New to Dutchies!

[born2fly79]

Hello! My husband and I are new to the DS breed and are seeking advice. We are interested in getting a DS puppy and would like advice about finding the right puppy for us. We are a young, married couple, do not have children at this time, but would like to have children in the next couple years. We would like a Dutchie who would be a part of our family and join us in our active lives. We are attracted to the breed's intelligence and appearance and understand they are "a lot of dog". We have researched the breed online a lot and are very open to additional information any of you could provide for us! Based on what we've read so far, we are thinking a puppy from the FCI line would be a better match for us. It is my understanding that the KNPV line has more Malinois bread in. If this is incorrect, please help me learn!! For the sake of the dog and ourselves, we would like to make sure we are a good fit for the DS breed and that whichever puppy we get is a good fit for us. We would very much appreciate any help or knowledge you can share! - Rebecca, in Ohio

[born2fly79]

We have also looked into getting a rescue DS and are not opposed to the idea. Our main concern is that the puppy has been evaluated by someone very familiar with DS's and it actually a DS or DS mix and not another mix that happened to produce a brindle with erect ears.

[Dutchringgirl]

I have a 9 yo DS and a 4.5 month old DS. I started with Malenois before my kids were born. They are great dogs but the main difference I found between Mals and DS, is the DS has "off" switches. My mal would lay down but not be as quiet as my Dutch. When I was preggo, we got the Duchie female. She was 1.5. She was from france and had great training already. They both were totally awesome with the babies! Never, ever a growl, lifted lip or anything! My daughter would crawl up to them and pet and sit and they would just sit there with the babies. They fit right in with my life, easy to train so when I was crazy with the children , they would stay put. Now my kids are 5&6 and the puppy Dutchie is fitting right in as well. Even when the pup is sleeping, my kids can go up to her and pet her and she will wag her tail. The pup is from the North American DS Rescue, and she is wonderful ! As far as alot of dog, it depends on what you mean. They need alot of exercise and stimulation, they are not throw out and pee three times a day type dogs, like my parents basset LOL. They are quiet and loyal, but love to work and need something to do. At the moment, mine are chewing on each other. I did Ring sport with my DS and Mal for years and it was alot of fun, then I did agility with my DS, she was almost too fast for me to keep up with her. Now my DS goes mountain biking and snow shoeing with me. They are the best breeds in my book if you have active life styles.

[born2fly79]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! It is nice to hear positive stories of DS's that are with families! By "a lot of dog" I was referring to the attention required, just as you said. They are not "Bassets"! I like to walk, several miles at a time, several days a week and I cycle. I am very excited to have a dog that would love to do these things with me. My husband is an electrician and is always on the go (It's hard for him to sit through a movie!), so he wants a companion to go places with him in his truck and possibly to job sites. I think it would be great to train him to fetch certain tools or carry tools from one worker to another on a large site. He would certainly be happy having a job! We are very willing to spend quality time with the DS pup, training and playing. Thanks, again, for sharing!

[Dutchringgirl]

it sounds like a DS would be a great match for you. My girl loves to go biking, when she sees me load the bike she gets all excited!! Your husband could defiantly teach the Dutchie to fetch anything! My friends think its cool when I Drop my glove on the bike trail and Thalie picks it up and gives it back. They make packs for dogs, your husband could get a pack and put some stuff in it for the dog to carry on a big job site! They are great companions. I find even though they like to work, they are great in the car. Thalie goes with me everywhere and is very quiet and patient.

[Christie M]

Hey Rebecca. Welcome to the forum and glad that you found us!

I will shoot you back a response to your email today. There is a ton of GREAT info on this forum about DS, and a few people that have crosses. Of course, when you mix breeds, you really have no idea about the specific traits that the dog will inherent. As you said, we try through rescue to get a good idea. But every puppy has some characteristics that will only be revealed as they mature.

Well, I guess this is my response There are only 3 girls left from the litter. They will be spayed on the 22nd and moving into foster care in the Chicago are in the next few days after. Once they are completely away from each other and in new homes, we will absolutely know who they are. But right now, 2 are super social, happy and kinda mouthy - as a working breed puppy wold be expected to be. One is a little more reserved, but not at all showing shyness or aggression. She is just quieter.

I'll still shoot you an email, but again, welcome to the group!

[jasperswoman]

I am sorta new to Dutchies , in comparison to most of the folks on here ,but I thought I would drop my two cents anyway . My DS male Jasper , is a very athletic dog . He too loves to go mountain biking with me and would love to go road riding as well , but even he can't keep up to 20 plus mph ! LOL .He trail runs with me and we go to the local park alot . He is so well trained and behaved that most of the time he is off leash and never strays more than a few yards away from me , to sniff a tree etc . He was started as a SAR and cadaver dog , but I never had the time to devote to either one enough to be qualified enough to trust someone's life to him .But that is my fault not his ! He may get bored with things but he is always willing to do them .He too , loves to go for car rides and always sits in the back and minds his manners , never chews the upholstery , or barks at anything that moves .He likes to just be quiet and watch !!
He is excellent with kids and has been used at the local scout ranch to teach kids about basic obedience and dog etiquette .I never have to worry about him biting them , just stepping on their feet as he is kinda big . Mine weighs 86 lbs but as I said before , other might have bigger or smaller .He goes out of his way to get a kid to pet him . Yet he has on several occasions , kept guard vigilence on strange looking people . I think he knows that as long as I let them come up they are fine , but if they were to run up and just attack , I feel like he would rip them a new a**hole !
I have had several different breeds , from Labs to Shelties (always a favorite )and I really like the Dutchies . I will get another when the time comes .Hope you have as good a luck as I have had and enjoy ! Krista Averyr Anderson

[FG167]

Madix will be 2 years old in May. I suppose his personality is still developing. However, we've trained in a number of sports (Rally, Obedience, Flyball, Agility, Dock Jumping, Schutzhund) and he's done well at all of them. He's very smart, loves to please me and learns very quickly. He is also a great retriever. I've taken him camping and I also am an active hiker so he carries his own pack with water/snacks/extra lead etc when we go. He's my little snugglebug and sleeps spooned up with me on the bed (my other dog prefers to sleep at my feet). He rides fantastic, never ruins anything or makes a bunch of racket. I took a cross-country trip from MI to CO this Fall and it was about 19-20 hours of driving with short rest stops to let him run and he did awesome. He adores the rest of my family when we visit and is wonderful with the people that he knows. I am hoping to train him for the AD this summer so we will see how he does running next to my bike

[born2fly79]

Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences! We received additional pictures last night of a male pup in a shelter outside of Atlanta. He is beautiful! I will share a picture when I learn how! Haha! Their best guess is that he is about 16 weeks old. When we originally saw his post online it said that Feb 8 was his possible last day. While I do find it hard to believe that they would euthanize a puppy and not an older or special needs dog, they have said we have bought him time with out interest. However, we do not feel pressured to take him due to this. We are very impressed with his pictures, though. They also say he is a bundle of energy! He's a DS pup who has been cooped up in a kennel so I bet he is!! So, we are definitely in a thinking stage!

Christie, I'm glad to have found the forum! Thank you so much for getting back to me. I will definitely let you know when we come to a decision regarding the female pups in Wisconsin. We are very lucky to have people like you who work so hard for this breed! I am excited to join the DS family!

[born2fly79]

I followed the instructions for posting an image and it says "It was not possible to determine the dimensions of the page." The pic is on facebook. They have a new format for viewing pictures and it makes the url very long. Have any of you uploaded from fb lately? Is there a way I can fix this?

[born2fly79]

Thanks to a reply on the FAQ, I found a way to post it!... Our little jailbird in Atlanta! : ) (The shelter did not give him a name so he has an id number is all. It reminded us of an inmate number. It didn't help that his original pics were in a kennel, behind bars!)

[Beechtree]

Hello! My husband and I are new to the DS breed and are seeking advice. We are interested in getting a DS puppy and would like advice about finding the right puppy for us. We are a young, married couple, do not have children at this time, but would like to have children in the next couple years. We would like a Dutchie who would be a part of our family and join us in our active lives. We are attracted to the breed's intelligence and appearance and understand they are "a lot of dog". We have researched the breed online a lot and are very open to additional information any of you could provide for us! Based on what we've read so far, we are thinking a puppy from the FCI line would be a better match for us. It is my understanding that the KNPV line has more Malinois bread in. If this is incorrect, please help me learn!! For the sake of the dog and ourselves, we would like to make sure we are a good fit for the DS breed and that whichever puppy we get is a good fit for us. We would very much appreciate any help or knowledge you can share! - Rebecca, in Ohio

Hello Rebecca
I have had my Longhaired female for a year now, she is out of imported FCI registered parents that are located in NC. (BTW, I know a repeat litter is in the works) I like my LH female 'Raven' so much that I wanted another, one that would offer a different bloodline to the USA, so last week I imported a 12 week old FCI Reg. female from CZ, I call her 'Ceska'. She has fit right in with our other LH, and our Border Terrier, she is very calm, not nippy, and loves to snuggle. I think the opinion is that the FCI registered LH/ SH/ RH are more laid back than the 'bite work' lines. As soon as I get a chance to run some pixs thru 'photobucket' so they can upload to this forum, I'll post some of Raven & Ceska. Good luck with your search for just the right puppy.

[vneerland]

Thanks to a reply on the FAQ, I found a way to post it!... Our little jailbird in Atlanta! : ) (The shelter did not give him a name so he has an id number is all. It reminded us of an inmate number. It didn't help that his original pics were in a kennel, behind bars!)

You would think that shelters could put a wee bit more effort into posting pics of their adoptable dogs. But helas..mostly they are kennel shots, and even when outside, it is usually a really crappy posture And in all fairness, I do know that it is hard, even with well behaved dogs, to get them to pose enough to where they show their best side. This still looks like a very cute pup though. I hope she gets a chance to be somebodies special brindle.

[born2fly79]

Well, we have decided to take a chance on the little guy I shared a picture of! We're getting him on Thursday!! I can't wait to get him home and start working with him! I can only imagine what he will think of life with us after his month or so at the shelter. This is the first puppy we have had as adults and we are excited for the "fun" to begin! We are very open to any advice you all might have for us! We would also love suggestions for websites that might be helpful. Thank you in advance!

[vneerland]

Congratulations, and thank you for giving an underpriviledged (shelter) dog a chance.
Ask away. I am sure we will all try to make this experience as easy for you as possible (but you will still be te one to get up at night to let your pup go out to potty)

[leih merigian]

Well, we have decided to take a chance on the little guy I shared a picture of! We're getting him on Thursday!!

How exciting! How wonderful of you to adopt a pup in need!

[FG167]

Congrats! Looking forward to more photos!!