German Shepherd dog training with Sue Kewley of The Happy Shepherd: understanding emotional needs, busting myths & building connection

Welcome to The Yappy Hour, powered by Yappily!

In this episode, host Nathan Dunleavy sits down with Sue Kewley, founder of The Happy Shepherd, for an in-depth conversation about one of the world's most iconic breeds, the German Shepherd Dog (GSD).

Sue has dedicated over 35 years to understanding, training, and breeding German Shepherds. She shares her expertise on what makes these dogs so special, the common misconceptions that harm them, and how to build a thriving relationship with your GSD based on connection, not control.

🎯 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

✅ The emotional sensitivity of German Shepherds and why they need advocates

✅ Common myths about GSDs (firm handling, dominance, aggression)

✅ How their intelligence can work against them without proper guidance

✅ What a fulfilled German Shepherd's day looks like

✅ The truth about reactivity and how to address it early

✅ Why puppy classes often fail German Shepherds

✅ Activities that tap into their natural herding instincts

✅ How to choose a responsible breeder

✅ The importance of emotional needs over training drills

✅ Connection-based training approaches that actually work

🔗 CONNECT WITH SUE KEWLEY: Website: www.thehappyshepherd.com

📱 CONNECT WITH YAPPILY: Yappily - The UK’s Directory for Qualified and Kind Dog Professionals

🎙️ ABOUT THE YAPPY HOUR: The Yappy Hour is the podcast for dog guardians who want to better understand and connect with their canine companions. Each episode features expert guests discussing breed-specific insights, training approaches, and dog welfare topics.

Welcome to the Yappy Hour, powered by

Yappily, the podcast for dog lovers

2

who want to better understand and

connect with their canine companions.

3

I'm your host, Nathan Dunleavy,

and today's episode is a real

4

treat for fans of one of the.

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World's most iconic breeds,

the German Shepherd.

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Joining me is Sue Kewley, a trainer

and behaviourist who has dedicated

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her work to understanding, supporting,

and celebrating these incredible dogs.

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Sue is the founder of the Happy Shepherd,

where she helps GSD Guardians navigate.

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Everything from enrichment to

reactivity with patience and empathy.

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Today we'll be talking about what

it takes to live , successfully with

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a German Shepherd, busting a few

myths along the way and celebrating

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everything that makes this.

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Breed so special.

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So whether you've got a GSD snoozing

at your feet, or you are just curious

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about the breed, you are gonna find

lots of value in this conversation.

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So grab a cup of tea, settle

in, and let's get started.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

welcome back to the Yappy

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Hour, powered by Yappily.

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I'm your host, Nathan Dunleavy,

and I'm so excited to bring you

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another episode of The Yappy Hour.

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Today we have one of our

fantastic breed specific experts.

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Today we have the very lovely

Sue Kewley founder of the Happy

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Shepherd who specialises in.

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German Shepherds and

supporting their guardians.

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So excited to find out more

about this fantastic breed.

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So Sue, welcome to the Yappy Hour.

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I'm absolutely thrilled to have

you here with us today to celebrate

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and understand this amazing breed.

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How are you doing?

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Sue: I'm good.

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I'm really good.

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Thank you.

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I'm delighted to be here.

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any excuse to talk about German Shepherds?

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Perfect.

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Thank you so much.

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So thanks for bearing

with me just then as well.

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I'll have to get that bit edited out

or we might keep it in, who cares?

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So Sue, for those that may not know about

you and your journey what made you fall

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in love with the German Shepherd breed?

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Sue: Well, for me, it went

back to when I was 10.

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Funnily enough, I've, I'd

always, always loved dogs.

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As a small child, I, I

adored all dogs and I.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Lovely.

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Sue: When I was around about 10, we

lived next door to a lady that had four

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gold retrievers and one German shepherd.

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And I

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Hey.

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Sue: allowed to take, I used to go

out on walks with them and I was never

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allowed to take out the German Shepherd.

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And

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Oh, okay.

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Sue: would never allow me.

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No.

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They used to say it

was, she was different.

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You're not allowed to take a German

leopard out and understanding that.

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Now when I, now that I'm older, but

she and I used to meet behind the shed.

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There was a gap in the hedge and she

and I used to sit and I used to sit

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there and read stories to her, and

she used to sit next to me and listen.

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And I absolutely.

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Vowed then that I would

have one of my own one day.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Oh wow.

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I love that.

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Absolutely love that.

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What a lovely story.

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I love when there's a story behind it.

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Brilliant.

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So that's what started

your love off and then

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Sue: yeah.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

brought you to where you are now.

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Brilliant.

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Okay.

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So let's move on to our first

section then, which is all about

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the essence of the German Shepherd.

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Now my first question actually,

and I probably should know

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this, Ian German Shepherd, are

they exactly the same or what?

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Sue: Yeah, same dog.

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During the war the German

Shepherd was the, the word.

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And I actually, in my program, I

have a history and it, it does cover

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that just a history module, but,

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: okay.

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Sue: Basically what what happened

was the German Shepherd in Germany

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was called the German Shepherd.

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And they felt that in England

it wasn't appropriate to

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have something with after the

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Ah, ah, yes.

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Sue: So they, they, they, they

chose Alation because it came from

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the region of Alfas, which is on

the border of France and Germany.

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And

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: say,

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Sue: how they, but it's

exactly the same dog.

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In actual fact, it was the Ian

Wolf dog at one point as well.

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Or the German.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: okay.

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Sue: It's, it is the same dog, but in

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: of like purist.

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German Shepherd Alsatian circles.

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There became a time when it was, if you

bred the English type, it was called

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an alsatian, and if you bred the German

type, it was called a German Shepherd.

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But

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: I see.

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Sue: the same dog

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: I

often wonder that because growing up,

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I mean I've recently turned 40, but

growing up my great nan had Alsatians

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and they were known as alsatians.

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And then as I've got into dog train

in the last sort of 10 years, all

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of a sudden I haven't heard the word

ation, but I've heard German Chevron.

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I'm like, oh, are they the same

or is it just, they got two names.

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And I've often wondered that.

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Sue: Yeah, well there you go.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Thank you so much.

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Every day is a school day.

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I love that.

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So what makes German Shepherds such

special companions in your experience?

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Sue?

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Sue: A combination, I think.

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They are, they're innately sensitive.

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Which is a double-edged sword.

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They are, they, because they are hyper

aware of their environment because

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they're bred to herd, because they're

bred to be environmentally sensitive.

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also is, it makes them aware

of our emotions also, which

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Hmm.

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Sue: that basically if you are

having a bad day, your German

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people will know about it.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Okay.

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Sue: so there.

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There had been, used to, when the children

were little they used to pretend to cry.

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and then the dogs would

go, oh, what's wrong?

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And they'd come and sit and,

and go, can we come and sit next

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to you and be big and strong

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Oh

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Sue: after you?

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And if you are,

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: yeah.

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Sue: and if you are poorly, they would

there'd be, there'd be a dog parked

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at the bottom of your bed, yeah,

it's, there's a lot that makes them

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so loyalty, their protective nature.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

I was gonna say, it's almost like

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that protectiveness, isn't it?

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Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

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Sue: They're devoted to

their family members.

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although they do, they do choose their

favorites, they're not one man dogs.

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Like, you can, you can,

can send that away.

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They, they do enjoy their family.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm,

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Sue: we,

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: wind.

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Sue: to, when the, again,

when the kids were little.

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We used to try and lose the children

when we're out on a walk in the woods,

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oh, go and hide behind the tree, and

the dog would go, hang on a minute.

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less, there are fewer people here now.

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And they would run back

and go and find the kids.

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They'd go

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

well make, make a game of it.

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Sue: Yes, they'd go and play.

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Hide and seek.

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Yes.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

I love that.

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Sue: no man

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Oh.

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Sue: There was no man left in the woods.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Brilliant.

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Oh, I love that.

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I was gonna ask you a another

question anyway, but do you have

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a few German Shepherds yourself?

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No.

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You mentioned you had

a puppy just offline.

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Sue: Right.

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I don't have any German shepherds now.

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I lost my last, the last of my line

'cause I bred them for 35 years.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Oh, wow.

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Sue: I, I lived with

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Wow.

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Sue: went into it deep.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: You did.

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Sue: I, I had my first

German Shepherd in 83.

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And then I subsequently got into

obedience and then I subsequently got

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into exhibiting and, just doing what

I'm breeding and all that sort of thing.

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And so I had a line and.

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Roma was the

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: line.

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And we

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Okay.

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Sue: her in, in, in 19 sorry, in in 2023.

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I

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Oh, bless.

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Sue: I didn't, I wouldn't

have another one.

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So

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Really

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Sue: yeah.

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Because there, there are too many things.

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Have changed in my life.

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That mean that

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Sure.

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Sue: give them the kind of

life that I had been able to.

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So I couldn't

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

that's sensible.

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That's so sensible.

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You, you want to give it the best life.

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Sue: So

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: got Spaniels and Labrador now.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Oh, really?

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Oh, lovely.

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Well, I love that.

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No fair play.

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So Sue, what traits do new pet

guardians German Shepherd guardians

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often underestimate when they

bring a GSD into their lives?

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Sue: Well, you sword.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: It is.

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They, they, because they notice

every detail because when people

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see German Shepherds, they go, oh,

that's a really intelligent dog.

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I see, the police use

it and, and they see it

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm.

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Sue: under, really under conditions where

it, that it's, it's being trained well.

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So they think that it's

an easy, an easy dog.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Okay.

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Sue: underestimate.

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How sensitive they are, how emotional

they are how they can change

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from to tother really rapidly.

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How they can, because they're so

bright, it's so easy for them to,

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to, to learn incorrect habits,

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: I say

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Sue: that are.

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Undesirable.

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So they'll

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: yes.

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Sue: I call self-employed.

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They'll actually go self-employed.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Okay.

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Yeah.

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Sue: what people tend to underestimate.

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They just see this intelligent dog and

they go, oh yeah, it's really intelligent.

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And then all of a sudden they go,

oh yeah, but it's learnt to do this.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Ah,

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Sue: yeah.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: okay.

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Yeah, they used to, it's the

flavor of the year, isn't it?

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They used to have a bit

of a bad rep, didn't they?

243

GSDs, and then it, before it

moved on to something else.

244

That might be what you mean by those

undesirable unfavorable behaviours

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because they go self-employed.

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Sue: Yeah, German Shepherds were

one of the first sort of bad

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dogs, really, because people

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm-hmm.

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Sue: of them.

250

And then they were, they were sort of

the, the, the macho dogs, weren't they?

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They were the sort of, the bad lads would

have them before they, changed to that.

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And then that, and then that, it's not

a, they're not an easy dog to keep.

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And so I think.

254

It, it became obvious that, you,

you couldn't really look macho with

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a dog that actually they couldn't

train poss, train well themselves.

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So no, it was very much a case of I.

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They did get a bad wrap.

258

But then when you have a dog that isn't

a situation that isn't ideal, whether its

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needs aren't being met, it's the same with

any breed, but more specifically with a

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dog that learns really, really quickly.

261

And also when things, when the

wheels fall off, people remember.

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A German Shepherd because of

its size, because of its power.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: it.

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Yeah.

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Sue: by a poodle, it's

not, it's not, it's bad.

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And the,

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Yeah, but not,

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Sue: level of arousal is there,

but it's not the same scale.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: I know.

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Yeah.

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Sue: So it's, it is very real.

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And I

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: People are frightened of them, still

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: them.

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There's a lot of, yeah, there's a

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: they've

just got that, they've got that pre,

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they've got that presence about a moment.

280

They, that big bravado, that

presence, and unfortunately

281

the media and press and films.

282

Hasn't helped, with a lot of the,

the Brad dogs and a lot of it comes

283

down to the owners, doesn't it?

284

And stuff.

285

So, yeah.

286

Bless them.

287

So how would you describe the

emotional, the emotional needs of a

288

shepherd compared to some other breeds?

289

Sue?

290

Sue: Okay, so.

291

German Shepherds have an

inherent negative bias.

292

It's always about what could be wrong?

293

What is that noise?

294

It's bound to be something bad.

295

So that is very much where they,

where they, where they are basically.

296

So.

297

Can you just repeat the

question again for me?

298

I've gone

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Of course.

300

Yeah.

301

No, no.

302

It's all good.

303

No.

304

So just the could you describe the

emotional needs of a German Shepherd

305

compared to some other breeds?

306

Sue: so emotionally, although they look

as though they've got all this bravado

307

and they're making all this noise, they

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm

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Sue: need emotional support.

310

They

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: sure.

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Sue: need to be their buddy.

313

You need to

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: Safe bubble.

316

You need to be able to

say, right, I've got this.

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You can stand down.

318

You

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Hmm.

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Sue: yes, by all means, thank you very

much for telling me there's somebody

321

here, but actually I've got this now.

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So you can go and settle

down and switch off.

323

And.

324

What often happens is that people

quite like the idea that their

325

German shepherd is quite protective.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: so the dog will be fence running

and going, there's somebody here,

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there's somebody here, and they're

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: up and up and up.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: it's.

333

That then adds to an awful lot more

adrenaline and an awful lot more stress,

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kept stress hormones within the system.

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And so need to be able to be switched

off to be able to rest, to be able

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to relax and rewire basically.

337

That's, that's what I always think of.

338

So it's, are, they are, you

have to advocate for them.

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And

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: where you need more,

you need to do this more.

342

And that would be when they are

adolescent, they completely lose

343

their stuff when they are, when

they are, when they're adolescents.

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So, yeah.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: they, and they seem to, they

always seem to get kicked outta the

347

puppy class around 14 to 16 weeks.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Oh, oh no.

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Sue: Yeah.

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And that's the

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Oh,

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Sue: difference because by

that time, they're starting to

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look like a German Shepherd.

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Instead

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: yes.

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Sue: ball in amongst all the little small

furries or even the medium sized furries,

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: thing suddenly comes in at 16

weeks and goes, hello, who are you lot?

359

And then they start to

360

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: and he feels they feel

the same on the inside.

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

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Sue: the, all the other little.

364

The other dogs.

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But

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm

367

Sue: of, because people then

go, oh, hang on a minute.

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I've got one of those

aggressive German shepherds.

369

They then tighten up the lead, person,

and this has actually happened to me.

370

This happened to me many,

many, many years ago.

371

The trainer came over to me and

said, right, tighten up your lead

372

make sure that they don't do this,

and make sure they don't do that.

373

And, and, he actually wanted me to,

to, to use a choke chain and to,

374

and to, and to strangle the dog.

375

I wasn't able to do that.

376

And he then pushed, put, sent me into the

corner, sent me out of the, out of the

377

way and said, you can't be in this class.

378

And I'd gone from having a puppy.

379

Being full of beans and, and, and,

and then one day he went in this

380

is the emotional ro rollercoaster

German Shepherd owning it.

381

It, it's, that's what it's like.

382

They, they, they do come out of it.

383

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

384

Sue: to be, you, you need to,

that's when I get most of my

385

phone calls, when, when you've

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Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Right.

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Sue: 16 week old German Shepherd

and it's, I've been, they've been

388

told that they need a firm hand

and, and all that sort of stuff.

389

Even,

390

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

worst thing.

391

Sue: now.

392

Even now, it's, oh, when you've

got one of those dogs, you've

393

gotta be firm with them, don't you?

394

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Oh gosh.

395

Okay.

396

Well we wanna be setting them

up for success and that's what

397

a bit of a theme is advocating

we want to be our dog superhero.

398

And it definitely sounds like

they need that, don't they?

399

Sue: Yes, yes.

400

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Brilliant.

401

So we've touched a little bit on this, but

on our next section, which is all about

402

the common misconceptions and stereotypes.

403

So obviously we, we did touch on it

a little bit, but German shepherds

404

sometimes can have a reputation

for being an inverted commas scary.

405

What myths would you

love to bust today, Sue?

406

Sue: I like the, you've got to,

you've got to have a firm hand.

407

Because actually I

408

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

409

Sue: will counter that with, you

have to be dominant and all this

410

sort of stuff, and, and, and this

couldn't be further from the truth.

411

And.

412

What I actually counter it with

is that tight leads trigger.

413

Because if you've got an, an animal who

is naturally a herder, that is, that

414

feels good in motion and feels good when

they chase, and then you start to apply.

415

Tension and force.

416

What, which is what people

normally do when their dog

417

starts to react and get scary.

418

People gather them up, put them on

short leads hold them really tightly.

419

Then the dog starts to, it's,

it's a bit like a Jack in the box.

420

know, you

421

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

422

Sue: pressure and the more

423

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Pressure.

424

Sue: that, the more

that it will come back.

425

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm.

426

Sue: so.

427

One of the things that I do is to help

people make a connection with their

428

dog and see how gentle they can be and

how quiet they can be, and just watch

429

what their dog can actually pick up

on without coming the hot and heavy.

430

And because more often than not, I

will have the husband, wife team and

431

I'll have the well, I can handle them.

432

Because I, I'm strong and then it's,

but my wife can't, my wife's scared

433

and that really, really pleases

me because I go, right, okay.

434

I think you, you, the confidence

to have the relationship that

435

you want with your dog, because I

436

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm.

437

Sue: often want to deal with.

438

We do, but I don't find it as

easy to deal with someone that is

439

quite biased in their opinions.

440

So I enjoy empowering the

441

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

That's nice.

442

Sue: been told that they are unable

to handle their German Shepherd.

443

To bring out that.

444

So that's a really, so in a roundabout

way, that's a myth, but also you

445

have to be strong to handle it.

446

You have to be dominant to handle the dog.

447

You have to, I'm five foot two,

and I've been handling these

448

dogs for decades and it's not

449

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

450

Sue: It's about getting

them to work with you.

451

And even dogs that aren't mine, once know.

452

you are doing.

453

And once they know that, that that

fear goes and that adrenaline goes

454

they, they, you actually find the dog

that is, you're able to work with.

455

So yeah, there's an get rid of all your

pre misconceptions and then look at the,

456

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

457

Sue: and, if they were a dangerous

dog or if they're a scary dog, they

458

wouldn't be herding sheep, they

wouldn't be breeding them to herd sheep.

459

they are so reliable when it

comes to, to, to herding sheep.

460

They don't

461

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Right.

462

Sue: a collie, they don't do it like a

463

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Okay.

464

Sue: actually are mobile fences.

465

So up and down and up and down

and up and down and up and down.

466

And then they're keeping an eye

on everything that comes in, and

467

then they might go up that way.

468

In Germany, Germany, they will use

them to, to segment keep them off this

469

crop and put them on that, that place.

470

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

471

Sue: So, and if somebody moves out

of line, they just go along and say,

472

right, you are not supposed to be there.

473

They'll barge, same as you've seen.

474

If you've seen them play, they'll barge

into them or they'll Griff, which is bite

475

on, on just the shoulder, but not badly.

476

And then the, the ship

goes, oh, okay, I apologize.

477

I'll go, I'll go back again.

478

If they were,

479

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

480

Sue: if, if they were dangerous or

whatever, they wouldn't be doing that.

481

But again,

482

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

definitely.

483

Sue: They're bad people

and there are bad dogs.

484

But as a

485

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

486

Sue: If they're well bred

and well brought up, but then

487

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah,

488

Sue: into all that.

489

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: yeah.

490

It sounds like to me it comes down to,

to connection doesn't, it really is

491

about connecting them with with them.

492

Mm.

493

Sue: rather than control.

494

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yes.

495

Sue: learned decades ago

with Sarah Fisher and,

496

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Oh yeah.

497

Sue: Ellington Touch and what have you,

when, when many moons ago with Linda

498

Ellington Jones and, and what have you.

499

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Oh yes.

500

Sue: Connection

501

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

502

Sue: Yeah.

503

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

over connection, over correction

504

is what it's all about.

505

Brilliant.

506

So Sue, do you think that their

intelligence sometimes works

507

against them in pet homes if

their needs are not being met?

508

Sue: Yeah.

509

if their needs aren't being met,

they will start to get into a

510

loop of, okay, an obvious one

that I, I just had this evening.

511

If the dog is, has continued to.

512

Not have their needs met by

maybe appropriate exercise, maybe

513

appropriately addressing their needs.

514

Then they bark at the window.

515

They bark at the window 'cause

people are walking past.

516

And then of course they get

into that, oh, that works.

517

That then gives them a relief.

518

Which means that they go,

they go and do it again.

519

Oh look, there's somebody there,

520

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Sure.

521

Sue: Apprehension, frustration,

fear, Bing, bing, barky, barky, bark.

522

then.

523

It's that it then becomes relief.

524

Okay, that's really good.

525

I'll do that again.

526

And

527

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

528

Sue: something like that

will become like a a loop

529

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm-hmm.

530

Sue: Yeah.

531

And if you then get somebody turning

up and then a door gets left open or

532

a gate gets left open, then you've

got a dog that is on that loop going,

533

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm-hmm.

534

Sue: dunno what to do now.

535

'cause I've always had the barrier of

the fence or the barrier of the window

536

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm-hmm.

537

Sue: getting to the thing.

538

All I've done is just bark

at it and it's gone away.

539

It's, they don't properly learn how to.

540

Make good choices if they

aren't taught properly.

541

And that's

542

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm.

543

Sue: and meeting their needs

is, is really important.

544

Meeting their needs also mentally

by giving them an outlet, we

545

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

546

Sue: be able to give them the, gating

it 15 miles an hour for, all day or,

547

or whatever, which is what they did or

what they were bred to do originally.

548

Although you, your dog isn't doing, isn't

likely to do that, but it is, we've got

549

to be able to say, can they forage, can

they, can they have sufficient exercise?

550

Can they use their brain, can they,

and, and, and all that sort of stuff.

551

Do they have a job to do?

552

can they switch off?

553

You

554

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

555

Sue: all that sort of thing.

556

Yeah.

557

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

558

Brilliant.

559

And what impact do you think, we

did touch on it earlier again about

560

media, but what impact do you think

Reed be portrayals in the media

561

and film have had on expectations?

562

I.

563

Sue: I dunno.

564

'cause I don't tend to, I

don't tend to watch them.

565

'Cause I don't like watching

dog movies 'cause the dog, if

566

the dog dies and that's it.

567

I can't watch.

568

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Oh, I'm the same God.

569

What was it?

570

Find, what was it?

571

Mar Marley and Me or

something that, that worked.

572

No, God, I know you.

573

I cry everything anyway.

574

Something's sad on tv, but if

it's got a dog in, I'm gone.

575

Sue: No, absolutely.

576

I don't,

577

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: No,

I think while it is, is that they've

578

just been in the films where they've

been the Guard dogs at, at the Scary

579

House, and they've been with the

Badie, and unfortunately that's then.

580

Moved over to real life because then

they attract a certain type of person.

581

Sue: yes.

582

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: is

me putting it in a roundabout way?

583

Sue: Okay.

584

So yes, definitely.

585

When I was breeding, you would get a

certain type of person at that time

586

that would want a a, a German Shepherd,

and you'd have to weed them out.

587

You'd have to go, well, no,

isn't the right dog for you.

588

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm.

589

Sue: yeah, I think.

590

It's the same with a lot

of, a lot of breeds though.

591

And yes, the guard dog image is, is

also, and also the bringing down the,

592

the personal protection stuff, know,

593

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

594

Sue: The Mally has got that

pretty much sewn up now.

595

The Shepherd has come away from

that, but you do get a, a lot of

596

the east German still working in the

police and still, being, being in

597

the protection in, in, in that line.

598

In that

599

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

600

Sue: dogs, a lot of

601

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

602

Sue: as well.

603

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

That's it.

604

Sue: Yeah.

605

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

And I, and I think that's where

606

like, unfortunately I don't like

to talk about it too much 'cause

607

we're a positive reinforcement show.

608

But you see a lot of the aversive

equipment, equipment on these types of

609

breeds of dogs, unfortunately, because

610

Sue: yeah.

611

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

used for a certain.

612

Sue: Yeah.

613

And very often one of the first

things that I talk about, I, I,

614

in, in my programs I've got a, an,

an equipment It's basically, what

615

are you, what's your dog wearing?

616

Why are you wear, why are they wearing it?

617

I would like you to change it to this.

618

It's not, it's not an option.

619

And, and, and.

620

So yes, you do need to have equipment

that is going to support your, your,

621

the connection with your dog so that you

622

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm

623

Sue: you know, well-fitting equipment

is, is really, really important.

624

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: mm.

625

Sue: a double-ended

lead that kind of thing.

626

But yeah, because, and certainly some.

627

In this country, the.

628

It's more normal to see

dogs wearing prongs.

629

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Exactly.

630

Sue: and, and stuff like that.

631

German Shepherds

632

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

633

Sue: And just breaks my heart.

634

Absolutely.

635

'cause that was one of

the biggest things that

636

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah,

637

Sue: when I realized how sensitive these

dogs are and then you think, my God,

638

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: yeah.

639

Sue: such a bad rap.

640

really

641

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Hmm.

642

Sue: They are, they, they, people tend

to use too much force because they,

643

again, we've said they that's where

they think it's, it's supposed to

644

be that you're, what you're supposed

645

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah,

646

Sue: but also

647

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: yeah,

648

Sue: put all this equipment

on, because they feel.

649

Unable to control the

dogs, so they just lump all

650

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: yeah,

651

Yeah.

652

Fish circle.

653

Sue: yeah, it is.

654

Yeah.

655

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

And I think like as well, we, I say

656

a lot on this show is that, it comes

down to education, owner education.

657

And unfortunately you don't

know what you don't know.

658

And if a, a member of the public,

Joe Public saw a policeman or a

659

dog in a being used by the police

in that equipment, they're gonna

660

think, oh, the police use it.

661

It must be okay.

662

'cause they don't know,

663

Sue: no,

664

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

which is a shame.

665

Sue: to be fair, the majority of equipped

PE of police forces in this country,

666

I do believe now use positive methods.

667

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

668

Sue: I believe.

669

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

That's, yeah, that's good.

670

Right.

671

Lovely.

672

Thank you.

673

So moving on to our next section,

which is again about mate meeting

674

the needs of the shepherd.

675

So, meeting the shepherd's mental

and emotional needs what does a

676

fulfilled and happy GSDs day-to-day

life look like in your view?

677

Sue?

678

Sue: Okay, so I.

679

The need for foraging is

really, really important.

680

So snippy walks and being able to use

a Kong wobbler for example, that's

681

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

682

Sue: that, a Kong wobbler.

683

and so did my, so did my German Shepherd.

684

She, she would

685

So on days when I.

686

Couldn't do everything.

687

It would be a con wobbler and, let's

go out in the garden, let's go find

688

stuff, let's do some scent work.

689

Let's do

690

That kind of thing.

691

Let's just do a few tricks, just to

get the, the brain pattern going.

692

on good days when you know, when

you've got the time, a blooming good

693

walk a, a blooming nice beach walk.

694

Is great, but I never used

because they're so big.

695

And you don't really want them

landing on something like a, a, a

696

bag of spanners, know, you actually

want them to be so they, they don't

697

have particularly good breaks.

698

And although they're a medium sized

dog, they don't have, they do, but,

699

some of the bigger dogs anyway.

700

I would always get them to

wait and then lob something and

701

then send them onto a dead toy.

702

That sort of thing.

703

And something else that would,

that I, that I used to do

704

would be, I would throw a.

705

Non a, a not exciting toy.

706

And then I would do a, a call

that, so they would, and send them.

707

And then I would do a call that

meant you've got your really

708

exciting toy and it's going that way.

709

It's going in the opposite direction.

710

And it would be, oh, great, we're going.

711

And then they would yeah.

712

So just

713

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: that.

714

Sue: that would, that keeps them with you.

715

When I go on the beach, I, I

used to want to have my dogs.

716

I still do.

717

But when I had Roma as well,

I would want her with me.

718

I wouldn't want her bothering

about what's going on over there.

719

Who's that over there?

720

Do what they doing.

721

I haven't checked their papers.

722

Are they supposed to be on the beach?

723

I don't, I don't need that.

724

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

725

Sue: So things that get them involved.

726

And by all means, yes, allow

them to be a dog and allow them

727

to go and paddle and allow them

to go and, just check out stuff.

728

But yeah, engagement I think is really

729

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

730

Sue: because the look on their faces

when you go, right, we're gonna do

731

10 paces of he work and they go, oh.

732

Because they know at the end of it,

they're gonna get their ball dropped

733

or they're gonna get, something

for food puzzles and, and training

734

games and, that sort of stuff.

735

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Love that.

736

Sue: usual.

737

Yeah.

738

And the occasional, and, and, and

I mean the, the good, the good

739

walks, that's what I would do.

740

I think.

741

I think that, I think a German Shepherd

would be fairly happy with that.

742

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

743

Yeah, that sounds brilliant.

744

So, we might have already touched

on it, but what types of activities

745

do you recommend for tapping into

the Shepherd's natural talents?

746

Sue: I think it's something that is

available now that wasn't available

747

when I had my shepherds or not to,

to the extent that it, it is now.

748

I did working trials with mine.

749

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm-hmm.

750

Sue: because you have the obedience,

you have the agility, you have scent

751

work, tracking, all that sort of stuff.

752

So that's really great.

753

More available now is the man

work, the not the man work.

754

The, the man hunting, what

755

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Oh, the the man, man trailer,

756

Sue: Yes, man.

757

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Annette?

758

Sue: yeah.

759

That's great.

760

Absolutely great.

761

I'm gonna go and find a person and,

oh look, they've got a ball, they've

762

got my ball, or they've got sausages

or they've got, that's just great.

763

Tracking is the best thing, Ft.

764

Work.

765

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

766

Sue: is the best thing for

actually, for a lot of breeds.

767

Certainly spanners too.

768

My spaniels too.

769

But yeah, that's what that's what I

would certainly say if I was to get

770

a new Shepherd, that would be what I

771

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

772

Sue: I would be doing, I would

concentrate on something like that.

773

I.

774

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Yeah, man.

775

Trailing has become really popular

recently, and one of my colleagues, she

776

was on one of my mentoring programs,

she set up her a man trailing business

777

in the end because she had a, she's

has, she has a German Shepherd,

778

but they obviously had some issues.

779

And she found the thing that

helped the most was mantra trailing

780

and, and she loves it, and they

go off and do all sorts now.

781

Sue: Yeah.

782

Yeah.

783

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: that.

784

So how do you balance providing structure

without tipping into over control?

785

Sue: I'm a control freak.

786

Surprise.

787

If, if you, if you apply too

much structure, they'll become

788

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm.

789

Sue: So you can't be rigid.

790

So I think is, is the

best way of doing that.

791

And also working with them.

792

Controlling in quotes without them

realizing they're being controlled.

793

so you are not working against them.

794

You are working with them.

795

are working

796

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

797

Love that.

798

Sue: they want to do.

799

You don't wanna over control.

800

You wanna keep it balanced.

801

you want to establish

clear boundaries, but

802

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm.

803

Sue: going, no, you can't just

say, yeah, you've done this.

804

Just and keeping it simple.

805

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

806

Sue: know, keeping everything simple.

807

And if you are not getting the behaviours

that you are wanting, break it down.

808

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm

809

Sue: it right down.

810

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm.

811

Sue: dog has got fixated on, if your

German Shepherd has got fixated on

812

something that's coming along the

beach and they can't look at you, just

813

stand next to them and just mark it

and then scratch the top of their head.

814

Just, they will, they

will be, oh, you are here.

815

Oh, I didn't realize you were here.

816

Have to be able to tap into them as

817

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm.

818

Sue: as, and manage it safely

without using rigid controls.

819

I think you

820

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

821

Sue: things, set them up as accept

and go, okay, let's be consistent.

822

I think one of the things that

enjoy doing at the moment.

823

Or I did with my shepherds is, is to

start, is to use the start buttons.

824

Shepherds will have extreme start buttons.

825

They will come in and drop the ball in

your lap, or they'll come in and, and try

826

and get on your lap or, or something like

that, so if you set a boundary and go,

827

right, okay, the start button is, you get

on your mat and then we will play ball.

828

They'll, within moments they're doing it.

829

So,

830

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

831

Sue: Give them something that they're

able to do and then think it's their idea.

832

Great.

833

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Sounds like they just wanna

834

please you as well, don't they?

835

Sue: They do actually.

836

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

837

Sue: They just want a good life.

838

They want a quiet life.

839

They wanna be able to

of engage with you, you

840

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Yeah, exactly.

841

Sue: that's important,

842

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: yeah.

843

Sue: Don't get me wrong.

844

It's not about just constantly being

saying, oh yes, you're a good dog.

845

Here's some food.

846

Yes, you're a good dog.

847

Here's some food.

848

It's about setting the dog's boundaries

and saying, right, okay, if you lie

849

there for half an hour, I'm gonna get

up and, chase you around the garden and

850

play and play ball for five minutes,

851

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: yeah.

852

Sue: fair.

853

That's how you, that's how you

get the right balance, I think.

854

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

855

And I like you said about not being

too controlling because you don't

856

wanna damage that relationship that

you're building, do you, you've got,

857

there's gotta be some flexibility.

858

Brilliant.

859

Okay.

860

Thank you so much.

861

We're gonna be moving on to our next

section now, which is Real talk.

862

So challenges of living

with a German Shepherd.

863

So we're getting real.

864

So what are some of the bigger

challenges that you see guardians

865

face with German Shepherds?

866

Sue say.

867

Sue: Okay.

868

Reactivity has got to be the

biggest problem that people

869

find because it's antisocial.

870

People struggle because their

dog doesn't like other people.

871

Their dog doesn't like other dogs, and

that makes very often family life or

872

going anywhere with their dog Difficult.

873

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: mm.

874

Sue: They don't need, they don't realize

that why their dog is being way, and

875

they just see it as being a problem.

876

And it, and it is

877

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

878

Sue: It is

879

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

880

Sue: to them.

881

If you've got a dog that is,

is, or a dog that will chase

882

another dog in the, in the park,

883

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: hmm.

884

Sue: minutes ago your puppy was

gambling around in the park,

885

playing with other dogs, and then.

886

Oof.

887

They hit the other side of

18 weeks and then they're

888

starting to chase things, know?

889

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

890

Sue: so that's another

891

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

892

Sue: thing that that,

that very often happens.

893

So those, I think those are the

things, the things that mean that

894

the people become a social pariah

because of the dog that they've got.

895

And they, people have said to me, I

don't think my neighbors like me anymore

896

because I've got this German Shepherd

and this German Shepherd barks at.

897

The neighbor, or I walk down the

street and people cross the road.

898

Because if you've got, so

the, the reactivity is, is, is

899

the biggest problem I think.

900

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

901

And reactivity or being reactive

is such a broad term, isn't it?

902

But it's a word that the general public

seem to know more about and relate to.

903

But there's a lot of reasons why a dog

could be reactive in inverted commerce.

904

They could be in pain.

905

They could, their needs could not be met.

906

So, it is, it's about looking

beyond the surface, isn't it?

907

'cause there's a lot of reasons

why they could be being that way.

908

Sue: Yeah,

909

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

910

Sue: The, the, the, the habits

that the dog has got into the,

911

the what, what they've learned.

912

And as you say, there could be pain or

discomfort or the needs not being met.

913

It all comes out in the

same way it comes out.

914

If it's not reactive then,

then people very often will

915

say, my dog is, is aggressive.

916

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

917

Sue: say, you'll very often hear people

saying, oh, well he's a lovely dog,

918

but he's aggressive when he goes out.

919

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

920

Sue: and the thing is,

your dog isn't changing.

921

He hasn't changed into an aggressive dog.

922

He is reacting to the situation

that they find themselves in.

923

And what you need to do is

to, to, to seek help to.

924

Work on how to help them to cope

with that environment because

925

it's, it, it, it's doable.

926

They've just

927

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm,

928

Sue: coping strategy that

929

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

it worked.

930

Sue: that works for them.

931

Yeah, absolutely.

932

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

933

Brilliant.

934

So Sue, if someone is struggling

with their GSDs behaviour, what's

935

the first step you suggest they take?

936

Phone, Sue.

937

Sue: Yes.

938

In all seriousness, see if you, if they

are, if they are struggling, they need

939

seek help because the sooner we actually.

940

Address something, the easier it is

because the longer your dog gets a

941

chance to rehearse this, the more and

more and more rehearsed it becomes,

942

the more entrenched it becomes.

943

And

944

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

945

Sue: what we need to do is we need

to say, okay this is a problem.

946

How can we unravel it and what

do we want the dog to do instead?

947

And one of

948

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

949

Sue: know, that.

950

That's basically what

we, what they need to do.

951

So, yeah.

952

Take a step back, look at what it is

and what's going on and find an expert.

953

Find someone that specialises

in, doing what, in, in working

954

with German Shepherds, I.

955

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

956

In the breed.

957

And also, oh, I was gonna say something.

958

I lost my train of thought.

959

So, yeah, it's about there's,

there could be something else

960

going on, so take a step back.

961

And it doesn't necessarily mean

they're, they're being bad.

962

'cause there's, there

could be stuff going on.

963

So, Def I like that what you said about

taking a step back because they Oh,

964

and that, that's what I was gonna say.

965

But getting help early on before

it does get too ingrained and

966

become like a learned behaviour.

967

That's what I was gonna say is get

help early on when you start seeing it

968

before it gets too for, in too deep.

969

Sue: to fix the behaviour in a younger

dog, than it is to, to to fix a behaviour

970

in a dog that has, has developed problems

because of that continuous learning.

971

And, and perhaps had ducked ups or

perhaps had other, other, trauma

972

going through their lives because

it hasn't been addressed early on.

973

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Mm, brilliant.

974

So why is it so important for Shepherd

Guardians to focus on the dog's emotional

975

needs and not just the training drills?

976

Sue: Emotions are something that

977

tend to not associate with.

978

Dogs, but basically we've got rage

and fear and play and seeking and

979

all those kind of all those emotions

that are, that are available and

980

your dog isn't doing what they're

doing because it's bad, or it's just

981

for the heck of it because it's, it

982

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm

983

Sue: to, it just wants to spoil your day.

984

The dog, there is an emotional reason

why your dog is doing what they're doing.

985

And it could be apprehension or

frustration, or it could be because

986

it feels good, pleasure, delight, they

wanna chase the, the, the little dog in

987

the park, that makes them feel great,

but it's not at, it's not really.

988

So we need to understand they

are an emotional creature.

989

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

990

Sue: The, the hard thing is German

Shepherd emotions seem to be

991

big emotions a lot of the time.

992

A lot of the time.

993

Certainly when they're, when

they're young, when they are

994

adolescent, big emotions.

995

And they change so often, so frequently.

996

But yeah, it's, it's really important

because the dog isn't doing it

997

just to, to, to to annoy you.

998

They are doing

999

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

And that's what we've got.

00:42:48,460 --> 00:42:49,510

That's what we've gotta remember.

00:42:49,510 --> 00:42:51,580

They're not doing it on

purpose or too annoying.

00:42:51,580 --> 00:42:52,000

Like you say.

00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:52,990

They're not that clever, are they?

00:42:53,021 --> 00:42:53,381

Sue: Nope.

00:42:54,251 --> 00:42:55,361

Nope, they're not.

00:42:56,750 --> 00:42:56,780

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Oh.

00:42:56,780 --> 00:42:57,050

Bless.

00:42:57,230 --> 00:43:00,050

And I think what you said is

obviously, it, it's because they

00:43:00,050 --> 00:43:03,410

are bigger dogs that they give off

that more bigger rah, don't they?

00:43:04,911 --> 00:43:05,421

Sue: Yeah.

00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:06,350

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Bless you.

00:43:06,411 --> 00:43:06,891

Sue: Yeah.

00:43:07,070 --> 00:43:08,900

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

I, I just, I just wanted to share a

00:43:08,900 --> 00:43:13,690

little story before we start wrapping

up that my first dog walking client

00:43:14,050 --> 00:43:16,480

seven years ago was a German Shepherd.

00:43:17,380 --> 00:43:22,300

And she was quite a young one, but

her name was Aetna after Mount Aetna,

00:43:22,690 --> 00:43:25,930

which I think is the volcano in Italy

or something, because our owner,

00:43:26,110 --> 00:43:30,670

one of the owners was Italy and oh

my God, wasn't she like a volcano?

00:43:30,670 --> 00:43:33,760

But she taught me so much because I

just started my dog walking business.

00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:35,800

I was doing solo dog walks and.

00:43:36,255 --> 00:43:41,265

So you attract obviously certain types of

dogs and I just learned so much from her.

00:43:41,265 --> 00:43:45,145

She, oh, I've got a picture of her that

came up the other day and I just, yeah.

00:43:45,145 --> 00:43:46,825

I just learned so much from her.

00:43:46,825 --> 00:43:48,865

She's, yeah, brilliant.

00:43:49,045 --> 00:43:50,305

They're lovely dogs.

00:43:50,641 --> 00:43:53,461

Sue: there is really, really

interesting because people that have

00:43:53,521 --> 00:43:57,511

had a relationship with a German

Shepherd will always remember it.

00:43:58,681 --> 00:44:00,121

Always, it,

00:44:00,465 --> 00:44:01,125

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

00:44:01,291 --> 00:44:01,951

Sue: huge.

00:44:01,981 --> 00:44:06,091

And I dunno why you, you speak to

anybody and they'll go, oh, well I had a

00:44:06,091 --> 00:44:07,921

German Shepherd once and beautiful dog.

00:44:07,981 --> 00:44:09,001

Oh, it's wonderful dog.

00:44:09,581 --> 00:44:11,766

I've never had another dog

like it or something like that.

00:44:12,531 --> 00:44:14,331

And it's, it's, it's very true.

00:44:14,331 --> 00:44:17,301

And then, when, when you spoke

about that just then it was Oh yeah.

00:44:17,511 --> 00:44:20,961

And she was lovely and she taught me so

much and all that sort of stuff, but yeah,

00:44:20,961 --> 00:44:23,121

we do, we get really attached to this.

00:44:23,421 --> 00:44:26,211

They, they, they wheeler

your way into your heart.

00:44:26,241 --> 00:44:27,081

They really do.

00:44:28,105 --> 00:44:28,945

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Well, yeah.

00:44:28,945 --> 00:44:31,135

And they just leave an

impression, don't they?

00:44:31,135 --> 00:44:32,065

That's what she's done.

00:44:33,261 --> 00:44:33,891

Sue: Yes.

00:44:34,945 --> 00:44:35,815

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Oh, bless her.

00:44:36,025 --> 00:44:36,355

Aetna.

00:44:36,445 --> 00:44:36,745

Yeah.

00:44:36,955 --> 00:44:37,495

Brilliant.

00:44:37,975 --> 00:44:38,515

Love her.

00:44:38,765 --> 00:44:39,155

Right.

00:44:39,215 --> 00:44:40,025

Oh my goodness.

00:44:40,025 --> 00:44:42,155

We've sailed through this episode.

00:44:42,605 --> 00:44:46,265

It's literally been jam packed full of

so much useful, useful information about.

00:44:46,710 --> 00:44:47,700

Jeremy, shes, I've loved it.

00:44:47,700 --> 00:44:50,820

And look, we've got a few on our

books still now that, one of my

00:44:50,820 --> 00:44:54,720

colleagues walks and they're just

fascinating characters, lovely dogs.

00:44:54,930 --> 00:44:58,860

So we're gonna spend the next five

minutes or so, Sue, just wrapping up

00:44:58,860 --> 00:45:01,110

with some final questions and thoughts.

00:45:01,620 --> 00:45:08,160

So, Sue, if you could give one piece of

advice to someone considering getting

00:45:08,220 --> 00:45:10,890

a German Shepherd, what would it be?

00:45:16,236 --> 00:45:18,426

Sue: Oh gosh, that's always really hard.

00:45:19,326 --> 00:45:20,556

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

You, you take your time,

00:45:21,218 --> 00:45:21,848

Sue: yeah.

00:45:21,898 --> 00:45:22,188

Gosh.

00:45:24,591 --> 00:45:25,191

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

do your research.

00:45:25,191 --> 00:45:29,781

That often comes out when I ask this

question to our breed specific experts.

00:45:30,998 --> 00:45:31,328

Sue: Yeah,

00:45:31,431 --> 00:45:32,571

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Do your research.

00:45:32,588 --> 00:45:36,428

Sue: think it's, it's always

really important to ensure that

00:45:36,428 --> 00:45:41,258

you get your puppy where it has

that, that good start in life.

00:45:41,663 --> 00:45:41,813

You

00:45:41,916 --> 00:45:42,136

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm.

00:45:42,526 --> 00:45:42,816

Good.

00:45:43,373 --> 00:45:43,823

Sue: Yes.

00:45:43,883 --> 00:45:44,843

A good breeder.

00:45:45,313 --> 00:45:49,753

They have an early onset hazard

avoidance German Shepherds do, which

00:45:49,753 --> 00:45:54,643

means basically they are aware of,

of what's going on around them.

00:45:54,973 --> 00:45:57,613

Probably more than colleagues, more

than colleagues, more than labs,

00:45:57,613 --> 00:46:01,003

more than any other, other breed

apart from I think it's a wolf.

00:46:02,063 --> 00:46:06,203

That's the, yeah, basically, so that

means that if they don't get, if

00:46:06,203 --> 00:46:09,173

they live in a, in a, in an isolated.

00:46:10,038 --> 00:46:12,048

Environment, even if it's clean.

00:46:13,278 --> 00:46:15,168

and they don't get the challenges.

00:46:15,168 --> 00:46:20,058

IE multi-steps and, and all this sort

of stuff, like puppy culture gives them,

00:46:21,261 --> 00:46:21,481

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Mm.

00:46:21,978 --> 00:46:25,158

Sue: that it doesn't, that, that

they don't realize that they aren't

00:46:25,158 --> 00:46:27,708

gonna die when something bad happens.

00:46:27,798 --> 00:46:28,248

Okay.

00:46:28,248 --> 00:46:32,388

So they've, they've basically got to

have those challenges throughout their.

00:46:32,448 --> 00:46:35,178

Their early life from

about four weeks onwards.

00:46:35,658 --> 00:46:37,008

So it's the breeder's job.

00:46:37,068 --> 00:46:40,308

So my big question would be

where you're gonna get it from.

00:46:40,308 --> 00:46:44,568

Have they done the health checks and

are, what are they doing for mental and

00:46:44,568 --> 00:46:47,928

physical stimulation for that puppy now?

00:46:48,368 --> 00:46:48,488

You

00:46:48,491 --> 00:46:49,001

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

00:46:49,358 --> 00:46:51,068

Sue: they, when the puppy

is still in their care.

00:46:52,148 --> 00:46:52,538

and then

00:46:52,541 --> 00:46:52,991

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

00:46:53,883 --> 00:46:56,493

Sue: Two be kicked out

of your puppy class?

00:46:56,493 --> 00:46:57,393

You probably wouldn't.

00:46:57,393 --> 00:46:59,643

I probably wouldn't recommend

going to a puppy class.

00:46:59,733 --> 00:47:04,743

I would say go into the real world and

do your socializing in the real world.

00:47:05,411 --> 00:47:06,161

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

00:47:06,303 --> 00:47:06,723

Yeah.

00:47:06,963 --> 00:47:10,983

I, I think as Brits or as humans, we

think, oh, we must do a puppy class.

00:47:10,983 --> 00:47:13,708

But sometimes they're not

suitable for all breeds, are they?

00:47:13,789 --> 00:47:14,349

Sue: don't think they are.

00:47:15,144 --> 00:47:15,684

I really don't

00:47:15,858 --> 00:47:16,148

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

00:47:16,254 --> 00:47:17,574

Sue: very area specific.

00:47:17,604 --> 00:47:20,874

German Shepherds need an awful lot of.

00:47:21,844 --> 00:47:26,134

When things aren't area specific,

when we proofing, they need an

00:47:26,134 --> 00:47:28,694

awful lot of proofing and to

do things in different places.

00:47:29,798 --> 00:47:30,088

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

00:47:30,474 --> 00:47:30,894

Sue: Over the

00:47:31,013 --> 00:47:31,313

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

And I've,

00:47:31,584 --> 00:47:37,074

Sue: Yeah, I, I, I did, I did a lot of,

a lot of marching around school halls

00:47:37,074 --> 00:47:39,634

and, and scout huts, with my dogs.

00:47:39,724 --> 00:47:40,624

And to be

00:47:40,803 --> 00:47:41,313

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: yeah.

00:47:41,494 --> 00:47:45,474

Sue: I think going to this, going to

the sort of the, the, the the school of

00:47:45,474 --> 00:47:48,354

life was probably the, the best thing.

00:47:48,754 --> 00:47:49,084

It really

00:47:49,218 --> 00:47:49,698

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

00:47:50,554 --> 00:47:50,944

Sue: Yeah.

00:47:51,018 --> 00:47:53,268

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: And I

think it comes down again to education

00:47:53,268 --> 00:47:57,958

because again we think of socialization

as chucking it into a puppy class,

00:47:57,958 --> 00:48:00,238

but that is not proper socialization.

00:48:01,484 --> 00:48:01,994

Sue: No.

00:48:02,098 --> 00:48:02,398

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

you're saying.

00:48:02,398 --> 00:48:02,878

What school?

00:48:02,908 --> 00:48:04,318

School of real life is better.

00:48:04,334 --> 00:48:04,799

Sue: Yeah, go.

00:48:04,904 --> 00:48:07,244

Go down the local park and

sit and watch the world go by.

00:48:08,248 --> 00:48:09,538

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Yeah, definitely.

00:48:09,584 --> 00:48:09,794

Sue: world

00:48:09,868 --> 00:48:10,348

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah.

00:48:10,544 --> 00:48:13,334

Sue: let the dog chase the dogs

around the car, down the park.

00:48:13,584 --> 00:48:14,484

Don't let your, let your

00:48:14,528 --> 00:48:14,978

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah,

00:48:15,144 --> 00:48:18,804

Sue: play with other dogs in

the park a lead, sit and watch.

00:48:18,984 --> 00:48:19,674

And then they

00:48:19,688 --> 00:48:20,438

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

it's pretty much

00:48:20,674 --> 00:48:22,924

Sue: And then, there's a couple

of little bits of Hello Sniff.

00:48:22,924 --> 00:48:24,694

And then, and then away.

00:48:25,758 --> 00:48:28,008

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: bit of,

bit of engage and disengage game, I think.

00:48:28,504 --> 00:48:29,194

Sue: absolutely.

00:48:30,184 --> 00:48:30,874

Sorry I

00:48:30,888 --> 00:48:31,488

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Sue.

00:48:31,534 --> 00:48:31,744

Sue: there.

00:48:31,954 --> 00:48:32,104

Sorry.

00:48:32,473 --> 00:48:32,933

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Oh, no.

00:48:33,228 --> 00:48:33,798

I love it.

00:48:33,798 --> 00:48:36,108

You're so passionate and

I love that s from you.

00:48:36,388 --> 00:48:41,128

Sue, what's the most rewarding part for

you in helping Shepherds and their people?

00:48:41,399 --> 00:48:51,539

Sue: Oh, that's, that's a good one because

it's unlocking the, the relationship you

00:48:51,703 --> 00:48:52,303

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

I love that.

00:48:52,919 --> 00:48:54,449

Sue: the when you first meet.

00:48:54,449 --> 00:48:56,369

When I first meet my.

00:48:57,314 --> 00:49:00,854

Shepherd and my and my

person, are at loggerheads.

00:49:01,724 --> 00:49:05,084

They don't like each other particularly,

they don't understand each other.

00:49:05,474 --> 00:49:07,004

And they're both struggling.

00:49:08,504 --> 00:49:12,644

and my job is to go in there

as a translator and to unravel

00:49:12,644 --> 00:49:14,234

everything and go right there.

00:49:14,234 --> 00:49:14,385

We are.

00:49:15,359 --> 00:49:20,219

This is, and then, oh my gosh, I got

a message from someone the, the other

00:49:20,219 --> 00:49:26,249

week and she said, oh my gosh, when you

first came through, I had no idea what

00:49:26,249 --> 00:49:30,399

you were doing, but I totally embrace

what you, what you what you suggested.

00:49:30,459 --> 00:49:33,759

And now I love my dog

and I think she loves me.

00:49:35,499 --> 00:49:35,709

And

00:49:35,738 --> 00:49:36,698

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

that must be rewarding.

00:49:36,939 --> 00:49:37,779

Sue: my gosh,

00:49:37,988 --> 00:49:38,738

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

So reward, do you?

00:49:39,009 --> 00:49:40,149

Sue: all the stress.

00:49:41,273 --> 00:49:41,813

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Do you know what?

00:49:41,813 --> 00:49:42,743

I loved what I picked.

00:49:42,743 --> 00:49:43,883

You said translate.

00:49:44,393 --> 00:49:46,913

It's, they're lost in translation

and you are the translate.

00:49:46,913 --> 00:49:47,873

I love that.

00:49:48,249 --> 00:49:48,250

Sue: Yeah.

00:49:50,319 --> 00:49:50,379

Yeah.

00:49:50,393 --> 00:49:51,713

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Oh, I absolutely love that.

00:49:51,713 --> 00:49:52,823

You should coin that one.

00:49:52,823 --> 00:49:53,393

Brilliant.

00:49:53,943 --> 00:49:54,573

Perfect.

00:49:54,573 --> 00:49:55,263

Thank you, Sue.

00:49:55,503 --> 00:49:59,703

So, where can people find out

more about you and learn about

00:49:59,703 --> 00:50:01,143

the Happy Shepherd please?

00:50:01,774 --> 00:50:08,339

Sue: So the website is www

do the happy shepherd on.

00:50:09,069 --> 00:50:13,444

you are a professional or if you

are a, a guardian, then there will

00:50:13,444 --> 00:50:16,714

be the relevant little buttons or

bits and pieces to press for you.

00:50:16,714 --> 00:50:21,064

I'm going to make sure that there

will be something on there that people

00:50:21,064 --> 00:50:26,784

can download tips or I've, I've did,

I did a a positive interrupter and

00:50:26,784 --> 00:50:29,814

I've, I've got a little booklet on

a positive interrupter, so I'll,

00:50:30,073 --> 00:50:30,868

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Oh, okay.

00:50:31,074 --> 00:50:33,444

Sue: I'll pop that on there

so people can download it.

00:50:34,648 --> 00:50:36,268

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Was this the freebie you were?

00:50:36,448 --> 00:50:38,758

I didn't, to mention it or

not, you want to do a freebie

00:50:38,758 --> 00:50:40,108

for the li for the listeners?

00:50:40,529 --> 00:50:41,099

Sue: yes.

00:50:41,129 --> 00:50:45,409

So that will be, that will be on

the, on the website or before this

00:50:45,409 --> 00:50:49,009

goes out, we can potentially have

a link for, for that or whatever.

00:50:49,009 --> 00:50:50,329

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Yeah, we, we can always

00:50:50,329 --> 00:50:51,319

pull it in the show notes.

00:50:51,319 --> 00:50:52,909

It'd be a little while before it goes out.

00:50:52,909 --> 00:50:54,379

Yeah, yeah,

00:50:54,921 --> 00:50:57,621

Sue: because it's, it's really

important to have something just to

00:50:57,621 --> 00:50:59,991

be able to, to look at and go, okay,

00:51:00,229 --> 00:51:00,739

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: yeah,

00:51:00,771 --> 00:51:02,951

Sue: not need it now,

it might come in handy.

00:51:03,311 --> 00:51:04,331

So yeah, my positive

00:51:04,464 --> 00:51:04,884

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: yeah.

00:51:06,071 --> 00:51:06,191

Sue: yeah.

00:51:06,264 --> 00:51:06,864

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour:

Love that.

00:51:07,074 --> 00:51:09,894

So, and you are on like your show,

you've got your socials as well?

00:51:09,894 --> 00:51:10,134

Yeah.

00:51:10,134 --> 00:51:11,064

They're all similar.

00:51:11,156 --> 00:51:14,726

Sue: I'm on as Sue Kewley

or Sue Kewley practice.

00:51:15,126 --> 00:51:15,486

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: Yeah,

00:51:15,622 --> 00:51:19,382

Sue: just do a search for Sue Kewley,

do a search in Google for Sue Kewley you

00:51:19,456 --> 00:51:19,846

Nathan Dunleavy - The Yappy Hour: yeah.

00:51:21,292 --> 00:51:23,852

Sue: And you'll, you'll find