Nice thread, as a German Shepherd mama I must say they are one of the smartest breeds I've come across. But I'll say all dogs are good and unique in their own way and possess all these traits too. Any dog will do all these things as long as they have an owner that loves and cares for them.

Cute Kiki

@LordRegalia hope you'll be there. And all Dog lovers, breeders, admirers. This is going to be a very educative seminar for all.

Superstar Shadow meeting Dotman and getting familiar with him

SHADOW THE SUPERSTAR
(Ok so maybe not a superstar but a star in the making)

Last week Shadow was asked to be part of a music video for an up and coming musician called Dotman. Unfortunately I couldn't be there but Mr Prodeegee was so gracious to take Shadow for the video shoot. I couldn't risk him being without someone familiar and someone who can control him. I heard Shadow did very well and from the pictures and videos I saw I was very pleased and excited to see the final music video once it's out. Wow it seems shadow is definitely having more fun than me and going places hehehe.
Once the video is out I'll definitely post the link here.

JonSnow:


I'm a med student staying off campus as well. I intend owning a dog pretty soon. How do you cope?

Cc: Seun, prodeegee, blasiangurl85

There are a lot of things to consider when getting a dog/puppy. As long as you can dedicate time you will be fine. Also consider the cost of feeding and vet bills as well. For me SCHEDULE is everything. I do everything on a schedule. That way I'm able to create time for my dogs.

imsuboi:
Nice thread .

Thanks

Sobala:
What a thread. Blasiangurl85, I have to say well done. Your dog is so lucky to have you. And to lordregalia, thank you so much for your insight, it has helped a lot. I'm getting a one year old female gsd and hopefully, the transition to having me as her owner would be seamless but just in case it isn't, I'm glad to have someone like you who can offer helpful tips. And finally to bobbysax, you have done well. Blasiangurl85, thank you for showing people how a dog/human relationship can be so amazing.

Thank you, please let us know how it goes with your new girl

okikiosibodu:


but I can borrow him for about 9yrs and return him abi? *wink* I really love Shadow

Hahaha come and "borrow" him if he'll let you

babythug:


Look at this nonsense* boy oh . He come even pose for camera lol he makes me miss my old dog that was stolen

I'm just imagining him sitting on your laps!!!!

Meanwhile I once saw a picture here on nairaland of a boy-a toddler about age 4 who was in charge of two boerbels! He took them for a dog show and one of the dogs evens won a prize. I've also seen a picture of a toddler who was so much the alpha of his pack that he was hand feeding his German shepherds.

I'm just saying this so you can encourage your little one to be more confident around shadow. While keeping safety in mind of course!

Yes thank you, I always make out time everyday for my son and Shadow to spend together everyday and I must say it's just so rewarding seeing the two of them together.

AyodejiTAbatan:
Hi blasaingurl85

This has been a wonderful thread, from the very beginning till the end (will there ever be an end to it). You've really shown yourself to be someone who can be dedicated and responsible to the cause for which you pursue.
And I must say, you've given me a new found inspiration to invest in my love for dogs and do right by nature by owning more dogs and helping them grow into sociable individuals (in the dog way).
I have just one Samoyed at the moment; Anny and she stays with me in my apartment of campus in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife. Hoping to get a rottweiler in the next 2months, and I hope that turns out a rewarding experience.
Shadow's diary has been really inspiring and educative. Now I know how to treat an older dog when i get one, what type of food to invest in, the importance of food scheduling et al. Safe to say, your mistakes and successes as detailed here will help a long way in conditioning and improving the lives of several dog lovers/owners who have also been captivated by this thread.
I sent you a BBM invite, I'd love if you accept it as I always like to connect and learn more.

LordRegalia, I must say your own comments have been educative too. I'm falling in love with dogs all over again. And yes, been the Alpha is just a necessity if one wants to get the best out of his canine companion.

Have a nice one people. Let's work together to make the world a better place ... with dogs in it.

Thanks, will accept the invite. I'm glad all my ramblings are helping some people. that's the purpose of the thread

NorthernshoreTS:


Hi blasiangurl85, I have a GSD named Zeus and He will be 5 months soon. I have tried my possible best to teach him potty training but he poops and pees everywhere. I am running outta my mind and i would love some tips on how to get him to "go" in the potty area i prepared for him. I have a million other questions but i will start with this for now. Shadow is an amazing dog. Good job.
Thanks

For potty training what I did with shadow was crate training. I did that as soon as I got him at 8 weeks. Since your dog is 5 months it might be a bit harder but it's achievable. First of you'll have to wash the areas that your dog "goes" very well preferably with bleach to get rid of the smell of pee and poo. Feeding on a schedule also really really helps. So if you aren't doing that I suggest you should. At 5 months I was still feeding shadow 3 times a day. The best time would be 6am, 12 noon and 6pm. If you are doing it twice then maybe 6am and 4/5pm. Once you start feeding on a schedule you will notice you can predict almost exactly when your dog will go. You can read up on crate training to understand how it's done. Keep zeus in a small space where he can lay down comfortably and stand but not move around. Dogs naturally won't soil the area they sleep(unless they have no choice, like been caged for the whole day). With Shadow I would bring him out every 2 hours to pee and put him back. Zeus being older can hold his pee for longer, but I would suggest not more than 4 hours to begin. Once he's mastered the crate training you can keep him longer (but not the whole day).Whenever you bring him out always put him on a leash and take him to the spot where you want him to go. You have to be patient especially because zeus has already formed a habit of going wherever he wants. But just stay there with him, he will eventually go. Once he does, praise him and offer him a treat. And take him back to his crate or play with him for a bit before putting him back. Most times dogs poo almost immediately after eating as well. So once you feed him, with a leash take him to the spot and wait until he goes. After a while he will understand that he should go in that spot.
You have to be patient and persistent. Shadow was very easy to train but my two little dogs were a nightmare. But they all know where to go now.

Recent picture of shadow. Being a couch potato. He thinks he's a baby. Sometimes he wants to sit on my lap and crush me

Rian and Shadow

When I got shadow at 8 weeks my son was so scared of him. Even though he'd seen other dogs before I guess he hadn't seen a German Shepherd and it looked scary to him. He would scream and refuse to come down when I carried him. It was really very worrisome. All the dogs I've had would always stay indoors but my sons fear of shadow made it impossible for us to keep him inside. It was a painful decision but my son comes first before anyone else. It continued like that for months. I couldn't take my son out unless shadow was locked or they would be separated by the sliding glass door. That was the only way Rian was able to interact with shadow. Eventually his fear reduced a bit and I would take him to see shadow and try to touch him but he was still scared. Someone suggested I get a toy breed for Rian and that's when I got babydog. Once Rian adjusted to her, he slowly started getting interested in Shadow. After a while he started telling me "let's go see shadow" and now they are best friends.
Now for anyone who has a little child or children I would never encourage them to leave their kids with their dogs unattended. No matter how much I trust shadow I can never leave him with my son alone for one second. Shadow understands that Rian is a little kid because new never tries to jump on him. He only licks him and runs by his side whenever Rian is running around. And some how he knows to keep a little distance. He has never once shown any kind of aggression towards Rian. But dogs are dogs, he could try to play with Rian and maybe hurt him if he got to excited. That's why I said I never leave the two of them unattended. Same goes for the two little dogs.

peterbello:


His gragra is just a phase and it will pass. He's an adolescent with a lot of energy. Just continue being assertive. He'll mellow with time.

Yes you're right his "gragra" phase is slowly wearing out (I think)

LordRegalia:



Let me start by saying please do not neuter Shadow. I know he is not my dog but I hate to see dogs knowingly put through procedures that usher them a life which is less than that which nature intended. The fact that you are already thinking a lot about it, before long you would want to follow through with it. Please do not.

You have to become alpha. Absolutely and non-negotiable. You must have to be alpha, or else Shadow would assume that role as an adult. That scenario is not funny at all.

Here's one way to become alpha you could try. First, a question; what is it that dogs crave the most from their owners? The answer is attention. Be it positive attention or negative attention, they want it. They value it even more than the food they eat. So use the attention and affection you give Shadow to your advantage to become alpha.

So here's how. Because of the adolescent phase he is currently in, from now on (until the phase is over) make Shadow earn every single bit off attention / affection you show him. Make him do something for you, before you pet him or play with him. You could give him a command (like "sit" and then pet him only after he obeys. Of course there will be times when he acts like he has more important things to do, but you have to be firm. Also be very conservative with the way you smile and laugh at / with him because every interaction now is a battle of wits and will. Each time he makes you laugh when you are trying to be stern with him, you have lost that particular battle (he knows this but you do not) and so he will be emboldened to be disobedient or naughty next time. When he tries to jump on you or hug you, rebuke him. In fact, he should only be allowed to do that when you expressly permit him to. Rather than laugh and give in to his antics when you are trying to get him to behave, turn around and walk away immediately without another word. Deny him that attention. Do these often and you should see a change in his behaviour. Denying dogs attention makes them miserable and they would do anything you want to get that attention.

Other things you should do: during meal time, if he has been trained to eat on commands, make him wait longer before giving the command. Do not allow him go through doors and openings before you. Do not allow him initiate play or petting. Ignore any and everything you did not initiate. Everything now should be on you, when you want it, how you want it and why you want it and he must comply at all times. In all of it, think of your role as that of a strict school principal trying to keep recalcitrant kids in line. You are not being wicked, rather you are using discipline to instill discipline.


There is something I do with my dogs when they are being particularly naughty and a nuisance. I just stare at them straight in the eyes. No words, no movement, nothing. I just stand (or sit or whatever position I am in) and look down at them very sternly. They either back off to some quiet spot to chill and cool off or they quietly sit or lie down on the spot in submission. Anything I ask them to do after that, they obey one time without question. That is absolute alpha.

Hello LordRegalia, it's been a while. No I actually gave up on that thought a long while ago. I think shadow and I are kinda reaching a mutual understanding of eachother. The older he gets the calmer he is. Although he tends to misbehave especially when I'm around but when I get serious he knows when to stop mucking about. So I think we are on our way to a perfect relationship.

uchpanila:
Blasiangurl85 your are really doing a great job on shadow and am enjoying the thread, keep it up! Mama Shadow!!

LordRegalia that's another great write up. Thumbs-up

Thanks

sphinx92:
okikiosibodu, We settled for "German shepherd dog X Labrador retriever", but that is just based on assumption.
Thank you, pictures do come in handy. Call me weird but sometimes I view all their pictures just for the fun of it.
I wouldn't advice you to get rotties or Boerboel if you are a first time dog owner. They are powerful breeds and can be quite a handful, they require experienced hands.
German Shepherd dogs are best for first time dog owners, they are just simply amazing. I adore GSD's! I've always wanted one. Lord knows someday I'll steal blasiangurl85's shadow and younghartz's Nicky.
If you are experienced do proceed to get a boerboel, you'll definitely love 'em!
I think all Pure bred Rottweilers have the chest marking? I've never owned Rotties but a friend has one and I must say his is just great.
In my opinion, Rotties and Boerboels are not so different, they are like distant cousins.
If you need more information about Rottweilers, Knyte is your go to guy. His love for the breed is unmatched.

Hahaha please don't steal my Shadow o! He's my baby

Nice one LordRegalia, I'm sure there are a lot of people who would benefit from this

@LordRegalia thanks for sharing and I see your topic made front page. Thumbs up! I really wish I could try this for shadow but I don't think I will, partly because Shadow gets very protective once it's dark. When he was 8 months I actually wanted to start taking him out in the late evenings. The first time we went out he was so alert, ears standing and you could tell he was in protection mode. There was a guy running towards us and Shadow literally lunged towards the man. I'm guessing seeing a man running towards us he thought maybe the man was coming for us. For now i will concentrate on getting him to heel when we are out. Baby steps

SamsonJohn743:

Wow! I never imagined having a pet will be this sweet. Seriously loving this.

Thanks

ebujany:
Fantastic well written,following

Thanks

Becoming Alpha

So far it's not really going according to plan. I know I'm no alpha but I really want to be especially because Shadow is such a dominant dog. I have seen him establish himself as alpha amongst the dogs. It's actually interesting watching him put the other dogs in place. Well since i don't have 1 inch canines like dogs, I have to find another way to let him know I'm alpha. So far after watching millions of episodes of the dog whisperer I've tried the famous "shhhh" that ceasar milan does with the poking. Doesn't work for me. I also tried being very stern with him but he always finds a way to make me laugh when he jumps up to give me a hug. I tried making my voice deeper, but that also didn't work. Maybe I should have him neutered? I've really thought about that a lot. I know that neutering may reduce his dominant behaviour but it's not certain. Plus Shadow has a long list of people who want his puppies so doing that would mean so many people asking me "WHY?!!!!" I think right now he's just a rebellious young adult who needs to be put in his place. I think i will resume his obedience training and try out a few new things. If anyone has suggestions I would really appreciate it.

YhungCE0:


Lolz@No homo.

Thumbs Up @ Blasiangirl....for showing us just how fun and interesting a k9-human relationship could be.

Thanks, it's one of the most rewarding relationships one can have

Akunyun:
@ Shadow's pixes, Me really likey ..... Naevia does that too whenever we are about to take a walk. I must reiterate, Shadow is a fine boi! #NoHomo

Yes it's really cute when they do that. Thank you, Shadow is my handsome boy

LordRegalia:



Hello younghartz.

Achieving walking my dogs off the leash was no small feat. And like I said, I was trying to solve a problem with a particular dog, so it was a necessity. I would love describe it here, but perhaps we would need to ask blasiangurl85's permission first. It is, after all her's and Shadow's thread.

LordRegalia please share how you achieved walking off leash with your dogs. It's my dream to be able to do that but realistically I don't know if it's possible. One step at a time. First let me achieve a perfect heel position

Got Pet mince and chicken back from Prodeegee. Packed it up in individual bags for each day. The next two weeks are sorted

Even the cat couldn't resist some of the pet mince

Yummy food time

Out jogging on Monday. It was fun. But then some crazy kid decided he wanted to taunt Shadow. I don't know why he would even try something like that. Thank goodness I had a good grip on shadow. Obviously Shadows protective instinct kicked in and he almost lunged at the boy.
@Peterbello like you said I had to wrap my hand around the leash for extra grip.


Why do dogs need to be walked on the left hand side? I have no idea. And Shadow also doesn't like it. He instinctively goes to my right and I always have to correct him. Is there any reason why it has to be the left?

Thank you Peterbello and LordRegalia for both inputs. I really appreciate it. Like i said earlier, Shadow is my first large breed dog and I'm still learning. One of the reasons I decided to do a post on shadow was to share what I've learned so far and also get input from more experienced people. Let me say I've tried both methods of holding the leash. And to be honest I don't really know which one is better. I mentioned earlier that I was about to purchase a shorter leash because I thought it would be better for Mr Shadow but I decided to try LordRegalia's suggestion on our walk jog this week and I think I'm seeing an improvement. I'm able to hold on to him better and balance myself better especially when I need to correct him if he's going too far. Someone had shown me this method before but I didn't follow through. With a dog like shadow it's really hard to keep him focused. Trust me I have tried everything from ceasar milan to George zak and a host of other dog trainers out there. Even treats don't work for him after a while. I've tried clicker training as well. Didn't work out. I have done the stop and sit and treat or praise when he was younger and it worked for some time. But as he grew older it wasn't really working anymore. He's not bad when walking, only the first few minutes we are out he's a bit excited but after about five minutes he calmly walks (almost) beside me. The jogging has really helped to focus his attention on us instead of other things around which I really like. I'm hoping that in time he will learn not to be so excited as soon as we step out.

Monday evening, as soon as he saw the leash in my hand he ran to the gate. I love how he sits patiently for me to come. But I was busy trying to take pictures and he got restless. Nearly got the gate open

peterbello:


Have you tried getting coconuts with the husk intact? I mean coconuts that weren't pealed after it was harvested. Let your dog do something constructive with it's teeth. I get those for Bullet and he peals it clean for me. If you leave the coconut long enough, he might crack it for you.

Hmmmm I will definitely try this. I'm sure it will keep him very busy. I gave up on buying those hard pigskin treats you get at the pet store because the last one I bought they told me he would take at least a week to finish it only for me to see he had eaten it all up in less than a day

peterbello:


I agree with you on this. I have a male Rott. People around here say he's the largest they've seen around even at 2 years old. He lives with me in the house, I don't have a cage for it. When he needs to poo-poo, he goes outside the compound to do it, plays for a while and comes back in. He doesn't disturb anyone on the street. People go around their normal biz except for those who are strangers and don't know him. In the house though, he's something else. People also say Rotts can't be kept with kids. There are 5 kids in my house and there haven't been any serious incident with them. When am going out, I lock it up with crates of eggs and day old chicks and nothing happens to both. It all boils down to how we train and socialize our dogs. A dog should be sensibly aggressive. It should be able to know who is a friend or a foe. Those who don't control their dog aggression are just looking for trouble in the form of police case and huge hospital bills.
A nice job you are doing with Shadow (and this write-up).

Thank you. I doubt I can keep shadow with eggs though