Buster & Billy

I don't understand.....why haven't they really been together ?? An older dog will rarely hurt a puppy....they may snap and scold which is part of the teaching. Personally, I feel the longer you wait the more problems you'll have. I've never had a kenneled dog , so I may be wrong. They're all part of the family and have to learn their place in the pecking order.

I've never had a problem either, Grammy, especially when dealing with German Shepherds. Under normal circumstances they are great with puppies and any other family animals - just look at what Bimmer puts up with, lol! But I've never kept a dog in a kennel all the time either . . . I can see where a dog would get territorial and jealous.

Your dogs are totally gorgeous!!!! Yep, you really must let them be together more now. You can supervise...but I bet they'll be fine. The older dog does teach the puppy so much. Is Buster neutered? Will Billy be??

thanks for all your help guys, I've kept them together near enough all day today and billy (the pup) has tried to bite buster (the old timer) quite a few times. what buster did was either move away or show his teeth and made a quiet bark/growel sound at billy.
I just get worried that buster might attack billy or hurt him but so far so good

Keep working at it !!! Billy will learn....by the way, if there is a slight nip, Billy will cry bloody murder !!! Crying wolf !

We have a white GSD she is 5 years old and she lives inside with two small terriers. Gd's are very good with small dogs or puppies. She is also good with the two cats. If she nips at the puppy she is just correcting, i don't think she would really hurt it.. This is true.

don't let all that growling fool you...it's just the 'alpha' doggie showing the youngster who is boss. It won't really generate into anything terrible. Sometimes to this day..my Addie will be quite 'verbal' with Ham......always keeping him in line. LOL Some days, I think...OK, ADDIE....shut up already!! She does sound so cranky...but they get along so very well. Hammie just adores her.

I asked if they were neutered (that being your puppy gonna be neutered) cause I wouldn't want 2 intact males together. That's just asking for trouble.

Not to offend anyone, but....

to me, at least, it seems like many people here are against having an outdoor dogs. At times I do agree that having an outdoor dog is not the best idea, but not always.

Just because a dog lives outdoors does not mean that it is not well taken care of, or that it is not happy. There are plenty of outdoor dogs are there that love their lives. Yes, there are also outdoor dogs that hate their lives. Most likely if I see an outdoor dog, whether chained or penned, I'll feel bad for it and see it as being bored. But unless I go there every day to check and see, I can't be sure the dog isn't allowed indoors at times, or doesn't get to spend times with his owners.

I know a Bernese Mountain Dog that lives in a pen, outdoors. From what I have seen, the dog is never let out of the pen. She seems well-fed, her pen is medium/large in size, she has a dog house, and some shade. So she's not living a horrible, disgusting life, but it's not the best, and I do feel bad for her (which is why each Saturday, when exercising a neighbor's dog, I give her treats and the two run up and down the fenceline playing with eachother, LOL).

But just because a dog live outdoors doesn't mean it's not well-taken care of and doesn't have a good life, and just because a dog lives INSIDE doesn't mean it's well-taken care of and has a good life.

That can be true, Gaddy, but German Shepherds are a breed that NEEDS to be with the family. That's just the way they are wired.

They aren't playthings to be put back in the pen when no one wants to play anymore.

Sigh !!!!! I wouldn't have a dog if it wasn't with me 7/24. I don't need to walk a kenneled dog, clean out his area, carry food and water to his "jail", .... my dogs are family. Just like I wouldn't have had kids to have them in day care 22 hours a day.

Yes, GSDs do need to be part of the family, any dog does, but I don't see a problem with keeping a dog in a kennel part time, as long as he is well taken care of.

Our dogs are well taken care of, When we 1st moved in to the house we are at now a neighbour complained to the RSPCA saying we don't take buster for walks, we don't feed him and he's left outside 24/7.....The Rspca came out to check on buster.
They said that his pen is plenty big enough, the saw what he eats and said they are suprised he's not over wieght, and they said that they can see that he is well loved, a big part of our family, he does go out for walks 3-4 times a day, and he's not kept in his pen 24/7.
They were very happy with buster and said they wished more dog owners were like us.

Gaddy, as stated it depends on the breed. My Addie is a husky mix, and she actually hates it in the house...especially during the warm months. I bring her in anyway...sometimes I actually have to bribe her with a cookie. My dog pen is as big as some people's yard, and I do put them out when I am extremely busy. I don't see the harm in that...IF they have lots of room to run, I consider it another play time for them together. HOWEVER, GSDs are quite different, and I know it just isn't my dog. Ham NEEDS to be with me. If I put them in the pen, once playtime is over Addie will happily sprawl out for a snooze in the sun....Ham starts pacing and will continue to pace until I bring them back in. He has never happily lazed...he'll either pace or sit sulking in his doghouse. I'd never let him out there more than an hour or just beyond that time. Would he still be 'healthy'....absolutely. Would he be happy...no way. GSDs are truly a breed that loves their people so much, to deny them is really kind of cruel. I've let them both sleep outside when it's warm weather, so you see I'm not saying that being 'outdoors' is all a bad thing. But I get them early AM cause I'm not into looking at my dog being sad. If someone tells me that they know GSDs well as a breed, yet they keep them outdoors all the time.....then I will always disagree...they DON'T know them at all.

sazel, it sounds like you spend time with your dog. I think people first thought he was just penned all day. I doubt that anyone would ever think that is a good thing for any dog. BTW.....I love Buster's long hair. I bet he does a bit of shedding! LOL They really are so beautiful!!! Is Billy from the same parents? He looks like he has the shorter hair.

That does seem to say that Buster is kept outside all of the time . . . I do hope you are trying to tell us that he spends the majority of the time when you are home with you, wherever you are, inside or out.

I believe all dogs should be a part of the family, no matter what the breed. I have three dogs, including a border collie/german shepherd mix. They all live indoors. We have neighbors behind who owned a long-haired german shepherd named Coke. He had a large yard to run around in, and lived under their deck. He was never taken for walks. He rarely got attention. He never went inside. Yet I remember one day, he was tied up to the tree in the yard, and one of his owners came out, and pet him. His big huge tail started wagging and he gave her the sweetest look. I hate the life he lived.
I also know someone who has a lab, whom they chain to a dog house in their frontyard. As far as I know, the dog never comes inside, never gets baths, and is never given attention. He barks and stands on top of his house, barking, trying to get attention.

So yes, there are many, many dogs out there that live outdoors and have bad to horrible lives, but I see no problem with a dog staying in a pen part time (though I have to say I enjoy having big, smelly, furry creatures living inside with me, LOL).

I think that a dog can be well-maintained and healthy if it's kept outside 24/7 (CAN, although most owners aren't that responsible), but its emotional health is another issue altogether, even if it's walked, trained, etc, nothing can substitute for casual 'together' time with the family. It won't necessarily be neglected, I guess it comes down to an issue of maximum versus adequate bonding time.

quote by gaddy
"But just because a dog live outdoors doesn't mean it's not well-taken care of and doesn't have a good life, and just because a dog lives INSIDE doesn't mean it's well-taken care of and has a good life."

I have to agree with this. My dogs all live outside and get ALOT of attention and bonding time. I'm home all day and they are very well taken care of....physically as well as emotionally. They are not tied up or in a pen (both considered doggie jail by me) They all sleep on the front porch (sometimes even in the rocking chair ) , which is covered. I'm outside more than inside, when the weather allows. We live wayyyyyyyy out in the boonies in VA. All the neighbors know and love my dogs, all of them. They don't cause any trouble and get along with everyone, humans and pets alike. They would rather lick you to death than hurt you . I live on a 20 acre farm where there is plenty of room for all my babies. They love it here and I love having them with me!!!! Both as friends and guardians, they are my family, now that my kids have left the nest.

I still feel that if my dogs couldn't be inside or outside at will, I wouldn't own a dog. At one time while in the country on 8 wooded acres , we had 4 Goldens. They had their sleep place of choice.....whether it was in our bedroom, tile floor in bathroom, concrete floor of attached garage , or even outside. Door were left ajar so they could go from one to the other. They usually ended up with us.

I think that as long as a my dogs feel like part of the family, they are happy and well looked after there isn't a problem.
Buster is a very happy dog as is billy.

From what I gather most of you are in america (I maybe wrong).

Where I live there is a German shepherd dog club which is just for peolpe who own german shepherds, and most of them keep thier dogs like we do.
We got buster when he was nearly 2 from a german shepherd rescue centre because he was ill treated, we've had him for 5 years and he's the happiest he's ever been.
We got billy from a respectable german shepherd owner and they were more than happy to let us have billy.
we've had our house and garden checked by both the rescue centre and the person who we got billy from and they were both happy to let our dogs live with us.
My husbands father has been a member of the club for nearly over 40 years.

Well, I guess it's just a matter of what a person considers a 'happy' pet. I suppose all of us would say that yes, a dog can be 'healthy' living outside....but I doubt most of us would consider them 'happy'. I guess it also is just a matter of what you want in a pet....I like the idea of a true companion, one who is with me. Hey...that's just me. I have my dogs for their friendship and love.....I can't see that I'd get that if they were outside all the time. I also personally like the feeling of protection they give me..like when someone comes to the door....don't get that if their outside all the time, either. I have a friend that has an acre fenced...beautiful log doghouses...a big porch for them to lounge on. All I can say is when I'm there it breaks my heart to see her dogs looking in the window with such longing. Sure, she goes outside sometimes, too....sorry, NOT the same. Are they 'healthy'??? Heck, their positively gorgeous...but there isn't a living soul that is going to convince me they are happy.