Dutch Shepherd Forum

We just brought home rescue from our local animal shelter. The paperwork from the shelter and from the local vet's office have him listed as a Dutch Shepherd. So, after doing some research on the breed and spending some time with him at the shelter, we decided he was a perfect fit. I'm just finding it hard to believe that someone would take such an expensive/rare breed to the shelter in the first place, but we all know that people have treated animals much worse....My mom raised GS's for several years, but we've never come across a DS....I'm just looking for confirmation from someone who KNOWS Dutch Shepherds.

Age: 6 months
Height: 20”
Length: 22”

He is incredibly intelligent. Within 6 hours of being home I was able to get him to heel, sit, and understand basic boundaries within our home rather consistently for a 6mo old!! He is very gentle and loving, yet extremely playful and FULL of energy. If I even so much as twitch, he is READY to go, lol. He definitely has some herding instincts, as he nips/paws at our heels and calves without “structured” walking/running. He gets along well with other animals, but slightly leery of new people for the first several minutes and then warms up well. He's very alert, aware, and intuitive. I trust my vet's opinion, and I know that the shelter director has years of experience, but I just wanted to dig a little deeper and get more opinions. Breed has a lot to do with type of training, so I want to make sure I gear him in the right direction. Is/are there any specific characteristics to help determine a DS? Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated!!

VJHarr

Looks at least partially Dutch. And I know of really expensive German Shepherd Dogs that were imported and when they didn't work out as a sport dog ended up at kill shelters. And regretfully there are more and more people in my area breeding Dutch and Mals trying to make a quick buck as military/police dogs. Few really make in those programs and off the the shelter or Craigslist when the new owners realize these are often not your usual family dog. He's a cutie. Just make sure he has a "job" to keep his mind and body tired.

Thanks for the reply!! The shelter director warned me about how crazy hyper he is, but I haven't seen that side of him (yet)...maybe after he's more comfortable with his new home, more of that will come out. I forgot to list his weight, and although I don't have his current weight, at 4mo he was 14.4 pounds. He is very lean, but not bony. I've worked with several different breeds, and I am just AMAZED at how intelligent he is. I can't get over how quickly he catches on. I'm also teaching our 5 kids the basics of dog handling, so keeping him busy won't be a problem. I think I'm going to teach him how to do some of the kids chores.... they might actually get done that way!! LOL!!

VJHarr

They are super intelligent. I've had German Shepherd Dogs for years, and though they are smart, none have been as quick or willing to learn new things as Rossi. She just is so unsure of new people and places. But that's okay. We played with weave poles at dog club yesterday for only the second time and we don't have them straight upright yet, but she was out running an Aussi that's done this for over a year. And learned that she made the teeter totter make the bang noise and now that's fun. Bunch of training friends went to a Nose Work seminar today, so we may try that. Don't ever plan to compete with her, but her love of tracking, bite work, obedience and agility skills makes her a fun pup. Tricks are a super way to use the brain and energy of these guys. Good luck with him

PS can imagine in a shelter environment that he would be like Rossi. She spins in her crate, or waiting at the gate, or.........that's why I say you never really see the true dog in a shelter..

Sadie spins alot too !! She has gotten better as she gets older but she still does it LOL