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ForumsGerman Shepherd Dog > What one item do you think is indespensible for a new ownerof a GSD? (51 replies)
What one item do you think is indespensible for a new ownerof a GSD? by SharonCA on 20 March 2012 - 22:03 |
| While I'm waiting for my puppy's 12 week birthday when I get to bring him home and then not speak to him for 2 days (Yard to crate, crate to yard, 3rd day I get to walk him, work on his obedience training and then play), I'm watching 3 training videos from my breeder/trainer, and (who knew?) buying all the necessary paraphernalia (as bad as having a first baby) listed in my breeder's instructions, and now I'm reading posts here that scare the living daylights out of me like a GSD choking because it swallowed a ball. I quickly went online and bought two Gappay balls and a Starmark ball with a hole in it in case he swallows it, he can still breathe. Good grief. Help me out here, I haven't had a GSD or a dog since the early 70s when I was a kid, I'm turning 55 this month and figured since I don't travel all over the country while working now, this is my last opportunity to buy a wonderful dog, I've got the time and patience. What should I not be without? |
SharonCA by workingdogz on 20 March 2012 - 22:06 |
| SharonCA wrote: 'While I'm waiting for my puppy's 12 week birthday when I get to bring him home and then not speak to him for 2 days (Yard to crate, crate to yard, 3rd day I get to walk him, work on his obedience training and then play),' Umm, what? Not speak to him for 2 days?  |
by dogshome9 on 20 March 2012 - 22:14 |
Not Speak To Him for 2 days, WHY NOT?? Are you allowed to hug him, kiss him, pat him ??? What kind of a breeder are you dealing with ?  |
dogshome9 by beetree on 20 March 2012 - 22:18 |
 No talking??? Downright evil!  Bully sticks... I was doing bulk..... |
beetree by Keith Grossman on 20 March 2012 - 22:18 |
| Yeah, uh, WTF? And who is this breeder who thinks puppies can't go home before they're 12 weeks old? |
Keith Grossman by mikemanu on 20 March 2012 - 22:38 |
| good advice by the sounds of it, good luck with your pup |
mikemanu by Emoore on 20 March 2012 - 23:01 |
| Food. Otherwise you won't have a dog for very long. |
Emoore by leoetta on 20 March 2012 - 23:12 |
| It sounds like the puppy is coming from Thinschmidt's in Corona, CA from the DVDs and the go home age, I believe the puppy has probably been doing their 4 week obedience program, 8-12 weeks old. I think they go home able to do a 30 minute down stay if I remember correctly among other commands?????? Not sure I could get my 6 times SchH3 male to do a 30 minute down stay LOLOL!! |
leoetta by DDRCzechFan on 20 March 2012 - 23:24 |
| My essentials were Bitter Apple spray (to keep them from chewing the furniture) and a nice quality Bite Rag (usually leather or jute material with a handle at one end, used to build drives and encourage good bite skills later on in life) But yeah, I second that "um WTF" about not talking to the pup for 2 days...That's utter nonsense. I occasionally ignore my puppy when he starts getting to clingy but its only for short intervals and I certainly couldn't imagine not talking to him...jeeze. Look at it from a logical perspective like this (sure I'll be flamed for comparing a human to a puppy, but too damn bad) how would YOU like it if someone randomly came, picked you up and took you to a new home, away from the family and surroundings you had known your whole life and then didn't speak to you for two days? You'd likely be a basket case. Not to mention, how does not talking to him help the initial bond? Dogs respond not to only to our words but our voice ques, just some food for thought. |
DDRCzechFan by Keith Grossman on 20 March 2012 - 23:28 |
| "Not sure I could get my 6 times SchH3 male to do a 30 minute down stay LOLOL!!" That's a lot of pressure on a 12-week-old pup. "It sounds like the puppy is coming from Thinschmidt's in Corona, CA..." Looks like a pretty nice puppy mill. |
by vomeisenhaus on 20 March 2012 - 23:44 |
| Common sence |
vomeisenhaus by Eldee on 21 March 2012 - 00:06 |
| All we have ever done is loved our dogs. Hugs, kisses, walks,playing, more hugs more kisses more playing more loving. Reprimanding bad behaviour and rewarding good. Long walks, ball chasing never bringing it back to me, laughing and patting and saying good dog everytime she would poop or pee outside. Calling " come here " a million times and the millionth and one time she did.. big hugs big kisses. Then finally they get to an age where they just figure it out. They get it. And all that loving and kissing and playing with everyone and everybody has paid off. They are friendly, confident, outgoing and trustworthy shepherds. That's my training manual. Hasn't failed me in thirty years of owning shepherds. |
Eldee by SharonCA on 21 March 2012 - 00:15 |
DDR, thank you for your serious response to the question. I appreciate it. |
by DDRCzechFan on 21 March 2012 - 00:52 |
| SharonCa, it really isn't the norm, so please pardon our objections to the no-talking for two days. This is the first time, in my ten years of experience in the breed I have ever heard of this. Who knows, maybe there IS something behind it, and the beauty of being human is having free will; the right to think and do as one chooses. I personally couldn't and wouldn't do that, but if you want to, and you think it will be what is right for YOU and YOUR puppy, by all means :) I don't think any of us really meant any harm, we were just collectivly surprised by the two day talking hiatus. Yes, Puppy Mill is a diry, ugly word and I don't really think it should be thrown around. It's worse than being called a BYB (Back Yard Breeder) also an insult. This forum has always had a touch of agressiveness to it, and while it is a GREAT place to learn things, please also consider that this is the internet, where anyone can make any assumption, comment etc... and should be taken as such. I don't know your breeder, have never heard of your breeder (I'm one of those "close minded workingline folks") but you say you visited their facilities and liked what you had saw, so much so that you decided to purchase a puppy. Great to hear! You took a step most of us never do, YOU VISITED AND SAW FIRST HAND. That is VERY important. Some of us, like myself don't have the luxery of visiting a breeder's kennel first hand, and seeing the condition of the dogs, how clean the set up is, how the breeder interacts with his/her dogs, you are very lucky to have seen it! Please don't judge us too harshly, we may be a sarcastic bunch, but if you are willing to "sort through the poo" so-to-speak, we have a lot of valuable advice to offer. |
by beetree on 21 March 2012 - 01:07 |
| The no talk upon greeting, yes, that is agreed, but two days sounded steep. Give us a second chance! |
by Keith Grossman on 21 March 2012 - 01:08 |
| "I was trying to use a little humor in my question because I assumed folks here would know what I meant about the initial 2 days of yard to crate, crate to yard, no talk, no touch, no eye contact in order to prevent eventual separation anxiety and mess up my already-trained beautiful pup and turn him into a jumping barking ill-mannered dog." No, folks here don't know what you mean because it's ridiculous. "My breeder 's facility is not a puppy mill, that was a very rude statement to make about Thinschmidt's, you obviously don't know anything about the breeder/trainer..." Believe what you'd like. I said it's a pretty nice puppy mill and it is but their focus is clearly breeding and selling puppies. How many of their dogs are entered or placed in national competitions/shows? |
by SharonCA on 21 March 2012 - 02:09 |
| Keith, in addition to breeding great GSDs, their focus is training dogs, all breeds, their weekly obedience group classes I've attended had an Akita, a lab, some toy terrier or poodle thing, a golden doodle, all ages of GSDs, one of which is training as a therapy/service dog. They train there for Schutzhund, all that equipment is all over the far field, and the local club is based there so I'd say these people know about working dogs and how to train dogs. I'm sure my breeder/trainer does not need me to defend them and would laugh to see where this thread has gone, they have plenty of trophies and huge ribbons all over the office so they must be doing something right. Showing is something I don't care about because I'm not looking to show or compete, I just want a wonderful healthy and happy dog and friend, though I think I may look into the Obedience Trial and Agility Trial, I want to keep my dog interested and active so that seems interesting to me. And you'll probably laugh when I say this but one of their dogs, Largo, is on the Eukanuba bag of GSD food... is yours? Anyone needing to get some obedience training and you live near SoCal, I recommend you go here: www.alldogstrain.com/184.html They also board dogs, and speaking as a person who traveled as a job, if I was needing to board my dog, this would be an A+ place to go, it's gorgeous and a great property, they even come to get your dog. So much for that. Good thing I have a thick skin and I'm not giving up, I'm done and would like to get back to my question, if anyone cares: Any other suggestions for me about that one thing you can't be without for your GSD, a toy, a treat, food, equipment? Thanks for anyone willing to share. |
by DDRCzechFan on 21 March 2012 - 02:22 |
| For a toy, as aforementioned I love the bite rag, but that isn't really a toy, it's more of an interaction based piece of training equipment. Treats, I love dehydrated chicken strips for dogs. They are fairly cheap, you can get them almost anywhere (Walmart sells them, amoung many other places) Food, I swear by Taste of the Wild. Absolutly swear by it. It is an All Life Stages food, meaning from puppy to senior it will be nutritionally complete. I also never have to switch as my puppy ages, also a bonus! (I feed the Sierra Mountain Canine Formula version of Taste of the Wild) Equipment, as has been mentioned, love the bite rags, but I also love exercise pens. I currently have a 48 inch high, 16 square foot radius pen that I love. It has a door in it, and it's big enough that when I want to, I can lay down in the pen with my puppy. Because by some miracle my puppy is housebroken, I treat this as his crate. Crates are absolutly invaluable for training and housebreaking. Good luck, glad you have thick skin and you are willing to stay :) |
by Emoore on 21 March 2012 - 02:30 |
| Once he's 4 or 5 months old, an eGGe ball and a Jolly ball. The BIG Kong balls, not the tennis-ball sized ones once your pup is over 50 pounds or so. After watching my dog suffocate to death before my eyes when his ball went down his windpipe, I've made it my own little mission to warn people about them. |
by leoetta on 21 March 2012 - 02:43 |
| Be careful with the dehydrated chicken strips, make sure they are made in the USA, there was a lot of dogs that got sick off of the ones made in China just a couple of months ago, a friends Dogue de Bordeaux almost died from the ones she got at Wal-Mart. |
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