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Originally Posted by gemy  ...So I will say in terms of large and small dogs. First is how much prey drive does your GSD have? Does she chase squirrels or dogs?
Second as homework you absolutely must have your GSD obey you - almost like she obeys hubby. She must stop on your command. Sit Stay and Come. Do this NOW! You walk her, and feed her. You start training her.
This is important as when hubby is or is not home - you must be able to stop your dog on a dime - in case she goes after the wee one. My developmentally challenged sister can command our big boy to SIT STAY and come. And STOP...the key here is YOU.... |
Gemy, thank you...your expertise is invaluable. I was going to mention this but forgot...I was at work...shhhhh (on a break...heehee), and it timed out before I could edit.
What Gemy says is all absolutely excellent. I would also say to 'copy' your BF with whatever commands HE uses for obedience. Be 'authoritative' (not mean/forceful or anything like that) in your voice when you give her a command and REWARD her every way possible when she complies. Practice with her when he is not around. He should NEVER 'usurp' your command you give her. This is very 'tempting' (instinctive?) for some people...to 'take over' when others 'correct' or 'command' their dog. If he does, he will 'undermine' your 'authority' over her...and since she is already HIS, I would call it nearly 'useless' for you to give her a command if he 'overrides' the command you gave...she will look to him for 'permission to ignore' your command...plus it may confuse her, too, and you don't want that. Others can chime in on this aspect with their experiences, but I will say that I have experienced this very thing with several dogs, where family members even try to re-train a dog I have just trained and before I have it all 'set' into them (being the control freak that I am when it comes to dogs
)...while we are still practicing their training, and then override my commands with their own booming loud voice and different command for the same action...and I have seen the confusion in the dog's face and body movements as it tries to 'reconcile' the discrepancy of commands and choose between people it loves and wants to obey...but cannot because of the differences. This is not a good thing to have happen. You and BF MUST both be consistent...with both dogs...always...IMHO.
To the flip side, once I had fully trained MY dogs, those same people had NO AUTHORITY over my commands, and the dogs would only obey if the 'right' command was given. I am saying this just so you are aware...in a discrepancy, she may
always look to your BF over you.
And, one more flip...I am 'sneaky' in my training of
my dogs...I always use a 'key' for some commands so that not just everyone can control
my dogs after I train them. I want anyone to be able to get them to stop, sit, and stay, but I do not ever want my dog to obey just anyone for any/all command. If your BF has done a 'sneaky' thing, make sure you know the secrets, and use them, too.
I am telling
secrets here I do not normally share
, but a GSD is a large dog and a small dog like a Yorkie may need more help than a 'like sized' dog would when 'getting along' at home with a resident large breed dog. Humans and dogs, huh? Geesh...
Now...
She is a small GSD based on the Belgian Shepherd that I was 'related' to. He was an absolute angel...a love...he was DOWN to 120 lbs (he weighed more than me!) when I met him because he was undergoing heart worm treatments, which made him deathly ill, too. This was prior to when pills to prevent were available at least not from his vet. Anyway, this Shepherd was completely gentle around other animals, dogs, cats, small children, etc. So, I thought not a lot about bringing my Yorkie-Poo with me. He had been around him before with no issues, this was my little heartbeat baby...who was well socialized from being absolutely everywhere since he was too young to leave his Mommy and we bottle fed him after finding him behind the church, nearly freezing to death years before...back then, dogs were welcome even in grocery stores...so he went everywhere but church.
So, standing outside one day when my Yorkie-Poo was about 6-7 years old, I set him down so he could pee, and the Shepherd did nothing. After a few minutes of both being on the ground together walking around each other slowly, sniffing the ground, ignoring each other, the Belgian got curious, I guess, picked up my little Yorkie-Poo, around his middle, in his mouth, gave him a little shake
, and set him back down...completely unharmed...not a scratch on him!
I was watching my baby the whole time after I set him down,
and the Shepherd, for signs (body language) of brewing issues, since my dog was on the Shepherd's territory...
and so was the Shepherd's owner...as always and
there were none. It was a very smooth, very innocent-looking move. This Shepherd was large enough that he was 'breaking out pieces of asphalt' from the edges of the road and carrying them off to chew on...he could carry off and chew through...bend and dent...those big super thick cardboard carpet rolls...so he definitely had the size, strength, and jaw power to do serious damage if he wanted to...but he was such a sweetie...and this is why I think it was more like an "ooooo, toy?...nope...not a fun one anyway" kind of thing when he picked up my baby. But...
it could have been way worse.
This was many, many years ago and I was a teenager at the time. We (I and the Shepherd's adult owner) were both yelling, but I truly believe the Shepherd was just curious about the new 'toy' he found in his yard because he never did anything else...never paid any attention to my baby ever again...and the two dogs were together many times after that with no attention paid to the other by either dog.
So, I am telling this 'story' this
in case you encounter any similar curiosity later on.
I cannot wait to hear about your Yorkie...and see the pix...
And, gawlly, this is long enough your eyes must be aching...