CherylHampton

Its been a bit since I've been here. After losing my last dog I told myself I would not have another one. Yep, that didn't last of course. I decided(which cheryl I never expected to happen) that if another mixed breed like my beloved shiloh (German shepherd/lab) came along and needed a home...well I guess God decided for me. But I digress....Heidi came along and she's the light of my life. she loves people, especially children, alerts whenever anyone approaches the home, but is never aggressive all great traits. She does however think she's a squirrel dog, a Daniel Boone type with natural hunting skills which she practices daily to perfect. Her domain is mostly outside which is where she prefers to be. We have animals that roam and come onto our property and most of the time she promptly manages them away, other times not so much. Is there ANY way I can deter her from catching the critters (and yes sadly she dispatches them when she does). She's also been deskunked 3 times(although name didn't catch them thankfully . I realize she has a strong prey drive but I would prefer she didn't hone her skills further. She's very fast and could catch a deer if the forest didn't get in her way. So have to keep that from happening! She trees a squirrel then waits patiently(after attempting to climb the tree) for it to come down. Is there any solution to this? Im all ears. Thanks for being patient with this extended description of my problem.Heidi really is an otherwise perfect dog😊❤❤❤❤❤❤

Thanks Adrienne, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm throwing too much at her at once. She got sit, and down VERY quickly however she's one step ahead with f me on those, she will sit on command then drop to a down position waiting for a treat lol. She will go down on command too, I've worked around the getting ahead of me though by mixing it up and doing some other things. Glad to know she's still a bit young to grasp the stay completely gives me hope she will come around. Funny thing though I can tell her to stay while she's sitting, and she wants to jump up, lay down, but will then hold a stay in the down position for a good bit. She has me connfused. Her jumping is becoming an issue as well and ignoring her doesn't seem to work. Its sporadic and in short bursts so its been hard to address. I've tried pinpointing the times when its most prevalent and its almost always when she thinks I have treats. She's HIGHLY food motivated and a bit hyper, but she will sit and hold a "look at me" for a good count, Maybe as she gets a bit older she will settle some. She's a German Shepherd Black lab mix(supposed tio be) however I am convinced there's some husky in her, enough to be noticeable so perhaps that weighs in. Time for a training session now, wish me luck. Thanks for all your support!

As always thanks Adrienne! Heidi is such an energetic happy pup she keeps me busy. We've been meeting new people, and once she warms up to them she's fine. She still presents as feearful( or maybe just overly submissive) as she approaches new people on her stomach, tail wagging, but needs coaxing. Doesn't take long to get past it but worth noting I think. I have her some playmates as soon as they are fully vaccinated as well as Heidi and hope it goes well. She will be much larger than them so will have to keep an eye on her. I try so hard not to compare her to Shiloh, they are so similar in so many ways but so different in others. 😊 she's been almost impossible with the "stay" and, I've triedeverything. Any help on that front greatly appreciated.

Well didn't take long and here I am again. Heidi has me all kind of confused. Had a repairman come in and she was all tail wagging, pet me kind of greeting, then just chilled out and sat close to me as he worked. Whenever he walked by she was ok....a belly rub would be great right about now so she's doing ok meeting new people. Now for the other issue. She growled at her reflection in the door last night, no aggression or barking just growling a couple of times. Sophie came by for her morning treat and she growled at her through the door, I opened it, Sophie came in and Heidi followed her around no more growling but not overtly friendly either. When She started to leave however Heidi wanted to run after her. I'm concerned when she meets other dogs(and the opportunity is very slim where we live) she's not going to do well. She's going g to be a big girl. I thought if I encouraged a relationship with the most gentle dog I knew it would be a good start for her but she flip flops from being scared to wanting to play(she just won't commit to it ). Any suggestions on where and how I can take her to introduce her to more canines? We don't have dog parks around us and its too cool yet to go to the lake plus she's not good enough on her leash. Another thought...she runs to me when she gets spooked which is fine, but I want her building some confidence. Am I expecting too much too soon? I'm afraid time is getting away from us as she's 10weeks old already and her socialization period is crucial and shes not had the opportunity to be exposed to some things she probably should have by now. I don't want her to be the "bully on the playground" but can see that happening if I can't get creative about finding places for her to meet other dogs. Thanks in advance for any tips or advice as I'm in a quandary.

Hi Adrienne, thanks for the quick response. Wow that's a lot to take in. I got Heidi from a neighbor of my moms who wound up with an unwanted litter(yeah I know). The German shepherd nxt door jumped her fence and "romanced" her labradore. The pups appeared well cared for and I did question her about the disposition of her dog as well as the neighbors. No red flags , but you know how that goes. I just didn't want to see her in a shelter if avoidable. Interestingly enough Heidi has done an about face when meeting new people. She presents now as very submissive until she gets a feel for the person then its belly rub time😊 I think her snapping at the neighbors dog was more from fear that anything. She's warming up to her and I can tell she really wants to follow her around the yard but she holds back. She's allowed the standard "meet and greet" that threw her initially, and seems to want to interact but not really playful yet. Sophie is the kind of dog I wanted for her initial meet as she's VERY chill and was so good with Shiloh. She's just unflappable and a good teacher for a young pup when it comes to being too aggressive while playing. A few more visits should increase Heidi's confidence. I hesitate to take her around my daughters mini schnauzer, as she just doesn't like other dogs. Shiloh tried to befriend her but it was a no go. I feel better about Heidi at this point than I did. She's done well with training on sit, down and come. Hates the leash worse than Shiloh, and is more hyper and dare I say it more stubborn? She's not going to do well with leave it, and jumping is a bit of an issue. Not too bad though, and ignoring her til she sits seems to be working ok on that front so far. It may be worth mentioning that her socialization has been a bit hindered as I've been having to care for my mom and she's spent more time at her home than mine since I've had her..I am Working on it though. I will post a pic as soon as I figure out how lol. As always thanks so much for your prompt and sage advice. I hope with this new info you will have more encouraging news. As I said, I feel better about her behavior and will truly keep an eye out for anything that even HINTS at agression, she did growl and bark at some deer that walked through my moms yard, but didn't try chasing or charging them. I'm sure you know you will hear from me again soon😊.. Thanks for always being there, getting another pup this soon was a MAJOR decision, I'm glad I did though, and know that little Heidi is gonna do fine.

Hi, its been awhile.....I finally made the decision to get another pup and she's very special(as all puppies are). She's a German shepherd lab mix(like my precious Shiloh), but she has a completely different temperament. She's super sweet and very alert and playful, but when she encounters a new person she growls and barks. Every time. She's only 8 weeks old and I assume some of its insecurity,or fearfulness . I'm aware she needs to be socialized but is this a behavior I should be concerned about?. Its new to me as every other dog I've ever had were openly friendly at every age. She's super smart, and I have a training question I will be posting soon. I know everyone here is learning as much as I did taking Shiloh through it. I know Heidi will be a star pupil too😊

For those of you who have read my posts about my dog Shiloh you know I lost him recently(someone poisoned him) I am still grieving this loss, but am faced with a unique situation. My neighbor who lives just down the way has a pair of beautiful German shepherds. They have a new litter of gorgeous little pups, and knowing what happened with Shiloh have graciously offered me one of the pups.I realize its quite soon, but my heart also knows that there will never be another Shiloh. EVER. Also I'm getting older and need a companion/guard as I live alone. Shiloh was a German shepherd lab mix, and had the aabsolute most gentle easy going temperament of any animal I've ever seen. He was subtly protective as even though he never met a stranger he would always position himself between me and anyone he didn't know. He was the same with my mom. I have some questions(any help Adrienne would be great) I've never owned a full blooded German shepherd before. Will this be too much dog for me you think? Also is there any way as a pup you can assess for potential aggressive traits? Shiloh never guarded his food and was never possessive with his toys etc.. He was also by far the smartest dog I've ever had and trained easily, a few minor bumps in the road as you know but easily corrected. I suppose my biggest question is as a general rule do gsds have easy going temperaments as well? I had a friend who had one that tried to be a lap dog. He was just silly and all over the place but the friendliest dog you've ever seen. Any of you who have shepherds who can offer your experiences would be helpful. I realize I'm blessed to have a neighbor who would make such a generous offer and I'm struggling with my decision. I know deep down I can never replace my Shiloh whether its tomorrow, next year or ten yrs from now, the pros and cons of accepting this offer is weighing heavy on my mind..thanks for any help you can give, I appreciate it truly😊

Hi, to all of you who have lost a pet whether to age, disease, accident or the cruelty of others as I did my Shiloh my heart goes out to each and every one of you. I'm pleased to say that they have identified the evil individual who went on a spree poisoning many of the neighborhood pets. Dogs and cats were the innocent victims, and when they catch up to him lets pray justice is served. I won't continue to rant but will simply say that the two short years I had my Shiloh were filled with a pure and unconditional love for one of Gods most loyal and joyful creatures I've ever encountered. Shiloh came to me at a time I needed him most and his antics brought laughter back into my life that I thought was gone forever. He simply enjoyed his little "doggy life" but was always on the lookout for ways to be protective without being aggressive in the least. Like each of you with a special relationship with your pets, I can say been without a doubt Shiloh had the most unique personality of any dog I've ever had the pleasure of sharing a life with. Knowing they've got eyes on the person who took my precious friend and protector I can say goodbye but know I will miss him forever. Thanks for reading, I have another post that I hope to get some responses from so thank you in advance if you can help me out. Take care and have a great Holiday Season as its just around the bend.

Thank you all for your kind words. Adrienne, you were there every step of the way for Shiloh and me, and I will be forever grateful. There's no doubt your support and this program is why Shiloh became the fine young canine he was. As I'm getting older Shiloh waa to be my last pet. I had to rehome my other dog when my husband became gravely ill, he wanted me to keep her but we only had her few months and I simply couldn't devote the time to her she deserved. It took me two years to make a decision to get another one and my Shiloh filled my heart with who much joy and love. I know all our pets are unique and have their own personalities, he was one in a million. Thanks again, good luck with your program you seem to be doing well. I'd like to think I would have use of it again, but fear I will be far to old before my heart will be ready again.😞

Its been quite some time since I've posted, so many of you who read this probably haven't read some of my earlier posts when Shiloh had his challenges as a pup. I'm proud to say he worked through all of them and became the sweetest most well behaved dog I've ever had. Shiloh was a true gentleman, never aggressive, always entertaining and so content to just "be" I'm n close proximity to his people..Sadly, some soulless monster came through our area Monday tossing tainted meat into yard of people with pets and my precious Shiloh was a victim. I live in the country, have wonderful neighbors(even though they aren't close), and practically everyone in our area has pets, so I am not alone in my grief. I just wanted to take a minute and thank this group for all the support, helpful posts and topics that got Shiloh and me through some rough spots during his training as a young pup. Well, he was still a pup in my mind as he just turned two last month. My special ,quirky, protective, loving, silly, handsome Shiloh. I'm so broken over this I can't even begin to explain it. Hold your fur babies close and give them the unconditional love that they so freely give to you and consider yourselves blessed to have them.

Adienne, thanks for all the excellent advice! I will keep a very close eye on Shiloh and see if I can further pin down any more specific information that may be helpful, I noticed the advice about him getting enough sleep, and I know he gets plenty of rest and good sleep, so covered there. I watch watching him with my granddaughter who was playing with him yesterday, and sadly he reoffended. I caught him before contact and issued an "off" command(he's familiar with that one well) he went immediately into a sit and was fine, but I'm still uneasy with him. They had been playing together for a bit, and I really think its the case of him getting over stimulated so going to work hard on that and see where we are. Will keep you posted!!! Thanks again

You're correct on his age very good. Yes he's been neutered since he was about 8 mos. old. His first time on this behavior was with my granddaughter last yr. She was 6 then. bless her heart she's short and Shiloh actually had a paw on each of her shoulders. No repeats until a few months back with my nephew and his friend, then again this past wknd. with my niece. Except for my granddaughter he had been engaged in a lot of play and it bothers me not only for the kids but Shiloh simply adores them. They can be active with him in ways that I cant. He's so funny, he actually fielded baseball and chased my nephew tagged him with the ball then when back to start the process over. He's NEVER EVER been aggressive with the kids or anyone for that matter, and when I witnessed what was happening I told him no! He stopped and no repeats for the rest of the day. Will this behavior escalate? I know some smaller dogs engage in this behavior it seems like their whole life and aren't especially picky about their "victims". All the kids are younger 6-11. My nephew and his friend are 11 but on the small side when it happened with them, they had been playing football and the boys were on the ground wrestling around when Shiloh acted out. Ive done some reading and if its true that this can happen when the pup/dog gets overly excited, maybe I can have him take some time outs from play. Although when he got tired enough he just chllled on his on. when it happened the other day, that was the only time in the course of a long day. Any advice you can give as ALWAYS is greatly appreciated. He was so down the day after everyone had to go home, he was missing the kids. This has been the only behavior that has really concerned me, his puppy training concerns were different. Shiloh is a very social dog, and he isn't around the kids very often at all, maybe every few months,at best. Its going to be a challenge to address this and get it under control. Its happened three times which is three times too many, will he grow out of it eventually?

Hi! Been awhile😊Shiloh is growing and is a happy go lucky kind of pup, but He has developed one issue that concerns me a great deal. I can't remember if I addressed it before or not...seems like I may have but it hasn't been an issue again until recently. Here's my concern Shiloh has never attempted to mount another dog, but he's tried on several occasions now to do so while out playing with the kids. This simply can't happen he's a large dog and I can't have him jumping up on the kids or trying to take advantage while they're sitting down. When this has happened its always been during times of play i.e. he chases a ball runs with the kids etc..I'm wondering if he is just over excited or what? He's NEVER been aggressive in any way, and is always gentle when playing with the children otherwise or when they're petting him he loves kids,I can't be active with him like the young ones can so he gets pretty revved up when chasing balls, frisbee etc. how do I correct this?.he's going to accidentally scratch or hurt one of them if he continues with this behavior. Thanks for your input as I'm really concerned about this.. Oh he's not around children on a daily basis pretty much just family gatherings not sure if that's important or not.

Hi! Its been awhile, Shiloh and I have been busy(especially Shiloh). Quick update,,,,he's a veritable pro at getting in and out of the car now so yay for that!!!! It finally clicked that he could use his back legs to boost himself up and it s really been a blessing for my back. He's a good boy and minds pretty well, we are still working on him not getting so excited when he meets other dogs or people. He's a social butterfly for sure. Now for the question of the day PLEASE give me some ideas on how to get Shiloh to stop digging. He so enjoys being g outside and has ample room to run, play or just chill out with his chew toys. He used to dig s little when I first brought him home (he actually found a couple of moles) but then he stopped and no more issues until just lately. I let him out to play and everyday there's a new hole, close to the house, two right at the foot of the steps. Now these aren't just just little holes . I'm actually going to have to get some fill dirt to pack in the last two. They're huge and quite deep, and he's fast! He has his own sand box which doesn't seem to interest him. I don't want to have to limit his space but its gotten dangerous, besides putting him somewhere else won't really solve the problem. We play fetch til he's worn out, I take him swimming and let him sniff around and entertain himself, he gets plenty of attention, any ideas? Thanks I will try any suggestions you may have😊

Thanks and I did miss a reply somewhere along the way as I had to swap tablets and vet set up on my new one. Shiloh is doing some better with his barking and believe it or not I had wondered if some of his "guardian behavior" was due in part to the shepherd part of his breed. He's got a great personality and loves meeting new people. Especially kids. He is getting a bit more discerning about other dogs however which I think I saw referenced somewhere before. I will look it up and keep you posted. As always thanks for your help, the advice is always on point😊