Cubbie was a Naughty Boy!

[Barbara L]

What I have found is the toughest thing about raising a well adjusted dog is finding that fine line between letting them be a puppy and teaching them manners.

I know what you mean. If Cubbie was a small dog I might have let some things go, but knowing that he would be big and strong, I have never let him do certain things, like jump up, and bite playfully. Things that are cute with a puppy or small dog can be harmful in a large adult dog!

The main thing was I never let her get away with a behavior I didn't like. You need to be consistent and train your friends and other contacts to be consistent. If you don't want your dog to jump up on people, they can NEVER jump up on people.

I hate it when Cubbie will start to jump up and people say, "That's ok." I have to tell them that it's not ok. Not that many people come by, but I don't want him knocking people over and tearing their clothes with his nails. He is getting better about it.

"I'm not sure if he is protecting me during the week and knows that "Daddy" can protect me on the weekends, or if he is a big chicken and thinks I'm not doing as good a job protecting him during the week as Daddy does on the weekend!"

The latter part of your statement. You hit the nail right on the head. Your dog feels more secure when "daddy" is there and trusts him to sound the alert. Especially an unwarranted alert like a simple noise at night that's there every night, like a creaky house. He does not see you as a pack leader and is barking at an unseen/unknown threat trying to tell whatever is out there that he's boss. But really it's like the fat kid playing the part of the bully. Deep inside your dog is insecure and daddy isn't there to ease his mind and tell him it's nothing to get excited about by his inaction. Dogs pick up on cues and if he sees daddy not moving or bothered by a noise, then he will relax and let it pass much more quickly. GSDs seem to go through more fear periods than other dogs, but I like to think it's because their minds are so complex and they are so intelligent.

I'm a little torn on this one. What you say definitely makes sense, but our situation is a little different than most. For his first month with us (we got him at 4 months old) James was with him during the morning and both of us the rest of the day. The next month and a half we were both here with him. Since July 8th I am here with him every day and James is only here from Friday evening to Sunday evening. I took Cubbie to his classes and have done 99% of his training. Maybe a weird analogy, but sometimes it is kind of like the divorced dad taking his kid to Disneyland and the beach on the weekends while mom takes the kid to school, the doctor, etc. during the week. James is tall and, in his words, built like a tank. He will sometimes (not often, and getting better) let Cubbie play a little rough because, "he knows I can over-power him." I am 5'2" and I know that I have to teach Cubbie to behave through consistent training (which I admit hasn't been as consistent as I meant it to be because of kidney stones, but I will work on it). So I think what you said is most likely true, but I think it is partly that I am the everyday mom and James is the fun daddy! Don't get the wrong idea, I do play and get silly with Cubbie, and James does work with Cubbie--Cubbie knows we both love him. And even though it sometimes seems like Cubbie will never learn, as I look back he has made tremendous gains in maturity.

Bottom line is, even though you don't have time to formally train a dog doesn't mean you don't have time to teach it manners. You do that just by living together.
And, one good correction is worth a thousand nagging ones. Be fair, firm and don't act out of anger.

Very well said! Thanks again!

Barbara

 

[pacanis]

"but I think it is partly that I am the everyday mom and James is the fun daddy"

Maybe you're right, but to fall back on the "Dog Whisperer's" philosophy (BTW, I believe a lot of it, but not all of it) maybe your husband is more "calm assertive" at those times when he's around Cubbie.
I know in my previous life...... when I was married ..... my wife played the part of the "fun parent". She fed the dogs and was home more with them. She let them get away with more and undid some of my training in the process, all in the name of having fun with them. I was the disciplinarian (sp?), but they were still my dogs. They new I was their boss (alpha) and I think they viewed my wife as more of their equal (beta).

At any rate, nine months old isn't too late to show Cubbie that he should respect you just as much and to respect when he has the leash on.

 

[Barbara L]

LOL I'm still trying to train "daddy!" It took me awhile to get him to stop playing with the training clicker!

Sometimes it is frustrating because I'm the one following the "rules," but Cubbie does definitely respect James's size and voice. All part of being a family!

Thanks!

Barbara
P.S. Cubbie was lying on the floor last night, and he looked so long from where I was sitting (he was lying with his paws up to my chair, with his face down on top of his legs). I knew he would go nuts if I tried to measure him, but I noticed that his front paws came to my chair and his tail went to the edge of the end table by James's chair. So when Cubbie got up, just for fun, I measured from my chair to James's table. Not an exact measurement of Cubbie of course, but it was 61 inches. Obviously Cubbie isn't that long, but lying out on the floor, that is how much space he took. LOL

 

[Dina]

Hope you're aches and pains are subsiding Barbara. I miss my Abby but she's in a better place.

 

[Barbara L]

Thanks Dina--yes I am all over that. If I didn't know better, your post would make me think Abby had died! I'm glad she is in a better place and that you still get to see her sometimes!

Barbara