New puppy

PucaMama

We are picking up our new puppy tomorrow an Alaskan malamute x German shepherd. I want to feed gain dry food only so roughly how much should I feed at every meal? Also what age is the best age to start her sleeping outside at night? We are not new to dogs we have 2 small dogs I just haven't had a dog this big

cocker5

PucaMama wrote: »

We are picking up our new puppy tomorrow an Alaskan malamute x German shepherd. I want to feed gain dry food only so roughly how much should I feed at every meal? Also what age is the best age to start her sleeping outside at night? We are not new to dogs we have 2 small dogs I just haven't had a dog this big

whoever you are getting the dog from should provide you with a few days food to tide you over, personally i would stick to this food for a few weeks until the pups settles in - too many changes will upset her.. after a few weeks move her over to the food you want to fed her. The bag will tell you how much to feed depending on her weight, so follow the guidelines.

Sorry not info on dogs sleeping outside.. not a fan so cant advise.

Best of luck with your puppy and post a pic

I know you mentioned you have two small dogs but you do know this breed requires TONS of exercise.... sorry not trying to be negative but they are fab dogs but not for the faint hearted

ShaShaBear

PucaMama wrote: »

We are picking up our new puppy tomorrow an Alaskan malamute x German shepherd. I want to feed gain dry food only so roughly how much should I feed at every meal? Also what age is the best age to start her sleeping outside at night? We are not new to dogs we have 2 small dogs I just haven't had a dog this big

Sleeping outside is a really iffy one. Most people here (myself included) would not recommend it. Firstly, the weather is too erratic, secondly, there is a huge and ever-increasing risk of someone stealing the pup and thirdly, it *can* feel like seclusion for the poor thing who has spent the start of life living indoors comfortably.

Knine

It is best to keep her on the food she is being fed at the moment & very gradually change her over. The guidelines on the bag are just a rough guide. You could start with these & then adjust by looking at her body condition. She should be well covered but able to feel her ribs. 3/4 times a day she would need to be fed with water available 24/7.

Personally none of my dogs sleep outside & it would be hard to get her to sleep out if the little ones are allowed in. If you really want her outside I would start in the summer months to get her used to it before winter sets in. It depends on what age she is now.

cocker5

ShaShaBear wrote: »

Sleeping outside is a really iffy one. Most people here (myself included) would not recommend it. Firstly, the weather is too erratic, secondly, there is a huge and ever-increasing risk of someone stealing the pup and thirdly, it *can* feel like seclusion for the poor thing who has spent the start of life living indoors comfortably.

On the points above... i totally forgot about the dog napping issue - rampant in Ireland... also these dogs are GREAT at escaping, scaling walls etc.. so may not be safe for your dog.

PucaMama

I'm looking at training her to be a watch dog, so she will have our large concrete shed and a crate in there shielded from any drafts.

I'm aware of the exercise requirements was looking at the walkydog to attach to a bike for when she's old enough

Hopefully she will turn out a dog that won't be able to be stolen.

ShaShaBear

PucaMama wrote: »

I'm looking at training her to be a watch dog, so she will have our large concrete shed and a crate in there shielded from any drafts.

I'm aware of the exercise requirements was looking at the walkydog to attach to a bike for when she's old enough

Hopefully she will turn out a dog that won't be able to be stolen.

If she is outdoors unattended she will be able to be stolen. Drugged meat, or plain old brute force - just because she's a trained watch dog doesn't mean she's untouchable. The dog can alert you to intruders without being locked outside with them. Then there's no risk of her being poisoned, bludgeoned or shot. Never mind plain old stolen.

ihatewinter

Better to have the new dog in the house with you. A bit of meat to occupy the dog and intruders are in your house within 2 minutes. The dog is outside and your on your own to defend yourself and family.

I would rather the dog in the house, better chance of actually working as a guard dog and more likely to attack intruders as the dog will associate the house with his family and kindness rather than a cold concrete shed. There must be a want and a need for the dog to guard and protect, it's very rarely learned.

muddypaws

Whilst GSDs are used as watch/guard dogs, Alaskan Malamutes and other northern breeds aren't. They do make great watch dogs however, they will watch a burglar take your TV, watch them take your laptop etc etc. Really not a breed that I would recommend for that role.

They are also real pack dogs, used to having company, I don't have an issue with northern breeds living outside, but most definitely not by themselves. You could end up in serious trouble with any neighbours with a bored dog howling and barking constantly.

PucaMama

I did say I have 2 other dogs so she's not going to be stuck out the back alone all day. Plus there's all the fun of obedience training etc.

kylith

Are your other dogs kept outside?

IME you are much more likely to experience nuisance barking with dogs kept outside, so you are much more likely to ignore them when they do bark, meaning that they are much less effective as guard dogs than if kept indoors, at least at night. You also need to take into account the fact that even though Mals are physically imposing they have little territorial instinct due to the nomadic culture they were developed in and are generally very friendly.

angeldaisy

Have to agree with the other comments that they are better watch dogs when they are inside the house.

My house is one of few on our stretch (rural area) that hasn't been burgled, my dogs are always inside the house and are very protective and bark really loudly!

I wouldn't want to take the risk that they could potentially be poisoned by someone wanting to break into the house. At least if they are in the house I'd have fair warning.

ShaShaBear

angeldaisy wrote: »

Have to agree with the other comments that they are better watch dogs when they are inside the house.

My house is one of few on our stretch (rural area) that hasn't been burgled, my dogs are always inside the house and are very protective and bark really loudly!

I wouldn't want to take the risk that they could potentially be poisoned by someone wanting to break into the house. At least if they are in the house I'd have fair warning.

Same, Opie has a blood curdling bark, I've never heard it from a collie before, much less a dog of his size. It sounds like 3 bloodhounds baying at a half-dead fox or something! :eek:
He never ever ever does it, except when he sees someone coming into our front garden that he's not familiar with. If I put him out the back, he wouldn't know they were there, and there's a mighty good chance I wouldn't hear him bark if he was up the far end or in the shed in a crate!

OP we're not trying to have a go for your sleeping arrangements (despite some of us not agreeing). We're genuinely trying to tell you that this puppy will most likely not be fit for purpose with the way you intend to sleep her at night. Never mind the breed mix could make her useless, and that you will more than likely end up with a nuisance barker and a lonely, distressed dog that is forced to sleep outside in a shed (unless it has radiators, I have no idea why anyone would assume concrete makes it warm) after being used to sleeping inside (presumably with the other dogs) for the first few months of life with you.

I'll take a video of next door's guard dog for you some day. He howls when he hears intruders. And the ice-cream man. And the post man. And the man that delivers her oil. And the shopping delivery guy. And when we open our back door. And when we open our front door. He howls at everything he can't see or get to!

tk123

I don't want get into the inside/outside debate because that's been covered..

For the food OP I found with my last pup (she'll be 2 in a few weeks) she needed the higher end of the scale/guidelines but with pups - especially large breeds - you don't want to put too much weight on them too soon because it'll damage their joints. Go by their condition as Knine says above. With Lucy she'd be fine one day and a few days later look like a skeleton so time to increase her food and just watch them like that. I have photos of her where I cringe because she's skin and bones then the next week she looks like a fatty!

Do your other dogs bark at stranger etc outside? I find with my two - Bailey is barky - birds on the roof, strangers passing or even strangers out in gardens near us (houses for sale being viewed etc) but when he barks Lucy just stands beside him and not a peep out of her.

PucaMama

Don't worry about disagreeing opinions everyone has opinions

Yeah my other two do bark at people but a small terrier and a pug haven't done much to keep out the people who get into our garden.

When I got my pug I wanted him to sleep downstairs now he's in the bed every night so I'm not great with sticking to my guns with sleeping rules. She will always be fit for purpose as my little girl