Just before Christmas I put together a little piece about our first year with a German Pinscher for the UK GP club newsletter. Breedia seems like the perfect place to share it and it might be helpful to anyone considering welcoming a German Pinscher into their home We’re not a couple that tends to easily agree on anything so imagine our shock when watching Crufts 2012 on the TV and having to pause, rewind, and replay to see the dog we both liked. That dog? The German Pinscher of course! John had wanted to add another dog to our one cat and one Jack Russell Terrier household for quite some time. Bentley, the JRT, was our first dog and certainly challenged us as new dog owners; some days more of a terrorist than a terrier! After some difficult adolescent months, more than a few training classes and an introduction to clicker training and BAT, we knew that the time was finally right to bring another dog into our family. Excited to have discovered the German Pinscher, John did some (secret) research online and was directed towards Karen Wakefield (Brintala) as she was planning on a litter. Karen suggested meeting John and Bentley with Sassy, to see how they got on with each other. It was a great opportunity for John to ask lots of questions and for Karen to see if John would be a good match for a high spirited GP! A few weeks later I met Sally with Mia to get to know her and see Bentley interacting well with her. Just six months after we first saw a German Pinscher on the TV, and after an agonising wait, Karen rang us with the news that Sassy had given birth, and to offer one of the puppies to us. On December 9th 2012 Nala, Brintala’s Dark Charisma, came to live with us After introducing Nala and Bentley on neutral ground things were going well, with them both settled on the same bed before the day was out. Over the next few days there were a few disagreements between them, typical ‘big brother, little sister’ stuff, then things began to settle down. We could tell straight away that Nala was going to be a strong character and give little Bentley a run for his money! Keen to bond with our new puppy, we began training straight away. We noticed that Nala was a quick learner, testament to the intelligence of the breed. With the help of a clicker and lots of treats, John had taught Nala to ‘sit’ within 10 minutes, with heel and down in the next three days. Unlike Bentley, a very independent dog that took himself to bed as a puppy, Nala brought a new challenge and was unhappy to settle without us in the first few weeks; Like most new puppy owners, at least once a day one of us would say ‘why did we get a puppy again?!’ Thank goodness we had three weeks off work for puppy training! In hindsight, I think we would crate a new puppy next to our own bed whilst they settle into their new home and move them to their regular sleeping spot once confidence has come. Crate training was essential and Nala soon realised that her crate was her safe place, where she got special treats. By the end of the Christmas holidays we knew that Nala was the perfect addition to our home and could see a wonderful bond forming between her and Bentley. January brought snow and the start of our puppy obedience class, which I found with the help of the APDT website. Although nervous at first, Nala soon relaxed in her surroundings. Often it was me that needed training and not Nala! She excelled, finishing top of the class Nala knows a high number of tricks, using both verbal commands and hand signals, and gets very excited about training; we have just taught ‘roll over’ which she has ridiculous enthusiasm for, almost throwing herself over! Whereas Bentley is very food oriented, Nala loves toys which we use to focus her attention when she gets too excited. One of her favourite things to do when she’s excited is a ‘Blanket Parade’; she will run and pick up a blanket from her bed and happily parade up and down the hallway with it hanging from her mouth, snorting and wagging her tail! Teaching a solid recall at home in the garden as a puppy has paid dividends, especially after we moved to Dorset in June and have lots of countryside and wildlife on our doorstep. Pheasants are a current favourite for playing chase but we can easily call her back. She shows a great level of loyalty to us and Bentley, in fact anyone walking with us, and likes to keep an eye on her 'pack' when we’re out walking; if a person or dog goes astray, she will find them and round them up, especially Bentley if he has been hunting for rabbits. Our new garden also has what we call magic stones, providing hours of entertainment for Nala. She loves nothing better than to toss them in the air and then pounce on them! Nala has an excellent, although lively temperament around other dogs and loves playing chase! She has shown no aggression towards our cat Henry but seems desperate to ‘love’ him and has also been great around children, giving our neighbour’s little one a big kiss at the weekend! Looking at some of the challenges, Nala likes to guard objects and at times, us. We are managing this by staying calm and rewarding her when we remove an object so that she learns giving up an object is a good thing. If she is woken up suddenly, she can be grumpy (a bit like me…!) Nala shows some caution around humans that don’t have dogs with them, and is nervous in built up areas so we are doing more socialisation with her in lots of different situations. She can be quite sensitive to loud noises, but this is improving and bonfire night went by without any problems. Nala has some really funny character traits: She likes to rub! Especially when wet or having had a drink at night, she will rub the length of her body along the front of the sofa. Nala is a bit of a ninja; she will sit in her bed in the lounge during the evening and if she wants our attention she stares at us with her beautiful almond eyes…..a very intense experience! Sometimes she sneaks silently around the side of the sofa to stare at us and then leaps up for a cuddle without any warning! Nala loves grooming us all, especially when John has been out for a run! She loves to give kisses but is often a little over zealous and all you see are a set of little white knashers coming to get you like something from the Alien films! At just over a year old, Nala has moved out of the puppy crazy phase and is settling into being a wonderful dog. Now fully grown she regularly goes running with John and has happily done 7 miles. Our dogs get 60 to 90 minutes of off lead exercise a day alongside training and playtime. She has started to learn the basics of scent work and has just attended her first agility lesson which she thoroughly enjoyed. At the time of writing, it's been one year of living with a German Pinscher. Looking back, I know that we made the same mistakes that most puppy owners make, but life is about learning. We’re not perfect and we don’t expect our dogs to be. Nala has brought more fun, and laughter to our home than we could ever have wished for Advice for first timers: German Pinschers can be assertive, wilful, and manipulative; be confident and provide firm, consistent, and fair guidelines for acceptable behaviour from day one. Be consistent using positive dog training, you and your dog will be happier for it. I recommend the ‘idiot’s guide to positive dog training’ Be prepared to take time off work to welcome your puppy into the home and set the ground rules. If you get your puppy in winter, make sure you have a suitable coat to protect them from the cold on walks…Nala was a squeaker in the cold as Pinscher puppies have no fur on their chest and belly until they are older! Get booked onto a local obedience class as soon as possible and socialise your pup as much as you can. Be ready for a very loving, loyal and spirited dog that will become a devoted and fantastic companion L-R - Sassy (Nala's mum) Nala, Bella (Nala's sister from another Mr!) in August 2013
What a wonderful write-up Tess, I am not surprised it made the GP Newsletter! I am sure it will be very helpful for anyone interested in owning the breed. Nala sounds like such a character In fact you have given me an idea, I think we can add a 'testimonials' or 'expieriences' category for exactly this sort of thread and then we can link to the category from the main profile (I will post a discussion about it in the general dog chat section in a moment )
Thanks Azz and yes, I couldn't choose a suitable category so tried to leave it blank but in the end I thought General was the only one that applied. categories that you're suggesting would be perfect!
I forgot to ask - what type of food do you feed her? Her coat looks really healthy and that usually indicates a good diet
Thanks Azz! Nala is on Fish 4 Dogs kibble. We use their super star treats for training too. ....Nala also eats bits of wood, fluff, the occasional wood louse and sometimes tasty cow poop! but I don't think that makes her coat shiny
It was an excellent article Tess and John, and everyone loved it in the Club. I now give it to my new puppy owners prior to getting their new puppy, with Tess's permission of course and they all have loved it too. Its really helpful and honest. Well done and thanks xx
A very flashy breed which has always taken my eye at shows. Your introduction is a good idea - especially for those numerically small breeds where there is less chance of meeting an owner. Well done!
