admin answers:

I don’t live in your area, but this is what i did when I was looking for a trainer. I went to the local dog park, and dog friendly areas and watched dogs and their owners interacting. The dogs who had a pleasant demeanor and the owners who really watched them…well, I approached and asked for a training recommendation. Between 4 or 5 people I got 2 names. I did a little reading on training methods and had a pretty good idea of what might be best for my dog. I went to observe both these trainers teach a group lesson. One of them really impressed me and I chose to work with him. This organization has a package deal that is way more expensive than Petsmart. But all of these trainers are certified, with years of experience in ALL methods of training and all types of breeds. Their package does include 5 hours personal one on one training in your home or area outside, training tools AND free group classes for the life of your dog. The classes are 3 x a week. You can go, or not. I like the classes and the reinforcement is great for the dog’s obedience. And, if some problem arises, they are always there for you by phone , internet or after group class. Goldendoodles are great dogs with a fairly high energy level. The petsmart trainers are OK for basic obedience for dogs that are happy go lucky and benefit from the socialization. In case a dog is challenging, dominant/ aggressive or presenting any problem out of the ordinary, they are not the way to go. Sometimes you do get what you pay for! Hope you find a good trainer…good luck.

admin answers:

It depends on what you want: private lessons, group classes, someone else to train your dog for you
Is this for general/basic obedience or something more advanced/specific (e.g. Aggression problems)?
The Dumb Friends League offers group classes at a good rate. The instructors are behavior department staff and usually have 1 or more behavior volunteers helping. All behavior staff are extremely knowledgeable about dog behavior. They emphasize positive reinforcement/clicker training. DDFL offers many classes beyond basic obedience. Visit their website for more information:
http://ddfl.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=training_dog

admin answers:

You need to take him to training. With a professional trainer. German Shepards are extremely intelligent. You need to be exercising his MIND as well as his body. He is not being challenged enough. Pet Co and Petsmart have CHEAP training classes. They are not the best, but they will do. You can then work with him on training several times a day in shorter increments. That will help his as well. Plus, with training he will learn to walk on leash just fine.

Also, is he being taught he proper things to chew on? He needs bully sticks, kongs, buster cubes – things that will work his mind. The minute he gets ahold of something he shouldn’t have, you say “eh eh”, remove it, replace it with a proper toy and then praise him for chewing on that. You can get a product called SCAT that you place on the counters, tabletops, etc. It is motion activated. The minute the paws hit the counter, a blast of air and noise is activated. It works like a charm. My male no longer counter surfs and we haven’t had the SCAT on the couters, tabletops or bed for a year. We’re getting ready to use it again with our 7 month pup as she’s starting to surf when she’s bored.

Timeouts should be for a minimum of 10 minutes. You are not giving him enough time to calm himself down. Timeouts aren’t just for him, they are for you as well. Have you tried crate training for sleep? This will help both you and he get rest. You get into a regular routine. Just like a baby going into their crib, the crate at night signifies bed time. It will be easy to transition him to sleeping on his own bed once he used to the evening routine. Denver Dumb Friends has a GREAT article that can guide you through crate training here:

www.ddfl.org

This is all very fixable with training. Training isn’t just for him, it’s for you two as well. You will be amazed at the helpful tips you learn! It’s also a lot of fun. He’s super smart so you will be able to teach him all kinds of cool tricks to impress friends as well as burn off that energy. You might also hook up with a dog or two that he likes from the class. We met a few couples and have been having playdates with our newest pup for a few months now. It’s an amazing energy burner because they can go at it much better than we can!!

admin answers:

Yellow puke is bile, so your dog isn’t throwing up his food. You should look into another food, though. The brand you’re feeding is full of fillers that aren’t nutritious for your dog. Avoid foods from the big pet and grocery stores.

Better kibble are: Timberwolf Organics, Merrick, Solid Gold, Wellness, ZiwiPeak, Orijen, Pinnacle, and Prairie.

The best you could feed your dog is raw: Bravo, Oma’s Pride, Aunt Jennie’s Homemade 4 Life, Primal, and Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl.

admin answers:

It is common for a dog to throw up its water on occasion if they drink too much too fast. When he shivers is it after he drinks????? If so warm the water, the water is making him cold. Some dogs shiver for no apparent reason, shitzus, chihuahas, are very known for this.

The vomiting may be due to a sensitive stomach, food allergy or an internal organ problem such as kidney or liver disease. I would recommend having some blood tests run to rule out liver and kidney disease.

In the meantime, FAST her for 24 hours…provide fresh water only. Then re-introduce a bland diet of boiled chicken OR burger with rice–NO regular dog food, treats or scraps. If she does not vomit while on this BLAND diet, then I would recommend trying a diet for sensitive stomachs.give her yogurt on a daily basis as well as adding digestive enzymes into her food such as PROZYME.

Food allergies will sometimes make them sick, and usually what causes allergies to the food is corn.

Try what i mentioned above first and see if this makes the dog change in actions.

Good dog foods are not sold at your vets or grocery stores,

Innova, canidae, solid gold, california natural, are all good foods.
Science diet recommended by vet is not a good food either,

How to grade your dog’s food: Start with a grade of 100:
1) For every listing of “by-product” , subtract 10 points
2) For every non-specific animal source (“meat” or “poultry”, meat, meal or
fat) reference, subtract 10 points
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4) For every grain “mill run” or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (I.e. “ground brown rice”, “brewers rice”, “rice flour” are all the same grain), subtract 5 points
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3points
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to beef), subtract 1 point
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point>
Extra Credit:
1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count “chicken” and “chicken meal” as only one protein source, but “chicken” and “” as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point

Score:
94-100+ = A 86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D 69 and below = F>
Here are some foods that have already been scored.

Dog Food scores:
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten’s Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

admin answers:

This type of diet for your dog is probably the healthiest choice for him. Even the top quality foods you buy prepackaged contain preservatives and other chemicals. I’ve been able to find cookbooks for cooking for dogs even! There are plenty of people out there who do this, as long as you have the time and budget for this new diet. Also i would like to add that salmon is another good source of protein and keeps their coat shiny. However your dog’s stomach may be sensitive to the change, so a gradual transition from the organic dog food to your home cooked food would be best. Try calling your vet’s office and see what they say, although i’m sure they would be more than happy to sell you their brand of dog food, the vet will also have some good advice.