Worried about new pup

[kelina]

Your update ::: your baby is 1! Dont leave your pup and baby unsupervised !
Hmm.. I would say roll up some newspaper and hit him with it so he knows thats your baby and he cannot
bite on 'em like some type of chewing toy.

[Cassidy's Mom]

Originally Posted by kelina

Hmm.. I would say roll up some newspaper and hit him with it so he knows thats your baby and he cannot
bite on 'em like some type of chewing toy.

No. This is very bad advice, hopefully the OP realizes that.

[msvette2u]

I would say roll up some newspaper and hit him with it

Good advice!! If you want your dog to become fearful and cower from you

To the OP - if you haven't already, read through this. It's got good, common sense applications for daily living with a dog and children.

Family Paws-New parent classes dog and baby

[kelina]

Originally Posted by Cassidy's Mom

No. This is very bad advice, hopefully the OP realizes that.

Lmao its really not! Pups are babies right? You dont let your baby do all the things they want.
I sometimes flick my dogs noses, and they still come to me.. I roll up newspaper sometimes and tap their butt with it and they still love me.

[kelina]

Originally Posted by msvette2u

Good advice!! If you want your dog to become fearful and cower from you

To the OP - if you haven't already, read through this. It's got good, common sense applications for daily living with a dog and children.

Family Paws-New parent classes dog and baby

Lol my dogs are not scared of me. She still is always up my butt. I dont abuse her and continue to hit her.. a lil tap on the butt and a firm NO. It works.

[JakodaCD OA]

I also agree BAD ADVICE re: the newspaper.

I wouldn't be worried about the cow hocks, or the clumsy walking/running, puppies ARE clumsy and can be pretty clutzy.

What I would be more worried about is his behavior with your young kids, especially the one year old, getting on TOP of him/her? I'd have hauled his butt off that kid in a flash.

I think you really need a professional to come in and evaluate his behavior/give you suggestions on what to do and not do if you plan on keeping him.

I also wouldn't be letting him around your kids until you can get a handle on his behaviors.

[JakodaCD OA]

kelina if it works for you fine, but tapping/smacking a dog with a newspaper serves no purpose, especially if they are growling at someone which can make the behavior escalate..

Can I ask how old you are? Of course you don't have to say if you don't want to.

[selzer]

This puppy is 3 months old. Yes he is going to potty in the house, at this point that is on you. You need to get him out before he potties, and praise him when he potties outside. Yes he is going to nip at ankles and try to figure out what he should do.

I think if you are afraid of managing a 3 month old puppy, then maybe a GSD is not right for your home right now with little ones. This is a baby. The way these babies play is to growl and fight with each other. That is normal. You took him from a litter situation and substituted human children for puppies, and now he has to be taught what he can and cannot do with your kids.

I probably met your puppy before you got it. I have met both sire and dam. The two puppies I met were fine temperament wise, and the sire and dam both have excellent temperament.

[msvette2u]

but tapping/smacking a dog with a newspaper serves no purpose,

That goes for "flicking" their nose. All you're going to wind up with is a dog that flinches when you get your hands near it.
Hands are for treating/petting/love, not smack/hit/"tap" and the like.
Thing is - you say "oh they are fine" but they aren't. You are eroding your relationship with them.

They are not kids, and do not understand when someone smacks them, why they are being smacked.
How do I know this? Because we get dogs like this all the time in rescue. Flinching, timid messes Dogs aren't naturally flinchers. I can tell which ones were smacked on the nose or butt.

[KotasMommy]

First off, @ Selzer, as soon as I saw that you were from Ohio, I wondered. BTW, I think the world of his breeder and I am not blaming this a bit on her. I trusted her completely and STILL think the world of her but this is the perfect place for me to express my conerns. Kota has seen two vets already. A GSD is exactly what we are looking for and I adore Kota. I brought my conerns here because even though maybe it didnt' look like playing to me, I am new at this, and so I was hoping some people here could let me know, like you did, that is normal GSD puppy behavior. Because Kota has been such a sweetheart, I thought it would be ok to throw some clothes in a hamper, I was gone for a a few seconds literally, but I do not take that for granted now. Kota has been a sweetheart all day today. I was not compaining about him using the potty in the us, I was just informing all of you who I had told previously, he hadn't had anymore accidents indoors. I am thankful for all that have offered advice/opinions so far. I would not hit my puppy because I've read that you should never do that especially to a GSD. He has gotten nothing but love and praise and some firm " DOWNS, NO'S, and OFF'S. He was brought to a loving home, yes with children, because I want them to grow up together. I wasn't extremely worried about him until the VET said he is severely cowhocked and highly suspects HD, which BTW, he will be sedated and xrayed on Friday. I have looked up all I can on the sire and the dam. The sire checks out with flying colors. Oddly, the only thing I CAN'T find on the dam is her hips. Odd yes, but because I know the integrity and the amazing dogs his breeder has produced, I have not questioned her at all. Out of all the places I looked into and called I told my husband how EXCITED AND FORTUNATE that I was to be getting one of her dogs, at a great price I might add. I'm glad you are defensive of her as well. LIke I said, Kota could have bitten the blood out of us, he could have hurt us if he really wanted to, but it just didn't look like playing to me, but very well, it could have been. I have had him 10 days, he is my first GSD, and I am learning.