Hi all, I've been lurking around thise site reading post and looking into breeders for about 3 months now trying to learn as much as possible about german shepards and SCH training. well today my heart got the better of me. I took some old junk to the local fle market to try and get rid of and when i was about to leave i saw three old guys carrying a gsd puppy, so i asked if i could pet her and they said they had sold all the other puppies and were about to take this one to an animal shelter!!!! Everything i've learned about picking puppies, genetic prey drives, and bite holds went out the window.

I told them i would give them $35 for the dog, and they took it. The dog is really skinny but they told me not to worry they had fed her peanuts so she should be full..... omg.... So i went by petsmart and bought all the essentials along with clicker, treats, kong, and tug. I'm thinking, if she works out for sch it would be a amazing but realisticly prob not. and if not then she can go to live on my dags 5 acres (he already said he wanted her)
so i know i'm going to have loads of questions as i already have some now...

I have a 13x7 dog kennel in the back, i put the dog in it so i could get some sleep before work tonight. she litteraly screamed non stop for hours. I eventually went and got her out and put her in a small crate with a towel over it in my closet but same story... is this normal for a puppy to scream for HOURS on end? I've only had her today but i tried to bring out her prey drive by playing with a rag with her and she couldn't have been less interested. could this be because of new enviroment etc.. or is it a lost cause?

Jamey,

The screaming is normal. Hopefully it will end before you get used to it

Put her in the crate, put the crate in the opposite end of the house and get some ear plugs. We turned on a radio when Hans was a pup. I don't know if it really helped, but it made us feel like we were doing something.

Set your alarm for 2:30 AM and 6:30 AM. Take her out to potty before you go to bed, then again when your alarm goes off. Flip the hours if you work at night

Take her to the vet as soon as you can and have her checked out.

I don't know about chasing the rag. As far as I can tell, Hans was born chasing a ball. Others can advise you there.

I don't know if she is a good working prospect or not. What I do know is that she is yours. Have fun with her and give her a good life.

So much depends... how old is this puppy? Did you get a birthdate?

I agree with taking her to the vet. Make sure to get a fecal to test for the usual suspects.

A normal healthy puppy will scream just slightly louder than a abnormal sick puppy and until you're sure I would error if it were my rescue on the side of coddling. Once you get the clearance from the vet get some earplugs and an I pod. Put the crate in a different room from where you are (I like the basement bathroom) and be firm about not so much looking at the crate, acknowledging the screaming (do not tell the dog to shut up), and let the puppy out when it's time for potty, walkies, quick play time then back in the crate. In my house puppy crate time is a neutral event and I've yet to have one not able to sit quietly in one after the age of 3-4 months.

Have fun with your new puppy, she's in a better place with you.

Hi, Jamey-

Congrats on your new puppy. When I got Kodee, I put him in a crate in the kitchen at night (and anytime I couldn't watch him like a hawk for potty training reasons), and instructed my family not to so much as make eye contact with him when he cried to get out. It worked like a charm. By the end of the 2nd night, he was quiet unless he needed to potty. By the end of about the 2nd week or so (when he was really used to the crate), I moved the crate to the living room, so he could watch the family interact, even when he was crated (at night he wouldn't be keeping us away by this point). We had a baby gate up for the kitchen already (I have 3 small kids), and I kept him with me when I was in the kitchen, so he could get exercise (our kitchen is big for a little puppy!) and I could watch him (potty training!) and keep him separate from the kids. Plus, if he had an accident, he was on linoleum instead of carpet.

He's 15 mos old now, and we don't really need a baby gate for the kids now, but I keep it up for the dog. Our kitchen is now his "crate", and we don't have the regular crate set up anymore.

Take him to the vet asap as the others said. As far as trying to get your pup interested in the rag, since you just got her, and she may have worms or whatever else, AND she's trying to figure out a ton of other stuff (new environment, the crate, her new pack, etc), she's probably pretty overwhelmed. I'd offer to play with her with other things in addition to the rag, and praise her when she shows interest, and say nothing if she doesn't. My pup has high prey drive, and will stand on his head to play catch, frisbee or tug, but he wasn't too interested in anything but chasing his own shadow (and my shoe laces)occassionally the first couple of days I got him.

Have fun and enjoy your new friend!

Give the new pup time to settle in before trying to tell what kind of drive she has. From your post you've had her for a day that's not enough time for her to get herself settled and be comfortable in her new environment. Not sure why you would ask if it's a lost cause for her drive wise after only one day with her. Give her a chance.

She's probably come from a pretty rough beginning and is not at her best right now.

Your first few days should be very low key and concentrating on bonding with your new girl and helping her settle.

Have you read any of the Free "E books" on this site?
Here are a few that you should look into:
http://leerburg.com/ebooks/puppygroundwork.pdf
http://leerburg.com/pdf/q-apuppies.pdf
http://leerburg.com/philosophy.htm

take a look and read them. And like someone else said. Just have some fun with her for the first few days.

Yesterday she was playing with her littermates, her mom checked in on her occasinally, and she got some attention and food from her breeder.

Everything she ever knew was taken away all at once. She was alone, on unfamiliar bedding, in an unfamiliar box. Wouldn't you cry too?

I agree with everything already said. Vet visit, earplugs... You set the tone of the relationship now. She will probably quiet down if allowed to snuggle in bed with you, but you're likely to have worse long-term issues if you do allow that.

thanks for all the advice guys! wil try and take a pic of her today to add to my postings! She is already having quiet moments from time to time in the crate. The man that had her said she had been wormed but no shots yet. I've read many of the ebooks but i'm going to reread the ones you suggested as now they actually apply and i'm sure i'll learn loads.

He had her wormed, but never bothered to buy real food (peanuts!).

I'd get her checked out.