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Subject: 1st GSP - Questions! To Neuter? and a Pom!
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TXPeachUser is Offline


Posts:2


01/16/2013 10:56 AM  

Hello!

My boyfriend and I are bringing home our first GSP. We researched for many months, found a good breeder and we are picking our new pup up on Saturday!

I have a 3 year old Pomeranian. I socialized her very early and she is a good girl. She is pretty laid back and a cuddler and its just been us and her for 3 years. We go to the dogpark and she checks out the dogs and people and is excited to go, but she acts like she doesn't know how to play with other dogs. She is very fun and quick to play with us though. She is kind of spoiled and I'm worried about the transition with bringing home a new pup. I've read a lot and have a plan but any tips?

Also we are trying to decide whether to neuter our new GSP. I've read a lot about that too and I'm kind of torn. No plans to breed him. I'm also kind of confused about the age to do it at if we decide to. Good/Bad Experiences?

I'm sure you guys get these kind of posts alot, but I would appreciate any helpful advice, links, stories, tips, anything at all!

Thanks!

 

Phillyo118User is Offline
UK
MH
MH
Posts:681


01/16/2013 11:45 AM  
I don't know about the Pom situation but if you have no plans to breed from your new GSP pup then I would neuter him. I had Bentley done at around 1.5 yrs old once he had pretty much finished growing and it calmed him down a little bit. Admittedly we had him done because we got a new bitch pup and didn't want to keep them separated when she came into season.

"From the dog's point of view, his master is an elongated and abnormally cunning dog."

"My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am."
Texas BelleUser is Offline
Austin, TX
MH
MH
Posts:7844


01/16/2013 11:59 AM  
If you have no plans to breed I would recommend neutering. However, I would wait until he is full grown and growth plates are closed as dogs neutered or spayed too early tend to get leggy and have muscle issues. The male and female hormones play a role in the growth of dogs. Also the benefits to neutering sooner are really very small. As Philly said a 1.5 is a good age or even 2 YO.

As for the Pom and your new puppy, they will probably do fine. Just keep the puppy on a leash when you introduce them so the puppy doesn't overwhelm the Pom. Also, setup a pecking order and stick to it for feeding and treating, etc. I would always put down the Pom's food first and then let the puppy eat, and don't let the puppy eat the Pom's food or vice versa. Same with treats, etc. Also, be sure you continue to show your Pom lot's of attention. That is sometimes hard because puppies are very demanding and so darn cute. Work with the puppy to make sure he learns to respect the Pom, but let the Pom correct the puppy now while he is little. They will establish their own boundaries if you let them work out how they will get along. Supervise, but don't interfere unless someone is getting hurt.

To make you feel a little more comfortable, my oldest GSP who is now 9 grew up with a rat terrier. The rat terrier ruled and if my GSP got a little to much for the rat terrier he would grab her by the ear and she would just drop and lay on the ground on the spot. It was hilarious to watch because the GSP was so much bigger than the rat terrier. They got along wonderfully and loved hunting squirrels together.

Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)

Yellow Rose GSPs

 photo FaunaBISJan20110001cropped_resized_zps96af44b6.jpg  photo DSC_0044_cropped_zps0a25f9ff.jpg  photo DSC_0030a_zps3c822a4a.jpg  photo DSC_0016cropped_zpsab533745.jpg

"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato
gharnerUser is Offline
Middletown, PA
MH
MH
Posts:565


01/16/2013 8:11 PM  
As far as play goes, we have a Shitzu/Poodle mix as well as a GSP. They don't always "play" the same way but both enjoy chasing each other every now and then and hunting critters. Our little one joins Dax and I on our hikes and has a great time. They get along fine although sometimes their size difference makes playing difficult. My sisters both have little dogs too and the little ones definitely run the pack and put Dax in his place.
PinarellomanUser is Offline


Posts:16


01/22/2013 7:09 PM  

We recently went through introducing a pup to our 13yr old boy. As he had not  been socialised alot in the last few years, we did the introduction on neutral territory at the local dog training place. Everything went well and we brought them both home in the back of the car.

 

 

TXPeachUser is Offline


Posts:2


02/21/2013 1:07 PM  

So I have been awful busy and haven't had a chance to reply to your great answers. Thanks so much!!

The transition is going awesome! We love our pup and he has already grown so much. He is 4 months old now. He has learned some tricks already, does good on a leash, is stalking things, and he is so smart. He and my Pom get along so much better than I thought they would. He is a great addition to our family and has gotten us outside and taking him on a walk every morning. He loves going to the dog park and getting outside and running, fetching, and playing in the pond. For a puppy he listens so well and he loves just being all up in the middle of whatever we are doing. Aside from a few accidents early on in the house, he does really good now. He still has accidents in his crate, but I just read some great info on a post about that.

Some questions I did have aside from the crate accidents are what are good ways to teach him new things? His attention span is like that of a knat. haha And He still cries when he goes into the crate at night for a little while, from what I'm reading he may have some seperation anxiety. Also, do any of you make your own treats?

Here is a couple pics from a ride to the dog park!

Texas BelleUser is Offline
Austin, TX
MH
MH
Posts:7844


02/21/2013 2:17 PM  
You have two challenges with regard to focus. First he is a male, and second he is a male GSP. Being a puppy just makes it even worse. So, you have to become more interesting that the rest of the world if you want him to focus on you. That means lots of fun and games especially when you are training him and lots of surprises. So if you are training heel and his little brain wanders just change directions and when he gets a tug from the leash he will focus. He will learn with things like that that he has to pay attention to you. Playing hide and seek is another good one where you hide and he finds you. When he finds you a quick game of tug will get him even more excited. You get the idea. Training has to be fun and you have to become the center of the universe. I also play watch me where I ask my dog to watch me and at first the second he looks he gets a treat. I increase the time before I treat as he gets better at this game. Also keep things short because even the adult shorthair gets quickly bored with repetition. They are very smart, and don't need to be drilled on anything.

As for separation anxiety, very few actually have this problem. Usually it is something we are doing that causes what we think is separation anxiety. When you put him in the crate it should be matter of fact, no emotion, just an everyday normal occurrence. Also, he should never get out until he is quiet. I also do not let my charge out of the crate. They have to be sitting quietly. If they charge toward the door it gets slammed in their face. It only takes a couple of times for them to get the message. I would also use the crate at other times during the day, even when you are home. Make it a fun place too. Give him a stuffed dog bone to chew on or something like that when he goes in for some crate time. It doesn't take them long to love the crate. There is a good video called Crate Games you might want to look into as well.

I make almost all of my treats, but I save the really good ones from training and that is the only time they get those treats as training treats need to be a great reward. If you check out my website I have a page of different recipes that I like, including a doggy birthday cake. My go to treat is the Moc's liver treat. I have not found a dog yet that doesn't love them and they are easy to change up too.

Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)

Yellow Rose GSPs

 photo FaunaBISJan20110001cropped_resized_zps96af44b6.jpg  photo DSC_0044_cropped_zps0a25f9ff.jpg  photo DSC_0030a_zps3c822a4a.jpg  photo DSC_0016cropped_zpsab533745.jpg

"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato
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Forums > General > General Discussion > 1st GSP - Questions! To Neuter? and a Pom!



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