cute puppy I think he will get used to going into and out of the crate just give him some time he has been through a lot in a short amount of time he might start with some separation anxiety just work with him on it good luck and congrats on such a cutie.
"Plan" for him to get at least 100lbs, that's what I did with my large breed mix. She topped out at 65ish, but she still needs the biggest airline crate
Even though I doubt he'll get up to 100, pretend that he will. Train him to walk and act politely as if he did weigh that much, coz you'll never regret it.
Puppies go through those stages ya know, they look thin for a while and then fill out for a while....just feed him appropriately and he'll be fine.
Congratulations! I love it when needing pups find good homes.
I don't see a huge dog in the making. My guess is a 50 or 60 lb-er. That would fit a Belgian malinois, the faster & smaller cousin of the GSD. I doubt he has (much) of that in him, but he might actually somewhat look the part when he is grown.
Your pup is adorable but does not look like a GSD to me. It does look too small, too light and the tail curves up too much, muzzle too short. That doesn't mean it isn't a great dog. I would think perhaps you have an ever-popular Heinz 57.
A shelter experience can be very traumatic on a dog and it takes a few days to settle in and be their true self. If your pup is really 9 weeks or so, it is in the formative stages. Don't fuss over it but give it lots of positive attention for positive behaviors and it should come out of its shell a bit. If it is a timid dog still after a few days, work to get it socialized yourself as soon as you finish its puppy shots, you still have time to turn the dog into whatever you want your dog to be.
When it is four months old (a vet can tell you its age by its teeth) then you can roughly double its weight to get its eventual adult size. It won't be exact but the formula works pretty well except with giant breeds.
Thanks for your thoughts, everyone. I had come to the conclusion myself that he is too small to have much GSD in him. However, he is still a nice looking pup. All the shelter said was "shepherd mix", and that is correct. What all is in the mix, who knows? I like his looks and body type. He does have the double coat, harsh outer and soft undercoat on his back. His legs and head have the soft coat. Go figure! I have had him a week now, but it only took a couple of days for him to come out of his shell. Going by the shelter info, he's now 9 weeks. He's had his first vet check, which scared him to death, but no shots this time so he got over it quickly. He's gained a half a pound. His right ear came up on the second day, and he looks much better with matching ears.
He sleeps in his crate with no fussing at night, but during the day he's in the kitchen with us. He doesn't like to be anywhere by himself and he's really plastered to me out in the yard so I can't sneak back in the house and leave him out there in the wide, wide world ALONE! It's really too hot out to leave him out there for any length of time, anyway. And chew, chew, chew! I'd forgotten what a joy puppies are, LOL! The other dogs (and cats) have put him in his place a few times, and he gets the picture quickly.
He goes down to the fence to look at the hens, but is just curious so far. No barking at them, just looking, and they look back with that eye that says, "Just try something, pipsqueak!"
He should be a great dog, We've already started puppy lessons of sit, come, stay. He's bright and catches on quickly. Here's a pic of doggie naptime.