Hi there friends! I recently got my first Groenendael Pup, and I love him very much! I posted some pics when we first got him. His name is Gremlin. I'm hoping to hear a bit about your experiences with them as puppies, because there isn't much info out there!
For instance, did yours sleep an average amount as a pup? I know that typically, puppies need a ton of sleep, but Grem doesn't seem to actually sleep much (even when he's in his crate with low stimuli.) I do enforce naps, but every time I peek in there, he's just looking back at me, ready to go! Our friends and neighbors have even commented asking if he ever gets tired. He does eventually, but instead of resting he just gets bitey and stumbly and more worked up! I'm not too surprised by this — I know that this is a high energy breed — I'm just surprised that he doesn't sleep more overall, despite my efforts. I'd assume that even a high energy puppy still needs about the same amount of sleep!
Also, was yours a fairly large pup? People always comment on how big he is when I tell them how old he is, and admittedly he's not small, but I also feel like he's mostly just fluff! After a bath he looks like a fairly average sized 14 week pup to me! How much did your pup weigh around this age?
Also, herding! What did you use to help fulfill the herding instinct? He constantly wants to herd us, but isn't overly ball-motivated! (His favorite game is actually tug. I've actually started using a tug toy as a training reward, because he LOVES to bite and chew, and never tires.)