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How Big Is An 8 Week Old German Shepherd

Supplements For German Shepherds

8 Week old German Shepherd Puppy

The vast majority of commercially available dry kibble is complete and balanced for your dog, assuming its a high-quality food.

That means there is almost never a reason to supplement your dogs diet with additives, vitamins, or herbal supplements. In fact, adding these things to a healthy dogs diet can cause a lot of harm.

Never supplement your dogs diet unless directed by a veterinarian. In those cases, they will prescribe or suggest canine-safe products to cover your GSDs special needs.

Human supplements are often unregulated, minimally effective, and often contain substances harmful to animals. Never use a human supplement for your German Shepherd.

Wolf Vs German Shepherd Size

German Shepherds are known to be big dogs, but the largest of them is like the weight and size of the smallest wolf. On average, the height of wolves ranges from 26 inches to 32 inches while German Shepherds range from 22 inches to 26 inches.

The weight of a small female wolf is around 51 pounds and a big male wolf weighs around 180 pounds. Like dogs, male wolves grow longer, heavier, and taller than females. On the other hand, according to our German Shepherd size chart, they weigh between 49 pounds and 88 pounds.

What Schedule Should An 8 Week Old German Shepherd Puppy Have

German Shepherd puppies require a consistent schedule to thrive. A daily routine that sets expectations for adulthood is the best way to set your German Shepherd puppy up for success in adulthood!

The first few weeks with your German Shepherd puppy should revolve around socialization and housetraining. The first few weeks after getting to know your puppy are critical because they can monumentally impact the strength of your bond. Spend time socializing with your puppy to form the best relationship with them.

Housetraining is another essential part of the first few weeks together. Puppies cause accidents and cause destruction all through the house. As their companion, you must be patient and take the time to train them properly.

The best schedule for an 8 week old German Shepherd puppy is the following:

Early Morning

Take your puppy outside first thing in the morning to use the bathroom. When your German Shepherd is a puppy, they may have difficulty holding their bladder through the night. Being unable to control their bladder can result in accidents if you do not take them out early enough.

Teach your puppy to hold its bladder by making bathroom time the first part of your dogs morning routine. Ringing bells is a form of classical conditioning proven to work with puppies, especially with potty training and breakfast time.

Morning

Late Morning

Afternoon

Day

Evening

Night

Also Check: How To Potty Train A German Shepherd Dog

German Shepherd Puppy Training: Potty Outside

Another important item on your German shepherd puppy training list is House training. It can be a bit stressful, but if done correctly, you can accomplish it very quickly. Just keep in mind that depending on your puppy in can take anywhere from 1 week to several months to complete potty training.

The following info-graphic has some simple rules to follow and make german shepher potty training easy and effective:

  • Take your puppy out for a potty break every 2-3 hours.
  • Take your puppy out for a potty the break after every meal.
  • Take your puppy out for a potty break after a nap.
  • Take your puppy out for a potty break after a play session.

The main idea when potty training a German shepherd puppy, is to take him out as often as he needs to and reward him after he is done. The infographic above gives you an idea of how often a puppy needs to go out. However, you need to know your own puppy.

  • For a couple of days write down the TIME and PLACE your puppy peed or pooped. This way you will know how often he is relieving himself. You may also notice if he does it after every meal or nap.
  • Now that you know the schedule, TAKE your puppy out and WAIT for him to do his business.
  • Reward with a treat after he is done!
  • Repeat steps 2 and 3, you should start noticing that after a couple of days or weeks your puppy chooses the correct place more often than other places.
  • NEVER punish your dog for accidents, this can stress him and even make him do his business hidden from you .
  • How Much Does It Cost To Own A German Shepherd

    Hans is an 8 week old German Shepherd

    Adopting a German Shepherd is an important commitment. You need to be prepared to financially care for your dog for the entirety of his life, including food and visits to the vet. Adopting a dog from a breeder will also cost more than adopting your German Shepherd from a rescue or shelter.

    Initial costs of a dog are higher because you need supplies. After that has been purchased, you can expect to pay about $1,000 a year for the best dog food for German Shepherds. Heartworm medicine is around $240 a year and a yearly visit of about $100, depending on the vet.

    Additionally, you will need to factor in other costs for your dog. This means paying to have him microchipped if he wanders off as well as the spay/neutering surgery if that is what you would like to do.

    You will also need to think about annual vaccinations, any tick medicine that you might want, as well as the cost of professional training if needed.

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    Training Goal #: Crate Training

    This is also a good time for crate training, which Adams recommends as well. GSD trainer and dog sports enthusiast Alexa Hagood, LVMT, agrees: Crate breaks, even when brief, can help the puppy become acclimated to going in the crate and having some alone time. She notes that this can help reduce the risk of a puppy developing separation anxiety, and recommends beginning with using the crate for feeding times , and at times when the owner needs to do daily chores.

    Canned Or Dry Food For German Shepherd Puppies

    Most dogs will always opt for the sweet smell of wet, canned food, but that is not the best idea for German Shepherds. Canned food is typically higher in fat due to its wet consistency and it can cause dental issues for your dog as he gets older.

    Dry food naturally removes any build-up and plaque from your dogs teeth, keeping them as healthy as possible.

    Dry food is also better for digestion and is normally more protein-based with less fat. Get your puppy off to the right start by keeping him lean and keeping his teeth healthy.

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    What Should I Feed My 8

    As a large breed dog, your German Shepherd you should only feed your puppy food that is specially formulated for large breed puppies. Large breed puppies have different nutritional needs that are not found in ordinary puppy food.

    Feeding a commercially available food that is formulated for large breed puppies helps them to grow at a sustained rate.

    Steady growth in a large breed puppy helps to avoid stress on their bones and gives them a strong skeletal foundation for their athletic muscles. Limiting food intake in growing German Shepherd puppies has also been associated with fewer signs of hip dysplasia.

    This is of extreme importance in this breed due to the high incidence of hip problems and the pain associated with this joint disorder. A growing puppy is best fed a proprietary pet food that has been specifically formulated to meet its nutritional needs.

    Foods that are available as dry kibble are especially suitable to rear even the youngest of puppies. Homemade diets may, in theory, be adequate, but its difficult to ensure that all the proper nutrients are provided in their available form unless they are laboratory tested on every batch made.

    Opt for this specially formulated food for large breed puppiesto keep your dog growing at a healthy rate that helps them stay strong. It is a complete balanced diet so nothing is missing.

    Areas Of German Shepherd Puppy Training

    TAKING HOME 8 WEEK OLD BLACK GERMAN SHEPHERD(ACE)

    Your GSD will need some form of training throughout his life. It might be training for a sport in their early adult years or training to cope with an age-related life change.

    But, as a puppy, there are five key areas in which your 8-week old German Shepherd must be appropriately trained. In the next section, I tell you what training entails for each of these areas. If you are looking for a step-by-step guide on how to train a German Shepherd puppy, I have just the article for you.

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    Diet For An 8 Week Old German Shepherd Puppy

    Puppies need to feed on quality pet food. Worth to note, continue feeding your puppy on a diet she was accustomed to.

    If you want to change the type of diet, do it in phases.

    Why?

    An inconsistent diet and diet plan on a puppys tummy is harmful. Your puppy may start to diarrhea or even develop other unprecedented stomach complications.

    Dont feed your puppy all at once. Do it in phases. Instead of one wholesome meal, let your puppy feed-in portions four times a day.

    Plus:Best dog foods for German Shepherd puppies.

    Working Dogs Versus Show Dogs

    Something that may determine your German Shepherds overall body conformation is whether they were bred to be a show dog or a working dog. Years of line breeding has produced several distinct types of Shepherds.

    Show dogs are known for a sloped back in which the back legs are shorter than the front. This unnatural formation can cause back and hip problems along with an abnormal gait. German Shepherds bred for show will also be thinner than their hardworking cousins.

    As you can see in this picture, this is a show-bred German Shepherd with an obvious curved back and short back legs.

    Working dogs, on the other hand, are bred for a sturdy, straight back so they can work long hours without getting sore. They tend to be thicker than show dogs and will, therefore, weigh more, even at the same height.

    As you can see in this picture, this dog has a straighter back and longer back legs, so it has been bred for working.

    Something else I wanted to mention here is that, according to some sources, Black German Shepherds are larger than their bi-colored cousins, despite being otherwise the same. Its hard to prove for sure, but its possible that their recessive genes that carry the black gene may also contribute to a larger size.

    White German Shepherds, on the other hand, arent known for being any different in size than other dogs. So, if you have one of these rare and beautiful creatures, you can follow the same charts that were listed above.

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    Training Goal #: Begin Obedience Training

    The German Shepherd Dogs work ethic is legendary, and you can encourage your dogs best working traits with early and ongoing training. GSDs excel at obedience, so begin teaching your puppy basic commands like sit, down, and stay, as well as loose-leash walking, from an early age. Enrolling in a puppy obedience class can be extremely helpful both for teaching these commands as well as socialization, and its not too early to begin thinking about CGC training as well.

    Average German Shepherd Weight By Age

    8 Week German Shepherd Puppy Weight

    The most reliable numbers when it comes to a German shepherds measurements come from German Shepherd Dog FCI. It will also be the ones that well be using in this section.

    Its also important to understand that males and females typically have different weights. This is a chart that shows the average weight of a German shepherd with 1-month intervals.

    However, this German shepherd size chart will skip some months to show you how a full-grown German shepherd should weigh normally.

    Read Also: German Shepherd Litter Size

    Want To Train Your German Shepherd With Peace Of Mind

    If you havent trained your German Shepherd properly, then this is the perfect time to start. Whatever bad behavior your shepherd has, whether its barking at night or other bad behaviors, using the right training program is the key to having an obedient and happy pup.

    The training program I love and highly recommend is Brain Training For Dogs.

    With Brain Training For Dogs youll save yourself a ton of time and effort. Instead of banging your head against the wall trying to figure out why your dog wont listen, youll follow a path that has been tried, tested, and most importantly, thats given proven results. Not to mention the fact, youll be able to fit the course around your schedule, not fit your schedule around a trainer or obedience class.

    So instead of worrying about whether theyre going to be well-behaved or not, youll only have to worry about how much fun youll have with them!

    And in most cases its still going to be:

    • Cheaper than hiring a professional.
    • Cheaper than replacing everything they might break.
    • And definitely cheaper than a lawsuit against you, if they decide to bite someone.

    Just imagine how great it will feel to finally be able to trust your German Shepherd completely and never worry whether theyll be naughty or not. Instead, youll have the peace of mind that you have a well-behaved pup, and the boundaries you set for them, will always be there, EVEN IF YOURE NOT.

    German Shepherd Weight Charts

    These charts will show you what your German Shepherd puppy will weigh as they grow to reach adulthood. One is for male puppies and the other for females.

    Something to keep in mind is that dogs grow at different rates, so they may not reach the next weight milestone by that month or may reach it sooner. As long as theyre close and dont have other problems, its normal.

    Male German Shepherd Weight Chart

    Age
    66 70 lbs / 28 32 kg 100%

    Also Check: Beagle And German Shepherd Mix Puppies

    Juvenile Period: 3 Months 6 Months

    At this point, puppy development begins to slow down as they have done most of the developing they need and will now primarily just grow larger. Near the end of this stage is when youll want to start puppy classes and start training your puppy.

    Here are some important milestones that a German Shepherd puppy will go through at this stage:

    • Have all puppy teeth
    • Improved motor skills
    • Begin getting adult teeth

    Juvenile Period Weights And Heights

    Jarvis – 8 Week Old German Shepherd Puppy (Zane x Montana Litter 2021)

    At the start of the or juvenile. or ranking, period male and female German Shepherd puppies weigh 40% of their adult weight and are at 40% of their adult height.

    The juvenile period is also called the ranking period, because this is when puppies begin to understand submission and dominance.

    Age
    37 42

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    How Big Should A German Shepherd Be

    Unlike many other breeds, the German Shepherd has very specific standards when it comes to their proportions. While weight and height are important, what matters more is that theyre the right ratio.

    To find out if your dog is the right ratio, you need to measure their length from the front of their chest to the base of their tail. Youll also measure their height at their withers.

    A German Shepherd should have a length/height ratio of 10:8.5. That means they should be slightly longer than they are tall.

    Here are some examples of proper ratios:

    • Length: 26 inches
    • Height: 26 inches
    • Ratio: 10:8.5

    To find the ratio, multiply their length by 0.85. This should give you their height. For example, 26 inches times 0.85 is 22.1 inches, so you know that dog is proportionate. Using the other example, 30.5 inches times 0.85 is 25.9 inches.

    Focus Six: Avoiding Undesirable Behaviors

    You might not realize this, but a puppys teeth and claws are razor sharp and can do some serious damage!

    They dont realize quite how strong they are at first, so its important to teach them that nipping, chomping, or jumping up and scratching at you is not appropriate unless you like being covered in cuts and bruises.

    How to discourage your German Shepherd puppy from biting, scratching and jumping up

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    Week Old German Shepherd Puppies:

    German Shepherd puppys eyes will either be partly or fully open by the time they are 2 weeks old. However, they wont be able to see very clearly at first. When their eyes become wider, they will reveal blueish-gray eyes which are hazy in appearance. Their eyesight will continue to develop until around 8 weeks old.

    The ear canals will also open around 2 weeks. The puppies hearing has been developing much quicker than their eyesight and they will be able to hear most things by the time their ear canals fully open. However, their amazing hearing ability will continue to enhance over the next several weeks.

    At the moment your German Shepherd puppy will have cute floppy ears. Their adorable tall ears can come up anywhere between 8 weeks and 6 months of age. Floppy ears are common until your German Shepherd finishes teething. By then the ear cartilage will become strong and hard enough for the ears to stand up permanently.

    Now is a good time to start handling the puppies and get them used to your voice. Most puppies are wormed for the first time when they are 2 weeks old.All this development has happened so quickly, but things are about to get even more exciting. Between 2 and 4 weeks your German Shepherd puppy will begin to stand up this is when the real fun begins.

    Puppies milky teeth will also start to develop between 2 to 4 weeks. These sharp little teeth will remain until about 14-30 weeks of age. German Shepherds baby teeth are very sharp, this is for several reasons.

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