Hello all 1st time DS owners here

For our new members to introduce themselves
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Dpl92
Just Whelped
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2019 9:34 pm
Tell us about yourself: Hey everyone, first time DS owner here. We also have a 14 month old Australian Shepherd/border collie mix who’s parents were very serious working cattle dogs. Because of some unforeseen circumstances we needed a protection dog. I have an uncle who was a handler for the Border Patrol and he checked out the breeder for us beforehand and said it would be very hard for us to find a dog with a better pedigree. So LTJG Goose came home with us at 8 weeks old two days ago and we’re looking forward to the challenge ahead of us.

-Dave

Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by Dpl92 »

Hello everyone. My name is Dave. We just purchased our first Dutch shepherd a couple of days ago. We’ve been researching the breed for a couple of years now and finally decided to pull the trigger. LTJG Goose (yes from Top Gun). This will be our first protection dog. We’ve already sought out professional training and are also taking guidance from my Uncle who was a handler in the Border Patrol(retired). He always had Mals or German Shepherds but said if he were to raise his another protection dog now that he would go Dutch Shepherd all the way. According to him if you asked dog handlers who handled the three breeds the way that the Dutch Shepherd handlers spoke about their dogs you could tell that they enjoyed them much more and were more prideful of them.

Goose has multiple KNPV Ph1, Ph2, and obj titles in his lineage and comes from some very serious dogs Django brn 4730 and Berry II brn 13062 probably being the most notable. So we are well aware that we have our hands full but that is what we wanted when we first talked about getting a protection dog. Again we are taking advice from my Uncle and are seeking professional training as well, he did tell us that “it is very easy to f*** up a juvenile dog”. So we are going to make sure that we do everything in our power to avoid that.

We are always open to any and all advice. He did tell us that while he was still working training techniques were constantly changing so some of what he has told us may not be the “up to date” or “current standard”. But some general tips he gave us for the puppies development at these younger stages( Goose is still 8 weeks old). Do not let our other dog dominate him when they play(so far that hasn’t been much an issue she tends to give him her back when they play and the one time she did flip him over her wasn’t having any of it). We don’t really want to discipline him while he’s under 6 months, if he is doing something we don’t want him doing to redirect him(example climbing on the couch just pick him up and set him down rather than disciplining him for it, and to only work with him with one toy so that he does not get bored of it and go for other toys. If anyone has any feedback on that advice I would love to hear it whether positive or negative we are open to all advice and just want to make sure that we do everything to the best of our abilities when it comes to raising Goose. I typed this on my phone and am not sure how to include pictures so once I am inside and on the computer I will add some pictures of Goose.

Look forward to speaking with you guys.

-Dave
Puyallup, WA
Last edited by Dpl92 on Sun Sep 01, 2019 10:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Dpl92
Just Whelped
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2019 9:34 pm
Tell us about yourself: Hey everyone, first time DS owner here. We also have a 14 month old Australian Shepherd/border collie mix who’s parents were very serious working cattle dogs. Because of some unforeseen circumstances we needed a protection dog. I have an uncle who was a handler for the Border Patrol and he checked out the breeder for us beforehand and said it would be very hard for us to find a dog with a better pedigree. So LTJG Goose came home with us at 8 weeks old two days ago and we’re looking forward to the challenge ahead of us.

-Dave

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by Dpl92 »

ImageImageImage

A few pictures of Goose the day that we got him
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centrop67
Site Admin
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Tell us about yourself: Owned by Hondo and Mustang - two MAD rescue dogs.
Location: Cutler Bay, FL, USA

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by centrop67 »

Welcome to the forum.
Michael
Location - Cutler Bay, FL USA
Image RIP: Leela, Radar, Tequila, and Snickers
If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers
Dpl92
Just Whelped
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2019 9:34 pm
Tell us about yourself: Hey everyone, first time DS owner here. We also have a 14 month old Australian Shepherd/border collie mix who’s parents were very serious working cattle dogs. Because of some unforeseen circumstances we needed a protection dog. I have an uncle who was a handler for the Border Patrol and he checked out the breeder for us beforehand and said it would be very hard for us to find a dog with a better pedigree. So LTJG Goose came home with us at 8 weeks old two days ago and we’re looking forward to the challenge ahead of us.

-Dave

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by Dpl92 »

Thank you!
Tim91118
Training Dog
Posts: 474
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2018 12:34 am
Tell us about yourself: Enjoying my Dutch Shepherd and my Malinois

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by Tim91118 »

Start developing a word vocabulary with your dog. If he jumps on the couch, redirect him but say the word “no” . You don’t have to physically discipline him when you say it. Also, voice tones work wonders.
Tim
Dpl92
Just Whelped
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2019 9:34 pm
Tell us about yourself: Hey everyone, first time DS owner here. We also have a 14 month old Australian Shepherd/border collie mix who’s parents were very serious working cattle dogs. Because of some unforeseen circumstances we needed a protection dog. I have an uncle who was a handler for the Border Patrol and he checked out the breeder for us beforehand and said it would be very hard for us to find a dog with a better pedigree. So LTJG Goose came home with us at 8 weeks old two days ago and we’re looking forward to the challenge ahead of us.

-Dave

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by Dpl92 »

Thanks Tim, that’s what we’ve been doing so far. And so far everything’s been going good with his training, the hardest part has been not letting our other dog try to establish dominance over him when playing, but so far every time she has we’ve been quick to correct it. For a dog that will jump up and bite the meanest bull in the face I think it’s a bit confusing to her why she is not allowed to establish dominance over an 8 week old puppy.
JonMoen
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Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2019 11:39 pm
Tell us about yourself: Experienced trainer with 2 year old, male KNPV X-Mal.

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by JonMoen »

You might want to stream or buy the Raising Your Puppy with Michael Ellis DVD from Leerburg.com. There's some good information in it and is well worth the money.

I find the following to be the most important aspects of raising a working puppy:

1) Play - Learn how to play with your puppy so that he sees you as the most fun, interesting thing in the world. This helps with everything in the future from obediance to bitework. Don't worry about rules or possessiveness or letting go of the toy, just make sure he enjoys it. I like to use a couple each of tugs, balls and frisbees. Rotate through them so he gets used to biting a variety of different objects.

2 Management - Block your puppy's access to anything that might be trouble. Use an X-pen, baby gate, long line and harness, keep your stuff put away, etc. This is much easier than pulling him away from things, yelling at him or punishing him for violating rules that he doesn't understand.

3 Socialization - Teach your puppy that the world is boring. Play with him and feed him in a variety of different environments. Start with quiet places and slowly work up to more distractions. Spend a lot of time around old, respectful dogs who will just ignore your puppy.

4 Work for food - All of your puppy's food should be earned or given during socialization, play/training, or through some kind of dispenser toy. This is a bit of extra work but has a number of benefits.

5 Train a reliable recall - Pay close attention to the steps laid out in the Ellis DVD.

Puppies can be a lot of work so good luck!
Dpl92
Just Whelped
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2019 9:34 pm
Tell us about yourself: Hey everyone, first time DS owner here. We also have a 14 month old Australian Shepherd/border collie mix who’s parents were very serious working cattle dogs. Because of some unforeseen circumstances we needed a protection dog. I have an uncle who was a handler for the Border Patrol and he checked out the breeder for us beforehand and said it would be very hard for us to find a dog with a better pedigree. So LTJG Goose came home with us at 8 weeks old two days ago and we’re looking forward to the challenge ahead of us.

-Dave

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by Dpl92 »

Jon, thank you. Just purchased the dvd after your recommendation and reading many positive reviews. We will start watching it tomorrow after work. And yes I wouldn’t say we forgot how much work puppies are... both of us have grown up with working dogs... herding and hunting dogs( this is the first protection dog for either of us). But on our way home from picking him up we stopped at a butcher and while I was inside my fiancé set the puppy in the drivers seat of my truck.... sitting in a puddle of puppy piss the rest of the way home was a good reminder of what raising another puppy entails lol
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borellar15
Training Dog
Posts: 390
Joined: Sun Nov 26, 2017 11:28 pm
Tell us about yourself: Living in Austin, Texas with our dogs Zoey(DS), Henry (DS) and Tripper(labX). In college, I worked as a Handler and Assistant Manager of a training and daycare facility for 3 years where I've handled many working dogs. For the past 2 years I have been training Zoey and Henry and we have made some tremendous progress together.
Location: Austin, Texas

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by borellar15 »

Sounds like you’ve got a good handle on things. Try not to correct and start targeting the hand with food and lure into basic positions. Don’t say commands you’ll cue them in later when they mean something. Just getting your pup to fall into basic positions is good. Work on engagement. If the pup follows you around give him rewards, brings you a toy play with him etc. make sure the dog knows the rewards and the fun comes through you not the object. Welcome to the forum.
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Alex - Zoey(DS), Henry (DS), Tripper Lab mix. Austin, Texas
Mojoesterling
Just Whelped
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2019 7:31 pm
Tell us about yourself: Hi, my name is Joe. I’m 57, married, live in California with 2 fur babies. I am a proud owner of a 3.5yr old Dutch Shepherd & a 2.5yr old Cairn Terrier. My Dutchie is a lover & quite opposite my Cairn Terrier who is not a cuddle bug & very independent. I love both of them and their differences.

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by Mojoesterling »

Seems like your doing everything right. Except your first dog should be 1st in line in pecking order.....in which case it should be allowed, to a point, to keep the new pup in its place. If you treat your first dog unfairly so that the pup is first in line & the pup allowed to dominate over your adult dog(first in line) there can be repercussions to this such as jealousy & aggression. Do not spoil your pup by letting it dominate the adult. You will be sending the wrong message.
Unless your first dog voluntarily gives up its position. You should always be the alpha & keep them both in check & in their rightful place in the pecking order.
Hope this helps...good luck:)
Mojoes
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Laplaiefier
Puppy
Posts: 63
Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2019 9:00 pm
Tell us about yourself: Dogs are a good reflection of their owners?
LOL I must be hardheaded and stubborn.
I guess before and after results with dogs tend to show the effort put into them.
Location: California, USA

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by Laplaiefier »

I don't think you will have much trouble with protection with these dogs. This is the first dog I've had that throughout all the 4th of July explosions he wanted to attack the fireworks. It's like he has to conquer anything that intimidates him. I think its part of who they are in general.
Remember to walk his boundry about 3' inside every night. They always seem to reguard an extra 10' as their disturbance zone. And if mine is anyhing like the norm, it's your other dog you should be concerned about.
:muffy:

IMHO, Better to let him get a little respect by the puppy while puppy is still a puppy like Mojoe said. Naturally, they hash it out who is chief. Older dogs? Yeah. Eventually it was all family with the new dog but I had to step in to guide them to it. Funny that new dog kept looking to old dog to figure out what to do.
Welcome to the forums.
Dpl92
Just Whelped
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2019 9:34 pm
Tell us about yourself: Hey everyone, first time DS owner here. We also have a 14 month old Australian Shepherd/border collie mix who’s parents were very serious working cattle dogs. Because of some unforeseen circumstances we needed a protection dog. I have an uncle who was a handler for the Border Patrol and he checked out the breeder for us beforehand and said it would be very hard for us to find a dog with a better pedigree. So LTJG Goose came home with us at 8 weeks old two days ago and we’re looking forward to the challenge ahead of us.

-Dave

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by Dpl92 »

Haven’t responded since I first left this introduction post, aside from being busy with work, Goose has been keeping us busy as well. Here’s a couple recent pictures. He is currently Just over 15 weeks old
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Tim91118
Training Dog
Posts: 474
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2018 12:34 am
Tell us about yourself: Enjoying my Dutch Shepherd and my Malinois

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by Tim91118 »

He’s coming on nicely. Thanks for sharing
Tim
Dpl92
Just Whelped
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2019 9:34 pm
Tell us about yourself: Hey everyone, first time DS owner here. We also have a 14 month old Australian Shepherd/border collie mix who’s parents were very serious working cattle dogs. Because of some unforeseen circumstances we needed a protection dog. I have an uncle who was a handler for the Border Patrol and he checked out the breeder for us beforehand and said it would be very hard for us to find a dog with a better pedigree. So LTJG Goose came home with us at 8 weeks old two days ago and we’re looking forward to the challenge ahead of us.

-Dave

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by Dpl92 »

It’s been a while since I’ve been on here, been really busy with work, but here is an updated picture of Goose from this past week at 7 months. Crazy to look at the pictures of him next to my other dog then and now.
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Tim91118
Training Dog
Posts: 474
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2018 12:34 am
Tell us about yourself: Enjoying my Dutch Shepherd and my Malinois

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by Tim91118 »

He’s a nice strong dog
Tim
ladyjubilee
Training Dog
Posts: 947
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2018 4:00 am
Tell us about yourself: Sharing life with Bramble Dutch Shepherd mix (?) and Casper Whippet/Pit Bull (????) mix

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by ladyjubilee »

He is s handsome dog.....and the brindle dog is front is cute too.
Pack: Peanuts-terrier mix, 16-18 years old, Bramble-Dutch Shepherd, 3 yrs
Location: NC
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centrop67
Site Admin
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Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 3:42 pm
Tell us about yourself: Owned by Hondo and Mustang - two MAD rescue dogs.
Location: Cutler Bay, FL, USA

Re: Hello all 1st time DS owners here

Post by centrop67 »

Wow - what a difference. How's the protection training going?

BTW - That last photo looks like it could be a winner in our current photo contest - just sayin'.
Michael
Location - Cutler Bay, FL USA
Image RIP: Leela, Radar, Tequila, and Snickers
If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers
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