So I am getting a puppy today. 8 week old German Shepherd Lab mix and I know hes coming from a pretty shitty home. I need to take him Thursday to get shots and his first vet appointment. Im wondering if anyone has any idea how much it might cost and any words of wisdom? I have had a shepherd before so i know how they are and how to properly train a dog, just wondering if anyone had suggestions for puppy shit since the last time I had a puppy was almost 15 years ago. Here he is....

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"I can't really hear what Jeremy says, because I got my two Stanley Cup Rings plugging my ears...." -Patrick Roy in reference to Jeremy Roenick's trash talking

well, this might not go over well, but my dog is trained well and loves me to death (little bit of separation anxiety, though), so i know it works.

when he started getting nippy and bossy, he bit me ONCE, and i bit him back HARD, and he never, ever, bit me again- and only once has he bitten anyone. it was my sister and she kicked him, so i don't really hold it against him.

potty training is tough, but shepherds typically aren't as stubborn and vengeful as terriers. i'd try and take him out back really regularly and into the same spots all the time (like a corner or something) and when he goes to the bathroom, lots of good boys, treats, etc. and if you keep up with that, instead of paper training inside, i'd get one of those green fake grass mats, so he knows to go to the bathroom "on grass". you could even alternatively retrofit a litter box to accomodate the standing up peeing (i've seen it, and it's pretty awesome) or if it's a girl dog, the litterbox is more than enough.

as far as vet prices, i have a local vet who is dirt cheap (it costs about 30 dollars for all my dog's shots every couple years) so I can't help you on that. i would recommend pet insurance, if you can swing it. it's not very expensive and it could mean the difference of putting a dog down and getting a surgical procedure when your dog is ten. take it from my experience, holding onto your best friend while he is given the shot and feeling the life leave him while he stares at you is not something even the strongest person can ever forget.

Well I am certainly not against being tough on them as puppies. When you don't your dog ends up like my girlfriends fucking beagle mix that barks and bites everyone and still pisses and shits in the house and its almost two because she just lets the little fucker do whatever it wants. That is NOT going to happen. Tough love early turns into a great dog later. Im not suggesting beating the thing but a good whack on the nose when hes doing something hes not supposed to works wonders

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"I can't really hear what Jeremy says, because I got my two Stanley Cup Rings plugging my ears...." -Patrick Roy in reference to Jeremy Roenick's trash talking

seriously, though...get the insurance. it's like ten freakin bucks a month.

side note: i hate what most obedience classes and caesar milan do to dogs. they're freakin animals, they're not supposed to act like animatronic stuffed animals.

This


Oh and crate training...I had my dog crate trained in 3 days and we've never had issues with her going inside the house.
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/do ... ining.html

I'll never own another dog without crate training.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

We have a lab - ???? mix puppy who is about seven months old now I think.

I'd recommend investing in toys that'll mentally stimulate your dog since labs and shepherds are both very smart breeds and thus at risk of getting bored easily. Kong toy + peanut butter works pretty well.

I'd recommend socializing the dog as soon as you can (most dog parks have a minimum age) especially since the dog comes from a bad home and might have a tendency to be skittish around other people/dogs.

Also know there's probably going to be an adjustment period, again especially since the dog comes from a bad home. Our dog is a rescue dog, and for the first day or two she was REALLY shy. Didn't want to come out of her crate, tail almost always tucked between the legs, etc.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

You can train your dog to pee & poop on command. It sounds crazy at first, but it's really easy. Figure out what commands you want to use, like peepee and doodoo maybe. Then whenever he takes a leak say "peepee" before he finishes, and then after he finishes say "good boy" and praise him and give him a treat. Same story for doodoo.

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This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
--Emerson

I have had no problems with German Sheppards. I had a dog named Colonel for lived for like 18 years and even as a pup he was a good dog. Very easily trained. even trained him to sneeze on command. Potty training wasn't an issue either. Just make sure you watch the little guy and get him outside when he needs to get out and you should be fine. I know all dogs attitudes are different but german sheppards are different. Just gotta watch how protective they are as well.

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The Board Drunk.

Solid advice here - crate training definitely works. The bite-back method also works - I did it with my foxhound when we got him (he was ~9 months when we got him and he would get nippy with his food...he nipped my hand once, so I pinned his ass down and bit him. No more biting, lol).

Another really good thing to do is to get that animal as attached to your hip as possible, and if it goes too far, let it know. Most very young puppies won't want to stray too far anyways, but once you get past the 8-12 week mark, they start to get a bit more brave and wander. A shock collar (or, if you've got a good arm and decent aim, a rock) when they don't listen and wander too far can be the difference between it staying at your side or wandering into the road and getting killed. They need limits and to be trained, and, well, they're animals - you can't negotiate/bargain with them.

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I did this with my dog. He was already a pet previously because he came to us perfectly trained from the SPCA, but he didn't know that.

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Miles to go before I sleep

‎"Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."
-Khalil Gibran

Yeah I can tell my dog to go pee and she will. Not shit but she'll usually do that right after.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Interesting advice. I've been meaning to get a puppy, especially with having the big yard, but I've been so busy for the last while that I put it off because I didn't want to be gone all the time with a dog. (The cats could care less if I'm home or not for the most part. :p )

I'm sure I'll hit your guys up for more advice once I pull the trigger.

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Heh heh.

All they really do is sleep all day anyway. Midget will sleep until I'm working in my office, then either lay on my desk or run laps, depending on her mood. Oreo hangs out in random places, and usually doesn't want anyone to bother her until hockey season starts. Then she wants to sleep in my lap while the game is on.

Yeah - the only more disinterested animals are fish, and I think that's probably only because they're actually stuck in a tank.

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but fishtanks are so cool!

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great advice everyone. I just got a goldendoodle a few weeks ago. he's 12 weeks now and his name is....LINDY RUFF! I kid you not! ive got him crate trained, poop/pee on comand, sit/stay/paw/speak/down/rollover and have a bell next to my door for him to ring when he needs to go out (invest the $3 it's super easy to teach them)

the key for me was early socialization/training and only positive reinforcement, never negative.


if any other junkies in the buffalo area with pups want to have a puppy party let me know!

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Original inventor of the "Taco in a bag."

©2006

I don't get the poop and pee on command.

When it's fuckin cold out, you need that little bastard to go ASAP, lol

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