Seven Months Old - and beginning to act like it!
USHER: photo taken New Years Day 2010 (seven months old)
Usher remains a relatively calm and relaxed dog, especially for his age. But, he has begun to blow me off when I call him, more and more. I have, up to this point, trained him mostly with incentives (food), and he so he acts like a young dog that has learned to do things to get stuff he wants! No surprise, there. So, the time is approaching when I will need to set some expectations in his mind, “because I said so”. I believe he will adjust to my new expecations without a hitch.
It still amazes me how he acts in public. I stopped to chat with the manager of the local farm store last week, while I had Usher in tow. As soon as I stopped, Usher (a seven month old puppy in a busy store the week before Christmas!) just laid down by my side, without an commands from me. He has an uncanny ability to read my next move and adjust accordingly, without wanting to impose his “say” upon the situation.
I’ve been too busy to write much, lately, so I failed to mention how well Usher did about a month ago at an Army National Guard Reintegration meeting. We took both Usher and Kira and they were both very well behaved. Usher was incredibly sweet and affectionate to the kids that were there with their parents. At one point, he and a young boy (I’d say 5 years old), laid down next to each other on the floor, the boy’s arm around Usher, and Usher’s big paw around the boy. It was as if they were best friends. A magical moment lost since I did not have a camera with me.
I’m looking forward to moving Usher into the new phase of his life - one where he learns about high standards for behavior and his innate work ethic can kick in. I believe he is getting to that stage where he will appreciate learning about my expectations.
Usher is now 21 weeks old (5 months).
He continues to be a charming, lovely boy with a laid-back disposition and a friendly, social demeanor with strangers. He is kind and gentle with children.
He has replaced most of his baby teeth with his adult set, sans his upper canines that still need to come in.
Here are some photos I shot of him today - he has lost that sweet puppydog look and replaced it with a “I’m a German Shepherd Dog” appearance:
Usher at 4 months, wearing his “In Training” cape - what a cutie!
Robert with Kira, at 5 months old.
Kira is a German Shepherd Dog that Robert is training.
Usher continues to amaze me. He’s calm and gentle and thoughtful. We took him to OH to get Liam (Border Collie puppy). The Fogt’s three year old daughter lead him around on a leash and he was tolerant and composed. For a 15 week old pup, I think he was remarkable.
Here’s a photo of him (with Kira behind):
Yesterday, a friend came over to start her 7 month old Border Collie puppy in herding.
I decided that it would be a great “socialization” opportunity for Usher; there would be a couple other dogs there, a new person, a different setting, the activity in the sheep pen.
He was the most perfect of puppies. Even though the 7 month old pup snapped at him - and then continued to be ugly because his owner would not shut down his unacceptable behavior (I had to do it), Usher took it like a trouper and hung out with me during the lesson, which lasted four hours long (as we were chatting much of the time, and she worked two different dogs a few times each).
While it is not my “style” of dog ownership, my friend strongly encouraged her two dogs to “act crazy” in the baby swimming pool we had out so the dogs could cool off after working the sheep. One dog was prodded to bite at the water while the other was allowed to bark, insessantly, at her. Mind you, they were not acting that way on their own - it was the owner that was working very hard to get the dogs to move out of normal tempered play to crazed behavior. I would not encourage such behavior of my own dogs since I think it sends the wrong message about me as the dog’s leader (I should shut down one dog barking at another, not encorage it) and it can cause two dogs to fight or snap at each other.
All the while, Usher laid by my feet watching the circus. He cocked his head back and forth in the same sort of wonderment I had regarding such odd behavior of a human (and, in turn, the dogs). At one point, he looked up at me with an expression that I could only interpret as, “wow, those dogs are really acting crazy and disrespectful, even I know better than that”. His reaction, which was coming from a 15 week old puppy was very mature. He is a very cool pup - so self composed and relaxed, especially for his age.
I am very much looking forward to raising this pup into a wonderful dog and partner.
Usher at 8 weeks old
This is DarnFar Usher at 10 weeks old.
He is a German Shepherd Dog puppy. He was born in May 2009.
Ever since my devoted GSD, Rough, died at 13 years old (in 2004), I have felt a hole in my dog world. Every once in a while I would take the time to look around for a new GSD puppy. But, it’s a very challenging breed to acquire. There are distinct “types”; the German show lines, the East German/Czek working lines, the American show lines and the “backyard” American lines. The German show lines have evolved a very roach back and very odd conformation, but at least they tend to still expect their dogs to have “working” type titles (specifically Schutzhund - which is a sort of stylized “work” more than it emulates a “real” world situation). The E German / Czec lines have beautiful, functional bodies, but can be a bit strong tempered. The American show lines tend to have a different, but just as extreme conformation as the German show lines with excessive angulation in rear end and of the topline. Their temperaments, too, can be varried and are not always representative of what a GSD should be. And, the American “backyard bred” dogs are bred with so little intention to adhere any sort of type that it would be hard to predict what type of disposition one could get. There are folks who think that because it is a German Shepherd Dog that it should cost $2000, even though the parents don’t have the health screens or the working titles that the “real $2000 puppies” often tout. It’s just a complicated game to find a good pup.
But, I adore the breed for a different reason that I am devoted to my Border Collies. So, I finally found Usher, and I am thrilled with him. I adore him. He turned 14 weeks old a day ago and it is amazing how much like a little dog he looks versus the round puppy appearance he had just a few weeks ago. He is still a “baby Huey” -
Here he is at 12 weeks old. Such a handsome guy.
On occassion, I will blog about his development and training - which will be contained under the category “Raising Usher”.