I'm adopting a dog today!

Macdaddy4738

Macdaddy4738

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2005
Im getting a 1 year old Shepard Mix. I think she has some husky in her too judging by the coat and the tail.

Shes fantastic. Walks great, behaves, knows a few common commands, and is very submissive, at least to me.

Any tips for a new dog owner? I have never owned one before, but I know a few things from research (Ive been reading for close to 3 months now).

I'll post pictures when she comes home!
 
Sounds like you've done your homework, but a few that are good priorities:

Containment, if this will be an outdoor pup a good underground fence or a fenced yard is best, chains rarely lead to a well behaved dog. If she'll be indoors a good crate is your best friend, it takes them a little getting used to, but should become much like a dog house to them, and it keeps them out of trouble when you're away from home.

Training, don't burn her (or yourself) out, keep sessions short and entertaining or you won't get anywhere.

Treats, try to stay away from rawhide/skin treats for everyday stuff, too much can actually block intestines and cause real problems, a little now and then is fine, but make sure she's not swallowing them whole after chewing until soft (had to take mine off them altogether for that reason)

Puppy proofing, anything in reach that you think will be fine, will not. Until you learn her particular traits and habits as far as chewing, keep anything you don't want eaten out of reach, hopefully she'll be like my oldest dog and wont' chew anything that wasn't actually given to him. Keeping plenty of chew toys available helps with chewing out of boredom.

Try to get her in the habit of using the bathroom in the same area of the yard, keeps things easier to clean up. (mine use the woods beside the house)
 
She is crate and house trained already, and will have a large screened in back patio along with a side room with heat to herself when I am out of the house.

The Humane Society said she doesnt chew anything that she shouldn't. They give her stuffed animals, and she has yet to tear a single one up.
 
Sounds like you'll have a great dog, if the bottom half of that patio is screened as well you may want to consider something to go over the lower half to keep her from jumping on the screen if anything gets her attention, pretty easy to knock an escape hole in most of them. She may not ever give you that issue, but is she'll be free roaming on the patio it's good insurance.
 
Give her decent food. Ol'Roy is cardboard. We use Eagle Pack from a local pet store, its good stuff. More expensive, but they need less than the cheap stuff. our 75#'er gets 1.5 cups twice a day. They have coupons on their website to save a few bucks (join Eagle Pack Club).

www.eaglepack.com

You need some small treats for training....it's a reward, not a meal. I get the "puppy" size treats at tractor supply, its a 3 lb bag for about five bucks. Usually break in half when training.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/pet-ca...ts/retriever-puppy-dog-biscuits-3-lbs-2431087

Sometimes Lowe's grocery has a very similar treat on sale for three bucks or so.
 
Congrats! Sounds like a real sweet pup. :)

Make sure to give her regular exercise... daily walks, a chance to run and play at least a couple of times a week if you can... a dog park or other fenced area or a friend/neighbor with a fenced yard and maybe a dog that can be her buddy. Training exercises/games every day... she needs to exercise her brain just as much as her body and it will help make sure she doesn't get bored and find ways to entertain herself when you're not there.

I'll throw out Nutro Naturals dog food, as well. One of our two has itchy skin, but their lamb and rice 'small bites' formula works well for him.

Like kaiser715 said, the better foods are more nutrient-dense and they will need to eat less of it than the cheap stuff. The key is to look at the ingredients and have the meat be up at the top, not a bunch of grains and fillers (corn isn't really good for dogs, for example). Will cost a little more per bag but will save you in the long run, especially at the vet.
 
Only advise I have is the more time you spend with your furry pooch, the better friend they will be.
The less time you spend, the more things they will do for attention
 
she has two buddy dogs already. A one eyed St. Bernard named Dudley and some sort of Shepard, mountaindog mix named Boone.

I got her some Iams to try out. Not sure if its the best though. I'll check out the Nutro stuff for sure.

Here are some pictures...

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So far, I have gotten her to sit, and to lay down on just hand motions, no spoken commands.

Still not sure where to put her at night. Ive been putting her in the downstairs bathroom so she can really tear stuff up, but she doesnt seem like she will even if shes out around the house.

Also sorta worried about keeping her on the patio (pictures are below so you get an idea of what it is). It gets quite cold out there since its not really insulated. Will she be fine staying out there for 8ish hours?

aimg.photobucket.com_albums_v220_Macdaddy4738_DSC_0008.jpg
 
if she's not crate trained, get a crate (we got a wire cage, not the enclosed plastic crate things), and get her trained to it.

It becomes her "safe" place. You can travel, put it in a motel room, and she will be "home".

My dog Blaze is in the house, but sound asleep in his crate right now, door open, in front of the TV. When I go to bed, I'll close the door so he doesn't roam the house, and he doesn't make a sound all night.
 
she is crate trained, but I am not quite sure what size she needs. I bought her a cheap travel crate (one of the fabric ones) just to pick her up and travel with her to the dog park and such.

Any recommendations on sizes?
 
the general rule of thumb is just big enough to stand and not a lot of moving around. You know, just to go in and lay down. good lookin dog by the way!
 
My dog had surgery last Monday. On Tuesday, I was planning to lay low and stay home, but had several service calls at work to get done. I put the crate in the back of my truck (in camper shell). He'd ride with me, and when I got to a client, I'd let him hop in back, and he'd sleep for an hour or so, until I left for the next stop. Being crate trained, and having that as an option, is great.
 
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