Well, I don't see it either. I can remember one ugly comment, but I thought everyone ignored it?

It’s a dog-eat-dog world. Even here. Terrible. 🙁

i noticed last evening that it had gone **poof**. there was so much great advice in that thread, it would be a shame if it has disappeared forever. i don't recall any ugly comments at all.

I deleted it...and planned to start a new thread giving an update. I'll just put it here....

You see....I grew up with German Shepherds. The last one we had was a HUGE female....the size of a Great Pyrenees. She was the only pup born, had the giant gene. My mother took her to training classes and she just wanted to play. She was told to wait until she was 2 to train her. I was eight years old...when I trained her. She was an awesome dog! My best friend. Lived to be 12yo. A gentle giant.

So when I wanted to retire and get a dog, hubby said get whatever breed YOU want, it'll be YOUR dog. I tried to explain that a GSD is NOT a beginners dog. It was like owning a wolf. He countered with..."Who would want to own THAT?" He said YOUR NOT a beginner, don't use ME as an excuse.

Yesterday when he got home from work the puppies growled at "him" and backed away...posturing. He said to them, "Oh don't be scared." I tried telling him, get down low, your too tall....be at their level and say, "Good girl", in a kind voice. Nope....not listening to me. He said Skye hated him. OK....I scooped them up and rehomed them.

I do want a dog...now I'm semi-retired....but it needs to be just ONE dog. In the Summer....when you can let a dog out into the yard to pee....not a snow storm and low temps. It needs to be ideal...so it has a chance. I need to be able to potty train it....and it can sleep in our bed. Feel secure and loved by BOTH of us. The dog needs a chance to thrive. These little guys didn't stand a chance. I tried to look ahead and see where this was going....yes...it was too much for my husband.

So yes...my husband and the pups were not getting along...and taking him out of the equation was probably the only way THAT would have worked out. And....the weather.....puppy pads then outdoors....that was a LOT to train them twice. I basically took the pups out of a "situation"...someone gave them to me to rehome....and they will be fine. I'll just do this again...in the Spring....and only keep one.

Wise move, nicole.

Best of luck in the Spring.

You made a hard choice, but I applaud you for what will help them most. My older sister fosters entire litters of puppies until they are ready to go to homes. They all do well, so I know it's just one step in the process of finding forever homes when they're this little. They'll be great. And when you're ready, you'll find the right pup for BOTH of you. And it'll be a happier pupper for it. <3

Well I’m glad that the thread got deleted because of YOU and not some bickering. I know pet discussions can get heated, and while some differing opinions were offered it all seemed friendly to me.

Nicole, I’m sure it’s kind of a let-down but I’m glad you recognized the challenge/problem right away. Both the dogs and the marriage will be better off for it! Take your time and choose together, when you’re both on board and committed.

Nicole, not an easy choice but for the best. I know people who stick it out for years with a dog that just isnt right for their family. I hope you find the right pup for you, at the right time.

Since this thread will attract dog owners, I want you to be aware of the mysterious respiratory virus that seems to have started here in Oregon in August and has now spread across the country. It's just now hitting national news. You should keep your dogs isolated from other dogs until they know what this virus is.

Maybe someone should start a thread about it.

kudos to you for realizing the potential issues you could have been facing. i am relieved for you! wishing you the best of luck when springtime nears and you begin your search anew.

there are so many rescues out there that are breed-specific. you could spend the winter checking them all out and deciding which breed (or mix) you would be happy with. there's a good chance you could find an older puppy or a young adult that will fit your needs to a "t".

Nicole, I completely understand.

My friend (the one who did the DNA testing on their newest pup) got the dog from her Mom. The dog and their other dog didn’t ever get along well, my friend’s dog died unexpectedly in the meantime, so they took the young dog and everyone is happy. She is about a year old and thriving in her new home. And BTW if you ever need it, she used Wisdom DNA for testing.

Dogs do have to be in a home in which they are welcome and everyone has to be on board with the choice of dog and be prepared to do what is necessary in acceptance of their foibles and behaviour and necessary training.

Another perspective - I don't ever want a dog and I know that and have made it clear. But, I walked my nieces Shiba Inu 3 times a week for 10 years and I walk my son's 4-year old Golden almost every day and in both instances I follow their training guidelines and I love(d) those dogs and they are/were always thrilled to see me. When my nieces dog needed to say goodbye I went with her to the vet and cried just as hard as she did. Dogs are amazing but they are just too needy for me to want to have one.

It was a HUGE let down. I fell in love with the pups the moment I met them.

I still go running twice a week at the park with my husband. Then there's a women's walking group in my neighborhood. Then I volunteer on outdoor projects....the dog could come with me. I live a life where a dog or two...would fit right in. My cats LOVE the neighbors dog. It's a large mutt, very docile, doesn't chase them or bark. The cats come right up to it... say hello....and hang out while the owners visit with us.

There are a HUGE amount of perfectly healthy dogs being euthanized across the US....many are German Shepherds. I'd like to adopt one of them. It's just a matter of getting it to Colorado. If things don't work out...a GSD would get adopted HERE. It would be a win win for the dog. I might try that next.

There are a lot of dogs that need a home after their owner dies or goes into a nursing home. These are usually quiet older dogs. Maybe one will come available like that?

what a lot of people fail to understand is that dogs in these situations (not particularly liking a certain family member or another dog in the household) are never really happy dogs. they live with tension every day of their lives, are constantly on guard and the simplest trigger that may be unknown to the dog owner(s) can cause huge problems. i truly admire your decision to place these puppies in a home that is prepared to deal with possible issues. i know it was a very tough decision for you but rest assured, you absolutely did the right thing for both you AND the pups!

i know several people with danes that have questionable temperaments who are constantly "rotating" dogs. they will have 3 or 4 dogs that for whatever reason just don't get along and end up crating dogs, releasing them, crating other dogs, releasing them...it goes on and on all day. i just don't see the point.

i have always been fortunate in that all of the danes i've had (mostly rescues, a few from reputable breeders) have always had laid back personalities and in 16 years, i have never seen so much as a curled lip. that doesn't mean i have become lackadaisical about my dogs' interactions with people outside my household. i often have people ask me if my dogs bite. my response is always, they're dogs and they have teeth. while i am pretty certain they wouldn't lash out, i don't take chances. on the rare occasions we are out in public, i do not allow them to interact with strangers, there is just too much liability involved especially when it comes to children.

as for getting a potential dog to colorado, many rescues are more than happy to arrange transport when they have a great potential adopter. in my world, we call those "dane trains" and it isn't unusual for the couple of rescues i work with to call on others to help with transport, sometimes it's several hundred miles. where there's a will, there's a way!

Yeah....so a week ago I went to look at a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. 7 years old, it's elderly owners had died. Sweet! Docile! And soooooooooooooo not a match for us. His name was Max. I stood there looking at him through the glass & a young man appeared, looking at him. He said he'd ONLY owned that breed, Max would be his 6th! I wished him well and left knowing Max was in good hands. A purebred, slightly exotic dog, gets adopted within 3 days. Black labs, Husky's, Rottie mixes and pits are not popular, here, at this moment.

I "like" ALL dogs...but a GSD or Malinois would steal my heart. The dog just needs to chill, until my husband warms up to him/her.

@Ninapearl....The rescue near us, Paws 'N Hooves, won't allow invisible fencing. So I can't use a rescue.

The GSD is very protective of their owner. I have a shepherd mix and she is so protective of us and our house, we can hardly even have company. She goes to the dog park every day and is just fine but she definitely has the guard dog gene in her!

Other than my Chihuahua more years than I want to think about, we have always had large dogs. Our last large dog, we had trouble lifting her at the end. We got a small dog next. ( A Min Pin rescue) He died at 4 years???? We then got a Min Pin, Chihuahua, Whatever, lol) His view of himself is a Rottweiller. We got him at 5 months old. He is 7 years now.

I bought white all cotton bath mats, no latex. We had a space in one of the bathrooms for them and taught him to go there if needed. They are very easy to wash and I can tell if they are clean. He still goes on walks to do most of his business, and in the backyard, but it has been great when it is rainy, cold, or late at night.

Here's a link to one/GSD. This shelter has about 10 GSD'S to choose from. Road trip?.....Link

Is Riverside Shelter near me? I"d say yes to that road trip ;)

Nicole, my sis marrried a man about 22 years ago who had only owned german shepherds. They've had three, none right now, but those were the best dogs ever. The breeder had begged them to have the male neutered - she said he was so oversized he would add nothing appropriate back to the lineage. Loveliest dog ever. The first time I met him, they had been crabbing with some friends and were having a large casual dinner. As we drove in, I saw the dog take a package of raw chicken from an open cooler (had been using it for crab bait) and carry the plastic bag into the front yard. I went after him and took it from him - then thought, Great! I just grabbed food from the mouth of a stranger-to-me very large dog. He reacted beautifully and didn't even attempt to challenge me. When they lost him, they bought a brother and sister pair from the same breeder. Her husband was working from home those days and had the time, experience, (and 5 acres) to train them.

Two from a litter without experience isn't always a great idea. My BIL and his wife did that with two labs when their little boys were two toddlers. The dogs (puppies) were so distracted by each other - very hard to train. Their smallest son was reaching the point he didn't want to go outside to play, he was constantly being knocked down by one or both dogs. They rehomed one of them, not an easy decision but the best thing they could have done at the time. One of the two sister dogs had become a little assertive and not something their busy household was prepared to correct appropriately.

You'll find the right circumstance for you, thanks for doing the right thing. I don't know how that might have worked with your DH not completely on board with both of them, It's a big and long term responsibility.

@nicole___ he's a handsome boy. do you know what makes him "special needs"?

too bad about the invisible fence stuff. at one time, i had 7 acres of it and trained 3 danes to it. it was awesome! when i had my water well bored, they cut through the wire and since, by then, i had dogs that hadn't been trained to it, i never got it fixed.

i hear this a lot when it comes to rescues and their oftentimes stringent requirements. if these places would give a little, they'd have a whole lot more homes for their dogs.

My condolences that this didn't work out for you and the puppies, nicole.

IIRC, in the other thread you mentioned you were advised you HAD to get a puppy. I really wondered about that, since puppies are a lot more work than adult dogs, what with potty training and all. If your DH isn't as enthusiastic as you are, why not make things easier on everybody and look for an adult dog whose overly rambunctious days are behind them?

@Ninapearl...I called to ask. Got the leave a msg "voicemail". Left a msg to call me back...to find out. They had other GSD'S. I can't imagine having a BIG dog in my car...probably getting car sick....for 18 hours....that road trip might be a really bad idea....

Halo fencing doesn't shock the dog....gives an audible tone. No underground wiring. That's my preferred fencing for 2.5 acres.

GSD’s might be my favorite breed. Also a breed I wouldn’t consider without going to a respected breeder and raising/training from the start.

@carol_w_fl_coastal_9b....I was warned a LOT of shelter dogs have "issues". You don't want to be stuck with a crazy dog. You don't know what will trigger them. (sounds ominous) Then another neighbor said he flys to Germany to get his GSD's. Always a puppy. Ones here in the US are of terrible breeding. Yet his last GSD died at 9 years of cancer.

It's ALL a crap shoot. This is life. Right!

I'm sorry this wasn't meant to be. Would your DH choose a breed, or a specific dog? Would your feelings be hurt if it became *his* dog?

Just because your childhood pal was a GSD, you can love another breed, even a smaller dog. I don't think a predator is likely to take off with a 20-40 pound dog, and you'll be protective of any pup. You don't need to go to frou-frou size. One reason we chose our first Westie was because DH wouldn't walk a toy. We spent some time reading a comprehensive book that discussed nearly every breed, with photos -- and I wanted a dog I could pick up, to bathe and wash paws, etc. Longer lives argued for smaller -- less food and consequently less 'result', too.

I urge you to table this until better weather.

I agree with FOAS about buying from a breeder. You have time to find a responsible one and reserve a future pup. Choosing and waiting might help your DH get used to being part of the family pack!

@chisue....The cats, one loves him more, the athletic panther looking one....one loves me more, the fluffy one that chases deer & follows me everywhere. That's fine! They both come when called and love us! No worries. But....the dog territory is unknown. I think a GSD will dominate him. He doesn't know how to use his body-language to assert dominance. I can show him...teach him...is the vision. :0) When I'm out walking or jogging I need a dog that can hold-it's-own. I've had black bears walk right in front of me, crossing the trail to get to the creek...almost ran right into one a month ago....you have to be "aware", not looking down adjusting your headset for instance. I considered a Cane Corso or Pit Bull....but they need to wear clothes. That kind-of....well....not my thing. It's just too cold here. But....maybe...I could throw a sweat shirt over it? Or...one day a homeless woman started jogging beside me. She hung in there for ...awhile. :0)

nicole, i see the halo fence advertised a lot and i've always been curious about it. i assume there is some training involved before a dog is "foolproof". when i had the underground system installed, i trained 3 danes to it. it was very time-consuming and took a few weeks before i could trust them 100%. it required a LOT of walking the boundary 2 or 3 times every day with each dog, individually. with my back problems, that sort of training is just something i physically can't do right now.

@Ninapearl...A neighbor who has 3 Bernese Mountain dogs recommended the Halo system to me. She likes it. She teaches a watercolor class every Wednesday....maybe I should stop in and ask how long it takes and talk Halo with her some more.

@foodonastump... Raffi & Skye were 9 weeks old. It was pretty rough going. I think they were purchased from-a-breeder days prior to being given to me. They really DID NOT LIKE my husband....he was right.

I think an adult dog that "needs-a-home" might put up with my husband. That's the vision. He's a very kind soul...just doesn't have good doggie manners.

I am glad you were the one who deleted it because I couldn't imagine why anyone else would. I personally think you made a wise decision. I think training one young puppy is difficult, but two? I would want a puppy/dog to be devoted to me (or my husband) not its sibling. Oddly enough, both my dogs liked my cats more than each other. They tolerated each other but weren't openly affectionate, like Ziggy who would cuddle with them and never with his brother.

Both my last dogs were 25 pounds each so I never worried about them being picked off by hawks but I just never liked tiny dogs that much. Not when I have a 25-pound cat..lol

Good luck researching, and I hope you find your dog by spring when the weather will be easier for training.

maybe I should stop in and ask how long it takes and talk Halo with her some more.

i'd love to hear what she has to say, particularly about the training method.

it would be nice to be able to let the danes out the front door to use the 10 acres there for their business instead of inside the fenced back yard where going on poop patrol twice a day is quite the necessity given the size of the piles these 2 yayhoos leave! 😂

when i did have the underground fence, i had about 8 acres fenced with it. it was very pricey but oh so worth it!

Nicole - thanks so much for this update. I was also worried that the thread had gone down hill.

That was a tough decision to make and I'm sorry it didn't work out. I can easily understand your love of German Shepherds. They have such soulful eyes and an expressive face. DH had one growing up and when I stopped working after having my first child we immediately bought a GS puppy. We used an Invisible Fence until we could have a regular fence installed.

With our last dog, a Labrador we used the Halo. My brother trained German Short Haired Pointers as hunting dogs and recommended it. We took our Lab for training at our local kennel which was run by a retired K-9 trainer and that's what he used. Our Lab was 8 months old when we started and she learned very quickly. We have bears at our place in PA and when we were hiking we wanted to make sure she stayed close - the Halo worked well. All she needed to hear was the audible alert and she immediately returned to out side.

I find dogs to be often unpredictable, despite what their owners may say. Some dogs just don't like certain people, and it can be difficult to understand why.

My boss once called me to her office when she had one of her dogs (terriers) with her, and when I got to the door, the dog started barking at me. She then said that this dog did not like it when a man would come to a threshold, and she didn't know what to to about it. I said, "There are dog psychiatrists, aren't there?" and she told me that the dog had already been to several without success.

I've been bitten by guard dogs that overextended their territory, and so I am very leery of any dogs that fall into that category. I keep my distance from all dogs as much as possible because of bad experiences that I have had with them. I make exceptions with ones that I have gotten to know and trust, but this does not come easily.

Some dogs just don't like certain people, and it can be difficult to understand why.

For one thing they sense the dislike or apprehension. Shying away from a dog can trigger aggression.

I found a German Shepherd rescue here in Colorado. They have a one year old female GSD that likes cats. They are so full they couldn't find a foster for her and have her at a dog boarding kennel. I'm going to offer to foster-to-adopt her. Her name is Vail. Funny...I have a cat named Aspen....If this works out...I'll have a ski resort fur-kid-family. 😂 And...GSD'S do have thick fur....she should be fine going potty outdoors. Malinois...their fur has no under coat. They had to be wrapped in blankets just to ride in the car. Some breeds are better suited for cold weather.

Lars....yeah....I don't expect a GSD to be real friendly towards "everyone".....but people in-my-circle, guests in our home, GSD'S will be fine with. Our cats were a "mess" when we adopted them. Runny noses, gooey eyes, skin-n-bones. Ivan was recovering from being beat up. He was running through the house freaking out....like I'd let a squirrel loose in the house. He climbed the great room wall of windows and screamed bloody murder. They're fine now.....that's because we're so NORMAL. 😂😂😂😂 Or they just like their heated kitty beds, Fancy Feast cat food, 4 baskets of toys.....loud smacky kisses on their cute little faces......hhhhmmmm......no....that's not it! 😂

this girl sounds like it was a "meant to be" situation. perfect name, perfect age, and the breed you want! when are you going to meet her?? MUST. HAVE. PHOTOS!!

Nicole, my daughter has a GSD named Milla Jovobitch. She got her in the late fall about 10 years ago. She did all of her potty training directly outside. For the first month, she was either never out of her sight or she was in a crate. Most dogs do not want to dirty in their crate. She set an alarm to go off every two hours, day or night and would take her outside to do her business. They spent many dark, cold nights outside in the snow. She was housetrained within the first month. The funny thing though, was that well into the Spring after most of the snow was gone, Milla sought out patches of snow to pee on. Anyhow, she is a lovely housedog. Remember they shed a lot, though!

I have a Shihpoo and trained him pretty much the same. No pee pads, kept him in my sight at all times or crated him. I trained him in the winter as well and did the every two hour thing with him. I also placed a small hotel desk bell at the front door that I would hit with his little paw every time we went out. The bell is still at the front door, six years later, and he rings it when he needs to go out. He has been a very good dog.

Remember to praise a lot.

Good luck with your new dog!

Frank and Milla

I sent emails to several people asking if it's alright to give out their phone number. The rescue wants a recommendation. Just did that this morning. And...I'm NOT going to ask if a Halo invisible fence is OK....it's NOT a shock system. I'm just going to say I don't have a fence...and so far I don't. I do have 2.5 acres, plenty of room for a large dog. Own my home. Been here for 5 years. I hope that's enough. ? Tracy with Front Range German Shepherd Rescue is helping me.

when i applied for my very first rescue dane, i didn't have any fence at all. she was very much a "velcro" dog at 7 years old so they made an exception for me. this rescue was in st. louis, 80 miles from me. one of their guys brought ashley right to my home and stayed the whole day while she got to know me and my 2 corgis. we walked all over the 20 acres a couple of times, she never left my side even when the corgis went off to investigate. by the end of the day, he was satisfied that my home would be perfect for ashley and said he was comfortable leaving her with me and that should anything happen overnight that would concern me, he would either come back to work with us or would take her back and we'd start over. the rest is history, she gave me 3 wonderful years full of memories and started my insatiable addiction to the breed.

@User...THAT is a BEAUTIFUL dog! I do love Danes too Ninapearl. I've had two renters that brought Danes with them. Always a great breed....lots of cuddles and hugs.