Big Paws Only Dog Forums

Congratulation s.  It sounds like you have a new pet.  ;-)

The idea about scent based games is a good one.  My saints both have amazing noses and I've thought about enrolling them in a tracking class.  And the suggestion about taking her to a dog park or beach is also a good one.  She'll love the interaction with other dogs and she'll be exhausted from her playtime.   I wouldn't worry about too much exercise.  Puppies need a lot of exercise and unless you're asking her to do complex agility work, it's highly unlikely she'll suffer any ill effects. 

Definitely go for the obedience class.  I've got a new foster Saint with some very bad habits and I enrolled him in basic obedience.  He's almost 3 and this is his first class but he's doing really well.  A good trainer will be able to help you break Apollo's "mouthiness" in a few weeks.

I would definitely talk to a vet about the correct amount of exercise for a puppy.  I got Winston when he was about a year and we took long walks all summer and fall.  He loved being out, doing the meet & greet and he slept so well afterwards!  When the weather got bitterly cold, we started taking functional walks (do your business NOW 'cause mommy is freezing her a** off) and he got to be a chunky monkey this winter.  So we're doing longer walks, plus I got him a new buddy and they run around the yard like speed freaks every morning. 

Who told you no jumping for Saints?  I took Winston to obedience classes at Petsmart and on a few occasions he jumped the fence in the training ring to go say "hi" to other dogs in the store!  The trainer said if he could do that, then he could darn well do the agility stuff.  We got him to do hurdles.  It was pretty cool.

When we adopted Winston from a St. rescue group, he was great in the house but had some AWFUL outside habits!  He knocked me clear off of my feet and I hit my head on the sidewalk when he ran over to visit his buddy.  After nearly getting hit by a car when he slipped off his Gentle Leader and decided to go say "hi" to the dog across the street, I decided it was time for professional intervention.  I enrolled him in a basic obedience course at Petsmart.  I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW MUCH OBEDIENCE CLASS PAID OFF!!!!  We worked through his pain-in-the-butt behavior on the leash and generally made him a joy to be around.  He is an angel now.  However, we too went through the "rebellious teen" stage, even while he was enrolled in second obedience course.  Our trainer said that like kids, dogs will try to test the limits just to see what they can get away with.  Her advice was to not let him get away with any unacceptable behavior.  So we would just stop whatever we were doing until Winston decided to do it my way.  Luckily, he outgrew this stage in a few months.  You might really want to consider signing up for a class either through Petsmart, Petco or even a local continuing education program.  They aren't that expensive and I found it was a great bonding experience for us.  [In fact, my husband stopped going after the second class and it was almost a year before Winston would pay attention to anything he said.]

We adopted our Saint last June and he has always loved other dogs, so last December we fostered a 3 yr. old female.  They got along great from the moment we introduced them.  Since Saints were bred to work as a team and because Seamus is so young, you shouldn't have any problems.  In fact, when our foster girl was adopted last month, Winston went into a bit of a funk for a few weeks.  So we've decided to foster another Saint (a boy from Ohio) and if they get along, we're going to keep the new boy.  Because there is no way I can spend another 3 weeks with a 144 lb. dog glued to my hip!