Keeping German Shepherd puppies

The German Shepherd is a very common dog breed. Their popularity is due to their beautiful appearance, amazing working qualities, incredible intelligence. Dogs are large-breed dogs, the growing process is quite long, therefore it requires patience from the owner. In order for a pet to develop well, be healthy, maintain a spectacular appearance, it is necessary to properly organize the care of the animal, properly feed and educate it.

The German shepherd dog and her puppies are very active by nature, their temperament is quite pronounced, so you need to immediately approach the right approach to raising the dog, otherwise it will be very difficult to do it in adulthood. This is a watch breed, its education is a great responsibility. Going for a puppy, you need to weigh the pros and cons, be sure to study the character, features of the future pet. The characteristic qualities of the breed are as follows:

• superbly developed intelligence;
• great intuition;
• openness and sincere attitude towards a person;
• very reliable, faithful;
• strong nervous system;
• courageous, fighting;
• keen flair;
• perfectly trained.

The German Shepherd Dog has the following distinctive features:

• the need to serve, and it is not so important where exactly, the main thing is to be involved in the work; she can guard the house with equal success, look after a child or an elderly person, follow orders;
• the need for physical activity, and quite high; the dog needs to spend a lot of time in nature, run, walk in the forest, you can safely go on a hike with him, because he is an excellent partner for doing sports, for example, swimming or jogging;
• there is a risk in a number of hereditary diseases, and it is quite large, which should be considered before buying;
• among the negative traits of character: distrust, excessive vigilance towards strangers; This is a fairly independent dog that can be cunning, which should be taken into account when organizing training.

One of the main positive qualities of a dog is the highest intelligence, the breed is in the top of the smartest dogs on the planet. She lives an average of 12 to 15 years. Caring for her is easy, so she will perfectly fit into an active, calm family, including those with children. She treats children perfectly, she is an excellent nanny, as the desire to protect children is excessive. Another positive quality is a stable psyche, a strong nervous system. The dogs are very calm, not anxious, not aggressive. The exception is the attitude towards strangers, but this is a good quality for the watchman.

Before you bring your baby home, you need to find a good place for him, which should not be in a draft, near heaters or near doors. A rug or mattress is prepared for the puppy, ideally it should be put on pillowcases that are changed and washed. Dogs can be kept both in a private house, on the street, and in an apartment. If you have a dog in a city apartment, you need to take into account that at first it will relieve itself at home. Walking training is carried out gradually, after sleeping and eating.

Important! In the new home environment, the baby may yearn and whine for the first days, missing his mother. The owner's business is to show an affectionate, caring attitude, not to swear, to console the baby. Do not under any circumstances cover it in the dark or tie it.

The optimal content of German shepherds is considered to be an open-air cage in a private house, regardless of the age of the dog and the time of year. Shepherd dogs feel great outdoors in winter. The main condition for a good enclosure is space so that the dog can freely frolic, move and run. A canopy and the organization of a booth are required, which should be insulated. In it the dog will feel comfortable in bad weather.

It is very important from birth to properly organize the diet of a small pet. There are the following feeding methods:

• dry ready-made food;
• combined feeding;
• natural products.

Above all, a healthy dog ​​diet ensures his well-being and timely development. Feeding for the first few weeks should be identical to what the puppy received from the breeder, no matter if you are a month old or older. You need to take care of a bowl that can be placed under chest level. As it grows, the level is adjusted. It is very important during feeding to correct the stance, observing the position of the paws. The second bowl should always contain fresh water, change it at least 3 times a day.

Feeding rates by month are as follows:

• from one to two months - six meals a day;
• from 3 to 5 months - four times a day;
• from six months to a year - gradually come to two-time.

As for the diet, most of it consists of protein, namely:

• raw meat (beef, horse meat, veal);
• dairy products (cottage cheese, sour milk);
• eggs (2 pieces per week).

The meat is not given in the form of minced meat, but in pieces, it must be fresh.You cannot make a menu only of cereals. Cereals are good only in addition to meat. After the dog reaches 4 months of age, they begin to feed it with offal at least three times a week. Do not forget about vegetables and fruits, babies are rubbed with them. Be sure to include herbal complementary foods in the diet.

In addition to feeding, it is necessary to take care of the appearance of the shepherd dog, for its health. First of all, this applies to walking, which should be long and regular, especially after vaccination. At first, it is enough to walk for no more than 5-10 minutes, gradually increasing the walking time. At 2 months, the dog begins to accustom to the occasion, you can already walk for 30 minutes. After six months, walks should be at least 2 hours a day. While walking, the dog must be allowed to communicate with pedigree dogs, but protected from contact with homeless people. Walking during the day is more beneficial as the dog needs the sun to be healthy.

Good hygiene is important for German Shepherds, and you should not be zealous. If you wash your dog too often, you can harm it, since frequent washing adversely affects the protective layer of the epidermis, badly affects the condition of the coat. Until the age of three months, dogs are not bathed at all, starting from this point - three times a year. Be sure to use special detergents. After bathing, the dog needs to be wiped off and allowed to dry. If the dog gets dirty on a walk, local cleaning is performed: they wash their paws, remove dirt. You need to clean the coat every day, regularly comb it out with a special comb, otherwise the hair will roll into tangles.

In addition to wool, you need to provide care for the ears and mouth. This is done infrequently, for example, teeth are brushed once a quarter with a special tool for dogs. Also, give your dog a chance to chew on the bones for a fluoride cleanup. The ears are often examined to detect possible inflammatory processes, cleaned with a cotton swab if necessary. Watch your eyes, there should be no watery eyes, pus, redness. If you find something like this, immediately rinse your eye and apply anti-inflammatory drops.

It is very important to get vaccinated on time and visit your veterinarian regularly. In addition, periodic treatment for parasites is necessary for the dog, both internally and externally. If you do not plan to breed puppies, then up to a year and a half you need to sterilize it.

Dogs of this breed are extremely active, they are full of energy, so you need to play a lot with them. So that the puppy does not get bored alone and does not find a toy among the furniture and household items, he must definitely buy accessories to his liking. Focus on the preferences of the pet, some are more willing to play with balls, others with ropes or sticks, others prefer puzzles. Currently, pet stores have a huge selection of toys for dogs. Experts recommend paying attention to the quality of the materials, because the dog will definitely chew on the toy.

In no case should the material be dangerous, because the puppy will play even in your absence. Small fragments of plastic, latex or rubber are very dangerous, small elements with which a dog can easily choke. Cheap Chinese toys are not the best choice. Rugged gadgets from reputable manufacturers are worth paying attention to. Such toys as are very popular among shepherd dogs:

• balls;
• rubber sticks, ropes;
• pullers from two rings;
• flying discs.

Since this breed belongs to service, the whole being of the dog is directed towards this goal.To grow up obedient, intelligent and well-mannered shepherd, you will have to make a lot of effort. With the wrong organization of the educational process, all the positive qualities of the breed can be leveled. First of all, the owner must know that it is necessary to raise the puppy from the first day of its appearance in the house and be sure to socialize it.

If you get a puppy at the age of one to two months, you can save yourself and him from many problems. During this period, shepherd dogs are as friendly, pliable, curious as possible. Therefore, they are good at making contact with both people and animals. The need for socialization and a tolerant attitude towards animals and people is necessary for a dog, so its brain develops more actively, it learns to control itself. If the dog is not provided with communication, not encouraged to do so, it will grow up cowardly and aggressive.

To properly raise a shepherd dog, you must take into account the following points:

• the dog, with all its intelligence, does not think like a person, it is only in the present;
• the shepherd dog will always choose pleasant rather than unpleasant, experience pushes it to this;
• this breed knows all its advantages and strength very well, therefore it loves to demonstrate its abilities;
• this is an animal of the herd type, it needs communication and understanding who is the leader;
• the shepherd dog does not understand the language of a person, but is quite capable of memorizing words and phrases, posture, facial expressions, intonation during training are also very important;
• it is very important to understand the language of the animal, its habits, signals, what is meant by them;
• you cannot beat an animal, if only for the reason that it perceives you as the leader of the pack, the same animal, but it has no hands, punishment should take place without assault.

Teaching a dog basic rules begins with a game, so you can teach it to use the call, look for objects, and bring things. Be sure to immediately accustom you to an adequate perception of the leash, collar. The first workouts with the baby are recommended to be carried out an hour before meals, when he is awake and in anticipation of food. From time to time, the puppy will lose attention, indulge. At this time, you need to ignore him until he himself gets involved. The first training scheme is very simple: fulfilled the command - received praise, did not fulfill - did not receive it. There is no need to reinforce actions several times; at an early age, unquestioning obedience cannot yet be achieved.

When it comes to training time, consider the age of your pet as follows:

• from 1 to 2 months - no more than 10 minutes;
• from 3 to 4 months - no more than 17 minutes;
• from 4 months to 1 year - gradually increases to 40 minutes.

In no case should you force events, even if it seems to you that the dog grasps everything on the fly. Mental development proceeds according to a certain algorithm, it cannot be violated, otherwise regression can be achieved. Do not forget that there can be only one owner in a flock, and that is you. He must be persistent, consistent, strict, but patient. Begging for goodies, pestering games at the wrong time are unacceptable. Such behavior is suppressed, otherwise the concept of unconditional power in the head of the dog will not be fixed for you, especially when it comes to a dog. The male may not obey and get out of the influence.

The German Shepherd must know the following commands and skills for up to 10 months:

• command approach;
• landing;
• transportation;
• calm perception of the leash;
• indication of the place, commands "near", "fu", "lie down";
• search for items;
• take the starting position to the left of the owner's leg;
• crawling on command;
• taking a barrier;
• ascending and descending stairs.

Upon reaching the age of ten months, it is recommended to take the dog to a professional in order to consult about improving the skills and choose the right tactics to continue training. The German Shepherd must complete a full general training course.

For information on how to keep German Shepherd puppies, see the next video.