Hello,

I'm new to the forum.  I just got a 9 month old GSP named Mia on Saturday (2/27) and I've never owned a dog before. 

I'm into shooting/hunting and am hoping I can train her to be my hunting companion.  Right now though, I have to confess that I am nearing my wits end.  She doesn't seem to respond to no and I haven't taught her the standard commands (sit, stay, come, heel) yet because I heard that you have to bond with the dog first before trying to teach her anything. 

I'm working on housebreaking her now which is going okay. She's still having a few accidents.  She does a few things which I'm not quite sure how to put an end to and I'm not sure if I have to take a different approach since she's 9 months (rather than 8 weeks). 

We're crate training her and she's fine in it during the evening but during the day if we leave it open, she likes to bite her bed, pull it out, and hump it sometimes (she was just spayed on Tuesday).  She has also tried to hump me and my wife.  I've tried dominance techniques like holding her down until she stops squirming and that seems to calm her down a bit but I'm not totally comfortable with this. 

The other thing she does is try to bite her leash.  She just won't let it go whenever she's not busy doing her business outside.  She also loves to bite all shoes even though she has plenty of toys.

I'm getting nervous because I'm not sure what to do and when to start.  How do you know if you've bonded with your dog?  Are the training tactics different for a 9 month old?  Can anyone offer any words of wisdom for the sake of my sanity?

Thank you in advance

-Pete

Wow- you got a handful of a breed for a first time dog owner. GSPs need mental and physical activity! Since you have no bond with her and she does not understand commands, letting her run off-leash is recipe for disaster. She either needs LONG leash longs or lots of running/playing in a fenced area. Also, you need to tire her mind. Obedience training is your best bet.
My advice would be to enroll in obedience classes and/or find a private trainer. Most likely she does not respond to commands because A)she does not understand and/or B)the commands are not reinforced or consistent. Do you know her background?

Where are you located? Maybe someone could help you find a trainer. This is an awesome breed but you really need to stay on top of things as they have an abundance of energy and are incredibly intelligent. You have a lot of work ahead of you.

Let us know a little more about her background. There is a wealth of knowledge on this forum. Again, finding a trainer would be a good first step. 

Jen

Thanks for the reply.  I do know about her background.  I got her from a breeder in NJ.

The plan was to get a 6 month started dog which we were suppose to get in Sept.  Unfortunately for the breeder, he had a family issue and had to sell many (if not all) of the dogs in his kennel.  He offered us Mia.  Her lineage is of the OHI Shameless line.

He purchased her from Ohio (which I didn't know until I picked her up after a 5 hour drive - slightly annoying) in order to breed her with a Dixieland Rusty male, but unfortunately for him he could not do any future breedings. 

She was kept in a kennel fenced in.  He had not had access to the dogs for about a month before I picked her up (someone else was feeding them).  She has been pointing at birds but needs to be steadied. 

She is a great looking dog and I'm optimistic of her talents.  I've only had her for 4 days and she's already starting to listen to some things but sometimes blows me off as well.  Is there a sign that you've bonded with a dog?

-Pete

Oh I forgot to add my location.  I'm in Peabody MA.

I found a couple of training places near you. One is http://www.walkywalk.com/

You could start there. Google training centers near you. Make sure you check the training philosophy.

She will come around- just work hard and consult with people who have training knowledge. Oh and another idea: here is a GSP club in Mass,

MAYFLOWER GSPC
Kathy Patton
Corresponding Secretary
PO Box 615
Monument Beach, MA 02553
508-759-7426
kpatton429@comcast.net

Thank you everyone for all the suggestions and helpful replies.  I confess that I think I jumped the gun a bit.  Mia has calmed down significantly since I first wrote.  It's amazing to see her start to listen - she's got a long way to go but she is starting to learn our rules.  I'll try and post some pictures if I can figure it out.

Thanks again,

Pete