# Just today bought an 8wk old GSD pup..



## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

AKC'd and everything.. 


anyways, before I left the breeder, he fed him and he went to the bathroom and stuff.. got car sick en route back to my apartment.. i fed him after i got his food, crate, etc.. 

this was 4 hours ago.. and he still hasn't pooped... only pee'd once. 

cause for concern? 

ps.. hi i'm new. look forward to learning a lot here.  

thanks in advance


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

I wanna see pics!!!! If the dog hurled then he had no food to digest and make poop- you'll see some soon enough don't worry there's plenty in your future


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

Don't worry, usually pups go every 6 hours or so, and if he doesn't have much in his system then it would be longer.


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

Zoeys mom said:


> I wanna see pics!!!! If the dog hurled then he had no food to digest and make poop- you'll see some soon enough don't worry there's plenty in your future


i'm afraid of that haha.. i've taken him outside about 6 times so far.. he's in his crate now.. I guess I'll just wait and see if he poops then correct him accordingly.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

We all worry about everything our pups do, but you'll figure out alot of this as you go along. 

Most important things are crate training (crate in your bedroom beside the bed at night), housebreaking, exercise and SOCIALIZATION! Get that puppy out and about meeting everyone you know as soon as you can...

Congrats on your new puppy! He's too cute!


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

DJEtzel said:


> Don't worry, usually pups go every 6 hours or so, and if he doesn't have much in his system then it would be longer.



in that case.. last time he pooped was 6 hours ago.. actually 7. about 2pm CST

a friend said he may be adjusting/nervous so that's why he's not pooping


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> We all worry about everything our pups do, but you'll figure out alot of this as you go along.
> 
> Most important things are crate training (crate in your bedroom beside the bed at night), housebreaking, exercise and SOCIALIZATION! Get that puppy out and about meeting everyone you know as soon as you can...
> 
> Congrats on your new puppy! PICTURES!


I don't have enough room in here(my room)  I tried to set it up and it'd basically mean no closet for me lol

so it's in the living room. 

cop neighbor has a GSD @ 5 months so he'll be hanging out with him a lot.. also my cousin's yorkie(lol) and my other cousins' golden retrievers


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

thank you guys mucho btw


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## Hunther's Dad (Mar 13, 2010)

For lots of fun training your new puppy, watch this fellow's videos:

Clicker Train Your Dog


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Hm......... crate in the livingroom, don't be surprised if you don't get much sleep tonight, unless you sleep on the sofa.

Our pups have spent their entire lives surrounded by littermates/mom at night. The sudden change to alone in a crate can cause alot of normal screaming when they try to tell the 'stupid human' we forgot them and they are just in the next room!

I prefer sleep in my bed and a content pup, so remodel my bedroom when I first get a new puppy.


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> Hm......... crate in the livingroom, don't be surprised if you don't get much sleep tonight, unless you sleep on the sofa.
> 
> Our pups have spent their entire lives surrounded by littermates/mom at night. The sudden change to alone in a crate can cause alot of normal screaming when they try to tell the 'stupid human' we forgot them and they are just in the next room!
> 
> I prefer sleep in my bed and a content pup, so remodel my bedroom when I first get a new puppy.



I have no issues sleeping on the couch if you think that'd be a better fit for the first few nights.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

It may not matter, all pups are different. Mine howled nonstop 7 hours straight for the first 4 nights, and that was with the crate right next to me or even ON the bed with me. Then I took care of another pup and she slept through the night from day one, never once even had an accident or wanted to go out, and it didn't matter what type of crate it was or where I put it in the house.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

trevesty said:


> i'm afraid of that haha.. i've taken him outside about 6 times so far.. he's in his crate now..* I guess I'll just wait and see if he poops then correct him accordingly*.


Correct him accordingly? You should not be correcting a puppy for going inside. If he goes inside and you feel the need to unleash anger, roll up a newspaper and hit yourself over the head for not taking him out in time. 

Honestly though, just get him on a good schedule of going outside to potty every half hour to hour and praise/reward everytime he goes outside. If he goes inside- well, that's your fault really and you need to just ignore it and clean it up with an enzymatic cleaner without fuss and move on.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

outside after he wakes up from a nap, after he eats, after he plays, whenever he starts circling and sniffing and if two hours has gone by, go out anyway and try. 

Take treats out with you and treat him, praise him for going outside, put a little emphasis on the term outside -- say it deliberately, but still in a light happy tone. And pretty soon, you can ask him, do you need to go OUTSIDE. and he will be able to let you know. 

watch those cords. puppies chew. They can also get electrocuted very easily. better to not give him any opportunities to gnaw on anything dangerous. 

Crate when you cannot supervise. Schedule. 

Good luck. It looks like lots of fun.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

He's just a baby. His world has just been turned upside down. He does not understand when and where he is supposed to poop. There WILL be accidents - not his fault - correcting him will only stress him out more and make him fear you. He needs to learn first, and that will take time. At his age, you can't expect him to regulate himself - your job to manage him so that he goes outside when he has to go. Even if it means setting the alarm and gettin up two or three times during the night to take him out.

And how did you plan on correcting him, if it came to that?


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

Castlemaid said:


> He's just a baby. His world has just been turned upside down. He does not understand when and where he is supposed to poop. There WILL be accidents - not his fault - correcting him will only stress him out more and make him fear you. He needs to learn first, and that will take time. At his age, you can't expect him to regulate himself - your job to manage him so that he goes outside when he has to go. Even if it means setting the alarm and gettin up two or three times during the night to take him out.
> 
> And how did you plan on correcting him, if it came to that?


My idea of correcting him would be a stern "no" and take him outside. I'm too much of a sap to be anything "worse", lol.. in fact, I'll probably let him get away with more ****(literally) than anything. I'd rather him go period than not go.. 'cause not going clearly means me worrying. Don't mind a 30 second clean up. 

I really appreciate all of the advice. I just want the lil' guy to be happy in his new home and I guess you could say I'm a worry wart.


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

He's been in his crate for a while and only whines when I'm in there and then walk away. And it lasts about 5 minutes... and not too loud. I'm assuming this is a good sign... going to sleep on the couch anyway.. don't want the lil' guy to be sad.


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

oops.. didn't realize profanity was censored.. apologies.


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## CaliBoy (Jun 22, 2010)

trevesty:

Like everyone said, take him outside often, one to two hours. Profusely praise him when he relieves himself. Give him time and say something he will recognize, "lil guy, make pee-pee." Very soon, he will learn what he is supposed to do when you take him outside. I agree that you need to do something about the wiring. Puppies love electrical and appliance wiring and can start to chew it up in minutes when you are not looking.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

He's adorable, congratulations! What's his name?? I've never scolded a puppy for having an accident, like someone else already mentioned- it was my fault for not getting him out in time. Sounds as though you've got a good plan for him, but definitely go to a puppy class!! It's good for both of you. Check for a local obedience club or pet store, you'll be glad you did. Keep us up to date on his progress


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## EchoGSD (Mar 12, 2010)

Welcome! Nice looking pup!


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

Take him out when he first wakes up in the morning, about 5 to 10 minutes after each meal, and every hour or two during the day, plus everytime he wakes up from a nap. Then right before bed take him out, and if he has to go in the middle of the night. If he disappears into the other room, he is probably looking for a place to poop, also if you notice him sniffing and/or turning in circles in one spot, he is about to poop. Good luck! He is adorable!


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

Don't worry about the crate in the livingroom. My pup has always been in the livingroom and he does fine. I don't want dogs in my bedroom.


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

Still no poop.. I'm not sure where he's hiding all this food(not that I've over fed him, but still).. 

Tried to take him out earlier and nothing. 

Just gonna let him roam free in the living room for an hour or two and clean up if it happens.


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

He finally pooped! Right in my hallway right in front of me hahah.. but I'm glad his bum is ok


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

LOL. Well welcome to owning a puppy!!! YOu will get good at the signs of the "about to go". Plus don't forget the wake up, after meal, after play, after nap and throughout the night part.

GSDs work very well on positive reinforcement. They will die to do what you want and usually if something bad happens it because we as owners have let it happen whether it is access ot something they destroyed, etc. so always remember to use the punishment on yourself first.

Socialize to death. There is a small window for this and a lifetime of benefits. At least 100 new people. Take places, see cars, bikes, kids, different types of floors and the list goes on.

Training is important as is giving him a "job".

come here often and read as much as you can


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## chicagojosh (Jun 22, 2010)

make sure to clean up the accidents with a safe, good cleaner. petco/petsmart sell good ones that will elimiate the odor

if you dont clean thoroughly the scent will still be there, and he'll be tempted to go there again.

congrats btw!


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

thanks guys 

yeah, i go to dinner with my family every sunday so i'll be taking him over there. also already told pretty much all my close friends to come over and play with him so yeah. definitely working on the socializing part. cop neighbor said he could meet a million people and he'll still be fiercely protective of our home.


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## kaya22 (Jul 22, 2010)

I would not be worried over 4 hours... I have a 6 mos old gs and when she was that age she went longer than 4 hours for poop.. Also consider she may be nervous and hasnt thought about it yet.


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## kaya22 (Jul 22, 2010)

i found it best with my puppy to baby gate all areas in the house i dont want her in, the more free rein you give the pup it will be more inclined to use it for her potty spot.. if you seclude her to smaller areas she wont want to keep walking by her potty or step in it so she will eventually learn faster not to go the bathroom there.
crate training works the best, a small one at first bc again, they dont want to sit in her crap. by 3 and 1/2 months my gs pup could sleep in her crate from 10pm-6am without an accident! now at 5 mos she can go until 7-730


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

trevesty said:


> thanks guys
> 
> yeah, i go to dinner with my family every sunday so i'll be taking him over there. also already told pretty much all my close friends to come over and play with him so yeah. definitely working on the socializing part. cop neighbor said he could meet a million people and he'll still be fiercely protective of our home.


True they will always be protective. Socialization will work to ensure that their behavior is appropriate and that they do not become fear aggressive. Do not forget about appropriate vaccinations and avoiding "dog" places, etc till fully vaccinated. Read up on vaccinations to make appropriate decisions o how often and which you will do. Also get good dog food. Your best easy resource is dogfoodanalysis.com and stick with a 5 or 6 star food


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

I bought Science Diet puppy formula from PetLand.. but I've been told by a couple vets and others who are much more knowledgeable than I to switch him to raw soon.


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

He's had most of his shots at the breeder's place.. I only have to get one more in 2 weeks I think he said. Got all the paper work here on my desk to take to my vet.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

trevesty said:


> cop neighbor said he could meet a million people and he'll still be fiercely protective of our home.


Not always the case. My Lucy isn't protective of our home at all. For example, I was sleeping the other day and some guy doing some work on my house just walked in the house and started to work. At the time, I was sleeping. He said he randomly looked up and lucy was there just sniffing his head. He ran out and that's what woke me up, but I didn't hear a bark or anything. Him running out of the house is what woke me up. This is someone lucy has never met before in her life. Hows that for protecting the house?



trevesty said:


> I bought Science Diet puppy formula from PetLand.. but I've been told by a couple vets and others who are much more knowledgeable than I to switch him to raw soon.


Science Diet is a horrible low quality kibble. You can do much better. There's plenty of threads discussing foods to feed your puppy if you just search around. It's one of the most discussed topics on this board.

A vet told you to stop feeding science diet and start feeding raw?!? Wow... i think i've heard it all now. Raw is probably the best and healthiest diet you can feed. If you decide to go that route, do you research to make sure you're doing it right. We have an entire section dedicated to raw feeding. Oh and whoever that vet is, keep going to them.


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

trevesty said:


> I bought Science Diet puppy formula from PetLand.. but I've been told by a couple vets and others who are much more knowledgeable than I to switch him to raw soon.


Watch "puppy" foods as they can add too much weight too soon on a GSD pup so just keep that in mind for sound hips and bones.

If it is their Science Diet Puppy Large Breed brand (or any of their white bag varieties) I would not use it. They has corn gluten chicken by products and other not good things. Basically it is junk.

There are many fine people here in the boards to help with raw if you decide to go that way


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

Lucy Dog said:


> Not always the case. My Lucy isn't protective of our home at all. For example, I was sleeping the other day and some guy doing some work on my house just walked in the house and started to work. At the time, I was sleeping. He said he randomly looked up and lucy was there just sniffing his head. He ran out and that's what woke me up, but I didn't hear a bark or anything. Him running out of the house is what woke me up. This is someone lucy has never met before in her life. Hows that for protecting the house?


Wow! My GSD would have well, eaten the guy...


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

VegasResident said:


> Wow! My GSD would have well, eaten the guy...


Oh he ran out of the house scared to death when he looked up and saw her two inches from his head, but all she did was sniff him. That's just her personality though - she isn't protective at all. Everyone she meets, she loves.


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## VChurch (Jun 14, 2010)

Wolfiesmom said:


> Don't worry about the crate in the livingroom. My pup has always been in the livingroom and he does fine. I don't want dogs in my bedroom.


 
My pup has been in my bedroom, however she's been sleeping alone in the bedroom since we got her (four-and-a-half weeks ago). And the first couple of nights she whined and cried and carried on for about an hour; but then settled down and by the end of the first week was only whining about 15-20 minutes and sleeping six hours a night.
Now she makes no noise in the crate, and is actually walking in on her own...and she's sleeping eight-ish hours a night. I think my parents lost a fair amount of sleep that first week though, but since then it's been pretty smooth sailing.


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

Should I buy this?
www.heartypet.com - Orijen Large Breed Puppy


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

He goes into his crate on his own *usually* so far.


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## chicagojosh (Jun 22, 2010)

trevesty said:


> Should I buy this?
> www.heartypet.com - Orijen Large Breed Puppy


YES! that is top notch dog food


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

Orijen is definitely great food just do the switch slowly to avoid stomach upset and diarrhea. Use 3/4 what your currently feeding and 1/4 Orijen for the 1st week. Then each week add another 1/4 until your just feeding the new kibble. As far as protection Zoe is fine with people outside the house, but is leery of men in her house something I hope she grows out of


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

Zoeys mom said:


> Orijen is definitely great food just do the switch slowly to avoid stomach upset and diarrhea. Use 3/4 what your currently feeding and 1/4 Orijen for the 1st week. Then each week add another 1/4 until your just feeding the new kibble. As far as protection Zoe is fine with people outside the house, but is leery of men in her house something I hope she grows out of


Agree. Great food. Follow the transition schedule!


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## JazzNScout (Aug 2, 2008)

Welcome and congrats. What a cutie. You will see a pattern (you may have already) with his "bathroom habits." I RUN my girl outside as soon as she wakes up in the a.m. or after naps, and I notice she goes about 2 hours after a meal. 

I learned the hard way many years ago that it's really important to let your new puppy sleep near you at night -- or you near him. It makes for a much more peaceful sleep for everyone


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## Relayer (Apr 29, 2010)

Cute puppy! Congrats... I could have lived just fine without the bare human foot in the pic though.


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

Just to update... 

He now either whines or bites my toes(can be confusing at times) when he wants/needs to go outside.  

Turning out to be a much better pup than I suspected. Listens extremely well and I'm trying to teach him random things around the house(bringing me the remote that I "accidentally" left in the kitchen, etc)... not catching on super well yet, but does things like that sometimes very well. 

Thanks for all the suggestions and everything!


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## logan4 (Aug 8, 2010)

Congrats on your new family member, he's super cute =)


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## Ace952 (Aug 5, 2010)

[email protected] the remote! classic


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

If you are serious about the remote, and him not catching on super well yet, uhm, I think you need to, uh, do a check to see if your expectations are, um, realistic.

Have you checked into puppy kindergarten yet. 

Puppies generally have the attention span of a flea. But some are better than others. Still, teaching him at this point should be all about fun and praise and setting him up to succeed and treating and praising when he does. You can straighten sits, and improve come fronts, later. Right now coming to you, and sitting and lying down. Mostly you are there to see other people and their dogs in a very safe and controlled manner. 

Now if you have a list of things you want this dog to do, your best bet is to start with basic obedience, and when he is getting good at that, start identifying items as a game. phone, keys, remote. As a game, you might take a favorite bone or toy and teach him to "FIND IT." I think down the road, you might be able to get him to find the remote or phone or keys. I don't know, never tried it.


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## trevesty (Jul 22, 2010)

selzer said:


> If you are serious about the remote, and him not catching on super well yet, uhm, I think you need to, uh, do a check to see if your expectations are, um, realistic.
> 
> Have you checked into puppy kindergarten yet.
> 
> ...


I mentioned the remote thing that day simply because he actually did it. I was joking with my gf saying "I bet Hooch will get it if I let him toy with it for a few" and I put it on a cooler we have laying by the kitchen.. sure enough, he did. 

He sits, lays down, goes to his kennel, "backs" up(I say "back" and he does it immediately, then sits and watches), will "watch"(usually).. working on his attention span with throwing a ball. I tell him to "sit"(plus do a gesture), then put the ball behind my back.. he's up to 4 1/2 minutes so far of looking right at me until I throw it. 


I'm winging a lot of this, but he's pretty smart so far. I know to praise him a lot when he does something "right" and he gets a ton of attention so he's in heaven. :wub:

He does think he's Hercules though. He will go right after my neighbor's nearly 8mo old GSD but the bigger one is super gentle with him and "guides" him a lot. For example, if he runs off(by run off, I mean go about 50 yards away)... Bolt will go do what shepards were bred for and bring him back to where we are. Pretty awesome to witness. However, the chances of Hooch leaving my side at any given time are pretty slim. He's sitting here right now with a ball in his mouth.. so... better cut this short! 

Thanks again guys


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