# surprise german shepherd



## amdnivram (Feb 26, 2011)

Well for the past month or so i have been going to shelters looking for a medium sized dog to adopt. Now i have 2 smaller dogs, 1 chihuahua mix and the other is a mix of 2 small dog breeds. Now this week i went to a shelter near my area and saw a gsd that was pretty young , but in danger of being euthanized if it was not adopted. I instantly fell for this gal and commited to adopt her because i could not stand the idea of her not living past 6 months. So she should be arriving home in a few days, and i now realize that my decision was rash but i do not regret it. I am completely new to large dog breeds, and my smaller dogs are not really well trained. I want to bring paige up right and train her along with socializing her with my smaller dogs. My budget isnt that big atm so i would need to take small steps but i want to do everything i can correctly. She is 6 months, and she is friendly towards people and some dogs from what the people at the shelter tell me. I have spent a good amount of time which has made this decision one i cant change. I;m looking for training advice, how i should socialize her with my other dogs, potty training, teaching her where to sleep since i have bought her a nice bed or huge pillow type bed. I know im basically asking to get spoon fed this information, but im so new to this that looking through all the threads is a bit over whelming.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

the best advice i can give you is to breath and read through the puppy section. Also.... keep in mind there is a reason GSD pups are called landsharks and furgators. With that in mind, read up on bite inhibition which you should also be able to find easy in the puppy section. AND crate train. It will help you IMMENSELY in the long run and save you and your pup a great deal of trouble, stress and help keep your pup out of danger. Not to mention crate trained dogs are easier to handle at the vets office if they have to stay overnight for anything. Socialize in every situation you can and make sure its positive. Learn about fear periods and how they can affect your dog permanently if they experience something negative during a fear period. Get into obedience classes with your pup to not only help you bond but to help you learn how to work with each other and help your pup learn what is expected of her. Stick the dog bed in storage for a while. It'll be safer there.... Dont expect your pup to act like a mature adult any time soon. This is a breed that matures slowly, requires constant mental and physical stimulation and is a great deal of work but so totally beyond worth it all with the love and devotion they give back to us. Expect to exercise your pup pretty often. These dogs arent generally couch potatoes. They want and NEED physical and mental stimulation. Without it, they'll drive you up the wall to a level of crazy you werent sure was possible. If they are bored they will find a way to amuse themselves and its never a good thing for them to choose how to entertain themselves. It can often result in something being broken, chewed, swallowed and an emergency trip to the vet. These dogs need boundaries and they need to be enforced. Strong minded breed who will become extremely difficult if they think you're not a good leader, they'll try to fill the spot. They dont require harsh treatments. They LOVE learning and want to please. I know i'm leaving TONS out but theres what i personally feel most people should be aware of when first getting involved with this breed. As i said, this is a breed that is worth every frustration and troublesome moment you're likely to experience but they are beyond worth it. I wouldnt trade my troublesome pup for anything in this world. She's a blast to be with. She makes me laugh with her silly antics and she continually proves to me that in bringing her home, i made one of the best choices i could have made that day. You will be amazed with their intelligence. There are dogs on this forum who know taught themselves how to open step open trash cans. Some dogs know how to open doors, toilet lids. You're going to learn so much you'd be amazed and you'll keep learning. GSDs are an addiction. I wouldnt trade my punk butts for anything and i certainly cant imagine my home without at least one of these fabulous dogs in it helping me through life. You wont be sorry. 

Thank you for adopting this girl. We cant wait to see pictures and hear more as she grows and learns. Congrats on your new addition!!!!


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## vat (Jul 23, 2010)

KZoppa did a nice job in getting you started. Congrats on your new baby and thank you for saving her. 

If you have a library close go check out some books on GSD it will help you learn more about the breed. Also I do not think anyone can stress enough training, I know you said money was tight but you need to find a way to sign up for a class. Do not let her training go you will regret it later if you do. Also see if there is a GSD club or Sch club near you.

Introduce her and your new dogs on neutral ground. Have a friend help you with this and then take all 3 dogs for a long walk together. Do this BEFORE you introduce her into the home. Once in the house keep her in a crate until everyone is comfortable. If you do not have a crate get one, it will become your new best friend. You can look for a used one if you can not afford to buy new. If you can not get one before you bring her home then use a baby gate to separate the dogs.

I know others will chime in to help. Welcome to the wonderful addictive world of GSD


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## lanaw13 (Jan 8, 2011)

Zkoppa gave you a great start!! It's fantastic that you are adopting, I know that your generosity will be repaid in love from your new pup. 
The only advice I have echoes the others…. Crate train. Crates can be expensive, but you can look around at garage sales, Freecycle, (a yahoo group, go to yahoo, follow link to groups and search) and even 2nd hand stores. The crate will save your furniture, and sanity. Dogs love their crates, they become their safe den!! 
There is a lot of conversation about food on this forum also, the best cost effective solution is to go to the local feed store. They have high quality dog food for less. 
Good luck, post some pics!


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

Congratulations on your new addition! You have gotten some good advice. There are things you will need to change though, now that you have dogs with a drastic size difference living together. I would suggest you never leave the GSD and your two toy dogs unsupervised or loose in the yard together, as the size and play style difference alone is dangerous. All play should be closely monitored and needs to be stopped immediately if it seems that it is getting too rough. Also, for your toy dogs sake, please educate yourself on the issue of predatory drift:
Dog play behavior and "predatory drift" | Gail Fisher, All Dogs Gym & Inn | Dog, Dogs,

What is Predatory Drift? - Go Dog Training | Dog Time - Dog Blog Network


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

forgot to mention thats GSDs are a vocal breed. They like to talk and some like to back talk. They are also very vocal players. You'll learn the difference between playing and not pretty easily. My dogs when they play will sometimes sound like they're trying to kill each other even when they are just in the yard playing tag.


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

Congratulations on your new girl and thank you so much for rescuing her!! You have gotten some great advice so far. I would like to really stress the importance about reading through this site (especially the bite inhibition threads and the puppy threads) and on getting a couple of books specific to gsds. They DO require a TON of exercise, both physical and mental. If they don't get it they can and will entertain themselves and that will drive you crazy. You want to set her up for success. But all of your work is totally worth it. What these dogs give back to us in love and devotion is nothing short of amazing!! Good luck with your new girl and be sure to post pictures of her when you get her, we absolutely LOVE pictures!!


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## amdnivram (Feb 26, 2011)

Thanks for all the great advice. Now after reading up on predatory drift, im not scared but i do realize that i have to change my plans a bit. My current girls are not the typical lap dogs because they enjoy being outside compared to being inside. Our back yard is sectioned off into two parts by a large gate. Now im wondering if having her in one section while the 2 smaller dogs are on the other is fine when I want to have them outside to get some sun. I wanted for her to sleep inside but now im a little worried because the smaller dogs can easily sneak inside the house. I'm trying to find the best way to set things up for all of my dogs. I want to get a used crate, but in the mean time I want to see if having them in the separate yard sections will work. My original plans were to just have them together while im at school or work, but now i see that having them unsupervised is a bad idea. I am also planning on taking her to some obedience classes, but my main priority is to adjust the living quarters so that they can all be comfortable.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

amdnivram said:


> Thanks for all the great advice. Now after reading up on predatory drift, im not scared but i do realize that i have to change my plans a bit. My current girls are not the typical lap dogs because they enjoy being outside compared to being inside. Our back yard is sectioned off into two parts by a large gate. Now im wondering if having her in one section while the 2 smaller dogs are on the other is fine when I want to have them outside to get some sun. I wanted for her to sleep inside but now im a little worried because the smaller dogs can easily sneak inside the house. I'm trying to find the best way to set things up for all of my dogs. I want to get a used crate, but in the mean time I want to see if having them in the separate yard sections will work. My original plans were to just have them together while im at school or work, but now i see that having them unsupervised is a bad idea. I am also planning on taking her to some obedience classes, but my main priority is to adjust the living quarters so that they can all be comfortable.


 
well depending on a few factors, you really most likely dont have anything to worry about. Her sleeping inside at night is the best idea. GSDs are a velcro dog. They want to be with you and become depressed and troublesome when they cant keep an eye on you regularly so you may very well have a GSD who prefers being inside. Mine prefer being inside because thats where i am and thats also where the AC is but they also enjoy being outside as well. As long as you are able to supervise and correct when necessary i dont see why you would have any problems. She is still a puppy so she is VERY receptive to training and learning new things. Once things are organized and everyone is comfy with each other, it should be smooth sailing. they will have to learn to coexist in the same room and more than likely, when you get up, your GSD will follow you, even if she has to wake up from a dead sleep. Velcro dog = never going to the bathroom alone again. lol. You will most likely end up with a dog who sits outside the bathroom waiting for you to come out. but as i said, being how young she is, i dont think you'll have any issues with other dogs. not to say it cant happen but its unlikely.


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

I would highly recommend obedience classes, not just for the GSD but also for the two little dogs. You say they are not trained very well... there's really no reason you can't train them now. Contrary to the popular saying, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks! You can put all the training in the world on the GSD, but if the toys won't listen and are being rude to her, she is likely going to correct them for it. You need to take control and be in charge of discipline in the house... for all of the dogs, not just the big one.


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

I think keeping them in separate parts of the yard is a good idea. The GSD will definitely want to be a house dog but at her age, you will need to crate or otherwise confine her at night and while you are away. If you don't, you can expect a lot of housetraining mistakes and a lot of destroyed belongings. Plan that she will not b trustworthy in the house for at least another year when no one is around. Even once she is supervised, you'll want to separate her and the toy dogs when you aren't home, maybe get them used to staying in different parts of the house?


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## JustMeLeslie (Sep 15, 2010)

I just wanted to welcome you to the forum! There are so many knowledgeable members here so just try to learn all you can here. Thank you for saving this girl. As mentioned before we want pics when you get her.


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## amdnivram (Feb 26, 2011)

I am really glad that i found this forum, im sure that because of it having my first large dog, and a gsd will be so much easier. 

Yes i will definitely be posting pictures. I've been reading a lot of great threads and although i am a bit worried that training her and having my first large dog might be a struggle, but i wont give up because i just want to give her and my 2 other dogs the best home i can. My main concern is just the meeting of the dogs, does anyone have some advice on how i should introduce them besides the initial walk around the block before coming inside? Should all three be on leashes, or should i start off slower and just introduce them to each other by scent.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

amdnivram said:


> I am really glad that i found this forum, im sure that because of it having my first large dog, and a gsd will be so much easier.
> 
> Yes i will definitely be posting pictures. I've been reading a lot of great threads and although i am a bit worried that training her and having my first large dog might be a struggle, but i wont give up because i just want to give her and my 2 other dogs the best home i can. My main concern is just the meeting of the dogs, does anyone have some advice on how i should introduce them besides the initial walk around the block before coming inside? Should all three be on leashes, or should i start off slower and just introduce them to each other by scent.


 
yes all 3 should be on leashes on neutral ground AKA an area NONE of them can claim as theirs so basically off your property and not really any place familiar to any of them. I would NOT introduce your two to your new one at the same time. Seperate introductions so they can make their OWN judgements without the influence of the other and the current two cant gang up on the pup. A walk with two at once is perfect. They should be calm and cool. During the intros, if anyone starts getting growly or snappy, correct them. They have to learn right away its not acceptable behavior and wont be tolerated. That will help you immensely in the long run if you set and keep boundaries and ground rules from the first introductions.


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## amdnivram (Feb 26, 2011)

*A new home for Paige*

Ok well i got her yesterday. I took Paige to the vet and got her registered. It turns out that shes younger than i was told. Instead of 6 months shes 4 months almost 5. She weights 28 lbs, she looks skinny to me. Shes really playful and a sweet girl. Upon getting to my house, the 2 little dogs go out and to my surprise Paige remained calm and didnt even attempt to play she just sniffed my dogs. At first the 2 little ones tried to bite Paige but i quickly put a stop to it. I will still keep them separate when im not home, but this gives me hope that they can be buddies when i am present.

Here are some pictures of her, to me she looks really skinny.
















these are on the car ride home, forgot to bring a leash ugh so i had to use the temp leash which sucked. 
























these are of her finally at her new home. This is the area where the small dogs live. She seems to enjoy her new home and im enjoying her company. I will be looking into starting puppy obedience classes in the next week or two.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

OMG she is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I wish i'd been able to get so lucky as to find a PB GSD pup at the shelter!!! She does look a little bit thinner than she should but keep in mind you want to keep her lean so as not to stress her joints with excess weight as she grows. Congrats on your new baby!!! cant wait to see more as she grows and hear updates!


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

Congrats!! She is beautiful! Keep those little dogs in check so they don't scare her.
Maybe try exercising the little ones first and offer rewards only when the 3 are together for a positive response ? My thoughts only.
But really good find at your shelter, so lucky!!


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

I hope you got a crate by now- GSD's are good at escaping, will eat your whole house when left alone till their older, and see smaller animals as prey...one SQUIRREL moment and one of the tiny ones may gone for good Make sure to socialize a lot now even if training classes aren't in your budget. Going for neighborhood walks, the pet store, parks, malls, and anywhere where she is allowed is a great start. Get a clicker and begin training the basics like come, sit, and down- one at a time though. Most importantly enjoy!!


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## heatherr (Jun 5, 2010)

Wow, she is LOVELY!

Best of luck.


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## AnnetteH (Nov 5, 2009)

She is gorgeous! 

We were also new to GSD's when we got our pup and I'm so glad I found this site. I have learned so much reading all the threads, and lurk here daily!  

Best wishes with your new girl!

Annette


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