Hi from Los Angeles

[ptero]

Hello there. I adopted a two month old Dutch Shepherd from the pound. She's just about four months old now. They had her listed as German Shepherd, but she's definitely more Dutch than German. She's not a purebred anything since she came from the animal shelter, but hopefully, you won't mind that she's a rescue mutt.

It has been 15 years since I last owned a dog and most of my experience has been with retrievers so I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do with her. I'd like to begin teaching her an activity, maybe flyball or agility, but I'm not sure how to go about doing that. At what age should she start? Are there any activities you might suggest that she can start off doing in her own yard? I'd appreciate any input. Thanks.

[Sugars Mom]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new pup. (Where's the pics?) I also adopted mine from the SPCA when she was 2 months. She is almost a year now. I didn't even know what a Dutch Shepherd was when I got her...she just looked unique so we picked her. I'm not the one to give advice about when flyball or other activities should begin, but I am sure someone else on this site will be able to offer that. All I know is that these dogs are smart and love to learn and keep busy. They are great dogs, thats for sure! Look forward to hearing more about your pup and seeing some pics!

[ptero]

Thanks for the response and welcome. And since you asked for pictures...

Isabel on the very first day I brought her home at 2 months old.

3 months old.

And at 4 months old on her own lounge chair.

[Schlussdibusti]

Welcome to the forum! What a cutie you got. Is that BIG bone for her?

[ptero]

HA! That bone was originally purchased as a gag gift for a friend of mine's rat terrier. But since he couldn't even lift the thing and since the rat terrier stole my dog's much smaller bone, my friend gave it to me. She's actually been working on making it smaller.

Thanks for the welcome.

[Christie M]

Hi there,

Welcome to the forum. I promise you, NO ONE will criticize you for saving a life and rescuing a dog!! Thank you for doing so.

If you can, could you please visit the User Control Portion of the forum and create a signature that includes your name? Its much easier for us all to know who you are

Formal training for any sport can be different depending on the age and sport. However, foundational exercises for any sport can be started from day one. Handling, recalls, socialization and some equipment familiarization are all things that you can begin with a puppy. Just make sure you are working with someone who knows what is age appropriate.

Good luck and congrats on your new addition.

[Sugars Mom]

OMG, what a cutie pie! That one with the bone is hilarious!

BTW, not sure if its true or not, but I heard rawhide bones were not good for puppies because after eating them, they can expand in their stomach. Maybe someone else knows more about that?

[leih merigian]

Welcome to you and that little cutie pie!

I second everything Christie said...work on foundation stuff with your little girl. Make everything fun/a game with her, but you can't go wrong doing tons of socialization, and handling and obedience. No matter what sport(s) you may pursue with her, basic obedience will be critical and make a big difference. Just make sure you're making it all fun at this age.

Encourage her to fetch...play tug with all kinds of objects/textures (you make the rules for that game and start/end it), etc.

[ptero]

Yeah, I've heard that rawhide is bad for puppies too, which is why that's the only one she has. She only gets it from time to time and she really only chews on it since it's way to big for her to eat now anyway.

I know that you can start working on activities with them early on, but I honestly don't even know where to start. I've been teaching her the basic commands and she knows fetch pretty well except for the part where you drop the ball. She's really bad at that part.

I suppose I'll have to enroll her in some classes, but I was hoping to find some activities for her own back yard since that's where she spends a lot of her time. And, by the way, the activities are for her benefit, not mine. I'd like her to have a way to work off all that energy besides just running herself silly in the yard.

Thanks for all the responses. I am completely biased, but she is pretty darn cute, isn't she?

[Marjolein]

Welcome
What a cute dog! Those eyes

I find the nose a bit too short for being a Dutch, I'm thinking stafford or something (again...haha). She sounds like a nice dog, hope you have fun with her for a loooong time :dswink"

[ptero]

I'm pretty sure she's a Dutch shepherd/Pit bull mix. One of these days, I'll have her tested for sure. It would be nice to have a definitive answer when someone asks what breed she is and they always do.

[Christie M]

I'm pretty sure she's a Dutch shepherd/Pit bull mix. One of these days, I'll have her tested for sure. It would be nice to have a definitive answer when someone asks what breed she is and they always do.

I don't know if very many of the DNA tests have Dutch Shepherd as a genetic marker. So it might not help.

Per the fetch issue - play with 2 balls. When she starts playing keep away, you can just play with the one in your hand....which is always more interesting!

[ptero]

I don't know if very many of the DNA tests have Dutch Shepherd as a genetic marker. So it might not help.

Per the fetch issue - play with 2 balls. When she starts playing keep away, you can just play with the one in your hand....which is always more interesting!

Really? That's a shame.

Thanks for the tip on fetching. I'll try it out right now.

[Marjolein]

I don't know if very many of the DNA tests have Dutch Shepherd as a genetic marker. So it might not help.

They don't As far as I know, they have not been able to create a DS profile yet.
So, waste of money