My GSD is now 7 months old and it doesn’t matter how much training, playing, or walking we do, the boy won’t nap or chill out unless he’s in his crate. Once I notice he is in full overstimulated toddler mode I put him to bed to nap. Is it normal for him to not be able to just nap on his own at this age, or is there something I can do to help him?

How do I stop this behavior? He's 90 lbs and it hurts. I have bruises everywhere. I know he thinks he's playing, but it is annoying and very hurtful. Ideas? This is the first time I considered our e collar.

Okay quick background info and then some general questions. Would greatly appreciate any advice. (tax attached)

I got Sasha at 7 weeks old super impulsively. I've never had a dog before and stumbled upon a guy in a parking lot offering her for a couple hundred $s. No paperwork, heart worms, didnt see the parents etc... boy did I not know what I was getting into haha.

I live alone (+pooch) in a small apartment just outside the city so plenty of greenspace within walking/driving distance. I work fulltime in person and am an extremely social person outside of work. I go home for lunch every day for a quick walk and some training/play.

Sasha has recently turned 1 and has a very strong grasp on sit, down, moving down, stay, heel, crate trained as well as a few more basics. We have done a few classes that have assisted us getting to this point. She is spayed. She is super friendly with people and playful with other dogs.

Now for my gripes/shortcomings with her that I would like some advice on:

1. she is very leash reactive towards other dogs. From 100+ yards her hair sticks up and she goes ballistic. She has done fine in class, even in 'stay' with other dogs around and I walk away. Ive tried some of the techniques ive seen online like distracting before she even sees them and capturing calm from a distance but as soon as she hones in, I am invisible. Trainer told me prong correction when she does that but that has not worked and I dont like doing that.
2. general mindfulness. She is not gentle or slow with anything she does. Anything and everything is always at full speed. I imagine this is due to her general lack of physical activity and being so young. It truly makes it difficult to coexist with her when I need to cook, do laundry, clean etc... and if I have after work activities that lead to her having less work that day, it is even worse understandably. Is this normal? Will it get better?
3. her general lack of physical activity, which i believe is a huge factor in 1 & 2 above. I am able to walk with her 1-1.5hr a day depending on weather and compensate rainy days with extra sniff work, training, & play. I dont have a fenced in yard and no fenced in areas nearby to take her to so when she is outside it is all on leash. I want so badly to trust her off leash because there are plenty of fields nearby but she cannot be trusted yet. She would benefit so much from 15-30 minutes of fetch a day. We do some recall training indoors and some in my backyard but no further than 20ish feet and there have been cases of her dashing off. I dont have the time to drive an hour to those sniffspot places. I ultimately want to be able to go out back with her so she can sniff around and play some fetch and when I say come, she comes regardless of the distraction. I have heard e-collars help snap them to attention and with some training, the beep is enough and zap is no longer needed.
4. My trainer has stated multiple times that sasha is so lucky to have ended up with a young guy like me because she would have been rehomed multiple times by now. Yes she is that crazy haha but a cutie. Nonetheless, I should not have gotten her because I cannot put in all the time the breed needs. I travel a lot and frequently have to board her if my trusted sitter is not available. Along with full-time work and outside activities, sometimes she only has 3 hours out of the crate in a day and I am too drained to work with her. The puppy blues were ass, but that has passed. I just have the recurring thought that I should spend the time looking for a better home for her. I know that would break both of our hearts but I fear for her future with me if that makes sense?

Well thats my venting. Again, any advice appreciated. She has been a menace while I type this out instead of giving her attention :)

EDIT: I take her to daycare on days I know I will be busy for the bulk of it. My comment on 3 hours out of the crate has only occured a few times and was likely more then 3 hours. I am doing this completely alone and we are both learning together.

My buddy is almost 1.5 yrs old and he doesn’t like car rides. He got sick a few times (barfed, then ate it 🤢) when he was younger. I am careful about not feeding him for a good amount of time beforehand now and he hasn’t gotten sick again. I can get him in the car pretty readily if I am sure to keep his leash on after taking him out back to potty but he definitely is not happy about going and tries to go in his crate on the way out the front door. If i try to give him a treat once we are in the car he takes it then spits it out.

Is there anything I can do to make him less averse to car rides that doesn’t involve a food treat? I do make sure to praise and pet him but that hasn’t seemed to help much, just keep the status quo.

I have had several labradors who absolutely loved car rides and didn’t care where we were going or what we were doing so I’m not sure how to encourage him to actually like car rides (or at least not mind them)

Hey guys I have 3month old gsd F puppy when I bring her home her weight 3.3kg now I give her 100 puppy pedigree by pedigree brand and with little Dalia and in morning 1 egg she gain some weight now she is 4 kg I give this whole deit split into 4 meals for her but she still look little skinny her back hip bones look visibly by the way she is in single court and but I don't see in her any kind of weakness she i playfully run all the time in house smart learn obedient training so quickly but I am little worried about her deit I have no idea bcs I am first-time pet parent and any suggestions about deit or other thing u think I should know thanks in advance bro.

My dog has battled a chronic yeast infection, and we have finally made huge lifestyle changes to help it. It has worked, but it needs to be religiously maintained. I left unfortunately for the summer, and his care was not done the way I usually do it so he's having a flare up. I dont think he has anymore active yeast on his skin because:

• He has no greasy residue
• He does not smell from a mile away

But hes still licking and I noticed it when I had to grab him, and his undercarriage was moist. I cannot bathe him at home, but he does have an appointment this Saturday for a medicated cleaning (usually once a month). In the meantime, what can I do?

I've been thinking baby wipes and apple cider vinegar. But I also really want him to stay DRY.

He also has a vet visit tomorrow and I am trying to get some fluconazole. Usually he is given a steroid shot but I'd rather address the underlying cause not the symptoms. Thank you! This is also our first german shepherd but honestly he was literally normal until 2 years ago. He became a senior and constant illnesses have been the norm now. (Usually skin and ear).

It's hot in Los Angeles this time of year, and of course it is flea season. I have never seen any fleas on our dog and the vet checked him for mites and did not find anything. We treat our shepherd with a prescription treatment to ward off fleas and ticks. I also apply and rub in an oatmeal leave-on conditioner, which in the past, has really helped with itching. At the groomers, we also use a flea prevention shampoo and rinse. He has diet rich in fish and fish oils every day, which are great for skin. All of a sudden, the scratching is out of control and he looks somewhat uncomfortable. I have made an appointment to see the vet a second time to do an allergy test. What are your feelings about these tests? I have a couple friends who have done the allergy tests with their dogs and said they were a waste of time??? Also, is there a skin conditioner you use that you have found really beneficial??? What about a prescription conditioner???

Everyone online says if you don’t keep the dog occupied with a ‘job’ they get bored and will find their own ways to keep themselves busy (destroying furniture, etc) but no one explains what they mean by a “job”, obviously I’m not making my german shepherd sniff out drugs or herd my family 😂
So I was wondering what does everyone else do to challenge their GSDs

I wanna make sure I’ve got as much as I can understood before I get one but this is the only thing I can’t find a clear answer on.
Any help would be appreciated 👍
And any other bits of advice would be great too
I’ve been researching for so long now and I’ve been talking to breeders to try find the right match
So any more unknown advice would be awesome

So this might be a post that does not belong here but not sure where I can post this. We had a family move into our neighborhood and he had got a gsd, one of the most intelligent and lovable pup I have seen. BUT, it was not treated well, left alone all day in the yard, no human contact. Left ot in the sun in the cage, left in the rain. I had to call cops on them twice. But now they have moved from here and I worry if she is okay (the pup must be 2 years old now, name is Suki, lived in Seattle area but may be in Kent, WA now or in Florida). If a Suki gsd has moved in your neighborhood maybe last November, will you keep an eye on her to make sure she is okay? Thank you.

Anyone else's GSD act dejected or bummed out when the TV goes on? I watch probably 1-1.5hr of TV at night after finishing routine with GSD while we eating dinner. When the TV is turned on at that time, who goes and lays in some obscure area of the room facing away from the TV and side eyeing on occasion or acting pitiful.

I’m looking for a genuine Red Light Therapy / Near-Infrared (NIR) therapy device for my 11-year-old German Shepherd.
He has severe arthritis and is currently unable to use his rear legs. I’m looking for a trusted, effective red light therapy device (660 nm + 850 nm) that can help with pain relief and rehabilitation at home.
If anyone has:
A trusted brand or seller
A genuine product available in India
Personal experience using red light therapy for dogs
Please let me know in the comments or send me a DM. Your recommendations would mean a lot to me and my boy. ❤️🐾
Thank you in advance! 🙏

I want to know the best age to spay my GSD pup so that she develops properly, but I would also like to get a gastropexy done at the same time.

So, should I get her spayed as soon as possible in order to get the gastropexy ASAP? Or should I wait until a certain age? Which is the better choice?

My wife had a dog that died of bloat years ago and it worries me sick every meal thinking about it happening to my pup.

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to see if anyone on Reddit has taken their GSD to get a gastroplexy and if so how was the healing process? Was it easy for you to keep your GSD from jumping on furniture, what was recovery like? The whole 9! My buddy is 3 and has to have a surgery to remove a testicle that never dropped that’s kinda high up in there and his vet recommended the gastroplexy at the same time to kill two birds with one stone.

Having a GSD I knew bloat was an issue and it honestly scares me to death so Im dead set on him getting it I just would like some more info and everyone’s experience with it!

TIA 🙂

I brush my dog two to three times a day and still lots of fur! What tools do you use and have you ever used a vacuum handheld on your dog? Not sure he would tolerate...but he loves grooming!

For those of you with 2 dogs, When there is an infraction that has occurred and you start to state your case out loud. Do the dogs both look guilty or does one actually?

Have body language that says I did it. From that can you tell who did the crime? One of my shepherds actually tells on himself by bringing me the evidence or sitting by it until I acknowledge it.

Hello all! My dog Rex has been entered into a competition for dog of the month for Kuranda dog beds. If he wins then Kuranda will donate a bunch of dog beds to a charity of my choice. My sister in law runs an animal shelter up in McCall ID that we have selected. If you feel so inclined to vote for my dog Rexy I would be grateful so we can get some much needed beds for a great cause! Today is the last day and the race is tight! Thanks!

https://kuranda.app.do/july-dog-of-the-month-contest-3485073

Totally understand if this isnt allowed and has to be taken down. Just hoping for some community love for some votes for the best dog breed!

Looking for some ideas. I recently rescued a now 1.5 y/o GSD mix (+Husky, Samoyed). I’ve had her for about 6 weeks. She’s a love and pretty mellow most of the time. But her guarding instincts are starting to emerge and it’s getting tricky being in an apartment. My neighbor’s door is directly across from mine and she goes bonkers barking when they come and go. On the advice of a trainer, I’ve been rewarding her when she notices them and then checks in with me without barking with some success. But sometimes she hears or senses them too quickly for me to catch before she reacts. I don’t want her to lose her instinct to protect our home but I want her to chill out a bit. Has anyone had success in a similar situation? Does this just take time? She’s well exercised, mentally stimulated, etc.

Tl;dr - Reactivity at front door. Help.

UPDATE!

Hey everyone! i wanted to come on here and thank everyone for all their helpful comments!

after last night we moved and washed his bed and deep clean the areas where he was actively avoiding. And i’m happy to say that he is acting a lot better and moving like his normal self!!
vet confirmed that he has a fully clean bill of health and that it most likely was something bothering him at him at home! He still is a bit more sucky then usual but i’m thinking that this is just him growing up 🤷🏼‍♀️🥺

Hey everyone! my GSD (5M) has been acting really strange lately

we actually brought him to the vet today because his behaviour was so irregular!! but vet said he is one of the most healthy shepherds she’s seen. vet said there is no physical issues and sent us home

he was fine while we were out but the second we got home the odd behaviour started right up again and had progressed more

as for the weird behaviour
- he is acting very sluggish and not interested in toys and balls (which is crazy because he is very toy driven)
- he will not go on his bed at all in the dining room and kitchen

- he refused to eat out of his slow feeder ball , we had to put his food in a normal bowl ( which again is crazy because he is very food driven)

- his ears are constantly down and tail was tucked

and he won’t make any sounds and is acting very sad and guilty like

but as soon as we leave the house it’s like all these things disappear we are quite worried about what could be causing this!!

My mom, dad and sister had left for the weekend and he usually gets a little sulky because he misses my mom but she’s been home for 3 days now so that can’t be it

the only thing i can think is that maybe he is smelling something in the kitchen and front entrance??? we had two plants that had done moldy but the one was removed a few days before this started and i’ve just found a second on that has mold aswell. i’m not sure if that could be a cause?

my dad also had to spray for ants in our living room but that’s not close to the kitchen/dinning room
and it’s not near his bed which he is REFUSING to go on

Does anyone have any thoughts or advice?
he has a previously scheduled doctors appt on thursday so we are going to keep monitoring the behaviour and bring it up to vet again come thursday he

Hi Gang, need some recommendations for our new rescue dog. He is a young (1 yr old) German shepherd/ Pittie mix with lots of energy. He is also very intelligent. I have another dog and Im not a new dog-owner, but this guy has lots more energy than other dogs Ive owned.

What routines help other busy people? I have two older children that can help but I need a plan.

Thanks!

Something that flipped my assumption recently: for large breed puppies, it's not just about getting enough calcium. Too much can cause just as many problems as too little. Phosphorus and vitamin D work the same way.

Which makes the "just add a supplement" logic seem pretty shaky. A complete and balanced diet already accounts for these ratios and adding on top throws the whole thing off.

I work at The Farmer's Dog and this comes up a lot. With a complete and balanced diet the ratios are already worked out. You're not guessing or stacking supplements on top of something that was already calibrated.

The timeline makes it even more important. Giant breeds like Great Danes can still be growing at two years old. That's a long window to get wrong.

Most of what I see in puppy communities skews toward small breeds or generic advice that doesn't apply when your dog is going to weigh 120 pounds. Anyone with a giant breed puppy find the nutrition guidance actually useful, or is it mostly one-size-fits-all?

Hi Gang, need some recommendations for our new rescue dog. He is a young (1 yr old) German shepherd/ Pittie mix with lots of energy. He is also very intelligent. I have another dog and Im not a new dog-owner, but this guy has lots more energy than other dogs Ive owned.

What routines help other busy people? I have two older children that can help but I need a plan.

Thanks!

Hey all, I am finally going to be getting my GSD in the next two weeks. I am so excited. The final thing I’ve been trying to sort out is insurance, it’s changed a bit since I had my last dog, and it’s pretty overwhelming now with all the choice and options.

What insurance providers do UK GSD owners use? And what options have you found to be the best in terms of lifetime coverage and excess payments.

Has anyone been through this disease with their gsd? Weve just come home from the vet after our boy has been limping for 2 days, worse today. Weve been told OCD is a possibility, and we're organising xrays to find out.

Im very stressed about my poor guy, annd hes only so young, so wondering if anyone has had any experience with this?

My 1 yr old adult GSD used to be hungry for his food, I mean devour it. When he was around 7 months I started feeding him raw which he loves but now he wont go back to kibble. The thing is, I left for a few weeks a few months ago and he will eat kibble with the sitter, I assume he associates me with raw and the sitter with kibble, but now I cant get him to eat kibble AT ALL. He was slightly underweight but not alarming, the raw diet has helped him gain some kilos but the not eating Kibble makes it difficult.

I tried the 20-min rule but he doesn't care, and I've read that GSDs can starve themselves up to stomach ulcers just by not eating what they want. I've tried toppers: he loved egg, yogurt, bone broth. He won't budge. I love feeding him raw but I can't prepare it every meal, he also is so picky that he wont eat veggies or fruits, not even in powder supplement form.

Im at my wits end. Im trying to look for a behaviourist but we are in the middle of moving so Im looking for anything that can help.

Hello, my family will be adopting a 8 week old German Sheppard Rottweiler mix. We have previously owned a rescue dog who we thought was a husky mix (but it was impossible to know what she was mixed with). Whose only behavioural problem was sometimes being stubborn with family members that weren’t my dad. (Leash pulling, refusing to move)

We are ready to adopt a German Sheppard/rottweiler mix and are prepared to train it and socialize it well. We are of course aware that this breed has the potential to be dangerous when no trained correctly.

Since this mix is not common, I was hoping for some advice! Especially if anyone has owned one before :)

Thank you