A dog can sit when asked, walk beside you, stay where you put them and still not be particularly comfortable with what’s happening. This isn’t an argument against obedience or training, and a dog following a cue isn’t necessarily stressed. The completed behaviour simply tells us part of the story. If I ask a German…
German Shepherd exercise advice has a bad habit of turning into a mileage contest. The usual advice is simple: add another walk, run farther, throw the ball longer, and keep the dog busy until the behaviour sorts itself out. That works for some dogs. For others, it just builds a fitter dog who’s still frantic…
When people meet a German Shepherd, they often look straight into the dog’s eyes. They mean well. They’re trying to connect. With a dog that doesn’t know me, my advice is to do less. If you’re about to meet an unfamiliar dog, the practical version is in Why Most People Get It Wrong in the…
I’ve watched people get this wrong before they’ve even finished saying, “What a beautiful dog.” They see a German Shepherd — especially a long-haired one — and go straight in. They make eye contact, start talking, reach toward the dog and take one more step into their space, and what feels friendly to the person…