Each dog differs vastly. Having had GSPs for thirty years, I have found that some are closer working than others. I never 'ask' mine to do things, I use a firm voice and give them a direction (command). Your girl may be getting ready to go into season, which can definitely make her more 'unruly' than normal; some bitches become more sedate and withdrawn in season. It just depends on the dog.

When I moved here, I looked all over for GSPs and finally got a seven-month old. She still is not as reliable as the four-month old puppy that we have. It is not sex-dependent, but rather individual-dependent. I would continue with weekly obedience classes and never give her an order unless you are prepared to follow up and make her do as you have indicated.

Things will improve, but she is a very young dog (by gundog standards). If you want to speak to me, please send me an email to sierra.milton@ntlworld.com and I'll be able to send you my phone number. Sometimes just talking to others who have gone through the same thing will make you feel like you're not all alone in this.

Sierra, I am interested to know how you are getting on with Mara. I was actually offered this bitch at one point :-)

Leigh

I really want to sit down and have a good chat with you, Leigh, since you are familiar with most of the bloodlines, etc. here in the UK. Mara has fit into the household, but we still have difficulty when encountering other dogs on our walks. From being in Cornwall until she was seven months old, she had never encountered a lot of other dogs on her walks (other than GSPs or some nasty farm dogs which scared the bejesus out of her). Though she does walk down the street now and does jump into Jon's arms when a truck or bus goes by, so that is an improvement. She's a very loving bitch and gets on well with Brianna, the border collie, and Kai, who is a half-brother.

Why don't you give me a call (I'll email my number) or send your number back with a time that is good to chat with you. I will say though that there is a world of difference between Kai and Mara, it's like night and day. Having said that, you and I both know that every dog is different.

Sierra, when we got Monty a year ago, we were told he wasn't good with other dogs, he had been an only dog and shut away while the owner worked so had little socialisation or training. Strange thing was that left to his own devices he has learnt how to deal with them, he now goes to say hello, if the other dog wants to run and play he will do that, if they go for him he runs off and none of the others can keep up with him. My main problem has always been with people when he is on the lead, specially women, but we have for the most part cured that although as Leigh knows he is very protective of me, we have a way to go yet but he is miles better then he was when we got him and he had been branded as a nasty vicious dog, just shows what hard work, patience, and socialisation can do. Good Luck with Mara. Ingrid

Hello Ingrid!

Yes, Mara has come a long way. I have never babied her when she has been terrified by the other dogs. I simply pet them and ignore her. If she wants to be petted, she has to come to my front instead of peeking around from behind. I am empathetic to the other person with the young GSP. If I were a new GSP owner, Mara would probably have been on her way back a long time ago. I knew that she was in need of socialization when we got her. Her saving graces are that she is very even-tempered with people, doesn't have a nasty bone in her body, is very intelligent and has good conformation, plus she is birdy. So, she will do everything the breed is supposed to do and has good bloodlines to boot. I know the American dogs that she goes back to and that was an important plus also.

Mara used to be afraid of people too, but that has been cured with the same method and having people give biscuits to her while I ignored her. LOL... wouldn't it be easier if I could convince the strange dogs to give her biscuits!!!

Hi Sierra,
I know just what you mean, when I was first approached about Monty in September 2000 I went out and did loads or research, having always like the look of GSPs, but nothing I read prepared me for the reality, my saving grace was that I have been taking on rescue dogs for a while now so have got used to sorting out the problems. He is the most affectionate dog I have ever owned, and when I have friends visit with their 1yo son he is just great considering he's not used to kids, but the first couple of months had me tearing my hair out, as Leigh says "not the the faint-hearted" but a lovely breed if you have the time for them. I am still convinced that all his problems were due to bad socialisation as a pup and not temperament as he has come on leaps and bounds in that field.
He does have all the natural instincts of the breed and too comes from very good lines, sadly the foot & mouth hit last year just as we were going to try him out and as yet I have been unable to find anyone in this area, but there is a possibility in this year if all goes well.
Like you, we used the treat method for visitors, and he's soon cuddling up to people showing his wonderful affectionate side, Luckily he is very good out running loose as once out of the gate treats hold no interest for him whatsoever.
I bet the strange dogs would eat the biccies first!!!!!
Ingrid

GSPs are certainly not for the "faint-hearted" and if Mara had been my first GSP, I'd be pulling out my hair and running for the hills screaming in frustration. However, over the years with dogs, I've learned to take the good with the bad. Actually, my first GSP should have been enough to make me run for the hills. Those that know me will understand when I say I am a most stubborn person and the worst thing in the world is to tell me that I am unable to do something. It's in my nature to then prove just how wrong those words "you can't" are.

My first GSP was anything but obedient. She was one heck of a hunter and I finally took her to obedience classes because I got tired of taking her hunting and then going back to the vehicle only to have her look at me and say "Nope, I'm not ready to quit hunting, so let's go back this way." It would sometimes take an hour to gather her up to get her to go home.

So off to obedience classes we went. She refused to heel -- absolutely, positively refused. No amount of wheedling, motivating (heck, I even tried using a pheasant wing to get her to come along), treats, walking backwards, etc. would get her to move. She would sit there and let you pull her until she laid down like a child throwing a tantrum. I was at my wit's end and ready to quit (remember this was thirty years ago and my first dog ever to take to obedience classes). Finally the instructor asked if she could try and told me that it would either really start or end the classes. Using the jerk/release corrections, she never looked back as she dragged her around the floor. I watching disbelieving as the battle of wills raged and I thought the dog would have permanent floor burns.

Finally, after an indeterminately long time, the dog got to her feet, turning her head to look up at the instructor and heeled around the room in perfect heeling position. The instructor was right -- it started our adventure into really training. This very stubborn dog became one of the top working obedience dogs.

Point is that if I had judged all GSPs by her, I probably would never have gotten another GSP. But, luckily, my obedience instructor also was a Golden breeder and talked to me quite honestly about the individuality of each dog. I owe that woman a lot because she introduced me to the wonderful world of obedience and convinced me that all dogs were capable of achieving high goals.

You know, that is probably what makes me the angriest and the saddest about the new trend to get whatever breed (or cross-breed) is most successful in obedience. It closes off that world of true achievement to people with other breeds by discouraging them. And it also keeps those people who look for the easiest breed to compete with the true feeling of absolutely achieving a hard goal.