dog bonding - Page 1

Hello everyone
i have a geram shepherd  male dog ,just imported few month back ,i tried everything i can think of to have close bonding with him ,treat play comfert etc ,i did everything but seems not working as he never looks up and listn to me when he is out ,never loooks for me when i am not there . plz tell me what methed i should use to have a good bonding with him ,he is 18 month old gsd . thnx guys

What did you do when you first got the dog.  For the first month or so?
I know many so that you shouldn't do anything but just let the dog be a dog and get use to you and its new home.  Sometimes it can be quick and other times it can take 2-3 months.

Have you tried some light OB?  How many months has he been with you now?

What was the dog like with previous owner? Maybe he never had an opportunity to bond with humans and doesn't have the capacity.

i have a male now is 4 years and he  likes everyone and does not have any one person he has bonded with, i think thats cause he was a kennel pup till i got him at 4 1/2 months. the strong bonding stage ends  at 10 weeks.  he may get to the point that he wants to be with you, each dog is very different, the best advise i can give you is to spend alot of time with him. play fun games with him that he likes, he will want to be with you if he see you as a fun person, he is only 18 months give him a bit more time, he is still more puppy yet in his  mind. males  are adults at 3 years , when they think like an adult. 

I got a female pup at 4 months old, she was kennel raised with her littermates, and when I got her she was only interested in playing/socializing with my other dogs, and could care less if I ever petted her or not. I spent 3 months with her trying everything I knew to get her more social and friendly with people, but nothing really worked. She never came to me for pets, play, etc.  It was clear that during her early socializion period that she spent all her time with other dogs, with little human interaction. I don't like that in a dog, and found her a more suitable home.  So I think maybe each dog is it's own entity, and who knows, your male may be like her.

put food bowl on the counter, sit in a chair next to the bowl, tell him to sit in front of you.

the instant he looks at you, say "yes" and give him a handfull.

once he understands he has to look for you before he gets his treat, make him wait just a bit longer.....

maybe he just doens't know to focus......

no food unless he looks at you and its from your hand - he will get hungry and learn what you want.

I actually just got an older bitch (4 months old) last Friday night. I was told by her breeder/my trainer to hand feed her for the first few days/nights. I personally felt that would go against everything I've learned NOT to do with dogs. But i trusted him..

Well I fed her by hand every meal for the past 7 days. I had her at training Weds night and guess what..she was all about ME. Even though he had raised her and done her first few weeks of training with her, she showed him interest..but came right to me and wanted all things holy to do with me. Last night was the last night I fed her by hand, she ate from her bowl. On occasion the next few weeks I will feed her by hand, but after I'll stop.

He commented when we saw him Weds that most people try for months to get the bond that me and this pup had made in only days.

So for you my recomendation would be to start feeding him, every meal, by hand for a few days. Light obedience, probably just a recall. And to keep him on a 4ft leash when taking him to go potty or out in general, and ALWAYS have treats to present to him any time he comes to you or looks at you etc.

We bought one of our gsds when he was almost two years old.  It took awhile, but he is now three and has bonded well with us.  He is with us whenever we are at home (not kept in a kennel).  

In 1970 I had a job working in a pet shop. Back in those days it was legal for pet stores to sell animals such as black bears, lion cubs, ocelot, honey bears, etc. Well this place had a young coatamundi that had been caged so long and tormented by customers so much, that the poor thing acted like what it was; a caged wild animal. To make a very bad situation worse, she was fed a grossly inadequate diet of just grapes. I felt very sorry for the half grown animal and bought it to get it out of that place. I'm going to make long story short by saying that Koaty bonded with me to the point where she would not come down from her tree in the morning until I came outside to greet her. She was free and uncaged, but still waited for me. I "tamed" her by the exact method ya'll use to "bond" with your dogs. Since dogs are domesticated and are touted "man's best friend", It seems odd that you need to approach bonding with them like a wild animal. Food was the key to get a wild, people hating coatamundi to stop biting me and punching holes in my hands because she couldn't run away. But,other than a feral dog, or otherwise unsocialized, the necessity to use food as the bridge to a dog's trust....why? If it's been properly raised, they shouldn't have to be bribed by food to bond.

I'm with the last poster. In my eyes if you don't give food till the animal gives you what you want that's a control issue (to an extent) mixed with a survival trait. Where is the simple action/trait of love, caring and friendship? We talked of this subject in earlier posts and maybe some are using a different idea of bonding. Not saying they're wrong but someone (I believe) stated the "time frame" of bonding? I am not familiar with that. What happens when you take on a rescue? Find a dog? Injured dog and take it as your own? And other acquiring dog instances?

I also, worked in a pet store (and have had numerous animals/critters in my life). I befriended a MEAN Cockatoo/Cockatiel ? (brainfarting and can't remember the name!) White with a gold feather/headset. That beak could crush hazel nuts. And when he climbed/walked up your shoulder his claws would make you wince in pain. Once on your shoulder he would bite/nibble on your seams to your shirt. Talk about pain! I bonded with him over time where he would only eat for me. Once entering the store he would be in his "PLACE". I could go to the back of the store and whistle a certain whistle. He would bob his head up and down and lean way over or out looking for me. And once I came to him he would dance and dance around. Then he would eat and be happy. I befriended a Macaw as soon as it came in as a baby and did the same thing with that. And a Toucan. I thought of buying the Macaw but too expensive, too loud and a shreaker! The Toucan was eaten by a snake that got out and of all the animals/rodents it could've eaten it decided it wanted the Toucan. Got inside the bird cage ate the bird and since it was so big couldn't get back out. I left that job and about ten days later got a call that the cockatiel wasn't eating and they were worried he was dying. I went back to the store, entered the store and saw him. He didn't look good! I whistled my whistle and he was up and looking!!! I went to him and he was dancing and just plain happy! He started eating and came to me and made all these gestures with his head. I'm not exactly a bird person, an animal person but not an indepth bird person. The owner saw this as was so amazed that they gave me the bird. (And we all lived happily ever after!)

To me, that is bonding. And that is possible with every animal. I don't believe everyone is capable of experience it though.