StarLight StarBright
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 8, 2007
DH recently tells me he wants a GSD puppy for his birthday. I began searching online. About 3 hours ago, I was online looking for a puppy when he calls me on his cell. He asks me to come outside to the driveway. I go out there and he says" I've been bad" I look in the car and there in the back seat is a full grown GSD!
Now for the backstory.....We had to put down our White GSD in Sept '10 when he was 11 due to Hip Dysplasia.We were devastated. He was our baby, we had him since he was about 8 weeks old. Since then, we have added a chihuahua to our family. We also have two cats. They are all inside.
Now, while I had no problem adding a puppy to our family, I became extremely nervous when thinking about this grown dog. I've never adopted an adult dog. I've always had my dogs as puppies, and watched their personalities develop, and really felt like I knew and trusted them. This dog is huge, and I don't know it....I'm worried for my kids and my animals. Trust me, I want to love it. I want to make sure he will be good around my kids and other animals, and not sure how to go about introducing them all.
What I do know is that the dog is about 2 years old, he has been kept in a pen in a backyard for his whole life. His owner lost his job, and was preparing to take him to the pound due to the cost of food, and also the fact that he barks alot at other dogs.
Also, since he is used to being outside, it wasn't easy getting him in the garage, but I am not having an outside dog. He is currently in the garage in a huge crate we had for our other GSD.
Our GSD was amazing, the best dog. He loved my kids. He even faced down a coyote in our backyard to keep us safe. I know this new dog is well....a new dog, but I so want him to be like our old one. I guess I just need some advice, or maybe just stories of how it was for others adopting an adult dog......Thanks!!!
Now for the backstory.....We had to put down our White GSD in Sept '10 when he was 11 due to Hip Dysplasia.We were devastated. He was our baby, we had him since he was about 8 weeks old. Since then, we have added a chihuahua to our family. We also have two cats. They are all inside.
Now, while I had no problem adding a puppy to our family, I became extremely nervous when thinking about this grown dog. I've never adopted an adult dog. I've always had my dogs as puppies, and watched their personalities develop, and really felt like I knew and trusted them. This dog is huge, and I don't know it....I'm worried for my kids and my animals. Trust me, I want to love it. I want to make sure he will be good around my kids and other animals, and not sure how to go about introducing them all.
What I do know is that the dog is about 2 years old, he has been kept in a pen in a backyard for his whole life. His owner lost his job, and was preparing to take him to the pound due to the cost of food, and also the fact that he barks alot at other dogs.
Also, since he is used to being outside, it wasn't easy getting him in the garage, but I am not having an outside dog. He is currently in the garage in a huge crate we had for our other GSD.
Our GSD was amazing, the best dog. He loved my kids. He even faced down a coyote in our backyard to keep us safe. I know this new dog is well....a new dog, but I so want him to be like our old one. I guess I just need some advice, or maybe just stories of how it was for others adopting an adult dog......Thanks!!!