We picked up our GSP pup two weeks ago, we named her Emma. Once I get photos uploaded to the computer I'll post pictures of her. She's beautiful! I am having a few issues though. When we went up to pick our pup up I noticed her, along with her siblings, were awfully skinny. It was a red flag to me and I got a bad feeling, but at the same time, after already falling in love with her, I didn't want to leave her in the care of that lady (I'm beginning to think this breeder wasn't as reputable as I was lead to believe). I figured once I got her home I'd be able to get some weight on her...I've been feeding her, but she is getting skinnier. I believe I may not have been feeding her enough, I usually try to feed on the lower end of the recommended value (for her it says 1.5-3 cups so I've been feeding around 1.5 cups), since she was losing more weight I bumped her up to 2 cups, that's all I can get her to eat though. She turns her nose up at it after that amount and getting her to eat that is even a stretch. I have since started mixing wet food with it to get her to eat more, and she has been eating more about 2-2.5 cups a day. I am still worried though. She has her vet appt on the 12th, in the meantime does anyone know of anything I could do for her? According to this breeder she dewormed the pups three times, however whether I believe that or not, I am not sure. She doesn't have any symptoms that indicate to me that she may have worms, but I know worms are still a very real possibility. I have her on blue buffalo puppy (lamb and rice), this is what I've fed to my chihuahuas for two years and my lab was on this and it worked fine for the three of them, however I am thinking maybe she needs something different? She is very high energy so maybe there just isn't enough protein etc. in this food? I'm at a loss and very worried.

Also, crate training...I know it takes them awhile to get used to the crate, but we are getting nowhere with her with crate training. We bought a larger kennel 24 by 36 I believe...but we put cardboard in it to block it off, she tears the cardboard up and will urinate and deficate where she sleeps, she literally rolls in it. No warning either. She doesn't whine or anything, you don't know it til you wake up. I've even tried setting my alarm at midnight, three and six to take her out...she won't go when I take her out, and I'll be out for twenty minutes with her...then sometime between when i take her out and get up with her next, she silently goes to the bathroom. I have no clue what to do about this. I have ordered another crate size 18 by 12 by 14, which comes with a divider. I didn't want to do this, but it wasn't too much money and I am hoping this may solve the problem...however we won't receive this crate until around the 13th. We're off to a very rough start and I really hope this goes smoother soon. Any suggestions are welcome. She's wonderful when she's not covered in poop and pee and I hope I can get some weight on her. 

Congrats on your new puppy and I like the name Emma.  Blue Buffalo is a good quality food, so I suspect that may not be the issue, but there could be a food allergy there.  I am not sure how much grain is in that food or potato, but sometimes that can be an issue.  The red flag is that all the puppies were too skinny.  I would lean more to some sort of parasite infestation of the whole litter.  Not so sure I would wait for a vet appt on the 12th.  I think you should bring her in sooner to have her checked out. 

Oh, and to add to my prior post.  Definitely have to start with a small crate to train.  Cardboard is nothing but a chew toy I am afraid and will not stop a GSP puppy.   But again, if the puppy has some sort of parasite infestation or urinary tract infection, that could be the issue with the potty training.

 I may just call the vet that's right up the road from us. I don't usually use them other than when there is an emergency, mainly when my older chi's back acts up, I prefer the vet on the military base but they are only open strange hours and with columbus day on Monday etc, that is why I couldn't get her in until the 12th. I am kind of wondering if she maybe wasn't feeding them enough? When we went up to pick our puppy, and then when we went back up to pick her up, the mother of the puppy wasn't on the premises, which I find kind of odd. The first time she said that her husband had taken her on a walk, but really I'm just wondering if she didn't separate them from the mother and was barely feeding them. She told me when I picked her up that she had been feeding them puppy chow. Is that normal? I thought a good breeder would feed a high quality dog food, and I'm pretty sure puppy chow is not. Also when we picked our pup up, this lady was talking about how they were having money problems etc, so this is why I'm wondering if they maybe just weren't feeding the puppies the way they should be fed...but as I said I also know that parasites and worms are still a very real possibility. This whole situation is a mess and I just don't want anything bad to happen to our puppy. Her stools aren't loose or anything which is what I noticed when our lab had worms...she seems pretty healthy apart from the weight. But I have also thought that maybe she has a UTI as she seriously pees about every 20 mins or so. I am at a loss. 

I would take a stool sample to them....Will tell all....

 First, she is a very cute little girl and your right, in the pictures she does not appear to be horribly thin.  So some suggestions first, 1) take her collar off when you put her in the crate, that way it won't get stinky. It is a good practice anyway as they can get their collar hung on things in the crate and hurt themselves. 2) I would find a very mild puppy shampoo and bathe her in it when she gets pee and poop on her.  It will make life more pleasant for all and won't hurt her.

As for eating, at her young age she should be eating 3 times a day.  Since she is balking at the dry I am wondering if her teeth are bothering her or maybe the breeder was feeding her meal that was soaked and softened and she for some reason does not like the hard dry meal.  You might try soaking it in water to see if that helps.  Also, nothing wrong with mixing in some canned food.  Mine get canned mixed into their evening meals.  In my last litter I had one puppy that I had trouble keeping weight on.  He was just so busy he didn't want to take time to eat.  I went to extraordinary lengths to make sure he ate, including feeding him satin balls (my recipe below).   If none of that works, then I would try changing the meal as it just may not be agreeing with your puppy.

As for the energy, you may have to enforce some nap times.  Some puppies just don't know when to stop.  When mine get overly tired they get the zoomies and the crazies and I put them in crates when that happens for a thirty minute break.

I think with the pooping and peeing in the crate, she just doesn't understand she isn't supposed to do that.  My guess is her sleeping arrangements at her breeders did not give her a place to go potty away from where she slept.  She may never have been in a crate, or she may have been kept in a crate and allowed to poop and pee in it.  In any case, you just need to stay at it and she will get better.  I think the smaller crate may help too.  I also think bathing her and getting rid of the stink will help as well. Make sure you was her bedding and add in some odor killing product so she can't smell where she has gone before.  I would also use the odor killing product in her crate to kill the odor there too.

Here is my recipe for satin balls.  You can modify it however you want and with whatever you have on hand.  This makes allot, so put it in baggies and freeze it and then take out what you need.  You can mix this with her dog meal.  I haven't yet found a dog that did not like this.  

SATIN BALLS

This recipe is one for putting weight on an animal quickly, as some use it for putting a couple extra pounds on a show animal prior to the big day, or an animal that may have been ill and needs a weight gain program. It has also been reported that this recipe will help with some forms of hair loss, such as when your dog(s) blow their coat, to keep the coat healthy and shiny. This recipe is intended to be fed raw.

10# hamburger meat
1 jar wheat germ
1 lg box of oatmeal (uncooked)
1 1/4 Cup vegetable oil
10 eggs
10 sm pkgs unflavored gelatin
1 1/4 Cup unflavored molasses
A pinch of salt
1 lg box Total cereal (2lb's)
(You may also add a pinch of garlic powder to add flavor)

Mix all ingredients together well, much like a meatloaf....put into separate freezer bags and freeze, thawing out as needed.  It puts weight on in a very short time, not to mention the gloss in their coat. You can use it every day when they have a show to do and it does not produce diarrhea. It can be fed alone or with kibble.

She looks adorable and her coat looks good.  I think things will sort out pretty quickly for you.  But I sympathize about the stinky crate, eew!  Just try to enjoy the puppy time anyway.  Before you know it she'll be a gangly adolescent driving you nuts in new ways!