# Advice needed: First night with rescue, Lucy (text heavy)



## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

SO many of you may have seen the thread of my husband and I hoping to rescue Miss Lucy, the Boerboel mix. Well.. she has arrived! She was thrilled with us and hopped willingly into our car. It was really a great meet and greet. Due to circumstances, we were not able to bring Titan to meet Lucy. When we brought them home we I brought Titan out to the street where Lucy was and they met there. Titan was 100% ok with her.. no issue. She, however, started barking at him and snapped at his face. After correcting with a leash pop and a "No!" we went for a walk with them.. They did fine for the most part with only one other attempt by Lucy.. then it was sniffing and new stuff and excitement. 

After a good walk, we came back home and went in the yard with them both off leash and they did fine. Followed each other around, peed, sniffed, you know the drill. The foster said that she was not toy possessive or anything like that but loved fetching with the other dogs.. silly me, I thought, well let's see if they can play together.. nothing drastic happened but she did chase behind him and bark the whole way (not too abnormal) but then kept in his face until he dropped the toy then kept barking at him. Well that was dumb of me. Shouldn't have tried that, especially since she didn't particularly like him to begin with. So I realized my mistake and decided to just go inside with them.. show her where she was sleeping, water bowls, etc. 

Inside they have been fine. Ignoring one another again. Both drank water. Both got sent to bed for a treat... Titan seems to be avoiding her.. when she gets near him he just walks another way or takes the long way around her if she's laying down. She was turned around and he was sniffing her butt and when she realized she turned sniff him, but I didn't like her posture. She got real still with hackles raised and she just looked like she was going to snap at him again, so I called her name and she broke that posture and nothing happened. right now they are laying down right next to each other. Titan laid down first and she followed and laid about 2 feet from him on her side. 

I totally get this is the first night. I am not asking for a quick fix, I just want to make sure I do things right from the beginning (pardoning for the toy things, hind sight 20/20). Initially, she was going to sleep in our room at night with Titan. Their beds are next to each other in the room. There's really no other way to have them. Should I do that or keep her crated at night for a while? 

Obviously no alone time for quite sometime. She will be crated during the day while we work and any other time we aren't there. But how about advice on getting them further acquainted? No toys probably at the same time. That seems to rile her up. Walks maybe? I don't need them to be BFFs, I can handle two dogs that aren't besties.. but I would like to not have to worry about them getting into it. Can anyone offer advice on just some things I can do to make this a healthy and good transition for the both of them?

Thanks in advance.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

I would crate her at night for a couple of weeks or until you feel she's really settled in and Titan and her are comfortable together.Play with them separately,and stop any hostile appearing posture matter of factly.Separate them with baby gates sometimes to give them their own space to not worry about where the other dog is.You're doing fine!I think the ball playing just threw you off for a minute and now you're second guessing everything.It'll get better,more relaxed,and normal feeling soon


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## Lykaios (Nov 18, 2015)

If it were me, I would have them kept more separate for at least the first week. Keep the new girl crated at night for sure, and and give her lots of structure during her first couple weeks rather than allowing her to wander and roam around the house. Just have them get used to existing together, without needing to interact much while they both settle in to the new lifestyle, particularly the new girl.

You could take them on walks together and separately if they do well with that, especially if you had someone to come with you and walk one of them while you walked the other so its a really neutral way of being together. Definitely a good idea to not have toys when they're together at first, no need to create that extra element for potential conflict. 

I don't see anything worrisome about their interactions on the first day, I think they will settle nicely with a little time to adjust


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Hmmm, see the first link here:

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/5296377-post8.html

I would also start to work on "Duration" work with both dogs:
Fearful, Anxious or Flat Crazy "The Place CommanD - Boxer Forum : Boxer Breed Dog Forums

Getting the dogs to be calm within each other presences would be the goal here. 

And I'll add this:
Leerburg | Introducing a New Dog into a Home with Other Dogs


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Thank you guys for the advice.. I will keep her crated at night for the first bit until they comfortable with each other. Also picked up all the toys outside (didn't do much since Titan can make a leaf into a toy, as he so did, but you get the point  ). 

So I spoke with the foster mom again just to get a little more info and asked about her play style with the other dogs with a little more detail than just "they get along." She told me she is very vocal and can get a little pushy when she really wants to play. SO I took them outside together after putting the toys up. They both pottied then game on from Lucy. This time instead of being a little anxious, I just kinda let things be.. I was right there in case something escalated but I wanted to trust that she was just trying to play. Sure enough she just wanted to play.. she was wagging and barking and poking.. then when he wouldn't play with her, as predicted she did get a little pushy and I stepped in. Just called her and had her sit for a minute. After a bit she and him just walked around the yard exploring. and when Titan would pick up a stick or a leaf to bring to me, that's when she would get riled up again. So I think she is really just excited. We didn't stay outside but for maybe 10 minutes. We came inside and I fed them both.. they were about 5 or 6 feet from another and both did fine. this is them now.. Titan was there first and she came and laid down next to him.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Best wishes, Whitney.
I know how much you wanted a dog like that, and I know how badly you want this to work.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Sunflowers said:


> Best wishes, Whitney.
> I know how much you wanted a dog like that, and I know how badly you want this to work.


Thank you! I think my problem here is I was totally anticipating a different first interaction.. I figured if anyone would be a problem it would be Titan. I didn't prepare myself for her being a little pushy or anything like that. SO my fault there. But I really do want this to work. She is a very sweet girl.. and still a puppy (18 months). This will just take time and consistency with them both. I have only ever brought puppies (little puppies like 8-12 weeks) in the house to stay never a rescue, so this is new for me too.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Yeah, but she's a girl, and she knows it. I was at a vet once, and a female GSD walked by. She pulled on her owner and the leash to get to Hans, sniffed him, then promptly started to let him have it LOL. She was loud! 

All Hans did was whine. :rofl: I laughed, because he always yells back at male dogs, if they talk trash to him.


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Love the pic of her laying next to Titan. 

Agree with others, will take a little time and they will settle into a routine with each other. 

Congrats!


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

wyoung2153 said:


> Thank you! I think my problem here is I was totally anticipating a different first interaction.. I figured if anyone would be a problem it would be Titan. I didn't prepare myself for her being a little pushy or anything like that. SO my fault there. But I really do want this to work. She is a very sweet girl.. and still a puppy (18 months). This will just take time and consistency with them both. I have only ever brought puppies (little puppies like 8-12 weeks) in the house to stay never a rescue, so this is new for me too.


They are going to be fine once they get used to each other. When I went to get Midnite, Robyn was with me. He came out and was ready to play, she wasn't. She growled and snapped at him. At first I thought well this might not work but the guy told me it will be fine, you'll see. All the way home Robyn stared out the window and every now and then she would give Midnite this disgusted why do you exist look. He didn't even notice, he was so happy to be out of the shelter. Within a week they were inseparable, like they grew up together. It went so much smoother then I thought after that first introduction.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Whitney they look so sweet together!


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Whitney, congratulations! Lucy looks good, love her colour. Its a good thing you are doing, Deb


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Thank you guys for your advice and stories of encouragement. I'm feeling a bit better now. Recognizing more of her body language and her personality.. obviously it'll take time but I am not as anxious about it. 

One other question. We'll be crating her at night for a little while. My husband is worried she'll feel isolated... do you think that'll be the case? I feel it'll help create and set boundaries but hey what do I know. Lol..


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

wyoung2153 said:


> Thank you guys for your advice and stories of encouragement. I'm feeling a bit better now. Recognizing more of her body language and her personality.. obviously it'll take time but I am not as anxious about it.
> 
> One other question. We'll be crating her at night for a little while. My husband is worried she'll feel isolated... do you think that'll be the case? I feel it'll help create and set boundaries but hey what do I know. Lol..


She seems to be pretty confident dog. I crated Midnite for a month(most of that time was spent trying to figure out how to keep him from escaping) I felt bad crating him but I wanted to be sure. You will know when it's not needed. It doesn't seem like she needs a two week shut down


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

It's safer that way for now.On the off chance they have a disagreement in the middle of the night.Better to be proactive and not have an issue to fix later.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

wyoung2153 said:


> Thank you guys for your advice and stories of encouragement. I'm feeling a bit better now. Recognizing more of her body language and her personality.. obviously it'll take time but I am not as anxious about it.
> 
> One other question. We'll be crating her at night for a little while. My husband is worried she'll feel isolated... do you think that'll be the case? I feel it'll help create and set boundaries but hey what do I know. Lol..


Well I believe you're certainly correct in your reasoning. 

Is a Crate in the bedroom an option?? And there are those opposed to that also.

Oh ... see the first link here, I just got a rescue:
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/5296377-post8.html


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

I never saw your first post, so sorry if this has all been addressed. You HAVE done a lot of research on Boerbels right? They are not your average bully or mastiff. 

My friend had one. She was one of my favorite dogs of all time. I love the breed. But they are very different. 

Your new girl is certainly very lucky. Take things slow. Have her drag a leash for a while. So you can safely intervene. 

Good Luck! Can't wait to see her settle in!!


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## MythicMut (May 22, 2015)

Congratulations Whitney! I love the photo of Titan and Lucy together. It sounds like they just need to get used to each other. Don't stress about how long that will take, just take it day by day and keep an eye on them. One day you will realize that everything is going along just fine. Crating her at night is a very good idea. Good luck with her.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Just one piece of advice: be sure to take them out to play separately. Titan may never like her pushy style of play and it's important that he not feel inhibited by her barking and bullying.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Thank you guys for the great advice. I will admit, we tried her in the room last night.. my husband wanted to try it and I gave in. She was already in a crate in the other room when we made the decision. She did well actually. She paced a little at first.. asking to go outside at first. Then once we settled she found her place and got comfy. I thought she would get up in the middle of the night whenever I did but she didn't. Just stayed in her bed. Titan stayed in his bed also, which is a little odd. Not sure if it was just coincidence but he normally lays by the door after lights out and treats are passed out. I am sure you guys may have disagreed with that decision.. but it was made. Still deciding if it was the right move.. feel free to share you thoughts on that one (negative or not, I can take it)

Today is going to be a quiet day. Hubby is working very late so it's just us. I will feed them in a minute and then in about an hour take them out separately to expend some energy. I have some errands to run so I will crate her while I am gone (not budging on that one, lol). Then when I get home, I am thinking about a walk with the 2 of them.. but haven't completely decided. I know I will have them out in the back again together for a little bit. I am thinking of doing some training games with her.. she needs some manners, lol. but not sure if that's too much too soon.. 

Something I do have to keep remembering.. (I mean duh, I rescued her for life).. is that she is indeed ours now. I know that sounds weird but I get very protective of Titan and judgey of other dogs manners sometimes.. (jerk GSD owner in me I guess  ). Normally I just put up with the bad behavior when I watch friends' dogs because in the end, it's not my dog and they won't continue the training anyways. Andi end up being a bit grumpy with friends' dogs sometimes (not nice, I know, I am working on it) I have to just remember that her outcome is my responsibility now and I can change those behaviors, and I can't allow myself to get upset with her when things aren't going perfectly. 



gsdsar said:


> I never saw your first post, so sorry if this has all been addressed. You HAVE done a lot of research on Boerbels right? They are not your average bully or mastiff.
> 
> My friend had one. She was one of my favorite dogs of all time. I love the breed. But they are very different.
> 
> ...


I def have done my research. About 4 years ago I actually did my research and purchased one from a breeder. Due to some issues (you can PM me for details on that if you want), she was sent back to the breeder where I was to get a replacement. Due to circumstances and timing, we have not gotten the replacement puppy yet and this girl kinda just fell in our laps. They are certainly a very different personality, lol. Not saying it's going to be easy by any means, but I know (in my head at least, lol) what I am getting into. I am sure she is going to test me and really push my abilities, but I am ready for it (at least that's what I tell myself).



BowWowMeow said:


> Just one piece of advice: be sure to take them out to play separately. Titan may never like her pushy style of play and it's important that he not feel inhibited by her barking and bullying.


I agree with this and it was my plan. He's never been one for liking pushy play, he's not a huge dog player anyways.. and that doesn't change his mind. Not to mention I need her to get some play time too.. not that she can push me around, but she can more be free playing with out Titan out there right now.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Ok.. what's the method of stopping this behavior...

I seem to have pin pointed that when she gets worked up and energetic, she tries to get Titan to play.. she runs around him barking in his face and when he ignores her enough she starts snapping in his face, today, nipped his ear, and he snapped back. Nothing ensued, she pounced away onto another task. What did I do during this (I know someone will ask) well with this example, I honestly wanted to observe.. since I have finally come to the conclusion she doesn't seem to be doing this aggressively, I wanted to observe what Titan's response was but be close enough to step in. When she snapped and nipped his ear, I raised my voice walking toward her and said "Lucy!! Enough!" to which got her attention and she stopped and flopped on the ground and showed me her tummy. 

I may or may not have handled that correctly.. but I am really trying to observe them, only stepping in when need be. So I am curious on how to stop that behavior the correct way. 

On a good note! I see great potential with her, at least with house manners. I, admittedly got myself worked up this morning about all the what if's "what if I can't do this?" "what if I got myself in over my head?" "What if I can't help her?" You know.. all the woe is me stuff. Well after a good talk with a couple friends of mine some just have dogs and then another helps train service dogs.. they both helped me with my mentality and changing my perspective. Much needed.. I was letting my analytical mind take over, and not in a good way. 

SO I came home with a fresh attitude. Prayed for peace before getting in the house. I knew she'd go bonkers in her crate when I got home so I anticipated that and didn't let it bother me. I didn't go to her crate until she was Quiet and then made her sit before letting her out. She did very well. We worked on kitchen manners, "get out" being the command.. she gets the concept when I point and so far when I do tell her "get out" she does so and sits at the edge, lol.

Next was eating time... so I told Titan to go to bed and sent Lucy to her crate.. with much motivation and encouragement.. door open not closed. After a few "no's" and placements, she stayed and even laid down. Super food motivated so I treated her every so often while she was in there. 

WOO I see potential!! Ok.. so it's small.. really small success.. but it did make me feel better with her. Now I know some of you may be like "Whoa, Whitney, you literally just got her, like yesterday... chill out!!" I know. I do need to. I think the problem here is that I was told one thing about her personality by the rescue and they did not disclose some things about her to me. Basically "She's awesome with other dogs, well behaved, loves to play but settles inside." well.. she does settle well inside.. everything I think should have said "she has the potential to...." So I came into getting her expecting some training and manners to be worked on, but nothing really with attitude or temperament. SO as soon as I saw that behavior I think I freaked out in my head and went.. "Oh my gosh, what did I just do??" And well... then my mind let it spiral out of control.. got it.. got to reel that back in. And I hope I have. Today has given me a little hope. She is really a sweet girl, and does seem to want to please you. I think she is trying to figure out where she fits in and everything else about this place and that it will all come together over time. 

Ok sorry for the rant, you guys are great and thanks for the continued advice. BTW I am totally back to the crating at night. I know I know.. I shouldn't have deviated but I got suckered.. I just think that will help with boundaries and giving Titan the space he needs until they get used to each other. 

Ok now I'm done.. let's hear it!


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

If it was me,I would make sure any playtime was separate for now.Concentrate on them relaxing together and walking together.Just until you get a handle on Lucy's temperament and you all are feeling more confident and comfortable with each other.I don't think you're expecting too much with the crate and kitchen obedience.It helps you feel in control and I'm guessing that helps Lucy feel more secure.She has you and hubby to make decisions for her.


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## Lykaios (Nov 18, 2015)

I worked with a rescue a while back that would get in a lot of dogs with this somewhat "rude" play style. The intentions were good they just really didn't know the "proper" manners. A lot of these dogs were bully breeds that were taken to dog parks often and just picked up a more rowdy play style. 
The rescue had the most excellent mentor dogs that would basically just not take any of that crap. They would at times correct pretty harshly, but always appropriately. The new dogs would eventually learn the acceptable play style there. 
Looks like in your situation you are going to have to be the one to tell her what is appropriate and what is not. You're method of verbally correcting her sounds alright to me as long as she responds to it, you could just verbally correct her anytime she starts to get over the top. She sounds like she just needs to learn manners. The rescue probably had lots of dogs with similar play styles and considered that rowdiness acceptable. But you're most likely going to want her to change her style a little so that she will mesh well with Titan. So you'll just have to show her. 
I'd also recommend teaching place command, and using that when she gets more rowdy... so you can just send her to her "place" to go chill out if she gets too amped up. REALLY useful command for creating calmness and structure in the home. 

I brought home a new 10 month old rescue a few months back that had a completely different play style from my GSD. He is a GSD/Husky and mostly behaves like a husky. He was raised with his siblings and their play style was extremely physical, their "friendly greetings" were grabbing each other by the scruff and shaking/dragging each other around, and one of their favorite games was stealing toys from each other. To them it was the normal, polite way of playing but to my GSD, the "stealing game" was a foreign concept, and he didn't particularly love being pounced on and grabbed by the scruff while he was napping. 
My GSD was not one to correct, he would just get sad/annoyed and look to me for help. So I just had to moderate and teach the new pup what was acceptable and what was not. And my GSD also adapted a little to the husky's rough play style. They were a little awkward for about a month, then they really went nuts having the time of their lived and wrestling in my living rooms for hours for a couple weeks. Now they are more mellowed out and just get along great! I still have to moderate some things just so my poor GSD doesn't get too annoyed. The husky can't always resist the stealing and the sneak attack pounces, so sometimes I will put the husky in "place" command to help him stop annoying my GSD. lol  
So thats my recent experience, with bringing home an older rescue pup. I remember feeling a little nervous in the beginning that they were never going to mesh well... despite having gone through this kind of thing many times before with the regular clients I dogsit for in my home, fosters, and volunteer work at rescues. 

One more thing, is that keeping both dogs VERY well exercised mentally and physically in the first weeks, as well as a lot of structure for the new dog is extremely helpful!


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## Lykaios (Nov 18, 2015)

dogma13 said:


> If it was me,I would make sure any playtime was separate for now.Concentrate on them relaxing together and walking together.Just until you get a handle on Lucy's temperament and you all are feeling more confident and comfortable with each other.I don't think you're expecting too much with the crate and kitchen obedience.It helps you feel in control and I'm guessing that helps Lucy feel more secure.She has you and hubby to make decisions for her.


Good advice! Honestly, your dogs are going to be fine! I know you're probably pretty anxious to have them interact and make sure they are going to be good together but the more time you can have them just passively existing together, especially in the first week, the better! The best thing you can do for the new girl right now is provide plenty of exercise, but also lots of structure in the home. Teaching place command, working on obedience, having her crated or in a specific spot rather than wandering around the house will help her feel more calm and secure. And help Titan to more gradually get used to having a new dog in the house as well.


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## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

I'm so glad you have positive vibes from everyone that this will work and I hope so also. Not all dogs get alone though. This is what concerns me, what if that nip on the ear turned into a full fledged fight. Were you alone when that happened? What if she hurt Titan or the other way around. You just don't know her yet. I think everything just seems so quick. Life goes by fast enough without rushing. Don't do things that you look back on with hind sight and regret. Just take your time.


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## Moriah (May 20, 2014)

Having adopted two dogs from rescues what I have learned is time takes time and to believe in yourself and in new girl. My two dogs are nothing what they were like when each of them came home. Years into it, they have become their best selves and I learned to be a better person along with them.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

So far I think their temperaments compliment each other. She might be a little over the top and he is more chilled out. I do believe that once it's all settled, she will be slightly calmed and he will be slightly less chill, which would still be balanced. Are you going to take her to any obedience classes? She would probably enjoy that a lot. I think you got pretty lucky with her. Teaching her manners isn't going to be hard. She seems to be a happy, non aggressive dog, which makes it a lot easier to work with.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Disclaimer with the picture of Titan and Lucy.. there is a toy.. There are not normally toys out when they are out, however, this was after a play session with Titan and I thought I grabbed everything, without double checking.. BUT still snapped a shot when they were peacefully existing.. then picked up the toy. Then there's Lucy with her ball when her and I were playing. Then the final picture is them right now. Peaceful. 

Thank you guys, yet again, for the great advice and encouragement. Titan is not the correction type, to be honest so I know that he will look for me to correct that behavior and I want to make sure I do that for him the right way. Right now a loud "AY!" or "Lucy!" works (in regards to stopping the inappropriate play).. but I don't see that lasting very long for some reason. Do you guys have any other suggestions on correcting that? Obviously I don't want it to turn into a fight if Titan does decide to rectify the situation (or attempt to).

Today... I bought Miss Lucy a 20 ft lead to work recall and for other training. I bought her some training treats and a nylabone chew since she seems to like to chew (as I learned with a toy she found outside, that I took from her and put away). I also bought Titan one. I plan on giving her the chew in her crate and see if she's interested. I will obviously keep an eye on them both during this time. Also with the training, I do not plan on just hosing her with training right away, I was just out and knew I would need them. 

I think you guys are right with the coexisting calmly for a while. I think that's a great idea and try not to rush anything. She will be crated at night, in the living room, we just don't have room in ours for a crate. I think she will be fine. Again with the question, Do you think this is ok? To have her crated at night in the other room for a little while? 



ksotto333 said:


> I'm so glad you have positive vibes from everyone that this will work and I hope so also. Not all dogs get alone though. This is what concerns me, what if that nip on the ear turned into a full fledged fight. Were you alone when that happened? What if she hurt Titan or the other way around. You just don't know her yet. I think everything just seems so quick. Life goes by fast enough without rushing. Don't do things that you look back on with hind sight and regret. Just take your time.


I think you are right as well. Hind sight is 20/20 and that may have not been the smartest idea. I am definitely going to try and take it slower. I don't know why in my head everything is "now, now, now" with this.. even though I know better.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

When I need one of my dogs to stop doing something I do the Eh!and then give them something else to do immediately.If they can't get out of that mindset they get moved to a different space until they can move on and not dwell on whatever it was.You'll be fine!It just becomes second nature after a while.You all will adjust in no time


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

That's a good idea. She actually responded well tonight with and "No, Lucy" when I saw her starting to rush at Titan.. then the strangest turn of events... Titan tried to initiate play with her after. She was racing around like a bullet (mind you this wasn't to take them out to play this was a potty break and she was excited) and when she stop Titan pounced near her and took her up on a game of chase... while watching this unfold... the neighbor let their dog out and it barked... so it stopped all potential. But I'm actually not unhappy with the interruption. Gave me a glimpse of potential without anything happening. I'm gonna call that.. and move on. 

The hubs was gone all day today and when he got home she barked at him incessantly with hackles raised while trying to sniff him. I told him just to ignore her and it worked.. when he sat down, she came for head and belly rubs. Hopefully she gets used to him coming and going, especially when I'm not here.. he's not the dog person like I am and looks to me for guidance.. soooo we're working on that. With that interraction, should I be concerned about what her interraction with others will be like??


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Well she is a guardian breed, so maybe greet guests outside and walk them in or she's behind a baby gate or in her 'place' until she and the guests are settled??


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

:headbang:

I messed up this morning. I was going to throw trash away and went out the back gate, out of habit I shut the door but didn't latch it.. Titan never leaves the yard.. and the trash is literally right outside the back gate. Well Lucy helped herself out. MAN she had a blast. Just ran around the yard like a bullet *sigh* She shot past me so fast out the side to the front I didn't know who or what was out there.. There turned out to be a woman walking her lab. She had apparently ran up to her but the woman yelled "stop!" to her and Lucy apparently listened and turned around. I got out there just as Lucy was bounding back to the front yard. I crouched down and called her to me, knowing she isn't fond of being called while I am standing, and she came right to me. I grabbed her collar and asked the woman if everything was ok. She told me that Lucy was adorable and just full of energy but she listened to her when she said to stop. Thank goodness. I didn't scold Lucy at all.. just brought her to the yard again. I don't want her to associate anything bad with coming back to me. I am glad that was the outcome.. I would NOT like to repeat that heart attack again.... Note to self. LATCH THE DANG GATE!!! *sigh* now Lucy keeps going to the gate and pushing on it to see if it's open for her to get out. *sigh*

BUT on a good note.. we had some progress with waiting for her meal this morning and going to her crate when asked. I am picking up on that she doesn't like to come to you when you are standing and say "come here" but if you crouch down and say "come here" she bounds to you. Thinking she has a negative connotation to someone standing and calling her. 

Where's my mind at today?? Well I have a lot going through my head. This was obviously a little more than we expected when the rescue decided to exclude some vital info for me to make my decision with her. I have some things to consider.. children in the future (like me having children not just friends' kids), people coming over on a regular, trips and who would watch her if she isn't going to be good with other dogs, moving around with her.. those kinds of things. Not that I have had any indicators on anything I listed but those are concerns my husband brought up last night when we were talking about her. 

BUT that all being said she is making great progress and I feel better with her every time we interact. So that's good. She really is learning quite quickly. Taking it slow and not doing a whole lot with her other than crating when we are away, making her wait for food and expending her energy. We haven't gone for another walk since the first one. My husband has worked late since we got her and I would like him to be there so we each have a dog in case something happens, I would not be all by myself. 

Anywho.. that is the Lucy saga of today.. Just wanted to thank you guys for reading all my moments and giving advice. I know it may seem like I overthink, and I just may be.. I just tend to analyze things and go over them in my head, over and over and over and over again. 

Thank you guys again.

Oh.. dogma.. we actually already do that with Titan so it won't be a problem to add Lucy to the bit.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Whitney,I hope you keep posting about your ongoing adventure with Lucy.The whole process of integrating her into your household and what you're learning as you go along is really interesting


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Thank you Terri. I think I will..  Hope y'all don't mind. Also helps when I get feedback from you guys about a situation just because I don't have many people here that know about dogs and their training/behavior, so it helps hearing what I can do better or what I should try or if I am on the right track with something. 

Getting ready to head home and get into Lucy's first normal after work routine, wish me luck!!


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Ok.. soooo the adventures continue. 

Last night was a pretty decent night. Hubby got home and she actually didn't initially bark.. she sniffed and followed.. then not sure if it was excitement but she did start barking when he was walking to the living room then sat by him for pets. Progress from the other night of incessant barking when he got home. Yay!

We had a pretty decent morning.. even if I ran late.. my fault though. I really need to make my lunch the night prior and not in the mornings.. even more so now that I have to spend a little extra time doing things with Lucy. 

So woke her up again this morning in her crate. I can safely say that I LOVE this about her. She doesn't wake up super early and whine until someone lets her out. She goes in the crate at around 9:30/10:00 pm and the last couple days we have been letting her out at 6am ish. She is always passed out when we go in there to wake her up and she slowly wakes while we open her crate which is convenient because she's not shoving to get out. She is getting the idea to sit by the door when she wants to go out instead of just bombard you. Only problem is she sits literally under the door knob so I can't actually open the door for her until she moves which means she is no longer sitting, lol. So I just move her back a little bit and make her sit again. She does well but as soon as I open the door she starts getting just WAY excited.. good news. She is getting the idea of "wait" and anxiously awaits the "ok" command to which she then bolts out the door like a bullet. She is a quick little thing. 

She is also learning to wait for her food. We haven't gotten the WHOLE routine down.. which will eventually be me telling her to go to bed and I can get her food ready without her coming out of bed then when I put it down I would say "ok" and she would eat. Right now she is just too excited to eat and has little training period, so we are working just on the wait before putting the food down. She gets excited but has learned to toe the edge of the kitchen while I get her and Titan's food.. then I take her to "bed" and tell her to "go to bed" and she does. Then "wait" and she does. I am now able to place both bowls down and she doesn't move until I say "ok." I realized that the "wait" command might be my most important. Lol. I HATE dogs bombarding me when I am doing things like opening doors, feeding them, getting things ready. So that is the first thing I wanted to teach her.. and it's making me feel a bit better when she starts getting it. 

The next cool thing was that she stayed on her bed the entire time I got ready, with only one replacement. Our routine in the morning is after they eat, we go in my room and Titan lays on his bed while I get ready. Doesn't move. Just waits, because he knows he can't do anything until I am done. So Lucy goes in her crate while I shower since I can't watch them.. then when I get her, I showed her to her bed and she stayed for a minute.. then wanted to wander. Without getting made, just redirected her back to her bed and said to lay down.. and she did (still in the puppy phases of down I think, she knows it only if you put your finger on the ground). She stayed the entire time after that, even with me walking around the room and getting into things. That is such a big thing for her because she is such an excitable dog and any movement she wants to be right with you! I attached a picture of her version of staying on her bed.. I'll take it!!!

Play time went well with them separately. She has a heart attack when he is outside playing and she is crated.. she eventually quiets but she certainly does not like it and lets you know about it, lol. 

Anywho.. so far that's the morning's events. She seems to be progressing so that's good and comforting  She really is a sweetheart and loves to snuggle when you get on the floor with her. She rolls all over the place!

That's all for now.. Thanks all for reading.. the saga will continue!


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

Sounds like it is going well.Ive done this and I dont think there is a way to go that isnt going to have some bumps.As for gender all my girl GSDs seem to trash talk to Lucky. Iused the two week seperation with the girls and Lucky until Luck sprung the door and introduced himself. Charlie came and we had a crate and we had our basement. Sounds like you are doing everything you can to help everybody get comfortable. Baby gates helped when we brought Lucky home w/ Dodger(Lab/Pit mix)
I try very hard top make sure no toys or chews are out when our two are together but I would need a inhouse search dog to find all of them."" happens despite all attempst and planning. Hang in there Whitney . you have two dogs that are close to the same age and they are getting used to each other.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Lol!I love that picture,she's adorable!She seems like a giant excitable puppy but also so willing and able to learn quickly.Fun and challenging
My dogs have the worst door manners ever when they know we're going for a walk.I really should teach them better behavior but I start laughing at them when they are just so happy.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Daisy&Lucky's Mom said:


> Sounds like it is going well.Ive done this and I dont think there is a way to go that isnt going to have some bumps.As for gender all my girl GSDs seem to trash talk to Lucky. Iused the two week seperation with the girls and Lucky until Luck sprung the door and introduced himself. Charlie came and we had a crate and we had our basement. Sounds like you are doing everything you can to help everybody get comfortable. Baby gates helped when we brought Lucky home w/ Dodger(Lab/Pit mix)
> I try very hard top make sure no toys or chews are out when our two are together but I would need a inhouse search dog to find all of them."" happens despite all attempst and planning. Hang in there Whitney . you have two dogs that are close to the same age and they are getting used to each other.


 Thank you  Titan acts like an old man with her. Mostly just energy level I think. Titan has so much drive but is very laid back, if that makes sense. Get him outside to train, work, or play ball and he'll never stop, but other than that he's not much into just running around or chasing/playing with other dogs. SOMETIMES he will initiate with another dog for a quick chase game but it starts and ends fairly quickly. He is 6 though and I have noticed a definite energy adjustment just in the last year. Lucy however, is still a puppy in my eyes (est. 18 months). She has energy for DAYS. lol. Which I used to think Titan did but I think I am finally seeing a difference in just pure puppy energy vs drive. lol.

I have kept the toys up with them right now (I did the first day).. just because I think at least 2 weeks of just them existing is a good idea. I may introduce a toy or 2 in a couple weeks. So far there's just not a good way to play with them both. Both like to fetch so that's easy.. but Lucy is a bully when Titan fetches chasing him down and barking in his face there and back and Titan loses interest quickly. That's why I decided separate playing at first, not sure how to fix that or if I can fix that.



dogma13 said:


> Lol!I love that picture,she's adorable!She seems like a giant excitable puppy but also so willing and able to learn quickly.Fun and challenging
> My dogs have the worst door manners ever when they know we're going for a walk.I really should teach them better behavior but I start laughing at them when they are just so happy.


She is adorable.. and she has to sad eyes and makes me feel bad every time I tell her to do something she doesn't want to do. lol. I think this will just take time and I hope I don't let myself get overwhelmed.. slow and steady, I think will be the key.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Haha!I know the sad eyes well!Misty is husky and possibly Fox hound or walker hound.She's got the 'my heart is broken' look down pat.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Your story about her running all over reminds me of Midnite. About a week after I got him, he figured out how to open the patio door and it was playtime. Robyn decided to join in the fun. 6 am and I'm sure everyone in the neighborhood was up as I screamed for my son to help. Luckily the two other dogs stayed put. 5 minutes later here comes my son with both of them, they were still in play mode and had no idea they were bad. After that I put the couch in front of the patio door--no more escaping after that


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

dogma13 said:


> Haha!I know the sad eyes well!Misty is husky and possibly Fox hound or walker hound.She's got the 'my heart is broken' look down pat.


 *sigh* so does this one.. Like I am just the meanest person in the world. And she adds a grunt too.. lol. 



llombardo said:


> Your story about her running all over reminds me of Midnite. About a week after I got him, he figured out how to open the patio door and it was playtime. Robyn decided to join in the fun. 6 am and I'm sure everyone in the neighborhood was up as I screamed for my son to help. Luckily the two other dogs stayed put. 5 minutes later here comes my son with both of them, they were still in play mode and had no idea they were bad. After that I put the couch in front of the patio door--no more escaping after that


Oh too funny! Thankfully she is too short to reach the door knob otherwise she might learn, lol. I have been blessed with Titan in that he has always abided the close door rule. I didn't teach him this, but he never pushed open anything. If it wasn't open already enough to get his head through, he just sat there waiting. Even sometimes I would have the door ajar and a ton of things in my hand and I would say "let's go inside!" and he'd run to the door that was ajar like 2 inches and he would sit and wait, lol. Not Miss Lucy as I learned the other day. She SO will push and paw at a door she thinks contains more interesting activities! I have to learn how to get her inside when it's time to stop playing without chasing her or getting frustrated. Lol I have just never had to deal with that behavior so it's new to me! lol. Wish me luck!


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Admittedly a little frustrated with her last night. I came home from work and she just shredded her bed in her crate. stuffing and fluff everywhere. Deep breaths ensued.. no scolding. Calmly let her outside to potty with Titan. Watched them and all was calm.. she was happy to be out of her crate. Brought them inside to clean it all.. cleaned it.. then played with them separately. So no bed or anything for Miss Lucy... a blanket and a bed destroyed.. she clearly can't contain herself.

Anyways, that evening we went out for a potty break. As fate would so have it... Lucy found a ball.. I swear.. they just appear out of nowhere. Anyways.. Since she is so good at keep away, she wasn't going to let me have it, but now Titan wanted a ball because she had one.. so stupidly, I gave him one.. Well Lucy had to have that one too. She didn't get aggressive but just kept taking whatever ball he had and wouldn't be satisfied with hers (as they never are, I know this). Well I let that really get under my skin for some reason. I decided to leash her out back and play with Titan, just a few throws, without her being allowed to chase him down and snap in his face (which is what she does). She did ok actually. Once she sat down and just watched I put Titan in a down stay and played fetch with her for a few throws and switched off like this every few throws. Eventually I was able to hold her leash, throw a ball for Titan, then when he was on his way, throw a ball for her and she wouldn't mind him because she was getting hers.

NOW that probably wasn't the way I should have done that. I realize this. And I realize I have had a moment like this before where hindsight is 20/20. Nothing ensued except for me being very annoyed.. realized that this is probably why everyone keeps telling me to take it slow and just have about 2 weeks of nothingness... but there I went again, thinking I could do it sooner. *shakes head* 

Later in the evening, she made several attempts to hump Titan. I had half a mind to let it happen so that Titan could snap at her.. since that's the only thing that would really set him off and make him want to correct a behavior. BUT I thought better. I don't know her still and don't know how that would have escalated so I just said "Lucy! No!" every time and she backed off. Just frustrating. I have never dealt with some of these behaviors before so I am trying to figure it out too without losing my mind.

However, this morning Miss Lucy did pretty well with our routine, I was fairly impressed. She did get me up at 0400 to go potty.. I think she wasn't ccomfortable in her crate without the bed, but she did that to herself. But later, when I actually got up for the day, she stayed out of the kitchen while I got her food, which never happens. I always have to direct her out a few times. Then when I picked up her bowl to put it in her standing thing, I normally have to direct her toward her kennel and say "go to bed" but before I could say anything, she just ran to her crate and sat and waiting. I still said "go to bed" and "wait" for consistency, but that was neat. She waited until released to eat. Cool start to the morning. 

Anywho.. another Lucy Saga in the works. Hoping this evening brings some sort of positive vibes with her. I wish she could be the same dog outside house that she is inside. I love inside Lucy, just wants loving, pets, and to be next to you. This I can handle and even like about her. It's like she switches something on or off when she gets outside and I lose my patience with her. 

Sorry this one is a little more of a downer.. feeling a little overwhelmed this morning.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

You are overthinking everything. Take the two weeks to get to know her. Make a list of behaviors you don't find acceptable then work on each one individually. It's going to be a learning process because she is a new dog. No dog is perfect as is no owner. None of her behaviors thus far are over the top, she seems like a really good dog that is adjusting.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

What Lisa said!!Try to relax and enjoy the journey.I think you're doing great!


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

Whitney the throwing balls in turns I did for alot of years as with Daisy and Lucky. Lucky was the issue and Daisy only wanted to play ball when he played.Lucky was my ball posiessive one.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Thanks guys, I don't know what has gotten into me. I am always the positive uplifting one and for some reason I am more doubtful in this situation than ever before. It's tiring.


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## glowingtoadfly (Feb 28, 2014)

Two dogs can be really hard.


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## CindyMDBecker (Feb 22, 2013)

I brought a rescue into the mix last April. I can honestly say the most frustrating part of it all was having my comfortable routine interrupted. Looking back I can see that was what got to me the most ... for years we had everything worked out. Everyone knew the routines. It was easy to relax. But after bringing home the 3rd? Chaos. Everyone on edge. Starting all over & feeling like "What. The. Heck. Did. I. Do?!?!" And honestly? It all comes together. Slowly but surely. Consistency makes all the difference. We still have daily (sigh) eyebrow-raising moments but everyone settles when told to. I love the 3 I have. You are doing great ... it's still VERY new. Keep posting & the awesome members here will surely guide & encourage you. Your dogs are beautiful, BTW.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

glowingtoadfly said:


> Two dogs can be really hard.


Funny enough I have always grown up with more than one dog, but I guess the tables turn when you are the sole care taker. Oh the life lessons. 



CindyMDBecker said:


> I brought a rescue into the mix last April. I can honestly say the most frustrating part of it all was having my comfortable routine interrupted. Looking back I can see that was what got to me the most ... for years we had everything worked out. Everyone knew the routines. It was easy to relax. But after bringing home the 3rd? Chaos. Everyone on edge. Starting all over & feeling like "What. The. Heck. Did. I. Do?!?!" And honestly? It all comes together. Slowly but surely. Consistency makes all the difference. We still have daily (sigh) eyebrow-raising moments but everyone settles when told to. I love the 3 I have. You are doing great ... it's still VERY new. Keep posting & the awesome members here will surely guide & encourage you. Your dogs are beautiful, BTW.


Thank you Cindy. I appreciate the encouragement. I think that the routine part is a good bit of it. Not to mention that we just found out we were pregnant when we were in the adoption process for her. So of course now that's all I'm thinking about and wondering about. Just a lot of changes at once. Not only that, I now question "what if I can't fix these problems? What if I don't have the skills, and now the energy?" Not over thinking or panicking like before but since learning I am pregnant I have to ask the questions now. 

Part of it too is that it was decided before getting Lucy, that the new dog would be my responsibility. My husband loves dogs as in he likes the animal and to pet them but he has no desire to be responsible for one. He has never wanted that responsibility. So most of this falls on me. He will help feeding, picking up the yard, and walking when his schedule permits, but anything else is really on me. I knew this coming into it which is why I asked so many very specific questions, knowing the type of dog that I could handle.. turns out it's never what you expect and I overestimated the rescue's ability to correctly identify some behaviors I didn't want. Example, being the "bullying" during play, to them was just rough play, and since other dogs let her get away with it, they just called it rough play. 

Anywho.. We'll see how she does over the next month. I am hoping she and Titan begin to bond as hoping she starts bonding with us. I am doing my absolute best to not overthink. It is very new to both her and me... and for whatever reason I didn't expect some of these challenges so I am having to learn too. 

Thank you again to you guys for giving me advice, being honest with me, and encouraging me. I truthfully did not think this would be a hard situation for me to handle.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Ok.. so on a good note!

Last night and this morning went really well. Last night was actually one of the most peaceful nights we have had. All had separate play and attention, husband was finally home so I taught him how to do dinner for them with the new routine. He was used to Titan just knowing to go to bed when we grabbed his bowl.. now Lucy is learning so she needs an extra direction or two. Also teaching the hubs how to correctly give a command without getting angry if she doesn't listen. He is learning too  Then it was just laying around for a while. That was nice. One of my most favorite things about her is that she can settle in the house. She is a little needy with attention, but once you stop petting her and she gets the idea that's it.. she just finds somewhere to lay down and stays there. Isn't much for following you, unless you make it interesting which is different. but I don't mind it. lol.

This morning, our biggest success was breakfast!!! She went straight to her bed without me telling her to when I started to pour her food!! That was so exciting!!! She is so smart and is learning so quickly! She went from in your face trying to eat the kibble before you put it down, to now waiting... anxiously, but still waiting, lol. I only had to correct her once because when she went by herself to the bed to wait, I said "good girl" and she got excited and started to come to me, I just said "no, go to bed" and she did right away. But I'll take it! Yay! Now we are just resting while they digest and then we will play and expend some energy before I leave for work. Yay for starting the day off right


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Wow Whitney, so happy its working out! Love the way she lies on her bed, you can call it the 'Lucy down'. Have fun!


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Thanks Deb! She is a cutie.. thank goodness for her


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Just a little update.. 

Miss Lucy has been doing much better and I am feeling a bunch more comfortable with things and more confident in my abilities with her. 

We had a really great breakthrough today! No snapping and barking in Titan's face today or yesterday annnnd I was able to throw a ball for Titan with her on a leash and she just sat watching. I switched off doing this with her then letting her get a ball when Titan was in a down stay.. With my husband outside, I decided to try throwing the ball for Titan and not hold the leash. She stayed with me the first time. Then realized she could go with him.. and she just ran along side him there and back.. not snapping, no barking. There was lots of praise and I ended it shortly after on a good note. 

I don't plan on doing this every day right now, I know I am supposed to be waiting a couple weeks, but felt like it was the right time. She has been SO responsive with me the last few days I just felt confident that it would work well.. We will continue with the majority of the time over the next week or so, just being calm but I like the idea of throwing that in there too, doing it the right way. I am very pleased right now and am glad that I can finally see a good potential in that area. Yay!


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

She's really coming along!She's figuring out how she fits in with her family.A pat on the back for you


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Thank you  I owe it to you guys and a few behind the scenes folks who have been helping me not freak out lol. Breathing is a good thing 

Another cool thing... now when I pick up her bowl to feed she runs to her crate to wait  Without asking!!!!


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Man what a crazy and emotional few days it has been.. no help from the extra hormones 

Well just because I have been updating everyone up to this point I thought only fair that I let you all know where things are at now. 

Lucy is doing much better Obedience wise. She is learning the routine pretty well. I think it's pretty impressive for only having her for 10 days. She and Titan seem to get along just fine now.. and by that I mean, he just ignores her, and she has stopped snapping in his face when she gets excited, lol. We have been able to play outside at the same time.. just fetch nothing more. Anything more than that she gets a little amped up and the obnoxious behavior starts again.. I made some flirt poles for them both... the LOVE THEM. Man, I should have done this for Titan a long long time ago. She likes that more than fetch and it tires her out a little more. She is still doing well inside.. just lays around for the most part. She is out of her crate at night and in our room and she does great. Snores like a banshee but whatcha gonna do? LOL. 

The only issue we have that we consider an issue was that she nipped at my husband twice now with no reason other than she did not want to get up from the bed she was laying on. She came in from outside, but we needed her in her crate so we said "go to bed" which she knows.. and she avoided eye contact. Then my husband reached down to nudge her and she nipped.. then again.. so we did just grabbed her collar anyways and bring her to her crate and she went in with treats. There was no punishment.. because we truthfully didn't know what to do about that. Let the rescue know and they just brushed it off as "Oh she must have not wanted to go in her crate, she doesn't like it." Um.. what?! No. Unsat. Anywho.. hasn't happened since, but still something we are looking out for. 

Now comes the part I am having a hard time with. Bonding. I know how weird that sounds.. but it's true. I don't feel any connection to her. I certainly don't want anything negative to happen to her, but other than that, I just feel like I'm watching a friend's dog.  makes me sad. Not sure if it's because we weren't expecting her kind of personality so I was prepared for something else or what but it is what it is.. I had a friend over this weekend because she is going to watch her for us while we go on a trip next week.. this trip has been planned and paid for long before we thought about getting Lucy so there's no changing it. Thankfully my friend has 2 mastiffs as well and is very familiar with her personality. She is going to come and stay at my house for 5 days so that Lucy doesn't feel displaced again. 

Anywho, when my friend came to meet her this weekend, the meeting went FABULOUS. SO much better than I anticipated. They are a match made in heaven. Lucy lit up like I had never seen her before.. My friend LOVES her. Absolutely madly in love with her... They played and were inseparable the whole afternoon. She is looking forward to watching her. It was almost heartbreaking because I had never seen that side of her. That's when I realize that I wasn't really bonded with her at all.. *sigh* 

Anywho.. that's where things are at today. I am going home now to play with the pups. Flirt pole this evening!  I'm not sure who has more fun with it, them or me, LOL


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

wyoung2153 said:


> .........Now comes the part I am having a hard time with. Bonding. I know how weird that sounds.. but it's true. I don't feel any connection to her. I certainly don't want anything negative to happen to her, but other than that, I just feel like I'm watching a friend's dog.  makes me sad. Not sure if it's because we weren't expecting her kind of personality so I was prepared for something else or what but it is what it is.. I had a friend over this weekend because she is going to watch her for us while we go on a trip next week.. this trip has been planned and paid for long before we thought about getting Lucy so there's no changing it. Thankfully my friend has 2 mastiffs as well and is very familiar with her personality. She is going to come and stay at my house for 5 days so that Lucy doesn't feel displaced again.
> 
> Anywho, when my friend came to meet her this weekend, the meeting went FABULOUS. SO much better than I anticipated. They are a match made in heaven. Lucy lit up like I had never seen her before.. My friend LOVES her. Absolutely madly in love with her... They played and were inseparable the whole afternoon. She is looking forward to watching her. It was almost heartbreaking because I had never seen that side of her. That's when I realize that I wasn't really bonded with her at all.. *sigh* ......


Whitney,

When I lost my two boys, Rosco and Cesar, 3 weeks apart in 2013, the woman who had rescued my Orick (who was alone with us then once we lost the other boys) told me she had a 5 yr old female that she wasn't breeding any more, and she wanted to re-home her, and that Orick already knew her. Without hesitation, I told her I'd take her, and went and picked her up. She's a lovely girl, all black, but had temperament issues (I think it may be why she decided not to breed her again, lol). Didn't matter, I didn't have a problem with managing a DA girl.

The problems came with exactly what you described with Lucy--after 3 months I felt like I was taking care of someone else's dog, lol. And Jade acted the same way--"Okay, they feed me here, I have a roof over my head, we'll just see how this plays out..."

It didn't help that she attacked my boy Orick once... Notice I said, ONCE. I got that across to her, and she hasn't even come close to that again. 

But I get along with every dog I meet, I mean, they all want to come home with me, you know? So I would have been just as happy to take Jade back, and I think she felt the same way.

However, after she had been here about 8 months, then a year, the bond just gradually jelled. Now, 2 years later, she has to be wherever I am, and she has devised all these little tricks to lure Orick away from me, so she can sit right tight to me and gaze into my face. She is definitely happy to be here, and I love her as much as my boy. So don't give up on a bond with Lucy--it will come!

Susan


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Congrats on your new addition!!! It is very exciting preparing and the anticipation bringing home your new family member. It also can be stressing when you bring them home especially when you have another dog at home and you want them to not only get along but to be good buddies. It is big changes for all and big adjustments. I think when you are less stressed and expectations are not as high you will be able to enjoy her more. Getting some alone time with your her will also give you a chance to bond. You still have to get to know her and that takes time. Strong bonds take time to develop.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I didn't bond with Robyn at first, but now we are inseparable, that is my girl. I think part of it is that you are more worried about her fitting in and are doing all these things at once. You are not enjoying her because you are on edge. You haven't fully accepted her into the family and she feels it. It's tense and you don't even know it. Take an obedience class with her, take her hiking, etc. build that bond and stop worrying about failing. Everything indicates that she is a good dog and just needs some tweaking. Give it time.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Just a thought - how much alone time do you have with your new pup every day? If not much, maybe setting aside 1/2 hour each day on a walk with just you and her will allow a little more ease and simple enjoyment of "that time" between just you two. Somewhere not too exciting, just kind of mellow and easy so it's relaxing and just easy - no push to get them socialized or exercised together.....?


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

So this morning was a little frustrating for me. Had them up and out to go potty and be out for a little bit. Fed them and was getting ready. I always bring them into my room while I get ready.. Lucy has this thing.. call it what you want, puppy brain, stubbornness, trust issues, fear, not sure.. when she knows a command or what you're asking (because she does it 90% of the time with no issue) and she just blatantly doesn't want to listen, she just stands still and avoids eye contact.. she will not move or look at you so long as you are asking her to do that thing she doesn't want to do. "Come here" "Go to bed" "Inside" are her common ones she chooses to not listen to. 

Anywho.. this morning.. "Lucy, come here" calling her into my room, where we go every morning while I get ready. There she goes again just sitting there avoiding eye contact. So I say it again and she won't come. And she does know it.. she listens to it 90% of the time. Well I just walked toward her and called her.. still nothing.. she ran from me. "catch me if you can" not playing that game... so I just calmly walked up to her when she was standing still and got her collar and as I tugged it in the direction of my room saying "let's go" she nipped my thumb. Not hard.. but did make contact. I continued to lead her into the room (I'm sure she sensed my anger at that point, which isn't helpful, I know) I put her on the bed and she laid there like she does every other morning.. and like nothing was wrong. *sigh* 

Did fine the rest of the morning.. puppy brain while playing, distracted by everything.. which doesn't bother me, lol I have gotten used to that. Went straight to her crate when I asked her to before going to work.. and all was normal. 

In the afternoons, she seems to be a different dog.. listens better, happier, etc.. not sure what that's about. I can get she probably still doesn't trust me, it's early and she may be sensing some frustration on my end with things I am trying to adapt to. Anywho... alas, I will try again tomorrow morning to work on my frustration with her and try to understand how to better set her up for success with these things. Maybe start keeping treats in my room for these instances. I just don't want her to think if she acts stubborn like that and runs, then I will go get treats for her... though I know better.. they don't think like that. 

Anywho... could have left this story out, but I am trying to be honest and share what's really going on in my household.. with my first rescue. I am sure I will look back on this thread and chuckle at all the events.. lol. But for now I will just vent/seek advice/work on my peace of mind and acceptance. 



Jenny720 said:


> Congrats on your new addition!!! It is very exciting preparing and the anticipation bringing home your new family member. It also can be stressing when you bring them home especially when you have another dog at home and you want them to not only get along but to be good buddies. It is big changes for all and big adjustments. I think when you are less stressed and expectations are not as high you will be able to enjoy her more. Getting some alone time with your her will also give you a chance to bond. You still have to get to know her and that takes time. Strong bonds take time to develop.


This is true. Trying to remember that and remember that mine and Titan's bond took time.. but it was also different because he was a puppy when I got him. 



llombardo said:


> I didn't bond with Robyn at first, but now we are inseparable, that is my girl. I think part of it is that you are more worried about her fitting in and are doing all these things at once. You are not enjoying her because you are on edge. You haven't fully accepted her into the family and she feels it. It's tense and you don't even know it. Take an obedience class with her, take her hiking, etc. build that bond and stop worrying about failing. Everything indicates that she is a good dog and just needs some tweaking. Give it time.


You might be right about the tense and stress.. it's been a bit stressful.. and I am not sure it helps being newly pregnant and that's now on my mind. I am making an effort to just enjoy her. This morning didn't help, but I'm still trying. 



Stonevintage said:


> Just a thought - how much alone time do you have with your new pup every day? If not much, maybe setting aside 1/2 hour each day on a walk with just you and her will allow a little more ease and simple enjoyment of "that time" between just you two. Somewhere not too exciting, just kind of mellow and easy so it's relaxing and just easy - no push to get them socialized or exercised together.....?


Walking probably wouldn't work right now. She is terrible on a leash and that wouldn't be peaceful for either of us, lol. But I do spend about 20-30 minutes in the backyard with just her almost every day just playing and watching her explore. I haven't taken her off our property yet except for a walk last weekend because I want us to have some time to get to know one another.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Just want to make sure I say this too.. Lucy is a sweet sweet girl most of the time.. a puppy for sure.. but she really has a sweet nature to her. She just wants lovin and to play but it just seems she has not been taught things (as to be expected). I relay a lot of the frustrations more than the victories with her... so I don't want you to think this whole thing is just a horrible experience... sure it's a little more trying than I had expected, but it's not the end of the world. 

Just wanted to add that.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Your pregnant? Did I read that right? If so, congrats to you


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

llombardo said:


> Your pregnant? Did I read that right? If so, congrats to you


Lol, yes.. just found out right about the time we got Lucy.. which I think is what makes things a little more emotional in this case. I snuck it in a post a couple pages ago.. we haven't told MANY people, but I thought it was relevant to why I might be having such a hard time adjusting. 

Thank you!


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Stop...make a list of behaviors you want to fix or teach...List the behaviors here and we will go over them. You are trying to hard.

For example--recall. 

Have treats available. Go to kitchen call her, give her a treat and praise, then tell her to go play. Once she goes, wait a few minutes and repeat. After she continually comes, start treating every now and then. After that use praise and no treats. You can do this from snywhere in the house and it will transfer over.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

llombardo said:


> Stop...make a list of behaviors you want to fix or teach...List the behaviors here and we will go over them. You are trying to hard.


I'm going to PM you.


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

Whitney Congratulations. I think you are on the rigt track w/ Lucy. Everyone says dont show frustration but at times its beyond difficult. Lisa statement about fun with Lucy is really true. It helps build the bond.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Congratulations Whitney!


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Thanks guys  exciting times ahead if I can just get ahold of myself, LOL I know I sound like a nut job sometimes with these posts... I appreciate the continued support and advice.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Oh life's challenges! I was just reading about her refusals. Mine still does that too occasionally. Just in the backyard when she doesn't want to come in. I take two steps toward her and it calls her bluff.

I'm wondering if you aren't encountering stuff from past training fails with her previous owner? Probably doesn't make a difference but could make it a little tougher.

I understand grabbing a collar is a no-no and a drag line should be used as the leash is not seen as a (threatening) direct gripping of the neck. If it is old (learned) behavior, you may have to take two steps back.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Stonevintage said:


> Oh life's challenges! I was just reading about her refusals. Mine still does that too occasionally. Just in the backyard when she doesn't want to come in. I take two steps toward her and it calls her bluff.
> 
> I'm wondering if you aren't encountering stuff from past training fails with her previous owner? Probably doesn't make a difference but could make it a little tougher.
> 
> I understand grabbing a collar is a no-no and a drag line should be used as the leash is not seen as a (threatening) direct gripping of the neck. If it is old (learned) behavior, you may have to take two steps back.


Yeah a friend of mine and I were talking about that. She did have a drag leash on for the first week and she was responding pretty well so we took it off. Thinking she might have to have it on for those times she just doesn't want to listen.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Pregnant wow!!!! Congratulations on you additional addition!!!! I'm sure you must be feeling overwhelmed and lack of patience goes along with that. Im sure your main focus is on other things other then Lucy now also. It is going to work out adjusting to a new dog takes some time to adjust to their different ways. A drag leash is a very good idea and maybe remove her collar when not using drag leash when indoors so you are not tempted to pull on collar. For big dog that pulls on a leash especially that you are pregnant a prong collar should be considered.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Thank you Jenny  For the congrats and the advice! It definitely is a challenging time, and sometimes I feel straight out of control, lol. I am usually pretty balanced with my emotions and good at keeping them in check without getting overwhelmed but this has been a whirlwind experience for me. I think for now the collar will stay on. I just like it because IF I need to grab her for any reason, I don't just have scruff.. she is fine with the collar grabbing until it's for something she doesn't want to do. We'll just have to work on things. She is heavily food motivated so I am going to have to use that to my advantage. I just have to get used to a billion treats laying around for her, lol. Titan isn't even slightly food motivated. He loves treats and has learned to train with them when I want, but all his training and rewarding is toy motivated. Has mad it a lot easier. lol.


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## CindyMDBecker (Feb 22, 2013)

Hey Whitney! Just wondering how it's going? Haven't seen an update. Hope all is well.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

So I have struggled for about a week now on whether to post an update or not on Lucy.. I was scared of what people would think and what kinds of responses I would get, and truthfully wasn't sure I was ready for any of that. BUT because you guys have been very honest and supportive of me through this, I thought I owed it to many of you to be honest with you and share where we are now even if that means I disappoint a few or get a few judgmental posts. 

After much deliberation and discussions, last week, my husband and I decided to go ahead and foster Lucy until the rescue can find her a new home. We realized, while maybe a little late, that this just isn't the right dog for us at this time in our life and we aren't the right people for Lucy. She needs what I don't have to give her right now and as terrible as that sounds, it's the honest truth. I do not think it's fair to keep her in a house that doesn't have what she needs and can't make her a priority just because I feel guilty about making the tough call.

I can certainly elaborate on the decision if you would like (feel free to PM me or ask on here) but that is the decision that seems to be the best for everyone involved. I can promise you that this was not an easy choice to make and it breaks my heart for her. I just know that where we are at in our lives, being newly pregnant and all the changes that are coming, our home is not the best place for her. 

I hope that even if you disagree with the decision you can try to understand it even from a different perspective. 

The good news is that the rescue called me yesterday and said they found a home for Lucy.. the couple apparently applied the week we were going to meet her, but since we were first they had to give us a chance first. They still did a home visit and approved them, but then we took her home. So they called them back and asked about her and they were still very interested. 

They are a retired couple who lives on 3 acres. 1 acre is fenced in. They are home a lot and love the outdoors. They have no children or other pets... it sounds perfect for her. I am writing them a letter.. just thanking them and sharing why I sent them with the things I did and where we were at on training, nothing negative at all. I hope the rescue gives them the letter and doesn't withhold it. I am worried they think pretty poorly of me (in their right). I will send her with a new bag of food, her stand and food bowls, new collar, leash that I got shipped from Europe, Training treats, and her flirt pole I made. 

I want to thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for taking the time to give advice and be supportive with Lucy.. it is the reason I am still a member on this forum. I can always count on people to be the honest sounding board I need. If you do disagree and want to express that, I will take it.. and I understand those feelings as well. 

Thank you again guys.


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

Whitney I think its all a learning experience. You tried and found out what unfortunately you cant know until the dog comes to live with you. I think the right second dog is out there for you. One other thing the rescue knows more now about Lucy and you can help the new folks with what you have learned.


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## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

Best to you, difficult decision and only you and your husband are in the place to make it.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

I believe you're doing the right thing.The information you were given about her manners and temperament were not accurate to begin with.She's not an easy dog and you just have too much going on to give her everything she needs right now.She'll have a much better chance for a successful placement because of your efforts and being honest with her new family.I'm thinking of it as a success story for Lucy,not a fail at all.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

It's all good Whitney. Your story has a beginning, a middle and a very happy ending.

I'm sure you agree, the sad re homings are when there's a long time bond with owners or the dog is going back to a kill shelter or possible an unfit home. None of that here. 

Good job for doing what's best for your family and Lucy.:hug:


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

You have to do whats best for you and your family and you have a baby on the way. It is good you decided sooner then later to rehome Lucy. It is always not the perfect fit. You did the right thing to contact the rescue they should not have any bad feelings toward you at all. Even though it was not the ending of the story you set out to achieve regardless this story does have a happy ending with help from you


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Congrats on your pregnancy! That's so exciting! 

Sorry things didn't work out with Lucy, I have been following this thread and I was hoping everything would work out for you. 

I think you made the right decision.

I have a question though, hope you don't mind, do you think that maybe the Boerbol breed might not be the right breed for you? I know they are a much more challenging breed than a GSD, do you think that maybe that kind of dog just might be too much for you right now?

Sinister was my 1st actual dog out on my own, he was a breeze to raise and train and was always on his best behavior. He was/is a very easy dog to live with. But every dog after Sinister has been more challenging and unfortunately I had to experience/train/live with and "go through" a couple of dogs before I found another good fit for my life (my Dalmatian.) I would like to own an Akita and a Doberman someday but I don't feel like I am exactly ready for that kind of dog yet. Is there maybe another breed that is similar to the GSD that you might be interested in? Maybe try a different breed before trying another Boerbol? 

I don't mean to offend you and I really am sorry if my post does.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Not everyone can deal with an energetic/untrained/young/issue ridden dog and a baby....that is a fact of life and unfortunately the dog usually will be the one to need a new situation.....often it is really the best thing for the dog IF a home is available that is more suited TO THE DOG.

I sold a puppy several years ago - pick male from a terrific litter - to a person who had always wanted a GSD, was already attending an IPO club to learn about the breed and what it took to do the sport etc. They went to club about 6 weeks with the pup and quit when the trainer wanted to put a prong on a 4.5 month old puppy....just planned to do some AKC classes and go back when the pup was older.... I had that terrible accident - got some nice messages from the owner but got an uneasy feeling....then they were expecting, and his job changed and he was back in school for an MBA - so the dog came back when the baby was three weeks old - he chased their cats, he was crazy in the house, he would stand at the door and cry when put out in the back yard to "exercise" alone.....they were afraid he would knock the baby over when she started to crawl in his exuberance

so he came home.....I kept him for a year....then a good friend needed a competition dog, and I needed someone more physically able than me to title the dog...he now lives with my friend, has 2 kids for friends and will be competing in IPO this year with a top notch experienced trainer....he gets more fun from like than they could give him, and more than I could do...the dog is in a terrific situation for HIM....I miss him, maybe someday in a few years he will come back to me to retire as I still actually own him (co-own) 

REHOMING IS OFTEN THE BEST THING FOR THE DOG TOO!!!!


Lee


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

First, I just want to thank you guys for your support. It was truly one of the hardest decisions to make. Going through this week I have gotten even more clarity that we are just not right for HER just as much as she is not right for us.. whatever that means. Hind sight being 20/20 if we ever rescue again, I will do a local rescue where I can meet the dog over the course of a few days and see how they are.. maybe even foster to adopt. I have learned a lot from this experience, it's humbled me and made me realize that things aren't always as cut and dry as it seems.. 



LaRen616 said:


> Congrats on your pregnancy! That's so exciting!
> 
> Sorry things didn't work out with Lucy, I have been following this thread and I was hoping everything would work out for you.
> 
> ...


Absolutely not offense taken! Promise  This is actually a conversation that I had with my husband and my best friend. After some time, and interactions, I have come to the conclusion that they are not my dog. I love them.. I think they are a stunning breed and wish I could be their person, but I am not. 

I have already talked to my husband about our next pup (YEARS from now, I assure you, lol) and it's going to likely be a GSD pup from a breeder. My hubs, who isn't really a dog person.. for some reason didn't want another GSD, just thinking he wanted a dog that is a little less maintenance. After having Lucy I can honestly say he has a whole knew appreciation for Titan and the breed.. and even said GSDs might be our breed. Titan has a lot of energy but he's 6 years no and has really started to be chill in the house and use that energy specifically when training or playing. He has found the "off switch," and I think we thought going with an older Boerboel (meaning just not a puppy puppy that it would be similar) but lesson learned and we basically have said we are not mastiff people and have put that to rest. 

Right now we are just going to put the second puppy idea on hold for a good minute and enjoy Titan in his calmer age  with our new baby. And thank you for the congrats!! We are very excited!


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Just wanted to give one final update (unless something crazy happens, lol)

Lucy went to her new home this weekend. We took her a few hours north and the rescue picked her up to help with transport. She went to her new home, officially on Sunday. Crossing my fingers the are in love with her. She deserves to loved the way she loves her people.

It was a little hard for me, still, driving home without her. But going through the rest of the weekend without her and thinking about it, this was the best decision for her and our family. I am just praying it sticks with the new family and she finally gets her forever home.


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