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How Old Is A German Shepherd

The Expectations: How Is A Nine Months German Shepherd Puppy

6 month old german Shepherd

What do you expect from a nine months German shepherd puppy? At months, the pup is now a teenager.

You will note such a pup resembles an adult. However, much of the growth is yet to come.

Consequently, at this age, pups are already 85% of adults weight and height. Nine months male German shepherd will weigh 64-71 pounds. Whereas, the girls will weigh 55-60 lbs.

In a litter, girls will be much smaller and less masculine than the boys.

If your German shepherd is still looking small at this age, you could be having a dwarf.

Another change that you note during this growth stage is teeth development. At this stage, the German shepherd has a full set of 42 teeth.

If not so, the dog is in the latter stages of developing adult teeth.

Bouvier Des Flandres Vs German Shepherd Vs Old English Sheepdog General Appearance & Basic Info Comparison

Size Which is bigger, Bouvier des Flandres or German Shepherd or Old English Sheepdog?Bouvier des Flandres vs German Shepherd vs Old English Sheepdog size comparison: Large Large
Weight Which is heavier, Bouvier des Flandres or German Shepherd or German Shepherd? Bouvier des Flandres vs German Shepherd vs Old English Sheepdog weight comparison: Males 75-110 pounds , Female: 60-80 pounds Male: 66-88 pounds , Female: 49-71 pounds Male: from 65 pounds , Female: from 60 pounds
Avg. Weight Which dog has a smaller / higher average weight? Males 92.5 pounds , Female: 70 pounds Male: 77 pounds , Female: 60 pounds Male: from 65 pounds , Female: from 60 pounds
Height Which is taller, Bouvier des Flandres or German Shepherd or Old English Sheepdog? Bouvier des Flandres vs German Shepherd vs Old English Sheepdog height comparison: Male: 23-28 inches , Female: 22-27 inches Male: 24-26 inches , Female: 22-24 inches Male: 22-24 inches , Female: 20-22 inches
Avg. Height Which dog has a smaller / higher average height? Male: 25.5 inches , Female: 24.5 inches Male: 25 inches , Female: 23 inches Male: 23 inches , Female: 21 inches

Summing Up The German Shepherd Life Expectancy

Since conformation dogs are often riddled with health problems, working dogs should be more long-lived. Dont take their coloring for granted though, sable dogs can also be bred for the show ring!

Do your due diligence and research carefully when looking for your buddy. With luck and determination, youll have him for the next decade or more.

Have an old German Shepherd? Tell us all about him in the comments!

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German Shepherd Health Issues

German Shepherds are a popular breed with good reason. They are smart, brave, and loyal. In working scenarios, they are always highly competent, which has made them popular as police dogs in several countries.

But the German Shepherd breed is not without its drawbacks. These dogs also have health concerns, which need to be carefully considered and accounted for.

These health issues include:

  • Eye examination
  • Degenerative myelopathy.

To reduce your dogs risk of health issues, make sure you acquire your pet through ethical means.

Never support puppy mills! Ethical breeders treat their dogs well and work hard to minimize the risk of genetic disease in their breeding pools.

They Are Known In Europe As Altdeutsche Schferhunde

Hello reddit! Meet my 1 year old German Shepherd Koby! : aww

In the country of Europe, they are referred to as Altdeutsche Schäferhunde. In English, this translates to Old German Shepherd.

At the time, this was a blanket name that covered all of the local shepherd dogs even though they varied in size and appearance. Any dog in the area that was working or herding was lumped into this group.

Shepherds werent worried about physical appearance and instead focused on finding the best dog for the job. It wasnt until later on that the more modern-day GSD was developed.

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How To Socialize An Older German Shepherd

The best time to socialize a dog is when he is in the early development stages as a puppy. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. Sometimes, you may end up with an older German Shepherd who has not been properly socialized and has trouble accepting anything new, whether experiences, people, or other dogs or pets. The good news is that you can still socialize an older German Shepherd, but how?

To socialize an older German Shepherd, start by taking the dog out on walks and expose him to new places, smells, sounds, people, other dogs, and different animals. Invite family and friends around one at a time, monitor your dogs progress, and slowly work up to a dog park.

When socializing an older German Shepherd, take things slowly to avoid fear, anxiety, or aggression in the dog. Introduce one experience at a time, dont overwhelm him, and use lots of praise. Consider the GSDs prior experience, temperament, and adaptability before any new situation.

Simply exposing adult animals who lacked early exposure to social situations will not likely meet their needs. These animals can benefit from individually paced interventional programs.

American Veterinary Medical Association

If your GSD barks or performs negative behaviors while meeting other dogs, dont yell or harshly tug him away. This will excite him even more and create a negative experience that he will learn to relate to meeting others. You can also consider the use of a muzzle at this stage.

German Shepherd Height Chart

24 26 / 60 65 cm 22 24 / 55 60 cm

When looking at the German Shepherd height chart, you will get a good idea on how quickly they grow and what you can generally expect as far as their height goes.

Looking at the German Shepherd height chart, you will notice that the puppies double in height between months 1 and 3 and again between months 2 and 4.The first 4 months of your puppys life is when you will see the largest amount of growth.

The height growth rate will slow down by 6 months. While your dog is nowhere near his final size, the amount that he grows each month will gradually reduce, so he will be growly less dramatically, while still growing.

This will help especially with feeding since you will be able to get him on a fixed amount after he has done his largest growth periods. You will notice on the charts that they keep going up until 3 years, taking into account any last bit of growth.

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Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The study population was 51 intact males, 72 neutered males, 87 intact females, and 76 spayed females, for a sample size of 286 cases. For males and females left intact, the occurrences of one or more joint disorders were just 4 and 1 percent, respectively, and for both sexes neutering was not associated with any increase in this measure. The occurrences of cancers in intact males were 2 percent and zero for intact females. For both sexes neutering was not associated with any increase in this measure. The occurrence of MC in females left intact was zero. The occurrence of PYO was 2 percent in intact females. There was no occurrence of UI in spayed females. Lacking a noticeable occurrence of increased joint disorders or cancers in neutered males or females, those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age.

The Adult German Shepherd Dog

6-Month-Old German Shepherd: What to Know, How to Prepare, Things to Avoid

At around 3 years of age, you can begin to relax. As an adult, your German shepherd is finally the calm, dignified, courageous and respectful dog you always knew he would grow up to be. If you were patient and dedicated through those early, sometimes difficult, years, you now have a well-trained and disciplined companion for life. Congratulations.

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What Games Are Best For Training Your Intelligent Energetic German Shepherd

Using games in between training sessions helps your dog to burn energy and keep training fun.

It also breaks up the training sessions so that your dog doesnt get bored.

The best games to play for training include those that increase your dogs mental stimulation. Pick a couple of these fun games for German Shepherds to give you and your dog a break from too much training.

Easy training game ideas:

  • Throw a ball from a tennis ball launcher to work on fetch skills and commands, such as drop it or release.
  • Use a flirt pole and have your dog catch the lure and then work on leave it or have them perform a down after catching the flirt poles lure toy.

Remember that your dog will continue to play in all types of weather, so avoid overheating them in hot and humid conditions.

Take fresh water with you to offer your dog to keep them cool. Avoid the hottest parts of the day in your area.

Remember, you can avoid frustration with your training by using the games found in this online positive dog training course. This program walks you through exactly how to play obedience games to increase obedience.

Dont underestimate learning how to train a 2 year old German Shepherd by including lots of games.

Using games frequently also helps your dog to bond more strongly with you.

References And Further Reading

  • Ruefenacht, Silvia. A behaviour test on German Shepherd dogs: heritability of seven different traits. Applied Animal behavior Science. 2002.
  • Siegal, Mordecai. UC Davis Book of Dogs. Harper Collins. 1995.
  • Halliwell. Canine rheumatoid arthritisa review and a case report. Journal of Small Animal Practice. 1972.
  • Lund, Elizabeth. Prevalence and Risk Factors for Obesity in Adult Dogs from Private US Veterinary Practices. University of Minnesota. 2006.
  • Budsberg, Steven. Nutrition and Osteoarthritis in Dogs: Does It Help? Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice. 2006.

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German Shepherd Breed Characteristics

  • German Shepherds stand around two feet tall. Males can reach 24 to 26 inches and females between 22 and 24 inches.
  • A medium-to-large sized working dog, male German Shepherds weigh between 65 and 90 pounds and females between 50 and 70 pounds.
  • German Shepherds have a double coat. The outer coat is dense and can be straight or a little wavy, whilst the undercoat is thick but soft.
  • German Shepherds are one of the most common police dogs used for everyday duties. The trainability and intelligence of the breed make it the ideal candidate for police work.
  • German Shepherds are considered one of the most intelligent dog breeds, along with the Border Collie and Poodle.
  • Contrary to popular belief, German Shepherds are very loving and protective pets of their owners. However, they can display aggression if their aggressive tendencies arent kept in check.

About The Breed: German Shepherd

Ira: World

The German Shepherd is a medium to large-sized working dog. Abbreviated as GSD, German Shepherds are one of the most popular dog breeds in the world, ranking second in our 2019 analysis of the top 50 dog breeds.

Originally bred to be herding dogs, the intelligence and agility of German Shepherds made them stand out and seen in many types of work today. Thanks to their strength, obedience, and trainability, German Shepherds make great working dogs as well as family pets.

In this edition of About The Breed, well look at the breed characteristics of the German Shepherd, examine the history of the breed, and answer some of the most frequently asked questions.

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How To Help My German Shepherd Lose Weight If He Is Overweight

Excessive weight can lead to health complications in your German Shepherd puppy. If your German Shepherd is overweight, the following ways can help them lose weight:

  • Reduce calories first, you need to know the right number of daily calories your German Shepherd should be eating according to their age. Reducing between 10% and 20% is recommended, but you should seek advice and help from your vet when reducing the numbers.
  • Reduce meals if you are free-feeding your German Shepherd puppy, you should start feeding them at scheduled mealtimes. If you feed your puppy several times per day, ensure that you reduce the amount you are feeding them. Use measuring cups and evenly space mealtimes.
  • Exercising ensure that your German Shepherd is getting at least 1 hour of exercise every day then progress to 2 hours. Walking and jogging are some of the good exercises for your German Shepherd.

How Many Puppies Do German Shepherds Have

While it can vary greatly from dog to dog, on average, German Shepherds have about 8 puppies at a time. 8 is a common amount for large breeds, but your dog could have less or more than that.

Beyond 8, you run the risk of puppies being too small or less healthy, since nutrient was being distributed thinly during gestation.

Generally, if you have kept your German Shepherd healthy and well-fed, you are likely to get more puppies. The number is also smaller if your dog gets pregnant on her first or second heat cycle.

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Categories Of German Shepherds Body Mass

  • Underweight: In the underweight range, the dog can be simply Thin, but the extreme version will be Wasted. Both of these are under the underweight category and are bad proportions for your dog.
  • Ideal: What you should aim for is the Ideal weight of a German shepherd, which is 35 kilograms for a male and 30 kilograms for a female.
  • Overweight: Under the overweight range belongs the simply Heavy German shepherd and at the end of the spectrum youll see the Obese. Such dogs are also prone to panting due to too much stress.

Socialization Period: 3 Weeks 12 Weeks

Training a 7 month old German Shepherd female puppy. Owners first lesson.

Now that puppies can interact with the world and creatures around them, they begin to do so. Its vital to begin socializing puppies at this point to become accustomed to humans.

Puppies should remain with their mother during this entire period even if theyre already weaned. There are dog social skills that the mother teaches her puppies during this stage. If they are taken from their mother too early, they may have trouble interacting with other dogs later in life.

Here are some of the milestones of this period:

  • Walking well
  • Ears begin to stand upright

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Can A German Shepherd Live 20 Years

How old do German Shepherds live till? Most German Shepherds live in between ten and thirteen years. Owners of small breeds of dogs might see their animals live up to seventeen or twenty, but larger dogs put more strain on their bodies and simply do not live as long, no matter how well they are taken care of.

Your Old German Shepherd

Even though your German Shepherd may be getting older, their time isnt up yet.

You can make their aging process easier by changing up their diet to accommodate their needs and installing furniture so that they may be able to get around the house more comfortably.

Taking them in for check-ups may also be helpful, so you can identify and treat issues before they get too severe.

Keeping them active by going on walks and engaging in some light play will also help keep them limber.

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What Age Should You Spay Or Neuter Your German Shepherd

Studies have shown that German Shepherds have increased health risks if spayed or neutered too early.

In their latest study, they evaluated nearly 1,200 German Shepherds over a 14.5 year period. They wanted to determine if those spayed and neutered early had more or less joint disease and cancer, which cost German Shepherd pet parents on average $2,683 in 2018 according to Petplan claims data.

The results were surprising:

  • Dogs spayed or neutered before 1 year of age had three times the number of joint disorders.
  • Breast cancer was diagnosed in 4% of intact females, compared with less than 1% in females neutered before 1 year of age.
  • Instances of other cancers were not higher in the spayed and neutered dogs than in intact dogs.
  • Urinary incontinence, not diagnosed in later spayed or intact females, was observed in 7% of females neutered before 1 year of age.

The trend of several studies is becoming clearer: Early spay and neuter may increase the risk of joint disease. Other studies have shown early sterilization may also increase pet obesity and subsequent joint disease and other problems.

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How Much Should 4 Month Old German Shepherd Eat

1 Year Old German Shepherd Behavior

A four-month old german shepherd puppy should eat three times a day, and their diet should be split into three different meals. During this time, they will eat anywhere from one to two cups of food per meal. At the end of four months, German Shepherd puppies usually start eating twice daily. Once your german shepherd is six months old, you can switch to an adult dog food that contains less protein than puppy food.

As for treats, you can give your German Shepherd puppy three to five small snacks a day if they are eating the right amount of dog food at each meal. You should never overfeed them or feed them human food because it will make their joints weaker and cause obesity problems as well as other health issues later in life!

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