New rescue, how do I "start" him?

[JennieLeigh]

Hello everyone.

I'm super new, totally green to Dutch shepherds. I've admired the shepherd breed, but never dreamed that I would have one one day. Hardcore pit bull lover over here, only dog I've owned so far. But by a twist of fate I've not only ended up with a Dutch shepherd, but a working dog at that. Supposedly.

I just adopted him from the spca and he still has to get neutered, so I'm bringing him home on Saturday. I spent a couple hours with him the other day hanging out in their dog park. I spent the first part playing ball with him, then I did some sits on a leash. Then we just hung out. There were puppies in the adjacent park playing around, he was really interested in them, but after a bit he'd get bored and come back to sit with me. I just sort of let him be after that. Letting him wander around, check people and distractions out. He always chose to come back and hang out. That seemed like a good sign.

Talked to the trainer there and she said he's a for sure working dog. He's 8-10 months old, and from what I can see he's mellow, but she says no, he's true to form. Whatever that means.

I want to do right by him. My lifestyle isn't work work work! Active super active. I want a dog that will chill out sometimes. But I also want to honour his breed and keep him as active and as "working" as I can. There are no bite sports like French right here, I can look into agility, but there isn't a huge dog community here.

What are things that I can do just the two of us that would stimulate that need? Things I can do on our walks at night, or in the home. Running errands. I have a vision of him pulling a wagon of groceries home! But not sure how.

Books, videos, articles, advice, anything. I want him to be a well rounded and happy individual.

[karenz]

Welcome. Just scroll through the topics here and you can learn a lot. I still scroll through and read. It's hard to say how to "start him off". I'm not an expert on these guys by any means. Do you know what if any training he has? What explanation did they give when they said he is a "working dog"? Did they mention what his work was or was it a generic comment because of his breed?

If he is dutch shepherd all I can say is give him lots of exercise and even more training. The training and mental stimulation seems way more effective than just playing as far as him being satisfied and content. If we have had a good training session my Xander will "chill" but as soon as I stand up he jumps up and is ready to go.

I really suggest just scrolling through the topics on drive, obedience, aggression, oh and drive, did I mention that one yet. If you have never dealt with one it's a whole new world. I came across my first one not knowing and learned they are very different. Now my second one is even more drive than that. But they are great dogs. I wouldn't have anything else.

Oh and PICCCCCTURRRESSSS. We all want pictures.

[johninny]

WELCOME --- and thank you so much for rescuing him.

it sounds like you are certainly starting off with the right attitude. i will leave training and what-to-do advice to others more practiced and knowledgeable, but i do have 2 pieces of very general but important advice for dealing with a DS. they are smart beyond anything you could possibly expect of a dog, so respect him as you would a friend or co-worker you liked -- and teach him language by talking to him - naming things, activities,etcetera. the first is essential and the 2nd will pay off in spades, making training and other communication easier, but may also open many possibilities you would have never thought of.

and like Karen said, read a lot here. when you get enough background, if you really want dvd's and other training material as you indicated, you might consider joining www.bowwowflix.com - the netflix equivalent of dvd's for dog owners and order dvd's from those behaviorists/trainers such as michael ellis who are favored by knowledgeable people on DSf.

good luck with your new partner and definitely let us see pics of him soon.

[JennieLeigh]

Thanks for the tips. I just learned how to post pics.

[Owned-By-Hendrix]

The true to form comment I would imagine means "active". They want and NEED to work. Mental stimulation and physical. I'm talking long walks and lots of training/"working". Work doesn't always mean organized sports such as agility or nose work or bitework, but can be anything from helping with chores, tricks, and even obedience. Work is subjective and even games involving obedience/heeling can become work if done correctly and frequently (I mean more than once a week). Basically as long as you put to use what you train in life, to a DS, it's considered working.

As for starting right now I would work on gentle obedience and learning about each other. Coming from a shelter to his forever home is a bit of shock so he'll need time to adjust and learn how to act. He's a beauty and I'm so glad you guys found each other!!!