[Celonhael]

I adopted a pup from the local SPCA. This dog is my 8th, so I'm no stranger to dogs. I've had a GSD, a lab, and various terriers.
I have NEVER had as much of a problem with any of my other dogs as I am having with Oliver, my Lab/GSD mix. He's willful and does not listen. He doesn't seem to care if we are displeased, speak in a stern voice, nothing. He bites us (not aggressively but he will not stop when we try.) You can speak loudly, say "No", "Bad", no matter what we do, he barks back at us, jumps at us, bites us, etc. I once even pinned him, and as soon as I let him up he was barking and running around. He constantly tears at my father's feet (in slippers) and if my father gets up, angry, he runs to the couch, then when my father sits down, he's back to biting at him. Just now I was throwing the ball for him in my yard when I noticed there was poop on the ground. When I tried to pick it up with a doggy bag, he tore it out of my hands, trampling through it, and when I tried to get him to stop, he jumped up and bit me through my winter jacket on my arm so hard he left a red mark. Literally nothing is working with this dog. Everything that worked with all my other dogs does nothing for him. He does not respect me, clearly, but I have no idea how to get him to. He's 45 pounds, so grabbing him and carrying him somewhere is out of the question. Please, any help you can give me would be appreciated.

 

[Shell]

Well, don't pin him for starters.

Also try to reframe your mind on the concept of willful and respect; dogs are opportunistic and do what works for getting what they want like food or play. Work WITH the dog to motivate him towards good behavior rather than against poor behavior.

Angry voices, "No" and "bad" aren't really telling the dog what he should be doing and it sounds like he is often quite amped up with energy which isn't a great time for training.

Look at "Nothing In Life Is Free" aka NILIF

 

[3GSD4IPO]

The dog needs clear training. I like to be able to ask for a platz or down any time anywhere and have the dog do it. So, train THAT ad nauseum. Every place and every where. I would also put a leash/collar on the dog and leave it on so you have some access to control at all times.

You cannot punish or use aversives if the dog does not understand what you want in the first place. Replace the inappropriate behavior with training what you WANT and then work on that. My suggestion is Platz/Down. Expand the training to other things like "go to place" and so forth. NO has no meaning at all unless the dog clearly understands a command cue thoroughly inside and out and chooses to cease doing the command cue.

Here is the issue most folks have with training. They are not consistent. As an example: Sit means sit until the dog is 1.) given a release word 2.) given a new command cue 3.) the dog dies. There is NO reason to train "stay." The dog is doing a stationary command and so is staying. You start with sit/down and then gradually add duration by seconds. It must be retaught in many locations.. in the house, outside, out front, at a parking lot, in a park.. and so forth because dogs do not generalize commands between locations. AFTER the dog is taught and will do the command every where and under every circumstance.. and WANTS to do the command because the rewards are valuable.. then you can add variable reward schedule and, eventually IF NECESSARY, and aversive for blowing you off. Most dogs? do not need that last step if the first steps are done well, consistently and clearly.

You simply need to train the dog and be VERY consistent. Nothing in Life is Free is appropriate as Shell suggests.