He's driving me MAD!!!!!

AAAARGH!!!!! I forgot how annoying gsd pups can be, lol - or is it JUST MINE?

The best way to describe it is whinging!! When i take him for his business then give him a wee walk all i can hear is him whinging - i have tried ignoring then praising when quiet, checked he wasn't in pain, nothing caught in pads etc, then he wants to go back to the car so i make him stay out. If i didn't know better i'd say he was annoyed at being out of the car (when at work)

His general obedience is good, sit, down, stay (to a point), speak, learning a tracking square etc - its only when we are walking - even when we were in the town high street, he was whinging while walking beside me. I do need to do more lead work (next days off)

HELP - i'm gonna murder him (Only kidding - i think).

Any ideas would be gratefully received - short of cutting out his voicebox, lol

Ok rant over - i can go back to being a caring, loving mum to him now.

Hi K9xxb

First, that's great that you've done all that training with him already. He's off to a great start with you as a mom!

Sorry you have the whinging problem, I know how annoying and frustrating it can be.

My friend's dog started to do this when he was 7 or 8 months old so a little older than yours. But it was only when he was in the house or crate. He would start to whine and whinge and pant and pace round the kitchen and other rooms in circles. He got out plenty for exercise/stimulation so it wasn't a lack of that. She put it down to anxiety and ignored it and it went away after a few months.

She did as a behaviourist about it, and the behaviourist advised her to think back to when it started to see if there was any change in routine or environment which might have upset him and caused the anxiety, as small things which we don't give a second thought too sometimes upset dogs.

Another thought - could it be attention seeking. i.e. he is on the floor/ground and you are not paying full attention to him, and he wants your full attention/interaction? (Obviously you should indeed ignore him if he is whinging lol).

Maybe keep a note of when he is whinging and what the environment is like at the time, what he is doing when whinging, how long it lasts etc, to see if there is a pattern you may be missing?

Perhaps the breeder might be able to help/advise?

I take it that when he is otherwise running around/playing he does not whine? Just trying to rule out anything like growing pains etc.

Good luck with getting to the bottom of the problem and I hope you resolve it soon. I think if you ignore it, it should go away as he grows, as long as there is no physical reason for it.

It`s a GSD. It sings / warbles / yowls / trill / bellows / shouts etc. It`s what they do. You can have a great duet with a GSD. I suggest you learn to love it - it`s all part of the GSD charm - along with their loyalty, courage and intelligence. A quiet GSD is either depressed or up to no good, in my experience.

eta - if you do go somewhere for advice PLEASE go to someone who knows and loves GSD`s! It is totally normal for them to be clingy, protective, bossy, mischievious and noisy! What you do is channel that normal behaviour - not look for `explanations!`

I've never had a quiet GSD either

Jeanette

LOL sounds from what Claire is saying you have nothing to worry about! Did I have the only quiet GSD going? He only barked to warn me of strangers, but that was it, no whining at all. Guess I was lucky!

lol, don't ever get a weimaraner!

Some dogs are just gobby I suppose, my cousin's GSD is so funny like that, she talks to you all the time and she whinges when she's excited about something and I find it quite endearing, all I can say is perhaps distract him when he does it?

Know ecactly what you mean about Weirmaraners had one in the early 70's and boy could she "sing" and with two GSDs I think people may have heard us before they saw us
Jeanette

Glutten for punishment there!

I like the chatty breeds, i'm odd like that, lol!

We have 7 or 8 dogs in the van sometimes when we go out - and it`s the GSD that makes all the noise. We sometimes sing along! I heard a police programme on the radio once - explaining how they train them to track. The interviewer assumed they used deserted woodlands because the scent was better. The policeman trainer said `No, it`s because the dogs make so much noise when they get excited - people will think we`re killing them!`

My old boy Khan was very quiet compared to Zak. Zak is the gobbiest dog I have ever had. He will bark if a leaf flies past him If he is in the garden and quiet you can gaurantee he is up to no good.