# We've Reached the Turning Point! (anyone else get angry/frustrated w/puppy?)



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Gabe is 9 months old now, and has lived with me for the past 7 months.

He is my first GSD, my first large dog, and the first dog that I have owned (i.e. not my mother's dog). 

The first couple weeks, he was so cute I could just eat him up. 

The next several months, I spent on the edge of tears, wondering how I could have gotten so in over my head.

From about six months on, I got used to him. We fell into a routine, and it was...okay.

I didn't realize until now how I had just gotten used to being annoyed/frustrated with him. I loved him, but he was a constant pest.

Now, we've finally reached the point where I actually ENJOY him. I didn't even know I was waiting for anything, but now that it's happened, I feel so relieved. It seems like he's finally learned to behave and what I expect of him. I am so happy, and, it seems to me, he's much happier too.

Also, is this just me? Has anyone else had a similar experience with puppies, or am I just awful for not liking my puppy as much when he was younger?


----------



## Bear GSD (Apr 12, 2012)

I have felt the same way. My Bear was, well... a bear of a puppy. He was probably the longest living landshark puppy and he still at 1 tries to pull shanagans with me.

I do feel as of late that Bear has matured (kind of?) and he's much more enjoyable to be with. He was definitely the hardest puppy to bring up.

In the end it is totally worth it and I feel us bonding (instead of battling) more every day 

Glad you're getting there with Gabe!


----------



## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

Oh you're not alone LOL ... And I'm not stranger to dogs at all ... GSDs are ... HMMM, ... how shall we say it ... ok, they're different !! LMAO 

There's a thread in here called ... when did you bond with your dog ... 

In that thread, there are a number of people who bonded instantly ... then there's some, like me, who didn't feel that "bond" for a while ... 

I think you should read that thread LOL ... it will make you feel much better!


----------



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

I did go and read that thread. It seems like the overwhelming majority bonded with their puppies instantly, and if you asked me the day I brought Gabe home, I would have said that I had, too.

...But not really. I was infatuated with him at first because he was a precious little puppy, but having been through the whole thing now, I know better.

...Also, I'm quite relieved I'm not the only one that took awhile to develop a real bond with my dog. I don't feel as guilty now.


----------



## lkellen (Dec 4, 2012)

Anitsisqua said:


> Gabe is 9 months old now, and has lived with me for the past 7 months.
> 
> He is my first GSD, my first large dog, and the first dog that I have owned (i.e. not my mother's dog).
> 
> ...


THIS. We rescued Remy at 6 weeks, and went through major ups & downs with illnesses- to the point where we weren't even sure if she would make it through. Once she did, I was so happy, and then she got healthier and healthier and crazier and crazier. I am still at your point of wondering how I have gotten so over my head, but with training being started, I am starting to notice big differences!

You're not alone in how you felt! Just gotta keep on keepin' on


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

I think raising a puppy is really hard work. It's why I only get 1 puppy at a time and then have a 5yr split until adding the next! Also why I do not recommend a GSD puppy for most people.

Fact is you need to be commended for sticking with it and working thru puppy hood. The shelters and rescues are full of dogs who's owners became overwhelmed and gave up.


----------



## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> I think raising a puppy is really hard work. It's why I only get 1 puppy at a time and then have a 5yr split until adding the next! Also why I do not recommend a GSD puppy for most people.


That is because it takes 5 years to convince yourself that it really wasn't all that bad. And 5 years for the scars to fade....


----------



## TFleahman (Nov 14, 2012)

This is how I felt about our rottie. He was a mess. He IS stubborn, and even more wheb he was a pup. He was brought in for my husband who was totally infatuated with him, but of course, my husband is always gone for work and I was the one to care for him. Train him. along with all my other wife/mother/housekeeper duties! I would get so frustrated with him, that put of compulsion I created a Craigslist ad!!! Lol of course i deleted it a few hours later, but still. He was so stubborn and clumsy, and always at the WRONG time! (Babies were crying. Trying to cook, knock over our toddler. Making him cry etc) 
Now that he has reached his 1st bday. Neutered and calmed down, he is a great dog. Still doesnt listen (which i will take the blame for not teaching him as well) he has become an all around good boy. He's protective, loving lap dog (at 105lbs) and a gorgeous lad. I'm so happy we stuck it out with him! 
And I have full confidence that y'all's relationship will continue to "blossom"  


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

What part of a dog's existence is the worst is different depending on the person, save of course the part at the very end when you need to make the toughest decision.

Some people find house-training, puppy basic, puppy biting the worst. Others find the adolescent stage, where the dog seems to go from well-adjusted halfway decent pup to holy terror. 

I only half joke that with continual patience and training, your dog will be perfect in another nine years. 

Others say that puppies are so darn cute because if they were not we would kill them. 

And every dog is different. Sometimes you click with a pup right away and you never look back. Sometimes it sneaks up on you. My sister says that it happens when we realize how totally dependent they are on us, like when they have been seriously ill, and we need to really put forth to pull them through. 

Who was it that said a good childhood is hardly worth the bother? But it is true, it just seems that the dogs that give us the most challenge seem to adhere themselves to our heartstrings with super-glue. One day we wake up and realize that we have come a looooooong way and we wouldn't trade this critter for the world. 

A lot of people like to by-pass the puppy stages altogether. My real problem with that, is that once I have gone through puppy and adolescent, and young adult, and now have a dog I can rely on to give a great example, I don't want to part with them. And this is why I stress training as much as I do. I think that if people would successfully complete 2 or 3 sets of classes with a dog, they will be at such a different place than when they started and dogs would just not be dumped as much.


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Lilie said:


> That is because it takes 5 years to convince yourself that it really wasn't all that bad. And 5 years for the scars to fade....


Exactly!


----------



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

The mods are having fun with this one. It was moved from General to Stories, then from Stories here to Puppy Socialization...


----------



## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

Lilie said:


> That is because it takes 5 years to convince yourself that it really wasn't all that bad. And 5 years for the scars to fade....


That's the most spot on thing I've read in awhile! :thumbup:


----------



## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

Anitsisqua said:


> Gabe is 9 months old now, and has lived with me for the past 7 months.
> 
> He is my first GSD, my first large dog, and the first dog that I have owned (i.e. not my mother's dog).
> 
> ...


----------



## Cstout (Mar 19, 2012)

I was just thinking about this today, about how cute and fun puppies are... how much everyone loves them. And how much I MAY NEVER WANT ONE AGAIN! lol Stark is now 10 months old but up until about 6 months I was on the verge of tears almost daily. Thinking he would never be potty trained, I would never be able to let him out of his kennel without watching him every second, and wondering when all the scabs on my wrists and ankles would heal. The BF and I joke that anyone who wants a baby should raise a puppy first... never realized it was so much work!


----------



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Cstout said:


> I was just thinking about this today, about how cute and fun puppies are... how much everyone loves them. And how much I MAY NEVER WANT ONE AGAIN! lol Stark is now 10 months old but up until about 6 months I was on the verge of tears almost daily. Thinking he would never be potty trained, I would never be able to let him out of his kennel without watching him every second, and wondering when all the scabs on my wrists and ankles would heal. The BF and I joke that anyone who wants a baby should raise a puppy first... never realized it was so much work!


EXACTLY! 


...But then I go to the breeder's house, see a cute puppy, and feel the overwhelming urge to take it home.

A couple months ago, I was saying I'd never get another puppy again!

Puppies make smart people stupid.


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Anitsisqua said:


> Gabe is 9 months old now, and has lived with me for the past 7 months.
> 
> He is my first GSD, my first large dog, and the first dog that I have owned (i.e. not my mother's dog).
> 
> ...


Ha, ha, I could and may have written this too. Once in a while WD has a T-day * but mostly he is my dream dog.
* Testosterone


----------



## KanesCash (Nov 6, 2012)

i had the same problems with kane, my wgsd, he was kinda bad when he was a puppy, my friends would call him the white devil haha. he would always bite, hated being petted, didnt like any contact, his walks were horrible, several times for a few months i wondered if i made a bad choice in getting a dog, but then, before i realized it (he was about 9 months when i actually noticed), kane completely changed, he would lay next to me, he actually sleeps right next to my bed and follows me everywhere in the house, he's 2 and half right now and still acts like a puppy (he doesnt realize he's 85lbs), my friends who havent seen him in a long time cant believe he's the same dog. cash, my younger gsd, was a lot different, you can say he was a lot nicer than kane, but by the time i got cash, kane was already potty trained and well behaved. 
just wait till he's almost two years almost fully grown and still acting like a pup, you're going to forget everything about the first few "bad" months


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

I had the same problem with my golden when he was a puppy... It probably took me almost a year to fully bond with him!

But with Ollie my GSD pup who's almost 4 months old, I am totally utterly in love. He potty trained basically the first day I brought him home, I showed him where to go and that's where he went. He's never been landsharky, in fact he's super gentle with his mouth although I guess there's time for that to change since he'll be teething soon if he's not already. He's also sleeping outside his crate at night already(though he is baby gated to my side of the bed) and will wake me up when he has to potty.

It's just so bizarre I've never had such a well behaved puppy but I suspect he's just luring me into a false sense of security and will pull the rug from under me soon. 

He's also the fourth puppy I've raised in the last 8 years, I think I'm just used to it now and kind of have the routine down pat.

But Ollie is the exception lol, there were many times with my other pups where I thought WHAT THE HECK DID I DO??!!


----------



## mocamacho92 (Mar 18, 2012)

I thought I was the only person who felt this way! Lol. My GSD is a year old now but when she was about 7-9 months, I couldn't stand her! Mainly because I was unsure on how to properly train her. I'm working on her training now and have become closer to her because of it.


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

there's nothing hard about raising a GSD. people make it hard by
thinking it's hard and they frustrate themselves. you have to be
consistent when raising a pup.


----------



## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

Doggie dad ... with all due respect ... it can be hard and it's a lot of work. The amount of work that needs to go into a puppy in order to have a GREAT dog. Let's face it, you could do no work, but what kind of dog would you have?

I've raised lots of dogs, worked with dogs, etc. for the last 20+ years - it's one thing to work with someone and their dog for a couple of hours and leave. But, if you want to be a responsible, dedicated dog owner, it is A TON of work. 

It's VERY hard when you've read all kinds of information, think you're prepared and then this puppy comes into the house and everything you read about goes flying out the window. 

OR ... conversely ... you get the dog you really want BUT you didn't really "GET IT" when the breeder says HIGH drive, HIGH energy ... most people think that's awesome ... until they have it in the house. 

I readily admitted in a number of posts there were plenty of times I would have traded Ky in for a hamster ... and unlike a first time dog owner, I KNEW what I was getting into ... I did also know that it would end at some point, it just wasn't as fast as I wanted (like a day later LOL)

Kudos to all the people out there, who have come on here, sought advice and been able to work through it.


----------



## Ayla (Oct 11, 2012)

I've been to the point where I wanted to give her back, but that was just the first month or so... lol Keira is only 4.5 months and is much better. 

Kyleigh is right on, I did lots of research before getting keira, she was initially for my husband whom wanted a gsd but never did any research... She is food driven and can be full of energy, match her with my son who turns three tomorrow and you have a very funny tornado nightmare... She is my first large dog, I spent the first month and a half training her until I told my husband he needed to if he wanted her to bond with him, but now she's back to me...

Anyway I keep reading different things, when the gsd puppies reach 6 months they turn into a nightmare, so maybe this is the calm before her storm. She's finally doing good with everything but biting my son, but he encourages her so that's an uphill battle...


----------



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Yeah. Before I got Gabe, I read SO MANY BOOKS. I read plenty of threads on this site, and other websites. I soaked up as much information as I could and thought I was prepared...but it was still so much harder than I thought.

And Doggie dad, if your puppies have never been a lot of work, I'm jealous.

Gabe was a horrible little landshark. I tried all the tricks, but it still took a very long time to break him of it. (Truth be told, he's still not QUITE broken of it. But he's not really biting anymore. He just sort of likes to grab people (usually me) by the wrist, very gently with his mouth. Wonderful compared to what he used to be like!)

And then there was teaching him how to live with the cats...

...And not to get on the furniture. 

...And not to go upstairs.

...And not to eat dirt/toilet paper/small rocks.

And he didn't take to crate training as easily as I had hoped. He cried in it for a long time, so I was frustrated and exhausted.

It was hard, but he's much better for it, and I think I am too. I've learned so much that will make things easier with my next dog in 2-3 years or so.


----------



## SukiGirl (Aug 31, 2012)

Its funny you say 'around the 9 month mark' because that is precisely when Suki turned the corner also. It was like literally one day she just woke up and was a completely different dog. 

I'd say from about 3 - 7 months I was on the verge of tears daily. She actually caused me to cry in front of our entire obedience class once. That was a fun day...

Now that she is calming down, there is a bond and trust built...we can't imagine our lives without her. She is my constant shadow and protector. We love her to pieces. I can't imagine owning another breed, seriously.


----------



## Cstout (Mar 19, 2012)

I get what Doggiedad is saying. Although I think the concept of raising a puppy is easy. If you do enough research and use the right training tools you can raise a very well behaved puppy rather easy. Now comes the big IF
IF your house keeps itself clean
IF your family cooks for themselves
IF you don't have to work while trying to raise the pup
IF you have basically nothing else to focus on while raising your puppy.
I think I did a decent job raising my puppy, but it was hard working a full time job and trying to find time for exercise and training everyday while still keeping up with housework. And, with all of those other things going on in your life you come home to a landshark with the attention span of a fly, its hard not to lose your mind.
At least that's how I think most of us feel...


----------



## SukiGirl (Aug 31, 2012)

Cstout said:


> I get what Doggiedad is saying. Although I think the concept of raising a puppy is easy. If you do enough research and use the right training tools you can raise a very well behaved puppy rather easy. Now comes the big IF
> IF your house keeps itself clean
> IF your family cooks for themselves
> IF you don't have to work while trying to raise the pup
> ...


BAZINGA! You hit the nail right on the head, there! The hardest part of raising Suki is NOT Suki herself but all the other crud I have to get done on a daily basis all while satisfying the needs of my high energy dog.


----------



## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

Agreed. Plus, if you have kids, even older ones like mine, they can inadvertently make it more difficult by doing things subtly different, or by not being consistent, etc. 

Plus, some puppies are just easier than others. I firmly believe that. I think raising has much to do with it, but so do genetics.


----------



## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Honestly, I've raised a lot of dogs. Some more challenging than others. But I know *me*. I know what *I need* to be a successful trainer for my dogs. 

That is why the number one thing...the very *FIRST* thing I teach is how to be quiet in the kennel. After that, everything the pup/dog learns depends on my ability to teach it. Everything else is my fault if the pup/dog fails to learn.


----------



## TimberGSD2 (Nov 8, 2011)

RocketDog said:


> Agreed. Plus, if you have kids, even older ones like mine, they can inadvertently make it more difficult by doing things subtly different, or by not being consistent, etc.
> 
> Plus, some puppies are just easier than others. I firmly believe that. I think raising has much to do with it, but so do genetics.


This is such a huge factor! *I* could do everything in the world right while I'm there, but then I go to work and my husband is left with the puppy. What if *he* (and believe me it's him) does everything wrong. And no I am not just saying that. 

I had forgotten how much "fun" a GSD pup was. I waited 11 years between mine. 

Although I think it is a bit easier when you have done it before. You know what you are getting into even if you sort of forget the bad parts.


----------



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Lilie said:


> Honestly, I've raised a lot of dogs. Some more challenging than others. But I know *me*. I know what *I need* to be a successful trainer for my dogs.
> 
> That is why the number one thing...the very *FIRST* thing I teach is how to be quiet in the kennel. After that, everything the pup/dog learns depends on my ability to teach it. Everything else is my fault if the pup/dog fails to learn.


That was one of the first two things we started on. That and potty training. He just took longer than I had expected to get used to it.
When I was a kid, my mom got a puppy that never once cried in the crate. Not even the first night. Gabe was a little more challenging... And I think I was doing everything right. I had the crate in my bedroom. He could see me and know that he wasn't alone. I didn't let him out when he cried or encourage him.

...He was just a little remedial where crate training was concerned. It probably didn't help that he was from an exceptionally large litter?

He loves his crate now, though. Sometimes, when I can't seem to find him, I'll look over, and he'll be napping in his crate.

And it wasn't that he isn't smart or is slow. He's proved very quick and clever with other things...he just had some sort of hangup with the crate.

Also, Timber, I think you're absolutely right. I think if I get my next dog as a puppy, things will probably be easier for me since I've been through it once before.


----------



## jennyp (Jun 18, 2011)

I understand where you're at COMPLETELY!!! When we first brought Brody home I was very overwhelmed. Like you he is my first dog and was a total handful and I was in tears more times than I can count. For the first few months I couldn't even get near him without him attacking me in typical land shark fashion and because of this I don't think I bonded to him very well at first. I actually felt very guilty about this and would feel awful when I heard others talk about how bonded they were to their puppy. I felt like I was doing something wrong. Now, Brody is 2 and we're starting to really bond. He still doesn't like to cuddle but I know that he's attached to me. I don't think I would get another puppy though. My next GSD will be older.


----------



## marshies (May 18, 2011)

Never a puppy again, I don't even think of a different breed. I enjoy My dog so much more as an adult and still look forward to her maturing more. I was on the verge of tears for the first 3 months of having her, and I had already gotten a break by havin et stay at the breeder a house till 4 months old. It was okay for the next while, but I'm really bonding with her now that she is almost 1.5. Daily, I still look forward to her adult days.


----------



## lennoxbradley88 (Apr 23, 2012)

Oh boy, Schatzi drove me CRAZY! I cried out of frustration a few times. At one point I felt I was way over my head. But I took it a day at a time and finally I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel lol. She is 9 months old now and she still managed to make a hole on my couch I kicked her out the house and laughed then brought her back in. However after all the fuzz, tears, and headaches I will not take a day back. I learned so much about myself through this process and I thank Schatzi for it 


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I think Doggydad is right in that I think a lot of times we make it a lot harder than it has to be. 

We read all those books and sit there and look at the 8 week old furball and start applying 17 theories on animal rearing. We hear socialize, socialize, socialize. And we run the poor pup off its feet. We hear train, train, train, and we have the dog doing sit stays, and down stays, and recalls, and are expecting it to be perfect. Sometimes we do too much, and we expect too much. 

I know a guy who waits until his pups are 10 months old, and then obedience trains them in a week. His dogs all seem to have stable temperaments, are not afraid of people, and he uses a prong collar and teaches them the basics in a week, and that does it for him. 

I think that when you are working with a number of dogs, or when you have gotten a number of puppies through puppyhood, you have a better handle on what to expect, and you avoid a lot of pit falls, which makes each puppy a little easier to manage. And while they are all different, you are able to focus on how this puppy learns, and what this puppy needs from me, instead of 17 different theories and how my puppy is reaching each of its goals.

Also, you simply do not have the time or energy to overwhelm the puppy with training and socialization. So your schedule is a little more laid back, and the puppy may not get its CD at six months of age, but by the time it is a year old, you don't have to be embarrassed when you take it to the grooming salon in PetsMart, and you can be pretty darn proud of her when you take her to the vet. 

I think just the feeling of knowing what you are doing, that the experienced puppy raiser has makes raising the puppies a whole lot easier. Waiting for them to be through with teething before giving them more freedom in the house, makes it a lot easier to teach them what they can and cannot chew on. 

That first GSD puppy is hard, because we are inexperienced. We have to learn everything. And we want to do an awesome job. I think we sometimes forget that a little is a lot. And sometimes more is not better. And if you put 5 years between puppies, you have plenty of time to forget everything your previous puppy taught you. Which makes puppy #2 harder too, in some ways. 

Luckily for me, I learned on puppy #2, that what worked for puppy #1 was not necessarily going to work for puppy #2. I learned to adjust to the pup. At the same time, I did not make a lot of the same mistakes with the second that I did with the first. And there are things I just do, without thinking about it now, so it kind of becomes second nature.


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

WD is now 10 months old and this week I started him on down-stay. Did it perfectly and no stress involved. I have learned this time to take it easy with pups. As long as temperament is solid, you can afford it.


----------



## TaZoR (Jan 26, 2012)

Tazor has had sooo many "Marley n Me" moments lately. He cant seem to do anything right. I get frustrated n a daily basis...however..remember the end of Marley n me?? I know there will come a time when I will wish so hard to get these days back when he's healthy and full of mischief. I was so mad at him this morning..I only have to look at him a certain way and he drops to the floor..he just lays there n looks at me, then I feel guilty. Geez, how mean do I look? No sign language, no verbal command, he just lays down..lol. Thank god he cant call the cops..haha. 

Overall, we are friends, and I know he is gonna be a heck of a great dog, but we are pretty much testing each other. Just turning one is hard in terms of containing his energy and impulses and Im feeling..too old for this crap. 

I just remember that..someday, this will be funny..attitude and of course I try to appreciate that he is having a difficult time not being able to do what he wants. These are...the good old days...someday you will so miss these challenging times.


----------



## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Never have been angry or frustrated. I think people have unrealistic expectations on about their pup's ability to comprehend things, and people under-estimate their own role in _creating_ the very behaviours that they are trying to stop or change. 

Puppy was being a puppy was being a puppy was being a puppy. As a puppy, with a puppy brain, they just are. The act and react and life fits within a 2 second world view. Getting them to see and understand things from our world view is pointless. If pup is doing things I don't want them to do, then I'm not doing my job of setting them up for success.


----------



## Loneforce (Feb 12, 2012)

You will look back on this years from now and smile. The puppy stage is tough but well rewarding in the end. If the youngling is making you frustrated, take a break and try something else with it.Then go back to trying to train what you were trying to do. Take baby steps with it. Just think of all the funny stories you will have years from now, and how many changes occur.....Hang in there :thumbup:


----------



## julie87 (Aug 19, 2012)

Crying? Seriousely? That is why its important to train them from day 1. Yes its A LOT of work but crying? Put yourself together. I had mine since 2 months old and she was potty trained within 2 weeks and you have to correct inappropriate behaviour immidiately and consistantely if you do that you won't have to cry. I am the type of person that loses patience almost instantly, but my husband always tells me how much patience I have for the dog, i am very surprised myself actually.. It because I understand that the dog doesnt know any better and its up to ME to teach her, so instead of crying spend more time training, and yes it hard but its only temproray until they mature...


----------



## lkellen (Dec 4, 2012)

julie87 said:


> Crying? Seriousely? That is why its important to train them from day 1. Yes its A LOT of work but crying? Put yourself together. I had mine since 2 months old and she was potty trained within 2 weeks and you have to correct inappropriate behaviour immidiately and consistantely if you do that you won't have to cry. I am the type of person that loses patience almost instantly, but my husband always tells me how much patience I have for the dog, i am very surprised myself actually.. It because I understand that the dog doesnt know any better and its up to ME to teach her, so instead of crying spend more time training, and yes it hard but its only temproray until they mature...


I will admit Ive been a crier with Remington.. She is my first gsd and while I've owned large and hyper dogs before- I wasn't prepared for the health hurdles we went through during prime training time. I think everyone's case is different, and mine has gotten better due to finding a trainer specific to GSDs and training myself along with Remy! 


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## skew12 (Aug 28, 2012)

Puppy's can be tough but they're worth the effort.


----------



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

julie87 said:


> Crying? Seriousely? That is why its important to train them from day 1. Yes its A LOT of work but crying? Put yourself together. I had mine since 2 months old and she was potty trained within 2 weeks and you have to correct inappropriate behaviour immidiately and consistantely if you do that you won't have to cry. I am the type of person that loses patience almost instantly, but my husband always tells me how much patience I have for the dog, i am very surprised myself actually.. It because I understand that the dog doesnt know any better and its up to ME to teach her, so instead of crying spend more time training, and yes it hard but its only temproray until they mature...


Oh, he was potty trained very quickly. But he was a HORRIBLE landshark. From what I've seen/read, he was worse than average. I did all of the corrections, all of the redirections, and nothing worked but time. Yes, I was frustrated enough to cry, but it's not like I did absolutely nothing but cry over it. Those were a few particularly difficult moments.


----------



## lzver (Feb 9, 2012)

Kudos for people being honest about how hard it is.

We love Jake more than anything, but the last 8 1/2 months have been exhausting! Between his health (digestive and allergy issues) and now being in the adolescent phase, when we are home one of us needs to dedicate 100% of our attention to him.

Raising Jake has been the most challenging thing I've ever done. I grew up with dogs and did lots of reading on GSD's before getting one, but none of it really prepared me for what reality would be like. But we made a commitment to him and we are working through it ... hired a personal trainer / behaviorist, switching to a homemade diet, etc. I hope that the light at the end of the tunnel becomes visible over the next couple months and all of our hard work will pay off.


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

it's a lot to do but it's not hard. i don't consider it work.
here's a list of what i find absolutely nothing hard about
doing. after my list you show me a list of what's hard.

there's nothing hard about:
> taking the pup out often.
> socializing
> feeding and giving water
> going to the Vet
> going to the Vet to socialize
> meeting people
> going different places
> setting up play dates
> going to the play dates
> walking the pup
> letting the pup in the yard
> letting the pup have free time in the
house (learning house manners)
> teaching commands (verbal or hand signals)
> meeting the mail man or mail woman
> teaching the pup not to chase things
> teaching the pup not to bark at the neighbors
when in the yard
> introducing the pup to different animals

the list goes on and on about what's not hard. i don't think
it's hard or work so it's easy for me.

now you list a few things that's so hard to do.



Kyleigh said:


> >>>>> Doggie dad ... with all due respect ... it can be hard and it's a lot of work. <<<<
> 
> 
> The amount of work that needs to go into a puppy in order to have a GREAT dog. Let's face it, you could do no work, but what kind of dog would you have?
> ...


----------



## sparra (Jun 27, 2011)

Just change the word "puppy" to "baby" and this thread could be on a parenting forum....


----------



## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

Obviously people have different definitions of what is "hard" and what isn't. 

DoggieDad's list:

taking the pup out often - EASY

socializing - depends on where you are - I had that EASY b/c I have a massive dog park, friends with dogs, etc. Not everyone has that, so it can be harder

feeding and giving water - EASY

going to the Vet - EASY but HARD emotionally, especially if the puppy is sick

going to the Vet to socialize - EASY BUT then you get some people who say DO NOT bring the dog to the vet b/c they'll get sick from the other animals, or carry them there, etc.

meeting people - can be easy, can be hard - my family, with the exception of my dad because we live together don't like dogs. When they found out I got a GSD my sister was livid, and my mom has only been to the house three times. Also - not everyone likes a GSD, puppy or not. 

going different places - EASY

setting up play dates - Can be easy, can be hard - I have tons of friends with great dogs, so for me this was a piece of cake. Can be hard - there's a thread on here that someone asked about his 12 week old puppy playing with a dog that has an e-collar on because the dog is reactive ... SHOULD be an easy decision to not do that, but the OP wasn't sure and needed to check ... not everyone has friends with dogs! When I got my first dog by myself NO ONE I knew had dogs

walking the pup - EASY

letting the pup in the yard - EASY if you have a yard!

letting the pup have free time in the house (learning house manners) - A combo of both LOL

teaching commands (verbal or hand signals) - EASY

meeting the mail man or mail woman - IMPOSSIBLE for some! I'm gone all day when the mail person comes, so not going to happen

teaching the pup not to chase things - CAN be easy, can also be super hard, depending on the dog

teaching the pup not to bark at the neighbors when in the yard - can be easy - doesn't help when you have a load of kids coming up and teasing the dog constantly (like I have!)

introducing the pup to different animals - CAN be easy, can be hard - depends on the animal, and can also depend on the pup's drive. Ky is the ONLY dog I've had to worry about my parrots with ... all my other dogs were fine, and even most of my friend's dogs ... 

Everyone's situation is different, and I think when people come here looking for help they get so many options they feel overwhelmed. Likely some people try ALL of the options over the course of a couple of days, which only makes things worse. 

I don't think it's fair when someone comes on here to vent, or is looking for people that have had similar experiences and say a comment like "it's really hard, or I broke down and cried" to have ANYONE else on this forum come down on them and say ... it's NOT hard, and WOW you cried? How could you ... 

We don't know other people's situations, their age, their physical abilities, their level of experience, understanding of puppies / dogs, etc. We basically know nothing about them except what they've offered in the post. To tell someone that it's easy, especially to someone that is struggling is only making them feel more like a failure. And I really don't believe that is ANYONE's intention from this forum ... 

Everyone is different, and everyone experiences things differently ... what someone sees as hard, someone else sees as easy ... what makes one person cry, could make another person angry ... we're all different, and we should respect the differences.


----------



## SukiGirl (Aug 31, 2012)

I'll be honest, there are a handful of people on this site that are a little condescending to others...and as a first time dog owner and first time GSD owner I am often offended by the 'advice' I am given on here. 

I would like to feel like I can share information and ask questions on this forum without being made to feel like I'm some idiot.

Just food for thought for all of you experts on here. I get it. You've had lots of dogs and plenty of experience. But what makes you a better dog owner than me, really?


----------



## lkellen (Dec 4, 2012)

SukiGirl said:


> I'll be honest, there are a handful of people on this site that are a little condescending to others...and as a first time dog owner and first time GSD owner I am often offended by the 'advice' I am given on here.
> 
> I would like to feel like I can share information and ask questions on this forum without being made to feel like I'm some idiot.
> 
> Just food for thought for all of you experts on here. I get it. You've had lots of dogs and plenty of experience. But what makes you a better dog owner than me, really?



I feel that way sometimes, too! Not personally has anyone really offended me, but reading some advice on here makes me feel like I could possibly post a "dumb" question in some people's opinions. I, too, am a first time GSD owner and have gone through hoops and hurdles with my pup, and I just have a lot of questions I want to ask, and not be made to feel like I'm an inadequate GSD because I have questions about them..


----------



## SukiGirl (Aug 31, 2012)

lkellen said:


> I feel that way sometimes, too! Not personally has anyone really offended me, but reading some advice on here makes me feel like I could possibly post a "dumb" question in some people's opinions. I, too, am a first time GSD owner and have gone through hoops and hurdles with my pup, and I just have a lot of questions I want to ask, and not be made to feel like I'm an inadequate GSD because I have questions about them..


Not like I've run to the corner to cry over something someone has said...but I've been almost disgusted at how some grown adults on here talk to people like they're just plain stupid for not knowing something.

What Kyleigh said is true - we have to respect others regardless of skill level or experience. 

And, can I take it back to Kindergarten for a second here and just say, "If you don't have anything nice to say...say nothing at all". We'd all appreciate it.


----------



## lkellen (Dec 4, 2012)

GSD owner* was what I meant


----------



## sparra (Jun 27, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> it's a lot to do but it's not hard. i don't consider it work.
> here's a list of what i find absolutely nothing hard about
> doing. after my list you show me a list of what's hard.
> 
> ...


With all due respect just because YOU find these things easy doesn't mean others will as well.
If you live on your own with no other responsibilities like young children to care for as well then you may very well fund all these things easy.
For me taking a puppy to the vet with a toddler hanging off one leg and a baby sitting on the other hip is not easy....or letting the pup have free time in the house without chewing up your kids may not be easy......just two examples of how everyone's situation is different and it is quite reasonable to expect that some may at times find owning a dog of any breed/age a challenge.


----------



## julie87 (Aug 19, 2012)

Oh i know all about the attacks at non experienced members on this forum, some of the seinior members put a lot of energy into making dramatic statements to others, which is not helpful at all, and at some point I actually considered to stop going to this site because some people get so heated over nothing...I found that the only helpful people on here are the ones that truly want to help and they are nice to members instead of being judgemental and not understaing, this is a dog forum and people here stand up for dogs not people which is fine but it doesn't mean we should be treated with disrespect. I apologize if my statement about crying was a bit harsh now that I reread my earlier post I thought I sounded kinda mean.. I didnt mean to offend anyone I just felt like crying was going too far and if you cry,then some serious changes need to be done for you and your dog's well being.


----------



## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

SukiGirl said:


> I'll be honest, there are a handful of people on this site that are a little condescending to others...and as a first time dog owner and first time GSD owner I am often offended by the 'advice' I am given on here.
> 
> I would like to feel like I can share information and ask questions on this forum without being made to feel like I'm some idiot.
> 
> Just food for thought for all of you experts on here. I get it. You've had lots of dogs and plenty of experience. But what makes you a better dog owner than me, really?


^This! That's one of the big reasons I do not post here very often. It's almost like being back in high school.

But back to topic... For me, I am a housewife... I'm here all day with the dogs and pour all my energy into raising a puppy. Ollie may be the best behaved pup I've ever had but he still drains my energy and wears me out! 

If I was working AND had kids... Well kudos to you that can do it! I could say its easy to raise a pup all day long but I don't have those other responsibilities so I can't even begin to tell you it shouldn't be hard or you shouldn't cry...

Heck I was(sorry guys) PMS'ing something fierce today and Ollie about had me ready to bite someone's head off, lol! And I was out with him at 4 in the morning in the pouring rain trying to make him go potty... Little bugger has never been afraid of anything and chooses this moment for me to find out he's scared of rain(granted we live in the desert and he's never seen it before). He is my fourth puppy and there are still moments of utter frustration and exhaustion! 

Puppies are a huge responsibility and commitment, I can totally understand how a first time owner and someone with a full time job/kids could become overwhelmed.


----------



## SukiGirl (Aug 31, 2012)

What I didn't say in my post about the 'mental breakdown' I experienced during training class is that it was a VERY IMPORTANT turning point in my relationship with my dog. That moment finally made me realize that I was not being the pack leader my dog needed me to be.

From that point on, things improved dramatically. So maybe what people are trying to say is that - as trying and difficult as those first puppy months are...they teach us some very important things and bring us closer to our dogs. I learned a lot about myself in those early days with our pup. She's changed me for the better. 

So enough will all the drivel. Let's talk about how amazing our dogs are - and not tear each other down. That is not what this forum is for.


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

sparra said:


> With all due respect just because YOU find these things easy doesn't mean others will as well.
> If you live on your own with no other responsibilities like young children to care for as well then you may very well fund all these things easy.
> For me taking a puppy to the vet with a toddler hanging off one leg and a baby sitting on the other hip is not easy....or letting the pup have free time in the house without chewing up your kids may not be easy......just two examples of how everyone's situation is different and it is quite reasonable to expect that some may at times find owning a dog of any breed/age a challenge.


With all due respect, maybe if you have a toddler hanging off one leg and a baby sitting on the other hip, maybe it isn't a good time to bring home a puppy. 

Raising a puppy isn't hard. Having two babies and trying to raise a puppy at the same time is really hard. 

I think that when people find themselves thinking, "Gee, this is really hard" their very next thought ought to be, "Am I making it harder than it has to be?" Oftentimes scaling back will be helpful to both owner and pup.


----------



## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

I haven't ever been angry at a pup, but Grim has frustrated my wife on many occasions. Mostly, I think, because she never did try to bond with him...so he ignores her for the most part.  I had one of those "OMG, really?!?!?" moments several times with Grim. He's my 4th (actually 5th) GSD, BUT... he's nothing like the others. He throws out adult behaviors, he's WAAAY high drive and high energy!  I've never been able to cuddle with him, hold him, etc. He allows some pets NOW, but the first couple of months if your hand was near him, he was going to bite it. My arms and legs are covered with scars. For all the advice here on 'landshark' periods, NONE of the advice worked for my guy. Only one thing worked, and it's not anything I'd advise an 'average GSD owner' to do. Yes, I requested a drivey boy to do some serious work. I got exactly that. Some of the things that my breeder told me I expected to see later... not at a young age. Totally threw me off guard. He wasn't housebroken (fully) until a few weeks ago. I don't know why, we did everything we were supposed to do. He's just now allowed some house privileges without having to be constantly watched. It's almost like I got a different breed, LOL! 

His saving grace is that he's my heart dog. This has kept me from ever wanting to ring his little neck or return him to the breeder. So even if you've raised plenty of GSDs in the past, you can still find yourself in uncharted waters. Like Kyleigh said... you get a high drive pup and you can find yourself overwhelmed very quickly!


----------



## Cstout (Mar 19, 2012)

I agree that sometimes you can feel attacked by certain members here. I sometimes feel hesitant to post some things... which is sad. I don't think anyone has the right to judge how we feel about raising a puppy. Everyone has different a different way of handling stress, I cry. I cry at little ridiculous things I shouldn't cry about. It doesn't mean its something I can't handle or that I don't want to be a part of that situation anymore. Its all about relieving stress for me, a little cry and Im ready to go back at it. Some people handle stress by working harder, some people handle stress by venting their feeling to others. And some people just don't get stressed or frustrated over anything. We each handle things differently, the fact that we are all on this forum shows that we care about our pet. We are trying to learn how to take care of them and train them the best way that we can. We all enjoy sharing our stories and experiences with people who can relate. And, that's what matters most, not judging the way we individually handle situations. Taking a quick break to cry doesn't hurt the training process of my puppy. 
And, its also not our place to judge who gets a puppy. There may never be a good time in someones life to get a puppy. Does that mean they shouldn't have one? Just because they're busier than others doesn't mean they don't deserve a puppy. If they can train a puppy to fit into their lifestyle, give then proper vet care and love them, kudos to them for being able to do that with a toddler on one hip and a baby on the other. I understand that everyone here is in a different spot in their lives and that everyone here handles all of lives situations differently, and I respect that. 
So, if you feel like pulling your hair out because of your puppy one day or if you have never had a frustrating day your puppies whole life, it makes no difference to me and I wont judge you either way


----------



## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

doggiedad said:


> it's a lot to do but it's not hard. i don't consider it work.
> here's a list of what i find absolutely nothing hard about
> doing. after my list you show me a list of what's hard.
> 
> ...


I'm just saying.....


----------



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Lilie said:


> I'm just saying.....


I think I love you.


----------



## Umm Mohamed (Nov 25, 2012)

I'm in this situation right now.. Because Delilah 


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com App


----------



## Umm Mohamed (Nov 25, 2012)

I'm in this situation right now.. My pup is 3 months old and in the line of teething, and lots of things for me to adjust and trained her.. Lucky for me I have this all useful thread or application.. As a newly owning a dog, When I got frustrated in her behavior I will not play with her the whole day ( but the guilt inside is bothering me of course). 
We are just human to loose our temper and patience. But at the end of the day we are still a dog lover..


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com App


----------



## sparra (Jun 27, 2011)

selzer said:


> With all due respect, maybe if you have a toddler hanging off one leg and a baby sitting on the other hip, maybe it isn't a good time to bring home a puppy.
> 
> Raising a puppy isn't hard. Having two babies and trying to raise a puppy at the same time is really hard.
> 
> I think that when people find themselves thinking, "Gee, this is really hard" their very next thought ought to be, "Am I making it harder than it has to be?" Oftentimes scaling back will be helpful to both owner and pup.


Well then....I am off to drop my dog off at the pound......:crazy:


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

sparra said:


> Well then....I am off to drop my dog off at the pound......:crazy:


If you take on too much, don't blame it all on the puppy.

My sister has a kid that just turned three and another that will be two in March, she says no way to her husband when he says he wants a dog, not until they are done potty training. 

I sold a puppy this year to a couple who had a mal pup, and a toddler. I thought, wow that is insane. But he's an LEO, the Mal is going to be his K9 and the pup from me is going to be their pet. It has been a couple of months and they aren't screaming yet. 

But breeders read posts like yours and say, gee, maybe we shouldn't sell puppies with people with babies or toddlers or children. What's hard for some people isn't hard for others. It is just as much a blanket statement to say that raising puppies is hard, as it is a blanket statement to say that raising puppies isn't hard.


----------



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Maybe it's as much a generalization.

But I made this thread out of JOY that I had gotten through some difficulties with my first puppy and that we were finally bonding and getting to a happy place...

It's offensive to me that some would come in here, look at the fact that I had a hard time and am thrilled that Gabe and I managed to overcome it, and say "Pft! You shouldn't have had a hard time!" 

Also, I wanted to note for the record that I only named this thread "We've Reached the Turning Point!" a Mod added the part in parenthesis. I think it changes the tone of the thread...


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Anitsisqua said:


> Maybe it's as much a generalization.
> 
> But I made this thread out of JOY that I had gotten through some difficulties with my first puppy and that we were finally bonding and getting to a happy place...
> 
> ...


If you go back a hundred pages or so to the beginning of this thread you will see that I was not saying pffft! puppies are a piece of cake. I thought my first puppy was very difficult, but mostly because he was my very first puppy, and a terrible choice for a very first puppy to boot. 

Congratulations on doing a better job on your very first puppy than I did on mine.


----------



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

selzer said:


> If you go back a hundred pages or so to the beginning of this thread you will see that I was not saying pffft! puppies are a piece of cake. I thought my first puppy was very difficult, but mostly because he was my very first puppy, and a terrible choice for a very first puppy to boot.
> 
> Congratulations on doing a better job on your very first puppy than I did on mine.


I realize you weren't the one starting the "puppies are easy!" movement of this thread. And I wasn't trying to single you out. I'm just a little frustrated by the direction this thread seems to be taking.

And thank you. I'm glad you were able to grow from your first puppy experience, too.


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I got in a huff when Sparra said that she should drop her pup off at the pound. Reading back through my previous post, I guess my "scaling back" was a suggestion to eliminate the puppy, which is not what I meant, I meant scaling back on all the things we new puppy owners do with our puppies to be the perfect owner, the training, socializing, puppy grooming, doggy daycare, dog park, dog beach, play dates, interactive toys, forum questions about everything -- health, training, structure, nutrition, and on and on and on.

What I have experienced is that some dogs do better when we relax it a bit, when we scale back. 

So when we find ourselves saying, this is really hard, we should then ask, am I making it harder than it has to be?


----------



## sparra (Jun 27, 2011)

Anitsisqua said:


> Maybe it's as much a generalization.
> 
> But I made this thread out of JOY that I had gotten through some difficulties with my first puppy and that we were finally bonding and getting to a happy place...
> 
> ...


Well done....it is not all beer and skittles and that's what makes it all so rewarding. I look back on those puppy days when managing the household revolved around keeping puppy and children safe and think "phew....at times it was a real circus" but now I see my dog and 4 year old together and they are best mates and think wow.....all worth it.

Selzer......I got in a huff when you told me that becasue I find taking a dog with kids to the vet hard that I shouldn't have got the dog in the first place.....I never blamed anything on the puppy.....just said it was hard.....I don't see why admitting that means I need to scale down on anything.....it just is what it is......we deal with it and get on with things.....


----------



## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

Raising puppies and doing it right is difficult. If it was so easy there would be less adolescent dogs surrendered to shelters.

I've raised a puppy with a child in diapers and it was made more difficult by their competing needs. And I would moan and groan during puppy class, but nobody ever told me I shouldn't be doing it. They patted me on the back and insisted that I could do it, and listened to me when I was feeling overwhelmed. 

There is no such thing as a stupid question. Or an invalid emotion. We are all different, which is a good thing and should be celebrated. We can learn something from everyone here, even if it is simply patience! I find it sad that anyone would hesitate to post because of concern about appearing "stupid" or inexperienced.
Sheilah


----------



## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

Anitsisqua said:


> I think I love you.


I was thinking the same thing!  Makes me wish I'd have sent Grim for a visit to someone during the first 2 months, LOL!


----------



## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

Heck, I don't consider myself to be inexperienced... but I still stopped posting for awhile and nearly left because of responses to a thread I made. I was just sharing a 'holy cow' moment and found myself in the middle of a war zone. :crazy: So lots of us have gone through this. I don't know why, but sometimes people don't read what you're posting. They read something that's in their heads, I guess. Don't let people get you down. I got my first GSD with small kids in the house. Granted, he wasn't like Grim! I'd have pulled my hair out and been crying every single day if I had small kids with Grim!  Every shepherd is different. Just like every kid is different. Kudos to everyone who has stuck it out with a demanding shepherd pup to get to that great part of owning one!


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I may have been to the point of tears with one of my girls, until I taught myself how to manage a real softie, but I never stopped posting because complete strangers on the internet made me feel bad. 

I hate to say it, but this site is downright wussie to newbies now. When I joined back in '05, it was a whole lot different. You had to have a thick skin back then. Ah, the good old days, sigh.


----------



## readaboutdogs (Jul 8, 2001)

Pats on the back and bones all around to all who have survived kids and puppies!!


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I wonder if the tables were turned. If puppies had thumbs and could write about us, I wonder what types of threads there would be: TOPICS, Sub-topics

TRAINING YOUR HUMAN
Are you a first puppy?
How to avoid the inevitable snip.
Who's being dragged to classes?
When to know when (giving in and pottying outside). 
Get those nips in now young'ns. 

THE FOOD COURT
..How much longer should I hold out and not eat these yuckie kibbles?
..Help! My human is a vegetarian!!!
..The male human doesn't like when I watch him eat, is this some form of human insecurity?
..I always feel sluggish after eating, do you think they are poisoning me?

LIFE WITH OUR HUMANS
Living with humans with young.
..How do I keep the little monsters away from my eyes.
..This kid keeps hanging on me and yanking my hair out!
..What do you think would happen if nip the little tyrant, just a little?


----------



## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

SukiGirl said:


> I'll be honest, there are a handful of people on this site that are a little condescending to others...and as a first time dog owner and first time GSD owner I am often offended by the 'advice' I am given on here.
> 
> I would like to feel like I can share information and ask questions on this forum without being made to feel like I'm some idiot.
> 
> Just food for thought for all of you experts on here. I get it. You've had lots of dogs and plenty of experience. But what makes you a better dog owner than me, really?


I've been here for about 15 months. There were plenty of times, that I've been put on the defensive side of a verbal assault. 
HOWEVER, as time went on I realized that the people that acted so condescending, where actually very passionate about what they were discussing. They're dog lovers, and very experienced, and I'm sure it can be very frustrating to keep telling people NOT to go to dog parks, and then read about how their dogs were attacked at a dog park the next day.

Looking back now, I'll say that as much as I've felt that there was a rudeness to some of the comments, it really didn't matter, because the advice was right!!!

Take it from where it's coming from. It's the internet, and not always easy to get your feelings across. The people here are seriously dedicated. Isn't that passion and expertise about the GSD breed the reason why you're here?

My advice to you and anyone else.... Take the condescending behavior with a grain of salt. Pay more attention to the message they're trying to send you.

They're right more times than not..... You just don't know it yet.
I can look back at a ton of my posts, and have a completely different perspective today.

Just for giggles..... I bumped into a new GSD puppy owner a few days ago. It was his first GSD. While he was telling me some of the things he does with his puppy, I wanted to choke him. So I do know how it feels to be on the other side too.


----------



## dgray (Feb 24, 2012)

Bella is 8 months now and I couldn't adore her more.. This wasn't always the case lol! 

Bella was a nippy, bratty, demon puppy! You had to watch her like a hawk 24/7, and be firm with her or she would try to be the boss. 

I regret saying I dreaded going home after work bc I knew what awaited me.. A crazy puppy that was out of control! 

Now though.. She is perfect.. Well mostly, lol. She actually understands things now and listens pretty good. She will be calm and lay with me on the sofa.. Aww. And she's just more fun in general because I don't have to babysit her constantly. Whenever she learns a new command I just glow with pride.. 

Now I think I'm becoming a GSD snob, because I think she's better than every other dog I see.. Lmao. 

 I feel a real bond now with her that I hadn't felt before. This last month has been perfection! 


Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


----------



## Umm Mohamed (Nov 25, 2012)

I don't know if I have replied here already?? But I'm in the shoes of hating my puppy..specially what have she done yesterday..scattering our garbage and make all the ravish into pieces..chewed my slipper and shoes.
What a nightmare..
My first reaction is grabbed my slipper and beat her in the ass..she runs inside her dog house very afraid..
I have a little hearth ache when I see those eyes but I have to teach her before he damage everything when she is off leash..
Am I that bad??
Btw,, she is my first dog and shes 4 months and its my first time to have a dog..
She already know how to obey me like no,yes, sit,lay down,stay and come.. But still she come to be annoying..
I just tell to my self patience.. Patience and sigh....






Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com App


----------



## julie87 (Aug 19, 2012)

Umm Mohamed said:


> I don't know if I have replied here already?? But I'm in the shoes of hating my puppy..specially what have she done yesterday..scattering our garbage and make all the ravish into pieces..chewed my slipper and shoes.
> What a nightmare..
> My first reaction is grabbed my slipper and beat her in the ass..she runs inside her dog house very afraid..
> I have a little hearth ache when I see those eyes but I have to teach her before he damage everything when she is off leash..
> ...


Are you horrible? I think you already know the answer that question. Can't be mad at 4 month old puppy, I have news for you it will get worse once the pup turns 6 months all the way until maturity. Get a trainer if you can't handle your dog properly and if you can't take care of it give it to someone who can. 


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Umm Mohamed said:


> I don't know if I have replied here already?? But I'm in the shoes of hating my puppy..specially what have she done yesterday..scattering our garbage and make all the ravish into pieces..chewed my slipper and shoes.
> What a nightmare..
> My first reaction is grabbed my slipper and beat her in the ass..she runs inside her dog house very afraid..
> 
> ...


Sadly, you beat the wrong thing with your slipper. Your pup needs to earn the right to be left unsupervised. Four months is far too young to be left unsupervised.  She doesn't do bad things to spite you. She does them because she doesn't remember that they aren't allowed.


----------



## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

Hey how come the OP can say a$$??? I thought that was a no-no word????


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

my pups do the samething as any other pup. i just don't find anything hard about raising a pup. lots of things to do but it's not hard to me.


Anitsisqua said:


> Yeah. Before I got Gabe, I read SO MANY BOOKS. I read plenty of threads on this site, and other websites. I soaked up as much information as I could and thought I was prepared...but it was still so much harder than I thought.</p>
> 
> >>>>>And Doggie dad, if your puppies have never been a lot of work, I'm jealous.


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

lots of dogs and plenty of experience makes us better. LOL.


SukiGirl said:


> I'll be honest, there are a handful of people on this site that are a little condescending to others...and as a first time dog owner and first time GSD owner I am often offended by the 'advice' I am given on here. </p>
> I would like to feel like I can share information and ask questions on this forum without being made to feel like I'm some idiot.
> 
> 
> Just food for thought for all of you experts on here. I get it.>>>> You've had "lots of dogs and plenty of experience." But what makes you a better dog owner than me, really?


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

to you it's fair to for someone to say something is hard but it's not fair to say it isn't hard. to you it's fair to say you cried but it's unfair because someone thinks it's nothing to cry about.telling someone something is easy when they think it's hard is encouragement.there's no room for failure in raising a dog. you get the job done. it doesn't matter if you work, have children, have other animals, go to school, single, married, hate dogs, raining, snowing,high wind, you're out of shape, don't work, live in an apartment, live on a farm, etc. there's no excuses. you take proper careof the dog. you train and socialize to the fullest. no failures just success. if you cry through it, whine through it, wimpy through it, complain through it, scream through it (not at the dog) so what, as the commercial says "just do it".


Kyleigh said:


> Obviously people have different definitions of what is "hard" and what isn't. </p>I don't think it's fair when someone comes on here to vent, or is looking for people that have had similar experiences and say a comment like "it's really hard, or I broke down and cried" to have ANYONE else on this forum come down on them and say ... it's NOT hard, and WOW you cried? How could you ...
> 
> To tell someone that it's easy, especially to someone that is struggling is only making them feel more like a failure. And I really don't believe that is ANYONE's intention from this forum ...


</p>


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

you weren't watching your pup. you left the garbage, shoes and slippers available. i think you should beat your own behind for being careless.


Umm Mohamed said:


> I don't know if I have replied here already?? But I'm in the shoes of hating my puppy..specially what have she done yesterday..scattering our garbage and make all the ravish into pieces..chewed my slipper and shoes.</p>What a nightmare..</p>
> My first reaction is grabbed my slipper and >>>> beat her in the ass


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Anthony8858 said:


> Looking back now, I'll say that as much as I've felt that there was a rudeness to some of the comments, it really didn't matter, because the advice was right!!!
> 
> Take it from where it's coming from. It's the internet, and not always easy to get your feelings across. The people here are seriously dedicated. Isn't that passion and expertise about the GSD breed the reason why you're here?
> 
> ...


Well said! :thumbup:


----------



## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

Umm Mohamed said:


> I don't know if I have replied here already?? But I'm in the shoes of hating my puppy..specially what have she done yesterday..scattering our garbage and make all the ravish into pieces..chewed my slipper and shoes.
> What a nightmare..
> My first reaction is grabbed my slipper and beat her in the ass..she runs inside her dog house very afraid..
> I have a little hearth ache when I see those eyes but I have to teach her before he damage everything when she is off leash..
> ...


I understand that different countries and cultures handle things differently. However, I think that you CAN understand that a pup gets into things because WE allow them to by leaving them unsupervised, right? Hitting a pup just doesn't make any sense. You can teach your pup not to get into things without hitting it. You are damaging your relationship with this pup by doing this. You want this pup to trust you and do as you say when it is an adult, right? You cannot have that if you beat your puppy. It is also a sentient being, deserving of love and respect. It is your job to train the pup with kindness and compassion. Beating a pup will not ensure that it behaves and learns what you want. It will only ensure that it needs to fear you and not trust you. I can promise you that your puppy had no clue what you were hitting it for. Please give some thought to your actions, and how you need to deal with future times when your puppy does something you don't like.


----------



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Kyleigh said:


> Hey how come the OP can say a$$??? I thought that was a no-no word????


That was NOT me. I'm the OP, and I certainly didn't say that.


----------



## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

OMG ... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean OP ... I meant the other person that posted in this thread ... sorry sorry sorry!


----------



## Umm Mohamed (Nov 25, 2012)

I agree to both of you Doggiedad and Jag..I been careless of this things,it's also a lesson for me to learned as a new First time dog owner....




Sent from my iPhone using UmmMohamed


----------



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Kyleigh said:


> OMG ... I'm so sorry, I didn't mean OP ... I meant the other person that posted in this thread ... sorry sorry sorry!


It's ok. Things can get a little confusing when a lot of people are posting.


----------



## Jo Ellen (Aug 30, 2011)

Anitsisqua said:


> Puppies make smart people stupid.


:rofl:

Spirit is 8 months, oh my oh my. I was in shock the first few months I had him. Then things seemed to calm down for a bit, and now I am in shock again. Every day feels like a tornado, like he's on steroids LOL 

He seems to think it's quite alright to jump on my head when I'm sitting on the couch, or fly into someone's lap at full speed. I did never think that a GSD would have the same issue as my golden retriever with excessive greeting disorder -- I couldn't have been more wrong! :crazy:

He is still injuring me on a fairly regular basis LOL I have scars that will never fade and one serious puncture wound on my foot that is taking well over a month to heal.

I adore him, I really do. And I don't fail to notice his great qualities. But honestly, he is A LOT of dog ... and I was not prepared for that. I envisioned GSD's to be quiet and serene, noble, cool and collected.

I've cried. I've been flustered and frustrated. I do yell
sometimes, though as soon as I find myself doing that, it's time for a time out and in the crate he goes. There are times I feel completely overwhelmed, and times I think this will never get better and omg what have I done.

I'm in it for the longhaul though, that's the kind of person I am. I don't give up my pets, I choose them carefully and I commit. 

My son comes over sometimes and watches me and Spirit ... he shakes his head and laughs. He thinks I'm in over my head. One time he yelled at me, "GET YOUR DOG UNDER CONTROL!" Hah, I'm WORKING ON IT!! 

Spirit is not your ordinary dog, he challenges me to the nth degree MOST of the time.

I do believe in my heart that everything will be okay in the longrun. If I didn't believe that, I'd be in big trouble.

Now I'm going to go back and read this entire thread. I think it will be useful to me


----------



## Jo Ellen (Aug 30, 2011)

Okay, caught up now 

Raising Spirit has been hard. I've raised puppies before. Spirit is different, he's like puppy times 10. Why? I don't know. Raising my golden retriever puppy was a piece of cake, from day 1. Easy street. Such an easy dog. Spirit is different. 

I'm mature, I don't beat my dog, I know when he misbehaves it's not his fault, it's mine. What is hard about raising Spirit is the demand it places on me. Yes, that part is hard. I have to step up, about a hundred times a day. I have to change MY behavior, my patterns. Is that easy? Nope.


----------



## MiraC (Dec 7, 2012)

Anitsisqua,can you please share or anyone on the list share on how to stop pup from grabbing cats other then being consistent!
What is the best method ! Im new on here but am reading the different forums. Thanks for any Info I can't seem to figure out how to post pictures but I'm the proud Mom of a five month old female German Shepherd ,Liv Von Schneiden Fels and she is some thing!
Love her she is busy busy busy! Thanks Marjorie.


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Correct her every time. My cats still interest Gabe, but he knows he's not supposed to mess with them. Just a loud "NO!" and a sharp pop on his collar EVENTUALLY did it for Gabe.


----------



## Sasha86 (Sep 8, 2012)

She is almost one in one month and is the holly terror. These past few months have been frustrating. I'm glad you guys felt the same way. I get so frustrated I have to give myself a time out. She is so mischievous and so bad at home, it seems like all the hard work and training had just flown out the door. Praying that this pup will grow up ASAP, I even thought of giving her up. I feel like a horrible first time mommy. 


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


----------



## jessac (Oct 29, 2012)

This thread has seriously made me feel 100x better about me and my pup. He's smart, loving and like kids, well behaved in public but sometimes wears on my patience at home. He's certainly demanding. There are days when I feel fantastic about how we've done and other days my husband comes home and I'm in tears and hand him the dog. He's 3.5 months now and has just figured out door handles and counter surfing...trying to keep him challenged is actually my challenge. I know eventually he'll be a great dog and he's just being a puppy that needs trained/redirected, but sometimes I just need 20 minutes to power nap/ drink a glass of wine/ watch an uninterrupted TV show/ shower. 

And I do think that what certain people find things easy and hard depending on your circumstances. I personally found socializing to be the most difficult as well as providing my pup enough exercise (the parvo risk in my area is high) as we're stuck in the yard till his shots are through.


----------

