# What do you guys think?



## Quinten78 (May 5, 2011)

We just got him yesterday. However he kept us up ALL night long whinning. but this was taken about a hour after we got home, then he was up all night.


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## GSD_Xander (Nov 27, 2010)

What a cutie!


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

Of course he's wonderful!

Good stamina to keep you up all night


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Poor thing, he was so lonely for his momma and littermates. He will adjust. 

Enjoy your puppy. 

The fun is just beginning....


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## lisgje (Sep 3, 2010)

Having a new puppy is like having a newborn. Cry, whine all night long. When I got Shane and then Chance, I got no sleep for more than two hours for months. It is worth the sleepless nights. This is NORMAL. Just takes times. What a cutie!!!!!!!


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

Look at that face!! OMG! How cute! And yes, the sleepless nights are just beginning but that will only last a short while. And is totally worth it! Congrats!! What is his name?


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## MicheleMarie (Mar 29, 2011)

So Cute!!!
 enjoy!! my boy is 4.5 months and im up to about 5 hours of sleep a night! WHOO! 6 if i am lucky and can get him to pee right before i go to bed.


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## Pattycakes (Sep 8, 2010)

Aaawww he is a cutie! Yup...you are in for lots of sleepless nights. Enjoy!


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

Wow, I didn't realize it was typical for pups to cry at night for that long. I got really lucky because Jazz whined a little the first night and that was it. I'm counting my blessings now!


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## Quinten78 (May 5, 2011)

His name is Gunner! (I was in the Military)


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## JustMeLeslie (Sep 15, 2010)

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new addition. He's a cutie and I agree give him time to adjust. GSDs are definately worth it in the long run. Just hang in there!


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

Hello and Welcome, to you and your boy. He is a cute little fellow.


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## Kissyperry (Feb 11, 2011)

It'll get better week by week ;-) Are you crate training him? Hopefully he will adjust quickly and it will be only his bladder waking him up and not confusion and being lonely soon..... My guy is 16 weeks and he sleeps all night long now (10p-6a) so i count myself lucky! But those first few weeks, I was up every 2 hours, then 3, then twice a night, then once a night lol. Good luck with him, he's adorable!


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## Quinten78 (May 5, 2011)

No im not crate training him right now...but should I be? He will mostly be out side when im gone from home but when I am home he will be inside. Im trying to figure out when i should start training him to Sit, Stay, and all that stuff and what method to use (Clicker, or other.)

Also had another question. His ears are curled down at the moment and was wondering if i should be worried about them not sticking straight up?

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone, I love him already, as im typing this hes asleep in my lap.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

Quinten78 said:


> No im not crate training him right now...but should I be? He will mostly be out side when im gone from home but when I am home he will be inside. Im trying to figure out when i should start training him to Sit, Stay, and all that stuff and what method to use (Clicker, or other.)
> 
> Also had another question. His ears are curled down at the moment and was wondering if i should be worried about them not sticking straight up?
> 
> Thanks for the warm welcome everyone, I love him already, as im typing this hes asleep in my lap.


He is cute. 

Please don't leave him alone outside. Keep him safe in a crate inside the house. Too many dogs have been stolen, poisoned, injured/killed. Your pup will be much happier.

His ears are fine. They go up and down up down until done teething around 5-6 months. Give him a knuckle bone or bully stick. Chewing will help his ears stand.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

he's a real cutie, to answer your latest question, DEFINATELY crate train him !!!

Right now he is to little to be left unattended especially outside,,so many unfortunate things could happen to him,,Get a crate, and when you can't supervise or aren't home, leave him in a crate in your house.

You can always start on the basics right now, like sit, and most importantly, learning his name, bonding with YOU and learning 'come'....You can use whatever method you'd like, clicker, food rewards,,lots of praise. 

His ears will most likely come up within a few weeks, months. 

The whining is because everything is new, he's basically a baby you've separated from his littermates and mother..

I can't say enough ,,get a crate get a crate get a crate and PLEASE don't leave him outside unattended..


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## Quinten78 (May 5, 2011)

Ok thank you so much for the info, however that leads to a second question. 

Do I get a small crate first so that he feels more secure or do i get a large crate so he will just grow into it?


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

well it depends on what you wnt to spend..personally I would get the big crate right off, MOST will have a divider you can put into it, to make it smaller if you wish.

Are you in an area where they have Ocean State Job Lot Stores? I got a huge wire crate/ 42" with divider and TWO doors, for 65 $...it's a good price and I love the two doors, since I can put it different ways depending on where I want the door


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## Quinten78 (May 5, 2011)

Nope im in Cali. But im going to go to a pet wholesale store today so i will look for sure. Anything under $75 will do for price, i dont want to go broke on a crate. lol


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

I would also buy larger and use a divider. Give him enough room to lay down and turn around (no room for peeing) if he does pee in it clean it up with a good enzyme cleaner to get the smell out.


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## Quinten78 (May 5, 2011)

Ok, thanlks again all for the advice. I have two kids and this is much more nerve racking than having to take care of them.

Edit: What exactly am I teaching him when he goes in the crate?


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## Quinten78 (May 5, 2011)

Bump!


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

that it is a GOOD place to be,,so with that,,I would feed him his meals in the crate, (for now anyhow),,anytime you can't supervise, put him in the crate, with a toy, a chewy, 'something'..

And don't be surprised if he screams like a banshee in the crate at first to


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## Quinten78 (May 5, 2011)

Yeah its getting old, this whinning and getting no sleep.
How much food and water should he be getting? He seems to be going the the bathroom every 5 seconds. And he keeps peeing EVERYWHERE!


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## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

Try craiglist for a crate. I see them all the time there.
Use a 2% bleach solution, to clean it and then you're all set.

Stick with the crate training...if there is an earthquake or something and your house is destroyed...he will be in a crate. The shelters will be overwhelmed. Also, as he gets bigger you may have service people or contractors over for work. Being in his crate is safer than some contractors helper leaving the gate open. The crate seems mean to people who don't understand it, but it ends up being a safe secure place of refuge when done correctly. Surprisingly in her crate with the door open is the only time that I see my dog sleeping upside down.

It's tough at first as they are very vocal in protesting anything they "don't like" handling feet, ears, tail, in my dogs case putting her upside down on her back...just do it, gently but firmly. As long as you aren't causing harm..get them used to it.

As far as the peeing everywhere goes, regulate his water (ex: no water after 7PM*) so you learn a schedule. That will help with potty training. When you take him out of the crate, first thing that I'd do is clip a leash on and take him right outside...don't even say anything just clip and go. When you get outside give a command various ones work. I use "go potty" when he does...treat and praise immeadiately (1.5 second window so be quick)



*that's an example I work swing shifts so bedtime is a bit later for me.
Also keep the crate in your bedroom as little ones cannot hold it all night just like most human infants cannot go all night without feeding. If he's quiet for awhile then starts whining or barking...clip the leash and go outside. Put a few treats by your bed so you're ready.

Good luck!


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## Quinten78 (May 5, 2011)

I got a good size crate at a store here in CA. Monday morning I will be taking him to get his first set of shots and de-worming. I just hope i can get some sleep some time soon.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

the 'no sleep' is to be expected..Part of the puppy process..

Good advice from Carrie above


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## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

If he's an infant...just give him enough room to stand up and turn around. You can actually make your own barricade if the crate is too big...anything will work; cardboard, a box, binder, etc. Amazing what you can do with duct tape.
Get an x-pen and put it around the crate and leave the crate open, so he can go in on his own if he wants to. Leave one or two fun toys (I really like the puppy "keys" ) No water. That goes back to the regulating thing earlier.

That way he will start acclamating to the crate, and you can control his environment in a safe manner. *See toilet paper thread ha ha!*
He also will learn that he doesn't need to be in your face or lap ALL the time. That may help reduce separation issues later. 

The main thing is that you are the human and he is the infant puppy. Set the boundaries early and fairly. Some things he won't like; learn the mantra: "Too Bad" or "You're still cute...but Wrong"
You wouldn't let a four year old human run rampant through your house setting the rules, deciding that cocoa pebbles and mountain dew are better for dinner than something with vegetables.

Your dog will respect you for these things later...during puppyhood and adolecence...hmm....not so much.


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## Quinten78 (May 5, 2011)

Update: Today Gunner got his first set of shots and is doing well. As for me i have now got 2 nights of sleep. We put gunner in his cage and covered it with a blanket and then shut our door, he only whines for a few min. and then he sleeps through out the night:shocked: So we are now doing good.


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## webzpinner (Mar 7, 2011)

Whining puppies!!!!! ACK!!  Your puppy looks absolutely adorable! Best advice I can give you: To save shoes, chairs, and books from being chewtoys by a teething puppy, soak a fresh cotton washrag (never used for cleaning anything) in chicken broth. Twish the washrag, seal it in a ziplock bag, and freeze it. Let the puppy chew on the frozen rag until it thaws, then rinse, handwash (again, without detergent soap), and repeat. Saves $$$$$$ compared to puppy dental chews.


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## trish07 (Mar 5, 2010)

Aaawwwwwww :wub:


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## Mac's Mom (Jun 7, 2010)

CarrieJ said:


> ...
> The main thing is that you are the human and he is the infant puppy. Set the boundaries early and fairly. Some things he won't like; learn the mantra: "Too Bad" or "You're still cute...but Wrong"
> You wouldn't let a four year old human run rampant through your house setting the rules, deciding that cocoa pebbles and mountain dew are better for dinner than something with vegetables.
> 
> Your dog will respect you for these things later...during puppyhood and adolecence...hmm....not so much.


As usual there is a lot of great advice in this thread. And, IMO,Carrie J's comments are crucial. Even though I was given this advice when Mac was little, I completely ignored it because I didn't want to be "mean" (in retrospect that was really a dumb way to think). Now I am dealing with a puppy that is still trying to set the rules.


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## bruiser (Feb 14, 2011)

:wub::wub: what a sweetheart...he'll adjust just give him some time...


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## Mac's Mom (Jun 7, 2010)

oh just to clarify - I'm not implying you don't already know all of this. I'm just speaking about my own experience and mistakes


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## Quinten78 (May 5, 2011)

Mac's Mom said:


> oh just to clarify - I'm not implying you don't already know all of this. I'm just speaking about my own experience and mistakes


Don't worry I didn't even take it that way.


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## JUN225 (May 6, 2011)

Gunner is looking good. Please post pictures as he goes along. It would be interesting to see how he turns out.

Jun


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## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

> Update: Today Gunner got his first set of shots and is doing well. As for me i have now got 2 nights of sleep. We put gunner in his cage and covered it with a blanket and then shut our door, he only whines for a few min. and then he sleeps through out the night:shocked: So we are now doing good.


Hooray! No more sleep deprivation! Nothing like the old "cover you like the parrot you are" technique. 
(I do that with the little dog that's 11 that I had to re-crate train after my mom spoiled her for ten years....*sigh*)

I'm glad things are progressing well for you.


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## Quinten78 (May 5, 2011)

Hes a little tired and he doesn't like my camera so far but here he is after a day FULL of shots. (no not alcohol, lol)


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## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

He's adorable. 
Congratulations!


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## Quinten78 (May 5, 2011)

New Pic of Gunner.


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## JustMeLeslie (Sep 15, 2010)

He's adorable. Glad you're finally getting some sleep! All he needed was some time to adjust to everything.


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## CaliBoy (Jun 22, 2010)

He's an itty, bitty, baby. He just needs lots of tender, lovin care. Take lots of photos and remember he's about to enter that super destructive and mouthy phase, where he needs even more patience. Congrats. He's beautiful.


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## HeyJude (Feb 2, 2011)

How cute! He will settle down after a week or so, don't give in to his cries...


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