German Shepherd Puppies : Basics Of Care And Education

All puppies require special care, attention and education. And the German Shepherd puppies are no exception. The prospective owner should know what his role will be in the first months of life in his pet house. German Shepherd Puppy

Admirers of German Shepherd dogs sometimes jokingly, sometimes seriously claim that the hegemony of their favorite breed will never end.

And in many respects this is true: there is no breed in the world that could compete with the “Germans” in prevalence.

Fashion for this or that breed comes and goes, without affecting the phenomenon of popularity of shepherd dogs.

By the way, East European Shepherd Dogs, which look like German ones, are also very popular now.

Having decided to join the ranks of German Shepherd lovers, every potential dog owner asks questions: where to buy puppies, what food to feed and when to start raising German shepherd puppies ?

The latter is especially important, because German shepherds are real “workaholics”, the desire to work in order to achieve the praise of the owner is in their blood. At the same time, they are very temperamental, mobile, energetic – this energy must be directed in time to a safe and correct channel. Otherwise, the animal will figure out what to do with itself, and there is no guarantee that the owner will like such an initiative.

It is better to postpone the choice of German Shepherd puppies until it is immunized – that is, up to three to three and a half months. Not every breeder has the opportunity to keep a litter of fast-growing “energizers” in his house for so long, so it is worth booking your favorite puppy in advance and agreeing to grow him up.

A German Shepherd male or a female is a purely individual matter, each sex has its own advantages and peculiarities of content. Males are larger and look more spectacular, females are distinguished by a softer character, attachment to the owner, learning ability.

German Shepherd puppies admirers have no preferred colors, they are all equal. Some people like sounders, others are closer to black-and-back dogs, and still others prefer dogs with bright tan. In recent years, black German Shepherd puppies, similar to Groenendael, have become in high demand, but the excitement around them looks somewhat artificial.

Read: Types of German Shepherd

Advantages in favor of buying German Shepherd Puppies:

• Strong bones, wide shoulder girdle;
• Correct positioning of the front legs, good angulation of the hind legs;
• Correct set of tail – saber, and not hook or “donut”;
• Scissor bite;
• Clear eyes of dark brown color with black edging;
• Free and confident movement;
• Curiosity, playful behavior.

Depending on whether the future owner has shown ambitions or plans to train according to the Schutzhund program, show successes or sporting achievements of the puppy’s parents will have a certain weight.

So, the choice was made, the “dowry” was bought, the new tenant reigned on his couch. What should be the care for German Shepherd puppies to grow up healthy? The main points: the correct regimen and diet, walks, the duration of which should increase as the puppies grows up, combing the fur with a furminator, timely shortening of the nails, cleaning the ears.

If the German Shepherd puppy is bought at the age of two months, the new owner is given the task of inoculating him with a high-quality vaccine, waiting out the quarantine time and only then starting walks on the street. As for education – it should begin from the first day of the puppy’s stay in the house.

Feeding German Shepherd puppies has one feature: it is necessary to control the amount of calcium in the food, not allowing its excess.

A similar rule applies to the diet of a shorthaired pointer puppy.

An indicator that nutrition is good for the puppy can be weight: by 6 months it should reach 60% of the weight of an adult dog. Exceeding this norm serves as a signal to reduce the amount of high-calorie foods in the diet.

The number of times German Shepherd puppies is fed per day:

• Up to 2 months – 6 times;
• 2 to 4 months – 4 times;
• 4 to 6 months – 3 times;
• After 6 months – 2 times.

When feeding “natural” the basis of the diet should be protein products: scraped raw meat, from 4 months – offal, sea and river fish (only boiled), milk omelet, homemade cottage cheese, kefir.

The source of carbohydrates are buckwheat and rice porridge, vegetables, white bread croutons. A vitamin supplement in the form of fruits (excluding grapes and citrus fruits) will also be beneficial.

No matter how unhappy eyes the shaggy “artist” looks at the owners sitting at the table, a strict veto should be imposed on a number of products: buns, pasta, beans, smoked meats, salted foods, spices, sweets.

The ideal feeding utensil is a double bowl on a stand with a height adjuster. Food should be lukewarm, not from the stove or refrigerator. The second bowl should always contain fresh water, this is especially important when the dog’s diet is dry food.

Even before the arrival of a new family member, it is worth sitting on the floor and examining the room from the German Shepherd puppy’s point of view: everything that temptingly hangs, sticks out, rolls around – must be removed.

During the change of teeth, the puppy should have enough “long-playing” toys – cast balls, bones from ox veins, so that there is no temptation to try what the master’s shoes or a tablecloth that has slipped off the table taste like.

With children it is necessary to study in advance the “safety technique”: how to take the German Shepherd puppy correctly, what games are permissible with him, when he should not be disturbed. And it is better to immediately forbid the children to lift their furry friend in their arms: a German shepherd puppy weighs at least 10 kilograms for 3 months and can be very nimble.

The owners have no doubts about the need to immunize puppies. But the question of how to vaccinate a German Shepherd Puppy is often the cause of heated debate among dog breeders.

Although every manufacturer of multivalent vaccines has clear instructions on when to vaccinate and revaccine, many tend to rely on their own experience or advice from a “trusted” veterinarian.

The standard schedule provides for the first vaccination at the age of 2 months, after 3 weeks – the second, and the third – after the change of milk teeth, at 7-8 months. Subsequently, the dog is vaccinated once a year.

You can only vaccinate a healthy animal, having previously expelled the worms. No matter how much you want to start walking with your pet as soon as possible, you will have to wait for the prescribed ten days of quarantine after the second injection.

Walks are very important, especially when keeping a German Shepherd in an apartment. “Going out” pursues several goals: actually walking, playing the dog with four-legged friends, physical activity, socialization, working out commands, strengthening the bond between the pet and the owner.

We often walk with a small puppy, but so that he does not have time to get tired: 6-8 times for 15-20 minutes. In general, the pet should spend at least two hours in the air, ideally more.

The more often there is an opportunity to leave the house, the sooner the problem of cleanliness will be solved, it is important at the same time to catch the right moment: the puppy woke up, picked him up under his belly – and into the street, the same should be done after feeding and active games.

Put on a harness on the animal when walking in crowded places and a tick collar – this way you protect it. Every time the baby has done his “deeds” outside the home, he should be actively praised. It is good when there is an opportunity for the dog to communicate with peers: during the “catch-up”, the motor system is strengthened, the skills of behavior with their own kind are improved.

After reaching the age of five months, you can begin to train the trot movements. With the introduction of serious physical activity (running next to a cyclist, agility, towing on skis), it is better to wait up to a year.

With a growing shepherd, you should walk everywhere, acquainting you with all the city sounds, smells, objects, inhabitants.

How to train German Shepherd puppies is a fundamental question. After teaching basic normative commands (place, to me, come, next), each shepherd must undergo a general training course (OKD). In order to avoid mistakes, reinforcement of obedience skills should be done under the guidance of an instructor at a training site. Most shepherd courses are not limited to OKD standards, but are engaged in one of the types of sports training: IPO, Schuchund (SchH), obedience.