Table of Contents
Introduction
Hi there! This is Jasper, the German Shepherd dog. Now that I am mature, almost two year old I can look back on my life and give you the benefit of my earned wisdom. OK, maybe it’s Mom’s earned wisdom, but hey, this is my blog post!
Anyway, today’s topic is how to make your home safe for your new puppy. Mom says it’s a lot like child proofing your home, only your German Shepherd has shaper teeth and can jump higher. Also, we don’t wear diapers. That would be really weird.
Coming Home
I remember coming home. I was scared and sort of tired but wound up all at the same time. That can make you cranky. I mean where was I? Who were these people? Where’d my mother go? Where was Ady my breeder? I liked Ady.
Sure, Mom seemed nice enough. I mean, she did not get mad when I vomited on her on the way home or even when I peed on her shoe. I really had to go! It was in the way! Dad seemed nice enough too, but he had this really big hat that sort of worried me. Luckily, he took it off inside.
Crates
So the first thing Mom did was have my crate all set up with a nice bed and a divider to make it smaller so I wouldn’t get the idea the other side was a bathroom. Puppies think like that you know. Mom, says don’t bother with a small crate just get the extra large with a divider. She then offered me some water from a bowl that was my very own. I did not know that then of course. She also had nice things to chew on because I was teething and my teeth hurt and for some reason she did not want me to chew on her fingers. They tasted good too! Her furniture legs were off limits also. What a bummer!
She made sure I had a chance to take a nap in my new crate bed. I did not think I needed a nap and protested rather loudly, but while mom stayed by my crate and let me lick her fingers she did not let me out. I must have fallen asleep. Maybe I did need a nap. Mom whipped me right outside to my potty place and got all excited when I peed. Well, I decided to poop too and man did that excite her!
Keep it Small it’s less Trouble for you and Your Puppy
Anyway, in the beginning I could only play in this one room. Everything else was blocked off with gates or doors. Also, all the cords were up out of my reach, which was a shame, since they looked like they might taste really good. The only thing I could chew on was my chew toys. As we German Shepherds have very strong teeth, you will need bigger and stronger toys as we grow. Also, it’s best not to have soft toys in our crates. We tend to eat them, which may result in a vet visit.
If I was out of my crate, I had a line on. This was so Mom could keep me close, because I was little and did not know the rules yet. And if she could not be watching me, cause I guess you humans sometimes have other stuff you have to do besides play with us, she’d put me in my crate with a nice chew toy. I still don’t know why you’d want to do anything besides play with us. Weird. Anyway, I’m only just now graduated to my place bed.
Puppies need to eat three or four times a day, to begin with. Now I just eat twice a day. Every time after I ate or we played Mom would rush me out to my bathroom place where I’d pee or poop. Wow, that excited Mom a lot. You humans! Mom says do not expect much sleep for a few months. and have a place to do your “you know what” all picked out. It also helps if you have a word, like go potty or do business.
Training Games
Mom started training right away, only I did not know it was training. I just thought we were playing a fun game. One game was go in the crate. That one was easy. All you had to do is chase a treat into the crate. The other was to wait for OK before coming out of the crate. Mom would open the crate and if I tried to run out, she’d close the door in my face. How rude! Then she’d try again. If I waited a second. She’d say Ok and I could come out and get a nice treat and belly rub!! I like belly rubs! I guess I can forgive her for being rude.
Conclusion
It takes a lot of work to get ready for a German Shepherd Puppy. We grow really fast. Just about every day Mom says. I outgrew three collars in three months! But Mom says, so long as you are prepared for the work we take, we are worth it! She says, “I am one of the smartest, sweetest, funniest dogs she has ever had”, and Mom is old, so she has had a lot of dogs. But she also says German Shepherds are not for the faint of heart.
We take daily work such as training, and have a tendency to be protective, such as my desire to protect her from every dog I see, especially Chihuahuas! I’m getting better. But between you and me, I’m probably never going to like Chihuahuas. They make my shoulder blades itch. Mom, says I don’t have to like them, but I DO have to ignore them. Chihuahua’s owners love them just like she loves me. I guess there’s a person for every dog.
Anyway, get busy getting your house ready for your new puppy. it will make life easier!
Jasper out! Woof!
