GSD puppy... and retained testicle??

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SadKen

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Did not think I would be posting this today after we only lost our old boy yesterday... however my husband is struggling with the loss and has been in touch with the breeder of our younger dog to see if she has any litters coming up. She has his nephew who is 4 months old and has an umbilical hernia and a retained testicle which will obviously require an abdominal op at some point if it doesn't descend.

I think my husband is rushing into things and trying to fill the void left by our old boy but i agreed to discuss it as I know he is hurting.

It may be easier for us both to get a slightly older house trained pup, but little pups are adorable so would I be missing that? However there is no denying that our younger dog is pretty healthy thus far and I like his sister (the dam) very much. This was her last litter.

The pup is half working line and half show with high drive. I'd said I never wanted show lines again but my husband has said that we were spoiled by our 1st shep living to 13.5yrs and it's not a fair benchmark (our show lines lad we lost yesterday was 10 but was old a year ago... our worker 1st GSD did Hadrian's wall with us at 10).

I think we would be potentially storing up more heartbreak by getting a pup that we know has health issues (and can you even change a dog's name at 4 months as I don't particularly like his name!).

The breeder has said she will deduct the cost of the op from the price of the pup.

Any thoughts? This post may sound panicky... it is a bit. I feel like my old boy's bed isn't even cold yet and don't want to make a huge mistake but there are practical reasons to consider it I firs!
 
I am sorry about your old dog.

Yes, I would change a 4month old pup's name.

re the retained testicle-I bought a setter pup with one and it was nearly £400 to have it removed (in 2004) because it was high up and very tiny-took them a while to find it. I had that dog neutered at 8/9 months because of the worry about it causing problems but with hindsight, the early neutering perhaps caused more issues-he was very leggy, had lots of health issues and allergies, he was an old dog at 7/8yo.

While personally I don't like to hang about between dogs, you aren't without one and if it were me, I would wait for a pup without these issues.
 
I would avoid, avoid, avoid, sorry.
Your head isn't in the right place and those are two health issues I wouldn't countenance personally. Give yourselves time and think your next dog through carefully.

One of my showline shepherds lived to 14, one of the top working studs who won the German national trial twice dropped dead aged six. It's not that simple.
 
I'm with you CC, I don't think it's the right dog. Our old lad had an umbilical hernia and my husband is seeing it as a sign that this dog does as well but our old lad also had a heart defect and hip dysplasia so I see it as a sign too, but a bad one.

It is rather heart wrenching to see our young dog so lonely but I don't think jumping for another dog with health problems is the right answer.
 
With the best will in the world, the 'sign' is that he is still with the breeder at that age and that they're expecting any money for him. Sorry for being harsh but I see people's 'spur of the moment' and 'I should have waited' dogs all the time.

Time will heal your younger dog and adding an older pup right now might not be the best thing.
 
SadKen said:
Did not think I would be posting this today after we only lost our old boy yesterday... however my husband is struggling with the loss and has been in touch with the breeder of our younger dog to see if she has any litters coming up. She has his nephew who is 4 months old and has an umbilical hernia and a retained testicle which will obviously require an abdominal op at some point if it doesn't descend.

I think my husband is rushing into things and trying to fill the void left by our old boy but i agreed to discuss it as I know he is hurting.

It may be easier for us both to get a slightly older house trained pup, but little pups are adorable so would I be missing that? However there is no denying that our younger dog is pretty healthy thus far and I like his sister (the dam) very much. This was her last litter.

The pup is half working line and half show with high drive. I'd said I never wanted show lines again but my husband has said that we were spoiled by our 1st shep living to 13.5yrs and it's not a fair benchmark (our show lines lad we lost yesterday was 10 but was old a year ago... our worker 1st GSD did Hadrian's wall with us at 10).

I think we would be potentially storing up more heartbreak by getting a pup that we know has health issues (and can you even change a dog's name at 4 months as I don't particularly like his name!).

The breeder has said she will deduct the cost of the op from the price of the pup.

Any thoughts? This post may sound panicky... it is a bit. I feel like my old boy's bed isn't even cold yet and don't want to make a huge mistake but there are practical reasons to consider it I firs!
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Personally I wouldn’t have an issue with his balls or changing his name but you clearly have a persistent niggle that’s telling you no. I have replaced loved old dogs with new pups but after a few months, not days.
 
Totally agree and I will be using that explanation to my husband later. I thibk thus was the first time he saw anything die and definitely the first time he had to agree to it happening.

He probably isn't coping as well as he appears to be, although he will flatly reject any such suggestion. Sadly a new puppy won't replace our old dog and it's unfair to put that on a puppy anyway.
 
I'm sorry you lost your dog. It's the worst part of ownership.

Be careful. We rushed into getting more when ours died. Big mistake. There are health issues, we hated them at the start because one was a hard dog, not his fault and we just didn't know how to deal with him. We were drowning.

I know it's hard, but if you were looking for a pup with no grief possibly clouding your judgement, would you choose this one with these lines?
 
I know of someone who through all of her dog owning years, always got a new puppy as soon as possible after that the old dog died. And I mean soon as in only days later. It suits some to get something new to focus on quickly. The trouble is if your husband perhaps fits in that category, but you don't.

Of course a puppy without known problems would be better, on the other hand I suppose that there could be those who would see this puppy being available, as a sign of that it perhaps was meant to be. Have other dogs this breeder have produced lived long, relatively free of health problems, and been vital up in older ages?
Also, have either of you checked around if other breeders have anything available now, or not that far from now?
 
FinnishLapphund said:
I know of someone who through all of her dog owning years, always got a new puppy as soon as possible after that the old dog died. And I mean soon as in only days later. It suits some to get something new to focus on quickly. The trouble is if your husband perhaps fits in that category, but you don't.

Of course a puppy without known problems would be better, on the other hand I suppose that there could be those who would see this puppy being available, as a sign of that it perhaps was meant to be. Have other dogs this breeder have produced lived long, relatively free of health problems, and been vital up in older ages?
Also, have either of you checked around if other breeders have anything available now, or not that far from now?
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Yep, my husband is definitely seeing this as meant to be... I definitely don't, and in response to Cinnamontoast No, I wouldn't consider this one if grief wasn't involved.

I've looked at a number of ads today but only one is KC reg with working parents. The dogs are lovely but one has an elbow score of 1 which isn't ideal, and the pups aren't due til December which doesn't bother me but will be a further delay for my husband.

I genuinely think now I've considered it on this thread that he isn't managing very well regarding losing our other dog. He is definitely an aspie and has many, many feelings but rarely knows what to do with them. I think he is likely finding it difficult to process. We are taking junior for a good walk on Sunday so I'll get him talking then. I have gently said this evening that I think we should wait a while. He doesn't really agree but I think once we have discussed on Sunday he will relax a bit. Junior should be settling into the new routine by then too. He certainly enjoyed the longer faster walk he had today.
 
I wouldn't buy this puppy personally and I'd think long and hard before I would take it on for free. No such thing as a free dog lol. 2 issues both relating to anatomy and malformation of what should be normal processes....might be just bad luck and bad genes popping up in an otherwise healthy line...but this would be a firm no for me because I dont like to buy potential trainwrecks...and I'd be wondering what else might have malformed internally in this lil guy. Separately neither issue would worry me...but the two together...Wait and get a healthy pup from health tested lines.
 
Also at 4 months that teste is highly unlikely to drop at this stage unless they can feel it near the sac already. Very few drop after 12 weeks....worth a feel to see if its in the right region if you do decide to go for it...with a larger breed it should be feelable at this stage if its in the last section of the canal and on the way down.vet check would tell a lot... but its just a matter of having a bit of a grope around for a round solid small marble like shape if your willing to give it a go.
 
Thanks Aru - totally agree on the possible health issues that we can't see. The lad we just lost had an umbilical hernia, which may or may not have been associated with his oversized heart; I just don't think it's worth chancing starting out with health issues when they can creep up on you even with a perfect pup. I don't want to go and see it because I know if my husband claps eyes on it, he will insist that we have it.

I told him this morning that we need time and to focus our attention on our remaining dog, as he doesn't need our attention being diverted to a puppy when he's going to be a little lost himself. Personally the health issues alone are more than enough for me to say no (and CC has given me some additional info about the lines which adds to the feeling that it's not the right dog for us), but my husband seems blind to them at the moment even though I have stressed that we have just lost one who although beautiful on the outside was compromised in terms of health for at least the last year, potentially due to genetics. I've told him I don't think it's the right dog for us, it's in a good home with the breeder so won't be suffering if we don't take it on, and we must see what other pups we can find. Hopefully we will see a suitable pup in that time and he will be diverted from this one, or will see sense on the health issues as he begins to manage his grief.
 
I'd guess OH is grabbing at a solution which he thinks is going to make him feel better even if the reality is different.
I am prone to coming up with a solution and needing to do it NOW! even though the rest of the time I am a massive planner.
 
Husband does like the breeder and she is a very nice lady. However when she bred our younger dog she went for a proven worker sire and the dam was an NZ import so no coefficiency issues. She has since bred from a bitch whose personality I would deem to be unsuitable as it was rather fearful, and is breeding what I would say are mid standard pet sheps for homes who aren't overly demanding. Health tests are done but the results aren't spectacular and the dogs aren't doing any work etc. Frankly although she's a lovely lady who I do think wants the best for her dogs, I don't think she is breeding to the high standard I expect any more. So agree Twiggy, I think this pup is much better staying with her to resolve all its issues. I personally wouldn't take it for free.

Ester... yes that is exactly him. Needs to solve the problem right now!
 
It seems to be quite a frequent aspie coping trait ;), it can make us excellent in a crisis :p. I would suggest that in a week or so he will be able to think a bit more logically about the pros and cons of particular puppies/breedings so stand your ground.
 
ester said:
It seems to be quite a frequent aspie coping trait ;), it can make us excellent in a crisis :p. I would suggest that in a week or so he will be able to think a bit more logically about the pros and cons of particular puppies/breedings so stand your ground.
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Ha, it's quite funny because I tick a number of the aspie boxes but we are very different. I only have 7 feelings and operate from a purely logical position whereas he is quite easily overwhelmed by his many feelings. Cracking engineer though!

Vulcan ground being stood. I'm hopeful we will see some other pups advertised which are more suitable and it'll take his mind off this one.
 
Umblicial hernia wouldnt bother me in the least, cavaliers have them all the time and although vets tend to stress about them I've never known of one cause a problem in 40 odd years of experience. Maybe I have been lucky of course.

Also having a monorchid wouldnt bother me, ditto I've known a few of them which haven't required an operation and have lived very long and happy lives.

As you all know, I don't hang around getting a new dog after losing an oldie. It doesn't mean I don't love or care about the one I have lost, or any of the ones that are still with me, it is just what I do - there are so many rescues out there who deserve a nice home.

And finally it wouldn't bother me that the dog was still with the breeder at that age - she has clearly run it on to see if the testicle dropped, it hasn't, so no good for the show ring.

On the other hand SadKen, you don't seem at all inspired by the pup so I wouldn't go for it on that basis alone :)
 
Only you can answer the question about whether the pup is right for you. If you like working/show line mix I know of an older bitch looking for a home. I’ll PM you.
 
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