How can you train a German Shepherd to be less possessive of his toys?
Q. My dog is 4 years old and he's really possessive of his toys. When anyone plays fetch with him he doesn't give you the ball he drops it at a far distance for you to walk. Sometimes when you go get the ball he comes back and snatches it before you can get to it. I now got another dog he's a Welsh Corgi puppy, and he has his own toys but yet the German Shepherd sometimes gets angry and tries to bite him because he wants all the toys. What should I do?
Asked by Corinne - Fri Jul 31 14:27:29 2009 - - 2 Answers - 0 Comments

A. This is called resource guarding. If he has nothing to guard, he can't resource guard. So start from zero (nothing to guard) and slowly build up a habit of not guarding. Day one: pick up all the toys. All toys belong to you, only you. He may play with one of your toys only if he plays your game, by your rules. If he chooses not to play by your rules, give a "no reward marker" like "too bad," take your toys and put them away again. When you play ball, play two-ball instead of fetch, at least for a while. Get two identical balls. Toss the first one. As he is returning toward you with it, toss the second one *behind* you so he'll have to run right past you to reach it. In his excitement, and especially if you time it well, he… [cont.]
Answered by Kirsten - Fri Jul 31 20:53:21 2009

How do you get a German Shepherd to stop being so excited around people and other dogs?
Q. My 7 month old german shepherd always gets so excited when people or other dogs come over. She sometimes even pees around other people when she is so excited how do i stop this? I want her to just relax until I tell her to go play. Thanks in advance.
Asked by chilly1 - Tue Nov 17 11:03:02 2009 - - 5 Answers - 0 Comments

A. I have to disagree with the opinion that it is fear that is causing this. Peeing can be a sign of excitability. I would work on more socialization with the dog - with people and other dogs. This way this becomes a normal routine for the dog and it becomes less exciting. Also, when people come over or approach your dog - tell them to not pay attention to it. When someone starts feeding into the excited behaviour, it just makes it worse. Allow them to pet her when she calms down. If another dog comes over - let them meet eachother on leash (use a prong collar to get the right correction) and when the mood has calmed down, then she can play.
Answered by Aphrodite *Dobe uses a PRONG - Tue Nov 17 11:25:21 2009

How often should I take my German shepherd out for a walk?
Q. We have a busy schedule. But we still get her out. But I would just like some suggestions on how often it is recommended for a German shepherd to go for a walk?
Asked by wgsd101 - Sun Aug 17 15:51:17 2008 - - 9 Answers - 1 Comments

A. dog should have walks everyday to relive stress and get out. i have a german Shepherd and i walk it either twice a day for 30 minutes or once a day for an hour. i have a busy schedule too but i've learned that you have to make time for your dog.
Answered by A guy trying to live his life - Sun Aug 17 16:01:26 2008