yeah, i’ve had some people ask about their ears as well. people can be dumb. GSD ears are not cropped. —fib
the dogs in that post are purebred as far as my knowledge. i’d wait until your pup is full-grown to start guessing her mix although regardless i’m sure she will be amazing. it’s great you adopted from a shelter. she’s cute! —fib
thanks. —fib
completely understandable. when you’re ready, the blog will still be here. my condolences. —fib
awesome and no problem. —fib
alright, i’ll be honest: i have never had a barking problem get too extreme (i always eradicate the issue as soon as it starts), so i’m not sure the best method for uncontrollable barking.. if that’s even what your dog has - she honestly doesn’t seem as bad as some dogs i’ve met, and it should an easy fix with consistency. also: please keep in mind i don’t know how well-trained your dog is~ but if she doesn’t know basic commands, that’s obviously where you should start!!
and since the message also indicates you are asking for the opinion of FYGS followers too.. let me appropriately place this sentence to inform any followers that they are obviously (and always) free to give insight when they wish.
now, as for the thoughts: teach her the “quiet command” as well as the “speak command”. make sure she knows the difference between the two. (i’d type out steps yet i don’t want this too lengthy and i’m sure you can research/look up a how-to!) always be sure to praise when she is doing well/being quiet. it’s also sometimes helpful to make the dog “sit” (if they know it) before giving them a new command. an alternative to being quiet is telling her to perform some other action she already knows, to take her away from barking. it could even help just by being repetive in telling her “no” (or what ever your equivalent is) - since she hopefully understands what “no” means. usually during the first bit of training you should always be sure to get her attention. also, i don’t suggest ever yelling at the dog to stop; she may get excited more by it. now, if you have attempted all this or think you have tried every method possible, you could always resort to a “bark collar”.. however, i do not condone this. oh! and be sure that your dog is receiving plenty of physical and mental exercise every day!! a worn out puppy is a puppy prone to bark less. good luck. —fib
of course. you are not being an intrusion. good luck on bloggin’. (by the way, your dog is gorgeous!) —fib
the method i prefer to use is generally called the “yelp method” (either a loud “IPE!” or “OW!”). let puppy know it hurts by, well, yelping. and if it doesn’t hurt.. that’s good, but since you want to teach them not to bite at all (although having a dog learn bite inhibition is useful), you can just pretend it hurts. this method has always worked for me upon both pups and re-training older canines, although i can’t say the same for other people and their dogs.
another method is re-directing the mouthing; give puppy a toy. this can teach her what is acceptable to bite on and what is not. a further method is to (also) stop playing with her at the moment/walk away/leave her alone by herself. good luck. —fib
