Quote:

Right this second i'm willing to give my youngest away for free!

Isn't that about par for the course with high drive dogs?

I'm usually ready to give my young BCs away about once a week. By the time they get to be 4 or 5 y/o it's down to about once a month But my 11 y/o is perfect!!

Will,
I threaten to kill him and he wags his tail and gets all happy, lol

Katie,
you're going to have so much fun with your girl!

 Quote: Will Rambeau

 Quote: Katie Finlay

 Quote: Al Curbow

Right this second i'm willing to give my youngest away for free!

Lol Al! That doesn't sound very reassuring considering I'm going to pick up his sister in less than 2 weeks!

BWHAHAHA......there is *no* reassurance when getting a Fetz grandspawn...

Lol! Unfortunately I believe you!

I am so excited to get her. Thanks a lot to you and Al for your help, and especially to Betty for offering me this lovely gal. Thanks Meredith and Joyce, I didn't want to tell anyone yet before it was 100% for sure. My luck I'd jinx myself.

I'll definitely keep you all posted. And to the OP - once I get my GSD I'll let you know what a day in the life is like

Melissa,
Thankyou so much for your dogs day... That really kind of helps.
Sounds like you train about an hour and a half a day. Are you training for protection? Have you had other dogs that you have trained.
I am so looking forward to having a GS!!
I am ordering 3 leeerburg videos.
I have lisitoned to all of the pod casts!
Melissa, or anyone else do you let other people play with and pet your dog? just wondered, because in the pod cast "who should pet your puppy" he really talks about others not really interacting with your dog. Do other people follow this advise?
Do you let your dog just hang out around the house if you are not training it?
One more question and the first year about how much time is spend in the crate?
Thanks again for all the help.
Laura

1 1/2 hours a day would not take the edge off my dogs at all. Think at least 2x that at the least.

When I have pups, they are in & out of their crate all day long.
With freequent potty breaks, at least every hour when young & 5 min training sessions & play time. I have actually taken young pups out every 45 minutes or less if needed to get the idea of a clean crate & potty outside if I have needed to. And yes they need to go out during the night usually a few times in the first few weeks. Then later 1 or 2 times. I pick up water at about 6pm for young pups. By 4 months most can go from midnight or 1 am until about 5- 6 am.

I allow some of the people that come into my home to interact with my dogs(depends on the individual dog & particular person)....out on the field or out in public my dogs ignore pepople. I don't want my dogs looking to strangers for pets or treats. I want their focus on me. The only time they are allowed to interact is if I tell they to say hello to someone.

My dogs are loose in the house with me when they are not outside. They spend at least 1/2 the day outside in the yard mostly with me. They do obedience & retrieve their balls in the yard & out on the field. They also go to the field to run a couple of times a day. Pups are usually tethered to me when not crated in the house. I would not let a pup loose in the house without constant supervision.

Pups are crated when not teatherd & crated at night & when I am not home. They are not loose(untethered) unitil around 6 months old(for short periods) still constantly watched or crated if I can't watch.

You cannot train your dog in PP. You need an experienced decoy to work your dog. First you need to have your older dog evaluated by someone that knows what they are doing to see if the dog is even suitable for that kind of work. Many dogs are not.

Melissa,
Thankyou so much for your dogs day... That really kind of helps.
Sounds like you train about an hour and a half a day.

Maybe an hour and a half of official training, but realistically the whole time he is out of his crate we are doing some sort of training...even if it is just learning to be good in the house. I am engaged with him the whole morning and evening and I consider that to be training too.

Are you training for protection?
No, I am hopeful that he will be my next agility dog.

Have you had other dogs that you have trained.
No, I have had dogs my whole life. He is my third GSD that I have trained...I also have two others currently.

I am so looking forward to having a GS!!
I am ordering 3 leeerburg videos.
I have lisitoned to all of the pod casts!

Melissa, or anyone else do you let other people play with and pet your dog? just wondered, because in the pod cast "who should pet your puppy" he really talks about others not really interacting with your dog. Do other people follow this advise?

I do allow others to interact with my dogs, but I am not training for protection so I can't comment on what you should do. My dogs are very friendly with my family and friends. When in public, they remained focused on me, but they know the "say hi" command and will politely greet strangers. This is important to me because I travel with my dogs and I need them to be trustworthy in crowds/strange places/etc.

Do you let your dog just hang out around the house if you are not training it?

My dogs all live in the house. With the pup, I do rotate them so he does not become to attached to the other dogs. They are allowed limited interactions, supervised, on a daily basis. They have good house manners and are content to just hang out with me. The pup is learning that I am not always at his disposal and sometimes he has to occupy himself. Making sure I give him a bone or something to do when I do the dishes for example, is helping him to learn NOT to get into other stuff. (Another example of how everything is training!)

One more question and the first year about how much time is spend in the crate?
Because I work, my pup is in his crate about 5-6 hours a day. My older GSDs are no longer crated during the day.


Thanks again for all the help.
Laura
Sure hope this helps!


Edited by Melissa Hoyer (11/22/2010 12:17 PM)
Edit reason: Sorry this was supposed to be in quotes, don't know what happened!

---