Hello, It sounds like your puppy is having accidents in the home. I recommend using a crate for the potty training process. This type of training tends to give the most consistent results, especially for more difficult potty training cases. Crate Training method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-puppy-to-poop-outside Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Aug. 3, 2023

Hello, That definitely sounds like him trying to claim items. I would use the belly band wraps to stop him from being able to add his scent. I would also interrupt with the belly band on him, whenever he lifts his leg. A loud clap to surprise will be enough for some dogs. You want to surprise them a bit without hurting, and it needs to happen consistently, while preventing a successful mark with the belly band. Sometimes there is also an underlying need for respect building too. In those cases I would practice structured obedience to build respect. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-doberman-to-listen-to-you Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

April 24, 2023

Hello, For the barking, I recommend teaching Place and practicing having pup stay on Place while you are home, working up to pup staying on place while you go into another room for a few minutes, to build their independence and confidence while away from you. Second, I would set up a camera so you can spy on pup in real time. If you have two smart phones or tablets, you can use something like skype with pup's end on mute, to watch pup from your phone. Go outside and spy on pup. Whenever pup pauses the barking for even a couple of seconds, return back inside while they are quiet and sprinkle a couple of treats on the floor then leave again. Gradually increase how long you stay gone for based on how long pup can stay quiet for, rewarding pup not just for stopping the barking but keeping the barking stopped as pup improves at this exercise. At first you are looking for just a couple of seconds of quiet to reward. Very gradually increase how long you wait to reward as pup improves, adding just a couple seconds, then a few seconds, then a minute, then two minutes, then five minutes, then eight minutes, then ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty, ect...building upon pup;s training. I also recommend stuffing something like a hollow kong with really yummy treats that are safe to leave pup unsupervised with to encourage pup to focus on that toy instead of your absence. Another option is something like autotrainer or pet tutor. A device that will automatically release a treat for pup if you purchase a model that can be programed to detect when pup is quiet, and release the treat after pup is quiet for a certain amount of time, to encourage pup to stay quiet also. For the accidents, you will likely need to thoroughly clean the floor with a cleaner that's safe for your flooring type and has enzymes. Only enzymes will fully break down the pee or poop smells that are remaining, and might be encouraging your pup to also potty there to mark. Additionally, give pup a refresher on potty training and treat them like a puppy again for about a month until things improve. The easiest way to do this for quicker results is to crate pup at night and when you are away and to keep pup tethered to yourself with a hands free leash when they are not crated or outside, so you can prevent pup from sneaking away to go potty and interrupt any signs of needing to go - like circling, sniffing, or squatting, and quickly get pup outside. Be sure to reward pup with a treat and ample praise when they do go potty outside, to help pup understand where to go potty and not go potty in the new home. The stricter you can be upfront about managing pup's freedom, schedule, and cleanliness, the less likely pup is to have lingering issues with accidents that persist for longer. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Jan. 17, 2023