Position Your German Shepherd And Start Clipping His Nails
Stay In A Comfortable Location: Do not stay in a dark room, lookout for a bright area where you can clearly see the nails. Sit in a comfortable position and then hold your German Shepherd firmly before you cut. It is a nice idea to allow someone to assist you in holding your pet if such a person is available.
Be sure your pup is not moving and then hold his paws firmly. Now, the next thing you have to do is to locate the quick and notice where it starts and ends, a practice that helps you not to cut through the quick which can lead to serious Toe Nail bleeding.
Begin With A Clipper To Cut Your German Shepherd Nails: Start Clipping your dogs with a suitable trimmer. Trim gradually and bit by bit and ensure you dont cut through the quick , angulate to 45-degrees. See Image Below.
Remember the cutting must begin with trimming smaller bits, avoid chopping off larger portions of the nail at once else you might injure your GSD.
If your dog is uncomfortable with the trimming process, provide him with his favorite meals, a yummy one, this will help him to comply until you get through with it.
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What If Your German Shepherd Dog Is Extremely Nervous During Nail Trimming
Some dogs are extremely scared of being trimmed and wont comply no matter the technique you apply. If you have such Dog, dont worry, just watch and pay attention to the video below and see how a vet handled a nervous dog during nail cutting.
Benefits Of Trimming Your German Shepherd Nails
- Dogs with trimmed short nails are known to be healthier and happier. Short nails help your pup maintain proper hygiene.
- Trimmed nails enable your German Shepherd walk, move, run and play freely without pain or injury.
- Short nails help your German shepherd maintain a healthy posture by keeping the foot in correct alignment.
- The nails are safe and will hardly cut off with things around the dog.
- Trimming your German Shepherd nails helps you overcome the risk of splitting, injuries, bleeding and also averts secondary infection.
- If your dogs nails are cut short, they are free to play around people without scratching them or causing injuries.
Nail Cutting for German Shepherd is essential to keep your dog healthy and saving him from suffering the pain that could have resulted from various complications associated with long nails.
Swimming And Webbed Feet
The most natural evidence we have that webbed feet in German Shepherds may be beneficial is that other breeds with webbed feet are found to be excellent swimmers and retrievers in the water. Webbed feet make swimming easier because the extra skin and webbing increase the paws surface area.
This increased surface area of their feet and toes may translate into a stronger swimming stroke as the foot pushes through the water with quickness and ease.
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Where Are Your German Shepherds Dew Claws
When you look at your German Shepherds paws, you will see four toes at the front end of each paw.
But if you look up a little higher on the hock of your dog, you may find an additional toe, complete with a claw. This is a dew claw.
Some German Shepherds have these dew claws on all four ankles. Other GSDs only have them on the front ankles. Occasionally GSDs will have double or even triple dew claws on the hind legs.
Why is this?
As this German Shepherd owner forum explains, it all comes down to genes. Some GSDs carry the genes for all four dew claws and others will only carry the genes to produce two.
GSDs that do not have any dew claws have likely had the surgery to have them removed.
Grooming Tips For Short Nails
Short nails, on the other hand, provide a number of benefits to the owner and to the dog. The dog will be better able to walk and maintain a healthy posture. They will be better able to exercise. They wont scratch your floors, and they will run much less of a risk of scratching someone or hurting them if they jump on them.
For most people, having a dog with trimmed nails is clearly the best option. Next, well discuss how you can properly trim the nails of your dog.
How often you’ll have to cut nails will also very much depend on the type of floors/ ground they walk or run on every day. If your dog is very sedentary or only used to soft ground you’ll often see those long nails showing up much quicker. Some dogs are also more prone to nail and paw issues than others. The numbers I see most often are between 1 and 3 months.
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Hip And Elbow Dysplasia
Hip and elbow dysplasia is extremely common in German Shepherd dogs. This condition is especially common in less than ideal breeding situations, as this is a condition that can be passed on. Dysplasia is the displacement or abnormal formation of a joint, causing a dog discomfort as they continue to age. When present in the hips or elbow joints, this can lead to pain when walking, slowing down with time, limping, lameness, and even complete debilitation in some cases. Since this is such a serious condition that can cause so much pain, its recommended to clear any dogs of this condition when used for breeding.
How Do You Keep Feet Pasterns And Hocks Straight
A GSDs feet should be short, compact, and round, with arched toes and thick pads. German Shepherds carry about 60% of their weight on their forequarters, and thus, their front feet and bones will be larger than the rear.
A German Shepherds rear feet include the phalanges, bones of the toes, and metatarsus, equivalent to your foot proper. The front feet also have phalanges and the metacarpal bones, or hand bones. Three bones comprise each toe, with the nail growing from the last segment.
Each metacarpus has five bones. Rare dogs have five metatarsal bones, but German Shepherds usually have four.
The carpus is equivalent to the human wrist and the tarsus to the ankle. A GSD has seven small bones in her carpus.
Seven bones also comprise the tarsus, commonly referred to as the hock. The term pastern, according to The Canine Chronicle, can refer to both the carpus and tarsus in canine anatomy.
German Shepherd feet are not often involved in disease, but they are vulnerable to traumatic injury. Dvm.360.com reports metatarsal hairline fractures are common.
Collaborating sources put the incidence of metatarsal fracture near 12% of all canine broken bones. Metacarpal and metatarsal fractures can be quite severe because of detrimental effects on ligaments.
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German Shepherd Feet: Normal Paws Or Not
German Shepherd feet come in a variety of sizes and shapes, and even have their own set of paw problems.
But should you be worried if your German Shepherds paws look a bit odd or unusual compared to other dogs?
Not necessarily
Lets talk briefly about what the standard German Shepherd foot looks like and how you can keep your dogs paws in tip-top shape.
My Dog Has A Long Coat How Often Should I Wash Him
A long-coated dog will need a good brushing about once or twice a week to keep the dirt out of their fur and skin troubles at bay. You will also want to brush your dog on his stomach and under his legs where the fur is shortest. These areas become dirty quickly and can cause skin problems if you do not keep them clean. You should brush your dog before you bathe him and make sure that all the extra fur is gone. If you give him a bath after he already has a lot of fur thats been brushed off, this will be very bad for his skin and fur.
So there you have it! Make sure your dogs coat is brushed before their baths, make sure they sweat out any excess water when they go outside to play, and make sure you arent using too much soap or shampoo on them. Good luck taking care of your dogs fur and skin!
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The Right Cutting Tools
The first thing is to figure out which cutting tool is right for you. The tool must be easy to use but also effective enough to trim your German Shepherds nails quickly, without leaving jagged edges.
There are four main types for you to choose from scissor-type, plier-type, guillotine, and grinder
The scissor-type is typically meant for puppies and works well on more delicate nails. As your dog gets older, however, you will need to switch to another tool as these arent strong enough to cut through adult dog nails.
The plier-type is quite popular as it is easy to grip. You simply need to place the dogs nails in between the jaws and clip. Guillotine is also quite common as you can get an exact cut every time. The only issue is that you have to fit your dogs nails into the hole perfectly and get them to hold still while it is clipped.
Most owners prefer grinders because there is less chance of making a mistake. This is because you can slowly shave away your dogs nails. It is easier to get a smooth surface as well. The main drawback is that the noise and the vibration of the grinders can scare some dogs.
It can take some trial and error to find the best cutting tools for your dog. Dont worry if you have to try a few options before you narrow down what is right for the both of you.
Initial Setup And Supplies
- $100$300
Aside from the dog itself, there are some one-time items you will need to buy alongside the dog. For example, you will need a dog collar, leash, food bowls, crate, bed, and standard veterinary care.
You may also want to consider other optional first time owner purchases, such as a microchip, getting the dog spayed or neutered, and other veterinary or surgical needs your dog may have.
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Average German Shepherd Puppy Prices
We really sold the breed to you, so you must be really eager to know how much a German Shepherd puppy can cost. In general, a German Shepherd puppy will cost you anywhere between $1,000 to $3,000. Why the range, you ask? Its all about the breeder, lineage, and health. There are also German Shepherd pups that have gone through aptitude testing and have been bred from a long line of service dogs, for example, that would cost closer to 3000.
A registered AKC breeder should have higher-priced puppies because they come with some guarantee to health and genetics. A German Shepherd puppy that comes without any certification or papers can even be less than $1,000. The question is whether or not you want to risk purchasing a puppy like this and potentially have to deal with a lot of health issues.
German Shepherds are among the higher-priced dogs. Of course, some other purebred breeds, designer dogs and show dogs can command a higher cost, but German Shepherds are really up there in price. Lets take a closer look at why this breed is so expensive.
Preparing For Gsd Nail Clipping
You have to make preparation, gather the necessary instruments and accessories you would need to successfully trim your dogs nails. Everything you would use for this procedure should be in place and handy before you start.
Select Appropriate Nail Clippers For German Shepherd Dog
You have to make a choice of clippers suitable for the procedure. It is advisable to choose sharp trimmers and for German shepherd breed, these three clippers are best for their nail care.
Safari Professional Nail Trimmer
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Get Ready Your First Aid Box
Ensure that your first aid box is in order and in place before you begin the trimming procedure. Your emergency or first aid box should have an anti-bleeding agent like Styptic powder and others such as Hydrogen Peroxide, Rubber gloves, Gauze, Scissors, Grooming Wipes, and Towel Or Blanket.
Having these contents can help you Deal With A Bleeding Toenailin case you mistakenly injure your Dog by cutting the quick to short.
Get Ready Your Dogs Favourite Treats.
If you want to calm down a German shepherd dog and make him comply while you trim his nails, you have to feed him his favorite treats. While you are cutting the nails, you should give the dog a yummy food to enable him to be quiet for you to finish.
The delicious meal you give to your pet also distracts him while you go ahead with the trimming. Remember, the main job here is to get your pups nails clipped.
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Final Tips For Clipping Gsd And Puppy Nails
Keeping your dogs nails trimmed is very important, but the task can be daunting to those who have never tried it.
If you have a puppy, just start with playfully putting them on their back and checking their paws. You’ll be happy that your dog already knows part of the drill when they get a little older, then you’ll only have to add the cutting process. Normally cutting puppy nails will be fairly easy, just don’t overdo it.
Hopefully, this article has helped you to better understand your dogs nails and how you can properly trim them.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
What All Does At Home Grooming Involve
Though grooming is often categorized as brushing and cleaning of the coat only, there is much more that you can do to maintain your German Shepherds outward appearance.
A well-rounded grooming of a GSD includes maintaining their coat, trimming their nails, cleaning their ears, keeping up with their dental health, and a few other tips that we will discuss in this article.
Though this may sound tedious, it is all made easier if you follow a simple routine. By setting aside days and times for grooming, it can all begin to flow naturally throughout your day.
If you want to make sure you are taking care of all of your dogs grooming needs, then take a look at some of the tips below.
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What Causes A Dog To Collapse On The Floor
What causes a dog to collapse? Collapse can be caused by various incidents and conditions such as electric shock to endocrine diseases such as Addisons or diabetes. Severe reactions to insect bites, stings and drugs may also result in your dog collapsing.
While catching up he told me about his thirteen year old German Shepherd. Apparently while he was on vacation in Hawaii his German Shepherd became quite ill. Fortunately, their dog was diagnosed and treated for a disease know as Canine Vestibular Disease also known as Old Dog Vestibular Symptom. What is Canine Vestibular Disease?
The episode lasts between a few days to a few weeks, and usually the dog can be nursed through the condition with favorable recovery .
When it comes to ailments, German shepherds typically show signs of hip and hindquarter weakness. Below are four common disorders of the hip and joint commonly seen in this breed: As a German shepherd owner, you have likely heard of the fatal, chronic, and progressive disease called degenerative myelopathy that is most prevalent in this breed.
Breeders Believe The Dog Will Get Injured
There is a long-standing belief in the world of canine breeders that dew claws on a dog are just painful accidents waiting to happen.
Many breeders and owners believe that when the dogs dew claws are left intact, the dog may injure them or even tear them off when they catch on something while the dog is running or playing.
However, as this video by a longtime dog breeder explains, evidence that this happens with any frequency is hard to find.
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Black And Cream German Shepherd
The black and cream German Shepherd is simply a lighter variation of the stereotypical black and tan variation.
Their back is covered in a black saddle-like pattern and they will also have a mask of black fur covering their face.
The difference is this coat has a lighter shade as opposed to tan.
The black coloration against their cream fur can really accentuate their gorgeous black markings.
Reasons Why Long Nails Can Be Dangerous
- Long nails can catch on things and tear. Since Shepherds are very active, this is a huge risk because they can tear out and bleed a bit, making the dog susceptible to infections.
- Long nails change the alignment of the dogs foot. This can lead to problems with weight distribution and contribute to all manner of problems with posture. This can also lead to your dogs toes becoming splayed.
- Long nails make the dogs toes more sensitive to pain. This can lead to them becoming overly wary of being active or playing with other dogs.
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General Guidelines For How Often To Trim Your Dogs Nails
Now that we understand what can affect the frequency of your specific dogs nail trimmings, here are some general guidelines to keep in mind for understanding how often you should cut a dogs nails:
- A good rule of thumb is that you should trim your dogs nails as often as it takes to prevent their nails from touching the ground when theyre standing.
- If you can hear your dogs nails clicking on the floor, they need to be trimmed.
- Dogs front nails tend to grow faster than their back nails, so you may not need to cut their rear nails as frequently as their front ones.