Questions About My New Gsd Pup!

[NewGsdOwner]

Hey guys, I finally got my German Shepherd yesterday, and I have called him Arnold because he was huge for an 8 week old puppy, bigger than his whole litter :L.

I have a few questions that I was hoping some experienced owners could help me with.

1 - I made a bed for him in the garage with some blankets/pillows/favourite toys & a teddy-bear that has the scent of his mother on it. He sleeps find outside, suprisingly only cries a little bit, but when I try to bring him inside to put him in his crate and start crate-training him, he goes crazy and screams and doesn't want to be inside there. Should I move the crate into the garage and let him sleep in there, and every couple of hours wake up and take him to his toilet-spot? He is a pretty clean puppy goes to the bathroom far away in the backyard from where the garage is.

2 - I have only had him for two days so I haven't really started training him properly. I've started doing basic things, but the only thing he knows how to do is sit/down and sometimes roll-over, should I be training him more frequently, or should I give him a couple of days to settle in so that he can get used to things, and then start training him.

3 - The breeder gave me some Eukenuba puppy food and I was advised to add in raw mince. I let him try some other branded dog food and he wouldn't touch it on the first day, but today he was eating it. Should I keep him on the Euekenuba which is pricey, or can I change over to a supermarket brand like Purina Supercoat?

4 - I never leave food out for him to eat. I feed him his meals, and if he hasn't eaten it in 20-30 minutes, or doesn't look hungry/interested in the food, I throw it in the bin, and start fresh for his next meal. Should I keep the uneaten food in the fridge, and feed it as his next meal, or should I throw it out and start over? It is usually mixed with meats and stuff, so could that make him sick?

5 - He always seems to scratch his left side of his belly/thigh and always chews on his genitals. Could this be a sign of fleas? I did a check on him and there were no fleas. He only scratches that side of his body and chews his genital area frequently, I'm not sure if he is cleaning it and its a normal puppy thing, or if it could be fleas. Should I just start giving him flea-tablets? If so, what one would you recommend?

6 - The last thing I wanted to ask was about his water bowl. I find little white things in there that don't move and don't seem to be alive. Could this be larvae that could lead to worms? He drinks the water and I haven't seen any problems with him giving worm like symptoms. He doesn't wipe his bottom on the floor or grass and when I observed his feces there was nothing there (no white ricey looking things).

I apologise in advance for the large amount of questions, but I haven't owned a pup in a long time, and I just want to make sure I know everything, to give the little fella the best start in life. I will make sure to post pictures of him, he is a very handsome looking male.

Thanks in advance.

Thomas!

[Esky the husky]

Don't expect too much at the beginning, enjoy the puppy stage and have fun with training.

You really don't need to do more than a minute or 2 at a time otherwise puppy will lose interest.

I would keep the pup on the breeders food until he is settled in. I would advise against supermarket foods as they are really overpriced meat flavoured cereal. More premium brands have less fillers, which means you have to feed less and less comes out the other side. Back in June I won a substantial supply of Eagle pack (about 18kg) I'm nowhere near finished it so far. With my one adult active dog it would cost me less than $4 per week to keep her on a top quality food.

I might feed the mince and the kibble as a seperate meal. Any kibble not eaten in my house goes back into the sealed contained and gets eaten again. With the water bowl I'd just refill it again. ;)

I can't really answer the other questions but I'm sure someone will

[JaneH]

School Hols !!!!!!

[NewGsdOwner]

Don't expect too much at the beginning, enjoy the puppy stage and have fun with training.

You really don't need to do more than a minute or 2 at a time otherwise puppy will lose interest.

I would keep the pup on the breeders food until he is settled in. I would advise against supermarket foods as they are really overpriced meat flavoured cereal. More premium brands have less fillers, which means you have to feed less and less comes out the other side. Back in June I won a substantial supply of Eagle pack (about 18kg) I'm nowhere near finished it so far. With my one adult active dog it would cost me less than $4 per week to keep her on a top quality food.

I might feed the mince and the kibble as a seperate meal. Any kibble not eaten in my house goes back into the sealed contained and gets eaten again. With the water bowl I'd just refill it again. ;)

I can't really answer the other questions but I'm sure someone will

That was very helpful Esky, thank you. I will probably ditch the supermarket food then, I have heard bad things about them before, but I didn't know it was including Purina/Pedigree etc, I simply thought it meant the home-brand Coles or Woolies dog foods, but at least I now know! I will look into feeding seperate meals that way I can put the uneaten kibble back in the packet.

[rachiie]

Hey Thomas. Welcome. Sounds like your pup has the best home and a perfect owner.

1 - I made a bed for him in the garage with some blankets/pillows/favourite toys & a teddy-bear that has the scent of his mother on it. He sleeps find outside, suprisingly only cries a little bit, but when I try to bring him inside to put him in his crate and start crate-training him, he goes crazy and screams and doesn't want to be inside there. Should I move the crate into the garage and let him sleep in there, and every couple of hours wake up and take him to his toilet-spot? He is a pretty clean puppy goes to the bathroom far away in the backyard from where the garage is.

Bed sounds good. What are you doing before you put him in his crate? Where is his crate?

Could you put the crate in your bedroom for the first week to teach him about sleep time? Put the bed with the good mum smells in the crate?

2 - I have only had him for two days so I haven't really started training him properly. I've started doing basic things, but the only thing he knows how to do is sit/down and sometimes roll-over, should I be training him more frequently, or should I give him a couple of days to settle in so that he can get used to things, and then start training him.

Sure teaching him manners is a good idea, but keep in mind that he's a baby puppy and his attention span won't be great, plus he'll want to chew when teething, etc. But I'd teach him to sit, and wait before he goes for his food etc.

3 - The breeder gave me some Eukenuba puppy food and I was advised to add in raw mince. I let him try some other branded dog food and he wouldn't touch it on the first day, but today he was eating it. Should I keep him on the Euekenuba which is pricey, or can I change over to a supermarket brand like Purina Supercoat?

Definitely less stool amount when you feed a good quality kibble! (And that's a good thing when you've got a large dog like a GSD) There are LOTS of pet shops online that are cheaper than buying from your local vet.

4 - I never leave food out for him to eat. I feed him his meals, and if he hasn't eaten it in 20-30 minutes, or doesn't look hungry/interested in the food, I throw it in the bin, and start fresh for his next meal. Should I keep the uneaten food in the fridge, and feed it as his next meal, or should I throw it out and start over? It is usually mixed with meats and stuff, so could that make him sick?

If he's consistently not eating it all, maybe feed him less (but more often?). But yes be careful with the meat going off.

5 - He always seems to scratch his left side of his belly/thigh and always chews on his genitals. Could this be a sign of fleas? I did a check on him and there were no fleas. He only scratches that side of his body and chews his genital area frequently, I'm not sure if he is cleaning it and its a normal puppy thing, or if it could be fleas. Should I just start giving him flea-tablets? If so, what one would you recommend?

I'll wait for one of the vet nurses to comment on this. I can't remember what I did with my boy, and I don't want to tell you the wrong thing.

6 - The last thing I wanted to ask was about his water bowl. I find little white things in there that don't move and don't seem to be alive. Could this be larvae that could lead to worms? He drinks the water and I haven't seen any problems with him giving worm like symptoms. He doesn't wipe his bottom on the floor or grass and when I observed his feces there was nothing there (no white ricey looking things).

Where is his water bowl? Could pollen be falling in it? Dust? As long as it's fresh and clear there shouldn't be a problem, I don't think.

[Mim]

School Hols !!!!!!

Uncalled for. The OP is asking perfectly reasonable questions.

[Topoftheheap]

Good Luck with your new pup. I can't help you with everything, except the training and food, and then again, it is only my humble opinion, which is only that - another opinion to get you totally confused. When i first got my puppies (and before hand) i read up everything possible, researched, researched and did some more research and in the end it all came down to a bit of mum's advice and some common sense.

With the training, I started mine on leads and the table and simple obedience at eight weeks. And it was a nightmare. They could only follow really basic stuff, didn't remember it and refused to walk on a lead (at all!) I tried everything i could. And then at twelve weeks, it all just clicked with both of them, as if a magic switch had gone off. I really believe it was the little bit of age, a bit more trust in me, and i had a little more time to asertain myself as pack leader. I think alot of it was my fault, and i was definately overtraining them. I started off with two (very strict) minutes and have now worked up to ten minutes (at four months) and fifteen minutes (at five and a half months). And i do it every single day no matter how much i don't feel like doing it, and try to act the same way every time i interact with them. For example same 'no' sound and same 'positive' sound. Don't stress yourself out like i did (omg there almost three months and won't walk on a lead!!!!!) and don't train him too much.

And with food, I agree its best not to change from the breeder's diet too quickly, but if he's not eating it, then he's made his choice. However, don't pander to him too much. My sister's dog is a 'grazer' and very fussy because as a pup she was afraid he was not eating properly. She's now moved out and i have to deal with a fussy eater that takes hours to eat, just in case i change my mind and give him roast chicken. The idea of only leaving it for a set time is great, just be strict with it, and then you should be fine. As for the sort of food, i think the best piece of advice i ever got was to feed the highest quality i could afford and never let anyone make me feel bad for that. Currently I feed my dogs Black Hawk, which is $85 for 20 kg, which i consider great value compared to the other premium brands. And i know the supermarket brands are crap, but when ive been low on money i have fed them Supercoat, and not only did they love it, they didnt keel over and die either.

Oh, and with the crate training, the best thing i ever did was to time the whinging. I know this sounds strange, but in the middle of the night, a few minutes of crying can seem like a lifetime. I thought my pup was crying for hours, and felt really bad, but when i timed it, it was actually 12 minutes. The next night seven minutes, Three nights later, no crying or complaining at all. Just remember, to make him sleep where you want him too, you'll have to put up with a few nights without sleep, but obviously you're aware that its worth it in the end.

Oh, and just relax, and have fun with your pup, rather than worrying about whether your doing the right thing or not. Im sure you are already!!!!!

[gsdog2]

School Hols !!!!!!

Uncalled for. The OP is asking perfectly reasonable questions.

x 2

[mumof4girls]

Great questions Thomas, I am eagerly reading your replies

[Rozzie]

Hey guys, I finally got my German Shepherd yesterday, and I have called him Arnold because he was huge for an 8 week old puppy, bigger than his whole litter :L.

I have a few questions that I was hoping some experienced owners could help me with.

1 - I made a bed for him in the garage with some blankets/pillows/favourite toys & a teddy-bear that has the scent of his mother on it. He sleeps find outside, suprisingly only cries a little bit, but when I try to bring him inside to put him in his crate and start crate-training him, he goes crazy and screams and doesn't want to be inside there. Should I move the crate into the garage and let him sleep in there, and every couple of hours wake up and take him to his toilet-spot? He is a pretty clean puppy goes to the bathroom far away in the backyard from where the garage is.

Are you shutting him in the crate inside? Make the crate a good place for him to be. Leave the door open and let him come and go.

2 - I have only had him for two days so I haven't really started training him properly. I've started doing basic things, but the only thing he knows how to do is sit/down and sometimes roll-over, should I be training him more frequently, or should I give him a couple of days to settle in so that he can get used to things, and then start training him.

He's a baby so keep training sessions short and make sure he always ends with success. Plenty of praise.

3 - The breeder gave me some Eukenuba puppy food and I was advised to add in raw mince. I let him try some other branded dog food and he wouldn't touch it on the first day, but today he was eating it. Should I keep him on the Euekenuba which is pricey, or can I change over to a supermarket brand like Purina Supercoat?

Keep him on good quality food. He has a lot of growing to do. Supercoat is rubbish.

4 - I never leave food out for him to eat. I feed him his meals, and if he hasn't eaten it in 20-30 minutes, or doesn't look hungry/interested in the food, I throw it in the bin, and start fresh for his next meal. Should I keep the uneaten food in the fridge, and feed it as his next meal, or should I throw it out and start over? It is usually mixed with meats and stuff, so could that make him sick?

How often are you feeding him? Don't feed so much. Put it down and leave it for ten minutes.

5 - He always seems to scratch his left side of his belly/thigh and always chews on his genitals. Could this be a sign of fleas? I did a check on him and there were no fleas. He only scratches that side of his body and chews his genital area frequently, I'm not sure if he is cleaning it and its a normal puppy thing, or if it could be fleas. Should I just start giving him flea-tablets? If so, what one would you recommend?

Organise an appointment for an overall checkup at the vet. Ask them about the scratching.

6 - The last thing I wanted to ask was about his water bowl. I find little white things in there that don't move and don't seem to be alive. Could this be larvae that could lead to worms? He drinks the water and I haven't seen any problems with him giving worm like symptoms. He doesn't wipe his bottom on the floor or grass and when I observed his feces there was nothing there (no white ricey looking things).

Where are you getting the water? If you pour a glass does it have the same white things.

I apologise in advance for the large amount of questions, but I haven't owned a pup in a long time, and I just want to make sure I know everything, to give the little fella the best start in life. I will make sure to post pictures of him, he is a very handsome looking male.

Thanks in advance.

Thomas!

School Hols !!!!!!

Not in NSW.... but I believe they may have started in Qld

[Blonde_Phoenix]

Best advise I can give is take a deep breath, relax and enjoy :D I don't know what has happened since I raised my first puppy (14 years ago) and now (well 7 months ago) but there is so much information out there I nearly had a breakdown the first few weeks you sound like a wonderful caring owner your boy is lucky to have you, rest assured you are doing a great job.

Now I'm not super experienced in dog raising in the current world but I will attempt to answer your questions based on my current experience (I have a seemingly well adjusted now 9 month old):

1. Puppies cry ( I swear it hurts us more than them ) I should note firstly our boy is not crate trained because for us it wasn't what we required, though he will happily sleep in his crate in a room with us on holidays. Decide what you want from him in regards to sleeping arrangements. I will definitely vouch for crate training after puppy sitting our friends two Labs, it was great to put them to bed in their crate knowing they were relaxed and safe (and our house was safe). You will find people who know a lot more about crate training here than me but we found a stuffed kong or a chew which takes sometime to work on helps puppy relax in his crate.

2. You are off to a great start, keep it fun, don't expect perfection he's just a baby. I think it's fine to train from day one it helps to build a strong bond, and pups are just dying to learn, it's actually fun for both of you.

3. Our boy is still on the food our breeder recommended, we have on occasions when we have been slack (when the pet shops are closed) fed our cats on store brought biscuits while I don't think it's done any major harm I can tell you the end product is much smellier . I know some here recommend Black Hawk Holistic (our breeder was giving it a trail) it is more affordable but can be a little harder to obtain (you should be able to find a supplier in the Health/Nutrition/Grooming section of this forum). But just use common sense if you decide to change foods introduce it slowly and keep a close eye on the results. I don't think nutrition is something you should go cheap on especially with a puppy.

4. Our boy has always devoured all of his food, maybe you are putting a bit too much out. We never feed old food if he din't eat it in 10 minutes it would be in the bin.

5. It could be fleas, it could be an allergy or he's just enjoying a scratch because it feels good ;). Check him over regularly for fleas and keep an eye our for allergies (moist, red areas generally between the toes).

6. I don't think it's anything untoward if you change his water regularly (at least daily or more) it could be saliva, something he has picked up on his muzzle or just hardness in the water.

Don't apologise for being a caring owner ;)

[tdierikx]

Hey guys, I finally got my German Shepherd yesterday, and I have called him Arnold because he was huge for an 8 week old puppy, bigger than his whole litter :L.

I have a few questions that I was hoping some experienced owners could help me with.

1 - I made a bed for him in the garage with some blankets/pillows/favourite toys & a teddy-bear that has the scent of his mother on it. He sleeps find outside, suprisingly only cries a little bit, but when I try to bring him inside to put him in his crate and start crate-training him, he goes crazy and screams and doesn't want to be inside there. Should I move the crate into the garage and let him sleep in there, and every couple of hours wake up and take him to his toilet-spot? He is a pretty clean puppy goes to the bathroom far away in the backyard from where the garage is.

Try covering his crate to make it seem like a nice safe den - and he can't see all the world passing him by. If at night and you are wanting to sleep, make sure one side of the crate has a view of you sleeping - that has worked for my foster pups before.

2 - I have only had him for two days so I haven't really started training him properly. I've started doing basic things, but the only thing he knows how to do is sit/down and sometimes roll-over, should I be training him more frequently, or should I give him a couple of days to settle in so that he can get used to things, and then start training him.

Short training sessions with lots of praise - puppies have the attention span of a gnat... *grin*

3 - The breeder gave me some Eukenuba puppy food and I was advised to add in raw mince. I let him try some other branded dog food and he wouldn't touch it on the first day, but today he was eating it. Should I keep him on the Euekenuba which is pricey, or can I change over to a supermarket brand like Purina Supercoat?

The cheaper kibble won't kill your pup or completely stunt him in any way, but if you can afford the premium brands, then I'd go that path at least until he's fully grown. The premium brands like Royal Canin have specialised foods for certain breeds like GSD's - give that a try. I feed my rescue foster pups Bonnie Puppy kibble, but that's more because it's affordable in large amounts - if I could afford to feed Royal Canin or the like, I would.

4 - I never leave food out for him to eat. I feed him his meals, and if he hasn't eaten it in 20-30 minutes, or doesn't look hungry/interested in the food, I throw it in the bin, and start fresh for his next meal. Should I keep the uneaten food in the fridge, and feed it as his next meal, or should I throw it out and start over? It is usually mixed with meats and stuff, so could that make him sick?

If the feed is kibble and raw mixed, I'd throw the uneaten portion out and start fresh with the next meal. If only kibble, then it can be saved for the next meal. I wouldn't offer a pup the same kibble for more than 2 meals in a row.

5 - He always seems to scratch his left side of his belly/thigh and always chews on his genitals. Could this be a sign of fleas? I did a check on him and there were no fleas. He only scratches that side of his body and chews his genital area frequently, I'm not sure if he is cleaning it and its a normal puppy thing, or if it could be fleas. Should I just start giving him flea-tablets? If so, what one would you recommend?

I'd have a vet look him over to make sure it's nothing you want to be worried about. I have a dog with a neurological problem who has super sensitive spots on her body - if you touch them, she goes into a mad scratching frenzy - makes picking her up to put her in the car a complete nightmare... *sigh*

6 - The last thing I wanted to ask was about his water bowl. I find little white things in there that don't move and don't seem to be alive. Could this be larvae that could lead to worms? He drinks the water and I haven't seen any problems with him giving worm like symptoms. He doesn't wipe his bottom on the floor or grass and when I observed his feces there was nothing there (no white ricey looking things).

Firstly, you don't have to see worms in their poo or have them "scooting" for them to have worms. If you feed raw meat in the diet, you need to follow a regular worming schedule. Talk to your breeder or vet about what that schedule should be for your pup. As long as his drinking water is fresh every day, then he's not likely to get worms from that source.

I apologise in advance for the large amount of questions, but I haven't owned a pup in a long time, and I just want to make sure I know everything, to give the little fella the best start in life. I will make sure to post pictures of him, he is a very handsome looking male.

Thanks in advance.

Thomas!

Oh yes!! You DEFINITELY have to post photos!

T.

[Tapua]

1 Garage/bedding

Depends what you like - do you want you pup near you and in house most of the time or is he an outside dog? I would focus on developing a possitive association with his crate - place the crate wherever you prefer and feed him in the crate - leave the door open so he can get in or out and not feel restricted. Progressively move the crate over the next few weeks to different places so he isnt stressing over the placement of the crate and progressively shut the door while he eats. He will work it out I am sure.

2 Training -

IMO the first 6 months 'training' is really about biulding a relationship with me and my dog so that he trusts me and enjoys me. I will teach a new skill one ata time and not move onto the next one till the first is managed reliably - ie will perform the action on command 10 times over the day. But its all about fun and no training session lasts longer than 5 minutes or less if possible.

3 Dry Feed

Most DOL owner aim to have food that is as free of chemicals, preservatives, cereals and meat/chicken by products (guts, beaks, feathers etc) I use Nutro - my dogs thrive on it.

4 What to feed.

mmm now thats the $60,000 question - some like dry some like raw some do a mix of both - I have Labs - they leave NOTHING behind - just be aware that their is some evidence that the higher the protien level the more rapid the growth rate. Cereals in dry food may contribute to skin conditions. I still cook stews for my dogs - and mix it with the biscuits - the stews can be beef or chicken based with home grown vegies, pasta, Kelp, Chia but like I said my guys never leave anything - I am sure they eat a brick if they could lol. I also feed raw bones - mainly brisket.

5 Scratching and liking his balls

Ah he just sounds like a happy male dog - unless there are obvious signs of irritation I wouldnt worry about it.

6 White stuff in the bowl

GSD's have to be the messiest drinkers I have ever met - they slobber and spit in their water - just change it regularly

Photos?

Yes please

Edited December 13, 2011 by Tapua

[NewGsdOwner]

Hey guys thanks heaps for the responses. I moved the crate to the garage last night and I put his treats in there and closed the door. This time he only cried for 10 minutes and then fell asleep. I was planning to wake up after three hours to take him to the bathroom, but I slept for 6-7 hours and was in a panic! I thought he would have soiled his crate for sure but to my suprise he didn't. I put his leash on him and took him to his toilet area, but he wouldn't go to the bathroom there for some reason. I tugged his chain softly and wouldn't let him wonder around and he wouldn't go to the bathroom. Once I let him go, he walked around for 10 seconds and went to the bathroom in a different area of the yard. How do I get him to go to bathroom in one specific part of the yard? (In the far corner). Other than that everything seems to be going well. The water bowl issue was just saliva, so it isn't worms and he is settling down nicely. I will keep you all updated, thanks once again for all the useful information.

Thomas!

[experiencedfun]

I have a question for you NewGSD Owner.....why havent you asked the breeders any of these questions? They are the right people to ask. By all means if they wont answer them come on here but they should be your first point of contact.

[rachiie]

I wouldn't have asked my breeder these questions. I'd have done the research myself like Thomas is.

Edited December 14, 2011 by rachiie

[experiencedfun]

As a breeder I would be annoyed if someone came to a forum rather than to me....who best knows the growth, feeding and other peculiarities of my lines.

I can understand people who get dogs from BYB or petshop where these is no back up given.

Edited December 14, 2011 by experiencedfun

[TheCheekyMonster]

Hey guys, I finally got my German Shepherd yesterday, and I have called him Arnold because he was huge for an 8 week old puppy, bigger than his whole litter :L.

I have a few questions that I was hoping some experienced owners could help me with.

1 - I made a bed for him in the garage with some blankets/pillows/favourite toys & a teddy-bear that has the scent of his mother on it. He sleeps find outside, suprisingly only cries a little bit, but when I try to bring him inside to put him in his crate and start crate-training him, he goes crazy and screams and doesn't want to be inside there. Should I move the crate into the garage and let him sleep in there, and every couple of hours wake up and take him to his toilet-spot? He is a pretty clean puppy goes to the bathroom far away in the backyard from where the garage is.

I had this problem with Gus, the best advise I got was to ignore him..... he used to take run up and throw himself at the door... was quite silly now I think about it...after about an hour.. he was asleep... it got better the third day, then got worse the 6th by around 8 day mark he was not making a pep...now Gus takes himself to his crate and loves to chill out in there after breakfast and dinner (p.s Gus is now 14 weeks)

2 - I have only had him for two days so I haven't really started training him properly. I've started doing basic things, but the only thing he knows how to do is sit/down and sometimes roll-over, should I be training him more frequently, or should I give him a couple of days to settle in so that he can get used to things, and then start training him.

Really concentrate on sit/down/TOILET!!! then I would enroll in a puppy pre-school I found it gave me guidence, and Gus puppy mates.

3 - The breeder gave me some Eukenuba puppy food and I was advised to add in raw mince. I let him try some other branded dog food and he wouldn't touch it on the first day, but today he was eating it. Should I keep him on the Euekenuba which is pricey, or can I change over to a supermarket brand like Purina Supercoat?

The better the kibble the less is needed to satisfy pups needs, supercoat is full of fillers, maybe not the best thing to change his food too especially a GSD they are a large breed dog, they need to be on a low protein diet so all they develop slowly and property, Gus was on pro-plan when we got him, its a reasonable price and not too bad for them.

4 - I never leave food out for him to eat. I feed him his meals, and if he hasn't eaten it in 20-30 minutes, or doesn't look hungry/interested in the food, I throw it in the bin, and start fresh for his next meal. Should I keep the uneaten food in the fridge, and feed it as his next meal, or should I throw it out and start over? It is usually mixed with meats and stuff, so could that make him sick?

Dogs does not care if it sticks, if it stinks or if it has bugs in it.. if he is hungry he will eat it...the smellier the better for them, as long as the meat is kept in the fridge it will keep for 2 days just smell it if its off dont give it to him, if its fine go for gold

5 - He always seems to scratch his left side of his belly/thigh and always chews on his genitals. Could this be a sign of fleas? I did a check on him and there were no fleas. He only scratches that side of his body and chews his genital area frequently, I'm not sure if he is cleaning it and its a normal puppy thing, or if it could be fleas. Should I just start giving him flea-tablets? If so, what one would you recommend?

It could be displacement - or a nervious twitch... when does it happen?.... when I used to give gus instruction he would look at me and his leg would start to come up and attempt to scratch his ear... turns out he was just confused and overwhelmed so try and see if it is fleas, allergy or if its a behavioural thing

6 - The last thing I wanted to ask was about his water bowl. I find little white things in there that don't move and don't seem to be alive. Could this be larvae that could lead to worms? He drinks the water and I haven't seen any problems with him giving worm like symptoms. He doesn't wipe his bottom on the floor or grass and when I observed his feces there was nothing there (no white ricey looking things).

Empty his water every day and change it... that way no mould grows over night or as you say lava does not find a nice place to live.

I apologise in advance for the large amount of questions, but I haven't owned a pup in a long time, and I just want to make sure I know everything, to give the little fella the best start in life. I will make sure to post pictures of him, he is a very handsome looking male.

Thanks in advance.

Thomas!

Last but not least ENJOY!! i stressed so much with Gus and I now thing what the hell for...you learn from your dog and your dog learns from you and I think thats the best way to go about things.

"sorry I dont know how to do the cool quote seperator thingggy""

[rachiie]

As a breeder I would be annoyed if someone came to a forum rather than to me....who best knows the growth, feeding and other peculiarities of my lines.

I can understand people who get dogs from BYB or petshop where these is no back up given.

On the flip side, I'd be worried about annoying the breeder by asking too many questions, and have her regret selling me a pup.

[TheCheekyMonster]

As a breeder I would be annoyed if someone came to a forum rather than to me....who best knows the growth, feeding and other peculiarities of my lines.

I can understand people who get dogs from BYB or petshop where these is no back up given.

On the flip side, I'd be worried about annoying the breeder by asking too many questions, and have her regret selling me a pup.

I agree... I was always asking my breeder questions and it got to a point where i wasnt getting a response for about 3-4 days.... which was a little stressful for myself.. 1 the breeder was very busy.. 2. im sure they get quite sick of answering the same questions.. they do sell an average of 9 pups per littler thats alot of people emailing questions hahah...

I think the forum is a great way to get information and piece of mind

Edited December 15, 2011 by GussysMum