Bought a puppy

[chuckskull]

I have GSD pup too, only a few months ago he was tiny and scared of everything, he's big and cocky now.

Biggest problem with owning a dog like an Alsatian I find is other dog owners. The bigger dog is always in the wrong, like this morning. One of my neighbours let his dog off the lead(nest to a main road and kids playing in the street), dog flew straight at my gate and went ballistic. My dog doing what he does best flew straight at the gate to see it off. I'm outside a few seconds later call my dog off, which he does instantly. Now while next doors is still at the gate, snarling and snapping, inches away from their two toddlers, and their screaming at me for owning a dangerous dog.

Yes, you can't trust yours off the lead or call it away from another dog. Yet mine in it's own garden doing what it's trained to do(keep chav morons like them out of my garden) and responding instantly to my commands is out of control.

Anyway enough ranting, you've got a gorgeous puppy, enjoy it, keep her busy and give her lots of training, they thrive on it.

[Tumble]

ooh, there was 9 in the litter, so i wanted to call her seven of nine, but apparently thats "cruel"

Could have called her Aneka...

Nice Pooch

[danroyle]

lovely dog

make sure you clean up her poo theres nothing worse than walking/riding on dog crap beacause of lazy owners

[Clunk]

Get some of that chew spray stuff, itll save your table legs!

[Zak33]

Get some of that chew spray stuff, itll save your table legs!

I had to use large cola bottles, with the tops cut off, with my hounds.

Each table leg sat in a 2 litres coke bottle for over a year

Russ......that is a very good looking Shepherd mate, you must be proud as punch

Dont forget....dont let it get away with things. At night, lock it in the kitchen (or whichever room to sleep), cover/remove everything chewable (espcially electric cables) hidden...and dont give in to the whines and whimpers.

If you've got a clock that ticks loud, put it in their with the hound....soothes them

[neonplanet40]

Lol they do grow up fast. he is a nice dog

here is mine about 6 months ago. He has grown quite a bit more now though!!! They dont stay pups forever lol

[jon bda]

They dont stay pups forever lol

Yup, they grow up and lie there, plotting evil doings...look at those eyes...

[neonplanet40]

Lol he has already wrecked the garden...... So there is little left for him to break but they are quite smart which is a bad thing trust me! lol

[shelley bda]

Yup, they grow up and lie there, plotting evil doings...look at those eyes...

Hehe I bet his Dog doesn't lie there panting and acting half dead and generally acting like you've killed him like ours does after he's been for a walk! he was only out for half an hour! and it took the lazy assed mutt nearly all day to recover what a palaver and such a drama queen.

[nope]

cute dog

[Stringent]

I'd love another dog. Had a golden retriever when I was a kid. Dogs tie you down though, and I wouldn't be able to give it a happy life, unless they let me take it to work (school).

Memo to Head:

We have upgraded the security in our server room. Comes with Guard Dog install. No extra cost to school.

[Russ]

gawd in tired. been playing with her all day amost, leting her nap every couple of hours. She even almost has sit mastered, getting it 9 times out of 10, im well impressed, just gotta stop her urinating everywhere now lol

[shelley bda]

gawd in tired. been playing with her all day amost, leting her nap every couple of hours. She even almost has sit mastered, getting it 9 times out of 10, im well impressed, just gotta stop her urinating everywhere now lol

Awwww She'll learn soon commands, GSD's are really intelligent and pick things up really quickly.

We've taught Max to Sit! Stay! Down! Creep! Shake! Catch! No! Wait! ( when you put his food dish down ) and Ok!
( when he can eat it! ) doing this is good obedience, i'll also remove his dish halfway through eating sometimes and reinforce the Sit! Wait Ok! if he growls at anyone then the dish is retrieved and the Person he growled at goes through Sit, Wait, Ok... this was useful when he growled at the Kids in the Kitchen while he ate, it puts a Dog in his place, at the bottom of the household I don't believe in the "leave him while he's eating" also don't let him walk through a door before you, let him sit and wait, he can follow you through, again it tells him where his place is in the household. I can also put food on Max's paw and tell him to "leave" and he won't eat it until he hears "Ok!" i've gone out of the room before now and come back in and he still sat waiting

As for litter training Max really did do the hard work himself, at night time he slept in a Puppy box that was just big enough for himself and Duvet ( do you have a blanket that smells of Mum? ) it's an American concept originally, but very effective, the reason being a Dog won't soil his/ her immediate surrounding, so taught him bladder control, during the day sticking him outside at regular intervals and before/after meals first thing in the morning and last thing at night, sorted out the toilet training.

Walking on a lead will be an experience....don't make the mistake of trying to teach your Pup to walk to heel, teach her the basics first ( walking properly, without pulling ) when She pulls just stop and change direction ( I hate choke collars and chains, they can maim an Animal if used improperly best way is proper training )... it will confuzzle her, do it as many times as it takes.. and lots of praise and treats when She does something right, She'll love a treat and want to do what She did right over and over because She knows it will please you. Max hates the lead, he walks better without one, he's really good off the lead, he'll stay close and if he see's another Dog, he'll look but knows to stay close when I say "Max! No! Stay Close"

Also when you use a command remember to say her name before the command so She'll give you her attention while you give the command and praise.

Awww your going to have lots of fun togther

Phew sorry for such a long post

[Russ]

cheers shelley, ill remember that! she howled most of last night, i gave in around 2 oclock, went down, didnt fuss her, cleaned up all the mess, put her back in bed and went, she carried on for anpther 15 minutes but was fine after that, gonna buy me and the neighbouors earplugs

[shelley bda]

cheers shelley, ill remember that! she howled most of last night, i gave in around 2 oclock, went down, didnt fuss her, cleaned up all the mess, put her back in bed and went, she carried on for anpther 15 minutes but was fine after that, gonna buy me and the neighbouors earplugs

Awww She'll only cry 1 or 2 nights...it's heartbreaking to listen too but you know you'll be undoing everything by going down to them I'll never forget Max's first night without the Puppy box, he was so excited and 6 years on he still gets excited at bedtime he has the run of the house at night, he has a bed downstairs and a bed upstairs... he'll end up sleeping at the top of the landing though, or in the Kids bedroom doorway, protecting us no doubt.

I majorly mucked up with Max one night in the early days, he had a stinky duvet that he'd been sleeping on with Mum, one day I decided the stench was too bad and washed it, big mistake he cried for half the night got up and was frantically trying to dry it so he had it to cuddle up on.... once he had it back he was fine, so that was a lesson learned

[Funkstar]

I really wish i could get a dog. One day perhaps, once i stop working offshore.

When we got Riley (our late springer spaniel) he cried the first night, so mum gave him a (warm) hot water bottle to simulate his mum and a ticking clock on the kitchen table. That was fine the first night, the second we found a burst bottle, a very wet dog and a chewed alarm clock

Turns out he was like me, ticking clocks annoyed him

Although he never cried at night again unless there really was something wrong.