Need some advice. We just got a dog a month ago. He is a red lab, 18 months old. We have a big fenced in back yard and he figured out how to jump the gate. Is there anything we can do to get him to stop doing this?
Is it possible to replace the gate or make it higher?
Taller fence or a shock collar. I don’t know how much time you have, but the age old way of fixing this problem is discipline.
I would go with invisable fencing or just a shock collar.We have 2 dogs one is 5 years old and one is 1 year old.installed fencing myself and bought the stuff at Cabelas.Followed the traing dvd and within 2 weeks the dogs were both good to go.Each only got shocked 1 time.Now they stay in the yard even if the collars are not on.We have the field training system as well,worked like a chcamp at thye cabin.put the collars on and used the remote to make them give the warning beep,they came right back and now know the boundrys at the cabin as well.I was skeptical at fisrt as I didnt want to shock the heck out of my dogs but after watching the dvd and taking the time to train them rights it was easy and safe for the dogs.Total investment $350. well worth it for having my dogs out with us while we are in the yard and not have to worry about them running off
He already has a fence I think a new gate would be cheaper 
This has little to do with higher fences, invisible fences, and probably not shock collars.
Check with a good trainer and the guys in Minnesota have a great one named Tom Dropak.
Also ask for advice on the Germanshepherds.com board. It is not strickly about the German Shepherds and you might find some helpful advice.
Finally, the invisile fence may or may not work. The E-Collar does work but impacts a different part of the brain, and can seriously affect a dog’s personality.
My hunch is there are tons of lab boards that provide reasonable advice, so search those boards for good advice.
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The E-Collar does work but impacts a different part of the brain, and can seriously affect a dog’s personality.
How do they affect the dogs personality, maybe if used irresponsibly. Fact is mine get excited when the collars come out, so I guess it does have a affect. In all the dogs I’ve used collars on or dogs I know that wear collars…ZERO ill affects. The Ecollar is a great training tool. Sure…abuse a ecollar it’ll probably have some negative affects, use them responsibly they’re a perfectly safe, effective training tool.
If you can fix the problem by putting up a taller gate, by all means put up a taller gate, probably your cheapest option. If it’s not an option, invisible fence or responsible ecollar training will take care of the problem.
BIRDDOG
Where are you on training? Does your dog respond to sit, here and stay? If you have started, continue on with the basics.
For the gate jumping problem, I would first find the reason your dog is jumping out. The most likely reason is he doesn’t want to be left alone. Being a pack animal he want to be close to his pack. Other reasons may be boredom or he could be scared. Once you know the reason it will be easier to correct.
One way you can correct this behavoir is to train him to stay off the fence. I would work the whole fence not just the gate. The reason being, if you train him just on the gate, he may leave that alone but try other areas of the fence for escape. Use a checkcord and a web style collar. Walk the dog around in the fenced area, let him walk where he wants. When he nears the fence use your key word (such as no) and gently tug him away from the fence. Do this around the whole yard and he will soon learn the boundries. Praise him when he starts responding to the command without you having to tug on the cord. Short sessions of this each day should soon have the problem resolved. When he is up to your expectations, add some distrations. Have other people walk up to the fence. At first he will want to go up to them. Use the same correction as before. Once he knows what is expected, you can add collar training.
The key thing is to associate the fenced yard as a fun place for him. Play games with him and make sure he gets lots of attension within the area, if you can. When left alone, make sure he has toys and/or chew toys to occupy his time. make sure he is getting plenty of exercise and get him into a routine.
If you are going to collar train him, follow the directions in the owners manual or give me a holler. I have a good system for collar training. Like BIRDDOG stated, my dog also knows that when the collar goes on its time for fun.
I agree entirely with Don. This can be solved, and quickly too, with training. You have a young, energetic dog. Spend some quality time with him in the yard, wear him out! Make the yard a fun place to be, and reward him for playing in the yard. Make the yard a place where the pack spends its time and has fun, and the dog won’t want to leave.
I agree training, training, training. Even if its basic obedience training. Is your dog neutered?
Yes, the E-Collar does work and if you want to quickly get the dog to obey give him a few volts of electricity.
Actually, if you want a high quality one send me an E Mail at [email protected] and you can have it for a very reasonable price. Why, because I will never again use it on my German Shepherd.
I realize this is a controversial issue even among the best breeders in the world. However, I decided to abandon the E-Collar because it is to simple and based on fear. Heck, give anyone a few volts and they will obey.
As for neutering, if you have good dogs and use them for outdoor activities, never neuter a male. Again controversial, but recent studies have shown non-neutered males perform better then those that have been neutered.
Finally, the E-Collar is a great tool for someone that does not have the time or ability to train their dog without the jolts of electricity.
Frivers, we can all obviously see you have issues with e-collars, we are all entitled to an opinion. Every animal is different, and if it takes a jolt in the end to keep the animal from getting run over by a car, I am sure the dog would have chose the zap.
Others here have given some great advice. I had a dog in the past that could easily leap a 4′ fence, and when I tried to remedy it, the dog retaliated by climbing the fence to get out. Over time, she lost ambition to leave the yard, but once in a great while she would decide to escape was in her best interest, instantanious, and nobody was going to stop her.
I would suggest as much time with the dog outside as you can. When the opportunity arises, be sure to punish the dog accordingly for trying to escape. The idea will sink in before too long that its doing something it shouldnt. In a severe case where the dog wont stop trying to escape, an e-collar might be what it takes.
I wont lie. I am not big on e-collars either, but they have their time and place. If you do go that route, be sure to do everything you can before using the e-collar. I have seen it too many times where dogs would only respond to e-collars and nothing else which is usually the fault of the dog trainer. Once that dog gets the idea it gets zapped because of looking at that gate funny, you will probably never even see the dog on that side of the yard again.
If the collar is what its going to take to keep the dog in your yard, and out from under the bumper of a passing motorist, or chasing a kid down the street… let me know your address, I’ll be happy to send you a battery!
This topic isnt to question or debate the use of e-collars. This topic is seeking advice on keeping his dog in the yard.
David, thanks for your response. As you said, obviously I have issues with E-Collars and personally would not use one except in extreme situations. However, I will add that my son, ironically named David, uses an E-Collar for the exact reasons you said. Your first paragraph covers that.
In regard to seeking advice on how to keep the guy’s dog in the yard I am firmly convinced that none of us can resolve the situation, aside from an E-Collar, until we meet the dog.
Yes, E-Collars do work, any interest in buying mine, because i will never again use it on my German Shepherd.
Just a folow up to your point on collars. Before I do any training with a collar, the dog has been trained by vocal commands and a whistle. I do not use or tell anyone to use a collar as a shortcut to training. My dog and the ones I have trained respond to just the tone so I very seldom have to use stimulation.
I use the collar as an extention of the leash. many situations in the field arise where the dog is out of sight and not on a checkcord. This is where tone on the collar will get the same response as if he were on a cord and tugged.
In short what you are doing with collar training is having the dog solve a problem. The dog on the first lesson learns how to avoid stimulation.
Alot of it has to do with what you are training your dog for. As everyone has stated though, do not use a collar as a shortcut for training.
Thanks for an informed reply. As an aside do you train dogs or are you just speaking about your own. The reason for the question is many folks are looking for great labs so I am wondering if you are a breeder.
An opinion, but as for me personally the German Shepherd is the best dog on the planet.
I train but am not a breeder at this time.
I love German Shepherds, I am thinking about getting one to guard my lab! 
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Again controversial, but recent studies have shown non-neutered males perform better then those that have been neutered.
I would be interested in reading these studies, can you supply the sources?
Not to get sidetracked in the whole e-collar debate going on here, but along the lines of what Don has stated e-collars are a reinforcement tool only to used once a command has been properly trained, the dog understands a command, and the dog has been properly e-collar conditioned to. The e-collar should not be used to train a command. An e-collar in another tool used to supply pressure to a dog….IMO no different that prong collar or choke collar. Frivers, out of curiosity do you use a prong or choke collar?
To the initial poster with the issue of the dog jumping the fence, if you can increase the height of your entire fence that is probably your best option.
Don, actually a bit hilarious because my son has two labs heavily involved in Dock Divings Events. Timber, my German Shepherd travels with us mostly to protect the kid’s labs from the Chessie’s. Lord, that latter breed is mean and tough. And also very good in competition.
Wish your son well in the upcoming event. If you can, get some pics to share. I and others on the site would enjoy them. I love watching those events.
Don,
I will admit I am bad at posting pictures but Fleet Farm tells us they will post pictures of “Jumpin George” in their Xmas catalogs and he has aready been posted in one other ad.
As for the person that asked about the neutering/neutering issue I will try and find the study and post it.
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Don, actually a bit hilarious because my son has two labs heavily involved in Dock Divings Events. Timber, my German Shepherd travels with us mostly to protect the kid’s labs from the Chessie’s. Lord, that latter breed is mean and tough. And also very good in competition.
I take a little offense to this comment as I own 2 of them neither has a mean spot in them. I think your comment on this is bs I may as well say all german shepards are vishious mean killers. I think you better get your facts staight before judging chesepekes. An old breed maybe so but in todays good breaders these dogs are no more than a curly coated lab. You how ever can get a bad one still as any breed even german shepards. For the record I own one of those to. I am a firm believer in proper breading and training for all dogs as that will determine what you get.
Sorry for the rant but it gets me going when people tell me my dogs are mean 
A bit thin skinned perhaps. My “mean and tough” comment was not meant as a criticism, rather as a compliment. The Chessie’s do have a different personally and I respect their strength. And my comment about Timber, my GSD travelling with us to protect the labs from the Chessie’s was simply a joke.
One of our best friends competes with two Chessie’s and we joke about the Chessie’s, my son’s labs and me GSD all the time. But to imply Chessie’s and labs are about the same is silly. To say more would simply get me blasted from the lab folks.
On an unrelated note and a bit off topic; almost all the dogs that compete are non-neutered males. The same for German Shepherd SCH dogs, police dogs and military dogs. In Europe, to neuter any of these breeds is almost unheard of.
I will do my best to find the neutering study and pass it along.
Stick boy, I just noticed you are from Plymouth, MN. Did you happen to attend the Cabela’s National Dock Diving Championships last weekend in Rogers, MN.
If you did the Chessie’s owners I referred to are Pete and Dana Sunridge, and I believe their dog “Jade”, did very well. My son’s lab “Jumpin George” has a tough weekend but did manage to make the EV finals in a playoff.
I did not attend this event as I was in north dakota pheasant hunting. I Take things a little persoally when people tease or comment about the chessies. I have had people not want to hunt with me cause of the breed I have (what a joke). I do how ever would say they are a lot alike a lab now days. Very easy to train and not as bull headed as in the old day’s. So when I say like a lab that is more what I am talking about. They still have there own traits like loyalty and being protective over there family. Sorry if I jumped to the wrong conclusion I just get a little jumpy when it comes to my dogs.
As far as the dock jumping contest My older dog 12 yr old chessie would have been awsome. Never did get a measurment or any thing official but she could fly. Had this event been popular around here when she was young I would have tried it out. glad to see george is doing well good luck on the rest of the events. 
I appreciate the prompt respond and never intended to offend the Chessie’s because they are great dogs. If you ever have a Chessie you want to participate in the Dock Diving stuff post it and I will get back to you.
As for Chessie’s being loyal and protective; you bet.
I tried to cut and paste the study, which was done in May 2007, on neutering, but for whatever reason it did not work.
However, if you search on Long Term Health Effects of Neutering/Spaying you will get the study. For those of you that take the time to read it, I would appreciate your comments.
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