# Allow me to introduce Titon!!



## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

Hello all!!

It is with great joy in my heart that we welcome Titon to our family. He is an 8 week old male German Shepherd born out of Denali Kennels in Colorado Springs. (GREAT breeders btw). 

He came home on Saturday and we had a little eventful first night in that he had chicken quarters (raw) for dinner and then started having a very tight, hard stomach. I thought it was weird but figured he ate a lot and was just stuffed. 

Titon did his usual puppy first night crying and then at 7 this morning, he chucked up EVERYTHING from the night before bones, skin, meat, etc in 3 huge piles. His stomach went to normal and all was good. I made the decision to go strictly to Blue Buffalo kibble for my own comfort level at this point in time. 

Today we took Titon to meet his new trainer Jim from CoolK9s.com who will be working with Titon and I on all obedience and then Schutzhund training. (We talked about training Titon to be an on-call rescue/recovery dog at some point for El Paso County Search and Rescue/El Paso County Sheriff's Office. We'll know more about that later.

Enough babbling and onto the pictures!!


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## lucymom (Jan 2, 2009)

I'm in LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!! He has such expressive puppy eyes! How can you resist him anything?? He looks very much at home already. Congrats on him!


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Eek, he's so cute and tiny! Was my buff beast ever that small???


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

We are very pleased with Titon. 

We lost our beloved Samurai (pure bred Boxer) to full blown cancer at the age of 4 in October. Its been hard on us as a family and we wish to share the memories of our family with Titon. 

Thanks everyone!!


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## rjvamp (Aug 23, 2008)

What a beautiful boy! Love the name and his expressions! Congrats!


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## KCandMace (Apr 8, 2008)

Such a cutie!!!! 

Confused... work in El Paso but train in Colorado?


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## MustLoveGSDs (Oct 31, 2008)

Cute puppy ! What made you go from a boxer to a GSD? Just curious.


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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

Aww he's a cutie!


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: KCandMaceSuch a cutie!!!!
> 
> Confused... work in El Paso but train in Colorado?


Don't confuse it with El Paso Texas. 

El Paso County is where Colorado Springs is located in Colorado.


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: MustLoveGSDsCute puppy ! What made you go from a boxer to a GSD? Just curious.


Several reasons really...

1) Samurai was my absolute BEST Boxer ever and I do not have the courage to "replace" him/his memories. 

2) I wanted hearing alert/home protection (My wife and I are both deaf with 2 hearing sons).

3) Wanted a male since my female boxer does not tolerate female dogs at all. 

4) Kill 4 birds with one stone. Male, protection, beautiful and different breed. 

We (I) did a lot of research and determined that the German Shepherd breed was the perfect fit for us and our needs. I spent a good 6 months doing all the reading and researching I could about dog breeds with children and various breeders/trainers available in Colorado. I did NOT make this decision in haste. It was well planned out and perfected down to the day of pick up. 

Thanks to all of you for your comments and questions. Feels great being here!!


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

OMG he is to cute for words
congrats and keep the pics coming


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## Metalsmith (Mar 25, 2009)

Wow, Titon is so handsome! Just love his face. Congratulations!


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## MustLoveGSDs (Oct 31, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: TitonsDad
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: MustLoveGSDsCute puppy ! What made you go from a boxer to a GSD? Just curious.
> ...


You guys sound like great dog owners and very responsible. Most people get the breed on a whim because they're "cool" or "big and bad" and then that's where breed rescuers like me come in to save the dogs they end up dumping at shelters because they didn't do their homework









So if this is your first GSD I welcome you to the awesome GSD ownership club, you won't look back..these are amazing dogs!







We look forward to seeing Titon grow through pictures and stories.


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## Debbieg (Jun 7, 2009)

Titan is adorable! Congratulations!


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

So glad you are here with us! I think a GSD is wonderful for your family and it sounds like you did a lot of homework.


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## caview (Jun 30, 2008)

Adorable!!!

Congratulations and huge welcome to you and your family!

Tanya


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

What a cute little guy. Congrats! Ike also did not do too well on raw in the beginning so I backed off and fed him kibbles for the first two weeks and then slowly started back up. Now he is eating 100% raw (even in tracking) w/o problems. Good luck!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Cute puppy. Welcome aboard.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Welcome to the forum!

Sounds like you did right by your puppy and the GSD breed!

Good for you, another responsible owner added to the board! YAY!

Adorable puppy, I can't wait to see more photo's and read more stories!!!

*My father is deaf as well, and we trained our oldest Shepherd Beau to alert to different things in the house (fire alarm, door, phone, microwave and timer for stove).


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

I am SOOOOO in love with this puppy. Gosh Darn it he is just awesome. 

Learns commands VERY quick and has a higher IQ than a member of MENSA.


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## StryderPup (May 16, 2009)

Welcome!!!! 
Do you need a babysitter ???


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: TitonsDadWe lost our beloved Samurai (pure bred Boxer) to full blown cancer at the age of 4 in October. Its been hard on us as a family and we wish to share the memories of our family with Titon.


I'm so sorry. We lost our 4 year old GSD Dena to cancer at 4 years old a year ago October.









Congrats on your new puppy - he's adorable, and I hope he helps heal your hearts.


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: StryderPupWelcome!!!!
> Do you need a babysitter ???


Yeah wanna babysit for free.99 for a year? J/K

He's AWESOME!! More pics to follow in a few minutes. Hang tight!!


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: Cassidys Mom
> I'm so sorry. We lost our 4 year old GSD Dena to cancer at 4 years old a year ago October.
> 
> 
> ...


It sucks doesn't it. Thats the age when they begin to really love the family and understand their place in the world. To be taken that young is just mind boggling. 

Titon has done a great job of healing the wounds. I sense just a LITTLE bit of Samurai in Titon which is a good thing.


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

Updated pictures for you lovely ladies (and men)!! 3.5 months old.

"My Cuz and these stairs wore me out..."










"I can drive our pizza home now!!"










"Gimme a cooooooookie"










"Are you seriously leaving me here??!!?? I iz sorry..."










"Come on dad, I got friends to meet and places to be..."


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## charity79 (Jan 31, 2010)

He is a great looking pup! Sounds like he has a good future ahead of him. I really hope you come to love the breed....there is no better "all around dog" than the GSD.


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## Steffanie (Oct 1, 2005)

He looks great, grown up quite a bit since your other pics.

Is that Bear Creek in the last ones of a different park?


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

Looking great!


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

Steffanie said:


> He looks great, grown up quite a bit since your other pics.
> 
> Is that Bear Creek in the last ones of a different park?


Yep, go every Saturday now.


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## JustDSM (Aug 22, 2009)

He's a good looking pup! Is his dad Tank?


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

His dad is Draegone of Czech.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

What a cutie. His expression on the stairs cracks me up!


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## GSDTrain (Apr 21, 2008)

he is adorable!


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## MansBestFriend (Jan 24, 2010)

Definitely one cute puppy ya got there.


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## FuryanGoddess (Dec 26, 2009)

He's beautiful and growing so fast. 

I have a question about your training... sorry if this is intrusive but I'm curious. How are you going to train him? Are you going to use hand signals, speech, both? 

I hope I'm not offending you, I would really like to know. Are you going to do any kind of service dog training w/ him? 

Feel free to ignore my questions if I'm stepping over the privacy line, it is not my intention. 

I've always been interested in sign language but have never had the chance to learn it. My daughter had a huge scare when she was 2 wks old and came down w/ meningitis and had a large chance of loosing her hearing. We were lucky that it turned out to be viral and not bacterial. Her chances of hearing loss went from like 80% to almost nothing. Is there different signs for dogs, assuming that you use it, than the average person would use. 

I'm teaching my dog some signs and its nice if I have my mouth full or are on the phone. They are simple, just pointing when I want her to sit, pointing to the floor for her to lay down and a flat palm face level when I want her to stay. I'm trying to teach my kids these too for added control over her. She tends to get a little excited, esp w/ my daughter and wants to play more than listen. 

I can't wait to watch Titon grow!


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

Fury-

Its okay to ask questions like you did. No offense taken.

Titon has been training since he was 8 weeks old. I have been using the generic hand signals such as sit (palm up and lift), down (palm down and push), stay (palm facing dog), heel (palm facing out on left leg), leave it (4 fingers together, thumb touching palm and give direction. Kind of like SWAT telling another member where to go), Aus (bite your hand and then pull out), come (palm facing you and pull towards you, like telling a child "come here"), watch me (pinch your thumb and index finger and raise to right eye). 

I use these with speech at first until the concept is learned by Titon, then I slowly rely on only hand signals and fade out the speech aspect of it. Don't forget that my wife is deaf as well as our friends. I want Titon to be able to see my hand signals clearly from a few 100 yards away if needed. The larger the handprint is when doing a signal, the better the focus and clarity will be for both trainer and dog. 

I have to keep sign language and dog sign language separate as not to confuse dog and sons. I don't want to tell my son to sit and then have Titon doing it at the same time if you catch my drift. 

Your training with hand signals can be whatever you want them to be. Don't rely on sign language to do so because you'll confuse the dog and deaf people alike.

Maybe if I get a chance, I'll post a video for you guys on Titon's training with my hand signals.


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## UConnGSD (May 19, 2008)

Titon is an awfully cute puppy, so squeezable  Also, I think many dogs are naturally more responsive to hand signals as opposed to verbal commands. Mine is that way, except for "come", he responds a lot quicker to my hand signals/body language for other commands. It's the primate in us that makes us want to use words to communicate and repeat words on top of that. Wouldn't be surprised if dogs think we yak too much anyway!


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## FuryanGoddess (Dec 26, 2009)

TitonsDad said:


> Fury-
> 
> Its okay to ask questions like you did. No offense taken.
> 
> ...


Thanks for explaining. yeah, I can see how it would confusing if you and your friends and wife are talking in sign and your dog is standing there thinking WTF do you want me to do LOL. 

I'd love to see a video if you get a chance.


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

Very, very cute!


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

Thank you!! 

He's been a real blessing to our family. Though he has those moments where I want to scream my head off, I tend to think of the long term effects of doing so.


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