Dog Training | Board and Train | Michigan | German Shepherd | Rocky
www.MichiganDogTraining.com, 734-634-4152, info@MichiganDogTraining.com; Video summary of Rocky (a German Shepherd puppy), two week board and train program by professional Michigan dog trainer, Michael Burkey.
This was Rocky's training at 17 weeks of age for two weeks. He later came to live with Burkey at age 1.5 years as his owner's were moving and not taking him with him. To avoid having him surrendered at the shelter, Burkey took him in and Rocky renamed Starbuck became his personal dog. Starbuck is a great temperament test dog for dogs who come to Michigan Dog Training as he loves playing with all dogs and is able to quickly shift his personal play style to match other dogs' play styles whether they are rough and tumble players or sweet and gentle little dogs.
Additionally, Starbuck has taught several dog to dog aggressive dogs that playing with other dogs is fun to do and there is no need to be aggressive. Several of those dogs continue to come to MDT to have play sessions off leash with Starbuck.
While most of the comments are positive and appreciated, there are always a few that think this is too much to train a puppy. To that I say, "absolutely not." All training done with Rocky/Starbuck was done via fun and interactive play. There was no harmful stress involved in his training. It is much better to train him at a young age while his brain is like a sponge soaking up everything he is learning rather than waiting until he's older like six months and now he has learned bad behaviors or to be afraid of new environments he hadn't experienced in a positive way at an earlier age. Would you allow a young child to grow up doing what ever it wants to do and not teach the child appropriate life manners? Of course not.
German Shepherds are the best! Rocky is gorgeous! It's such a joy living with a well-trained dog!
The best-looking dog in the world, the cutest puppies at all. And the bestest friend ever.
Michael is great. We highly recommend him. Rocky has come so far since the 2 week board and train along with the ongoing home training sessions.
this video is awsome it breaks my heart i had two german shepards that both passed and the first one was named rocky. brings back so many memories. german shepards for life.
Wow, look at how great this kid trains this puppy! Good job learning him how to handle a young dog.
Thanks Kevin! He was a joy to train and it's great to see the follow up work you are doing with him. He will go so far!
I can always take a working vacation to Maine. : ) Glad you liked the video.
CONGRATULATIONS!! WHAT A BEUTIFULL PUPPY!!!
Finally someone knows how to handle a dog! Great video
Hi Annalise, To teach a dog not to jump, teach him to "sit" reliably. Until your dog does well with the sit, then you can attach his leash to his neck collar and step on the leash. This prevents him from jumping while you train him to sit.
@1Littleagger Thank you for your kind words. As depicted in the video, I trained Rocky as a young puppy. 1.5 years later, his parents moved and were planning on surrendering him to a shelter. Instead, I took him in and in a way he returned home to me. He is such a soul mate of a dog. He is a true friend.
Thanks 09Dunja! Greetings back to you. I visited Germany when I was in High School, beautiful country.
Thanks Jordan. It's a matter of teaching it in progression. Teach down, then down with verbal command as you are sitting on couch and later call dog over but don't cue the down and reward when he does lay down.
It was a progression of showing him what to do, telling him what to do ("down") and then letting him figure it out so he would do it just on the cue of me sitting down.
So cute! you're lucky to have a dog like him and he's lucky to have an owner like you :]
I do now. As a pup, he came to me as a board and train dog. But 1.5 years later, the family moved and couldn't take him with them. So I adopted him.
Thanks Jordan. It's simple really. Once he knew down on command, then I would walk over to the couch and as he approached told him down. Later, I wouldn't tell him down and wait for him to figure it out that if he laid down he would get the treat and later just petting when I no longer needed to use treats.
Rocky seems like such a good German Shepherd! I hope to get my own German Shepherd some day. I wish you and Rocky luck and hope he is doing well now. :)
Thanks Mitchel!
So wonderful to see someone being so good with their dog :) No doubt he's happy with you! I really enjoyed watching this.
Terrific video, I really enjoyed it. Great job!
Hi Matthew, Any dog of any breed is a big responsibility, one that will last for probably 10-12 years. So one has to consider who will be the main provider, where the dog will live 5-10 years from now if you go to college, etc. So is the whole family wanting the dog or not. If your parents are wanting the dog too, then a German Shepherd can be a very nice dog. Although, it generally is a large dog for a medium size home and yard.
great dog and awesome trainer!!!!!
I used all treats, his daily food, balls, and praise for his training. It was all positive reinforcement and negative punishment (removal of the treat if he didn't sit and then +R when he did sit) as he was only 17 weeks old at the time.
Wow... amazing! You seem like such a great trainer! You also have one handsome and smart shepherd! Thanks for the upload.
Hi Mohammad, It really depends upon the owner's goal for the dog, owner's preference of breed, living space etc. Certain dogs were bred for certain jobs but beyond that most depends upon the proper socialization or lack thereof in the dog's training, the training itself and the dog's natural hard wiring (genetic make up). Even, amongst a well bred Doberman litter or a well bred German Shepherd litter, one can have a couple of pups that aren't as confidence at the litter mates.
thank you very much!!! marry xmas and a happy new year!!
Great video Michael. What a lovely calm puppy. I used to have GSDs. That was back in the eighties when breeders were breeding dogs with straight backs and decent hips and not the horrendous sloping back and weak back legs that GSDs today seem to have. I see that pup has a horrendous back end and I foresee hip displaysia and a host of other problems for it in adult life. Breeders these days have a lot of answer for and indeed also the Kennel Club who maintain the breed standards.
YOU ARE AN AMAZING DOG OWNER!!!!
Good job trainning this beaitiful dog
Rocky looks adorable, just like my dog which is also a German shepherd!
Super cool dog. Good luck with him.
Thanks Tom. He ended up coming to live with me a year and a half later because the original owners were moving and not able to take him with them. He is a fantastic dog is temperament tests all the dogs who come into my facility. He has even taught several dog reactive dogs including a Pitt who was used formerly as a bait dog to learn to enjoy playing with other dogs.
Good for you . I would love to get a nother one. But my life style will not work with a dog. Lots of luck with him.
very helpfull and useful video thanks I'm about to ge a GSD and this has been very useful
Very cool video!
Send me a ticket and I'll be happy to come to Scotland. : ) Glad you liked the video.
This is a great video!!! Greetings from Germany!
that is great job! you made an excellent dog!
Thanks for your nice words and I really love my dog too.
Omg the German Shepherd that was shown the most, looks just like my german shepherd!!! I can believe it.. It looks sooo much like my dog!! :D God your dogs are beautyful!
@TheAsketeers , absolutely it's good to give treats but I would make sure they are healthy treats or your dog's regular food and give it when the dog accomplishes a desired behavior such as when you ask him to sit or lay down. Treats are a great way to motivate and teach a dog a new behavior. Soon after the dog learns the new skill I would substitute the treat reward with just praise or a fun game of fetch.
looks like a happy dog to mee! i hope to someday train my dog to be as obedient and social as this =)
If you get a chance to come to Maine, we would love you to train our 8 mo old German Shepherd. She is an awesome pup, needs a little tweaking....has a sweet personality! loved your video...
@Quinn000100 Thanks I'm glad you enjoyed Max's video. He's an awesome dog! As far as a GSD as an artic dog....probably not. It's hard to imagine any dog in that environment or as far as that goes any human either. LOL GSD are double coated and a very versatile breed but wow, that is really cold. The best thing to do is to consult with a trainer in that environment.
GREAT ANSWER!!!
Beautiful dog! I have a german shaperd (girll), she's name is Betty! I like dogs!!!!!!!
Great job with the dog I need to obedience train mine lol
great video! great dog and great owner!
Thanks ZakiaLuria!
Great job with the dog, I need to get with training my German shepherd lol
Great job absolutely beautiful boy!
Congrats.
You are an amazing dog trainer. Beautiful pup as well. If may I ask, what do you think about Show-line German Shepherds and Working-line?
excellent
by the way the photo at 5:20 the look of the dog is like a BOSS :D
@Helcira Glad you found it helpful and congrats on your soon to be GSD! Be sure to socialize and train your dog with a qualified trainer.
Wish you were in Australia.... I have a beautiful white shepherd that still questions me on "down" and he's 10months... :) I'll get there with him. Video is great to watch.
Hey Michael, amazing video - you're obviously a really experienced trainer! (Esp. loved the segment on place - that doesn't look easy to do!) I'd like to ask a question if that's okay - what type of training do you use to help Rocky socialize "properly"? I know of some dogs who are overly zealous, whose energy, unfortunately, isn't taken well by other dogs when playing. (Aggressive play, I think?) Thanks! Baggio.
Thanks so much. : )
Love this video! Hope I will have such a dog in the future!!! But for the moment, I can't unfortunately!
Hi, thats a fabulous video of you with Max (?). I'll finally be able to realize a dream in a few months time, finding a GSD for me. I have a question for you though. Do you think a GSD would be a good fit as an arctic dog? Temps in the winter...-25to -35c and the summer doesn't matter so much as we'd be back down south. I'd love to find a buddy to take with me. Thanks. Quinn
@dms5805 when he gets older and it's safe to run him more, you might consider getting a K9 Bike Jogger. It's a metal bar that attaches to your bicycle with an internal spring that is attached to a six inch dog leash. This allows him to run beside your bike without being able to go in front of or behind your bike and you don't have to hold onto a leash. It's a great way for him to get exercise.
@TheSmoovefan27 I hope you enjoy your GSD man..They are fantastic digs...
@yakooza , do you live in SE MI? I have classes starting in Ann Arbor on 9/8/11 at the Humane Society of Huron Valley. Either way, I like to teach the down by getting the dog to crawl underneath your leg when you're sitting or kneeling on the ground. The only way the dog can get the treat is to lay down. As the dog learns the word "down", then you can start to stand up instead of kneeling and tell your dog to "down."
what a great dog
Wow he is extremelly obedient
thanks your awesome!
@lookergm1 ,,...yes Rocky is a beautiful dog and even more importantly, he has a wonderful temperament (personality). He is very friendly with people and dogs. In addition to the obedience training I did with him at 17 weeks of age, socialization in new environments was just as important to his training program. And, thanks for subscribing.
How did you teach your grog to great sitting down people, by laying down? You are an amazing trainer
Your dog is super beautiful. It looks just like mine except mine is a female and has a lighter tan color. doesnt obey as much but we are working on it:)
wow great dog
@MrChrisw33 I'm so sorry to hear that. It's such a sad and extremely difficult time when we must help ease the pain for our faithful companions. It's a loving pain that is indescribable except those who have experienced it and even then it's just sad pain that still can't be fully described. I hope my video helped you to remember the good times with your Shep.
Beautiful dog and very good trainer! Thats how it should be! :-)
howwww i loves the pillow.
@dms5805 Very good that you've got him in training. Most important as a puppy is to ensure he is not afraid of anything. This means to socialize him to many, many different people, noises, floor surfaces, other dogs, etc. A well socialized and confident pup will be easy to train. Good luck. I have a facebook page too. It would be cool to see a pic of your pup there. Look up "Michigan Dog Trainer". Good night, Michael
IS BEAUTIFULLL DOG... BEAUTIFULLL... CONGRATULATIONSS....
Mohammad, it's really about personal preference rather than which one is better. In America, I've seen more confident German Shepherds than Dobes at Sch. clubs than I have Dobes. But when you have a good Dobe they are great.
fortunately he did not bark a lot. And, now as an adult he only barks when he really needs something. He's a great boy!
Hi there!nice dog and a great video!I'm having a german shepperd too,he is 16 months old and we have only tought him the basics orders(sit,lay,stay) I' m having broblems during our walks when we meet other dogs homeless or not he wants to jump and go to them to play but the other dogs consider this as a threat and they are not accepting that behaviour,so i would like to ask if you have any advice how to prevent my dog from jumping to other dogs so that the meetings will be quiet and pleasant.
What did you use for reinforcement? positive, negative, mix of both? and what did you actually do? carry treats, play, show pleasure and pet him?
very nice dog
what a smart dog
@HellinSniper , thanks so much. A friend of mine gave a seminar in Athens Greece a couple of years ago, Robin MacFarlane.
@jhechevarria ...Thanks!! Glad you liked it too.
Looks wonderful. My wife and I are insane and got three females (nearly 18 weeks old now) and it is crazy. We are working hard at training them, but they seem to be only responding sometimes when they feel like it or there are treats at stake. Any recommendations?
Okay, 2:06 , you can see the puppies playing, and they look like they are trying to nip at the other puppies neck. I have a German Shepherd, 6 months old, then I also have a Jack Russel, and my German Shepherd, always tries to bite my other dogs neck and that's all he does.... Any suggestions on how to fix this and get him to stop nipping my other dog?
Oi, na foto em que ele está com uma bolinha verde ele está com quantos meses?Eu tenho um de 3 meses!Muito fofo!
FIne dog and very nice video.
i hav a 4 month old pupppy Hunter.German Shepherds are sweethearts
@axelroach He's doing great. He recently came to live with me as the owners were moving out of town and were unable to take him with them. I couldn't see him going to a shelter so he came to live with me. He's my buddy and helps board and train dogs learn how to play appropriately with other dogs.
I'm getting a German Shepherd that is 8 months old? How difficult will it be to train him? Any tips? Great video by the way
It's VERY beautiful.You learned how to train it by yourself?
Morihann, I am in the United States, Michigan. But I'd be happy to set up a seminar for you in Norway if you could get a group to cover travel expenses.
@mikehanks , sorry I don't know. It's one of many on a CD I have of many royalty free songs to use for videos. I got it from the Apple computer store. Glad you liked it though.
How did you train him to do all that? Its amazing! My german shepherd is a one year old, and I am having troubles with him. Ill message you the whole story. :) maybe you can help.
He was only 17 weeks old during his K9 Camp.
Iv got a 4 month German shepherd and he loves to jump on to new people really aggressively but in an excited way and I get new homestays alot and he always makes a first bad first impression on them by jumping on them and he also sometimes does this at the park, how do I make stop him by being overly excited about meeting new people? Thanks
how old is that german sheperd when u trained it
@CallofDutyStudiose , how old will your puppy be when you get him or her? Are you in SE Michigan? If so, I have an off leash puppy class that will be held in Plymouth MI and will start beginning to mid January. Information about it will be posted on my website in a few days.
what do u think is better a Doberman or a German Shepherd?
We do both. With some dogs we simply train the owner. But even more effective is to train the dog for the owner and then train the owner how to keep it going. It's just like anything else. Is it better to be trained in medicine yourself when that's not your specialty or is it better to be health educated but be treated by a doctor for your illnesses?
@5lupe5fiasco5 , Thanks I appreciate the comment. And, congrats on your pending German Shepherd pup. How exciting. Are you in SE Michigan? If so, I'd be happy to help you train your new pup. If not, I might know of a good trainer in your area. The most important thing to do during the first 16 weeks of age is to socialize your pup well with many different environments, people, etc. You want all of your pup's experiences to be good ones.