New (Puzzled/Happy) Dog Owner in need of Help

[Shah]

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Hello!
I am a new dog owner and need advice from all you veteran dog owners.
So I got a dog, (King Shepherd) who was 2 weeks old at the time i got him (I know that is very young but circumstances forced me to adopt him at this little age). I have always wanted a dog for years now and I finally got one.I have raised him ever since by the knowledge i got from here and there. I admit i have not done a very good job as the only commands i have managed to teach him are

• Sit ( To which he sits for a few seconds and the resumes his jumping around)
• Come, which he does as long as he's inside the house, outside the house its his choice to come or not,
• I've taught him to walk correctly in a leash beside me not ahead of me,
• Fetch (Which he does sometimes and doesnt give me the ball back unless he's close by and i take the ball from him)
• and No, which works fine as long as i say it in an angry voice inside the house, outside i have to triple the intensity and repeat many times for him to even listen to me.

I need help i want him to be a good and loyal companion not the overexcited dog he has become. I still love him to bits but I am out of options now and need help from people who know how to handle a dog.
He is now 5 months and 11 days old.
I NEED HELP PLEASE

 

[JoanneF]

What is it that you want him to do?

 

[poptart]

When you say 'over-excited' do you mean he's hyperactive? Puppies can be naturally hyper but he should settle down eventually. If he's genuinely hyperactive his food could be the cause. Many dog foods contain additives that make pups wild. My cav was on a brand of kibble when he first came to us and went completely nuts after meal times. I switched food and he settled down.

With the training you just have to be patient and consistent. It's about establishing boundaries so he knows what's allowed and what isn't. He's still very young, so don't despair.

 

[Shah]

When you say 'over-excited' do you mean he's hyperactive? Puppies can be naturally hyper but he should settle down eventually. If he's genuinely hyperactive his food could be the cause. Many dog foods contain additives that make pups wild. My cav was on a brand of kibble when he first came to us and went completely nuts after meal times. I switched food and he settled down.

With the training you just have to be patient and consistent. It's about establishing boundaries so he knows what's allowed and what isn't. He's still very young, so don't despair.

Yes, exactly hyper active. I was told this about food so I have resorted to natural foods for now. Trying to balance dog kibble with natural foods to get the best of both worlds.
And about him being young someone told me that he is growing old and he will soon loose the ability to learn and that you should do about it soon as it will not be a good learner then. That is why I was worried

 

[Shah]

What is it that you want him to do?

I want him to be calm like other dogs, who does things like other people. My neighbour brought a Labrador and is 2 months old and she follows her owners commands on the first time, mine is older than her and you have to tell him 5 or 6 times before he even listens to me it's like he doesn't pay any attention to me at all when he's outside. Inside the house he's a little better

 

[JoanneF]

If you tell him something 5 or 6 times you are telling him you don't expect him to do it first time. Like sit for example - say it once, but only reward when he complies.

Labs are quite biddable dogs, some breeds are less handler focussed. What breed or mix is yours?

 

[Shah]

That actually makes a lot of sense. Thank you. And as far as the breed is concerned there is ambiguity in it. You see the guy I brought it from had 4 dogs. A king shepherd male and female. And a German shepherd male and female. The pups were born at the same time and mixed so I don't exactly know what breed is he right not but he doesn't look like a king or a Herman for now. Can you determine his exact breed if I show him to you? Sorry for sounding so naiive but I am new to the world of dogs

 

[poptart]

And about him being young someone told me that he is growing old and he will soon loose the ability to learn and that you should do about it soon as it will not be a good learner then. That is why I was worried

Yes, the best time to train is when a dog is young, without a doubt. You are doing the right thing, but remember to reward his good behaviour and set him up to succeed. Being young it's easy for him to forget his training, the world is full of exciting new things to distract him! Don't let anxiety spoil your time with your puppy, which doesn't last forever. When he's old you'll look back and wish you'd enjoyed it more.

 

[JoanneF]

I probably wouldn't be able to tell. Sorry you did say his breed earlier. But shepherding breeds are very trainable. The other thing you might want to consider is his food - some are high in additives and can be like rocket fuel for puppies.

You could have a look at www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk

It is an independent dog food comparison website which scores all types of foods (dry, raw, wet) on a scale of 0 to 5. You can set filters for your dog's weight, age etc and choose to view only the foods scoring, say, 4 and above. Then you can show them listed according to daily feeding cost so you can see what gives you best value for money.

 

[poptart]

Post a picture of him, Shah. Somebody might recognise the breed.

 

[Shah]

 

[Shah]

I probably wouldn't be able to tell. Sorry you did say his breed earlier. But shepherding breeds are very trainable. The other thing you might want to consider is his food - some are high in additives and can be like rocket fuel for puppies.

You could have a look at www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk

It is an independent dog food comparison website which scores all types of foods (dry, raw, wet) on a scale of 0 to 5. You can set filters for your dog's weight, age etc and choose to view only the foods scoring, say, 4 and above. Then you can show them listed according to daily feeding cost so you can see what gives you best value for money.

I am doing this right now, thank you so much. All you guys are great! And I mean that!

 

[Shah]

Post a picture of him, Shah. Somebody might recognise the breed.

I posted them! Fingers crossed now I would really love to have the king shepherd

 

[Shah]

Yes, the best time to train is when a dog is young, without a doubt. You are doing the right thing, but remember to reward his good behaviour and set him up to succeed. Being young it's easy for him to forget his training, the world is full of exciting new things to distract him! Don't let anxiety spoil your time with your puppy, which doesn't last forever. When he's old you'll look back and wish you'd enjoyed it more.

I am doing the best I can

 

[Ruth_F]

Hi @Shah First bit of advice is that you are doing the best you can, you cant do more than your best so dont beat yourself up too much.
He looks big, so I would hedge on the side of a King over a GSD, not that I would put any money on it! Also the breeds are quite similar so it wouldnt much change anything, its just big version vs bigger version.
6 month old puppies are hard work. Your cute, well behaved, amenable baby has turned into a willfull destructive teenager with the added issue of adult teeth coming in so they chew everything in sight (except what you want them to chew of course).
I dont have much experience with these types of dogs, there are some GSD breed forums out there who could give you specific advice. I do know they can be hyper dogs which is why they are used by the Police etc, as they will work all day and still want their evening walk.
He will be clever and active so lots of games of fetch and 'find ...' games will help with some of the excess energy. Also puppy training classes? And reading books about dog owning? Knowledge is power
Also you can train an older dog, just like adult humans can learn new things, so you can take your time with tricks if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed. There isnt a magic age after which a dog cant learn anything new. He will be very trainable for years yet, think how long it takes to train a guide dog or police dog.

The bare basics should be focussed on now as they are part of your dogs temperament - and I mean REALLY fundamental like dont bite me or anyone else, people are friends, dogs are friends, bark at the postman (if you want a watchdog), dont poo/pee in the house, skirting boards are not chew toys, when called there is a dog biscuit...

 

[arealhuman]

He looks great in the pictures. I hope the advice you find here is helpful. Keep us posted.

 

[Peegee]

Have you considered going to puppy/dog obedience classes. I found these really helpful. i also found Kikopup an excellent website for tips and help with training.

 

[merlina]

He looks beautiful. Can I just add to all that has been said you will need to be extra patient because of his very early start. Puppies learn an awful lot from their mothers and siblings in the first couple of months and your boy has missed out on this. Therefore he's like a child at secondary school that never went to primary! As for being calm it will come gradually- we take out 13 month spaniel to training classes but he has a good off-lead walk first. Otherwise he can't concentrate! So take it slow and reward every little good thing he does.