New owner, few questions/

[Jessica]

Hi,
Here are a few things about me first.
I am new on this forum and I am new to GSD's. I am getting a puppy next week, he or she is going to be 9 weeks and both are adorable. I currently have 2 Cairn Terriers (1 male and 1 female) and I also have to cats. I live in New Hampshire, USA.

Please bare with me because I have a lot of questions. Here we go...

1. I do not plan on crating him forever but I do plan on crating him at night while he is a puppy to avoid him getting into things. My other 2 are crated all night because even at that age of 5 they like to get into things, that's why I call them Cairn Terrors. I plan on leaving the crate downstairs and I am assuming I can expect some whining, should I let him whine or should I put the crate in my bedroom. My 2 NEVER whined when in their crates but they are in my bedroom.

2. I have read that these dogs are good with other dogs, does anyone have experience with GSD's and smaller dogs and cats? The puppy is probably going to get worn out from my 2 but I am hoping they form a bond from an early age. This is why I am not adopting an older dog, I want the puppy to grow up with my 2.

3. The breeder has informed me that one of his testicles has not dropped yet. There is a deposit on him already from a breeder so if it does not drop by Tuesday he is definitely mine. If it does drop I am going to get the female but I want the male. If it hasn't dropped by now what are the chances it will by Tuesday? My male Cairn's testicle did not drop either so I am aware of the neutering being more of a procedure and the breeder will take $200 off the price to make up for it.

4. I have bought a pin brush, deshedder and a slicker brush for the grooming because I am expecting ALOT of shedding. My 2 do not shed so I will be in for a rude awakening on this one. Any other tools I may need?

5. I work during the day so I am gone about 8 hours. I have a lot of time off in the next few weeks so I can be home with them and then when I go back to work I have a neighbor coming over to let him out. My Cairns are great and love puppies and other dogs so I think I am going to leave them together so the puppy does not get bored. Does this sound OK?

6. How much food do I feed him when he is a puppy and when he is an adult. I know pups eat more and I am NOT an over feeder because I feel over feeding a pet is just as bad as under feeding. As always everything I read is different and I NEVER go by what is on the bag of food. I feed VERY high quality food and I also homecook for mine a lot.

7. What kind of bones do you give your GSD? I do not like rawhide so I was wondering what everyone else gives. My 2 are chewing on bully sticks right now but they wouldn't last a GSD too long. LOL.

I know Cairn Terriers like the back of my hand, I belong to forums and researched them to death. I have done lots of research on GSD's, I know people who have them, I have talked to the breeder, I have bought lots of books, I have even called trainers and I have been reading this forum for months. I have been making the decision to get a GSD for about a year and I am ready now. I do not take a decision to get any animal lightly and I am always in it for the long haul. Pets are not disposable, they are a commitment. I am always open for any more advice!
Sorry this is so long but those should wrap up the questions I still am not clear on.

Thanks so much,
Jessica

[GypsyGSD]

Hi jessica cant wait to see your new addition
as for crateing be prepared to get up in night to let him out he wont be able to go all night without a toilet break , crates have to be a relaxed area always fun not punishment

when you collect him you should be given a puppy pack and the breeder will inform you about his diet needs

I have 3 cats and 2 dogs (1 gsd 1 border collie) all leave in peace lol

Basic training can start as soon as he has settled in in very short sessions

I only give rawhide chews under supervision with a pup , they cannot digest or pass it through if they swallow larger bits, so I cut any soft chewed bits off

hope this helps a bit. colleen

[GypsyGSD]

And to add limit exercise as a young pups bones need to develope so be careful if letting him play to much with your other dogs I think its about 10 mins exercise for avery month of ther age but im sure some one on forum will give you more info if Im wrong colleen

[Wooferhound]

Originally Posted by Jessica

Hi,
Here are a few things about me first.
I am new on this forum and I am new to GSD's. I am getting a puppy next week, he or she is going to be 9 weeks and both are adorable. I currently have 2 Cairn Terriers (1 male and 1 female) and I also have to cats. I live in New Hampshire, USA.

Please bare with me because I have a lot of questions. Here we go...

1. I do not plan on crating him forever but I do plan on crating him at night while he is a puppy to avoid him getting into things. My other 2 are crated all night because even at that age of 5 they like to get into things, that's why I call them Cairn Terrors. I plan on leaving the crate downstairs and I am assuming I can expect some whining, should I let him whine or should I put the crate in my bedroom. My 2 NEVER whined when in their crates but they are in my bedroom.

Crates are a fantastic start to a pups life, they help prevent 'issues' from arising, such as stealing items that aren't theirs to steal, and house training happens more quickly, though this does depend on the individual!

2. I have read that these dogs are good with other dogs, does anyone have experience with GSD's and smaller dogs and cats? The puppy is probably going to get worn out from my 2 but I am hoping they form a bond from an early age. This is why I am not adopting an older dog, I want the puppy to grow up with my 2.

GSD's are excellent pets, though I would urge you to get hold of a breed book or two and get some knowledge, if you are as new to this breed as you say, you will need to be a little more prepared than you are! As for the bonding, there shouldn't be any issues, but each dog is different from the next, as long as you go about things in a positive way, and your two Cairns are 'sound', you shouldn't have any problems.

3. The breeder has informed me that one of his testicles has not dropped yet. There is a deposit on him already from a breeder so if it does not drop by Tuesday he is definitely mine. If it does drop I am going to get the female but I want the male. If it hasn't dropped by now what are the chances it will by Tuesday? My male Cairn's testicle did not drop either so I am aware of the neutering being more of a procedure and the breeder will take $200 off the price to make up for it.

I'm sorry, this doesn't sound fair at all! If you have chosen a male, that is what you should get! If one testicle hasn't descended now, it may stay that way for months...some dogs take a while for them to both appear, my lad was 7 months old when his second decided to make an appearance! If you don't get what you have asked for, and considering you have actually chosen your pup you bally well should, I would go elsewhere to a better breeder! As for castration, even though the second testicle might take months to drop, you don't need to castrate as soon as your vets will perform the op, you can wait until your dog has reached social/sexual/mental maturity, as long as the situation is monitored in the meantime!

4. I have bought a pin brush, deshedder and a slicker brush for the grooming because I am expecting ALOT of shedding. My 2 do not shed so I will be in for a rude awakening on this one. Any other tools I may need?

My initial thoughts on this are to get a nice soft brush to break him in gently to being groomed, and really and truly your breeder should be desensitising your pup to these things AND offer you advice on what they have been using! You may find that you now have too many tools for the job, I wouldn't be overwhelming pup with all these brushes, take it easy.

5. I work during the day so I am gone about 8 hours. I have a lot of time off in the next few weeks so I can be home with them and then when I go back to work I have a neighbor coming over to let him out. My Cairns are great and love puppies and other dogs so I think I am going to leave them together so the puppy does not get bored. Does this sound OK?

I would be keeping my puppy crated in the early days and until you feel you can trust them all to be together, making this kind of decision so early on is thinking a little too far ahead. One of your earlier questions was about bonding, making sure this is sound first will help you decide later. As for leaving them for 8 hours, this isn't something I could ever do, mine get left for a maximum of 4 hours. However, you say you have a neighbour popping in, I would inclined to hire a dog walker, give your dogs more variety than just someone 'popping in'.

6. How much food do I feed him when he is a puppy and when he is an adult. I know pups eat more and I am NOT an over feeder because I feel over feeding a pet is just as bad as under feeding. As always everything I read is different and I NEVER go by what is on the bag of food. I feed VERY high quality food and I also homecook for mine a lot.

As it has been stated, you should received a puppy pack from your breeder, this is one of the most basic things a breeder should provide to new owners...I'm getting a bit worried to be honest!

7. What kind of bones do you give your GSD? I do not like rawhide so I was wondering what everyone else gives. My 2 are chewing on bully sticks right now but they wouldn't last a GSD too long. LOL.

I don't feed rawhide at all, having seen how much damage they can do. Some dogs don't chew, they just suck and swallow, these slip down the throat and get caught, this can be VERY dangerous. Personally, I would be giving a Kong, or similar, a treat ball for stimulation etc.

I know Cairn Terriers like the back of my hand, I belong to forums and researched them to death. I have done lots of research on GSD's, I know people who have them, I have talked to the breeder, I have bought lots of books, I have even called trainers and I have been reading this forum for months. I have been making the decision to get a GSD for about a year and I am ready now. I do not take a decision to get any animal lightly and I am always in it for the long haul. Pets are not disposable, they are a commitment. I am always open for any more advice!
Sorry this is so long but those should wrap up the questions I still am not clear on.

I seriously feel that you need to ensure your breeder is giving you all that you need to start you new life with your MALE puppy. Some of your questions are those that your breeder should have answered for you by now, certainly with a pup of 9 weeks. If in any doubt go back and ask!

Again, as it has already been stated, you should get your pup into training as soon as possible. Puppy socialisation is a great place to start, but get booked in with a trainer that has a good sound knowledge of training and will provide positive, reward and motivational training for your Shepherd.

Good luck!

Thanks so much,
Jessica

Jo

[Jessica]

I actually got him last night and I love him! He is like a little bear. He has a great calm tempermant.
The breeder gave me a puppy pack, with a 30lb bag of the food she is feeding, a soft bristle brush, his papers, his vaccination schedule. She talked to me for over an hour and answered all of my questions.
He gets along great with my dogs and didn't even bother with the cats. He was crated last night, he whined for a little bit but stopped. He whined at about 12:00am so I brought him out to go potty. Then he slept until the alarm went off this morning.

I left him in a pen today with a treat ball, a kong, a big bed and water. My neighbor is going to go over and play with him. It is POURING out today so not much time outside yet.

I have several books already and have done a lot of research for the past few months. Book knowlegde is great but personal experiences from owners are much better, I belong to a Cairn forum and after 5 years with my dogs I still learn more and more about them.

I will upload some pictures later tonight. I named him Dozer.

Thanks again!

[LOVEGSD]

Originally Posted by Jessica

I actually got him last night and I love him! He is like a little bear. He has a great calm tempermant.
The breeder gave me a puppy pack, with a 30lb bag of the food she is feeding, a soft bristle brush, his papers, his vaccination schedule. She talked to me for over an hour and answered all of my questions.
He gets along great with my dogs and didn't even bother with the cats. He was crated last night, he whined for a little bit but stopped. He whined at about 12:00am so I brought him out to go potty. Then he slept until the alarm went off this morning.

I left him in a pen today with a treat ball, a kong, a big bed and water. My neighbor is going to go over and play with him. It is POURING out today so not much time outside yet.

I have several books already and have done a lot of research for the past few months. Book knowlegde is great but personal experiences from owners are much better, I belong to a Cairn forum and after 5 years with my dogs I still learn more and more about them.

I will upload some pictures later tonight. I named him Dozer.

Thanks again!

Aww great news Jessica, congratulations on your new bundle of fur Dozer (great name), I can't wait to see some pics, we do love pics on here

Enjoy him ...xx

[Wooferhound]

Originally Posted by Jessica

I actually got him last night and I love him! He is like a little bear. He has a great calm tempermant.
The breeder gave me a puppy pack, with a 30lb bag of the food she is feeding, a soft bristle brush, his papers, his vaccination schedule. She talked to me for over an hour and answered all of my questions.
He gets along great with my dogs and didn't even bother with the cats. He was crated last night, he whined for a little bit but stopped. He whined at about 12:00am so I brought him out to go potty. Then he slept until the alarm went off this morning.

I left him in a pen today with a treat ball, a kong, a big bed and water. My neighbor is going to go over and play with him. It is POURING out today so not much time outside yet.

I have several books already and have done a lot of research for the past few months. Book knowlegde is great but personal experiences from owners are much better, I belong to a Cairn forum and after 5 years with my dogs I still learn more and more about them.

I will upload some pictures later tonight. I named him Dozer.

Thanks again!

Excellent news! It sounds as though your breeder is on the ball!

Enjoy Dozer and get some pics up...we wanna see him!

Jo