Puppy Dog Love

so as not to continue stealing wrightie's vinegar thread for puppy talk.....
Shirley- we are debating sable VS black and male VS female. Puppy in second pic is about two weeks old. My vote is for female as I think she will be more tractable than he in general, and we are not an experienced dog owning family.
I bet many people can relate to small dogs being lots more annoying than big dogs.

When we are ready for our next Dane, we'll probably go with a male out of a harlequin breeding *because* we do not want to judge the next one against our last sweetheart, Sophie, who was a brindle.

In the mean time, I will be very busy studying the different breeders and their lines, philosophies, etc. etc.

As for the male vs female debate for us ... that's a tricky one. One of my big concerns regarding male Danes is that they can have looser jowls than females, which translates into more drool, which translates into more cleaning required inside the house. However, my intention is to look for a line that is more likely to have a 'clean' mouth (I'm the only one allowed to swear in our house).

Females, on the other hand, have a tendency to create bigger "crop circles" in the grass due to the sheer size of their bladders and biomechanics.

Excellent health and temperament come first for me, followed by aesthetics ... As with anything, Buyer Beware. Good luck, Sally.

BlueMayPop: Beautiful Wolfhound. He looks like a very lovable fellow.

Sally: Fur color is in the eye of the beholder. Male vs. Female is another personal decision. Males will always be larger than females. If you are interested primarily in protection, then go for the larger sized dog. If breeding is of interest, then either a male or female. These are important factors, but I think that the health, disposition, genetic background and knowledge about a breed is key in selecting the right dog to join your family.

When I research a breed, I want to make sure that I only contact well qualified breeders that have worked & owned a particular breed for many, many years. That's why I recommended to go through the American Kennel Club to help you get started. http://www.akc.org/breeds/german_shepherd_dog/index.cfm

I would want to know about breeding which can perpetuate hereditary diseases such as hip and elbow dysplasia (be sure both parents have had their hips certified via x-rays). The larger breeds are prone to these issues and you want to make sure that the puppy you decide on and bring into your family will be free of these problems.

Temperament is extremely important. You want a dog that is loyal, friendly, excellent with children, doesn't bite or growl, but at the same time will give you protection. The breeder will be able to tell you about the temperament of her dogs.

I was able to find for you the German Shepard Dog Club in Anne Arundel Cty. http://www.gsdca.org/ I would contact them, let them know that you are considering buying a German Shepard, you would like to find out more & learn about the breed. They will probably invite you to attend some of their meetings. You will learn so much by speaking with other German Shepard owners and they will be able to give you a lot of pointers & suggestions.

Hope this information will be of help to you.

I love this website for any type of dog breed info, some I just pull up to see what they look like, since I never heard of a lot of them.
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/a-z.htm

I love the white german shepherd what a cool looking dog!http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/americanwhiteshepherd.htm

I also love the american mastiff bred not to drool!
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/americanmastiff.htm

Thanks for all the input. I have time to read some now, as we've just been treated to a welcome rain shower.

Thanks for the links, Flowerjen.

F.Y.I. The all white breeds are definitely very lovable, affectionate, loyal, and very deserving dogs that all need good homes, BUT you need to realize that many of those dogs that are born totally white with albino eyes are prone to deafness. The dogs will not be able to hear verbal commands, but will be able to learn sign language.

Sally: You're sooo lucky to get that rain shower. I heard the rumble of thunder, but we didn't even get as much as one drop!

Shirley, Yes, I read that about the albino ones.
We didn't get one drop either wish we would, my lawn's getting crunchy .

ofcourse I had rain- I ran my hose all morning.....
Heard that about cats but didn't know it applied to white dogs too.

You'll probably end up falling in love with the puppy personality rather than the color anyway... But a point my friend made about his black German shepherds is that people (out in public who didn't know the dogs) were less nervous about having them around because the didn't have the traditional "police dog" markings. And his wife figured they were still big enough to make a potential attacker think again when she and the dog went out for a run!

Yeah, I want a dog big enough to hang out with my kids so that no one would dare step foot in my yard.

Sally: Certain breeds are prone to deafness such as Dalmatians.

Our Boxer, Penny always protected our kids when they were playing in our yard. In fact, she thought that she was one of the 'kids'. People always asked me if it was alright for them to come into my house and/or yard. They still do that with our current Boxer, Ginger who is expecting puppies in the next couple of weeks.

It seems like many people are more cautious about dogs (re aggresivenss) than I expect. They are probably smart to be.
Might as well have a picture. Hope this is in focus! not sure from the thumbnails. A sable GS, four weeks.

So adorable!

I have to say, I have always been a BIG DOG kinda gal. Great Danes are my particular breed of choice, but I love them all. ... and the only dog that I have really truly been frightened of was a teeny tiny little Yorkshire Terrier (with razors for teeth) who was guarding a milk bone that he had hidden. He *might* have weighed 8 pounds. Any dog is capable of being frightening was the lesson that I learned from that experience. LOL

My son's friend has a Malamute- the biggest mush sweetie ever. A blue-eyed living teddy bear! His most dangerous move would be to squish you while laying down to be petted.

Beautiful puppy, Sally.

I also LOVE the big breeds....Boxers, Golden Retrievers, Labs & Weimaraners.

It's starting to sound like we should have a Parade of Puppies as a special event at our fall plant swap -- perhaps a prize to the pooch with the biggest paws? Hopefully my new skunk "buddy" will have moved along by then.

What colors are you expecting in Ginger's litter, Shirley?

Ginger's litter will all be fawn, since the mother & father are both this color.

Does anyone have or has seen Labradoodles (Labrador & Poodle mix) http://www.labradoodle.info/ or Goldendoddles (Golden Retriever & Poodle mix) http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/goldendoodle.htm? What a great way of combining the best of both breeds, good for people with allergies, little or no shedding, very intelligent, loyal and excellent family dog.



This message was edited Jul 14, 2007 12:07 PM

We've been thinking for a while that we'd eventually get a black lab... and I'd definitely consider a labradoodle. I love the temperament and personality of the standard poodles!

Jill: I totally agree! I love the temperament of Labs and the non-shedding 'human hair' (which is non-allergenic) of Poodles.

Here is a webpage devoted to 'hybrid' dogs. They are crossing every variety and coming up with some beautiful looking dogs. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/mixbreed/muttphotos.htm

Here is the latest picture of Ms. Ginger in her pre-mommy phase. She will go to the breeders house on Wednesday, one week before she is do to deliver her pups. Notice the 'bump' in her tummy.

Yesterday I called a Great Dane breeder whom I've been in contact with. We must have talked for 2 hrs; I had a very long list of questions which she was more than kind enough to answer as well as tell me numerous stories of her own.

Sheesh. She sent me some photos today of one puppy of particular interest. He is utterly adorable and it sounds like his temperament is a good match for us. Thing is, I think it's too soon after losing our geriatric girl to take the plunge again. I didn't call the breeder to ask for current pups, so it took me a little by surprise that the conversation went down that path. Out of curiosity I had asked if they ever have any 'older puppies' that they need to place. That's when she mentioned this four month old. Oh, he's so cute! ... but I'm too chicken to mention it to my DH.

If it is meant to be, it will happen. :~)

Well, I'd start moving things along by at least mentioning it. . . .

Well, I suppose that I've mentioned it to him, but I haven't followed up with a more serious conversation on the subject. Heh heh ... Actually, I showed him the pic's and received a neutral response. I'm not going to push it. I'm not going to push it. I'm not going to push it...

Maybe he doesn't want to be pushing you, either. There's no right or wrong amount of time to wait before deciding about a new pet. You'll never be able to replace your old girl, but you'll make room in your heart for a pup. I think you're probably right about things happening when they're supposed to. It's just that sometimes DH and I go in circles, each trying to be considerate and not push or rush the other one, and then we realize that both of us are sitting around waiting for the other to declare themselves ready... and in case this pup is The Pup, I didn't want you two to be doing the same! :-)

LOL ... Thanks Critter, but my DH is clearly cut from a different cloth than yours! LOL - he's got a stubborn streak (so he doesn't always recognize what's best for him). Heh heh heh.

Hear, hear, to Critter's comment.

This message was edited Jul 15, 2007 9:47 PM

How far away does this puppy reside? Maybe Critter and I can check him out for you !!!

LOL ... about a 12 hr car journey!

Oh, we are so there!!

LOL

Actually, it's more like 13 for you, Critter. Please take lots of photos and video footage.

but Shirley, won't you miss her while she's in 'maternity hospital?" But the GS took 12 hours to birth all 9 pups, so you won't miss the all-nighter.....

wrightie: Having a new dog join your family is a big step. The entire family needs to agree on when the timing is right. The new pup will never replace your beloved dog that passed away, but it will definitely open your hearts and fill them with a new four legged friend to love & care for.

Sally: Yes, we will miss Ginger more than words can express, but she will be in the best hands possible for her impending delivery. On Wednesday, she is scheduled for her pre-natal check up and x-ray. They will be able to tell how many pups she's expected to deliver.

You got it, Shirley. I was goofing a bit in my previous posts about my DH. We will not move forward until we're both ready.

"Batman' Burt Ward and wife Tracy have a Great Dane Rescue- it's on HGTV right now

*goes to turn on the telly*

thanks for the heads-up!

Sorry to just pop in here but please......if you are considering the Burt Ward "Rescue" (in quotes because it's not really a rescue at all, IMO, but a poorly run breeders' clearinghouse) please do your research.

http://www.tribe.net/recommendation/Gentle-Giants-Rescue/79bced76-3333-4060-b2c6-c063141c1665

This post is in no way a comment on breeding vs rescue. Specific to GG only.

Thanks,
Jan

Yuck ... I'll go look it up tonight. If I went with a rescue org', I'd use our local MAGDRL for the Mid Atlantic region.

The tribe link is a real eye opener. It's (can't find the right word) annoying to have Animal Planet let them do a glowing show like that. One of my first thoughts on watching the show was- how do they keep up with all the dog waste? Possibly they don't. Doesn't their county have Animal Control officers? Oh, celebrities.

I'm so glad y'all weren't offended by my just jumping in here.

Wrightie....I look forward to "meeting" your new pup....whenever that may happen. Best of luck to you and I am sorry it was Sophie's time to leave you.

Shirley.....Best of luck to you and Ginger. She's a beautiful girl and I'm sending good thoughts for a safe delivery and good health for mom and pups.

Here is one more site about GG "Rescue". The link below will take you directly to the adopters page of the site and is a compilation of some people's personal experiences with the Wards.

http://www.gentlegiantnews.com/Adoptors.html

Tangie, that GG news is appalling. Thanks for calling attention to this organization. Since I do not have cable/satellite TV, I haven't seen the program that was mentioned, above.

Looks like I'm going to be having some orthopedic surgery soon, so it'd be nice to have a pup while I'm home recuperating ... once I get my mobility back! We'll see. We'll see. (uh-oh, that could put a damper on my fall swap plans)