Fiesty Young Girl - Page 2

Accidental blank post 

The op just joined in November...doesn't that make him a 'newb' ? Why is OK to lambast this guy, and not any other newbs?
(BTW, the op's pup is 8 mos, not 4 ) Hexi, hntrjpr, I'm not referring to you guys, you were tackful.
Op, your dog is likely getting a bit more feed than she needs compared to the exercise she gets. For her health, think about it this way...if yousit in a cubicle eight hours aday at work, drive four hours commuting to and from, then go home and play basketball for an hour, go in and watch TV the rest of the evening, then bed...how much high powered, high volume food do you need to stay 'fit' so's not to become soft and pack on excess poundage? Your pup is in the same boat. She looks happy and healthy, that's what matters most.

Thank you, Hundmutter! She's in a bit of the gangly/light/leggy phase but I'm happy with how she's developing. Straight front and paws to die for, lol. 

Mithuna, I hope you can see the difference and see why Hexe and hntrjmpr and I said what we did. Pay special attention to the area around her collar and space between front legs, as well as angle of front legs. There is a certain look to a fit, lean, growing pup and look to a pup who's a tad on the pudgy side. Your dog is by no means obese, but heavy enough to put a good bit of excess wear and tear on joints that are still developing. You probably think I'm being over-reactive and that's your right, but I'll point out that you only get one chance to raise them right. Why not benefit from the experience, trial, and errors of others'? Your defensiveness to those who challenge something you're doing or thinking (evidenced in many threads, not just this one) tells me you care quite a bit about her, so please take a critical look at her condition and your feeding program and again, look at the fact that none of us have any agenda here whatsoever except the best thing for your dog's continued health. 

Doesn't take a lot of effort to be tackful, the op will not reject the advice as readily. :-)

Nice looking dog  Jenny, but a little on the smaller side for my preference. ( I like substantial physical presence, bone, bigger head, shorter muzzle ) The shot you presented is prependicular to the viewer. I took this shot as my dog sat spontaneously  and it is at a less than 90 degree angle. she was facing the window and I tapped on it to get her attention and she turned slightly sideways. I will try to get a front shot and see what it looks like. Her vet says she is healthy and at her proper weight; he believes she will top off around  85-90 lbs.  At her current build and height of 24.5 inches, her weight looks ideal. I do not give meat with bone, but only boneless chicken breast ( with  a rediced amount Origen LBP). I find fortiflora to be excellent , as it gives her consistent poop, and a completely neutral body odor ( even if she gets wet in the rain ). This dog does not spend all day alone; she is the all day companion of my wife, and I do the exercising. In NYC there are not a lot of places for free exercising, but I do find places occasionally ( beaches, hilly areas, cemeteries ). This is not my first GSD , its my third but first working line. This summer I will be getting an Erri Blatenskeho Zamku ( 6X WUSV) sired  pup ( have not picked the gender as yet ) out of an Elliot Von  Prevent daughter.

On another topic, how's the training going for the two of you? What does the trainer have you working on with her at the moment...general obedience, focused attention, tracking, ???  Would love to see some shots of her doing her work!

I think Jenni's female has a nice muzzle and head, and looks to have good sized bone. Lovely looking female, I'd take her

Mithuna, yes your female is on the larger side concerning her head and bone, but she will still be like that as an adult if she loses 10 pounds or so. I would be careful adding all of the extra supplements, as someone else has said, Orijen is just barely within safe limits for puppies. I hope her orthopedics don't reflect all of the unnecessary, extra nutrition.

I too would be interested in hearing how her training is going.

You responded about as I expected, Mithuna.  Reminds me of when Gustav was trying to lend a hand and you shot down every comment with the same attitude. You're showcasing your inexperience with your comments, especially as they pertain to Veronika. Your take on her is very telling of your true knowledge level. "Your taste" does not in any way factor into correct and healthy weight/build for a German Shepherd puppy, even if you had been even slightly correct in your assessment of her conformation. You know not what you speak, and  I sincerely hope your dog doesn't suffer for your stubbornness, as I said before. The only loser is your dog if you continually refuse to see the forest for the trees. Not sure why you resist so strongly to people who simply want to help. If you don't want comments, don't post on internet forums. If you only want "atta boys," hire a private cheerleader. 

Pretty sure we all know who Erri is, and Eliot, too (one L). I hope you'll reconsider your upbringing protocol for the new pup. I'm interested to see how you find training to differ with that pup vs. this girl. 

p.s. I made a mistake in my earlier post. I meant meat with NO bones and apparently didn't post "no." Adding pure muscle meat to an already rich diet is simply hurting balance. I really wish you'd reconsider. I don't understand someone on their 1st or 3rd dog experimenting with feeding protocols that have been all but proven detrimental and arguing with folks who have raised countless pups. Why not learn from others? Why experiment on your own dog? 

 

Off to compare these results with nailing Jello to a barn door. 

 

Hntrjmpr, thanks. I hope she doesn't go too oversized; she has massive tree trunk legs and feet. Every comments how huge she's going to be. I am hoping for 60cm and no more! Her mom has the same Koer comments as Capri- "large, powerful, and substantial..." so I expect her to mature the same way based on comparisons between her and her mom...waiting game, now. :)  Even if she gets a little big, her structure is super and movement is amazing...might even buy another before breeder retires completely. 

Mithuna,

I was not going to comment on this thread... but decided to because I LOVE this breed. You have received some great advice on this post from very knowledgable people... that might I add have owned more than 2 or 3 GSDs in their lifetime. These people, myself included, have had working German Shepherds for many years. ( I have for almost 20 yrs now). There are others that have bred, worked and trained them for more than double what I have. We are very pationate about this breed. I know you take offense to what has been said, but it is all the TRUETH.  I know you love your girl, that is VERY CLEAR.... I know you want what is best for her.. I would suggest that you sit back and really think about the advice you have received from these people. No one is trying to belittle you, we just want what is best for your dog.

I too agree that your female is a tad over weight... if she does reach 85-90 pounds as an adult that is a HUGE and OVERSIZED female. You said that you are going to take a couple more pictures. Try to get a side shot of her standing, that will give us a better idea of her weight and size.  As for her diet, I too would change a few things.. as mentioned in other posts. You said she turned 8 months on Aug 15th ( I think you meant Apr 15th), at 8 month old I would have her on adult food and not puppy... especially since she is a big female. If I was you I would take a few pounds off your girl... I am not saying that she needs to have all her hips and ribs showing, but should look lean.

I have an almost 9 year old Erri daughter. She was from his very first litter. I love my Xena, she is pictured in my avitar. I am still doing some IPO with her... she does not act or look her age at all. As for Erri he was 2X WUSV (2007 & 2009) not 6X. Archi (Erri) is not a huge male, is actually on the smaller side for a male.. which I like.  Good luck with your pup when you get him or her.. Should be fun to work.

 

BTW, Jenni I really like you female. She has a nice head, good bone and correct conformation from what I can see. Keep us all updated on her.

 

Mithuna,

Jyl said it all beautifully in her above post.  I have never commented on the threads of your dog, but have nodded in agreement as I've read the threads with all the sound advice you've received.  I will say that I really like this photo of your girl for the happy, content, satisfied but eager expression to her face.  In all the other photos, she has looked very serious, which I love to see as well in a GSD.  But it's nice to see her "smiling."

If I might be so bold as to give unsolicited advice, if you are going to get a second pup, consider getting a male.  Female/female combinations in a household are the toughest combination to oversee when you have two dogs. That being said, if you get a male, think about how you are going to keep your dogs separated when your female goes into heat.

Keep having lots of fun with her!  Keep her safe too out there when she's enjoying her exercise. It's a long story, but my dad got slapped with a $3million lawsuit years ago when his then GSD tangled with some loose running Dalmatians owned by a lawyer.  Her dogs charged first, but being a lawyer, she had the advantage of how to work the legal system to her benefit.  The judge dismissed the case after about a year of back-and-forth legal hassles, but it cost my dad thousands of dollars in lawyer fees.

Good luck.