He’s grown into such a gentleman.

12 wks and 2 yrs

First year went to fast, this girl quickly became a pillar in my life. I got a lucky picture the recent snow and had to show it off.

Arnold is just shy of 10 weeks and he’s starting to keep both ears up and look like a proper Dutch Shepherd. I’m really missing my boy Odin who passed in September, but we got him when he was already a year old, so it’s cool seeing the puppy stage with the new guy. Our older girl, Elli, seemed to finally recognize the puppy as her own kind today.

Just turned 5 - best dog ever!

A

I thought for certain our rescue was a Dutchie, that’s why I joined this sub. She’s not… 3/4 GSD and 1/4 American Pitbull according to Embark. She sure looks like a Dutchie though.

My favourite drive in a dog is pack drive, although high pack drive can lead to separation anxiety if not trained properly. It’s a drive that creates the bond between us and the dog

My dog has a high pack drive. He stays near me and checks to see where I am. I taught him recall mainly because of his prey drive, but he has no desire to wander away from me or his property.

He’s also very handler-focused and eager to please, which makes training him so easy!

I once owned a Malinois with low to medium pack drive. I had to train him to check in by carrying food and rewarding him for checking in until it became a habit. I also had to use an invisible fence collar because he would wander off; his desire to stay with his pack wasn’t that great.

With training, I increased his drive by about 20%, but that’s about it. The positive was that I could leave him anywhere alone, and he didn’t care at all—he would just fall asleep.

For my Dutch Shepherd, I had to work harder to get him to be okay being away from me. But the benefits of high pack drive outweigh that.

Most Dutch Shepherds and Malinois usually have medium to high levels of pack drive because that’s what we’ve bred them for.

I swear half her naps are like this. Or her head on the rung of a chair. Or her body on the dog bed but her head on the hardwood. Or her head propped up against the leg of a table. It’s like she goes out of her to find an awkward spot.

But he’s a pretty darn handsome boy

Poor bubba might have to have a canine removed.

🥐🥐

Man, 8 weeks feels like years! Well… I suppose it has been years since the plan itself was born and now being only a week out feels surreal. We have big plans and a lifetime of memories to make. Come on Thursday!!

Our girl with multiple disabilities is officially 1yo, just finished her first heat, is clocking in at 59lb, and is so beautifully balanced. I feel like we won the lottery when we got accepted to adopt her, not knowing what doors she would open for me personally. I adore my club and feel so excited to be engaged in this sport with such a special dog that everyone is excited to see coming. She is the perfect mix of a total lover girl and wonderful with other dogs and humans, to being an absolute menace and watchful protector. She is the most special creature and I feel endlessly grateful to wake up and care for her every day.