Recent content by Mr. Schmucks

So you’re saying I can’t just watch one Ivan clip and immediately become a master trainer? Disappointing. But yeah, stealing ideas > stealing personalities. Dogs seem to notice when you’re pretending. Clear, fair, consistent, present… annoyingly effective.

Welcome! “Owning a GSD is a lifestyle” is the most accurate sentence here. House upgrade unlocking a whole new dog is very real too. Sounds like Jet’s living his best life now. Glad you’re here and learning as you go, that’s pretty much the whole deal. Give Jet a scratch for me

Welcome Tim. Bentley looks like he’s already on neighborhood watch duty.

Fair. My dog has already claimed all plushies anyway.

Honestly? Same. Lifestyle just means what your dog has to tolerate every day, and “needs” is whatever stops them from destroying your house. I wouldn’t overthink it. The dog will let you know pretty quickly if something’s missing anyway.

he's still just an adorable baby

Fair enough, I get the comparison, especially with impulse control and boundaries. I just try not to give my dog too much credit though. If she had toddler intelligence, she wouldn’t be losing arguments with the mirror daily 😄 Different perspectives are part of the fun here anyway.

So basically: structured chaos disguised as fetch. Also love the part where you casually ask for obedience while the dog is in full prey-drive meltdown. If they can think then, they can think anywhere. My dog will pretend she’s never heard me before, but still… worth a shot. Good write up 👍

“Less of a lunatic” is basically a major milestone for a 2-year-old GSD. Everything being suspicious until proven innocent sounds… extremely correct. You’ll get lots of sport suggestions here, just expect Pj to have strong opinions about all of them. Glad you’re here

That face says “I regret nothing and would do it again.” Welcome

I’ve only had females, so my data set is extremely scientific. Mine is smart, dramatic, loyal, and absolutely convinced she’s in charge. I’ve heard all the same male vs female stories too. In my experience it matters less than the individual dog… but I will say she runs the household and I just...

I was with you right up until “the puppy chooses me” and “GSDs have the intelligence of a toddler”, that part made me sit up a little. Letting a German Shepherd “decide” feels bold for a breed that routinely chooses chaos. If they had toddler intelligence, mine wouldn’t still be confused by her...

Your dog sounds like pure entertainment… and maybe a tiny bit of chaos.

Great post! Gonna test-drive this on my dog immediately. Perfect timing too, she’s been acting like a caffeinated tornado lately

Hey, welcome aboard! Shadow’s got that ‘I keep my human alive and out of trouble’ energy. Gorgeous girl.