GSD~thoughts?

[PSFAngoras]

So here we are, I have 774 square feet of house, and 1/10th of an acre. I already have 1 dog and 3 cats that we share the house with, and the yard is shared with 3 hens and somewhere a between a half a dozen and two dozen rabbits depending on my current litters.

And to throw a wrench in things I'm now looking at rescuing a GSD puppy...

We have the money, time is just a matter of making sure we take the dogs on walks and outings, we have a pretty busy lifestyle but we play as hard as we work, but space is slightly pressed.

But, this poor puppy is 7 months old, sharp as a tack though she's had NO training, and this will be her third or fourth home if we get her. DH has always wanted one too, but we thought we'd look after our current dog passes in quite a few years, as she's only 4.

The current owner is my mom's neighbor who used to be in love with his puppy, and now he's found a human companion so he thinks it's okay to leave her in an old chicken run for three plus days straight with inadequate shelter (an old coop she can't fit in through the opening to) and no water or food past the first day. He called his dad to come feed her today, but it's below freezing outside. This is not the first time he's done this. His dad ended up giving his last two dogs away for the same thing. He obviously doesn't need this dog.

The issue will be if he's even willing to give her up. He plans on breeding her, and she's a white, so she's something that is harder to find in his area. Sure, we could call animal control on him, but they very rarely go out into county, and if they take her, she'll go to the shelter, which has been written up numerous times for non-compliance to the regulations most shelters are run by.

The good thing if he does say yes is that my mom knows a responsible GsD breeder, so if it absolutely will not work in our place she will have a home... But I'm not really sure how to go about the whole thing.

Any thoughts, ideas, tips, hints, anything I should know about the breed before I attempt to delve in? I'm having mixed feelings about it. We've always said we weren't looking for another dog, but if one came about that fit in we wouldn't be against it.

Maybe this is the universe saying we're ready to take another pup?

 

[ladysown]

if you have the room, the time and the space then I'd be talking to the dad and seeing if you can't offer that pup a better life.

 

[PSFAngoras]

I have't talked to the dad about taking her, but the neighbor will be back tomorrow, supposedly.

If not, yes, I'll talk to the dad, but knowing him, he'll tell me to take the dog. He's already considered doing so himself, but his current dog is very territorial, and doesn't tolerate other dogs. I don't necessarily feel comfortable without the neighbor's permission, but I know this little girl deserves better. If anything I know the dad will hash it out with him on my behalf, but that doesn't make it legal for me to take his dog.

Currently, since the neighbor hasn't been home for the last three days, my mom has taken pity on her and brought her over to her place. She's done it before, so the neighbor will know where to look for her. She also got with the dad and put her in the bathroom of the neighbor's house overnight (somewhere the neighbor used to leave her on short day trips when he still payed attention to her) so she's not completely neglected, but if it weren't for my mom and the neighbor's dad she would be.

It's a very frustrating situation to see such an amazing young dog with that much potential get ignored like that! I'm hopeful he'll be reasonable tomorrow if he does come home. <br /><br /> __________ Sun Mar 02, 2014 11:26 am __________ <br /><br /> Does anyone have any input about anything in particular I should know about the breed? I've done some research, but nothing compares with first hand experience. I've grown up with labs my whole life, so this will be a new ball game for me if I can even convince him to let go of her.

My mom grabbed her again this morning, so when she gets back from running errands I'll be going up there to play with her, and taking my dog with me to make sure they get along in case the neighbor says yes.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I would be very, very careful. GSD's range from calm, confident, responsive dogs to neurotic hyperactive fear biters. Some are good with other animals while others are very aggressive to dogs and livestock.

We babysat a rescued white GSD for a relative once, and he nearly killed our sheep and almost got himself shot as a result. If he had been our dog he would have been.

A good GSD raised around livestock is one thing, but an untrained young pup of unknown history is a completely different case.

When introducing her to your chickens and rabbits, I would take her only close enough to them that she is in a calm state of mind. When I first brought our rabbits home I took each of our dogs (one was a JRT) out individually. When they keyed on the rabbits I moved them further away until they settled down and then tied them in place. Once they relaxed fully and laid down for a bit I moved a bit closer. Each time they got closer their intensity went up, so I moved back a bit and repeated the exercise.

Eventually each dog was tied directly underneath the rabbits and left there for a while until they had fully relaxed and laid down out of sheer boredom.

Don't be too quick to trust her with them even after the desensitization exercises. Many rescue dogs go through a "honeymoon" period where they are more subdued initially because they are in unfamiliar surroundings. Once they get comfortable, their behavior may become more intense and aggressive.

I highly recommend clicker training her to teach her basic commands. The book Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor is an excellent choice to give you an overview of the clicker approach to training, and includes the use of a negative reinforcer as well as the positive use of the clicker.

 

[PSFAngoras]

I am fully aware of the honeymoon period!

Our very first dog was a complete little mutt. Sweet as anything but he killed several animals while we had him, and the last straw was our attacking out 17 year old cat. He was so awesome the first month we had him, then it all went down hill. It was three years and well over 500$ in training before we called it quits when he got the cat.

This girl will be given every chance, and I certainly won't trust her with the livestock like I trust my lab mix. (Lila, the current dog, is surrogate mother to all critters...) she's playing with the cat toys now like a cat plays with a mouse...luckily there is a backup if we can't train it out of her. Still waiting for the neighbor to return home. Just have the two dogs playing at my moms for now. Lila, who is as mellow as a lamb, is not sure what to do with something with so much energy... <br /><br /> __________ Sun Mar 02, 2014 8:50 pm __________ <br /><br /> Well, he was reasonable. He wasn't for it at first, but I convinced him it was better for her than ending up in the pound, which is where she was headed if it happened again as my mom was going to call animal control. He was bummed, and I feel bad for him, but I believe this is better all the way around, provided she works out here.

Without further ado...Tess!

 

[BlueMoods]

She is lovely. Just two things, well three sort of. Crate train her to a travel carrier. Easiest way is to get a Kong or other nearly non destructible toy you can fill with either canned dog food or peanut butter. She only gets that after getting in the crate and, only gets out of the crate if she is quiet in there.

It will make future vet rips or any longer trips easier and, before long when you say "Get in" you had best clear the way, you'll have a happy dog in a big hurry to get in the crate. Also useful if she needs to sit in there for a while, it becomes a happy, safe, fun place that gets her rewards every time she gets in there. No one wants to argue with a large dog over getting in a crate, better if the dog goes in on command happily.

 

[skysthelimit]

Congrats to you.
It's a bit hard to talk in general about GSDs. They are a head strong breed, fiercely loyal to their person, but they are very clever and well aware of sometimes being smarter than their human, and often feel the need to show it. There is a general breed description that MSD already laid out, then there is more that is line dependent, German vs American, East vs West lines.

Basic first test, learn her prey drives. All my dogs were given the Volhard Temperament test, and I do the same for all my puppies to see what kind of home they are suited for.

My highest drive dog was Chase. I have only had a small problem with Chase killing chickens. He was from a German working line, protection trained, with a drive so high his dam hung herself trying to jump over a fence chasing a squirrel while on a long line. He was so bad, at his first sheep herding class it was asked that he not return for another lesson (bit the sheep). He was one that took a strong correction, needed to be walked on a prong collar and eventually a shock collar to end his chicken killing ways. I miss him, but I don't miss him climbing kennels, going through windows, over fences... But he was the dog that was the most willing to work, easy to train, he brought his dish, picked up keys, opened doors and gates. Even he had never killed a rabbit.

The other two and a half are American lines, with a drive strong enough to kill small prey, but they are easier to work with, and they are trained livestock dogs. Their line comes from dogs that are dog aggressive, and the older male got into bloody fights with Chase, the last fight resulted in me getting a serious deep bite wound on my hand. It's obvious that this is something I need to watch as the other male begins to mature.

 

[Zass]

Taking in someone who needs a place to stay is always kind. I dunno. I've taken in lots and helped re-home them. The only keepers are ones that fit into our uber low fuss/low stress lifestyle.

2 cats, 2 dogs (a pittbull, and a newfoundland) 5 hens, 5 goldfish, and who knows exactly how many rabbits all have to get along without too much extra effort on my part.

Our pitbull was 5 years old, unneutered, and in need of a home ASAP. After housing him for a few months it was obvious he was the best, mellowest, and most well behaved dog we had ever met. Obviously, he fit in. He's 14 now. Best dog ever.

I have heard it all about pittbulls, they will eat my kids, they will eat everyone else's kids, they are aggressive, they will fight other dogs, you can't keep them with other dogs of the same gender, they have a high prey drive, etc, etc. (some might be based on truth, some is clearly just BS)

But none of that was ever true for our Deimos. He is calm, mellow, and knows and likes his place in the pack. He ignores small animals, because I let him know that's what I wanted him to do. He can be left alone with any animal I've had (cats, goats, rabbits, chickens, ducklings, other baby birds, baby mice, snakes) It doesn't matter. The dog does not care. They don't exist as far as he's concerned.

Still, when it was time to adopt a puppy, we didn't chose another pitbull, partially because a younger pit would have been too high energy for me at the time, and also because pits are too often overbred for quick cash, and I didn't want to encourage that particular trend. I'll rescue one, but I won't ever buy pup.

I've often said that it's easier to keep and care for 50 low stress/low energy/low maintenance animals than it is to keep one that is difficult or destructive or just plain too energetic.

Still, there is always a certain amount of effort in raising a puppy though, no matter what breed you chose.

I love to own a GSD someday, but I'm still not in a place in my life where I could devote enough time and attention to just one animal.

If you are, then lucky you! She has that "just give me a command, and I'll do it" look.
It's what I love about GSD.

 

[PSFAngoras]

@ sky:

I have no clue what lines she's from, or even if she's pure, though supposedly she is. She certainly acts the type, willing to do what you ask provided she knows what the command is, and very, very active. She's currently running circles in the kitchen squeaking her toy. BIG change from my four year old couch potato. Do you have any suggestions on how you keep your dogs occupied so that they don't become destructive it of boredom? Still waiting for hubs to come home so we can walk the two, but she seems to entertain herself in the mean time!

 

[skysthelimit]

She looks like a pure shepherd to me.

I'm a big fan of Ed Frawley and his style of discipline and training for dogs, especially GSD's and Mals with high drive. He's got some great downloadable ebooks on his leerburg site.

2 main things-- the dog should never be left without supervision. If it's not with you learning, it's in the crate. Dogs can't be destructive without the opportunity. If you let them in a room, in the yard, unsupervised, while they are younger, they can develop hard to break habits.

The second, every time the dog is let out, it's a learning opportunity. Life for the dog becomes a routine with mini teaching sessions followed by lots of praise. I also learned to pick up anything and everything I did not want in the dogs mouth. Prevention is a big part of training. Think of the dog as a toddler (lol).

```sidebar. I was a teacher mentor for several years. Teachers often ask me about classroom management, how do I get 35 stereotypical inner city school kids to do what I want. I told them I train them the same way I train my dogs. I make sure everything is clear in the area around them, and that the environment I structured so they can only get at what I want them to have. Each instruction is obeyed before moving to the next step, boundaries are clearly marked, so the student has no choice but to choose what I want them to choose. I provide immediate feedback, praise or correction, but never given in anger. I work them till all energy is expended. After each lesson I shut everything down for a time of quite reflection (thin crate).

 

[SliverMoonRabbitry]

Very nice looking dog!