# Any help would be great!!!



## casperkeep (May 16, 2007)

My best friend called me last week and told me that her in-laws just got a puppy. They are having problems him biting and chewing. She knew that they did not have the money to have obedience and thought that maybe I could help them out. She called me today to set up a time when we could get together. The dog is a mix between a Alaskan Malimute and a German Shepard. He is seven weeks old and they got him when he was five weeks old. I was shocked and she asked me why and I told her that was too young to be taken away from his mommy. She said that she was done nursing them. I told her that she probably was but that the mommy teaches them all kinds of things before they leave the liter. I am going over there next week. I do not have any experience with these two breeds. I was wondering if anyone has had one. I am excited but nervous at the same time. I know he does not have any shots so my dogs will not have any contact with him. I will wash my shoes when I come home you never know. They are really naive when it comes to the responsibilty of an animal. I told her that he will need to be neautered and asked if it could be done when he gets his eight weeks shots. They are a really nice family just needs to learn more about the responsibility of having an animal. I hope you guys can give me some pointers. Thanks!!!


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## iluvhavs (Jul 21, 2008)

Oh, where would you even start. This poor puppy needed to be taught so much by it's mother. And how not to bite is one of the biggest things the mother teaches - bite inhibition is very important. They must learn what is appropriate mouthing and what is bad biting. Get that poor puppy a chew ASAP to substitue for a human hand. A dog that will grow to be a german shepard mix needs to learn no biting is acceptable and learn it ASAP!

Next would be to get the pup into a wire crate and an area where he can begin the process of being housebroken. I'm sure he pees uncontrollably now. He must go every 2 hours all through the night as well. They need to be willing to take him outside to his potty place every 2 hours at least! After waking, playing, chewing, eating..........Tell him to go "potty" or "hurry up", whatever words work for them and lots of praise "Good potty" "good hurry up" when he does his duty along with treats. There's plenty on this site about potty training.

If money is an issue for them the local animal shelters usually offer classes for training pups and dogs at very reasonable prices.

Give him lots of love, keep the crazy kids away from him, until he has time to settle in and feel confident on his own. *And start a puppy socialization class *as soon as he reaches 10-12 weeks. It's money well spent. It gives the owners the tools they need to teach the dog how to live with them happily and socializes the dog to other people and other dogs. Very important. A few months of hard work will last a lifetime and mean the world of difference to this family.

I had a Siberian Husky when I was much younger. They can be high strung, stubborn dogs that need lots of activity to keep happy. These folks need to train this dog. Spend that money to do it right!


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Yikes! It is illegal in most states to even adopt a puppy before it is 8 weeks old. I am pretty sure that 5 weeks isn't legal anywhere, and for good reason.

Having said that, what's done is done. Megan, you have a good heart. If you are worried about transferring diseases, make sure you take your shoes off to visit the puppy - not your girls. That puppy is the vulnerable one, not yours. Does that make sense? Unless, this puppy acts sick - then you should remove your shoes and wash up well before you visit your dogs.

Best of luck to you. I don't have any tips except to suggest that if you don't feel you are making progress that you direct her to a professional behaviorist who can nip it quickly. With a dog of that size & energy level (those breeds), it is going to be imperative to put an end to it quickly or they won't be able to tolerate it.

Chewing is totally normal at that age. They just need to make sure they direct the chewing to proper toys and chews and to set him up for success by limiting his access to things he may hurt (shoes, cabinets, etc.) and that may hurt him (cords, etc.).


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Megan , good for you for trying to help. The most important lesson a dog has to learn is bite inhibition. Here is a link to a good article but these people should go for training by the sound of it. http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/teaching-bite-inhibition


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## awedwards (Mar 22, 2007)

Hi, I grew up with German Shepherds and train dogs/people. GS can be wonderful, but I'm concerned that the new owners have no dog experience. Having a Shepherd as a first dog is like learning to drive in a Mac truck. It is crucial that they do not allow the puppy to get away with anything that they wouldn't want their adult dog to do (housebreaking excluded). Tell them to contact a local German Shepherd club/rescue for help and breed specific training advice. SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE as soon as the puppy is comfortable around them. Try to talk them into paying for a socialization class. They need to carry it around a shopping mall or city center, schools, dog parks, etc. As soon as they're able to, have the puppy play with as many well behaved dogs as possible, both little and big dogs. This will help with the mouthing. Verbally correct the dog when he bites and offer a chew toy instead, then praise. Voice tone is very important, correct in a low stern voice and praise in a high one. Neuter at 6 months or earlier if dominance issues start to show (I suggest this because they have no dog experience or money for classes). Have your friend get them some good training books as presents (Brian Kilcommons' Good Owners, Great Dogs etc). They should be watching Caesar Milan at every possible moment. Both Huskys and Shepherds are working dogs, their puppy will need a lot of mental stimulation and physical exercise (a back yard is not a substitute for a walk). A treat ball (a ball with food inside that the dog has to move around to get the food) would be a good product. Teaching the puppy to fetch would provide both a "job" and exercise for the dog. A lot of importance should be placed on the leave or drop command to help prevent guarding of food or objects later on. Their puppy needs to work for everything from food to affection. Give a command to sit or lie down before feeding, taking for a walk or petting. A working dog can easily learn "sit" in a day or two, then work up to down. Training sessions should be very short (3 minutes or so) about 3 times a day, keep them very positive since the puppy is young. Sorry for the long post, but this really is just the tip of the iceberg. The owners are in for a long haul due to the puppy's age and back ground plus their inexperience. Please stress to them how important it is for them to put the work in now rather than waiting. It's much easier to prevent a problem than fix one.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Megan- I know you said money was an issue with training classes but you might want to check out the local humane society or all breed training clubs cause some of them have low cost training classes for puppies. Cause I would highly recommend taking that route if possible.

Here is a good book too and you can buy it used (with shipping about $5-6)
Amazon.com: How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With: Clarice Rutherford, David H. Neil: Books

I know just having Autumn the cattle dog those short two weeks how different it is to go from our little lap dogs to a working breed. Especially a breed that was meant to be worked 8-12 hours a day. DH thought I was playing with her all day and just not doing anything until he was home on the weekend. You can throw the ball for 20 mins and then she would be like what's next and she was a baby! I have to agree with awedwards on finding a job right away too and many of his/her posts


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## casperkeep (May 16, 2007)

Thank you soo much guys. I do think they have bitten off way more than they can handle. I just want to help this poor guy before they end up with an unruly dog. I will look into those books...I do have some books here already. I also have Dog World and Dog Fancy magazines that I am going to look through. I do have a good friend that is a dog trainer so maybe she will go with me and help with things. I just want to be able to help educate them. They did have a dog before a Saint Banard spelling I know is wrong. They never had her spayed and she had cancer. They just dont see things the way we see our furbabies. That is the hard part but I am going to write things down for myself and a copy for them as well. I do not know it all but am willing to give the knowledge that I have to help them. I hope that makes sense!


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Megan, I just read that article that Dave linked up above. It's excellent for this!


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## casperkeep (May 16, 2007)

Thank you Dave. That is a really good article. I enjoyed reading about different techiques. I am going to print this off and take it with me. I am going to high-light someparts in it.


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## iluvhavs (Jul 21, 2008)

Dave, I love that link. Some good articles there. THANKS!


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