German Shepperd 1 year old female

Question
She is great when she returns from the trainer- then 4 days later- she is back to her old tricks-  getting into trouble-  the trainer/breeder says to keep lease on her and give her the commands  easy / --- she eats the leash-  she jumps on the counters - she chews.....  can you assist with advice

Answer
Hi Mary,

Thank you for writing to me about your GSD puppy.  It is not enough to send your dog to a trainer.  The trainer needs to also work with you, training you to work with your dog.  My suggestion..find another trainer..one who uses positive reinforcement and will work with you and your dog together to break bad habits.

I also suggest that you introduce your puppy to the crate.  Some dogs never take to the crate and I never suggest forcing a dog into one..but perhaps you can slowly get her comfortable with it...start by feeding her in there, putting her favorite toy in there etc.  Than close the door for one second...then slowly increase the time.  Your new trainer can show you how to do this.  Crates or confining the dog to a safe area with a gate or x-pen keeps your dog and your home safe.

Your dog should not have free run of your home.  This way, she won't find things to eat, won't have access to the counters etc.  Freedom is something that a dog earns through good behavior.  

You also need to become involved in learning about dogs and how to train them and keep them safe and happy.  A one year old GSD needs a huge amount of exercise.  That means taking her to the dog park and socializing her with other dogs or making play dates with other puppies so that she's exhausted by the end of the play time.  It means long, vigorous walks, several times a day.

You might enroll the two of you in a puppy class and even an agility class.

There are excellent websites on line that will help you to solve dog behavior issues.

I suggest you search on www.dogwise.com and pick out some good training tapes and books and learn what the needs of your dog's breed are and how to train them accordingly using only positive reinforcement.

Your dog is showing typical puppy naughtiness and needs direction and structure  Prevention is the best way to raise your dog and you need a trainer in your area (only positive reinforcement) who can guide you in doing that.  It takes a lot of hard work in the beginning and consistency, but eventually you will end up with the dog of your dreams.

Best of luck,
Shelley Davis