Why Do German Shepherds Pee When Excited
Excitement urination in dogs is especially associated with puppies, and its expected that they will grow out of this behavior with age.;
When you scratch your GSDs belly, arrive home from work, or a visitor greets them, all these can cause them extreme excitement, and your puppy may pee small amounts of urine. Of course, this is a problem if your pup is on the carpet or lying on your new couch!
According to UCDavis Veterinary Medicine, excitement urination in dogs may also be triggered by a few other causes:
- Accidental reinforcement this means that you sympathize with and excuse your German Shepherds inability to always hold their urine, and they begin to use it as a way to find sympathy from you.;
- Bladder sphincter this is a bladder dysfunction that comes with decreased bladder control.
- Genetic predisposition your dogs parents were predisposed or had the condition.
Excitement urination should be differentiated from urine-marking which is a behavior problem. Dogs will spray to mark their territory or communicate their belonging to you. You can learn how to deal with German Shepherd spraying here.
Supplements For German Shepherds
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.
Study Finds Early Spay
For the past three decades, there has been a trend toward early spaying and neutering of dogs for reasons such as avoiding unwanted breeding and reducing some diseases such as mammary and prostate cancers. Some people believe that spaying and neutering helps to avoid behavioral problems. The impact has been dramatic, with an estimated 85 percent of dogs in the U.S.1 currently being spayed or neutered.
Breeders have an important role in helping puppy buyers determine at what age to neuter or spay their dog. They may require puppy buyers to neuter or spay their dog to avoid indiscriminate breeding, thus their recommendation is key in helping owners decide when to spay or neuter their German Shepherd Dog.
A retrospective study evaluating the long-term effects of spay-neuter surgeries in German Shepherd Dogs, published in 2016 in the journal;Veterinary Medicine and Science, may change breeders views about the safest age to recommend the procedure. The study reported a significant increase in cranial cruciate ligament tears, or ruptures, in male and female German Shepherd Dogs neutered before 1 year of age, and it also noted a significantly higher incidence of urinary incontinence in female German Shepherd Dogs spayed before 1 year of age.
Altman attributes her change in perspective to the recent study in German Shepherd Dogs. The American German Shepherd Dog Charitable Foundation helped to sponsor the research, which was funded by the;AKC Canine Health Foundation.
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No Breeding License For Long Haired
After the white and shaggy shepherd dogs, the;long haired german shepherd;dog was also excluded from further breeding in 1930. Von Stephanitz saw the fitness for use and weather resistance of his breed endangered by the long fur and henceforth went for the short-haired, like wolf shepherd type. Long-haired puppies always appeared in the litter of all known and leading lines if a parent animal had the gene responsible for it, but according to the SV, they should not be used as breeding animals. The decision to classify the long stick hair as a breeding exclusion error met with great criticism from many lovers and breeders. so They organized their own clubs,
Why Do German Shepherds Lick Other Dogs
The affection and communication reasons discussed earlier why your German Shepherd Dog licks you also apply to his licking other dogs and pets. Below is a photo of my female German Shepherd Willow licking the face of her Boxer dog friend. Looks like he was more interested in the forthcoming treat!
But did you know that in the doggie world licking behavior also has a dominance element?
People who have lived in a multi-dog household know that one dog may lord it over the other and will access things first, , always win fights, go for attention first from the owner, and receive more licks from their subordinates.
In a study on dog dominance, licking their subordinates less was one of the indicators of dominance in 83% of dogs rated as dominant by their owners.
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Preventing Nips And Bites
If you know the right way to prevent and stop German Shepherd puppy biting, you can train your puppy to understand how to keep their razor-sharp tiny teeth from sinking into you.
Dont yell at your puppy or grab them!
Instead
Offer them plenty of puppy-safe chew toys appropriate for their size. When they bite or nip you, calmly show them the toy to chew instead.
Get their attention by moving the toy in a playful way around them so they begin to chase and bite the toy, instead of you or your furniture. If this doesnt work you can also place your puppy in their playpen for a short time-out until they calm down.
More Help And Support For Your German Shepherd Puppy
Is this your first German Shepherd puppy?
Then youll want to have a copy of Your German Shepherd Handbook: Month by Month.
Its got everything you need to know about your growing German Shepherd and shows you what to do at each stage. This book gives you the right tools for helping take your playful puppy into a happy and well-adjusted adult that youll love to live with.
For an even more in-depth training course take a look at Brain Training for Dogs, the only online training course youll need to keep your super-smart breed engaged in their training.
The course is easy-to-follow and includes dozens of incredibly detailed videos. And as a student, you have access to a unique private members forum for additional support and guidance from the creator of the program herself.
Its a must-have training program for your intelligent breed!
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What Should I Do If My German Shepherd Wont Stop Chewing
Remember, most dogs need to chew; if shes an adolescent or a puppy , her needs will be even more pronounced. Go on a toy and chew shopping spree, then give her two or three to play with at a time. Rotating the available toys every few days will keep things novel and interesting for her.
Pay Attention To Their Hearing
Vision isnt the only sense that can change as your dog gets older, according to the American Kennel Club. Younger dogs generally have very sharp hearing , but you might notice that an older dog has trouble hearing you approach or responding to your call.
Your vet can check for hearing loss and help you care for a dog who can no longer hear.
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How Do I Make Sure My German Shepherd Is Healthy
Preventive care is key in helping your German Shepherd live a healthy and long life. Taking your German Shepherd to regular veterinary appointments is one of the best things you can do to ensure that they are healthy and feeling their best. An experienced veterinarian can assess your pets health, make general health and wellness recommendations, and look out for common, breed-specific conditions.
German Shepherds are particularly prone to a condition called gastric dilatation-volvulus or bloat due to their large size, deep chests, and high energy level. They are also more susceptible to gastrointestinal tract and hip issues. A veterinarian should regularly assess your pet for these health problems and run tests for anything they may be more prone to due to their breed. Preventive care is truly a must for your dogs overall welfare to ensure they are able to live long healthy lives with you and your family.
Regular vet visits are crucial to your pets ongoing health and longevity. Its also essential to plan for the cost of accidents or illnesses. Treatment for many conditions, including bloat and GI issues, can cost thousands of dollars.
Only 19.44% of pet owners say theyd be able to cover a $5,000 expense out of pocket. Dog health costs are also more expensive than other pet healthcare costs due to dogs being larger in size. Since larger pets have higher healthcare costs, the German Shepherd breed is one of the most popular dog breeds to have pet insurance.
Aggression Types And Behavior Chart
| Aggression Type | |
|---|---|
| Makes your dog feel distressed or uneasy; theyre reactive | |
| Territorial | Makes your dog overprotective of what he perceives is his home; they guard their property |
| Possessive | Makes your dog defend his resources from possible threats; this includes feeling possessive over people and is known as resource guarding |
| Frustration | Makes your dog react if restrained when aroused |
| Redirected | Makes your dog frustrated by an inability to reach an object or person who causes its aggression; they lash out at the closest object |
| Social | Makes your dog hostile when there is a lack of communication in the social relationship |
| Dominance | Makes your dog challenge your authority and seek control of you and the situation |
| Pain | Makes your dog snap and bite when they are in pain; they may think youre causing their pain |
When it comes to labeling the type of aggression your German Shepherd exhibits, the label is less important. The type of aggression doesnt really matter when using a reward-based approach to treat the problem.
What matters is that your dog doesnt like something and thinks that thing is bad. Its your job is to make it not bad for them anymore.
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How Often Should I Feed My 6 Month Old German Shepherd
The GSDCA offers these recommendations for monitoring and adjusting your German Shepherd puppys daily food portions as your dog turns six months old. By the age of six months old, your puppy should be eating twice per day. Make sure clean, fresh water is always available to your dog.
German Shepherd Dog Feeding Guidelines
It is important that the owners of the German shepherd know the amount of food that their dog requires daily.;Feeding too much or too little can cause;health problems in your dog;.;If you provide a diet with excess fat to your puppy, it is more likely that you can develop hip dyslexia.
With a balanced diet one can ensure that the dog properly develops its internal systems and maintains its energy levels.
Your German Shepherd will grow rapidly during its first 12 months of life, so it is necessary to increase the amount of food in your diet as it grows.;Ensuring that the puppy of the dog receives the proper amount in its nutrition, and in the right proportions is essential for the development of a healthy adult German shepherd.
Up to 6 weeks
At 6 weeks of age, you should make sure that your puppy is receiving the same level of nutrition that they were receiving from breast milk.
Ideally at this early age, a puppy should be breastfeeding for its mother, because it is difficult to replace with food the necessary micro and macronutrients, along with the natural antibodies found in breast milk.
From 6 to 10 weeks
Between 8 and 10 weeks, you can start to wean them from your mother, and start increasing the amount of food for puppy dogs that you are giving them.
It is best to start with a diet of wet food, to help your body adapt to the transition.;Wet foods contain about 85% moisture, which prepares your digestive system for all the food that we will give you in the coming weeks.
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At What Age Is A German Shepherd Fully Grown
German Shepherds require more time to fill out their adult size in their abdomen and chest as well as reach their full height. Female German Shepherds are fully grown when they reach the age of around two years.
On the other hand, male German Shepherds grow to be bigger than female German Shepherds and are fully grown when they are about two and half years old.
Some German Shepherds may continue to grow until they reach the age of three years, but most of the growth happens by 2 to 2½ years old.;
German Shepherd Feeding Guide: Adult Years
Once your German Shepherd has ended his puppy stage and transitioned into adulthood, hes ready to eat a balanced adult diet.
Adult dog food will have a different ratio of calcium, protein, phosphorus, and other nutrients than puppy food does.
Feeding an adult dog a puppy formula can cause obesity as well as put too much strain on kidneys and other vital organs. Long term use of inappropriate food for an adult dog can have catastrophic consequences.
That said, there is no need to panic if your adult GSD eats a bowl of puppy food now and then.
Adult German Shepherds should be fed twice a day. They can get by on once per day, but its always better to split daily caloric intake between smaller meals instead of feeding it all at once.
Again, bloat is a real problem for large breed dogs, and large meals seem to be a big cause of this.
If youre not home for twice-daily feedings, you can use an automatic feeder. These will dispense the proper amount of food at set times each day so your dog isnt left waiting for meals.;;
Throughout the years, Ive fed a number of different high-quality dog foods to my German Shepherds.
One of my consistent go-tos is Royal Canin Adult Breed German Shepherd dry dog food. I feed my adult dogs this particular blend for a number of reasons.
In addition, this blend also uses optimal levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids to make a GSDs coat pop, so to speak. You really can see the difference.
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When Is A German Shepherd Fully Grown
Female German Shepherds often stop growing at around two years. Males may continue to grow for another six months or so. The exact time that each dog stops growing depends on genetics and their diet. You shouldnt feed a dog extra calories in the hopes that theyll grow faster or larger. This can make them grow too fast, which can mess up their joints and cause other health problems. In fact, hip dysplasia is much more likely in dogs that were improperly fed as puppies.;
Instead, we recommend patience.
Dogs may not grow evenly. Many may reach their full height before gaining much of their muscle mass and fat. Others may fatten up for a time and then grow another inch. Dogs are a lot like children in this way. They grow at their own pace.;
While these dogs reach sexual maturity before they are fully grown, it is generally not recommended to breed them until they have reached their full size. Otherwise, it can stunt their growth and potentially cause health problems for the mother and the puppies. After all, the mother will be much smaller than shes supposed to be to carry the puppies and deliver them safely.;
Balanced Character And Spirited Athlete
Nevertheless, shepherds have pronounced instinctive behaviour. Even if they are only slightly irritable and only intervene if the situation actually requires it, small children should not be left alone with them unsupervised which incidentally applies to almost all larger dogs. In order for its good-natured, balanced character and its reliable and attentive nature to develop fully, the;Old German Shepherd Dog;needs early socialization, consistent training as well as sufficient exercise and employment. If you are interested in the;Old German Shepherd Dog;as a family dog, you should bring along experience and know-how in the field of dog training, as well as a lot of fun in the movement, because the dogs are enthusiastic athletes. Joint hikes, bike tours and regular participation in dog sports are ideal for the four-legged athlete and his family.
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What If My German Shepherd Is Growing Too Fast
The most common cause of a puppy growing too fast is his diet. If you overfeed your puppy, your puppy will gain too much weight, but there is a bigger problem. Puppy food is so high in nutrition, that when you give a puppy too much, he will suffer from over-nutrition.
The puppies will take in too much protein, calcium, Vitamin D, and phosphorus and grow too quickly as a result. Since German Shepherds are prone to hip and elbow dysplasia, growing too quickly is dangerous for them. Talk to your vet about getting your puppy back on track.
Why Do German Shepherds Nibble
Nibbling is the gentle bite your dog will make on your body, especially on your toes! This German Shepherd behavior is generally considered an instinctual behavior characterizing puppies of all breeds, especially during teething.
When young puppies play, you will have noticed that they will display behavior consisting of gently biting each other as part of the game. Your doggo can transfer this nibbling behavior to you or your furniture if no other puppies or pets are around, which is why teething toys such as the KONG Puppy Toy from Amazon are essential. You can even stuff it with treats or peanut butter to keep your GSD entertained.;;;;
But German Shepherd Dogs tend to bring this growing up behavior into their adult life. Naturally, newborn German Shepherd puppies will explore their world with their mouths before using their sight and smell. And it appears that this instinct is maintained throughout life for important reasons, as shown by some studies.;
A study investigating the meaning and emotion associated with nibbling in dogs concluded that the behavior is not related to negative personality traits. Instead, nibbling has two functions:
Despite these facts, nibbling behavior in German Shepherds can also be triggered by several other factors:
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