Should I get another GSD?

[Misunderstood]

Originally Posted by CynRes

I'm excited. I just met a 1 yr old GSD female at a rescue that I am considering adding to my family. In a few hours I am going to take my GSD to go for a walk with her to see how she reacts.

She was rescued from a shelter and has only been with the rescue for a week. She was picked up as a stray and her owners refused to pay the fees and left her in the pound. While at the pound she did jump a four foot fence (what were they thinking?) but only went to the office to be with the people.

I have never added an adult dog to my pack before. Any advice on things to consider would be appreciated.

Oh she's so pretty. Taking your dog on a walk to meet her not on property that he/she defends is huge. I hope it works out well for you all.

[Debbieg]

How is your male with other dogs?

Has this dog been with a foster who can tell about his temperament?
Often a dog from a shelter or rescue will seem very submissive for the first few weeks in a new home and the true temperament does not come out ntil they are settled in

Benny was 18 months when we adopted Jake who was 11 months.
We ha them meet on neutral territory; a fully fenced school yard. After meeting and playing for about 45 minutes Benny had no problem with Jake coming home. Benny established himself as the leader over the next few days and I watched carefully. They were always crated when not supervised.
They have gotten along great every since.

I hope this works out for both you and the dog. Sad that his family just left him at the pound.

Where is the San Francisco bay area are you? I know a great trainer that could help you evaluate this dog and help the adding a new member to the pack go well. She helps with training dogs from some Bay Rescues and last month was working with a dog who was in Golden State GSD Rescue.

Home

[CynRes]

When I hike off trail with my GSD he meets other male dogs off leash and sniffs a little and we move on. He is a lower energy GSD and neutered. My trainer in obedience and nose work is involved in this rescue and set up the appointment to meet her. I was interested in another mix they have up for adoption but she thinks he is too energetic for my Jake and it might not be a good match.

You hit it on the nose when you mentioned about no one really knowing her temperament since she has only been at the rescue for only a week. She still needs to be spayed and her hind dew claws removed. While meeting her in an outside exercise pen another dog approached outside and she barked a half a dozen times and then continued playing with her ball.

I do have an option of fostering her for a few weeks to see how she works with the family. It seems like such a short time to really see if she will work out since she has been through so many changes, like you said, when will her true temperament show?

I am about 30 min south of San Francisco. I know my trainer will be happy to work with me, but it never hurts to get as much advice as I can and I don't want to be running to her all of the time. Thank you for the information about the other trainer and pointing out that there are great resources.

I am happy to hear of the situations that work out. I know rescuing has its share of issues...mostly the unknown - from what I've read.

I know I have work ahead of me if this goes through...

Thank you for responding

[CynRes]

I'm so sad. It didn't work out with Delaney. She was too uncomfortable with Jake. We went for a few walks and they walked side by side without much interest on either part. Then we went into the pen at the kennel while they each played separately on leash, but whenever Jake would walk past her she would lunge at him and bark aggressively. They said that it wasn't territorial aggression since she hadn't been there long enough. They suspect that there has been no socializing, which of course is a must for the breed. And since the owners didn't care enough to bail her out of the pound, I'm almost positive they didn't invest training time either. I'm bummed, but will keep looking for the right fit. Well, we tried.

[Debbieg]

I am sorry it didn't work out. She sounds like a nice dog. Her whole world has changed and the family she trusted let her down. Maybe some time in foster home will help her gain confidence. She may do better in a home without other dogs.
There are so many dogs in rescue in our area of CA. I am sure the right one is waiting for you

California Golden State German Shepherd Rescue

German Shepherd Rescue of Northern California

[selzer]

I am going to dissent with the common opinion, and make a suggestion.

You have two two year old males. Hopefully they will live ten or more years. When the one goes, the other is likely to follow. We have no way of knowing how these things will play out, but if those boys live to be 12, chances are your 10 year old might also pass around the same time. And, three geriatric dogs to vet is no picnic, as you already know.

My suggestion is to go to a rescue or shelter and give a nine-year-old, long coated shepherd a chance at a great family for her remaining life. In two or three years get the puppy of your dreams. You will have more time to devote to the puppy's needs, as your older boys will be hitting middle age, and well, a good gap between dogs really helps.

Just a thought.

[BlackGSD]

I agree with Selzer. Having multiple seniors is TOUGH.

If I were going to add to a household that already had two 2 year old dogs, I would either look for something 6yo or OLDER, OR I would wait a year or 2 and get a puppy.

[CynRes]

You know, since I've been looking around and researching breeders I am getting closer to stop looking. I appreciate your comments and I am rethinking about adding to my pack.

We lost three dogs in three years, and like you said, it was no picnic.

The house just feels empty and I love the hustle and bustle of dog activity.

I think I will stop an active search and if something comes my way I will seriously weigh the positives and negatives.

There is so much to learn and contemplate. I guess I struggle with over the course of almost fifty years I have never been able to choose a dog based on my wants and needs, but based on the needs of others in the family. Don't get me wrong, my heart was and is devoted to every dog, because I have yet to meet a dog that doesn't take a piece of my heart. I will probably concede and work on being content with my furry companions now.

[Cassidy's Mom]

Originally Posted by CynRes

There are so many variations within the breed which I was unaware of also. I hope to not offend anyone, but this is purely from my ignorance. Do the show line's GSD backs tend to be more "angular?" and the working lines "squarer?"? I prefer the "squarer" confirmation. Please, educate me in this matter.

You can get the squarer conformation in both German show and working lines, what you're referring to is more typical of American line shepherds, which is usually what you'll see at AKC shows. American line dogs also often have more fine boned heads than the German lines.

This is Keefer, my West German showline longcoat boy:





With two 2 year old dogs I'd agree with the others to either wait to get a puppy or to consider an older rescue. I don't know of any good breeders in the Bay Area, we got Keef from Oregon, and Halo we had shipped from Connecticut! She's also a longcoat, but she's West German working lines, with very nice solid structure.

[CynRes]

Your handsome Keefer is exactly what I am looking for. Well, maybe not for now but in a few years. What breeder did he come from in Oregon so I can add it to my research?