[Sonia]

Hey everyone, My name is Greg, and I finally bought my First Dog..

Its been already 5 days, that I brought home a beautiful almost 4 months old German Shepherd.. I named her Sonia, I got her directly from a breeder located 2 hours from my house at Paradise Pa.. I wanted to check these German Shepherd puppies out, and I wasn't planning on getting one this month, but the minuted I show her run out of the door, it was just love at first sight. I knew she belonged to me and I couldn't gone home without her... The breeder had 3 pups left out of 9. The two were all grey/tan colored, and my is black/ with a little gray and tan.. I was able to see her Mother, and her Grandmother at the barn, they were just huge, I thought they were Horses at first..

Well its all a new life right now by have Sonia around, and I hope my time on this forum will help me get alot of great information that help take care of my GSD. SOOO please, let me know of anything I need to know on taking care of a GSD, since this is my first dog..


Here are some pictures I taken,

 

[GSDBESTK9]

Very cute, welcome to the board.

 

[Wolfiesmom]

Welcome! Sonia is precious! I noticed some small things, and what looks like breakable things low on the shelves in that second picture. You might want to move them up higher. These pups get into everything very fast. They eat everything too so anything small, power cords, etc should be out of reach.

 

[GSDAlphaMom]

Welcome, pretty girl.

 

[Sonia]

Welcome! Sonia is precious! I noticed some small things, and what looks like breakable things low on the shelves in that second picture. You might want to move them up higher. These pups get into everything very fast. They eat everything too so anything small, power cords, etc should be out of reach.

Thank you for noticing that.. yup I already moved everything higher up since i noticed she was already pulling them.. To what age should they stop doing that, or they don't..:laugh:, I already got her signed up for K9 Academy classes, they start next.. hopefully they will help.

 

[Stosh]

Welcome and congratulations! She's beautiful. First of all I would recommend getting a crate and training her to it for when she's left alone or when you need a sanity break and secondly, go to an obedience class. You took on a handful for your first dog! Gsds take 'dog' to a whole other level

 

[LaRen616]

Hello and welcome to the forum and congrats on your new puppy!

Please click on this link http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...n-gsd-owner-first-time-various-questions.html
It has alot of information that will be useful to you.

Good luck!

 

[JustMeLeslie]

Welcome to the forum!! She is beautiful. My advice toys- lots of toys- redirect her to those while she is allowed free roam. This gets her to focus on accepted items she should be chewing on instead of cords,furniture,etc. Crate training is good. This teaches her to go to her safe zone. Baby gate off sections in the house because free roaming can get a puppy into a lot of trouble at least it did for mine.

 

[Wolfiesmom]

Thank you for noticing that.. yup I already moved everything higher up since i noticed she was already pulling them.. To what age should they stop doing that, or they don't..:laugh:, I already got her signed up for K9 Academy classes, they start next.. hopefully they will help.

My GSD's seemed to stop getting into things at around age 3 or 4. LOL. I have a 11 month old now, and I am not going to put anything that resembles a ball on the Christmas tree. HA HA! He still gets into a lot of mischief, but he's so much fun. Good luck with your pup. The classes will help.

 

[Sonia]

Welcome and congratulations! She's beautiful. First of all I would recommend getting a crate and training her to it for when she's left alone or when you need a sanity break and secondly, go to an obedience class. You took on a handful for your first dog! Gsds take 'dog' to a whole other level

Your absolutely correct on the handsfull.. and a whole other level... she is picky on how she does her potty, i noticed she doesn't go unless i take her off her leash, then she runs away and does her business.

and yes crate i did buy on the first day, and i sent her in on 3 day, and i thought she had a panic attack after 3 minutes being left alone.. but now she likes going in and bringing in everything she grabs..

 

[Kris10]

Welcome Greg and Sonia! Did the breeder start crate training ( or any other training) with her?

 

[BluePaws]

Welcome and congratulations to you both!! My general new-dog advice is "supervision". Never leave her unsupervised. Puppies (even older ones, 4-6, 8-10 months) are like 2 year olds. Never turn your back on them!
My dog hated using the bathroom while he was on a leash, would only go when I dropped it and let him run in to the bushes. That's the way he was raised, the 'pack' would go as far away from the spot they ate/slept as possible, in order to keep their area clean.
I wish I had some great nugget of advice on how to change this behavior ... what I did, probably wont work for you. *grin* (I moved from an apartment to a house with a large fenced in yard.) Maybe someone else can offer some suggestions on behavior modification?

 

[Deuce]

Welcome. She looks just like my boy.

 

[1sttimeforgsd]

Welcome, and your girl is beautiful!

 

[Sonia]

Welcome Greg and Sonia! Did the breeder start crate training ( or any other training) with her?

I wish she had some training,,, she was breeded on a farm in an amish county... They had alot of childern that spent hours playing and taking care of these pups..

these pups had alarge area to run around and do what every.. Also they spent time with farm animals like horses, cows, etc.

 

[Krymedogg]

Sonia

Thats a beautiful looking dog Greg........enjoy being a dad!!

 

[Sonia]

Thank you all!! for great info, and advises...

Is there any spacial or top of the line brands of heartworm med for German Ghepherd.. because she hasn't ever taken them and I was told I need to get her started soon.. Also is anybody giving their GSD any types of vitamins... My first vet Doc visit will be in 2 weeks, after he returns back from vacation..

 

[rjvamp]

Congratulations - what a beautiful new member of your house!

 

[rjvamp]

Thank you all!! for great info, and advises...

Is there any spacial or top of the line brands of heartworm med for German Ghepherd.. because she hasn't ever taken them and I was told I need to get her started soon.. Also is anybody giving their GSD any types of vitamins... My first vet Doc visit will be in 2 weeks, after he returns back from vacation..

We give Interceptor.

Vitamins are not normally needed unless there is some deficiency.