Well, the stubborn German Shepherd puppy, Bodie, is at it again. I have never had such a stubborn dog! German Shepherds are known for their trainability and intelligence. That should mean that they are obedient, right? Well, I wouldn’t use that description for Bodie.
He knows the basic commands alright but he doesn’t necessarily comply, especially when he has way too much energy. There are times I will give him the “sit” command and I can just see him stop to think about it. He stops what he was doing, pauses… acts as if he was going to sit but he will then just stand there staring. You can tell he is trying to decide: “Does she really mean it?”
Sometimes he will obey and sometimes he will run off trying to get in trouble. That is when I have found that doggie calisthenics works. The treats come out, but he really has to work for them. First, we start with pushups: “Sit. Down. Sit. Down. Sit.” And then a treat. A really long “Wait” with the treat temptingly out of reach. “Come” from various areas in the house. After a bit of that, he calms down and starts to listen again.
I always had hunting dogs and when I gave up that got a GSD. It was a whole different world for me. So smart. So lovable. So loyal. So willfull..... and spoiled rotten. He's getting better but remember they are Germans... stubborn that is....:)
ReplyDeleteI have had quite a few dogs but there is something special about German Shepherds! :)
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