Need some advice - Page 3

Hi GSRookie,
Welcome to the forum. It's great that you came on here to ask questions. I don't think any of them sounded stupid, they were actually excellent questions.... I think an outdoor kennel is an excellent option for you, even in NY. It's much better than leaving him crated for 12 hours, or more if something "comes up" at work or you have made lots of arrests and have lots of paper work one night, hehe ;-)
If the kennel is large enough, he will most likely choose a spot where he will do his business, and not run or walk all through it.

A good insulated dog house would be nice for him. You could also get a bale of straw to stuff it with to help keep him warm. Barking could possibly be a problem. I won't lie about that. It mostly depends on the dog. Some dogs bark at everything. If you have a busy neighborhood or one with cats/dogs/people wandering about, that may also get him barking. You could find toys that are "safe" to leave with him unattended. Nothing that will shred or break up that he can choke on.

It sounds like your schedule will allow you plenty of time to form an excellent bond and relationship with a dog.

Have you started looking into where you are going to get him from?

Stacy

Another thing I forgot to add, you probably know most GSDs are very agile and crafty. Make sure he can't jump up on the dog house and go over the top of the kennel. If you even suspect he may be able to, you will want to get a cover, which is a good idea anyway to provide shade for him...

Stacy

Steve1,

I love your set up!  That is darn nice. 

GSRookie,

If you could copy Steve's layout it would be sweet!  Do you have a privacy fence around your property?  That normally helps keep the barking down, especially if you were to have a kennel set up like Steve's.  You would have to work on letting your dog know that it is unacceptable behavior and keep your fingers crossed that it sticks.  Some people think it's ok to throw a little something to a barking dog that would shut it up permantly so my advice to you is to work on teaching your dog not to bark unless you ask it to.  Also if you build a kennel, keep it centered in the yard so if something does find it's way over the fence, chances are it won't reach the dog.  Talk to your neighbors and make sure they let you know how they feel about a barking dog and work with them.  I let my neighbors know if their dogs bark at me while I am in my yard, I will spray them with the garden hose (the dogs not the neighbors, but I have been tempted!!).  Once or twice with a firm "NO! Quiet!" and after that all I have to do is tell them to be quiet.  As far as keeping the dog warm in frigid weather, if it gets too cold, a doggy door may be the best answer.  You can fix it where the crate lines up with the door and he can stay inside where it is warm yet be limited to his crate and have access to a run outside to potty when necessary since most dogs won't mess in their crate.

Keep us posted on when you get your dog and how things progress.
Deb

Steve1, how tall is the wrought iron fencing?
PS. I think an outdoor kennel is an excellent option for the OP, especially if he can get an insulated doghouse. 

Thank you guys so much for your advice. VomRuiz thank you for the positive feedback  It seems like the outdoor kennel may be the way to go. Can you guys recommend any good websites for insulated doghouses and kennel supplies??
I have a friend who is selling me a brand new 10 x 10 x 6 kennel and it will be placed on a 12 x 12 cement square.

VomRuiz,
There is a ex K9 officer in my department who currently runs a local schuttzhund club who is helping me find a dog.

GS Rookie
The Panels of the Run are bought ones and in your country you can buy similar they are 6 feet 6 inches high. and they Bolt together
What i did then was to bolt 2'' by 2'' timber all around om the top of the frame To this i put another piece on one side to get a fall for the water then i put timbers across the frame work to take the roof sheets. I built it out so you have over hang on all four sides Once the pen was finished i made another frame 50% high of the Run i made some wood angles and bolted them to the Run then screwed the Panels to it to get an angle only on the long sides front and Back to defect the rain none gets in
But first i built the base made of Concrete, But remember this bit well. If you make say a base of 5'' thick which is more than enough,  over the ground if it is stony you blind it off with some coarse sand, them you lay a damp coarse membrane on top then put down 3'' deep of concrete first, the next day give it a coat of damp proof liquid compound then put on a 2'' screed of coarse building Sand, and just rub it up when nearly gone off you do not put this second lot down too wet only so it binds together, Then you can get on with the Panels once dry give it a week to dry but do not lay it down in really cold weather best to put some De icing stuff from the builders in the mix, you do not want rising damp coming up from the ground that is important, all you do is wash out the run it drys in a short time because it is open with fresh air circulating no draughts
I know it sounds a lot of work but your dog will thrive on it living outdoors As for the Kennel mine are double skinned meaning i put some more frame work on the outside and put another lot of Ply wood on Floor as well
As for the Cold it was Minus 20 deg Centigrade mostly between minus 15 and 20 degs centigrade all last winter the dogs took no hurt
Now in the summer when you are not at home and it is hot all you do is to put two 4ft+4ft Light weight panels and put the top edge under the Angle pieces of the run they will stay there then at an angle and your dog has a ready made shady area to lie in inside his pen There is plenty of fresh air going round the dog so i guarantee he will take no hurt, in 60 years i have never had a problem
If you want any more info just ask, As for Barking i do not think the Pup will continue once it settles in, your time you have for exercise when working is enough
My Pups were always put outside at 8 weeks old and when i take them from there brothers and sisters and Mother, i take a small piece of the blanket they had to this i wrap inside an old metal clock put on the TICK TOCK and put it under the bedding in the basket the Pup cuddles up to here the TICK TOCK like his mothers heart beat, he stays quiet i have never had a problem with a Pup or dog barking they do not unless they are disturbed by something
Steve1

Good post Steve! I love you set up. I plan on stealing your kennel idea when I get back to Texas. As soon as I saw the first picture a few months ago of your setup, I said "Nice! I want mine like that!" I was going to mention the concrete flooring. In my opinion, the best especially for cleaning, and keeping the smell down.
You can also make a drain spot for spraying it out, so it doesn't just spray all over the place and have nowhere to go except everywhere. It all depends on how much work you are willing to put into building it. It's better to do it right the first time, than wish later you had done it differently. Also the concrete will keep him from being able to dig under the kennel. And he will most likely try, at some point ;-)
As far as dog houses, all you have to do is google insulated dog houses and find somewhere with free shipping. I found a lot of sites that offer it. The prices started around $200, just make sure they are the dimentions you want. If you keep him busy when you are home with him you shouldn't have to worry about him chewing it up. A tired pup is a happy pup! 

Getting a new dog is always exciting. It's good that you have someone experienced to help you find your dog. Hopefully the dog he finds for you will be close enough that you can go and meet him before taking him home. Always a good idea whenever it's possible. Can't wait for you to get him. Most of the people on this site are genuinely happy to help as best they can when people come on like you did and ask for advice. Best of luck and looking forward to hearing all about your new companion.

Stacy

Steve and Stacy,
Thank you so much for the advice and information. Like I said, it's greatly appreciated. Its not easy getting into a commitment like a GSD when you don't anything about them.  I realize that a lot of people jump into purchasing a GSD without doing all of their research but I would never purchase a dog unless I was absolutely sure that i could give him the home that he deserves and the time that he needs. I'll keep you all posted.

Thanks Again,
GSRookie