Heeeeeeeeeere's MAX!

[stacwase]

I did it! I took the plunge! I've attached a photo of Max - my new German Shepherd mix! We just got him today - from the shelter in Iron River, MI. He's 2 years old and HUGE. This picture doesn't do him justice. He's a great big baby, though - Jake, my little Sheltie - has already established himself as top dog.

He doesn't fit most of my previously-established criteria. He's not layed-back by a long shot, he's not old, and I'm not 100% positive he's cat friendly. He took off after our cat, but I think he was just curious. He wasn't growling and his tail was wagging. But just to be on the safe side we're keeping him in the crate or on the leash all the time for the first week or so.

He's got so much character though! The lady at the shelter let me take him outside to walk him. He saw somebody's open truck door and took off like a bolt of lightning and jumped right in their truck! I couldn't hold on to him at all. He's so strong. So we got one of those gentle leads, and that seems to work better.

[clara4457]

Awwww - Max is just adorable. I'm sure you will both be very happy together. :D :D

[ramanth]

Congratulations!!!

Max is adorable! Can't wait to see more pics of him. :)

[slick]

Max, you must be so happy to be in a forever home :D You are so handsome. I'm also hoping to see more pictures. Congrats. And I always say "nothing goes together better than trucks and dogs!"

[stacwase]

Thanks for all the complements!!!

There's one thing we need to figure out - how on earth are we going to give this dog enough exercise! He's a great big ball of nothing but muscles and energy!

We brought him out to the pen but quickly realized he could easily jump the fence, so we just went out and got a cable so we could keep him in the pen when he needs to potty.

I got some tennis balls for playing ball in the house, but I don't think that's going to be enough. We took him for a walk but that didn't even begin to wear him out!

Any creative ideas?

We were thinking about going down a dirt road and having one of us old the leash out the car door and the other would drive slowly enough to keep up with him until he gets rid of all the energy.

Suggestions, anybody???

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Congratulations on your new addition! He's beautiful!:) ;)

[AdoreMyDogs]

He's so beautiful! Congrats! When I first saw him I thought he looked a bit like like my GSD/rottie mix girl, Kersey. What do you think?

[Rachel]

Max is one goreous dog. I hope that he will be a wonderful addition to your family. Congratulations to you and to Max.

As far as exercising him by driving slowly while someone holds the leash, I'm not comfortable with that as a solution. First basically I feel that this is dangerous and second, it is not going to be much fun for Max. Before we got our yard fenced in, I used to attach a 50 ft. traing leash to Hannah's collar and let her run around with it dragging on the ground. I would throw the kong for her and she would bring it back. If she ever got to the edge of our property and looked like she was not going to stop, I had a fairly good chance of running and stepping on the end of the leash before she got too far. You have a much bigger dog than Hannah, so I don't know if stepping on the end of the leash would work or not.

I'm presuming you do not have any dog parks near you. What about a fenced in tennis court? I know people around here sometimes use that as a place to exercise their dogs. In the mean time, a good brisk walk with you or your husband and the indoor play, should be enough. That 50 foot leash (although it takes a little practice to manuever correctly) also lets the dog run back and forth quite a ways while you basically are doing much less. Good luck.

[Kater]

Max is gorgeous!!!!:D:D:D What about doing agility for exercise? That way you would exercise him physically and mentally at the same time.

[clara4457]

Before we got our yard fenced in, I used to attach a 50 ft. traing leash to Hannah's collar and let her run around with it dragging on the ground. I would throw the kong for her and she would bring it back.

I agree 100%. When Leo was younger (he's a couch potato now:D ) I used to take him to the park with a couple of 50 ft leads hooked together and let him really run. It was also very useful for off-leash training him because I could always get him back :) An hour a day at the park would generally wear him right out.

I also take Leo to doggie daycare once a week where he plays with about 15 other dogs. After that he is very mellow for about 2 days. You might want to try that.

Good Luck :)

[Cincy'sMom]

Congratson finding your new dog! He is gorgeous! ( and I do see the resemblance to Kersey)

I tink the other suggestions on how to exercise him are good. Trying to drive along side him is just too dangerous...too many risks. What about riding with him. There are attachments you get can for a bicycle that keep the dog a safe enough distance away, and break away in case of emergency. Sound slike he is pretty strong, so maybe a little obdience work before the bike would work....

[mugsy]

Max is a looker!!

As for fence jumping, we don't have a fence jumper, but we have a fence gounderer with Sammy. Mike made his own trolley system. We ran 100 foot of line from corner to corner of the yard, attached a heavy duty trolley (since he breaks the plastic ones in the manufactured trolley systems), and then put a 15 foot lead on the trolley so he has almost complete access to all parts of the yard, but yet, keeps him in.

[anna_66]

I think he does look alot like Kersey too!

Here's a bikehookup like Cincy'sMom was talking about
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/p2fadd71a26c37fcbcb709009a14b8dd2/fcbd8fb1.jpg
It's wonderful and Roxey just loves it! She mostly pulls me (for about a mile:eek: ) when we first start! It gives her exercise that she needs and we have alot of fun with it:)
This is where I got it Bikerdog (http://www.bikerdog.com/)

Have fun with your new addition!!!

[mugsy]

Very cool Anna!! Mike and I just got bikes yesterday at a garage sale ($10 each and they're mountain bikes!!), we could do that with ours!! Great idea...Thanks!

[anna_66]

:D Your welcome!

And the best thing is with this they can't pull you over, no matter how hard they try!
Have fun with the new bikes!

[stacwase]

You all have had a lot of good ideas! Maybe the bicycle attachment would be a good idea, and I also will take him to the park on a long lead.

I won't let him run next to the car - even out in the country.

I have another idea we're going to try tonight - we're going to take him to the park and see if he'll pull us on the merry-go-round!

I also think he looks a lot like Kersey - so he probably is a German Shepherd Rottweiler mix.

My son and I took the dogs for a walk this morning. We didn't put Max on his gentle lead because the one we bought is too big for him and we want to return it. He pulled so hard on his lead that my back is sore! But he's pretty obedient. When he got too out of control I would just tell him to sit, and he sat immediately - even when he was getting ready to chase a squirrel.

He's such a sweetheart! I just love him.

He's extremely protective of his rawhide bone, though. He'll let me grab it but he really growls when he thinks Jake is too close to it. So - the rule is that Max can only play with his toys in his crate, and Jake's not allowed in the crate. Also the mudroom belongs to Jake - we feed Jake in the mudroom and feed Max in the crate, because I have a feeling Max would have food bowl issues.

What do you think?

[Rachel]

Originally posted by stacwase
My son and I took the dogs for a walk this morning. We didn't put Max on his gentle lead because the one we bought is too big for him and we want to return it. He pulled so hard on his lead that my back is sore! But he's pretty obedient. When he got too out of control I would just tell him to sit, and he sat immediately - even when he was getting ready to chase a squirrel.



That is amazaing...the sit immediately part, even when he was getting ready to chase a squirrel. It shows that your dog is highly trainable. So with the pulling, just start teaching a command such as *no pulling*. There is also the method of just stopping in your tracks every time the dog starts to pull and soon he will realize that if he pulls, he isn't going to get to go anywhere. I also teach my dogs the word *stop*.

The best way to prevent pulling is to teach him to heel. Of course a walk at heel is just one form of exercise, a walk with being able to run here and there uses a bit more of the expendable energy.

When you use that 50 ft. leash and Max, being a big strong dog and on a flat out run, you must be prepared to brace yourself when he comes to the extention of that leash. You don't want him to pull your arm out of its socket, and he needs to know there is something he can do to prevent getting the inevitable jerk when he gets to the end of that line. Here's where you'd want to call out that *stop* command.

[stacwase]

Here are some more pictures of Max!
http://www.imagestation.com/mypictures/inbox/view.html?id=4232253233&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imagestation.com%2Fpicture%2F sraid60%2Fpcdffb72f23e4fdc9243ebe04860ff972%2Ffc43 0f31.jpg&caption=max1forweb

http://www.imagestation.com/mypictures/inbox/view.html?id=4232253227&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imagestation.com%2Fpicture%2F sraid60%2Fp8c5dbe2de5be5fafcfa0e5be202b18a6%2Ffc43 0f2b.jpg&caption=max2forweb

[stacwase]

Hmmmm - anybody have any idea why that didn't work? I'll just attach the photos:

[stacwase]

And one more:

[mugsy]

Wow! Is he ever pretty. Thanks for sharing.

[ChrisH]

Congratulations!:)
Max is a lovely looking dog! I`m sure you are going to have great times together!:)

[tatsxxx11]

He's gorgeous!!:) Congatulations and welcome home beautiful Max!! You must be so excited!!:( I'm sure he's so thrilled to finally have his forever home!!:) And a doggie pal!

As for the exercise... I have to say that I am definitley not in favor of the use of cables or tie outs, especially with younger, larger very active dogs. They really don't get real exercise while attached to them and the potential for them choking, becoming entangled or strangled by their leads is too great. My friend's Lab snapped it's neck and died while trying to catch a squirrel while on a cable run. Another broke his spine as he was jerked back after hitting the end of the run.:eek:

Do you have any hiking trails, paths, a reservoir near you?? A short walk around then neighborhood will definitely not do it for such a young, active dog. But a brisk, hour long walk through "interesting territory" would definitely help to tire him out physically and mentally! And OBEDIENCE TRAINING!!! Did the shelter require you to attend one 6 week course?? I know many do. Even if not, it sounds like Max would do well with a little brush up on the basics and he'll have great fun meeting the other dogs and those classes are a mental workout as well as a physical one! AND it's a great way for you/your family to establish a bond with him and establish who's alpha!:D After basic obdience you can attend advanced classes where much of the work is off lead and they get a real work out; agility too is great! A lot of doggie training/daycare facilities have fenced in areas they you can "rent" by the hour; usually around 10.00. Maybe once a week you could take him there and give him a good workout with a ball, or such. I'm sure you'll come up with great ideas as time goes on. Right now I'm sure he's extra excited to be finally home!!:) Hugs to you Max!!!

[stacwase]

Great ideas, Tats!

Actually - I think he'd do extremely well in agility.

He jumped our fence 3 times already. I do have him on a 15-foot leash when I put him out (just in case), and I don't leave him out very long. Just long enough to go pottie. He didn't even have to put any effort into it! He was just sitting by the fence and got up and hopped over! It's about 4 1/2 feet high.

Are obedience training and agility expensive?

I think he must have had some obedience training, because he knows sit, stay, and lay down - and obeys very consistently.

He's doing really well today - I just took him out for a walk this morning and I've let him have the run of the house today (supervised) and he's doing fine. Maybe yesterday he was just really hyper because he was excited about his new environment.

My husband has bonsai stands in front of three windows in our parlor. Max just loves to look out those windows - and he hasn't so much as bumped a bonsai stand.

Oh - he caught the cat again today! Licked him half to death.

I just love this dog!!!!

[tatsxxx11]

Woo hoo!!!!! I'll bet he was extra excited yesterday being in his new digs!! He sounds so terrific!! Kissing the kitty; what a sweetie! And he already knows so many commands! I just love his ears:) Makes you wonder how someone else's throwaway is someone else's dream dog! As for the classes...around here it's around 60.00 for a 6-7 week course, 1 hr. per class/obedience or agility. If you can manage it, it's well work the investment. And 10.00 for an hour class isn't too bad! And Max is DEFINITELY agility material!! Wow, jumping a 4 ft. plus fence in a single bound!!!:eek: For now, enjoy your beautiful new boy!! I'm so happy for you!:) And him!!:D

[stacwase]

Speaking of ears - he does the cutest things with his ears! He was laying on the floor in front of TV, sleeping, but every time country music came on, his ear would go straight up. It was so cute.

Here's another picture - Max with my son, Kyler!

[stacwase]

One more

[TheAntiPam]

Originally posted by mugsy
Very cool Anna!! Mike and I just got bikes yesterday at a garage sale ($10 each and they're mountain bikes!!), we could do that with ours!! Great idea...Thanks!

Mugsy - just remember, you can't have 10 dogs attached to each bike! :p :p :p

----

Max, congratulations on your new home and family - you are a beautiful fellow!

[lovemyshiba]

Max is gorgeous!!!!
He sure looks like fun!!! Agility would be a lot of fun for you and Max--I don't know about the cost, but I'm sure he would love it!!!

I want a bike thing (gotta get a bike first)--how much are they anna???

[GoldenRetrLuver]

Max is soooo gorgeous!!!! Congrats! There a great pair!:) :D

[NWS_Haven]

He looks like the sweetest dog Stacey! I hope he has many great years with you and your family.

A word of caution as far as the pulling thing, even on the merry-go-round. Pulling and playing tug can be very hard on the hips, elbows and shoulders of a young dog and can cause problems down the road. I don't let my GSD's overdo anything until their bones are fully developed. Doing high agility jumps before they are 2 isn't recommended either.

I like to take mine swimming. Throwing a ball and frisbee into the water is a lower impact way of excercising them and my dogs can't get enough of the water. Water wears them out fast too! :D

Most of all just have fun and enjoy his youthful exburance!

[anna_66]

Originally posted by lovemyshiba
I want a bike thing (gotta get a bike first)--how much are they anna???
Are you talking about the bikerdog or a bike;) J/K!
When I got mine last year, with S&H it was a total of $55. They even sent it to me first to see how I liked it, then if I did I could send the money (if not I could have sent it back). But of course I loved it! It is well worth every penny I paid for it, because it is Roxey's favorite thing to do:D Oh, & I wanted to tell you, don't worry about them wrecking you (that was my biggest fear), they can't. Roxey's even seen another dog and tried to pull away, but the only thing that happens is we slow down:p

[stacwase]

Thanks for the advice, Tracey - by the way, at what age are their bones fully developed? The people at the shelter said Max is 2.

They said he adores swimming, so as soon as the Lake warms up, I'll take him out.

Have you heard how it's going with Axel and his new home?

[DoggiesAreTheBest]

Congrats on your new addition! He looks sp handsome!! I am sure him and Jake will b best buds soon!

[captain]

Congrats - he is a beauty!!!!

My Captain pulls too ...... and I have started with the "stopping dead in my tracks", and he comes back and sits next to me.
Works OK for me - but sometimes, Captain is just plain stubborn ..... and sits ahead of me. So then I turn around and walk the other way.
Must be a sight for people watching me - going back and forth in the same place whilst trying to get the dog to NOT pull.

:D

Perhaps you could try it where no-one can laugh at you! :D

[stacwase]

Oh - the neighbors already think I'm nuts, so I won't bother going somewhere else to do it! They watched me teaching jake to walk on a loose lead. I did it the way they teach in the book "Good Owners, Great Dogs" - where you keep constantly changing direction and bumping into the dog until the dog decides you're a complete moron and he'd better keep you in his peripheral vision because you're so unpredictable. It worked, though - it took less than an hour to get Jake trained!

I'm going to try it with Max soon. He's just so big and fast, I had to wait to try it until I got my Gentle Leader (or whatever it's called).

[stacwase]

Well - we're starting our 4th day together and everything's still hunky dorey! Max hasn't destroyed a single thing - except perhaps my husband's bamboo plant this morning. He jumped the fence and peed in the bamboo garden, but I don't think that will hurt anything.

It's funny watching jake's behavior now. Jake's 7 years old and has never showed the slightest interest in rawhide chew toys. Now that Max has one, Jake keeps stealing it! He's like a little kid - only wants what the other one has.

We're not having any problem keeping Max exercised either - surprisingly, he and my son have become attached at the hip. Kyler brings Max everywhere he goes, and I practically have to fight him for time with the dog! I don't know how he's going to feel when Max starts travelilng with me.