Is your dog's unusual barking a secret code for something mysterious?

[millymollymandy]

Hi my other half has been after getting a german shepherd for ages like his parents.

 

I am more of a cat/chicken person but after his parents went away for a fortnight i really enjoyed looking after their dog and walking her.

 

The problem is he is very keen on getting a puppy and training it himself from the beginning. Neither of us have any experience with puppies and i have never had a dog and i am in no doubt that it will be a lot more work than dog sitting a well behaved older dog.

 

Am I mad to let him talk me into getting a puppy or should I stick to my guns and insist on an older rescue dog even though that could be problematic itself.

 

I need words of wisdom from those with experience of raising puppies as to how much attention and care a puppy needs and how much it could potentialy wreck my home.

[chelsea]

Hi there.

 

We are on our 3rd German Shepherd and adore the breed . They are very loyal dogs, particularly protective of their "pack". You probably already know that any sort of puppy is going to be demanding regardless of breed, you need to weigh up the pro's and con's of puppy versus rescue really. A German Shepherd needs to be well socialised whilst it is small, as we are discovering from our current rescue dog as otherwise it will lead to all sorts of problems later in life.

 

I think I would consider a rescue......there are loads of 1-2 year old GSD's currently in rescue and they would match a dog to your requirements. When Bracken our beloved GSD died in January we really wanted another puppy as we had her 11 years, but we managed to find a young GSD in rescue about 10 months old, she's hard work but well worth it.

 

Keep us posted, we love to know about new doggies.

[Lesley]

I know nothing about GSDs - but plenty about getting a puppy when you're really not a dog person!

 

I knew that Carl really wanted a dog and that as soon as we had enough space and enough time then he would have one. I posted on here some time ago now as I was scared of having a puppy! I liked my time to myself.....not being tied..........having a clean and tidy house.........

 

It was hard work and you need time to ensure that you can train the puppy in those vital first few months. As Chelsea says, the socialisation is so important. We made a mistake with Jazz in that she didn't see enough other dogs and we had one on one training when she would have been better with puppy classes. Tali has met plenty of other dogs and goes to puppy training classes.

 

I couldn't have coped with having a puppy having run of the house and so both have been crate trained from day 1. They are happy with that and like having their own space. We have stair gates on most doors and the dogs are not allowed in some rooms. I also use puppy pens that quickly make a penned area - I can keep one dog away from the other or away from any visiting babies. When my sister is here I pen my sister......she's really not a dog person The pen goes round the armchair and my sister hides in there!

 

Holidays are now different in that Carl is joined at the hip to his dogs and they go everywhere with us - we don't fly anymore, which we used to do quite often, but Jazz has been to France with us and was no problem .Both dogs have their passports and Tali will also be coming with Jazz to France later this year. There are plenty of places here and in Scotland and Ireland that we haven't been to yet so we're not going to be missing out. I have managed to come to terms with changing criteria - I always chose places that didn't accept dogs - now it's the first thing I have to look for I was worried about holidaying where people take dogs but we've been lucky so far and cottages have been clean and not smelling of dogs and covered in dog hair - I've coped

 

I never felt the need to have pets and certainly never needed to have a dog - but I wouldn't be without them now - in fact, it was my choice to have a second puppy

 

We had Tali at 7 weeks old and she's now 6 months old - all the really hard stuff is out of the way now - she's ready to take her KC Bronze Award. There's always more training we could do but she knows all the basics.

[Seagazer]

There are pros and cons to both sides. I've had rescues and puppies. It really just depends on what you want.

 

You could always have a look around a dogs home and see if any of them take your fancy. I do recommend spending a decent amount of time with the dog at the home first, not just a quick half hour.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide. We love having a dog in the house, its very empty without one.

[Chucky Mama]

GSD's are the most wonderful breed but you do have to put in lots of work in order to train and socialise them. They are always 'judged' by others as they are large and have a certain reputation with some people so they do have to be better trained and behaved than many other breeds. If a small dog runs up to another dog yapping and snapping people think it is funny, if a GSD did the same it would be dangerous dog and a manace to society (no breed should behave like that but GSD's can't get away with it). When I used to walk mine I would get people with smaller dogs saying 'Is yours OK?' whilst their dogs were straining and snarling on the end of their lead So I my experience you need to have at least 18 months of intensive training to get them trained so it can be time consuming. Once trained though they are fantastic (although horribly hairy, that undercoat never seems to stop falling out how ever long you groom them for ).

[chelsea]

(although horribly hairy, that undercoat never seems to stop falling out how ever long you groom them for ).

 

Too true!

 

They shed hair in copious amounts and although they only moult once a year, unfortunately it lasts for 365 days so your vacuum cleaner will work overtime and it's unlikely that your clothes and furnishings will ever be free of dog hairs again as well as what you are eating/drinking invariably being contaminated with stray hairs. Invite guests to eat at your place and you can guarantee that they will find hairs in their soup as well as hairs stuck to their smart black trousers

[Chucky Mama]

(although horribly hairy, that undercoat never seems to stop falling out how ever long you groom them for ).

 

Too true!

 

They shed hair in copious amounts and although they only moult once a year, unfortunately it lasts for 365 days so your vacuum cleaner will work overtime and it's unlikely that your clothes and furnishings will ever be free of dog hairs again as well as what you are eating/drinking invariably being contaminated with stray hairs. Invite guests to eat at your place and you can guarantee that they will find hairs in their soup as well as hairs stuck to their smart black trousers

 

Yep, I recognise that senario. Furminators are fantastic, have you tried one Chelsea, wish they had have been around when I had my GSD.

[chelsea]

(although horribly hairy, that undercoat never seems to stop falling out how ever long you groom them for ).

 

Too true!

 

They shed hair in copious amounts and although they only moult once a year, unfortunately it lasts for 365 days so your vacuum cleaner will work overtime and it's unlikely that your clothes and furnishings will ever be free of dog hairs again as well as what you are eating/drinking invariably being contaminated with stray hairs. Invite guests to eat at your place and you can guarantee that they will find hairs in their soup as well as hairs stuck to their smart black trousers

 

Yep, I recognise that senario. Furminators are fantastic, have you tried one Chelsea, wish they had have been around when I had my GSD.

 

Yes, we bought one for Bracken about a year or so ago. Well worth the money

[Chunkin]

I love my dogs, my partner is a dog trainer.

I would say puppies are great - but a lot of work (fun work!). The more time you put in at this stage the easier your life will be later. For perfect house training you really just have to put in the time... again and again and again. Same with socialisation. If you are 100% consistent your dog will learn quickly, and GSDs in particular are smart!

 

You can certainly make your life easier by having a crate/cage, which dogs actually love as it's their space to get away from it all and feel secure. then you know that when your back is turned and you are busy with other things your puppy is not getting himself into trouble!

 

Unless you are experienced with dogs, getting an older rescue, particularly if you have a family, can be more problematic as you don't always get the full story from rescue centres (owners don't often tell the whole truth when giving an animal up!).

 

Hope this helps! I had a gorgeous GSD as my first dog many years ago and the dog that grew up with my family was a GSD cross and he was the best dog in the world!

 

If you don't like hoovering everyday, then you could try a furminator type product or one of the dryers that groomers use, we have one of those and it gets all loose hair out really fast.

[The Dogmother]

I can only echo those who have said that puppies are hard work, and it has been interesting seeing Lesley transform into a dog person!

 

Think of it as being like having a toddler in the house all over again, and you'll be on the right track.

 

Lurchers are especially challenging as they are very autonomous dogs and will obey you if they feel so inclined - definitely not for beginners!

 

I hope that you enjoy what ever dog you decide to have.

[Lorimer73]

We have Labradors, a 4 year old Yellow male and a 22 week old chocolate female. We got the male at 10 months old, he was a rescue dog and had not had the greatest start, he is a lovely dog but he did have quite a few issues and was untrained and completely mad, which required a lot of work to sort out. He will always still have a few issues but he is now a really lovely dog.

 

The puppy is easier and harder, she does not have any issues and is eaiser to train right from the start, but she can be monstrous! When I first got her I had to put her outside every half an hour to get her toilet trained, we have laminate flooring, which is easier to pick up chewed bits from and mop up any accidents.

 

Here are a few of the things that she got up to yesterday: 7am Breakfast, 7.15am jump on Sam our other dog and try and get him to play, rush around the house for a bit, into the garden, try and eat Chicken pooh, dig a hole in the border, locate today's treasure to take into the house and chew up on the rug. Then walk with Sam, into the garden again while floors are being mopped, into the house, with muddy feet onto the clean floor. Steal the book that Daddy had left on the cloakroom floor, tear out a couple of pages, steal the top of the lemonade bottle which has just dropped on the floor, quickly chew it so it can't be put back on the bottle! Into the garden again to help Mum build the WIR steal a bit of wood she has just sawn. Back into the house, steal daddy's slipper and pull all of the white fluff out, get chased around the house by Mum who is shouting wait and wants to get the white fluff off me and why would I want to wait, I only do that when we are training and Mum has a treat in her hand!

 

I would not be without a dog though, when they are not there the house feels empty, my sister in law who is not a dog person has bowed to pressure of her children and has just got a puppy, she is really house proud with cream carpets!!?? She is coping ok.

[Snowy]

I agree with what everyone has said about puppies, but would add a bit about choosing your breeder carefully! (apologies if you've already thought of this). Make sure you go to a reputable breeder who has evidence of health checks on the parents and that see the pup with the parents (or at least the mother). Good luck!

[Rhapsody]

Far be it from me to rain on your parade MMM, but this phrase jumped out at me from your post-

 

The problem is he is very keen on getting a puppy and training it himself from the beginning. Neither of us have any experience with puppies and i have never had a dog and i am in no doubt that it will be a lot more work than dog sitting a well behaved older dog.

 

And immediately I wonder who is at home to do the training! If your OH is at home then it will be hard work but it is what he has signed up for, if not then you are going to be landed with the bulk of the training and care simply because you are around more. Do either of you genuinely have the time or inclination for what is involved?

Why does he want a puppy? Sit down with him and do a 'pro's and con's' list of puppy/older dog. It may be that the older dog will fulfil your criteria better. If he has no experience training a puppy how does he know he will enjoy doing it?

There is so much to this, I wouldnt be without my three dogs but each of them was a careful decision (and yes they are a motley crew) there is lots of good advice and support on this forum, I wish you the very best whatever you decide

[The Dogmother]

I agree, and if you're not sure about the puppy thing, then see if you can visit friends who have one so that you can get an idea of what you're taking on.

 

If it's your first dog, then a pup is a big undertaking, and you might be better off with an older rescue dog. It's a bit like someone who's never had chickens getting straight into hatching without any experience.... except that chickens don't wee on your living room carpet, nor chew your best shoes

[Lesley]

I agree with Rhapsody and Claret - it really does need careful consideration.

 

Our plan was that Carl was going to be working from home for 3 days out of 5 and would do most of the training - unfortunately, it didn't work out that way and it was left to me to do most of Jazz's training through the day............and Carl was a rather indulgent father when he was home......we've just about ironed out those problems now (only jumping up - as Carl always caught her paws )

 

I was a bit and miffed at the time as it wasn't what I wanted but I knew if I didn't do the training then we would have problems and I'd become even less of a dog person. Labs are generally easier to train than Jazz was - she's the only non-greedy Lab in the world but the really hard bit only lasts for a few months.

[BeckyBoo]

Well, I've no experience with GSD's and up until Delilah have only ever had rescue adult dogs. But because my son was so little I decided to get a puppy, because no matter what they tell you, you never REALLY know a rescues history and I couldn't take the chance with a rescue and a toddler in the house. So we got a puppy. Never again. Delilah was a very GOOD puppy, she doesn't bark, she was never really bouncy and didn't jump up because she's a big breed, but goodness me, the wee, the poo, the chewing. I was expecting it and we dealt with it because I knew I had to get through that because she was only a baby, but it was flipping hard work. We crate trained her too which was a godsend for her and for us but all the Barbies feet and hands got chewed off, everything got chewed.

 

I reckon getting a puppy should be viewed in the same light as "shall we have another baby?" because for at least 6-8 months the committment is about the same (without the sleep deprivation!! )

 

As my children are now older, as and when anything happens to Delilah, i'd go for another adult. There are so many adult dogs of all ages that need a home, not through any fault of their own, and they will repay all your lvoe and devotion ten fold. The only thing you won't have to train them is to wee in the right place!

 

BeckyBoo

[Seagazer]

Although some adult rescue dogs may not wee in the right place! They don't all come house trained.

[Chucky Mama]

the wee, the poo, the chewing. I was expecting it and we dealt with it because I knew I had to get through that because she was only a baby, but it was flipping hard work. We crate trained her too which was a godsend for her and for us but all the Barbies feet and hands got chewed off, everything got chewed.

 

I reckon getting a puppy should be viewed in the same light as "shall we have another baby?" because for at least 6-8 months the committment is about the same (without the sleep deprivation!! )

BeckyBoo

 

All so very true - the 6-8 months for a GSD would be an underestimation I would put it more at 12-18 as you have to tweek training again when they hit 'adolescence'

[millymollymandy]

Thanks for all the thoughts its good to hear from thoses with experience.

 

The idea of the puppy rather than an older dog is knowing where he came from rather than not knowing the history of rescue dogs and being responsible for all training etc.

 

We don't have kids just animals and the other worry I have is with my cats, they are soppy and spend a lot of time sitting on my lap/ sleeping on my bed. When the inlaws got their dog the cats moved upstairs and never come down unless the dog is out.

I am not prepared to do that with my cats (even though OH would swap the cats for a dog in a second).

 

I know all dogs are different and every dog owner had to start somewhere it is a big undertaking and I want to do it knowing what i'm getting into and not just blindly getting a dog and then regretting it.

[Chucky Mama]

You are very sensible doing your homework. So many see a beautiful adult GSD but don't see all of the hard work, blood sweat and tears that have gone into making that dog what it is. I had 2 friends that fell in love with my old GSD years ago and wanted the same. Neither appreciated that she was as she was because I put so much time into training her. I had no other commitments at the time bar my job and a very sensible older dog that helped me train her. Both had problem dogs as a result of going into it without appreciating the hard work that was required.

[The Dogmother]

rachel is right - it does take time and a lot of effort to train a puppy.

 

Re the cats - it really depends on the breed and the way you train them as to whether they will bother the cats or not. My last lurcher loved the cats to bits and would curl up with them. I am getting there with Ruby (she's 18 months old) but she has a high chase drive and is fine if they are just sauntering through, but will still chase them if they run.

 

If your cats are nervous, you may still find that they will avoid the new puppy - it causes a lot of disruption in a household and cats don't generally like that.

[Seagazer]

I had one rescue dog that was fine with the cats, they gave each other respect. The last rescue dog was thought to be ok but she ended up injuring my youngest cat, he now has a permanent limp. I'm afraid she went back, not just for that but for other reasons too. The only check that they did was to place a cat in the room when we were meeting the dog, the cat ran under a chair and stayed there. She was very interested in it and went ultra alert but because she didn't make a move to get it, they thought she would be ok.

 

Thinking about it realistically the dog was a springer/collie mix so not a good mix with other little furry animals. She also wanted to always herd us and keep us in a room ie. sleeping in the doorway

 

The dog I have now we got from a puppy, she has been brought up with the youngest cat and is absolutely fine, she has a healthy respect for the older cat and they often nuzzle each other.

 

Its swings and roundabouts really. The analogy of a puppy being like a baby is very true.

 

Good luck.

[chelsea]

and a very sensible older dog that helped me train her. Both had problem dogs as a result of going into it without appreciating the hard work that was required.

 

We had this with our 2nd GSD. We had an older rescued GSD (Fern) and then we got Bracken from a pup and Fern helped us greatly with her training.

 

Our current rescue GSD we have been told she is approx 12months, we think she is 9months (ish) but she is still very puppy like, she is very movement orientated (as are most german shepherds) so if you get a rescue this could be a downside to socialising them with your cats. Skye still likes to chew certain things and we walk her 4-5 times a day (one of these includes 1 hour off lead in the field) and she still isn't tired out!!

 

Don't think that I am trying to put you off , German Shepherds are beautiful dogs and with the hard work put in you will get one of the most loyal, obedient & faithful breeds you can get.

[The Dogmother]

I think that the essence of the advice given here is that it's best to choose a breed which fits in with your lifestyle i.e. a GSD if you have the time and physical ability for loads of walks, or alurcher if you want a 'wired' dog who likes short bursts of exercise.

 

Also to bear in mind that your life will never be quite the same again (in the nicest possible way) and that it is rather like having a newborn around the house.

[jomaxsmith]

Just to add my opinion - not all rescue dogs are adults. Boots, our lurcher (whippet x greyhound x bitsa) was 5 months old when he came to us so although we didn't know a lot about his early months, he hadn't been mistreated (aside from general neglect) and he had been well assessed and socialised in a foster home. He even arrived crate- and toilet trained and sleeping through the night - bonus

 

My husband desperately wanted a dog, and I didn't because I knew I would end up doing all the work and, frankly, I couldn't be bothered. Three months on and I'm doing all the work. My husband walks him at weekends. My friends have joked that I may as well have had another baby as I am now so tied to not leaving him alone for more than a couple of hours. I'm resentful that it has cramped my style, so to speak - with my children finally both at school I was starting to enjoy some free time and do some interesting projects. I love my dog and wouldn't get rid of him, but I wish I'd thought a bit more about how it would impact on my life.

 

Jo