Yup, exactly. Same for jumping up on you, which small dogs are really prone to do anyway. Yeah, it’s kinda cute in a little puppy. Not so much in a grown, wet&muddy dog as you’re trying to get out the door to go to work. Just don’t ever let it get started.
My pet peeve (which I can’t break my humans of) is feeding the dog while you’re eating or cooking.
Yes, it’s cute, I know. Except when the damn dog follows me around staring at me the entire time I’m eating. And when I trip over her while carrying a hot pan. And when she harasses guests. And when she grabs food from the kids. And when she surfs the coffee table if you look away from your plate. And … you get the picture, I’m sure.
Funny about the shoes - our current beastie, which we inherited from The GirlChild when she moved to a no-pets apartment, was a complete mess when we got her. Hyperactive, completely untrained and unmannered, obnoxious little monster. Chewed EVERYTHING - concrete walls, wooden floors, anything she could reach - the dog literally could not be left alone uncrated. The first several months we had her, she was either in a crate or on a leash.
Except shoes. Evidently that was the one thing The GirlChild (a shoe-holic) would not tolerate. The only shoes she ever nibbled on were a brand-new pair of rubber garden sandals, made out of material similar to some of her toys. Once the shoes had been worn once, she never touched 'em again.
Congratulations on giving Milo a new home and I hope it works out brilliantly for all of you.
Just remember that a dog can teach your son so many things - trust, loyalty, responsibility and the importance of turning round three times before you sit down!
Milo’s adorable, what an interesting mix (how sure are they of the German shepherd part?)
Poodley-type dogs are almost always really good dogs, very smart. And WRT anal glands…I’ve been a multiple dog owner for over 30 years, and only twice had to deal with anal glands - and I had the vet do it each time, thank you very much.
I think AtG said they said just they thought shepherd, not specifically German, or did I miss something? Shepherds rock. Our Sheltie is guarding my feet warmly right this minute. No wolves gonna get these feet, no sir.
Yeah, they just said shepherd, and they seemed dubious about it. He is so incredibly cute- I’ll have to get a video of him tomorrow or Sunday and I’ll post a link to it. The pictures I’ve taken so far don’t even translate the extremity of the cuteness!
Last night he slept with my son all night long, no problems. He’s also not had any accidents in the house at all, which I think is very good. Makes me wonder if the previous owners (he was part of an unwanted litter) had already been working with him on it. I don’t have a crate yet (they’re so expensive!) but we had to leave the house today, so I barricaded him into a corner. He was whining and crying horribly when we left, but asleep when we got home. He tries to chase and play with the cats, and while they’re not mean to him, they’re not having it!
And my son is happy, for the first time in a long time, and so then I am, too. We’re going to give him a bath tonight, since my son petted him while eating bagels and lox, so now he smells like fish- but the cats still don’t like him!
Did I mention how cute he is?
Sometimes, you do a lot of research, and you decide on the type of animal that you want. And then an animal that doesn’t fit the type that you wanted decides that s/he wants to come home with you. These are the right animals to have, even if they don’t meet your requirements.
Milo is adorable. You might have to get him clipped now and then, if his hair gets much longer. You can also buy clippers and learn how to do this yourself, or just give him touchups now and then.
I think that your son will remember this as the best Christmas EVER.
I recommend boxers. They are big balls of stupid. People think they are mean and they look it, but while they’re all muscle (they have a hard time swimming because they’re all muscle) they big old meat heads. They are kind and gentle and love to play or hang around you. They are highly trainable also. They aren’t stupid, but once you get one you’ll see what I mean when I call them meat heads.
If you’re worried about the age of your son and leaving home, get an older dog over 10. My old dog is about had it. My next dog will definitely be and older dog. I love my dog since he’s gotten old and mellowed out beyond belief. He just kind of follows me from room to room and that’s enough for him now. He’s like, “OK we played for 10 minutes now let’s go in and let me take a nap.”
My husband got me a puppy for Christmas last year. It was a surprise.
We had talked about getting a dog. (Not a puppy. A DOG. Young, but…not a puppy.) He got a puppy.
We had talked about getting a border collie, and after researching the breed, had decided not to because they’re too smart for us, too active, and they need lots of training and a job to do. He got a border collie mix.
Greatest present ever! I love this dog! He was a FANTASTIC gift. (Er, the cats didn’t think so. They still don’t.)
Oooh, just saw where you already got him. Tell you what, get a crate from Craigslist. They ARE expensive, but they are worth it, but no big hurry.
Congratulations on your new pet! Very cute pup!
check with your local pet stores (Petsmart, Petco), some of them have FREE puppy socializing periods, and their trainers are there to keep order (sort of) and answer questions. It’s great.
Try Craigslist and sometimes the flea market has crates. I don’t know if they compare cost-wise, but you could check if you live near a flea market. Just an idea.
Yeah, I’m going to look for a used crate over the next few days. I’ll also be taking a lot more pics and video to share. Scratch that about him not peeing in the house. Last night when we were going to bed, he went into the corner where I’d barricaded him and laid down- I thought that was so cute! I guess I know where the crate will go.
snerk I once met a Georgia Mountain Dog. They found him in the mountains in north Georgia, and were sick of people asking what he was…
PUPPY! Oh, he’s so cute! scritch scritch scritch One thing is that if you ever think you might get him professionally groomed – and yes, I know it costs – you might want to take him in as a youngster so he has an idea of what the routine is. I know some dogs that get yearly haircuts, if that, but familiarity with the situation makes it easier for the dogs and the people when they do go in.
Update.
Well, it’s been a little over a week now. The puppy is seriously mentally ill. I mean, he is crazy. He runs around trying to terrorize the cats, he chews everything he gets his little teeth on, he practices growling and barking unneccessarily, he nips and bites, he whines when he’s not getting what he wants, and he hates, hates, hates to go for walks! I thought every dog liked to go for walks! He’s getting used to the leash, but boy he doesn’t like to walk. What is really crazy is how good he is at finding his way home! We live in a big apartment complex, and I (yes, I- I am doing a lot more of this dog’s care than I thought I would!) can take him to the complete opposite end of the complex and he can smell his way home. It’s the craziest thing. We are working very hard on the training of him. My son’s being very good at getting up with him in the a.m. and walking him most of the time. The cats haven’t killed him yet, and he has gotten a lot bigger just in the last week. More pictures coming tomorrow.
Yeah… puppies can be like that. I would REALLY recommend a trainer. Nothing he is doing (from the sound of it) is terribly out of the ordinary, but it can be deeply exasperating. Also, sometimes making dogs understand the connections between desired behavior and rewards (and undesired behavior and punishment, if you go that route) can be trickier than you think. And experienced trainer can make it much easier until you learn how to “speak dog”.
Sorry it’s been rough, but with some work and patience he WILL outgrow this.
Sounds like he’s being a puppy. lol! The best pamphlet we ever got when we adopted two puppies had a cartoon of a dog with shark teeth. OMG, was that ever true! Some puppies go through a very bitey phase. (I understood the term “ankle biters” for the first time!) Redirecting to appropriate toys to chew, and being really consistent with that, did the trick. Another puppy I fostered was also very whiny to start with, but he soon realized that he was safe and not abandoned – and the whining stopped. They all got through the bitey, whiney phase and turned into great dogs.
Good luck in the coming weeks! With consistent training it does get easier.
p.s. The crate prevented chewing incidents when I wasn’t there. So I’ll chime in with others in highly recommending this!
He’s absolutely sane…for a puppy. He needs training, but you can work with him. Don’t worry, he’s normal, for a puppy.
This is why many people recommend getting an adult dog. But sometimes, you do research, and you have everything well thought out, but a certain animal picks you out, and that’s the animal that you take home.
Oh, I know he’s normal- this is why I waited so long to get one, I knew they were like this! What we are doing re the biting is that I put some rocks in a Coke can, and we shake it loudly and ignore him after he bites. I’m hoping it works. We are also going to do training- I’ve found a program for kids my son’s age, but nobody has returned our call, so I’m hoping next week their schedule goes back to normal and they’ll be in touch. If I don’t hear back from them, we’ll do something else. I refuse to have an untrained dog- I know from experience that they are the worst. Still looking for a crate!
I just read thru this thread, and have no advice to offer (there’s plenty of what seems to be good, sensible advice from actual dog owners already), but I did want to say that I looked at your pictures: the puppy is adorable, and your son looks happy as hell. Good on you!
