Personality Of The German Shepherd
German Shepherds make great family dogs and may be a better choice than the Belgian Malinois if you have very young children. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule.
People who are experienced with German Shepherds or other large breeds may be able to welcome this addition into any family setting.
A German Shepherd probably isnt a good choice for a first time dog owner. They need a person or family who understands their needs. These shy and independent dogs are also very protective of family.
Their loyalty and independence make them excellent rescue dogs. You may have even seen some working as guide dogs for disabled persons.
Generally speaking, their personality will depend a lot on how much early socialization they get. When being trained, they react well to positive reinforcement.
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Blue Buffalo is known for producing some of the best high-end dog food on the market. Although the price tag is pretty high on this product , its still a fine choice for those who can afford its high cost.
The main thing is that this dog food contains no fillers like corn or wheat. Instead, all of its carbohydrates come from vegetable sources like potatoes and peas.
It is true that corn and wheat are not dangerous to dogs, but they also dont offer a whole lot of nutritional value other than carbohydrates, so peas and potatoes are the better choices.
These foods are a lot more nutrient-dense, so your dog will get more nourishment per cup. Blue Buffalo also makes all their foods with 100% natural ingredients, modeling them after the diets that wild canines eat.
This product also contains small pellets known as Lifesource bits. These are concentrated nutrition pills that contain a blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. These are carefully selected to match the nutritional needs of the average dog.
Our only real concern is with the fact that this food is only 15% fat. Considering that weight gain is our goal here, we think that to be a little bit on the low side.
Also, at these kinds of prices, you should get more than that. To be fair, we should note that Blue Buffalo probably wasnt trying to make a weight gainer formula with this one. Still, its high protein content makes it a good choice anyway.
German Shepherds The Right Size For You
Your tiny, cute German Shepherd puppy will likely grow into a medium-sized or large dog. Females will probably weigh in on the medium side, while males can get pretty big.
GSD puppies experience a phenomenal rate of growth, especially before six months, so be ready. Just remember that dogs as big as male German Shepherds are at risk for joint problems because they grow so quickly, and overfeeding them can exacerbate those problems as they get older.
Eventually, German Shepherds will reach the 22-26 inch range in height, and will be between 50-90 lbs. when fully grown. Can you handle that?
Do you love the size of German Shepherds? Just make sure you understand how to best take care of them and keep them healthy as they grow!
Make sure to click here for even more German Shepherd facts!
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Things To Look For In A Dog Food For Weight Gain
When youre looking for the best dog food for German Shepherds to gain weight, the first thing you need to look at is the calorie content.
Youll want to find something that will increase your dogs daily calorie consumption. So, check how many calories theyre consuming through their current diet and find something that will give them more.;
After calories, the most important thing you need to consider is the protein content. A high protein diet gives your dog access to the amino acids essential to maintaining healthy muscles, tissues, skin, and hair.
Also incredibly;important is the dog foods fat content, which is essential to energy production, nutrient absorption, and cellular health.
Your dog foods carbohydrate content is also something you need to pay attention to. Youll also want to find something that doesnt contain filler carbohydrates. These are ingredients that add bulk to your dogs diet without contributing any significant nutrition.
Carbohydrates should be an excellent source of energy;and dietary fiber needed for a healthy digestive system. If carbohydrates are a principal concern for your dogs health, you might even consider switching to a grain-free diet.
German Shepherd Growth By Age
At about a month, German Shepherd puppies will weigh 4.5-9 lbs.; females weigh less, and males will be at the top of the range.
At two months, you can expect them to weigh in at 11-20 lbs.
When they reach three months, your pup should be about 17.5-31 lbs. depending on gender.
At four months, your German Shepherd puppy will weight somewhere between 28.5-39.5 lbs. Thats pretty big! Its about half of the adult weight your dog will eventually reach.
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Large growth spurts will take place between 2-5 months, so keep a close eye on your puppys weight during this period especially.
At six months, the average male is 53 lbs., and the average female weighs about 46 lbs.
German Shepherd puppies generally stop growing significantly in height by nine months for males, eight months for females; males may get an extra inch by 15 months and females slightly less than that by 12-15 months. They reach their adult weight at 36 months.
German Shepherds, like many larger breeds, are considered fully grown by about 18 months, when they have reached 98 percent of their growth.
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How Often Should I Feed My German Shepherd Puppy
You now know that a growing German Shepherd puppy has different nutritional needs than an adult dog. But did you know they also need feeding more frequently at different stages as they are growing? So how often should you feed your German Shepherd puppy?
German Shepherd puppies should be fed four meals a day between the ages of 6 and 12 weeks. Puppies aged between 12 and 24 weeks require three meals a day, and from 24 weeks onwards, German Shepherd puppies should be fed twice per day.
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Puppies receive all the relevant nutrients from birth by feeding on their mother. However, its safe to begin the weaning process onto a new diet after three to four weeks.
Growing German Shepherd puppies need to take in enough calories, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals to meet their rapid growth and development that will set them on the right path to a healthy life.
They should continue on a puppy diet until adulthood, which is defined as between 812 months of age in small and medium breeds and between 1016 months in large and giant breeds, according to the MSD Vet Manual.
An adult dog diet, or maintenance diet, contains nutrients suited for pets that have passed their growth stage.
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My German Shepherd was transitioned from her puppy food at just two months old. However, I fed her high-quality food suitable for this.
Heres where you can learn more about bloat in German Shepherds.
Teaching The Stay Step
Have your pup in their collar and 6-foot walking leash. Begin indoors in a quiet area free from distractions.;
Increase the stay time your dog is in the stay position beginning with 5 seconds and working up to one minute or more. Dont rush them to hold their stay, though.
Next, work on extending the distance between you and your dog while in the stay. Take a few steps back each time you train.
Your goal is to reach the end of your leash while your pup stays in place.;
This could take many sessions over weeks or months.
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What If My German Shepherd Is Over Weight
If your German Shepherd is overweight, he is at risk of developing serious health conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It will also put too much pressure on his joints, causing arthritis and immobility. The heavier he is, the harder it will be to move and to lose the weight.
Look at his food It should be high in lean protein, low in fillers and fat. Then, exercise your dog. Do not over-exercise or starve him to get him to lose weight. It will take time and patience to get him to a healthy weight.
The Ultimate Guide To Obedience Training Your German Shepherd
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Training a puppy may seem like a daunting task. A little education for yourself and your puppy can go a long way. By reading this guide you are taking the most important step! Youll learn different ways to train your puppy, different commands to teach him, and what proper manners he should have.
Keep in mind, I am not a licensed dog trainer or a veterinarian, so its in your best interest to consult a professional for serious issues involved in training your German Shepherd.
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Allow Your Dog To Play With Other Dogs
Not all German Shepherd knows how to behave with other dogs, and this can give rise to dog fights when you take your dog out for a walk. Allowing it to play with other dogs in your neighborhood or during the walk can give it some natural workout as well as enliven its mood.
Such social interaction will keep it physically and mentally more in tune with its surroundings. At the same time, your pet will learn some necessary social skills.
What Type Of Dog Food Is Best For German Shepherds
We all want the best for our dogs and want to feed them the best diet for their needs. But, there are so many different types of dog food; which is best for German Shepherds?
The best type of dog food for German Shepherds is dry food, as it is more practical for large breeds. It is also the least expensive, even a high-quality brand. Of course, you can choose to feed other types, such as wet, a mix of dry and wet, raw, home-produced, dehydrated, or freeze-dried.
Most people feed their dogs with commercial dry food or wet canned food, but there are numerous different types, and it isnt easy to know where to start! These are the main different TYPES of food that you can feed your GSD:
- Complete dry foods
- A mix of dry and wet
- Home produced diets
- Complete raw diets
It is a requirement that all commercial dog food be complete and balanced according to the strict guidelines of the AAFCO. Complete means the food must contain all the nutrients required, and balanced means the nutrients present must be in the correct ratios.
The AAFCO also provides information on how to understand a dog food label. Its a pretty heavy read but what it means is dog food will be nutritionally labeled depending on a dogs life stage.
If you choose to feed commercial dog food , always check the packaging for what is known as The Nutritional Adequacy Statement. This was designed for vets, nutritionists, and dog owners to evaluate the foods nutritional value to their pets.;
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Best Dog Food For German Shepherd To Gain Weight Buyers Guide
There are many things that might be written about the nutritional content of various dog foods. However, we are concerned with a specific purpose here.
We are looking for food that will help a German Shepherd to gain weight. The seven choices listed above should be taken as seven semi-random examples because that is what they are. Here are some of the things you need to think about when evaluating any kind of dog food.
Dangers Of Stunted Or Accelerated Growth
New dog owners might be concerned about whether their dog is growing too quickly or too slowly, especially when you are comparing your pup to the German Shepherd growth chart. The danger of stunted growth only arises in the case of malnutrition or extreme disease.
If your puppy has not had proper nutrition or is having another affliction, there is a risk that he will not grow properly. Likewise, diet can cause your pup to grow too quickly.
In this case, the growth is not related to their bones, but their weight. Excess weight can harm a puppys growth and cause other health issues.
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Food & German Shepherd Health: Why Feed Homemade
Despite being a wonderful dog, German Shepherds are notorious for developing food allergies and/or;food hypersensitivities. A study published in BMC Veterinary Research Journal found that German Shepherds are at a high risk of developing cutaneous adverse food reactions 1, or in simpler terms, dog food;allergies.
CAFR can be responsible for a multitude of skin allergy issues like atopic dermatitis. Chronic allergic reactions are accompanied by excessive scratching, itching, and biting2. Eventually, this could lead to secondary bacterial or yeast infections in your GSD. Unfortunately, a lot of German Shepherd allergies arise from commercial dog food. Kibble ingredients like protein sources, high levels of animal fat, preservatives, meat by-products, food coloring, grains, and fillers contribute to more allergies in this breed.
Sadly, GSDs are predisposed to degenerative myelopathy, elbow and;hip dysplasia, and osteoarthritis3,4,5,6. Because German Shepherds are prone to these skeletal and bone problems, its vital to maintain a healthy weight for GSD. An obese German Shepherd may have an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis and other joint maladies because the excess weight puts more strain on their joints, bone structure, and back . It could also potentially lead to degenerative myelopathy in GSDs.
Keep in mind that even grain-free kibbles with high-quality ingredients can have high levels of starchy carbs and bad carbs that contribute to the pet obesity epidemic.
Nothing In Life Is Free
The Nothing In Life Is Free training method teaches your German Shepherd that there is a give-and-take in life. If your dog wants a treat, he must first Sit and Shake. If he wants to go outside, he must first Sit and patiently wait for you to attach his leash. NILIF teaches your German Shepherd that you are the master, and he must barter with you for the things he wants.
Teaching with this method is fairly simple. All you have to do is teach your dog to Sit before you give him a treat, for example. Do not give him that treat until he sits still for at least 5 seconds. By doing so, you are teaching him patience.
Use your creative freedom with this training method! You decide what you want your dog to do before he receives a reward or attention. Maybe you want him to roll over before he gets a bowl of food. Or maybe you need him to Sit before jumping into the car so you can situate his seat belt. NILIF works to your advantage so that your German Shepherd remembers you are the alpha master.
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German Shepherd Calorie Requirements
So, how much should I feed my German Shepherd?
The caloric needs of dogs are based on their weight. An adult German Shepherd usually weighs between 50 and 90 pounds, which means most GSDs need between 1165 and 1808 calories a day.
Make sure you follow the 10% rule when feeding treats to your dog. Food would equal 90% of the total calories and treats the remaining 10%.
For instance, if a GSD weighs 65 lbs. he would need;1480 calories;per day. For those eating treats, then thats;1276 calories in food and 142 in treats .;Usually, most full-grown dogs eat 2 meals per day. However, since GSDs are prone to bloating so divide his daily meals into 3 meals. For this, you need to split;1276;into three meals of 425 calories each.
You can use this;calculator;to find their exact caloric needs for your dog based on his own weight.
Pregnant or lactating GSDs may need up to 2 to 4 times the amount of food they would normally need as the mothers energy requirements increase after delivery and during lactation. Be sure to talk to your vet.
Keeptrack Of Weight Gain And Loss
Begin a schedule of weekly weigh-ins to keep track of your German Shepherds weight when looking to bulk-up your dogs body. You want to know if they are gaining weight, losing weight, or remaining the same.
This helps you to decide if your weight gain plan is working or if you need to adjust your plan. If your dog continues losing weight or if you see a lack of progress, take your dog back to your veterinarian.
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