needed some expert opinion

[Allan7]

I just joined this forum.and also have some questions regarding my dog "Igor" he's a male dutch or DS mix I don't know kindly share your opinion about his breed I got him from a breeder here in the Philippines that trains K9 explosive detection,personal protection dogs.he told me it's a dutch shepherd.I just wanted to make sure what I got.nevertheless Igor the newest addition to our family is performing well as a guard dog he's now 5 months old.

[Stacy_R]

OMGOSH!! Those EARS!!! LOL! I am in LOVE with those EARS!!

[HeatherH]

OMG those ears he looks alert, friendley and eager. I'd be taking him over to your chocolate hills and running around all day with him.

I'm jealous.

H

[Dutchringgirl]

Ok, another OMG look at the ears !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy cow, He won the ear contest !! He is so beautiful and I love his solid legs ! Looks all DS to me !! Nontheless he is beautiful !

[Stacy_R]

Ok, another OMG look at the ears !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy cow, He won the ear contest !! He is so beautiful and I love his solid legs ! Looks all DS to me !! Nontheless he is beautiful !

HA! He totally won the cutest ears contest!!!
I didn't notice the solid legs until you pointed them out (too fixated on those ears!!!). What a striking fellow!

[Schlussdibusti]

Super cute DS ! But I don't like you keep him on a chain

[johninny]

I strongly second what Eva said. as I said in response to your ''photographs'' post, this dog needs to be integrated into your family. to be more specific, he needs to BE a family member [ albeit the one in charge of protection ], he needs respect that you would accord a human friend, he needs a quality living environment that keeps his mind engaged - NOT A CHAIN ON CONCRETE. these dogs are good protection because they are so smart; they must be treated as such.

[Allan7]

thank you all for your high praises! I guess I really have a DS. You're absolutely right about what he looks like he's pretty solid and alert ,and as expected in his breed he's affectionate full of energy and tractable. I feel sorry also that I put him on chains,the reason being he's too destructive at the moment considering his age.I only put him on chains when I,m doing something and I cannot supervise them playing around as there are stray dogs outside our property that may pass some communicable diseases to my dogs. but he gets a 2 hr exercise everyday 1 in the morning and at night when I'm back from work. he also have an elevated dog house to keep him dry when its raining.

[Allan7]

thank you John.that is enlightening! probably the best advice I need.don't you all worry about his welfare I'm working on it.

[LyonsFamily]

but he gets a 2 hr exercise everyday 1 in the morning and at night when I'm back from work.

That's probably the reason for destructiveness. 2 hours exercise isn't enough mental or physical stimulation for most DS and they will turn destructive when left to their own devices, especially one that young. There are a lot of different activities to do with your Dutch and some things they can do on their own when you're busy. Mines LOVES his Varsity ball. He'll roll with that in the yard for hours and it's perfect for when I have to do outside yard work or I'm working in the outside workshop. I would also recommend a kiddie pool for supervised play when you're outside, but can't be totally hands on. Some days I'll put the Varsity ball in the kiddie pool for even more fun.

At this age, I would be looking into what sort of jobs you can create for the dog as well. Tracking, nosework, agility, protection sports, obedience, herding, etc are all great things to work on. I believe Nordis posted a list of the various dog sports in a previous post. Dutch Shepherds don't really thrive until they have a job to occupy their time and in Odin's case, his caffeinated brain.

[Allan7]

Thank you! that would be extremely helpful.I guess i'll get him a ball and a kiddie pool .highly essential especially in hot days.

[Allan7]

I guess I'm getting more here than just opinion! thanks to you all!

[Dutchringgirl]

Remember, This breed is meant to watch sheep all day !

[johninny]

''watch sheep all day'' which actually is continuous and strenuous use of body and brain all day. [ watching sheep sort of sounds like something you do from a couch - or even from bed as you count ! -- but THAT is not the case or what Lisa meant.]
inactive - and especially confined in a boring environment [ chain on concrete ] - is akin to the prison practice of solitary confinement, which research over the last decade shows CAUSES insanity. as your DS may well be more intelligent than many prisoners, the effect on him can be even more devastating in terms of his mental stability, his clear perception of reality, and obviously his happiness and levels of trust, respect and love of you and your family. for best protection, you need more stability, more clear perception, more love and trust - not an angry dog. a very very happy DS will give his life for your family if he perceives a threat. an angry or seriously bored/deprived DS may choose to befriend someone who shows him what he thinks of as extraordinary kindness but may want to do harm to your family.

[johninny]

I woke up this morning thinking about you and Igor. if you made Igor a true and full member of your family, not only would you have a better and happier dog [ including better for protection ] as I stated above, but you and your other family members would have your lives enriched miraculously in so many unexpected way. you have a very special creature who can add so much to your lives. so make his life wonderful and you will paid back many times over.

[Allan7]

Indeed. since I got him,our lives(me and my wife)got more interesting in a good way.to us he's not just any dog he is something special.hopefully I can post photos of him off chain so you can see how he's doing.As of now the best bonding moment we could have with him is a 6 km walk to my parent's house ,where he could run to his heart's content and play with my brother's dogs.we do this during weekends.we are also planning to bring him to a local dog summit(not a dog show)this coming August to socialize with other dogs and people.

[Allan7]

here are some photos of Igor taken when he's 4 mos. sorry about the quality of the shots.

[Allan7]

the barbed wire on the gate does not harm him and my other two dogs they're simply smart enough to know it is sharp.It is to discourage stray dogs from getting inside (or their heads at least) especially those with mange.

[johninny]

Igor is a really beautiful and impressive DS. and I infer from his photos that he has a great personality and disposition! please keep us up on your life with Igor.

[Sugars Mom]

He is a big boy!!