At what age will my puppy listen to me?

Question

I have a 3 month old German Shepherd (we've had him 2 weeks) who is far more interested in chewing/biting, exploring and chasing/pinning down our cat than in anything we have to say. Everything I read says Shepherds just want to please their owners and are easy to train, but he pays no attention to our dissapproval at all. We yell "NO" and he may look but keeps doing what he's doing. Usually he goes in his kennel if he doesn't listen but when he comes out he goes right back to what he was doing. Is there a certain time period until he understands or age he'll settle down? I realize this is the way puppies are at first, I'm just curious.

Answer 1

If you've only had him for 2 weeks, chances are he's still trying to get acquainted with his environment.

Still, whether or not you're having behavioral problems, it's usually very helpful to bring your dog into some sort of training program. This is especially helpful when the animals are puppies because taking them to training classes helps them (1) learn how to listen and obey and (2) socialize with other dogs which is also very important for your puppy's development.

Also, whether or not you take your new furry child into training classes, just training him with treats for at least 20 minutes a day on very basic skills like "sit", "down", "come", "stay" may also help him understand that you're the authority and he should listen to you.

Answer 2

He's only a baby yet!!! Yes, you start basic training from day one, but honestly take it slow with him. As with little kids, let him be a baby!! Puppies have a short attention span in any case, so the moment he switches off, end the training session. I'd not stress too much about 'dominance' either. Getting on the couch may not be what you want, but my Bassets have always been up there ( much as my current one doesn't even attempt to get up there - it's my Whippet's domain lol) and I've had no dominance issues with them. He just wants to be with you. If you don't want him up there, put him down saying no. If he doesn't get the message, remove him from the area to his sleeping place. Allowing him to come back over and over, is only a game to him. For the biting, when he gets to this level, which you should avoid, end the contact. Stand up, take him out to empty and put him in his sleeping place. He will have been doing this with his siblings but he has to learn that nipping humans won't be tolerated. He will understand, eventually, that when he tries this, the contact stops. And in the nest, it would have been the same - the one being attacked would yelp, and turn away so the contact would end, although in some cases, with two dominant puppies, there might be a short spat!. You could yelp, but you must do it with the turning away - stopping the contact because with some, yelping only gees them up more. They think it's part of the game. For come here - give it time!!! This needs to be worked on, eventually, the 'come' command - but this is one for a more organised training session - perhaps using a treat bribe to begin with. Get him enrolled in some Puppy Training classes!! Add Please don't even think about using a shock collar on a puppy of this very young age. Sigh.

Answer 3

For the chewing part, there is a spray you can buy to help stop your dog from chewing and tearing up things. They don't like the smell and won't touch it.

As for the age.. i don't know, I have a 4 month old dog and she just started to learn her name maybe about a month ago. I think it might be different for all dogs, depending on how much you use the word/tone of voice.

Make sure your "NO" voice is nice and stern. You chould try grabing your dog by the neck (where the extra skin is) and shaking him (not hard) and look at him with an angry/displeased face and say "NO" in a stern voice. *Note* This will NOT hurt him.

My dog again, she runs around like a nut when shes playing with her toys, she runs around the house when shes excited, etc. Very active dog, try giving your dog more attention. Keep wires and other things out of reach, for my computer wires I have a board which I found in a spare room to block my dog from access, (shes chewed a few wires :/)

But other then that, you must realize its been only 2 weeks since you've had him. He might not listen to you yet because he might think your not his real owner and he's over-whelmed by this new exciting place. Give it some more time, if nothing works, try asking around for schools.

Best Of Luck.

Answer 4

First things first: this is a very young puppy and he is doing exactly what he is supposed to be doing right now. Read that again :) and think about it. If your expectation is that he will be obeying you 100 percent of the time right now, change your expectation and life will be easier.

NOW: He will start to listen to you (not obey 100 percent yet) the second he realizes that YOU are the source of everything good in his life.

YOU are the one who feeds him (by hand---no dish for a bit).

YOU are the one who determines if he goes outside, if he goes inside, if he gets a toy. DO NOT leave toys laying on the floor---YOU give them to him.

YOU decide what kinds of freedom he has and YOU can take it away.

His crate is not a place for punishment, but he should be confined in a crate or xpen if you are not watching him closely.

Find a trainer who uses positive methods and sign up for Puppy Kindergarten. In the meantime, read "Before and After You Get Your Puppy" by Dr. Ian Dunbar.

Stop yelling. He has learned to ignore the sound and you are making "no" less and less effective every time you use it.

Your pup sounds like a confident youngster who can grow into an amazing dog. Have fun!

Answer 5

German shepherds need training. They make great dogs with training, but they will make lousy dogs if they grow up ignoring you. So you need to find a professional trainer to help you. Keep in mind that no violence, no shock collars, not even spanking should be used, because the dog is either abused and becomes aggressive, or if you spank him or say No but he ignores you, he thinks it is a game and he learns to keep at it. So please find a good trainer. He will give you instructions for how you should treat the puppy for the next 2-3 months, and he will probably start training after that.

Answer 6

I've a 4 yrs old rotweiler. Dogs are like humans too. they 're playful when young, esp. below 2 and half yrs. You'll need some patience to teach or comminucate. Roll up some papers to smack them when an order "No" is misunderstood, and reward them with some treats when an order are followed. Do not stress, cage or tie it for a prolonged period. Talk to them whenever possible, and you'll be surprised to find that they do understand what you said ( after one year or so ). Treat it well, and you 'll be a proud dog owner. German Shepherds are one of the smartest !

Answer 7

you need to teach him his name by using it when you feed him. do not try to make him do something when you can not inforce it. you need to get him used to a collar then tie a rope or a cord to his collar so you can stop him from not responing to you. Find a obedience training class in your area of the country