ashleyo

Thank you for the advice! I'm fortunate that the breeder has well-adjusted dogs and lets Emi & me come over for controlled "training sessions". However, we're still facing a few lunging dogs on our walks that seem to take us one step backwards. I'll start taking a step back and creating some distance from the other dog as you suggested. Previously, I would have her sit and have the other dog pass us - I now see that not creating that extra space for the other dog to pass creates a tense situation. McConnell's "The Other End of the Leash" is on its way via Amazon, and I've read "He Just Wants to Say Hi". I'll definitely look for Dunbar. There is a class for reactive dogs close by, and I'll be paying them a visit if Emi continues to be reactive.

Hi all, First off, I don't have a Border Collie. I've spent ~2 years on this forum researching the breed before I ended up with my German Shepherd pup. However, I can't seem to respect and admire other GSD-specific forums as much as this one. I understand that this is a BC forum, and will limit my GSD posts. I do hope to adopt a BC someday. I got my GSD girl, Emi, at 10 weeks. A long story between my in-laws' neighbor (a czech GSD breeder for police/protection services) and a less-than-preferable puppy buyer (who couldn't handle the pup after only 2 weeks) resulted in me taking the puppy. Now, Emi is 7 months old. I've been using this forum to guide me in training Emi, and our successes are the primary reason why I signed up for an account here. However, there is one issue that I'm not completely sure how to handle. Although there may be distinctions between BC and GSD training methods, I'm not a fan of the methods prescribed by GSD-specific sites (prong collars, etc.). Emi is reactive with other dogs on leash. What I've done is have her sit when another dog approaches, then reward her with treats when she appears relaxed. For the most part, this method has done well. However, if the other dog is lunging/barking at us, Emi becomes hard to control. She stands directly in between me and the other dog, and barks (no lunging). I don't think she's barking from excitement, and other people have told me that she's "protecting" me and "that's just what she's going to do". I'm not positive that a 7 month old pup would display protection yet, though. Anyway, I'm unsure as to how I should handle this obstacle. Thank you all for this forum, I can't express how useful it has been for me and Emi. - Ashley P.S. I think it's customary for new users to post their puppy pics. She may not be a BC, but she's still my girl. Emi at 10 weeks: 16 weeks: And now (excuse the photo quality.. phone cameras+excited dogs don't mix) And I have a thing for puppy noses/feet