurry for your dog to accomplish everything you read on the internet. That leads us to the last point. Don't be a helicopter parent with your puppy!!! puppies need lots of play, chewing, sniffing and lots of downtime. German Shepherds they are extremely loyal to their people however they will push away if you ask too much too soon. They should be a bit aloof and need their own space. Give your dog lots of opportunity to sniff, to explore and feel independent. Dogs dont think in a linear fashion and are unable to generalize information so when you are out with your puppy try meander. between 10 weeks and 8 months your puppy isn't built for long distances or straight lines they're built to stick their nose on the ground, sniff while wandering back and forth and back and forth and underneath and over top. Please don't WALK your dog MEANDERwith your dog. Let that puppy teach you how to find joy in the moment.
