# The Adventures of Mr. Bighead



## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

AKA Sawyer, AKA H-Litter’s Hircine vom HausReid.  

Bighead is the identifier I used for him when I visited the litter at 5 weeks. There were three boys: White-toe and Stock Coat Boy were the other identifiers - fairly self explanatory. Bighead started as a joke, but now the nickname is growing on me. 

Thought I’d start this thread to chronicle Sawyer as he grows. I think I'm in for a heck of a ride!

He's out like a light right now, but really seemed to enjoy all the snow we got out here earlier! Better pictures incoming when I can get my actual camera out - it'll have to be cell phone for now!


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## Shooter (Nov 19, 2016)

So very handsome! I'm so looking forward to your posts.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Awww! What a cutie!


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Shooter said:


> So very handsome! I'm so looking forward to your posts.


Thank you so much! I've been watching your youtube videos (I've commented on a couple I think - I'm Alyssa over there) and they've just made me more excited for the day my guy came home. Can't believe he's actually here now!


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

Oh my gosh, he is adorable!!!


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## Shooter (Nov 19, 2016)

Spetzio said:


> Thank you so much! I've been watching your youtube videos (I've commented on a couple I think - I'm Alyssa over there) and they've just made me more excited for the day my guy came home. Can't believe he's actually here now!


I'm so happy for you. The wait for me was tormenting. I was driving the guys at work insane because all I could talk about was German Shepherd puppy. I felt the same way with my last Shepherd and he NEVER dissapointed me. I hope you have a great bond and many good years with Mr. Big Head.


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

He ate a good amount of his dinner, got the hiccups, then passed out. I'm kind of in love with this dog already. And his love for food/no shortage of confidence. And his big fat head. :wub:


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Shooter said:


> I'm so happy for you. The wait for me was tormenting. I was driving the guys at work insane because all I could talk about was German Shepherd puppy. I felt the same way with my last Shepherd and he NEVER dissapointed me. I hope you have a great bond and many good years with Mr. Big Head.


Thank you so much! The wait was absolutely killer, made worse by the fact that I'd been without a dog for a little while (lost my pomeranian back in march 2016. had him for a good 14 years!) 

Haha! I feel much the same! Thank you so much! We'll definitely keep watching your videos with you and Ranger - some good info in them, and they're just too cute!


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## kelbonc (Aug 25, 2014)

Adorable!! :wub: Congrats on your pups arrival!! :smile2: Enjoy!!


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

OMG! Unbearable cuteness! Congratulations!


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

He's so cute!


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## melissajancie (Dec 22, 2016)

I love both names - Sawyer and Big Head - OMG I am in love with your puppy! Keep the pictures and updates coming as I am really enjoying them! I am also very happy for you!


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Thank you so much everyone! He sure is talkative. And holy crap, does he love his food! I'm excited to have the opportunity to update this thread with pictures and stories of him - he's keeping me entertained for sure!


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## KaiserAus (Dec 16, 2016)

Aww he is super cute!


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

:wub: He looks like a fuzzy!


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> :wub: He looks like a fuzzy!


I think he is! Both parents carry the LC recessive gene and have thrown coaties in the past, and he's got the ear floofs that make me think he'll be one too!

Little chunk has passed out in his crate again after a trip outside to the bathroom and a play session!


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## melissajancie (Dec 22, 2016)

Little Chunk....Big Head.......Love the nicknames! I am sure to find a nickname for my GSD after I have had him awhile. Going to depend on his personality, etc.


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## RZZNSTR (Jan 24, 2015)

Beautiful pup! Congrats!


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## BigHemi45 (May 10, 2016)

Congrats, but I did think this thread was going to be about Rocko's Modern Life lol.


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## Suki's Mom (Nov 24, 2008)

:wub: Too cute!!


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Thanks so much everyone! 
@BigHemi45 Haha! I forgot about that show. Whoops!


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## lalabug (Oct 20, 2016)

:wub: he is the cutest!!


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

He is incredibly cute. Man I'm jealous of you guys and puppies so I'll live vicariously.


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

I like to think he's practicing his best smolder in the pic below.  :wub:

We had a long day today! Lots of play, a quick visit to the vet for a preliminary checkup (no shots yet), a case of the puppy zoomies, and a trip to petsmart to pick up a harness for him real quick! (just for when he's little if we need to go out somewhere - collar + lead introduction will happen soon). 

He's all tuckered out now - I think the puppy zooms in the snow and playing with his flirt pole really wiped him out. Started to work on sit, introduced 'out' because he happened to find my shoes that I left on the floor, so I took it as a fun training opportunity. He certainly seemed to enjoy swapping my shoe for a treat! I'll get 'leave it' in there soon. I wanna keep it light on the training for the first couple days and more focused on the play until he's fully comfortable - we've only had him for a day after all!


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## Shooter (Nov 19, 2016)

Spetzio said:


> I like to think he's practicing his best smolder in the pic below.  :wub: ....


Dang, he is heart breaker handsome.


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

Cute cute cute. I love fluffies!


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## melissajancie (Dec 22, 2016)

what is a flirt pole that everyone keeps talking about?


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Shooter said:


> Dang, he is heart breaker handsome.


Thank you so much! I'm excited to see how he'll change and mature.


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## RZZNSTR (Jan 24, 2015)

Beautiful pup!


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

melissajancie said:


> what is a flirt pole that everyone keeps talking about?


It's a weird stick thing that kinda looks like a cat toy? Haha, amazon will provide a much better descriptor (with images) than I can! Basically it helps build prey drive, helps with engagement, and is good exercise for your pup.


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Also managed to snag some actual camera pictures of Sawyer earlier this morning. I think today wore him out - he just ate dinner and completely crashed in his crate!


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## melissajancie (Dec 22, 2016)

They need lots of sleep so they can grow


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Day 3! Sawyer has suddenly discovered that biting is pretty much the Best Thing Ever so we've officially started our bite inhibition! I thought he'd be a little young for any sort of mouthing yet, but that goes to show how naive I was.  He's still the absolute best, and even little needle repeatedly attempting to puncture my hands will not convince me otherwise. 

He loves to explore outside. We really just stick to our little culdesac because he doesn't have all his vaccines yet, but it works out because all of the snow and ice tends to tire him out when we're out doing our morning 'walks.' Snow plowing wears him out like nobody's business! He's incredibly smart, too. We've started doing some tiny little training sessions to tire out his brain (holy crap, does that work so well), and it's crazy to see him switch from ADD puppy brain to laser focus when we're doing it. It's like flipping a switch, it's absolutely insane. His love of food trumps all.

He is vocal about literally everything though - and by vocal, I mean whining! While he's being carried down the stairs, when he's eating, when he's playing with his toys, etc. etc. I think I may have gotten a noisy one!


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## Shooter (Nov 19, 2016)

Spetzio said:


> Also managed to snag some actual camera pictures of Sawyer earlier this morning. I think today wore him out - he just ate dinner and completely crashed in his crate!


I noticed that my GSDs were like my kids when they were small. I always loved them more when they were asleep! :wink2:


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## Rei (Oct 10, 2008)

I absolutely love him (look at those EYES) and I'm so freaking happy for you :wub:


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Shooter said:


> I noticed that my GSDs were like my kids when they were small. I always loved them more when they were asleep! :wink2:


There's something extra special about them when they're tired - I think it's the lack of teeth on my various body parts!


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Rei said:


> I absolutely love him (look at those EYES) and I'm so freaking happy for you :wub:


Ahhh thank you! I'm so happy with him, and I'm so happy that I decided to shoot you that first message a while ago! This is pretty much all your fault in the best way possible.


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Snow bear don't care that my shot isn't in focus and continues to bear around in the snow regardless. Also he may or may not be peeing in this picture, but his face looked so cute that I couldn't resist.

This was taken the other day - not much to report on at the moment! We're working on staying inside the crate during the day for bits of time - increments being increased a little each session. He's convinced the world has ended and I've left him for good still, but it's not taking him as long to quiet down, and I'm always sure that when I go back up to take him out that I'm quiet, make no fuss, and we just head outside for a bathroom break and chill for a bit. Then it's time for getting riled up through play.


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Update 4.2: 

Brushed him out, trimmed his nails, shaved some of the fur on the bottom of his pads to clean them up a bit, and all the while he was like this:










Incredible.


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Not too much to update except that I happened to sneak this cute picture of Sawyer right as he woke up this morning:


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## RZZNSTR (Jan 24, 2015)

Sometimes if you catch it right all GSD puppies look the same.... lol


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

What an adorable puppy. He couldn't be any cuter.


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

RZZNSTR said:


> Sometimes if you catch it right all GSD puppies look the same.... lol


You know, I think you're right! I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the angle.


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

sebrench said:


> What an adorable puppy. He couldn't be any cuter.


Thank you! I kinda like him a lot. :wub:


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Had fun taking some photos of Sawyer this past week. Little shark loves going for legs (and boy does that actually hurt - the hands/arms haven't bothered me yet, but something about the leg is so painful!) We're still working on that redirection and inhibition though, with the mantra "this is just a phase." 

I've been fretting a bit about how much to feed him. I'm feeding him twice a day as per what the breeder recommended (and what fits best with my schedule), 3/4 cup each time, so about 1.5 cups total. Though he does get extra kibble and some treats for training during the day. He's 8wks 3 days today. He has a noticeable waist from the top down and I don't believe I can see his ribs from the side, though he does have quite a bit of fluff as a coatie and I'm not 100% sure. I can feel them when I press with a little bit of pressure and it doesn't feel like there's a layer of fat there. He sleeps a lot, but has plenty of puppy energy when up. Am I over-thinking this? 

I'll see if I can get some full body pictures tomorrow and start a new thread in the feeding/puppy section. 









































































the doof is strong with this one


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## RZZNSTR (Jan 24, 2015)

Beautiful pup!


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

RZZNSTR said:


> Beautiful pup!


Thank you so much! We're still working on him becoming beautiful on the inside too - he's just a bit too sharkish right now.


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Update: Floppy Boy will be 10 weeks old as of this Thursday. Time flies! We've been very busy. Signed up with an awesome trainer at Harmony Canine Training in Portland (at the recommendation of a friend). We've been working on engagement and building the foundations for a confident pup (as well as making our sitz and platz looking less sloppy.  ) Still working on stand and aus/out, but he's a puppy yet, so I'm not expecting anything fancy for a while. At the moment, we're just having fun. If it turns out he has the necessary drives and interest, we may pursue an activity like agility, tracking, competition obedience, possibly bitework.... I'm excited to see what we can get into! 

Last week we worked on testing and building his environmental/surface confidence by giving him weird things to walk on. Out of all the things he climbed on, I was especially proud of him for making it up this makeshift "ladder" onto the couch. He showed surprising body awareness for how floppy he is, though he will do anything for food so I'm sure that factored in. 










Other news: The super talented and awesome @Rei stopped by with her malinois Siege for some controlled playtime with a ridiculously patient adult momma dog. He liked her quite a bit. Too much, in fact. Nasty boy dog.  

Also recieved some crazy beautiful puppy photos courtesy of Rei as well, which I totally had to share here because _come on_. Look at them.










flop has never looked more regal in his life. this is entirely false. he is the floppiest of flops





































stick thief 










insane shark-bear thinks malinois tail is his toy. is lucky malinois is so patient


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

Beautiful baby!


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

zetti said:


> Beautiful baby!


Thank you! Now if only he'd stop trying to puncture my appendages long enough for me to enjoy him!


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

He is adorable!!!


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## Spetzio (Oct 8, 2015)

Another update! Sawyer is now 11 weeks old. 

On Tuesday we worked more on environmental confidence and body awareness with Adrianne of Harmony Canine training again, some obedience, engagement, and lure work foundations for a focused heel. I was so proud of him again! Any initial environmental bit of hesitation is conquered his first try. We've had him walk up and jump off an agility plank, walk on a moving treadmill (or attempt to, he may have slid off the first couple times because he forgot how legs work), etc. He's got the genes for some rock solid nerves for anything environmental and I'm so happy with him! He also has some incredible food drive (no surprises, haha), and some nice prey drive emerging. It's up in the air right now whether I will pursue bitework with him, but my trainer is impressed with what she has seen so far, so we're starting to lay all the foundations in the event that he has the suitable drives. It's all very exciting. 

We've cleaned up our sitz and platz quite nicely, though sometimes he still likes to be lazy so we're working on it.  He's great at 'focus' (eye contact) already. We're also working on perching (the photo), a 'place' command, "steh/stand," and a 'target' command. Couldn't be happier with this guy! 

Now if only he would stop finding my flesh so chewable, I'd have the perfect dog.  

Apologies for photo quality - all phone captures unfortunately.

Awkward flip-flop attempts to perch while discovering that he does in fact have four legs. I promise he does not walk on his hocks and have a weird cat-arch normally.


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## RZZNSTR (Jan 24, 2015)

Very nice!


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