Sybil

As I wrote previously, I always wanted a German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP). As the old adage goes, be careful what you wish for. Don’t get me wrong, I love our new pup Grafin, and she’s about as cute as they come. I was warned that GSPs are as stubborn as they are smart, and have a lot of energy. Our previous dog Blaze was an Australian Shepherd mix, and had many of the same attributes as GSPs. However, Blaze and Grafin were at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to raising a puppy.

We brought Grafin home when she was 7 weeks old, and she was a bouncing nine pound ball of energy. She partakes in the typical play of a puppy, chewing, biting and jumping on everything in sight. However, I titled this post “Sybil” for a reason. Grafin goes through “zoomies” a couple of times each day, and her version should more aptly be described as “sonic-boomies.” (For those of you who never owned a dog, zoomies are more technically described as “FRAPs,” which are Frenetic Random Activity Periods. In other words, your puppy or dog expends stored up energy suddenly and in violent bursts.) Grafin will often lay down innocently, and then suddenly sprint toward one of us and leap through the air, aiming to score a loose piece of clothing. Her aim is not always spot on, as random bite marks can attest. I believe that her goal is to have fun, but it’s often difficult to tell when you are under attack.

One of her most disturbing and puzzling habits is to bark feverishly when excited. In my view, hers is not typical puppy barking. A new neighbor has added two dogs to Grafin’s environment, and one of them is a 55 pound puppy. Grafin loves to bark at him through the fence, and when I try to intervene, Grafin often redirects her barking toward me. I’ve read that my reaction should be one of disinterest, walking away rather than scolding. This is not always easy, as I don’t want the neighbors to think (confirm?) that our new pet is out of control. On multiple occasions, I have reprimanded Grafin for chewing on the furniture. My firm “No!” accompanied by a wagging finger often elicits angry barking from this “unassuming” pup. These outbursts are sporadic and brief, and I’m working on remedies. Sybil indeed.

Grafin’s crate training was a bit more difficult than Blaze’s, although Grafin did get the hang of it fairly quickly. The first couple of nights were stressful to say the least, as that little pup emitted guttural howls that would have made a Saint Bernard proud. My wife and I took turns sleeping near the crate, and by the third night, Grafin’s whining was relatively short-lived. I’ve been getting up with her every night at 2 AM for five weeks now, allowing her to take a quick potty break while her tiny bladder (and bowels) grow. Most experts say that dogs can sleep through the night by 16 weeks of age (Grafin is now 12 weeks old), so most likely I have another month of interrupted sleep. For the last few nights, Grafin hasn’t been interested in leaving her crate in the middle of the night, but after some coercion she always manages to take care of business outside. Better safe than sorry.

The key to raising a healthy (and well-behaved) pup is training and exercise. She is very smart and has learned several commands, but at her age her attention span and memory are a bit fleeting. She loves to play tug and fetch, but again, those random attacks come when you least expect them. For the initial four weeks, I kept her in our yard, away from other dogs. She has now had three vet appointments, and has had most of her vaccinations. She weighed in at 15 pounds at her last visit, a healthy 6 pound weight gain in 3 weeks. She loves to eat, everything from dog food to grass, bark, mulch, sticks, nuts, rocks and everything else that isn’t tied down. I’m now using a slow feeder bowl to enable some breathing during her three daily meals.

In order to calm down her mood swings, I started walking her in the neighborhood this week. She often gets worn out quickly, as evidenced by her randomly plopping down in shaded areas. Mission accomplished. We have a fenced-in back yard, but she can fit through the vertical bars so I keep her on a long lead to prevent escape. I’ve also started increasing her stays in the crate, which is forcing her to rest and helping me to keep my sanity. Today was a milestone for her, as I introduced her to another dog for the first time since she left her litter mates. Finn is an 85 pound gentle giant, and Grafin and he got along swimmingly. GSPs are known to be very friendly and unaggressive, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed and doing what I can to teach her good manners.

When I envisioned owning a GSP, the picture in my mind was always of a full-grown dog rather than a frisky puppy. Now I know why. Sometimes your subconscious knows best.

#gsp #puppy #zoomies