Hook's K9 Training : Bringing Up Baby

(Raising a new puppy at my advanced age...)

Here, under prodding by friends and students, you will see chronicled the upbringing of our new German Shepherd puppy, with some of our hits and misses.

In the beginning, there was this silly 7 week old pup named Whiskey.

The 8 week old herding dog meets his first bull, also 8 weeks old. Due to their identical young ages, they became fast friends.

Socialization is crucial, and proper early socialization heads off many problems. Here Whiskey is 3 months old. Note the color change, as he goes from buff colored to a dark sable. Whiskey is the dog in the middle.

He is very ball-driven, and this will come to play in most of his training. Whiskey at 3 1/2 months old.

A brief history and some highlights of Whiskey's life so far:

Whiskey comes from the Vom Burg Kurzwallen kennels in Belgium.

My first impressions of him were of a very confident, happy, outgoing 7 week old pup. He did all the things I look for in a dog with a good start in life:
He immediately came over to greet me. There was no shyness or uncertainty.
He went after a toy I tossed and brought it back to engage me in play.
I scooted a plastic chair and it fell over--he went right to it to investigate the commotion.
When I walked away, he followed to see what fun I might stir up.

This was the bold pup I had been looking for. This is a pup who will see the world with interest and confidence. The groundwork has been carefully laid through good breeding and excellent early contact with people and the world.
Now it's up to me to keep up the work that has produced this happy dog. At this point, the new owner can either confirm the puppy's great outlook on life, or take the legs right out from under him.

When I wanted this puppy, I had an experienced and trusted friend choose him for me. He knew what I look for in a dog, and what kind of puppy would live up to my expectations.

On the subpage titled "Picking Your Puppy", I will outline some of the guidelines you may want to use in choosing your new companion.

The Adventures of a Pup Named Whiskey

Picking Your Puppy

Brisket and Whiskey remain friends at 3 1/2 months apiece, though they find it hard to communicate: Brisket wants to do some head banging, and Whiskey wants a fierce tug-o-war. The compromise was a mutual face licking.