I am new
BTW - We have 2 children, 9 and 5 years old and live in a nice home with plenty of room for our future puppy. We have a great backyard for her or him to run around. |
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| WELCOME!!! I hope you'll find all the info you are looking for, as well as some fun here on OES.org!!!! |
Welcome good luck in your puppy research and search.  |
| Hello from WV, welcome. Good luck in your search for your new sheepie. |
| Welcome!! |
| Welcome from the CREW in St. LOU!!!!!!!! Can't wait to hear how your search is going!!!!!!  |
| Welcome to the community! You'll find a ton of great advice here! |
| Thanks for all the kind greetings. We have spoken to a few breeders however I have learned on this site that the recommended breeder is the safe way to go here. This way you are guaranteed a healthy dog. As mentioned above, I spoke to what I think is a reputable breeder and one gentlemen who stands by his OES. He offered to show us his papers for his dogs confirming the health. He has a 2 year old male who has not been tested yet due to being to young but he is going to have his first litter in April. While he maintains his dogs came from great bloodlines how do you know? Whereas from the recommended breeders here you already know. Hope I am not babbling too much. You probably get these inquries all the time. |
| Better safe than sorry! I too thought I was going through a good breeder with my Oliver...unfortunately that was not the case. Giardia, severe hip dysplasia (both hips), and entropian later I wish I would have gone to the OESCA breeder referral list! http://www.oldenglishsheepdogclubofamerica.org/ In my opinion, you did not find a "good" breeder. The male should have been tested and evaluated by an expert prior to being bred. Run away! |
| Welcome! I hope your search for a sheepdog lands you one as sweet and wonderful as ours! They are amazing dogs. |
jcc9797 wrote: Better safe than sorry! I too thought I was going through a good breeder with my Oliver...unfortunately that was not the case. Giardia, severe hip dysplasia (both hips), and entropian later I wish I would have gone to the OESCA breeder referral list! http://www.oldenglishsheepdogclubofamerica.org/ In my opinion, you did not find a "good" breeder. The male should have been tested and evaluated by an expert prior to being bred. Run away! The breeder said his parents have been tested but since he is under 2 yrs old, not yet. Also would send me copies of his records. This is great way of finding everything out so I appreciate all feedback. Want all good things here! |
| A lot of people outside of us crazy dog people don't understand the necesity of a dog being "shown". That is, going to dog shows, and being judged for breed standard by an expert in the field, against other dogs of the same breed. THIS is how you know you have good breeding dogs, in addition to health certificates. Your dog has been shown, and won awards that say he is an excellent specimen of the breed. That includes temperment! Your better breeders will be able to provide you with not only health certificates, but also tell you about the awards their dogs have won. My breeder told me they had health certificates on thier male, but both females were under two... too young to have health certs yet. I find this is a very common excuse used among people that aren't breeding for healthy, good temprement dogs, but rather popping out as many litters as their dogs can manage so they can make some money. I love my dogs, but the list of what is wrong with them is SO long that it would probably scare you off the breed entirely! |
| I highly recommend you read the OESCA code of ethics. http://www.oldenglishsheepdogclubofamerica.org/club_info/code_of_ethics_2000.htm No dog should be bred without health examinations. If they are too young to have their eyes, ears, and hips certified, they are too young to be bred. I'm strongly encouraging you to go to a OESCA referred breeder only because I wish I would have. It would haved saved me money, heartache, and tears. I love my Oliver more than anything in this world, but would-a, could-a, should-a. |
| jcc and Darth Snuggle. Thanks very much for the advice. In a nutshell, its better to be safe in going through a known recommended breeder and possibly paying the extra money for such rather than paying for it later for a non recommended breeder with vet fees and medication. Which is basically what you are going through, Jcc with Oliver. Sorry to hear about this btw. |
| If a dog is too young for the necessary health certifications it should not be bred. CERF certification for eyes can be done at any age, so no excuse why at least that has not been done. As for hips, here in Canada a dog can be certified at 18 months, and with OFA, the US registry a dog can be certified at 2 years of age. Please make sure the breeder you choose shows you the Certificates for both the hip and eye registries. These are the bare minimum health tests that should be done on any dog that is bred. Kudos to you for doing your research! Here is an article that may be of interest. http://www.oesocc.com/choosingabreeder.html |
| OR thousands of dollars in trainers fees, due to temperment issues. I have spent big time at the vet as well, mostly that first year, but one of my dogs is on meds for life too. If I could go back in time and do it differently, I wouldn't. I'd get the same dogs, and do the hard work; I adore my girls and all the work we have done together has made for a great experience. But I say that NOW: there were lots of tears in the early days, lots of. The next sheepdog I get will be of show quality. Even if I never enter a show ring, I wonder just how amazing my experience would have been if I'd done all the training I've had to on a dog that wasn't a problem child. |
| Welcome--you have already received great advice so I won't repeat!! Good luck and hope you find a great sheepie puppy! |
| Hi, and Welcome! Wonderful you're so willing to do the research!  Good luck, I hope you find your dream companion soon! |
Blueshire wrote: If a dog is too young for the necessary health certifications it should not be bred. CERF certification for eyes can be done at any age, so no excuse why at least that has not been done. As for hips, here in Canada a dog can be certified at 18 months, and with OFA, . Please make sure the breeder you choose shows you the Certificates for both the hip and eye registries. These are the bare minimum health tests that should be done on any dog that is bred. Kudos to you for doing your research! Firstly welcome to the forum. As amber said too with the above, we are pretty much the same here in Australia. Eye certs anytime but hips etc not until 18 months old, preferred age for this breed is around 2 years old. The absolute bare minimum should be those two certs before producing a litter from anyone claiming to be a breeder. We also have a rule here as to age and breeding a bitch if under the 18 month age you will be de-registered and in big trouble as way too young to have a litter and also way too young for all the appropriate health testing before producing a litter. Same with the sire as well. Also which ever breeder you do choose, sight the health certifications certificiates of the sire and dam of the litter before choosing a puppy. The reasons I say that is bad breeders say there stock has been health tested but really have not. So you want sighted documented evidence before going with a breeder to ensure that has been done to help you have a puppy brought into the world with the right background and hopefully no major health problems as your new baby matures.  Best wishes in your search and it is a wonderfull breed for families provided you do your research and seek out a accredited and reputable breeder. My kids who are now in there 20's grew up with the breed from newborns onwards, so research, do the right thing and just be patient to getting an oes, with the correct proper breeder it will all be worth it in the long term prospect with your family for many years of sheepie joy and fun. |
| DS sounds like you deserve to get that perfect OES. Imagine not having to medicate (for lack of a better term) and being able to focus more on beautifying your perfect OES (not saying your girls are not perfect but you get my drift I hope.lol) With the love you have you may have the next prize. Anyway with the warm welcomes and sound advice I am soooo excited. I am constantly talking to my wife and I am not sure if she is getting bored with me. Lol. Lisaoes, thanks for your info and taking the time to write that from down under. |
| Hi Giantfish Welcome to the forum! You may have posted it and I didn't see, where are you located? We may be able to give you a referral if we know your general area  Some of the girls have already given you wonderful advice! Good Luck in your search for your new baby! |
Giantfish wrote: DS sounds like you deserve to get that perfect OES. Imagine not having to medicate (for lack of a better term) and being able to focus more on beautifying your perfect OES (not saying your girls are not perfect but you get my drift I hope.lol) With the love you have you may have the next prize. Anyway with the warm welcomes and sound advice I am soooo excited. I am constantly talking to my wife and I am not sure if she is getting bored with me. Lol. Lisaoes, thanks for your info and taking the time to write that from down under. I adore my girls, and have learned SO MUCH with them. I always used to admire people with well trained dogs, and never thought I had what it took to train a dog to off-leash obedience. My girls actually required that much training, and I rose to the challenge. They have showed me so much about myself that I never knew. And having become a good trainer and good dog owner, I do look forward to that next, show quality OES. Now mind you, stuff happens. You can have all the health certificates in the world, and show ribbons, and you can still end up with something throw back and weird happening in your dog. Life gives us no promises. A good breeder will support you in your times of need, and many will offer to replace a pup that is not healthy. But me, I don't know that I'd trade in a dog that I'd had for a year, if they suddenly developed health issues. But then, I've proven myself a sucker for punishment. My pups when I first got them, almost exactly 3 years ago:  Posing for photos last winter:  ...remember: the Sit and Stay commands are your best tools for great snap shots!!! |
| DS - when life throws you lemons, you make lemonade. Isn't that how the expression goes? I say to myself taking care of an OES is a lot of work but I would be suprised in myself when I step up to the challenge as well. I never had a dog, not sure if I mentioned that before. My wife says this is something I have been missing in my life so my OES is coming to the right home. Where ever the chips fall as long as you have the right breeder, they will stand by you no matter and that is very important. Also I do not know if I could trade in my dog after a year or two either if something was wrong. Just work through it and makes you stronger and thats what you have done. |
| Welcome to the forum and congrats on having your heart stolen by this breed. (Another one bites the dust!) Everyone here has already given great advice. Go through a reputable breeder and you will know that you are getting a dog with the best possible shot at good health and temperament. Are you set on a puppy, or would you consider maybe getting a younger dog (1 - 3 years old) through a rescue? There are many advantages to rescue, especially through an OES rescue, as they will have looked closely at the dog's temperament, health, habits, and know how the dog deals with kids, cats, etc. Plus, you won't have to guess how large your tiny, little pup might become.  No sleepless puppy nights, no nipping with those razor sharp pirhana teeth. Just a thought........ Did you mention where you live? Many folks here on the forum show, breed, and rescue, so they might know about an upcoming litter before the general public. Laurie and Oscar |
| Oscars Mom, many thanks for your feedback. I think if we went with an older dog, he/she would have to be around 1 year old, nothing more. Yes the puppy stages while adorable can test your patience but thats the best part in getting to know your dog and learning each other. So yes we are looking into every avenue before we make our final decision. I have spoken to many recommended breeders on the east coast and while some may expect a litter in the Spring, most are not breeding at this time. However I have recieved many honest opinions from these breeders over the past few days. we are trying to absorb everything. One person I spoke to via telephone told me this was not the dog for us since we did not have a fenced in yard. They also mentioned the strong will to heard and my kids (9 and 5 years old) could get hurt. Meaning my OES will know who the boss is in the house, especially since my wife and I will be feeding him/her and the kids may be in jeopardy. Now I understand this may sound extreme but what do most of you think? Not sure if I mentioned this above but this is my first dog but my wife has had a few growing up. Your thoughts are appreciated. |
| Jumping in here. Your children will get knocked down by a half grown or even quarter grown OES: that is by the time yours is 6 months old, it will be huge in size compared with your kids but will not have the sense or coordination to not bump into the kids (and lamps and fragile furniture, house plants, etc. You get the idea). They have a lot of energy but no sense and no coordination. There is no malice at all--just a lot of goofy, goofy energy. And no sense and no sense of coordination. I've mentioned, that, right? Now, that may be just fine with your kids and you and your wife. My kids were 13, 9, 6 and 4 years old when we got our first OES and yes, they all got knocked down at some point but they all got up again. No one was hurt and no one's feelings were hurt. But some kids would find this overwhelming and some parents would be very upset by this. Make sure which kind of parent you are before you get that cute little puppy. Most likely, your kids will take their cue from their parents but some kids are easily overwhelmed and the last thing you want is to have to return the puppy you all love to the breeder because one of the kids has become afraid or has been knocked down too many times. That 10 lb little bundle will very quickly pass 40-50 pounds and may reach 100 lbs as mine did. The other thing to keep in mind is that puppies teethe. They all do. Every single one of them. They all need to learn not to chew on a lot of things but especially on children. Again, some kids and some parents can handle this better than others. BTW, an OES is still teething as they reach a pretty big size. Big enough to fit a whole shoe or foot inside their mouth. With my first OES, when he was about 18 months old, he and I were outside playing. I sat down on the grass and he came over and took my head--my whole head--into his mouth from behind, just like he carried around the #5 soccer balls my son used. I quickly told him no we do not put mommy's head in your mouth, and he quickly obliged, never to repeat this: no harm intended and none done. But you have to realize: the dog will be enormous compared to your kids--that is probably at least eye level with your 5 year old. And big enough to carry a fully inflated soccer ball around. Even if your kids are fine with the enormous bundle of energy bouncing around, knocking them down--their friends may be overwhelmed. So: be forewarned and consider carefully. OES are also a herding breed. Ours had to be trained not to nip at heels of a running child or a child on bicycles or skateboards. It can be done. Ours were very eager to please and truly meant no harm: it was just an instinct they needed to be trained to overcome. Now, I always do try to discourage people from getting an OES because the dogs are so adorable that a lot of people don't really think about the practical aspects: they are big and need plenty of exercise: that is, walks on leash, several times a day. They eat a lot. They drag in leaves and grass and all sorts of things in their coat. When they drink, they have very wet faces and they love to give very sloppy, wet kisses immediately after loading up with water. Until they grow up (at about 3 years of age) they may knock down a small person without meaning to at all, just in their own joy of living. They require a lot of grooming and a lot of time. They are typically not happy to be left outside in the (fenced in) yard without their people. People who just think about how cute they are and not about the work aspect or the inconvenience and mess sometimes end up taking the puppy back to the breeder or worse: animal shelter when the animal gets too much. So consider carefully. A fenced in yard is an extremely good idea. The breeder is really trying to do you a favor. Also: you do need to go to puppy classes. OES tend to be a bit head strong/stubborn/have selective hearing. They also have enormous hearts which are full of love and affection. And mischief. OH: they are also pretty smart. Now, if all the terrible things I have written do not make you run for the hills, I will tell you that if you use an excellent breeder who really cares about the health and temperament of the dogs she produces, you will have a wonderful companion for your entire family. My then 4 year old daughter went to kindergarten the fall after we got Merlin. She used to come home from school, find a book and put her head on Merlin's side while she read her book and sucked her thumb and dozed off. He adored her and all of the kids. When he died, at almost 14 years of age, not only did our family mourn his loss but so did the collective group of our kids' friends, who were all young adults by that time but who had grown up with him. Not to mention the entire neighborhood. He was a wonderful dog who loved his family and would have done anything in the world for us. |
| tgir - many thanks for the detailed and informative post. None of those things bother me. As a kid I remember my cousins had a Newfoundland. The more he knocked me down the better it was. Some kids today are soft and cry to their Mommy too much. I teach my kids to get right back up and dust yourself off. Sure once in awhile they may fall harder than others. It happens. Now my wife on the other hand, after I show her this post might be a different story and she may talk me out of getting an OES altogether. Therefore we are not in a rush and again doing the needful research. |
| Welcome! Great advice previously posted. I would just like to add how important your relationship with your pup's breeder is. My husband & I were researching sheepies and decided to meet with a breeder. Our first meeting was 3.5 hours long with 2 folks that taught us so much. They showed us their dogs' awards, photos, health history/certificates, and allowed us to play with their dogs for the afternoon. At the time they did not have any puppies, but were willing to spend that much time to interview & educate us. We did more research and talk with sheepie owners and decided this was the breed for us. We were nervous that we may not 'qualify' for one of their future puppies. They were not the kind of breeder to pump out pups, so we were not sure how long we would be waiting. Sure, there were other breeders in our area, and have great dogs too but it was the relationship we developed with those 2 people that was/is priceless. While Howie and his littlermates were together we were encouraged to pop in and visit and handle the pups, get to know them. Each time we were at the house playing with puppies it was an opportunity to learn. Now, whenever we have questions we can email or call them for help. As well, I have had a few grooming lessons which I desperately needed. So, if you decide this is the breed for you, check out a few recommended breeders and get to know them as people, they will be on of your greatest resources along with this forum! Good luck in your decision, peg |
| Welcome from Maryland..........Kathy, Bob & Chauncey |
Chauncey wrote: Welcome from Maryland..........Kathy, Bob & Chauncey |
GiantFish, were are you located? I am assuming Giants are your favorite team so possibly NY or Jersey? I am in NY...If you are not too far away, you can come and visit us and get to see two sheepies in action.  Both of ours came from the same breeder off the breeders referral list off the OES Club website. And they are big. male, 110 pounds, female, 75 pounds. If this is your first dog, you might want to see them full grown in person!You can pm me if you don't want to post publically where you are. |
| Ashley, thanks for the invite. Hopefully we are not too far away. Even if we are it is still worth a day trip to get to know this breed. I sent the PM. Look forward to your response. |
Giantfish wrote: tgir - many thanks for the detailed and informative post. None of those things bother me. As a kid I remember my cousins had a Newfoundland. The more he knocked me down the better it was. Some kids today are soft and cry to their Mommy too much. I teach my kids to get right back up and dust yourself off. Sure once in awhile they may fall harder than others. It happens. Now my wife on the other hand, after I show her this post might be a different story and she may talk me out of getting an OES altogether. Therefore we are not in a rush and again doing the needful research. Sure, some parents over-protect their kids, but it is important to realize that some kids --and adults---and dogs are more easily overwhelmed, by their nature. I think this is something that is important to realize and to respect. And within the OES breed, some are naturally more boisterous than others. I have had 4 OES, each with his/her own distinctive personality and with differing energy levels. BTW, I can tell you from experience that it makes an enormous difference in getting a dog who comes from a breeder who does her homework and who truly does her best to only produce healthy, well tempered dogs who represent the breed to the best possible standard. I know others have talked about how expensive it can be to fall in love with your puppy only to learn a few short years later that they will face crippling hip displaysia or other medical problems or even behavior that could have been prevented with a good breeding program. Money is one thing and often the deal breaker. The heart breaker is seeing an animal you love suffer because of human carelessness. |
| tgir - Thanks. The #1 piece of advice here is to get a Sheepie from a recommended breeder. If we go with this breed I will wait until one of these breeders has a litter and be very happy I did so. I will not and cannot suffer through seeing my pal in pain if he/she has hip problems or something. As far as the children go with getting knocked over. It is what it is. I am not getting a small dog and when we choose the breed, any larger size dog / puppy will do the same IMO. Right? |
| I am pretty sure that any breed or mix of the larger variety might likely knock down small kids. I mentioned it for 2 reasons: I know it happens from my own family and the whole "we didn't know how big the puppy would get" thing is one of the reasons that OES end up in rescue. I do think that in general, OES take longer to mature mentally than other dogs I have had and one characteristic that is often mentioned is that they remain goofy puppies for a long time (or their whole lives). Many rescues and some breeders have a strong preference not to place OES with families with small children. That said, there are a number of members here who added children after they had an OES or got an OES while their kids were young. It doesn't seem like you are the sort of parent who will get freaked out by kids getting bumped now and then. BTW, we wanted a larger dog because I didn't want a dog who would get stepped on and broken (3 boys, 1 girl, plus their friends.). |
| I do think that you will want to get some training to make sure that some safety procedures are followed, particularly around staircases. It will be good for the kids to learn, too! I remember nearly falling down the stairs myself when an overly eager puppy dashed past me! |
Giantfish wrote: Ashley, thanks for the invite. Hopefully we are not too far away. Even if we are it is still worth a day trip to get to know this breed. I sent the PM. Look forward to your response. Or you could come by the Westminster show in NYC next month if that's a feasible trip. There will be a decent number of OES there and we're benched all day so after I show, I'd be glad to talk to you and answer questions, too. And if it's after we show, you're welcome to pet, squeeze or arm wrestle with my dog. |
ButtersStotch wrote: Or you could come by the Westminster show in NYC next month if that's a feasible trip. There will be a decent number of OES there and we're benched all day so after I show, I'd be glad to talk to you and answer questions, too. And if it's after we show, you're welcome to pet, squeeze or arm wrestle with my dog. Would love to come to the show but at $130 a ticket for the 4 of us gets expensive. If I get a sitter for my kids then maybe we will be there. Will keep you posted and thanks in advance for having the opportunity to meet you and wrestle your dog. LOL!!! |
| Is there a website where we can enter the AKC registered number and check the dogs DNA etc? Thanks in advance. |
| I think if you go to the American Kennel Club website, there is a place to check OFA test results and other tests. Someone can step in here. I think you need the registration name and number of both the male and female "parents' and the kennel name. I'm sure someone will help out because I know there are many on this forum who show and do testing, etc. |
| You can simply go to http://www.offa.org to check certifications. In the search box, you can type in the kennel name of the breeder, and all of their dogs that have been certified will come up. To check CERF (this should as well come up on the OFA site) http://www.vmdb.org/cerf.HTML You then click CERF Certification Online Verification and do the same as above, type in the kennel name and any dog they have had CERF'd will be listed. To check the Canadian Hip Registry (OVC), go to http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/hip-elbow/ and click on database search. Again, type in the kennel name and you can see any dog that has been OVC certified from that kennel. Hope this helps! |
| Amber, Thanks so much for the links. I have some research to do. |
| Does anybody know what a fair score means on an OFA certification for Hips? Thanks in advance. |
| Here is a link that explains the hip gradings....Excellent, Good, Fair, and so on. Hope this helps! http://www.offa.org/hd_grades.html |
Blueshire wrote: Here is a link that explains the hip gradings....Excellent, Good, Fair, and so on. Hope this helps! http://www.offa.org/hd_grades.html Most helpful. Thank you! |
| Hi Everyone, In the 23 days since my first message on this site, my wife and I have kicked around all the pros and cons of owning a OES. The pros totally outweigh the cons. While taking every piece of advise on this site and this message, we are extremely excited to get our dog. Without giving names we have 3 breeders to choose from. 2 of the breeders are recommended and the third is not. I mentioned the non recommended breeder in my earlier posts. It seems like a no brainer to purchase from a recommended breeder due to they have the history of all their dogs. Some can have 5 generations of records. Therefore for the few extra bucks one is pretty much assured you are getting a quality dog. On the other hand we spent many conversations with #3. I will refer to them as #3 (the non recommended breeder). They have sent us all their AKC registered papers and references. There are no negative marks against them however when we check the AKC papers and looked up the registered numbers, some of their ancestors did not come up and therefore do not know the complete history which you may get from a recommended breeder. On the OFA records for the dogs that are bred their grades were good and fair for hips. This is important however I am missing some info on their great grandparents as explained above. Now, I have not checked the AKC registered numbers of the recommeded breeders however their credentials should speak for themselves, right? With all said above and apologies for the detailed post here, knowing the OFA report is good does this ease your mind or do you still go for the recommended breeders. The difference here is my wife wants to go with #3 and I want to be sure and go with options 1 or 2. Hope all is clear. Please ask me any questions. I appreciate all feedback. |
| Hi! I know we spoke a while back about getting a pup and you coming to see my dogs. Unfortunately the snow never left! Ha ha... I would go with the breeders off the referral list. I know you are thinking of size and I know you like the small size of one of the breeders dogs. But everything else even, I would go with one of the two breeders off the list. But again, its always your decision and whatever one you make, you sound like someone who will make a great home! Keep us posted! |
| I'm excited for you!!!! (PS, In this area I don't think you can ever "be sure" I think you can only try your best.) |
| Diane, Hopefully the snow melts soon and we'll get together. I agree with you in going with the recommended breeder. I do not mind the size of the dog. That was my wife telling me her preference. Temperment is huge and if the pup is raised for this then the easier training and behavior will be. #3 or as people here refer to them as back yard breeders may not be training for temperment or behavior. #3 says all the right things and I believe them but you hear so may stories that I do not want to press my luck. I want this to be a smooth transition, getting the best pup I can possibly get. Just to give you an idea about #3, he refuses to put the dogs on a plane and will meet me half way after the 8-10 week window when our puppy is ready to go home. So they are willing to meet me face to face and drive about 5 hours. They also make little pillow's to take home with puppy so it has a litter scent on it. This supposedly helps the puppy from crying so much. They also send toys,food and such with every new puppy. All sounds good with them but still undecided. Can you blame me for making the tough call here? Ron, Thank you, I am trying our best therefore asking many questions. |
| It is a tough decision.... and I guess you can say I went with a BYB and not one from the list. It wasn't like I didn't try from the list---it was just I couldn't find a puppy in the timeline that I had. My puppy will be ready for pickup on Feb 18th. I did interview a few different people that had received puppies from this particular breeder, and they were all happy. They also have no relation to the breeder whatsoever--- I asked and checked. Just for the record... everyone I spoke to sends a little care package home with the puppy. Pillow or blanket or toy or something. They are also all willing to drive a certain distance. I don't think this is particularly unique to the breeder you are speaking with and don't let that drive your decision. My pup is taking a short flight on the airplane with a flight attendant in the main cabin and then we are picking her up 10 hrs away. This was the best I could do. I have been receiving photos every week and updates every week. I'm pretty excited that she will be 6 weeks old this Friday. I've already fallen in love with her. My previous OES who passed away in November at 15 years old was from a Mall Pet Store. She was healthy until about 12 when she got arthritis.... I put her on meds and she was really good until about the last year when she slowed down a lot. We didn't know anything about her and she was a great and healthy dog.... and very beautiful.... perhaps we were just very lucky. I think a lot of the good things come from the people who raise the dogs. Whichever breeder you chose.... I am sure it will be a wonderful and very loved OES! I am still hoping we can meet in NJ somewhere so we can have playdates |
Hi Again! I don't think the snow will ever melt! And we are expecting more and more each week!  Most of the breeders will send a "care package" along with the pup. I had to send a blanket off to mine after I slept with it a few nights. Put it in plastic bag and shipped it off so the new pup could sleep with it a few nights and have it in their crate while travelling so when they met me, the smell would be familiar. then we had another blanket the breeder had so when they got here to us it would smell familair too. I know its a hard decision. Just be sure all the testing comes out okay. After speaking with you, I know whichever you choose, you will make a wonderful loving home! Hop the pup doesn't come home too soon with all this terrible snow wehather. I know I wouldn't want to be learning to pee outside in this mess! Ha ha The snow is probably over most pups heads! |
| NJ_Sheepie, How did you arrange to have the pup flown with a flight attendant? I assumed most go into the cargo area of some sort. Noted on what most breeders do, thanks. #3 was the first to tell me they do this so therefore I thought it was really thoughtful and nice. Now since I found out this is proper protocal then it eases my mind even more. Diane, I like that idea of sending a blanket of ours to get our pup used to our smell. I may request to do this once we make our decision. A 4th breeder who I contacted a few months back has come into the picture and their pups will be ready in about 8 weeks or so. We cannot wait and while the other breeders are due for May/June pick up, we may go with the March pick up. We are discussing this now. I will give you a call soon to bounce it off of you. Thanks to all for more advice. Taking it all in! |
| Giantfish, and I believe your name is Scott, there is an airline in our area called Pet Airlines and they fly pets only. In cabin with a stewardes. They cost is not much more than the cost for fluying commercial cago. They fly out of alot of major cities. Look them up. Pet Airlines. If this was available when I flew my pups home, I would ahve used them! After today and tonight, I am now wondering if the ice will ever go away! Just a reminder, some of us will be at Westminister next week. A great way to come and meet the breed in person and breeders too! You have my number. I will be home all weekend on and off... Diane |
| We made our decision and our boy will be coming home by the end of March. I figured I will add to this thread and not start a new one since it would be easy to follow our story. As you know I have contacted breeders and asked many questions. Above I mentioned 3 breeders we were discussing however a 4th breeder came into the picture about 10 days ago. This 4th breeder I contacted well before I started posting on this site. They were one of the first breeders I contacted and liked. While they are not on the recommended list they have supplied us with all necessary documentation to prove to us we are guaranteed a healthy, well tempered Sheepdog. We feel confident this is a perfect marriage. While some of you will say good grief, some of you will say this is great news. I want to share our development with you and hope we will be one of the success stories using a non recommended breeder. We tried to go recommended but it just did not work out. This gives us the best time to get our pup (in the early spring) which is what we wanted. We did not want to wait till the summer. We already have pictures of our 13 day old pup. We named him Jaxson Nickleby and will call him Jax for short. We cannot wait to get him. I wish it was today. Thank you for all the help again. Now its on to prepping our home for Jax. BTW - I started reading an awesome book called Before and After you get your puppy by Dr. Ian Dunbar. I think it is excellent and will be looking forward to training Jax using these methods. Has anyone read this book and if yes was it helpful? Best |
| Congratulations! Please make sure to post pictures of your puppy when you get him! |
| Giantfish: Congratulations! I am so happy for you and your family. We are picking up our new bundle of joy next Friday, Feb 18th! I am so excited. We will definitely have to get the puppies together when the weather gets warmer. |
| Madys Dad - I most definitely will. Can't wait to share our dog with you. Thanks. NJ Sheepie- seems like you are waiting forever. Are the days going slower or what for you? Yes we will get together soon, once warmer. We would love to meet your pup before we get ours as well. If that's ok with you. Thanks for all good wishes! |
| Is it ok to start conversation here about crate training or housebreaking or should I start a new thread under that subject? I figure to have this all under one thread would be easy but want to follow the forum rules. Thank you. |
| Either way, completely up to you, but more members with an inclination to discuss crate training might be found in the other section. Also just browsing that area and/or the search feature might be helpful -- we've had a few discussions on it! "Forum rules" are generally limited to civility, if something would be better suited in other areas, we might move them around just to keep things tidy. We seldom split threads or anything for going off topic. Main rule.... relax and have fun! And the whole "Cup of Tea" thing. |
| Thanks Ron. I read the advice in the crate training thread. Also have been searching through other threads on this site as well. Now that we are finished with choosing our breeder its on to the next exciting chapter of our experience. There is tons of advice all over this site that is very helpful. Anyway its great to know its all good here. Thanks again. |
With all the negative energy about backyard breeders and Riverbin etc in the puppy thread I thought I would reverse the trend and post a pic of my boy who is coming in 2 weeks. Hope you like? |
| Pardon me. My head just esploded from the cuteness. Do you have a name picked out? Ron is a good one...... |
That is Jaxson Nickelby  |
Paula O. wrote: Do you have a name picked out? Ron is a good one...... Giantfish wrote: That is Jaxson Nickelby LOL Still hasn't happened. |
| Just asked my wife if we can call Jaxson, Jaxson "Ron" Nickelby and she did not go for it. Sorry. I tried. LOL!!! |
| Oh, what a cute baby How about Jaxron Nickelby???  |
got sheep wrote: Oh, what a cute baby How about Jaxron Nickelby??? This is a great breeder. You made an excellent choice. This pup will grow up to be beautiful. I understand her pups are just wonderful. Out of all of her pups I love the markings of this pup. I have seen lots of her beautiful pups on Puppyfind. You did great. |
got sheep wrote: Oh, what a cute baby How about Jaxron Nickelby??? I have been walking around all day saying Jaxron. It just sticks. |
6 more days till Jaxson comes home. We just made our Vet appt for Saturday at 10AM. How is that for prompt? Hope everyone is ready to meet him. Looking forward to it......  |
| getting closer! |
| 4 more days and counting......... I have been laying in bed a little extra in the morning these days trying to enjoy the peace and quiet before I have to walk him every hour or so. |
| Yes, enjoy the morning sleeping time since they do get up early! Dahlia is usually up between 5 and 6am every day. It isn't too bad since she goes to bed at 10:30pm and sleeps through the night. It could be a lot worse. The good thing is that puppies like and need to sleep a lot, so once you get in a routine, it will get easier and you will get plenty of sleep or learn to function with less sleep. We both work from home, and she takes about a 2 plus hour nap in the morning and a 2 plus hour nap in the afternoon---and then another nap around 7:30pm. She is starting to come out of her little sheepie shell, but, we are very consistant with her schedule and we do make her use her crate a lot for naps and night-time sleeping. She does cry sometimes for a little bit, but, then she settles down and passes out. We can tell when she is "over-tired" because she gets nippy and acts really crazy and makes these grunting noises. It is actually very funny and we just adore her....even those "lobster" bites that we get sometimes! |
NJ_Sheepie wrote: Yes, enjoy the morning sleeping time since they do get up early! Dahlia is usually up between 5 and 6am every day. It isn't too bad since she goes to bed at 10:30pm and sleeps through the night. It could be a lot worse. The good thing is that puppies like and need to sleep a lot, so once you get in a routine, it will get easier and you will get plenty of sleep or learn to function with less sleep. We both work from home, and she takes about a 2 plus hour nap in the morning and a 2 plus hour nap in the afternoon---and then another nap around 7:30pm. She is starting to come out of her little sheepie shell, but, we are very consistant with her schedule and we do make her use her crate a lot for naps and night-time sleeping. She does cry sometimes for a little bit, but, then she settles down and passes out. We can tell when she is "over-tired" because she gets nippy and acts really crazy and makes these grunting noises. It is actually very funny and we just adore her....even those "lobster" bites that we get sometimes! Wow, you guys did great with your guidelines. Dahlia is a great dog. The sleep through the night thing really helps huh? We also both work from home so we will learn when its time to play and when its time to rest just like you did. Also I have 2 kids so they will tucker Jaxson out as well. Actually this is a valuable asset for my master plan in raising a perfect dog. Amazing in just less than a month you trained Dahlia so well. Kudos to you. |
One more day and we are owners of a bouncing baby Sheepie.  |
Giantfish wrote: One more day and we are owners of a bouncing baby Sheepie. I am SOOOOOO excited for you!! |
| That's great. I bet you won't be sleeping that well for the next couple of nights. |
| WE WANT MEET AND GREET PICS!!!!! |
| Thanks to all. We are so excited but this is nothing new, we have been like this all week as you know. I actually just took a nap knowing that tomorrow at this time I will have walked Jaxson about 5 times by now. lol. Yes we have the camera ready and our video camera as well. I hope to get some video on youtube if I can figure out how to do it. |
| While you are waiting and not able to sleep, get that youtube account set up!!! That way when you get video, you will ready to upload and post ASAP! |
| Can't wait to see pics of the new baby! |
| Hi Everyone, What an exciting day. The expressions on my kids faces and my wife and I are priceless. Jaxson arrived at 4:03 today and has been great so far. Here is a quick picture of him. Hope you like. We will post more later. I am tired already....... lol.  |
| All right!!! Enjoy your baby and can't wait to see pictures and hear more |
AHHHHH  Jaxson is adorable, what a sweet little face. Nothing like a puppy... Congratulations to you and your family. |
| Jaxson is so cute. I am sure your family is loving every minute with him. Remember your puppy needs lots of sleep. (and so will you) Keep the photos coming! peg and howie |
| Shhhh. 9:00 here and he is sleeping in his crate. Yes, we all need sleep. Taking bets for how long he sleeps for? I am clueless with what to expect. Will he go every hour or give us a good few hours b4 he needs to go out. |
| He's up. Potty break. Lol. |
| 20 minutes! |
| Cute!! Where do we form the line to offer to babysit? Enjoy!! |
| Yup. Every 20 minutes. I think I am going to be here awhile tonight. We are all over the map with Jaxson right now. First night has to be to toughest since we have no rules in place yet. Only building the foundation. But how can you build the foundation when we just met him a few short hours ago. He did not eat on the flight over so I think he is hungry. Anyway here is the puppy checklist of what is going wrong..... - he is nibbling at everything - not loving his crate - crying in his crate - Napping for 20 minutes at a clip but no accidents in the house yet. All potty breaks have been outside. |
6Girls wrote: Cute!! Where do we form the line to offer to babysit? Enjoy!! You can start right now. No line, you are first. |
| Sooooo, besides Jaxson, is anyone else up? Seriously, hope your night wasn't too short. Charm didn't really eat much until her second day home. But by that time, I'd freaked out and taken her in for my vet to check. Just a nervous mama.  Good luck today, keep us in the loop. |
| I was worried when Mady had the hiccups, for heaven's sake. Oh, and as tough as it is, try to resist taking him out of his crate when he is crying. He is probably going to try to train you as much as you are training him. Although I trained Mady to use her crate, she trained me to be the automatic cheese dispenser. |
| I think we did ok for the first night. Yes its true panic started to set in around midnight. He was hungry. He did not eat the whole flight from Kansas to dallas then to new jersey. So we fed him, walked him then sleep time for maybe a half hour at a time. My wife let me sleep for a couple hours then I returned the favor. She took him out a few times then I did the same. Yes he wanted to play during the night and we caved but hey its the first night and he did not want to sleep. When he was ready, he laid down. Onto day 2. We have our vet appt soon. Keep you posted. Thanks for kind wishes. |
| This is so exciting. |
Who ever said puppies sleep a lot is right. We have a great routine going right now. No accidents in the house. He is getting his rest, playing and eating. Hopefully we can cut off the drink around 9:00. Take him out for a potty break and get him in his crate for about as along as possible. Last night was rough as expected. The routine is in motion now so hopefully a little easier tonight. Here is a better pic of Jaxson. |
| Awwww, what a cutie patootie puppy! Thanks, Scott! |
| Yea Jaxson, good boy |
| Thank you. Jaxson is nipping at everything. Our pants and shoes especially. We have told him to stop in a stern voice but not really working. We fed him, took him out for potty, played with him for a few moments and now he is in his crate whining and howling to get out. Is it ok for us to leave him in there? I want to take him out so bad but he needs a break. Especially with his nibbling. |
| It will pay off in the long run if you can resist taking him out of his crate when he is crying, if crating him is something that is important to you. He is adorable and I can see how it would be tough to resist! As for the nipping, with Mady, along with using a stern voice, we would also put a toy in her mouth and say 'Chew this' then praise her up when she chewed the toy. In no time, she clued in that if she needed to chew, she would find her toy. He is so cute! |
| omg, he is crying and whining to get out of his crate. It is so hard to not take him out. Please Jaxson just go to sleep...... Kim, Interesting how you phrase that, "if its important to you" referring to the crate. If I take him out I am done and he will always try to cry his way out but if its not important and he sleeps fine in front of the crate or near the crate then is it ok to take him out and let the crate be an optional thing? |
Giantfish wrote: omg, he is crying and whining to get out of his crate. It is so hard to not take him out. Please Jaxson just go to sleep...... Kim, Interesting how you phrase that, "if its important to you" referring to the crate. If I take him out I am done and he will always try to cry his way out but if its not important and he sleeps fine in front of the crate or near the crate then is it ok to take him out and let the crate be an optional thing? I did want to crate train Mady, which is why I resisted giving in the first night we brought her home. I just feel more secure with her in the crate when we are at work (otherwise I would worry). The crate training has also been handy at herding practice and when we stayed in a hotel. So for me it was important. Mady is 16 months old now and no longer sleeps in the crate at night, just when we are out of the house. I have heard of some people bringing the crate in their bedroom, so that the pup is in the crate, but not alone. Geez, I can see how some people end up with a bed full of dogs, puppies are so darn hard to resist! |
| You really do want to crate train. It can be tough in the beginning. Puppies cry. Just like a baby, if you know they are fed and dry, they are going to be OK. You want to reward him by taking him out when he's QUIET. If he barks and you take him out, he wll bark twice as long and hard the next time, because it worked! He is going to grow rapidly and be a chewing, uncoordinated pup twice his size in weeks. Quadruple his size in a few more months.  And later on in life, having a dog who crates can be wonderful - travel, vacations, or even vet stays. Also, you may decide you want to do sports with him - herding, agility, and others - and crating with good manners during down times are needed. |
| Thanks for the quick response. Everyone is so darn great here. We work from home and while I am in and out of the home most days of the week, my wife is usually around for Jax to keep an eye on. So the crate is here for us in the event we are both not home then you can rest easy knowing he is secure and not getting into things he is not supposed to. I guess same thing with sleeping. If he is out of the crate and we are sleeping then he may be up to know good when we are not watching so here is another important reason to stick with the crate train. reason #1 when we are not home and he needs to be in his crate reason #2 when everyone in home is sleeping (but what if Jax is up and not in crate) he may have an accident therefore needing to be crate trained. Therefore is it important to stick to it but I am so tempted to rescue the little guy from that crate and hold him.  As I am writing the above, thank you for the advice Dawn. Add your advice to reason # 3 etc. |
| I should add that getting Mady to go in her crate now is easy. I say crate time and in she goes. Also, if she has had a busy day and wants a proper nap, she will go into her crate to nap, even if David and I are home. I think she sees it as her 'officially off duty' space! |
| All well noted, thanks. Great to hear what the experienced folk have gone through. He is sleeping now in the crate. Hope it lasts...... To be continued..... |
Giantfish wrote: All well noted, thanks. Great to hear what the experienced folk have gone through. He is sleeping now in the crate. Hope it lasts...... To be continued..... Oh, and more puppy pictures please!! I am pining for a puppy! |
| Ahhhhh the joys of a new puppy. Cute little fuzzie face. Are you loving the puppy breath? We are one of the ones that put the crate beside the bed at night. IMO it is the best idea "I" have come up with. The baby can hear and smell you so they know they are not alone. A quiet soothing word can calm them....and you can hear if they get antsy during the night having to go potty. I did it with my last 3-4 dogs and it worked great. I could get a few hours of sleep that way. |
| most can chime in but i thought 9 pm is a bit late to take up water .. dreamer and duffy when pups would pull the water up at 7 and they would only wake me once durning the nite about 2 good luck .. it will get easier trust us.. also if i was home during the day i put him in a crate in the back room so they would not see me ..trial and error i guess |
suzptcruise wrote: most can chime in but i thought 9 pm is a bit late to take up water .. dreamer and duffy when pups would pull the water up at 7 and they would only wake me once durning the nite about 2 good luck .. it will get easier trust us.. also if i was home during the day i put him in a crate in the back room so they would not see me ..trial and error i guess Yes, trying to figure out the best time to stop water and food. Since 9 is on the later side and 7 seems early to me (we all eat dinner around 6:30 then perhaps 8 works best. We head to sleep around 11 so it may work out well. Anyway, last night was not bad after he stopped crying in his crate. He stayed for almost 3 hours then we took him out for potty. He did both #1 and #2 very quickly (guess he had to go badly) and we came back in and back to sleep. However he did not want to go back into the crate and therefore plopped down in front of the crate and back to sleep for another 2 hours. He awoke, took him out for potty then my wife put him back in the crate for the next couple of hours and it was morning. I think we are getting the hang of it. Hopefully he takes to his crate a little more going forward. Here is a pic of Jaxson in his crate  |
| How sweet is that face? You are doing very well with him. The crate will be your best friend in a few months when you or a family member need some down time without constantly watching a curious pup. I remember nap time fondly, I could sit on the couch and rest for 30 minutes. Howie was (still is) a very high energy dog. He would wake up 3 or 4 times through the night. He just never seemed to need much sleep. Howie is now almost a year old, it was only 6 weeks ago that he finally slept straight through the night....10pm - 7:00am. HEAVEN!!! So you are doing very well with Jaxson waking up twice and that he wanted to go back to sleep is great! Have fun with your little guy, enjoy the play times and the nap times too! peg |
| Yea Jaxson!!! Sounds like it's going well for him. Such a cute picture |
| Hello Scott! And welcome Jaxson! I assume he is only about 8 weeks old. At night when he is sleeping he will be able to hold it for a few hours. However, during the day, every hour on the hour is a good way to potty train. And go out there with him,when he does his business, give him lots of prasie and treats...A small young puppy can only hold about and hour for every month..So at 8 weeks, max two hours. At night they can hold longer since they are sleeping. But still expect to get up during the night for now... At night, I would pull up the water about an hour or so before bedtime... Ah, how I don't miss that lack of sleep whne bringing home a new pup! And, the nipping, etc...sorry but it gets worse as he starts to teeth. Take a wash cloth, soak it in water, ring it out and put it into like a ring shape, freeze...The cold will feel good on his teeth and numb his gums a bit... It gets better, don't worry! D |
| One thing I might suggest is until potty training is mastered we would only go outside on leash, do our duty, get lots of praise then go right back inside for a treat. We did not play outside until our puppy had potty training down. We found that otherwise a lot of our trips were for play, even at 3am. |
Chauncey wrote: One thing I might suggest is until potty training is mastered we would only go outside on leash, do our duty, get lots of praise then go right back inside for a treat. We did not play outside until our puppy had potty training down. We found that otherwise a lot of our trips were for play, even at 3am. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ What she said!!! |
| EEEK! I cannot believe I fell off this thread and missed all the cute puppy happenings! Congratulations on your bundle of joy! Now come the trying days, the wonderful days, and the "we'll remember them forever, for good and bad" days! Also? The "everyone will give you advice" days. Remember we are all here for you, with all our experiences, and are glad to help out!!!!And we re going to need WAY more photos. Just sayin'. |
| Welcome Jaxson! We were away for a long weekend, and I was wondering how the new addition was doing! Do you have a blanket you can put over his crate? He might feel more secure with a blanket over some of it since he is not in your bedrooom. We are not using the wire crates---we use the Vari-Kennel and we have been so fortunate that Dahlia slept through the night on Day 1. We lift the water up around 1.5 hr to 2 hr before bed-time and Dahlia is usually in her crate around 10:30. This has worked well for us. We also feed 3 meals a day with dinner being early around 5-5:30pm. As for the nipping-----It only gets worse. Dahlia is now 13 weeks and I can assure you, her nipping is stronger! I know you have children, and it is really key to stick a toy in his mouth and say a key word. When we are outside and Dahlia is nipping, we give her a tennis ball to hold or we have trained her to like sticks. We live in the woods, so there is always a stick available. This has helped us with the nipping at our heals and biting our pant legs. Also, when they nip, you should make a high pitched sounds like a yelp or "Ouch" but in high pitched. I also saw a dog training video that if you rub butter on your hands or arms (especially for kids) that this will help and the puppy will just lick. I have no clue if that is true or not, but, I thought i would pass it along. So, what did he weigh in at this weekend? I was just wondering how big he was. |
| Diane, Kathy and Shari - thanks for the sound advice. All has been so helpful and put to good use. We keep on refreshing this thread when a situation comes up and right away apply the advice. It works!!! Thanks again. We do not play with Jaxson outside. Its all business out there. He gets a treat inside after he makes a poo or pee. Great advice here!!! I love the puppy breath, smell and everything. You know its funny. We would watch our neighbors dog or my brothers dog once in awhile and whenever they would lick you, it was not your own if you know what I mean. Jaxson is all mine or I should say ours and I could eat him up. He is eating me up too with those sharp teeth. haha! Jaxson thanks everyone for the warm welcomes. On Saturday he was 14.3 lbs but I could swear he got bigger already. The first 2 days he only stayed on the main level by the kitchen. Now, 3 full days later he has his 2 feet on the steps and testing those out. He sees us going upstairs, he wants to come. I am sure going up is a lot easier than going down for him. He is walking around more like its his home. He has a strut in his step More pictures on the way Allison. Better late than never!!! Thanks for the warm wishes. I think his post covers everyone who commented in between my posts. if I missed anything I apologize. Cant wait to write more. best / scott |
| Jaxson is such a tweetie pie! One quick thing. You mentioned that you give Jaxson a treat when you go inside, after he does his "business". From what I understand, in order for a dog to truly make a connection between the desired behavior (going potty) and the positive result (the treat), he needs to get the treat immediately after the desired behavior. Basically, you have a three second window. The closer the behavior is to the reward, the better. Otherwise, he might think he's getting num-nums for coming in the house! Laurie and Oscar |
Oscar's Mom wrote: Jaxson is such a tweetie pie! One quick thing. You mentioned that you give Jaxson a treat when you go inside, after he does his "business". From what I understand, in order for a dog to truly make a connection between the desired behavior (going potty) and the positive result (the treat), he needs to get the treat immediately after the desired behavior. Basically, you have a three second window. The closer the behavior is to the reward, the better. Otherwise, he might think he's getting num-nums for coming in the house! Laurie and Oscar Also? Now's a great time to attach a command to going potty. It may sound silly, but it can be REALLY helpful! We used to praise our pups everytime they went outside to potty. Now, if we are on a road trip and tell them to "be good", they pee on command at a road side stop. Its also helpful in inclement weather; I can let them out, give them their command, and they are back inside in moments. "Be Good" was sort of an accidental command, as we used to tell them how good they were when they went potty. So now "being good" is thier potty command.  |
^^^^^^ Right on, Allison! Oscar is also trained to "potty" and "doo-doo" on command. When he was a pup, I simply did the hand signal over and over in front of his face while he "pottied" or "doo-dooed", and then gave him a "good boy" sign with a nummy treat. It does help when we are traveling, but it also helps now when Oscar comes up to me and stares that sheepdog stare. You know the one....  . I can do the "potty" sign and the "speak" sign, and if he needs to pee, he will bark. And if he barks at the "doo-doo" sign, I know I need to bring a bag. Laurie and Oscar |
| Wow Laurie, that's impressive. Oscar is one smart cookie. |
| Scott, I think you should start a new thread...like Arrival of Jackxon, so the new pages appear first. I might suggest...wehn you are out there with him and he pees or poops, he gets the treat immediately upon release. If you ait until he comes back in the house, he might think he is getting the treat for coming inside. Believe me, he already forgot about the pooping he did a minute ago! |
| Thanks for that. I actually changed it up earlier today and started giving him the treats (the smallest piece) outside, the second he eliminated. Above someone mentioned the 3 second rule. Btw - Jax has been good. He is your typical puppy and yes I owe a couple more pictures. He is a growing boy and getting more familiar with his surroundings. However there are spurts where he needs to put anything and everthing into his mouth and he gets all hyper over it. Whether its your leg, hand, arm, shoe, pants, chew toy, my head, grass, rocks, concrete etc, you get the idea this puppy is teething all over the place. The frozen towel is a great idea and calmed him down for a bit. I guess this is all normal and I can expect it for a few more weeks. As Shari said it gets worse. Looking forward to that.....not!!! As for the new thread, there is so much great advice in this thread I feel really lucky to get this kind of attention and assistance here. I guess we can do something else like what you mentioned but everyone has to promise to keep helping otherwise I am not doing it.  |
| I wanted to mention to you about the chewing on things. Chew toys are one thing- and by toys I mean anything that is not people. I read somewhere that a dog's mouth is like our hands. They want to "touch" something new, its going to go into the mouth. But people-mouthing isn't good, and should be nipped in the bud as early as possible. I worked on bite inhibition with my girls very early on, and am grateful we did so. They are so gentle with their mouths now that I have no fear at all regarding them and people. here's an interesting article on bite inhibition: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues ... 232-1.html The only thing we did differently was the gently saying "ouch". The books I'd read said to yelp like a puppy would when bitten by a litter mate. So we'd loudly yelp, and stop the playing that had devolved into the bite. After a few seconds our pups would calm down, and we could play again. After a while, they'd actually be concerned when you yelp- they realized that they'd caused pain, and seemed to be sorry for it. Sheepdogs are smart- they'll learn lessons pretty quickly. Before you know it, those puppy teeth won't be as troublesome if you keep on top of the bite inhibition training, and for the lifetime of your dog you'll be glad you did! |
| Thanks Brenda! I think he watches us very closely, and has figured out how to maximize that whole "how do I get a treat?" thing. As far as the nipping, we didn't call Oscar "Pirhana Pup" and "Gator Boy" for nothing!!! He was all fangs and claws until about 6 months of age. It gets better when all of those little razor teeth start falling out.Laurie and Oscar, A Former Phlebotomist (he's drawn more blood than a vampire!) |
| Yikes for us Scott, 6 Months !!!!!!! |
| You can add me into that YIKES! group. Charm, Jax and Dahlia----All the new babies. I've got some nice little nicks on my hands and she has ripped a couple of pants and got a tooth punture through my jacket. |
| New topic started: My New Puppy Jaxson is HERE! Now I need HELP! |
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