Preparing to a G shep puppy, but reading stories on this subreddit made me anxious

[nitro2]

Hey, I'm planning on getting a g-shep (male - full black) been prepping for over a year now. But hearing these stories about puppy blues and depression and tears, it's making me feel I can't do this.

For context this isn't my first experience with puppies, Growing up we had various litters to raise, Daschunds, Beagles, Had rescue dobermans and some weird breed that looked like a corgi sized wolf (no idea what breed it was). I remember it not being too hard but I did have the help of a family.

But those were family dogs, and this puppy I'm getting is going to be my own, I did a bunch of research on the breed and seems G-sheps are one of the better dogs to train. (was origionally gonna get a husky but reading up that went out the window quick!)

But now I'm wondering if I'm going over my head. In an ideal world I'd buy an adult, but with a G-shep, they're a big dog and I don't want to take the risk of getting a badly trained dog that may bite someone, and Also Male g-sheps tend to stick to one person only, so I'd be trying to fill some really tricky shoes.

Am I just over-thinking, are they many G-shep puppy owners with advice, I just want to be a good owner, I know it's a lot of work, (I work from home so I'll be there 24/7 for em) and I was prepared, but then I read stories of people locking themselves in bathrooms, screaming and crying, and I wonder if I remember my childhood puppies being fun to be all wrong!

TLR, Wanting a G shep puppy, - not first time with dogs/puppies, but Scared and Anxious I can't do it,

 

[regmer]

@nitro2 I have a GSD turning 1 year next month! I did so much research online and every single thing my puppy did made me anxious that a negative imprint could be left in her brain. After about 3 weeks of hanging out with her as close to 24/7 as possible, I did get puppy blues. It felt harder than handling a human baby and I was wondering why the heck we had her at all. I felt like surrendering her to someone who wouldn't have doubts. I am way more relaxed now.

I think the utmost important thing is there's all this info out there, but you don't need to use all of it ALL the time. GSDs are insanely smart, mine surprises me every day. (she learned how to run on walls.......)

One thing I'd totally train out in earlier age is jumping on strangers. She squeaks and jumps so excitedly when people come over she used to pee herself! Also beware boredom nipping/destruction. Get a couple different types of toys to find their favorite and keep interesting things like Kongs to prevent your stuff getting ruined. Otherwise, GSDs are angels and imo I don't regret getting her despite her being a pain in the butt sometimes(a lot.)

 

[femicita]

@regmer I agree. With mine, I actually had to train the command up, before he got down. I would say up, and pat my shoulders, then praise, and then step back and push him down gently while saying down, and I would treat only in the down command. Got it really quick.

 

[nitro2]

@regmer I've been doing plenty of research, watching lots of GSD man on youtube, and I bought this massive book on the GSD breed!

 

[beltfed_bible_warrior]

@nitro2 Hi! We got our first gsd this year (a male) and he is hard work with the teething but we quickly worked out frozen carrots and ice really help on that side.

I think as long as you start training him from the off (we had "sit" and "down" mastered in a week) you should be fine.

Im sure if you've done your research you know the breed takes a lot of work and as long as your expecting that (they will take over your life basically for the first few weeks) there shouldn't be any surprises. Read up a lot on dog body language so you can guess what he's trying to tell you - for example a wagging tail doesn't always mean happy!

Don't get me wrong I get frustrated with ours but in the same way I get frustrated with any one else from time to time - people expect dogs to be perfect but they have a personality so this will never be the case!

Hope this helps

 

[nitro2]

@beltfed_bible_warrior thanks for the reply, I'll be sure to make usre of the frozen carrots, that's very clever!

 

[lostinabook]

@nitro2 Anxiety and worry over a new family member is normal . It can be rough, but after about three months things get a lot easier. Potty breaks in the night are less frequent, basic communication between you two will improve, and as long as you are on top of training, things continue to get better and better. The reward vastly outweighs the frustrating times, and if you establish that good bond and really have empathy for your pup, you can gain a deep love you’ll appreciate for a lifetime!

 

[forsiteonly40]

@nitro2 I don't have a German Shepherd so I can't speak to the breed, but I have 2 cats and 2 dogs (one is a puppy) so I can speak to "puppy blues". I think it's all about your mentality, as long as you know there will be hard days and they won't last forever, I think you'll be okay. It's super rewarding as your puppy learns things, so there are some highs along with lows. Also because you work from home just make sure you do some things for yourself and get out of the house if you start to feel burned out!

 

[nitro2]

@forsiteonly40 I like to hope I can stay positive, I've had puppies before growing up, and I had to raise some baby mice (which was a lot of work, constant feeding milk with a paint brush all day!) I just want to give the best chance for this pup!

 

[cbt]

@nitro2 We have a 5 month old GSD and he is very, very intelligent. They require a lot of mental stimulation so I'd be prepared for that! We have puzzle boards, snuffle toys, treat dispencing balls, kongs - the works! Some days our pup is a complete butt hole (hyper and mouthy) but other days I see glimpses of what I think is his adult personality and it makes me excited to see him grow up. We also try to socialise him a lot as we don't want a large dog that's afraid of other dogs. It means a lot of days meeting people in muddy fields but seeing him so worn out afterwards definitely makes that worth it. We decided to crate train him from day 1 and it was really helpful to have a 1-2 hour break from him. Also after about 15 weeks he stopped falling asleep if we were in the room so we have to crate him with a blanket and leave to ensure he gets lots of rest. It is also useful for us as we both work from home most days so it let's us focus on work knowing he's happily resting in his crate after playtime.

The short version is: they're a lot of work but if you're prepared for that you'll make it past the puppy blues in one piece.

 

[prettythings]

@nitro2 I have a 5 month old German Shepherd male, so I can speak a little about this. I felt the same as you before we picked him up, wondering how the heck I was going to do this! Anxiety is totally normal before a big commitment.

The first few weeks will likely be rough as you and the puppy adjust. Crate training and potty training should be a priority (there's tons of good guides that take it step by step if you find you and puppy are getting stuck on something). One nice thing about large breeds is they are capable of holding their bladder longer than small puppies so it won't take long till he sleeps through the night. I also recommend the 1 hour out of crate, 2 hours in for a nap schedule. They need tons of sleep!

Puppy will be VERY bitey if he's anything like mine. Totally normal and may take months to really see the progress with bite inhibition. My husband thought our puppy hated him for the first two months because he'd just get chewed on all the time, but puppy is just excited and exploring. At around 4 months old we really started seeing affection from our pup and he started enjoying cuddles without getting mouthy.

German shepherds are super smart and tend to pick up training quickly, but don't get lazy once he seems to know something. Keep re-inforcing. We started clicker training at 9 weeks old, and started a puppy class at 13 weeks, which I highly recommend. We felt like a lot of it was review since we had already been doing sit, down etc with him but it's useful for teaching him in a distracting environment, and good for socialization.

Which brings me to socialization. Take your puppy out to as many places as possible. You don't need to walk them around if you aren't comfortable, as it won't be vaccinated fully yet, but they should be exposed to sights, sounds and smells. Sophia Yin's list is good. We've had quite a few German Shepherds in our various puppy classes and it's true what they say, this breed really is more likely to be afraid of stuff. We got lucky as our puppy seems to have always had strong nerve, but some of them really need to be shown that the world is not a scary place.

I could probably write a short novel on my experiences, but these are the key things IMO. I definitely experienced puppy blues but once you settle into a routine it will be so much easier. You will so much progress from your puppy over the weeks and months, and it's so rewarding! If you have any specific questions feel free to message me.

 

[christineleex3]

@nitro2 It’s normal to feel anxious! I was so nervous when I got my first puppy as an adult and not as a member of a family, but I had prepared well and it worked out great. Puppy blues is not necessarily specific to baby-puppies, it can apply to any new dog you bring into your life and the anxiety that managing a new life and schedule can bring. I did not get puppy blues when I brought home my first puppy, but I got it hard when I bought an adult dog from a breeder. I didn’t expect to feel the way I did because I didn’t previously experience puppy blues and the adult presented less challenges than my 8 week old puppy had when he first arrived, but I had puppy blues all the same. Now that adult is perfectly integrated into my household with my other dog and we love her dearly.

Have patience, enjoy your new puppy while he is still a baby, if you feel overwhelmed don’t be afraid to ask for help, make sure you are getting sleep. Good luck!

 

[lovinjesus4ever]

@nitro2 Brought home my working line German Shepherd puppy a few months ago, I was expecting the worst, regretting my decision, crying, puppy blues, everything.

He wasn’t bad. At all.

It was a bit of work but overall everything went smoothly. Granted, he was a lot less energetic than his litter mates and his breeder described him as “middle of the road” in terms of temperament. Had I gone home with one of his sisters things probably wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. It really depends on the individual puppy and what the breeder feels is right for you. Things aren’t guaranteed to be terrible, your puppy may very well be like mine.

 

[nitro2]

@lovinjesus4ever that's reassuring to read, I'm going to be shopping around a lot for puppies, a more chill dog would be nice.

 

[femicita]

@nitro2 You must be so excited! I remember how it felt! A few tips: 1. train the "gentle" command early on, to teach him to take things from you with a soft mouth. To do this, hold a treat in your closed fist, and let him snuffle and lick at it, while saying gentle. When he is licking gently, open your hand and let him have it. Mine learned this in about 10 minutes.
2. Dont let him do something once that you don't want him to do for life. Avoiding bad behavior is the best way to train it out of him. For example, when you come in the door, go right to your knees so he can't jump.
3. I personally did not crate him at night, as he was solidly potty trained almost immediately (took him out like every 15 minutes) because German Shepherds have a strong protective instinct towards their humans, and creating him when we were sleeping and helpless made him insane. He was fine being crated when we were not home.
Good luck!

 

[nitro2]

@femicita those are some good tips, thanks! And yeah, reason why I don't want to risk getting a rescue - Adult sheps are real heavy, and have a real nasty bite! So I'm going to be bite/jump training them asap!

 

[femicita]

@nitro2 You won't be disappointed. Male shepherds are more relaxed and less protective than females, but can be assholes to other dogs sometimes. Know that until yours is fixed, he will be targeted by neutered adult males. Bite inhibition is important to teach, as you don't want to teach a Shepherd not to bite at all. Just to bite only as much as the circumstances warrant. Lol!

 

[gracelandz]

@nitro2 New German Shepherd owner here! He is my first puppy ever, now 10~ weeks old. I can say he is bitey, but SO darn smart (within his first two days we had sit and shake down to a T). Bite inhibition training (like “gentle” command) and lots of chew toys/dental treats are a huge help for the nippy behavior. He barks a lot at things — like the person who mentioned here that GSDs tend to be scared of things, this is true in my experience. Right down to paper bags, and his own reflection in the window. But nothing a little gentle counter-conditioning can’t fix I love my pup, he’s a great boy. Frustrating sometimes, but that’s just normal puppyhood stuff. I also concur with the user who mentioned that large breeds can hold their bladder longer — that’s been nice. You’ll do great! GSDs are an incredible breed, truly amazing dogs.