 Barked: Mon Nov 12, '12 12:45pm PST |
 | |  | | Sorry to hear of your loss 
I personally wouldn't recommend getting another puppy until your current one is older and through his bratty teenage phase. He'll likely start acting out to some extent in a few months, and depending on the dog it can be quite a trial, as German Shepherds are known for being difficult adolescents. Having a young puppy at the same time will just increase the amount of work for you and take away time which could be spent working with your current dog.
I firmly believe that raising a GSD for the first 2-3 years of its life is a full time job, and it's preferable not to have any other puppies during that time. Plenty of people disagree and I'm certainly not insinuating that it's impossible to raise multiple puppies, but I don't feel it's ideal. Dedicate all your time to your current dog as he goes through all the changes involved in growing up, then consider adding another.
As far as expending some of his energy, how much off leash activity do you do? Leashed walks are good, but they do very little to tire my GSD out. We go on daily off lead walks, in safe areas of course, where he can run, sniff, explore, and go at his own pace. Even a large open area like a park field could be a good option if you go during off hours when no one else is there. If you're worried he'll run off or his recall isn't the best, put him on a 30 foot long line so he can run but you'll still have control. Wind him up, run around with him, throw a toy, ect. Anything to really get him moving except leashed running on hard surfaces like pavement as that can damage the joints of a growing large breed dog. Go for soft surfaces and let him decide how much to run and when to stop.
Make sure you're working his mind too. The daily training is great, just make sure you teach new things frequently so it doesn't become a boring routine. You could also look into sports which are usually great physical and mental exercise. Agility, herding, tracking, ect. Just make sure if you pick a high impact sport that you keep things low impact until his joints are done growing at 18-24 months.Edited by author Mon Nov 12, '12 2:30pm PST
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