dog not obedient

Question
QUESTION: I have a 15mnth old GSD who is very willful and does not listen.  we have been to someone and were advised to ignore all bad behaviour by turning our backs on her (as dogs in a pack would do), make sure we walk in front of her so she does not think she is the alpha female, if she jumps up, turn backs on her.  this all worked for a while but as she is coming up to 18 mnths, she is becoming more insistent that we listen to her - i can't walk to the car in the mornings without her trying to nip me feet and bite my ankles, or pull my jeans. Please help.  desperate, but may have to find a home for her which i don't want to do

ANSWER: I don't believe in ignoring bad behavior; I correct it. How is the dog ever going to know that certain behaviors are wrong? Some of the stuff she is doing is to get your attention, and she is being totally successful in those efforts, isn't she? My attitude is... you want my attention? You got it, babe! And you will wish you didn't<G> Since I don't tolerate biting whatsoever, I would really nail her for that one... probably grab her by the scruff of the neck, giving her a shake while roaring in her face and telling her loudly "NO BITING!). You could also trying spraying her in the mouth with Bitter Apple when she comes at you as you verbally chastise her. Tell her to SIT, and then praise her when she is behaving.

You need to get this dog into on-going obedience classes and work with her every single day. She needs to learn what behaviors are simply not going to be tolerated, and she needs to get lots of praise for the ones that are desired. Also, start practicing "Nothing in Life is Free" with her. http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm  She must work for every single thing she wants in life... from being petted to being fed to going outside or even playing.

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QUESTION: Someone has suggested that our dog needs a friend as she really tries hard to play with our cats, but a GSD is slightly larger than our cats and ends up hurting them.  do you think that she would enjoy having another dog to play with or do you think that she may try even harder to get our attention and become even more difficult to control?

Answer
Dogs, by their nature, are pack animals, so they are much happier with companions than they are being alone. Some can be quite happy being the only dog in the house, but then WE are their pack members. However, young dogs like to... need to... play, and the best way to do that is to do it with another dog.

That said, bringing in another dog while you are still having issues with the first one is a HUGE mistake as the second dog learns from the first one... and you really don't need TWO dogs doing those same behaviors that you do not want.

Find another dog of similar size and age and set up "play dates" for the two of them with the other dog's owner. There are also "doggy day cares" where a dog can be left for a period of time during the day where it can interact with the other dogs. I don't know if they have those in your area, but it would be worth checking into. Always remember... A tired dog is a happy dog.

In the meantime, keep working with your dog. You will eventually appreciate all the work you put into her. Perfect dogs are made, not born.