we added a gsp to out family ( we have a yellow lab,and

cockerspanial) and this pup has been a challange to handle. can anyone help me give me tips on how to work with him? we live on 3 acres and he goes outside and the first place he heads for is the road we have tried everything and nothing works so we keep him in the back yard in a fenced area  i would love to have him out front to play with the other "boys" oh and he has chewed up a wall in the hall way  please help i love this little guy so much

I agree with Lisa 100%. Come is not an option. Recall problems are probably the biggest reason dogs die, get hurt, and owners get rid of them. The pinch collar is probably one of the best training tools ever made. I prefer the leather one. My dogs see the pinch collar or e-collar and they go nuts. Not because of fear but because they know it is time to go out and have fun. Couple that with a cc and you probably have the two best training devices ever invented besides the ecollar. IMO

Thank you all for the advice  it will help in keeping him happy and healthy and us too.

WalMart has a ~$99 fencing system that should not break your budget.  That  kit includes the collar, flags, wire, control box, video, etc. and it will entail your training your GSP on it to make this successful.

Deb Orpen

When I first started walking Rocky in our back fields, I started him walking on a 26 feet extension leash. This way I could teach him to "come" when called  and also to teach him to walk in my range.  In town I walked him beside me, not allowing him to walk infront to pull. I did this every day with Rocky and he soon learned by habit where he was supposed to be on our walks in different locations. Also I taught him the "wait" command to stop and stand until I could catch up with him when he got too far ahead  off leash in the field. So when we are near roads and traffic, I always have him on a leash. Rocky is off leash in fields, woods and lakes away from roads and traffic. But as soon as we near a road, I have him stop and wait  and then I hook him up. Rocky is at the point now he just stops in the field before we reach the road to be hooked up on his leash. All Rocky's training has been on a buckled collar and training treats. No clicker, no e- collar and no crate training. ... Rocky gets plenty of exercise chasing tennis balls with a chuck-it in our fenced back yard in between his walks.  He also has large plastic toy buckets in our house in each room when he gets zoomie and needs to rummage and chew on things. His toy buckets keeps him away from chewing on our stuff. We have never come home and found things in our house destroyed by Rocky with this method.   Good luck with training your new GSP and have fun!!!!

Pinch collars are great.  My Rotty was completely untrained when I got her, and the pinch collar completely turned her around.  I had to hold back all of her force, 75lbs plus all her muscles, but with the pinch collar only the lightest touch was required.

I only had to use the pinch collar just a few times.  Worth every penny.

I think maybe some clarification is need for the difference between choke collars, pinch collars and prong collars. If I'm not mistaken, these are all different. The prong ones being the ones that have points that go into a dog's throat while pinch and choke collars tighten around the dog's throat which is uncomfortable, but not painful. The best information I have found on collars is at http://www.cobankopegi.com/prong.html, which advocates using the mildest collar that gives you the results you want. It is important to get trained on using whatever collar you use, including basic manners for your dog.

We had to get Bo a harness at 3 months since he didn't understand that he was choking himself on a leash and collar. The harness we have is like a gentle leader that loops around his ears so he can't get it off. This has made a HUGE difference in the quality and quantity of our walks together. He can still drink from a water bottle with the harness on, however, when we are in the forest, he even pulls against the harness as he snorts along the ground.

Also, crate training Bo has been invaluable. We are hoping when he is older that we can loosen up the crate routine a bit, but when we aren't home, we don't have to worry about his safety.

These are VERY smart dogs. I have never needed a choke or pinch collar. I have all of mine trained with a check cord. I did buy an e- collar for my 2 males as they are a little more hard headed at times. They know the boundaries of our property and stay clear from the road. If i am walking down the roadside I ALWAYS leash them up. All it takes is a bird, squirrel, or even a butterfly to kick in that Hunting drive. That is where you'll run into trouble. An e- collar or invisible fence is the way to go. They are similar in effect. You can warn the dog with the tone only button and if he doesn't respond you correct him with the smallest level. Mine learned very quickly and only need the tone to remind them. Keep in mind though that the males do not develop as quick as the females (sorry guys) but by the time they are 1 1/2 to 2 years old they are great!!! Good luck and don't give up. A busy dog is a happy dog.

I'm with Lisa on this one. I swear by my ecollars, but they're graduate level tools and certainly not a shortcut.

I didn't mean that I would start the pup with the e collar. I start mine on the harness and my check cord. Then the e collar. These dogs are just so smart that they usually learn for me with the check cord. I have never personally used a choker or pinch. Just personal preference. With the check cord they learn heel and whoa very well.