Hello,

I am expecting to welcome 2 beautiful gsp's into my home as soon as the adoption papers go through.  I have done research with regards to their physical needs, but am looking for any tips or pointers in helping me train these dogs.

Max, Male, About 5 years old, neutered, avg size

Bug, Female, About 10 years old, soon to be spayed, small to avg size

They both have very loving and mild temperaments.  They (almost) come when called which is really good for never having met me before.  They have been kept in the kennels their whole lives, only being let out daily to run around for a few hours each day and to hunt occasionally.  It has been about 5 years since they have hunted, as their owner has had health issues.  He is a veterinarian, so I assume their medical needs have been adequately cared for during their lives.  They have never been inside, so are not potty trained.  Here is my plan for these two, and any ideas and input would be greatly appreciated.

I intend to allow them to come into the house, but only when I am there.  I will let them sleep in the house, most likely in a crate.  I plan to let them run around the backyard while I am not home, as I cannot come home at lunch to let them out.  There is nothing for them out there to destroy, so as long as I keep the escape routes monitored (2 gates) I should be ok.  The fence is 6 ft. tall all the way around. 

Is there an order to training... for instance is it better to crate train and then potty train, or can it be accomplished all at once?  Also, for crates, what is a good size for gsp's?  I have looked around the net, but haven't found any that specifically mention gsp.  (The "big enough for them to turn around" is a little ambiguous to me.)  Is this a good plan?  Is it viable?  Thank you in advance for anything you can help with.

Thanks,

James   

 *** Basically I'm trying to make sure I have everything in place to alleviate as much shock as possible in their transfer.  I have: crates, blankets, collars, leashes, bowls, toys, a vet, patience, and love waiting for them.  I'm probably over-analyzing the situation, but these are my first dogs since I've 'grown up' and i want to help them as much as possible. 

Thanks for that.  I have a question as I just got finished talking with the vet's office today... They said it would be no problem at all if I took the male home on Friday, but said it would be about 2 weeks before they could get the female to another place to get spayed.  Would it be better to take the male home and get him adjusted before the female gets there, or would it be better to keep them together as that's the way they have been for a long time now?  I brought up the possibility of me taking the female home with the promise to have her spayed soon.  I hope this option will be available as i would love to get them ASAP!!!  My time will be taken up with playing with them instead of going to the store and buying stuff in anticipation of playing with them... that would help the pocketbook too!    Btw, here is my list of things I have... any other suggestions?  All of these are quantity 2.

Crate with soft insert, leashes, harnesses, collars, kong toy, stuffed toy (pheasant and duck... they are hunting dogs right? ), balls for outside, chews, bowls, food, treats, and a big blanket that they can share when not in their crates!  I hope that will get them started!

Update on Max and Bug... I mentioned in another post about them being very different.  They are also different from any dogs I have ever experienced.  I think they are still a little shocked from the environment change because they will not play with any toys, nor do they like treats at all.  Bug is coming home today from being spayed so hopefully she will continue her mellow ways for a bit.  We have only had 3 accidents in the house and none of them involved solid waste!  Just a little territory that needed to be marked... and then erased by dad.  I know it was Bug in 2 of those situations, and I suspect her in the 3rd one as well.  I let Max sleep in the bed last night as he was lonesome without his Buggers there.  He ate it up!  He slept all night without even moving from my side.  He is a velcro dog in every sense of the word.  When he is sleeping, he has to be touching me in some way.  Very cute, but I'm a little worried as I do have to work and I don't want him to freak out too much when I'm gone.  I have been crating him while I leave as I believe him to be a digger.  Anyway, any suggestions with the need for constant contact?  Thanks.

-James 

Update:  Max and Bug are back together and couldn't be happier.  They are relatively laid back for the breed so we just all took a nap after work yesterday.  They have found the joy in life called a king size bed!  I need to get a picture of this and post it, but Max jumps up on the bed, lays on his back and stretches out as much as possible then starts wiggling back and forth.  It is funny!  Max will fetch his rawhide bone and release it in my hand without any trouble.  We are working on balls, and now he will at least go and get it... he just won't bring it back.  Buggers is still recovering from her surgery but hasn't whined a bit.  She snapped at Max once but he was being a pest.  They are adjusting well and are both eating regularly now!

I have noticed that Max will always cower when he comes to me.  He will come up with his head down and then lay on his side with his tail between his legs.  What is this indicating?  I have never had to even discipline him yet as he has been a good boy so far.  I have never yelled or even raised my voice, so I don't understand the reaction.  Is this just him learning to trust me?  I would love your input. 

Thanks,

James

You asked:   I have noticed that Max will always cower when he comes to me.  He will come up with his head down and then lay on his side with his tail between his legs.  What is this indicating?  I have never had to even discipline him yet as he has been a good boy so far.  I have never yelled or even raised my voice, so I don't understand the reaction.  Is this just him learning to trust me?  I would love your input. 

My first bet would be that someone was heavy handed with Max.  In other words, he probably "got it" for one thing or another.  He is submissing to you, he is displaying calming, submissive behavior, for fear he may get it again.  Remember, everything is new.  He's not sure what will happen next, this will subside with time, trust and bonding.  So GIVE him EVERY reason to trust you! 

I remember when we adopted our first rescue dog, she spent her first two days in the hallway to our bathroom.  Would not touch a toy or treat, nothing, just laid there, looking like when is the boom gonna drop?  After she finally figured out she wasn't gonna get it for anything she came out on her own time.  And when she did, she slept for days, hours per day, like the dead, like the heat was off, and now I can finally sleep.  My guess (from what she tells me with her body language is:  she was an outdoor kennel dog, she did not know what toy or treat is. She did not know how to play with people period.  She would try to run away as often as possible, and she turned out to be very gun shy.  I mean, I remember an empty soda can blew off the deck, crashed to the concrete and that dog hit the dirt, shaking.  It took TIME.  Six months later she was a whole different animal, proudly on point after a NSTRA field trial, cleaning the field of bird; she never flinched when shotgun was fired....but that took time!  She is still afraid of thunder storms and fireworks, but until her knee blew last year, she was a fine hunter, a bit hard mouthed, but a daredevil if I ever saw one.  That dog has had more stitches then I care to admit, clocking into fencing out hunting.  You'll notice big settle in markers, starting at three weeks, then three months, and again at six months.  And after a year, you'll know those dogs finally know they are home and can trust again.  If they never want treats or toys, you just saved a wad of money, no biggie.  But to gain their trust, is HUGE.

Thanks for that input.  I kind of figured he had always been yelled at or hit or something.  I worked with him with fetch for about 30 minutes.  We started with a rawhide bone because that is what he liked.  Finally, he went and got the ball.  He didn't bring the ball back, but at least he finally went and got it!  I know everything will be fine with them, and I would never think of giving them a reason not to trust me.  Bug is finally coming out of her shell a little bit as she wanted to sleep on the bed last night instead of the floor.  She will actually wag her tail while I'm petting her, instead of before and after.  I'm learning so much with these dogs.  I can't believe it's been a week, or it's only been a week, or something like that... I'm in NM right now and have been here for all of an hour.  I am checking the GSP post instead of getting ready for my good friend's wedding reception.  I am missing them terribly already and have already called twice to make sure everything is ok.  Well, technically I called to update my friends on my status, but we all know the real reason.   Oh well, I just went way off tangent.  I'll keep you posted on how things go with them. 

Thanks,

James