HI,
MY 18 MONTH OLD G.S.D DOG IS BOARD WITH IS CAUSING ALOT OF OTHER PROBLEMS.
TOYS DON'T REALLY SEEM TO WORK, SOULD WE GET ANOTHER DOG OR MAYBE EVEN A CAT. ( THATS WHAT DAUGHTER WANTS.)
ANY ADVICE WOULD BE GREAT.

Hi
if you're having problems with one I wouldn't suggest getting another.JMHO.How much exercise does your dog get and is it left for any length of time?What kind of toys have you tried?Some more info would help people give you some advice,
Regards Nikki.

HI
MY HUSBAND WALKS HIM AND HE HAS THE GARDEN ASWELL.
THE MAIN PROBLEM IS WHEN HE IS IN DOORS, HE IS OK WHEN YOU SIT AND PLAY WITH HIM AND STROKE HIM BUT ONCE YOU STOP HE STRATS JUMPPING UP AT YOU AND ON THE FURITURE. HE WON'T LET YOU GET ON WITH THINGS AND HAVING TWO YOUNG KIDS THAT WHAT I NEED TO DO.
AS FOR THE TOYS HE ONLY LIKES THEM IN THE GARDEN.

Hi

Have just started reading the Dog Listener by Jan Fennell, it's mentioned on one of the older links on this section. It's fantastic :D Most of it is common sense really but it may give you a few ideas on how to deal with your GSD

Sorry, but you can't expect an 18 month old 'working' dog to occupy himself. Getting another dog for him is not the answer either, just double the trouble.
What he needs is your attention, training, love and guidance, to be the well behaved dog you seem to expect him to be....if you haven't the time for all that, then......

How about giving him a big juicy raw bone?
How often do you have him out, and for how long? Do you throw a ball for him outside, perhaps if you tire him out more on his walks he may sleep more in the house?
You might just have to start ignoring him, my own two year old GSD can be like this, although he doesnt get wild, he just sits moping, its just their age and there not a lot you can do really other than take them out every 30 minutes and devote your entire day and night to them!
Try him with a bone, and maybe with a ball or a Kong filled with his fave treats?
Don't give him toys out in the garden, throw a ball for him instead - toys should be for in the house to keep him occupied.

Hear hear!
A dog like that needs a decent offlead run at least twice a day - my GSD is nearly four and she still needs at least two hours of exercise an hour of which is offlead running [after her frisbee]. Just walks aren't going to be enough even with the time he has in the garden added.
If he is getting enough exercise, what toys have you tried with him? Does he like things like boomer balls/indestructiballs, they're designed so the dog can't fit it in his mouth and thus chases it round lots. What about stuffed kongs when you want a bit of peace from him?
Also, you could try changing his food to one with a lower protein content, that can help a lot!

Annette

Are your kids very excitable around him? Maybe he just needs a bit of 'time out' from them - you know his own wee space or room or whatever, where he can sleep or chew his bone or whatever without being constantly disturbed? Obviously I don't know how old your kids are or what they are like around him, but it could be that he just wants to play with them all the time because he sees them as being pups like he is... and believe it or not, at 18 months he still is an overgrown pup!!

Dear LouLou,

Our GSD is 12 months now and she would never "just" play with her toys on her own.
She loves nothing better than to have sticks thrown or ball kicked etc, anything that moves away from her at great speed that she can
chase!! (we tried frisbees, but they never last longer than one session ;)
Try interacting with her a bit, they aren't like children unfortunately, you cant put them in a corner with some toys and ask them to play quietly on their own for a bit ;)
I think that we have to remember that in the wild a pup is never on its own, as this would surely mean they would be killed.
So I think we can forgive them a little bit for getting anxious/restless when left to their devices ;)

Hi Wolfwitch,

your GSD sounds like mine! He adores chasing things - he has a ball obsession! Comes in pretty handy when its pouring down outside!!!
But don't you think its a bit dangerous to throw sticks? I have heard so many stories about them piercing dogs throats etc I just stick to a ball or frisbee now. Or a Kong, they are brialliant for bouncing everywhere!

Hiya Bear,

We usually stick to balls, as I said, frisbees dont live very long ;).
But she just loves to chew wood, goes mad for sticks, she's not even interested in a treat!!
So we allways make sure the stick lands long before she gets there, thus minimalising the chances of her impaling herself when it bounces on the ground.
I've heard a lot of stories about dogs swallowing and choking on balls as well, so I guess you cant really be totally safe with anything.
Its just like how its really bad to give your dogs bones as they might splinter and get stuck in their throat..
I wonder how wolfs ever survived before men decided to push them to extintion! ;)
You do have a valid point though Bear and I do worry about my "little" girl and try to keep her as safe as I can.

Hiya,

I've only just started posting here, but I have 3 shepherds, and they do need a LOT of exercise!!

I don't think getting another one would be the answer.

Try more off lead runs in different places. This breed have active minds, so try different things with yours.....different games etc, something to exercise it's mind as well as it's body.

hope this helps

Lisa