Im somewhat new to the forum. I have listed questions on here two other times and was happy with all the information I receieved.

I fianlly got my GSD puppy on Saturday night, the day before Easter. Caesar which is his registered name, and Kane to the rest of us is 13 weeks old. Hes a big boy, weighing in at 33 lbs, I though he would be a little plump but in fact he looks normal maybe a little on the thin side which is good since over feeding would be a problem. Hes strong and big boned, I couldnt believe the size of those feet!

Anyway, hes a good boy. He hasnt had any acidents so far and lets me know when he needs to go poty. he barks at the door to go out to potty. He follows me all over the house and dont like to be left alone. Whice I can understand even more so since he is new to he family. I also crate him at different times of the day to reinforce is already started crate training. He will cry for a few minutes before settleing down. I have a question though. He gets plenty of exercise and is taken for walks and we play outside.

Right now I have a line that runs across my yard and a line that alows free movement back and forth on the line... like a clothes line sort of. So Kane has access to the whole yard. The reason for the line is that my fence has areas that need repair and I dont want to take any chances on him getting out. When I put Kane on the line he has a fit. He pulls and barks and cries and flops around fish. I know he wants in the house but I want him to be able to spend a littl time outside exploring, playing, entertaining himself, even if its for just a half hour. Am I doing something wrong? Is there anything I can do to get him used to being outside by himself?
Even if Im out there with him once I latch the line he darts for the door. He hasnt been tied up and forgotten ever so Im not sure if this behavior is because hes not used to being outside more, or if Im expecting too much of him. He knows the basic sit and down right now, which Im proud of since Ive only had him for two days. Also since he is in the house most of the time he definately needs some manners but I dont want to do corrections since I may further train im for either Shutzhund or PPD. Any info or oppinions or insight would be a great help.
Also I have him on the food the breeder had him on and he doesnt seem to eat much, not sure if its being separated from his "old" home or if I just need to give him more time? He only eats about a cup in the morning and last night he just nibbled. Any ideas?

Thank you for any info you have. Even advice on anything else would be appreciated, since Im new to a GSD puppy. My last puppy a doberman was 9 years ago! So Im trying to freshen up on puppy info. Thanks again for any replies.

I can't help you with the tying out...I never have, but I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice on that.

But whatever you do, don't let him get away with being a picky eater. Put his food down for 10 minutes, if he doesn't eat it, that's it till the next feeding. Eventually he'll be hungry enough to eat, although it *may* take weeks. Don't give in, even if he gets skinny! Almost every pup I've ever had was a picky eater at first, Djenga was the worst, but now she'll eat ANYTHING. If I'd given in I'm quite sure she would have had a problem for life!

I am NOT a fan of dog overhead runs.

My advice is to fix your fence ASAP and in the meantime just stay outside and play with your puppy on a leash and go inside with him when you can't stay out anymore.

Otherwise invest in a good dog kennel for outside time.

My 13 week old Terv pup doesn't like to be left outside, either. I have a fenced yard which he is fine with, but when I put him in his kennel run, he howls. I have had him 5 weeks, and have been gradually acclimating him to the kennel - where I eventually want him to stay while I'm at work, instead of in the house in his crate.

Over the weeks he is fussing less with being left out by himself in the kennel, and learning to calm himself. I know that with maturity on his part, and persistence on my part, he will accept it. He even went into the open kennel to lie down in the shade on Saturday morning - all on his own.

Chastity - this is my first pup in 11 years, and I needed a refresher, too! I agree with the other posters about your pup's eating. With mine, he doesn't always finish up in 15 or so minutes, so I do take it up and save it for his next meal. Some days he gobbles up every meal like it's his last, and looks for more. Some days he leaves behind a lot of each meal. I don't worry, because over the course of several days, he is getting enough food. His weight is good - almost 30 pounds for a 13 week Terv.

Well I dont like the idea of Dog overhead runs either but as far as the fence goes, we rent and are waiting for the owner to fix it. Ive thought about a kennel as well but regardless, he doesnt want to be left outside by himself. Even when I let him out with no tie... and just watch him from the door he does the same thing. He will run to the door and paw and whine until I let him in.
I think I will just wait it out like you guys have said, concerining the food and the tie. With me putting him out there everyday he will eventually get used to it, and the food also.

One more question... we have a cat, kitten actually but hes almost 7 months. He is an outdoor/indoor cat and puffs up whenever Kane tries to check him out and then runs from him. This is fun for him and then barks at the cat. They are going to have to get along at some point but Im not quite sure how to haddle it. I have put Kane in his crate while the cat has been in and he barks nonstop until the cat goes out. The can shake, thump on the crate... non of that works. Any ideas on how to introduce them? I dont want Kane to get a scratched out eye!

Also I have tried teaching Kane some basic commands such as sit and down. With me thinking of doing PPD or schutzhund I know there has to be no corrections and pure motivation. But he doesnt seem to want to pay attention. Ive kept our sessions short, and he doesnt seem to have high food drive... wont touch table food!(such as the hotdogs people seem to use) And I cant even get him to eat his dogfood! :rolleyes: So I tried using his toy but unless hes in a good playing mood it doesnt work too well. If I get a choke collar will that be bad for his training? That is a form of correction right? Also he will walk on a leash but pulls like crazy... again is a choker bad and if I shoudnt use one then any ideas on getting him to walk a little calmer? Thanks for everyones input!

wow sounds like you got a little handfull there! Ok first we have to get a hold of what you mean when you say "no corrections" ... I'm raising a mal for schutzhund and believe me she gets corrections for naughty behaviour (a good shake for really naughty but then a cuddle afterward <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> ) ... her breeder and trainers also correct her littermates ... dont get correction confused with punishment. My girl works for the reward of toys and treats, and she's virtually teaching herself good behaviour to get them! Remember, ignoring a bad habit wont necessarily make it go away.
Dont let the dog be a brat. It has to learn that you are the "top dog". The dog eats what it gets, and if it doesnt want it, take it away. Maybe take a look at the food too (not all breeders are good dietitions) Highly reccomend the raw diet Ed uses, or good quality kibble. The dog will not let itself starve!
I think you need to ignore your dog more and teach it to WANT attention from you. A dog that will only play when IT wants, holds its rank above yours in the pack. Take away the toys and food, leave a munchy instead for teething. Put the crate outside and leave him there to get used to being crated, and being outside alone. This way he wont damage himself or become collar shy on the line. If he's really annoying partially cover the crate with a blanket. More outside time, cos he's gonna work for the reward of coming inside too! Its going to take a couple of weeks, dont feel too sorry for him. I know I sound harsh but its better to get him over this now then when he's a REALLY big boy and you have to resort to more extreme measures or equiptment. He's not going to hate you, trust me. I've helped people train pups and none of the dogs have ever come out hating the owner for the treatment they have received <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Treat the dog like other canines would <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> good luck!!

Thanks Julie for the idea of putting the crate outside so he will get used to both. I never thought of that. Any advice about the cat? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
Also do you know what the average hieght for a 3 month old GSD is? Just curious... he seems so big to me!

And I now understand its ok to correst him even if I want him for Schutzhund... as long as its for doing something wrong such as chewing on my kitchen table after ignoring his chew toys and "no/ phooie." But correcting him for not sitting when teaching the sit command I understand is completely different. So a choker is ok to use. I also notice that he will seek out socks and when I go to him to take them from him he runs but doesnt give a fight... just gives them up with no problem. Maybe I need more toys? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> He has a Nylabone, and a pig ear, and a "Booda" style stuffed animal and a ball. I was thinking of rolling up a rag for him but I want to make his toys special at least a few of them so that he gets them for being good or doing something right. Also does anyone else have a dog that curls their nose at "people" food? I mean I dont want him to eat table food but I just was amazed that he refused a hotdog, plus when my 15 month old son throws his food on the floor he could care less. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Which is a good thing but I was just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience. Will he always be this good with food I wonder? Or just a faze? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Again thanks you for all the help, everyone!

Skin the cat and make a dog pillow out of it.

Problem solved


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if you're planning on doing schuzhund with the puppy, you need to watch the "Drive, Focus, and Grip" video. This will solve your problem about the puppy not wanting to pay attention to you. Most puppies won't work automatically, anytime, for a toy...sure, they'll want it when it's convenient for them, but you need to BUILD up his drive, so that toy is the most wonderful thing in the world to him, and he'll do anything for it.

If the pup doesn't have a lot of drive in the first place, it's very important to do this when they're young, or else the pup may never learn properly.

http://leerburg.com/pupbite.htm
This may help.

As for the cat...we had a kitten, too, when we got our puppy. But he LOVED to be chased and would run around the house, and if Djenga didn't chase him he'd run over and pounce on her head, which of course made her mad and she'd go chase him. Anyway, I guess not all cats are as good with dogs as him. I'm not sure if this is the right way to go about it, but this is what I'd try.

Since the cat still has his claws, maybe you can get some of those plastic caps for them so he doesn't scratch the dog up? I would just put them in a room together...put a leash on the dog, and if he goes after the cat, pop him. You might even want to let him get close to the cat and get swatted at, a lot of dogs get the hint then. Eventually he should start to lose interest, for then. Try doing this for a few days but don't let him see the cat otherwise. When you think he's good, have the cat loose again but still have the pup on a leash, and pop him again for any chasing. It might take a while, but he should figure it out eventually.

What brand of food are you giving him?

I will try that with the cat...he didnt bark and go after the cat the first time they met, Kane just wondered who he was, so Im sure since the cat ran from him, Kanes prey drive kicked in and now he wants to chase him. He does have drive when I play with him but not as much as I would like so yes I will send for the video.

As for the cat fur pillow... :rolleyes: the cat was a gift for my daughter so the cat will be staying in one peice. I like cats but Kane is a much bigger investment. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Ok now the dog food. Right now hes on Nutro brand dog food. And I know what most if not all of you are thinking!!! YUCK! But I didnt want to change his diet the day I got him. What if he got the poopies from the change? And not knowing how well he was potty trained I figured Id give him a week on the old stuff and switch him gradually over the next week or so. At Petco they dont have alot of good quality food, but there is Royal Caenid (I dont think its spelled right but Im sure you know which one Im talking about.) Thats one of the most expensive there. Is that ok?
I did see a brand of dog food... I cant remember the name but I now it said something about all natural... and it was breed specific. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> This is the first time I had see a dog food that was breed specific. It actually said for German Shepherds. Is this another ploy just to sell the food or is it any good? Anyone ever see it? They had all sorts of bags with different breeds.

Last night Kane was very restless. At around 2:00am he was whinning alot so even though he normally dont go potty at that time I let him out. He did go but thats not why he was making a fuss. I returned him to bed and he tossed and whinned for a while before finally settling down. This morning when it was time to get up again he was restless which of course it was potty time but when I gave him water he drank the whole bowl like he was thirsting to death! Last night was the first night I picked up his water for the night, around 9:00pm at that so it was late to begin with, but we went to bed around 11:00. Well at 2:00am thats what he was wanting I imagine. So should I just ignore him or should I let the water stay down. He hasnt had any accidents yet, but that doesnt mean I dont worry about him having one next time... so might as well do what I can to prevent one from happening if I can. Also he seems to eat well in the morning but not really at night. Is it ok to feed him just in the morning? I know he should be fed more than once a day at only 3 months. Has this worked for any of you?