# new 10 month old GSD from the dog pound--what should we do?



## rod5591 (May 16, 2011)

We are adopting a 10 month old GSD from a high kill shelter. he was a stray and we know NOTHING about him. In our 5 minute meeting, he seemed to follow me OK, he is not leash trained or anything else. He is BIG -- 67 lbs and very skinny

How big a chance are we taking? What should we be on the lookout for?

We know about being alpha over him and we also have a little female dog (Pom) that we will carefully introductory him to. 

We have a crate. We also will tether him inside the house with us nearby at first. 

We will train him to the leash first and potty train if necessary.

How can we evaluate his socialization? How will we know if he is a good dog or not within the first week? What should we look for?

Thanks for your help!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

The "alpha" theory is CRAP..pure crap...even the guy that formulated that theory now says it's wrong.

Before adopting him, was he tested with small animals? if not, have them do so. Or ask if you can take your Pom to meet him. INtroduce them on neutral ground by just walking them far enough apart to avoid any issues but close enough that they notice each other.

Find a good trainer. Training is a great way to build a bond. Looks up MSVETTE2U and read about the two week shut down.


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## billsharp (May 3, 2011)

Wow. I'll give it a shot:

1. Very big chance, but potential great reward.

2. Be on the lookout for (1) health and (2) socialization problems. For (1) get a thorough vet evaluation asap. For (2) make an appointment with a trainer for a socialization evaluation asap; he can identify potential problems and get you started in the right direction on fixing them, or advise you on how to manage them if not fixable.

3. Alpha? Be a friend and firm but fair source of all things to him first. Google NILIF.

4. Do not allow him and the Pom to be alone together until after the socialization evaluation, and bring the Pom to the evaluation also.

5. Crate train him if possible. Tether him to you, not the inside of the house. 

6. Potty training is necessary and should have been the first thing on your list.

I hope he turns out to be a great dog for you! Keep us updated and post pics!


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## TaZoR (Jan 26, 2012)

I think you have a good handle on things, aside from the alpha ...that is not necessary. Be assertive but you have to take things slow. You don't know about what abuse he suffered or what may trigger a response. Get to know the dog, and let him get to know and trust you. I would work on exploring his personality before anything else. An alpha seeking person is the last thing he needs in this very stressful new situation.


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## billsharp (May 3, 2011)

Jeez, Jax, 4th cup of coffee kicking in?


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## tsb (Jul 26, 2012)

*new puppy*

I also just adopted a 10 month old male German Shepherd from our local shelter. It's been about 6 weeks since we got him. He also is very assertive and will test us to see how far he can go. My suggestion to you is to take him every where possible with you to properly socialize him with adults, children and animals. I'm in the process of doing that myself and I'm seeing a big improvement in his behavior. Take him to a reputable obedience trainer who has group classes with other dogs, I find that very helpful with socializing him. Remember it all takes time, don't expect him to improve over night and be consistent with your training. Good luck to you and your new friend!


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## mebully21 (Nov 18, 2011)

The First Two Weeks – Give’em a Break!"

So, what are you planning to do (or did you do) when you finally get your new family member?

"Well, we plan to go to Petsmart to get a new collar, leash, bowls, toys, etc. and of course we want to show everyone our great new family member! We might also stop by the in-laws place. Oh and then there is my best friend who has a dog too and we KNOW they would get along beautifully! And then when we go home, we're gonna let her out with our other three dogs and the cats so they can meet one another and wear each other out playing."

Say what!? I'm sure that sounds like a very reasonable thing to do, especially if you've just obtained an adult dog; but, think about this for a minute: Does this new dog *know* you? Yeah, it knows you are a human and I'm pretty sure the dog enjoyed all the belly rubs and hugs and scritches you had to dish out. BUT, does this dog know you will feed it? Does this dog know you will protect it? Does this dog you are a leader?

You might feel inclined to answer yes to these questions but step back for a minute and think how you might feel if you were never going to go back to your "home" and that you were expected to live with new people who didn't understand your language. What if these new people took you to all sorts of different places expecting you to greet everyone happily and feel comfortable with an overload of attention all at one time? How might you feel after all of that, to have to go to your new "home" and interact with a bunch of strangers? It's very likely that you'd feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and ready to retreat but really have no place to go to. You might begin to act out and yell at people for coddling you and insisting that you do this and do that.

Well, many dogs are put in the very same position and the only way they know how to get their point across is to act out or "misbehave." The dog may act out by nipping at children, growling when being moved off furniture, starting fights with the other animals in home, etc.
So, what IS the "Two Week Shutdown?"

Let me go ahead and preface this by saying that "two weeks" is a general guideline of the amount of time you should follow this program. Some dogs will settle in faster, some will take longer. It all depends on the individual dog and their needs. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR DOG. They will "tell" you when they've had enough.

During the initial two week period, the dog is taking in the new environment, the people in it, and is learning who the "leaders" are in the new group, be it animal or human. Remember the dog has NO idea WHO you are. Pushing the dog to accept new things too fast makes you (who should be the leader) look like you have no control over situations. This makes the dog feel that THEY have to make decisions for themselves and you DON'T want that. Dogs who feel the need to make decisions for themselves are the ones who "act out" or "misbehave." It is your responsibility to the dog and as an owner to make sure the dog looks to you for direction and guidance. Putting the dog in new situations with a person they don't yet know to trust fully is setting the dog up for "failure."

Stacie says it best here: When you first met your "spouse or significant other”, you were on your best behavior, you were not relaxed enough to be all of yourself, were you? Just think of the things you do physically once you get to KNOW a person, you wouldn't run up to a stranger and hug them and squeeze them! Imagine, if on the first date, this new person, was all over you touching you and having their friends hug you and pat you on the head, and jostle your shoulders, looked in your mouth then he whisked you off to another strangers home and they did the same thing. Would you think this person normal and SAFE? Wouldn't you feel invaded and begin to get a bit snarky or defensive yourself? Wouldn't you think to push these people away for obviously your date is out of their mind, as they aren't going to save you from these weirdoes!! Yet we do this very thing to our dogs, and then get upset or worried that they aren't relaxed and accepting of EVERYTHING instantly!

In providing the dog two weeks to "shut down," you are allowing the dog time to see and hear you and the sounds and routines of your home.

* Crate the dog in a room by itself. Dogs are sensory animals and pick up on a lot without having to visually SEE it.
* Leash the dog at all times when not crated. Yes, this means leash the dog to you in the house (this helps a lot with bonding too) and out in the yard (use of a long line is A-OK here  ). The dog needs to start learning that YOU are its everything. Letting the dog have full freedom of your home and yard is just telling him to do whatever he pleases and right now, he doesn't have that right because it's YOUR house. You need to remember that so he learns to respect it.
* Do little to no training at all. Interactions with the new dog at this point should be positive so as to strengthen the bond. This is another GREAT reason to have the dog leashed to you at all times because, how can they get into trouble if they are right there with someone *ALL* the time.
* No walks, car rides, pet store excursions, other animals (unless crated next to them) etc. Obviously, trips to the vet are excluded from this. The dog can live for two weeks without going on a walk. Walks provide an over abundance of stimuli and are VERY stressful, especially when the dog still has no reason to trust you. Again, read Stacie's original words on this subject: The dog may react to something and we start correcting it with the leash and we just installed a VERY STRESSFUL moment to the dog in what should be a fun and learning walk. TEACH the dog by doing the shut down, that YOU are the one to look to, that you are now here for the dog! He can trust in you and look to you for guidance. Then you can venture out into new situations one at a time, the dog knows he can trust in his new humans and can relax under the fair guidance of his new leaders!
* Allow the dog 20-30 minute intervals of time in and out of the crate, AFTER exercise/yard times. For instance, take the dog out for 20-30 minutes, then crate the dog for about 20-30 minutes. The dog is not crated for an excessive amount of time and still gets to learn you and the house hold. As time progresses, the intervals can be increased as the dog relaxes to help the dog adjust to a more accurate routine.
* Ignore crying and/or barking. If you run to the dog each time they bark, whine, or cry, you are teaching the dog that doing those things gets your attention. The dog must learn to be secure when you are not there.
* Refrain from introducing the dog to resident pets. You don't want the dog to bond to another dog without bonding to you first! Crating the dogs side by side will help them get used to one another but GREATLY limit any interactions for the first two weeks. As the dog begins to relax more and look to you more for direction, introduce the dogs/pets slowly. My personal recommendation is to keep the initial introductions VERY short. 10-15 minutes at a time. Supervise ALL the time. Increase the time by small amounts daily.

You will notice a HUGE difference in your new dog within these two weeks! You will see a smile start to come out. You will see more goofy quirks come out.

You'll also begin to get a glimpse of behaviors you will want to correct with training. But, you will have a healthy start in training your dog because you've given the dog a chance to get to know you and trust in your guidance and direction!

Do you need a little more coaxing about why this method works so well? Stacie has supplied some pictures of dogs that have come through her home, as well as us. The difference in the dogs' facial expressions will amaze you!

The main point to remember: SLOW DOWN! Don't push your new dog to accept many different things and give the dog the opportunity to get to know you. Two weeks may seem like a long time, but its very short in comparison to the next 8 or so years you will have with your new companion!

FOSTER HOMES AND the “TWO WEEK SHUT DOWN”
We as foster homes have the added responsibility to find and expose our dog’s true personalities. We also have the responsibility of making our foster home a mud platter, as not to make the dogs adoptive home seem like less of a home than ours. We cannot make our foster dog a part of our home, give it too much freedom and allow it to become a total part of our world. This can lead to a set up in the new adoptive home of nervous behavior, displays of separation anxiety, barking, whining, and destructive behavior.

We want the adoptive home to be that much better than our world in the foster homes. By following the two week shut down into the foster home, then carrying that over to the adoptive home, the dog falls into a safe and familiar pattern, and each home has allowed the dog the moment to relax and check out the next new world. Foster dogs come from various places, some are abused, abandoned, turned in, running loose, etc, they land into the pound which is a stressful environment, then they rush into a life in our homes, and then once again into the adoptive home. Our goal must be to allow the dog the time to adjust and set him or her up for a forever home with less a chance of returning to the pound or foster homes. __________________


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## tsb (Jul 26, 2012)

I'm sorry, I forgot to mention that I gave him a 3 week period to acclimate to our family before taking him out to socialize him. I felt that I needed to get to know him as well as he needed to get to know us. By giving both of us this time period, it also allowed me to make sure that there wasn't any buttons that could be pushed to make him react in a bad way. You really want to figure that out before exposing him to the public, especially children. Every dog acclimates differently, some take longer then others. Our new pup bonded to us quickly. Although he needed time to acclimate to our family, I did set his boundaries right away. Which helps you to establish who is in charge. 

When we adopted our 10 month old GSD, he didn't come crate trained. I highly recommend crate training, we've crate trained all of our dogs. Although he wasn't happy about the crate in the beginning, he loves it now. 

A 10 month old dog is considered an adolescent, so he's going to to test the water's to see how far he can go. Just be gentle, but firm and patient. Most of all just enjoy him.


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

To the OP, you are doing a great thing by going to a shelter. By far, most of the dogs I meet in Chicago are from a shelter or rescue and most people I know have gone to shelters or rescues for their dogs - including me! These are great dogs. Based on my experience, the odds are in your favor for having found a wonderful companion. I say this because any dog in a high-kill shelter that shows any kind of temperament problem usually never makes it to the adoption floor - sad, but true!

Others here have already given you great advice on how to build trust with your new addition once he/she is home. Keep it simple. Be consistent. Reward with love, praise and, yes, give treats for positive behaviors. Trust me, if you are like the majority of people who rescue, this will be an extremely rewarding endeavor.


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## rod5591 (May 16, 2011)

*So far so good*

thanks to all who answered. We are doing OK.

Here is a picture of MAX


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## rod5591 (May 16, 2011)

*more*

thanks to all who answered. We are doing OK. we are not really set up for a 2 week shut down, we are already walking him and our pom, we introduced them that way (walking) and it worked. He seems to love it. The dog is doing OK so far. no accidents in the house, he seems potty trained, when he wants out he whines. we slept through night one pretty well , I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and took him out. he is a really strong guy. pulls on the leash some. He seems to be pretty ok for a German shepherd.


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

Congrats! Once he get settled, you really should look in to taking him to an obedience class - it is a fun way to bond and you will likely be really proud of how quick he learns!

ETA: Forgot to add that he is really handsome!


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## rod5591 (May 16, 2011)

*jumping*

Now we are working on his jumping. He is big and when he jumps up on us it is a problem. So I just learned this on a you tube video. When he jumps up, I try to step in to his jump and take his space away. It seems to work. he turns away and desn't try to jump again.

Sometime he fights the leash. Twists away. Maybe I am forcing too much activity on him? After all, he just had his gonads cut away only 3 days ago, poor guy.,


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

You guys will be fine. If he jumps, turn away and only reward him with attention when all four paws are on the ground. Make him sit before you put the leash on, etc... My dog, at first, would go nuts at the suggestion of a walk but it really only took a couple of days of discipline to re-set that routine. 

Also, if you think - for even a second - that you are forcing too much activity on your dog, then you are!!!! Give the dog time to learn to trust you, the rest will follow!


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## kateydog (Aug 1, 2012)

rod5591 said:


> Now we are working on his jumping. He is big and when he jumps up on us it is a problem. So I just learned this on a you tube video. When he jumps up, I try to step in to his jump and take his space away. It seems to work. he turns away and desn't try to jump again.
> 
> Sometime he fights the leash. Twists away. Maybe I am forcing too much activity on him? After all, he just had his gonads cut away only 3 days ago, poor guy.,


You can also go the other route. Ignore them/turn their back to you (don't be mean or anything, just act as if they aren't there), and play with them after they calm down and make it up to them. Treat/high praise.

With a new rescue dog though, I would be as positive and correct them as little as possible until they feel really good at home. Just not too much to fast.

Sounds like you are doing a lot of research though and I am sure things will go great.


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## rod5591 (May 16, 2011)

*new pics*

Here are a few new pics of Max. We think he is a handsome dog. I can't believe the dog pound had a 10 month old German Shepherd. He looks pure bred to me, what do you guys think? No papers though--LOL.

We are trying to find a dog obedience class. We are leash training him and also teaching him to sit and stay.


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## rod5591 (May 16, 2011)

_The First Two Weeks – Give’em a Break!"

MeBully - thanks for your nice long post filled _with good advice.


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## rod5591 (May 16, 2011)

here is another pic--what a big guy! The dog pound said he is 76 lbs. We are taking him to the vet today and get another weigh-in


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

I gently teach them the house rules form the time they set foot in my home. After all that's what the other dogs would do too. You won't see the real dog until a few weeks after you took him in. It is a very exciting time to see more and more of him. In my classes it was beautiful to see owners come in with a brand new rescue dog who was confused and not knowing where he belonged. Then, at the last class, you see the bond, lying at the feet of his new owner. Always gave me the goose bumps.
Susan Clothier had a good observation: a new dog entering your home has three questions:
1. What are the rules?
2. Who is in charge?
3. Where do I fit in?
You owe the answers to him.
Enjoy him and your growing relationship with him. Right now he is an awkwardly gangly teenager (like a 15 year old human teen). With good food and exercise (build it up slowly) you will see a great change in him after a few months.


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