# 5 month old GSD daily routine, is this ok?



## JHutch (Mar 30, 2009)

I am new to posting to this forum, but I have been reading it daily for months! There is great info here!

I am not new to dogs but new to the pure bred GSD. Scout is my 5 month old female GSD and I want to make sure I am doing everything right. Please check out her daily routine and let me know what you think and how I could improve it:

6:30 am: Scout comes out of her crate (only after she sits when I ask and waits quietly). I prepare breakfast for Scout and my 4 year old mixed rescue Luna. I asked them to sit quietly as I gesture eat (to clarify I am the alpha) then ask them each to "give me five" (NILF) before putting down their bowls (luna first then scout)

6:45 am: Luna heads out into the fenced backyard while Scout and I go on a 45 minute walk. On the walk we practice heeling, sit in heel position, lie down, "focus on me" and come. Scout walks very well on a loose lead the entire time.

7:30 am: We return home and I play with Scout with a ball on a string to help he improve her play drive (it's not that great). Before she gets bored I trade her a treat for the ball and put it away. 

7:45 am: I take Scout to her elimination area and have her "do her business" then it's inside to get a drink of water then she goes in her crate. She gets excited to go in her crate b/c I always through a treat in and she runs after it and lies down content.

8am: Luna and I head to work, which is only 25 yards away (home office detached from the house). Throughout the day Luna and I take breaks for short walks and frisbee fetch.

Noon: Scout comes out of her crate (only after she sits when I ask and waits quietly). I prepare lunch for Scout and I asked her to sit quietly as I gesture eat then ask her to "give me five" before putting down her bowl.

12:15 pm: Luna heads out into the fenced backyard while Scout and I go on a 45 minute walk. On the walk we practice heeling, sit in heel position, lie down, "focus on me" and come. Scout walks very well on a loose lead the entire time.

1pm: I take Scout to her elimination area and have her "do her business" then it's inside to get a drink of water then she goes in her crate. Then Luna and I head back to work (luna gets short walks and play sessions during the afternoon).

5pm: Scout comes out of her crate. I prepare dinner for Scout and Luna (same routine as breakfast and lunch). 

5:15pm: Luna heads out into the fenced backyard while Scout and I go on a 45 minute walk. On the walk we practice heeling, sit in heel position, lie down, "focus on me" and come. Scout walks very well on a loose lead the entire time.

6pm: Scout heads to her crate and Luna I head out for a long walk.

7pm: Scout comes out of her crate, go outside to do her "business" and then comes inside where I practice sit, stay, focus, down, give me five, stand and come with both Luna and Scout.

7:15pm: They both get a pigs ear. I have Scout lie down at my feet while leashed chewing on her pigs ear while I surf the net (i.e. this forum!)

Whenever Scout is done with her pigs ear (about an hour later) we head out for her to eliminate then she's back in her crate. 

I take her out before I head to bed (11pm-ish) and then she is in her crate for the night.

Other details:
I am a big fan of NILF (nothing in life is free) and Scout is expected to sit and wait before going through doors and gates and sit before getting the ball etc.

Scout and I go once a week to Guthries International (Tucson) for an hour long training session. Under the advice of our trainer she is always leashed, even inside the house and is not permitted to play off the leash with Luna except once a week (apparently to prevent Luna from becoming the center of her universe). 

So what do you think? Am I doing this right? This is the first time I am using a professional trainer and I am following their advice but what to hear what you all think.

Thanks!


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## Kayla's Dad (Jul 2, 2007)

I think you have a great schedule with a good balance with your puppers.

Have you talked with your trainer about clicker training? That is a great way to teach and work with your puppy along with what you;re doing so far. Do you have plans for group type classes as well?

Keep up the great work and welcome to the forum.









And most importantly - we need to see some pictures!


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## JHutch (Mar 30, 2009)

Thanks for the advice Samuel! Photos will be coming soon!

I just got a clicker a few months ago and Scout took to it quickly. I found it very useful to teach her the correct positioning for heeling. Luna loves the clicker too, today I built some home made agility equipment and used the clicker to teach Luna some "moves". I am new to agility and am not doing anything formal, I just thought Luna would like some new mental stimulation.

I have to admit I am kinda hesitant to tell our trainer I am dabbling in the clicker. it is not that I don't believe in it, it's just that the trainer I am working with works mostly with SAR dogs, protection dogs and police dogs and we aren't using the clicker in our training. We are hoping to train Scout as a SAR dog.

I am afraid he will think we are deviating from our training plan. I think many different methods of training are useful and it helps keep your pup engaged (hence I am using the clicker even though the trainer didn't introduce it). Working with a trainer is just one aspect of our training.

I want to enroll Scout in group training (for the socialization) but I am afraid that they will teach different commands or signals than our trainer and impede our progress. For socialization we make a few trips a week to the local cafe, petsmart, home depot, park or play ground. 

Should I enroll Scout in a group training session at another trainer (our trainer doesn't have one that I know of, I will ask) and just use the commands and signals we use regardless if the group class uses different ones?

Thanks for the advice!


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Sounds like you love your dogs very much!







I have two dogs as well and have raised several dogs from pup (all of my dogs have been rescues and have been adopted at different ages). I think spending time with each dog individually is important but at 5 months old I think it's excessive to be leashed or crated and separated from the other dog that much. I have had dogs (and gsds) for more than 20 years but before reading this forum I had never heard of that center of the universe thing and believe you me, as much as my dogs have loved one another, I have always been the center of their universe. 

I think Scout is old enough to have some unstructured time with Luna and with you. And I would definitely walk them together several times a day!


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

Wow! That's some schedule. You must be a very disciplined person! 

I only schedule what absolutely needs to be scheduled. The rest I like to just keep as loose as possible. When I was having babies (30+ years ago) everyone told me I needed to put them on a schedule. I never did, at least nothing stringent. My oldest daughter and I from the day we came home from the hospital after her birth, were like little gypsies traveling from friend's to stores, to Gramma's to wherever. She learned to roll pretty darn good with the punches in life and doesn't get bent out of shape when she's got to juggle things.

I was then and still of the belief now with the dogs that we don't need a strict schedule. Stability yes, strict schedule no. I do have to work around Riley's meds time, their meals and the hour before & after meals because of the bloat thing and that's already way more schedule than I like to have to deal with.

She does have a point with the center of the universe thing though. From day 1 ours were allowed to be together at all times except for nighttime when Nissa needed to be crated because she wasn't potty trained. We wound up with two overly attached dogs and some big time separation anxiety issues. We didn't do the individual attention thing because we didn't want one or the other to feel left out. Now we wish we would have because that might have helped ward off the separation anxiety. 

I think both the way we did it and JHutch's way are excessive in different directions. We were to lax, JHutch's sounds really strict. I now believe if I got to do it over, I'd go for something comfortable in the middle.


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## darga19 (Mar 4, 2009)

Looks like you've got yourself a pretty darn busy schedule there!

Just remember that you'll probably have to veer from it sometimes, but don't worry about it. Have fun with your pups.


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## Kayla's Dad (Jul 2, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: JHutchI am afraid he will think we are deviating from our training plan. *I think many different methods of training are useful and it helps keep your pup engaged* (hence I am using the clicker even though the trainer didn't introduce it). Working with a trainer is just one aspect of our training.


Go with your gut. It sounds like you're on the right track. There's so much to teach at this age. You have a pretty consistent daily schedule so adding some variety should be great for our puppy.




> Quote:
> *I want to enroll Scout in group training (for the socialization) but I am afraid that they will teach different commands or signals than our trainer and impede our progress.* For socialization we make a few trips a week to the local cafe, petsmart, home depot, park or play ground. Should I enroll Scout in a group training session at another trainer (our trainer doesn't have one that I know of, I will ask) and just use the commands and signals we use regardless if the group class uses different ones?
> 
> Thanks for the advice!


If you use different commands that an instructor teaches a class and it's working for you, discuss it with your instructor and again, stick with what works for you. I would think any instructor worth their salt these days understands there are different ways and styles to accomplish the same goal. If they don't and are inflexible in what you can try, I would find another instructor.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

One thing you might want to reconsider as the puppy ages is exercising her immediately after meals. Better to have her rest for an hour or 2 to try to help prevent bloat.


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

Definitely! Great catch, Tracy.


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## JHutch (Mar 30, 2009)

Thanks for all the great advice! I am now feeding Scout after her walks to reduce the risk of bloat and allowing Luna and Scout more time to play together. Thanks again for all your input!


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

JHutch,

I hope you mean at least an hour after meals? It's one hour before and one hour after meals that they should rest and not exercise. I asked my vet about walking because that didn't seem like real exercise since we're walking and not jogging. She told me that walking is considered moderate exercise and thus the hour b4/after meals.


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

LOL, you are doing a wonderful job. The only thing I did not see in your notes was giving the dogs a chance to play together.


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