New rescue pup- guess the breed!

[lloe7]

I am collecting this gorgeous boy on Saturday- he is coming from Bosnia, he was a street dog and is 6-8 months old. Any guesses on the mix of breed? He is apparently a lot smaller than photos look.
Any tips for training a dog from the very beginning- he has never been on a lead, or even in a house!

?GSD/collie mix?
Hard to tell but he looks lovely.

My biggest tip would be, as an overseas rescue particularly, be aware he is likely to be an escape artist and do not leave door/window/gate open or let him off the lead until he has got to know you, your surroundings and does a bit of recall (might take weeks or poss months). I note he does have a bit of a naughty gleam in his eye! At the current time, even if he is calm and friendly, never let any strangers pet him when you are out as dogs are currently being snatched every day. Don't leave him in the garden alone ever.

Don't overwhelm him with meeting loads of people or too much prolonged attention from you in the early days. Let him have quiet times when he needs them as it will all be very scary at first.

Get yourself a slip lead and USE it - like the other poster said they can and do bolt.

Get a house line for him to wear, it was a god send for me when mine arrived being able to gently guide her away from stuff (getting down the back of the shed).

Give him loads and loads of time and space. Mine took 3 months before she started to feel at home and she's still super nervous. He may not be interested in conventional training in the beginning and you shouldn't force him. Have a look on dog training advice and support on Facebook, there are lots of resources on there. And don't even think about walks for the first little while - he doesn't need them, let him decompress.

Be very patient. He has no idea what you expect of a dog. Ours came around quite quickly to the cuddles, crate, food routine (never attempt to remove food, even if it's yours they've swiped from your plate).

The whole walking on a lead thing- totally unfamiliar. It took weeks to get her beyond the front door, then out to the pavement, walked to the end of the street- no further.

If possible on arrival, before even going inside, consider going for a short walk around the area, including a grassed area. He may not tolerate it even for a moment, but if he does it's worth a try.

That face! Has he got a name yet?

KnitsandGiggles has it. Chuck the puppy books (!) and focus on getting trust. Let him settle the first days after a long journey, forget the standard training stuff and train the dog in front of you. Sleep and toilet will be the focus.

Mine was hard, hard work OP - simply no idea how to behave or what was expected. Lots of tears at the sheer enormity of it! A microwave working could send her into hiding for hours. A plastic bottle noise - hiding. Barked through the night for weeks.

Slowly, slowly after much more time than you think possible, you see the dog they will be but it’s not linear and bad days still come up. Get all the help and support you can and go easy on yourself. It’s even more of a rollercoaster than a tiny pup.

I wouldn’t change a thing (except the shitty people who led to a dog born on the street and growing up in a dogs home at all). It’s humbling and special to watch the change as they settle, live a normal life. She rescued me, in the end - and I’d gladly have given up in the early weeks.

Looks like Alsation / collie mix.

What's his tail like OP? If it's fluffy he might be a kokoni, a common breed overseas but not so much here. He's a gorgeous boy. I agree with all the advice you've had, let him be and figure out what being a pet means before you expect him to be a pet. Give him time and space. He's not going to be used to being in a house. I've 2 Romanian dogs, one settled in straight away but the other is still very nervous although she was older. Younger dogs I think settle in better. Again, there are lots of resource groups on Facebook.
I'm so excited for you though, what a lovely face!

I think Collie - Rottweiler mix. The first photo and the stance makes me think that. But I can see why Alsatian is being mentioned and I’m only guessing.

But he’s a beauty- what excitement! Enjoy your pup - Dogs are just the absolute best. Mine makes me smile every single day.

He is the spitting image of the dog my PIL had when I met my husband. She was a Golden Retriever x Rottweiler.

Finding this very helpful as I’ve just sponsored a Romanian pup which means I can get first dibs on adoption when she’s ready, presumably fairly soon so we will have to decide 😬. We lost our lovely old Lab early this year and she was a total angel. Feeling nervous about the prospect of managing the issues a rescue will inevitably have in comparison. But knowing the dreadful lives they have out there it feels the right thing to do. Best of luck OP! Your pup looks gorgeous.

I think possibly kokoni, my neighbour recently adopted a wee girl from roumania, a really lovely little thing. Very shy at first, but adapted quickly and from hiding behind her owners legs she's now eager to meet and initiate play with my Ddog . Have fun !

Going by looks a Hovawart . We used to have one, they are gorgeous but need a lot of training.