# Stopped by the vet on our walk today



## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

Our vet will let us stop in at any time and use their scale. 

Knuckles is 20 weeks old and weighs in at.... 64lbs. 

He got all sorts of attention from a vet tech that hasn't seen him in awhile :wub:


----------



## Lesley1905 (Aug 25, 2010)

He's adorable!! Love those ears


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Wow, he's huge. What are you feeding him? 
Those ears weigh a pound each I bet!


----------



## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Handsome boy! Is he supposed to be a purebred? I ask because he reminds me so much of a GSD/Lab mix I used to have.


----------



## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

Such a handsome big boy. His coloring is so much like my boy, Aiden's! Maybe that's why I think he's just so darn cute. :wub:


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

man he sure is growing like a weed!!!! Handsome guy. Actually looks very bored with his leave it though lol


----------



## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> Wow, he's huge. What are you feeding him?
> Those ears weigh a pound each I bet!


Maybe thats why they don't stand up :wild:
He's tiny compared to his littermate, though. (and they think Knuckles is too skinny because he has a waist! LOL) 

Yes, he's purebred. Unfortunately he's from a BYB though. But he's mine and thats all that matters. :wub:


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

when my dog was a pup we use to visit the
Vet 2 to 3 times a week for treats, pets
and mock exams. the Vet or a tech would come out
and pet the pup, look in mouth, lift his tail,
rub him with the stethoscope, make a big deal over him etc. 
then i would take him in the back and ride him up and down 
on the exam table. now when i say "lets go to the Vet" my dog
will grab his leash and sit in front of the door all excited.
our Vet asked us to bring the pup in often for socializing.
the pic of Knuckles is really nice. it looks like a post card.


----------



## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

GatorDog said:


> Such a handsome big boy. His coloring is so much like my boy, Aiden's! Maybe that's why I think he's just so darn cute. :wub:


His coloring is what sucked me in. The other pups were black & tan and then there was Knuckles... I lost it right there. I never should have gone to see the puppies. LOL (I went with my sister in law to help her pick HER puppy.)


----------



## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> when my dog was a pup we use to visit the
> Vet 2 to 3 times a week for treats, pets
> and mock exams. the Vet or a tech would come out
> and pet the pup, look in mouth, lift his tail,
> ...


Yep, thats part of the reason we do it. He wasn't too fond of the vet at first, so it gives us a good excuse to make it a positive experience. 
We were on our way to the school for another day of watching the kids get out of school for more socialization/desensitizing, too  He needs it, big time.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I use to walk Karlo every week over to my vet on Tuesday's during my lunch hour to be weighed. It wasn't really for a social call, because the vet and techs are too busy for that, but just for his growth chart/so a weekly~ same time of day~ was my goal.

The clinic wait room is tiny (where the scales are) and if there was another dog in there, I wouldn't enter. Never know if a sick or reactive dog is in there. They usually get you into an exam room first thing because of that. They don't have appointments scheduled so tight that you ever have to wait in that miniscule area. But now and then someone was leaving/paying and it would take forever for them to leave.


----------



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

He is a handsome boy. I still think of him as a little guy. Gotta agree love his coloring.


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

He looks a little mixy to me, but I can't tell why. Maybe it's his big dewlap??
Either way he's a stunning boy, I bet you get a ton of compliments


----------



## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> He looks a little mixy to me, but I can't tell why.


That makes me a little sad  I don't want him to look mixy, I want him to look shepy. 

I'm going to go have a stern talking to with his ear now...


----------



## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

He is handsome! And IMO he looks 100% GSD.


----------



## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

Kittilicious said:


> That makes me a little sad  I don't want him to look mixy, I want him to look shepy.
> 
> I'm going to go have a stern talking to with his ear now...


Aww, don't worry. I honestly think that the tan or red sable coloring throws a lot of people off to thinking that they're mixes. Aiden's ears were up at 3 months and people still accused me of having a mix. He did go through some awkward stages, but eventually ended up looking like a GSD!  I think Knuckles looks GSD (to me at least!)

Puppy Aiden -lab mixed with a large rat stage









5-7 month old Aiden- the time when I got the most comments about being scammed into buying a "GSD mix"

























Around 8-10 months old - people started believing me when I told them they were wrong

























About 1 year to 1.5 years - actually starting to resemble a PB GSD

























And now, at almost 2.5 years- a _real_ GSD. Although I almost always get at least one comment along the lines of "Oh, I didn't know GSD's could come in other colors!"


----------



## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Kittilicious said:


> That makes me a little sad  I don't want him to look mixy, I want him to look shepy.
> 
> I'm going to go have a stern talking to with his ear now...


I think it is his dewlap and his short stock coat that makes him look sort of mixy, if he is purebred he should grow out of it (or should I say into it).

My first dog was a "purebred" from a BYB. As she grew, I agonized over her ears because they wouldn't stand up. As it turned out, she wasn't purebred at all... but it took me about two years to come to grips with it. I didn't want a mix, I wanted a GSD, darn it!! But that's what happens when you buy from a BYB. In the end, it didn't matter, she was the best dog I could possibly have asked for and I loved her.


Storm, 1986 - 2002


----------



## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

The good thing is I know he is purebred, I just don't know anything other than that. Lines, etc. His mom is registered (yeah, I know, that doesn't mean much) and his dad's parents were, but the litter was not, which is why his dad isn't. His dad is owned by my husband's sister. 



> I honestly think that the tan or red sable coloring throws a lot of people off to thinking that they're mixes.


I think so, too. People are used to the traditional GSD look. I only first heard of a white GSD a few years ago and I'm amazed at how much more common they are than sables. 
The pic of Aiden by the bathtub really reminds me of Knuckles! I can't wait until he grows up to see how his look ends up. Every week his color changes & his markings change.


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

It's not his coloring or ears (not standing), like Freestep said, it's more about his dewlap, and something about the muzzle. 
I'm curious to see how he grows up too 

BTW, not saying he's a mix but mama's can breed w/more than one male, and litters can be sired by multiple fathers.


----------



## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Kittilicious said:


> The good thing is I know he is purebred, I just don't know anything other than that. Lines, etc. His mom is registered (yeah, I know, that doesn't mean much) and his dad's parents were, but the litter was not, which is why his dad isn't. His dad is owned by my husband's sister.


How do you know the father is purebred? Just sayin'... when you deal with a BYB--and most of us have, at some point--don't get too hung up on the "purebred" thing. I speak from experience! He is what he is, just love your dog, enjoy him and all the awesomeness he has to offer.


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

GatorDog said:


> Aww, don't worry. I honestly think that the tan or red sable coloring throws a lot of people off to thinking that they're mixes. Aiden's ears were up at 3 months and people still accused me of having a mix. He did go through some awkward stages, but eventually ended up looking like a GSD!  I think Knuckles looks GSD (to me at least!)
> 
> Puppy Aiden -lab mixed with a large rat stage
> 
> ...


He doesn't look like a mix!


----------



## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> He doesn't look like a mix!


It's funny how many people straight up told me that I was wrong about him. That his coloring "isn't possible" for a GSD. They only come in, black and tan, didn't you know? 

It definitely hurt my feelings at times, though. I now know that the people who were throwing those comments around didn't actually know anything about the breed, but it was still a very awkward situation. I think his coloring is a bit unique, but I never thought he didn't look PB!


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Maybe it's the pics but I can't tell he's not black/tan? I guess he's a sable but still has a dark muzzle, etc.?


----------



## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> Maybe it's the pics but I can't tell he's not black/tan? I guess he's a sable but still has a dark muzzle, etc.?


He's a patterned sable. From a distance you can't really tell he doesn't have a solid saddle. 

You can kind of see the undercoat better in this one.


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Well you can see his body and he looks all GSD!


----------



## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

Freestep said:


> How do you know the father is purebred? Just sayin'... when you deal with a BYB--and most of us have, at some point--don't get too hung up on the "purebred" thing. I speak from experience! He is what he is, just love your dog, enjoy him and all the awesomeness he has to offer.


I guess I don't know for sure, no proof anyway. My husband's sister contacted the owner of the parents after the breeding of her dog (Knuckles' father) and that is what she was told.... and was told that they could get her paperwork to have him registered, but she declined. 


> it's more about his dewlap, and something about the muzzle.


Whats wrong with them? I don't know another way to ask that... LOL I guess 'why do you say that'? Asking from a "to know better about the breed standards" standpoint. (not that he is a standard by any stretch of the word, I know that)


----------



## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Kittilicious said:


> Whats wrong with them? I don't know another way to ask that... LOL I guess 'why do you say that'? Asking from a "to know better about the breed standards" standpoint. (not that he is a standard by any stretch of the word, I know that)


Nothing "wrong" with him, but his flews and dewlap seem to have a lot of extra skin. Almost Mastiffy. It could be that he just needs to grow into his skin, or it could be that the extra skin is more noticeable because his coat is very short.


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Yeah, just a lot of extra skin. Nothing "wrong" per se!


----------



## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Kittilicious said:


> The good thing is I know he is purebred, I just don't know anything other than that. Lines, etc. His mom is registered (yeah, I know, that doesn't mean much) and his dad's parents were, but the litter was not, which is why his dad isn't. His dad is owned by my husband's sister.


Who is his mom registered with? The AKC?

And for the record, I'm not seeing mix. Maybe a little off coloring, but he looks PB to me based on that one picture. It actually never even crossed my mind until I started scrolling down and reading other comments.


----------



## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

Lucy Dog said:


> Who is his mom registered with? The AKC?
> 
> And for the record, I'm not seeing mix. Maybe a little off coloring, but he looks PB to me based on that one picture. It actually never even crossed my mind until I started scrolling down and reading other comments.


Yeah. Thats why I said it doesn't really mean much (from what I understand anyway). 

And as far as his neck... it probably doesn't help that his collar is borderline too small. It's not tight, but the collar can't get any bigger. I'm actually going to be stopping tomorrow while I'm in town to get him a new one. But he does have a lot of extra skin everywhere. He's got a lot to grow into! I can get 2 handful's of skin from his neck


----------



## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Is he done teething? Have you looked into taping his ears? Here's a good read if it comes down to it.

Leerburg | Taping German Shepherds Ears


----------



## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

Not yet, his top 2 canines are coming in now but the baby teeth are still there. No sign of the bottoms yet. All other front adult teeth are in. And as I was just double checking, one of his baby molars fell out LOL
You don't know how tempted I am to tape his ears now already but I know it's no use to do it until he's done teething. If I could just keep him spunky & sassy all the time, his ears would always be up!


----------



## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Yeah... wait until all 4 canines are fully in. Once that happens and if they're still not standing.. that would be time to do something.


----------



## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Kittilicious said:


> You don't know how tempted I am to tape his ears now already but I know it's no use to do it until he's done teething. If I could just keep him spunky & sassy all the time, his ears would always be up!


Don't mess with his ears! If they're going to stand, they're going to stand. I tried taping a dog's ears once and I think it made them fall down even more. Everyone told me not to bother her ears, but I had a German Shepherd, dang it, and if I wanted a floppy-eared dog, I'd have gotten a Basset Hound! 

Her ears never did stand, despite my best efforts... of course, she was not pure GSD even though she was represented and sold to me as such. I grew to love her floppy ears.  Some purebred GSDs have soft ears too. Knuckles isn't a show dog, so who cares what his ears do? He's handsome in his own right whether his ears stand or not. Enjoy the gymnastics they do as he grows.


----------



## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

Freestep said:


> Don't mess with his ears! If they're going to stand, they're going to stand. I tried taping a dog's ears once and I think it made them fall down even more. Everyone told me not to bother her ears, but I had a German Shepherd, dang it, and if I wanted a floppy-eared dog, I'd have gotten a Basset Hound!
> 
> Her ears never did stand, despite my best efforts... of course, she was not pure GSD even though she was represented and sold to me as such. I grew to love her floppy ears.  Some purebred GSDs have soft ears too. Knuckles isn't a show dog, so who cares what his ears do? He's handsome in his own right whether his ears stand or not. Enjoy the gymnastics they do as he grows.


 but I have a German Shepherd, dang it, and if I wanted a floppy-eared dog, I'd have gotten another golden retriever!


----------



## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Kittilicious said:


> but I have a German Shepherd, dang it, and if I wanted a floppy-eared dog, I'd have gotten another golden retriever!


Judging by the avatar photo, I don't think you have anything to worry about. They're almost standing already.


----------



## Kittilicious (Sep 25, 2011)

That's what they look like in the morning. Around noon, the right one falls.


----------



## Angelina03 (Jan 9, 2012)

Hi,
I'm new here and I just have a question about the ears.
How important is it, anyway? If they don't stand straight up, does that mean it's not a GSD?


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Angelina03 said:


> How important is it, anyway? If they don't stand straight up, does that mean it's not a GSD?


Absolutely not. Plenty of pure-bred GSDs have floppy ears. There are plenty more whose ears need a little "help" to stand in the form of taping and gluing. In the grand scheme of things it's not important at all.  I'm biased, though; my heart dog was a floppy-eared GSD.


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

No, the ears could flop and still be a purebred.

We had a purebred 11 yrs. ago and while his ears stood up fine, one would sag down after he got done "looking alert". The ear would be erect but it would just sort of slip down sideways. 
I lost my photos of him in a h/d crash a few yrs. ago.


----------

