Expections of a First Timer.
Let down. That’s how I felt, if I am completely honest.
I researched and prepared for a NGSD for so long. The much awaited day came that I finally had one. There he was, this beautiful little guy. “The worlds rarest dog” I was told. I brought him home, we settled in and I quickly realized there was an internal disconnect. He wasn’t what I had anticipated at all!
Granted I want to be very clear, he was a vivacious, curious, energetic, and busy little guy, but *still* just a regular puppy. Once my initial excitement had diminished, I felt a bit confused and let down and was left with typical puppy challenges and typical puppy behaviors. He was not like some “wild animal” that my mind had created based on previous readings (and personal warnings).
I was left wondering how my perception had been shaped and what preconceived notions I had been harboring.
For that, let’s back up to the beginning.
I consider myself dog savvy, and I have multiple different breeds in my home, including other primitive dogs. I do not believe that breed type defines everything but I am aware that it plays a part. Because of that, I wanted to be fully prepared so I could set myself and my new NGSD pup up for the most success by trying to educate myself.
To be honest, I read every bit of research done on the NGSD, talked to many people, bought the rare book or two that had mention of singers, and as I did all of this I began to be uncomfortable. I wondered if I had made a mistake. It almost scared me away to be honest. Some things I read made it seem as though I may be bringing in this wild dog that was similar to going out and catching some free roaming animal to tame. I read things like how I need to turn my body sideways and squeeze through doors, or how a singer would climb on top of my refrigerator. I also read that I might want to consider getting bars on my windows if I was to share a home with a singer. *Gasp*
For a second I got cold feet, I have to be honest. My partner as well, asked me honestly if I wanted to do “this”. I mean, what should I really expect when I see this cute little puppy face but also read Information that makes it seem such a challenge. It almost seemed like a gremlin type moment. Don’t get water on them. I should trust the people who know, but many said singers need enclosures like a vault and even that was risky. In the back of my head I kept telling myself, other dogs I’ve had experience with also had challenges to be aware of.
This information that bombarded me, It definitely shaped my perception of what to expect with a new pup. When I finally got him and brought him home, I quickly realized that his behaviors were typical of any vibrant 3 month old puppy exploring this new world. That meant getting into things, or running around my house, or crying or jumping and biting.
He needed guidance, to learn he was safe in this world and most of all, to focus on training. It was then that I realized if I took any puppy in and didn’t teach them, they would ultimately try to door dash and may jump on humans and furniture, and they might even scratch at a window!
During those early days of getting to know him, it occurred to me that expectations (regardless of positive or negatives) may shape our perceptions. Our perceptions, will shape our experiences. If you expect nothing will ever work, you most likely won’t even try. That’s when I realized my singer pup was just a pup and he could learn just the same as any other puppy! Yes he would door dash unless I taught him to wait, and like any other puppy, using management and gates for safety was imperative.
Yes, like any puppy, he may urinate indoors unless I worked to potty train him. Yes, he may get into a cabinet or chew on a shoe or climb on a coffee table unless I taught him other things to do instead and practiced management by putting items away. One thing is for certain, a singer is perfectly clever enough to learn if we are positive and consistent in our own teaching.
Yes, some dogs will be flight risks, and some will be escape risks, and some will have high prey drive, and some will have predispositions to be more suspicious and much much more. These behaviors are common across many dog breeds and especially primitive dog breeds, they are not NGSD exclusive. If you learn and get to know your own dog, it somewhat puts the experience into perspective.
I am at 2 years old now with mine as a newer NGSD guardian. For those last 2 years I’ve decided that I will not hold him to labels placed upon him by others who have never met him, but rather I will treat him as the unique individual that he is, and we will learn and grow together. Yes, he’s very much an adolescent high energy dog, he’s very much a primitive dog, but so are lots and lots and lots of other dogs and breeds.
I no longer feel let down. Instead, we’ve focused on paving new pathways of positive expectations and amazing experiences doing normal dog things living a normal dog life. We arent holding ourselves to others expectations.
So far, we are having a blast.