Behavior Expectations

I recently lost my dog of 15 years and am considering getting a puppy. My dog was a Border Collie mix that had some severe reactivity to basically everything outside our home. She was adopted at 9 months so we missed some critical development windows. We did a ton of training with her and she was very loving but “high alert” outside our home at all times. We had to actively avoid close contact with strangers and dogs on leash for most of her life.

I did a meet n greet with an 11 week old puppy today and I’m just so nervous to have another reactive dog. I would love to have a dog that is friendly with strangers and new dogs out in public. The puppy was immediately friendly toward us, but she obviously had a very high drive for her foster mom once the treats came out. She’s a shepherd mix and the intensity of trying to figure out how to get a treat reminded me so much of my last dog. For example, the puppy knew “crate” but once in her crate she stared intensely waiting for the next command and never relaxed in there.

She took about 45 minutes to get all her wiggles out and then she laid down for a nap. I’ve never had a puppy this young and I’m starting to get cold feet about having another high intensity dog. But on the other hand I imagine she will be a quick learner because she’s so intense and treat motivated. I guess I just came here to think out loud and ask for advice about getting a puppy this age with a very excitable temperament. I’m not sure what’s normal puppy behavior at this age.