I need HELP!!!

Question
Hi.My name is Brian....I have a german shepherd mixed with Huskie....I have only 3-4 questions for you..and i would be VERY happy if you answered ALL. Is it ok for me to shave ALL his hair OFf BEFORE the winter? Oh and this question is important he barks and growls for no reason at people. tell me why........and is it ok to tie him up ALOT? One more and thats it....how do I STOP him from barking at OTHER dogs?

Answer
Hello Brian;
I understand you are thinking of taking the hair off of your Shepard/Husky mix and wondered about winter weather and how that will work.
In Ohio, where I live, I do not recommend shaving a dog such as that after mid August. So depending on where you live, I would say to wait until at least March, but then, is the dog inside or out?  If the dog lives outside, I would not recommend ever shaving it. It needs the hair to keep it from getting sunburned in the spring and summer and to keep it warm in the winter.
I suggest you brush and comb the dog very thoroughly, which will honestly take about the same amount of time as clipping. Use a slicker brush, a shedding blade and finally a metal comb.  Then wash your dog in waterless shampoo, as drying could take as much as 6 hours.. and I am sure you don't' want to do that!
If your dogs hair is more like a husky than a Shepard, you just don't want to shave it down. You must get under the undercoat, which will leave your dog almost bald. Leaving the undercoat and clipping above it will make your dog lumpy looking and the coat may never really grow back properly for 2 years.
As for the tying, no, it is not OK to tie your dog up alot. Tying occasionally is fine for safety, but dogs do better fenced. Tying is frustrating to the dog, unless he is tired or old and enjoying the weather and has no desire to run and play. Running and playing while tied is very frustrating to a dog and causes barking, leaping and other behavior problems.
As for barking at other dogs, you must first teach your dog to bark or speak on command. That is, when your dog is thinking about barking, say at a toy or treat, say "bark!" or say "Speak!" and reward him. Then say "NO BARK" or "No Speak" and as soon as he is quiet, reward him.
Soon, when your dog is barking you can simply say your dogs name to get his attention and then say "no bark" and he will quit.
It is also helpful to teach the dog to sit, so that if he is barking and leaping, you can get him to sit, then "no bark".
The more he has to do to respond to your commands to get YOUR attention, the better he will behave. He will want to please you and be the focus of YOUR attention.
In addition, male dogs will become aggressive if not neutered, so if your dog is not neutered, I suggest you have it done so he can concentrate on being a pet, and forget about pecking order that is a concern to intact males.
Good luck.
Lori