Great Food For German Shepherd Weight Gain
Some owners only like to feed their dogs the most natural foods they can find. Some will even resort to raw diets, believing this to be the closest a dog can get to his natural diet if he were a wild animal. Others prefer to stick to kibble, which is usually an easier alternative.
Because there are many different types of kibble that you can feed your dog, it can be impossible to know which ones will actually help your dog gain weight and which will simply continue to exacerbate the problem.
Some owners will supplement the food that they give their dogs with table scraps. While this can encourage begging at the table, if you are confident in your training and are willing to slip them a little piece of fatty steak or some other high-fat protein from the table, this might be a good option for you.
What kind of food you ultimately choose to feed your German Shepherd dog to help him gain weight will depend on your raising and training philosophy. Here are the criteria you should use to find the best food to help them gain weight.
Is Your Gsd Puppy A Picky Eater
Sometimes a GSD puppy will be a picky eater. We often think that this is just how our puppy is part of its personality.
The truth is that this is simply not the case. In most instances, a puppy that is picky about the food it eats is due to poor feeding habits by its owner.
The primary culprits are treats and table scraps. The more you feed these to your puppy, the more it will expect them. This can lead to your puppy neglecting its regular food in favor of food that if finds tastes better.
This can be detrimental to your puppys weight since treats and table scraps do not contain the nutrients needed for healthy growth. A puppy that is accustomed to eating food thats not intended as a part of its regular diet can be underweight because of malnourishment.
If your puppy falls into this category, there are a few things that you can do to remedy this:
- Gradually stop feeding your puppy treats and scraps. Doing this all at once can stress your puppy out. Too much stress can lead to a loss of appetite.
- Leave your puppys food bowl out for specific amounts of time. After the time has passed, if your puppy has still not eaten, then remove the bowl and do the same thing at its next feeding time.
It is very important to be consistent and hold your ground. Do not give in to your puppys demands. The goal here is to teach your puppy that there is no other option for food.
If you feel this may be the case, try the following:
Iams Proactive Health Large Breed
Rating:
Large Breed Chicken and Whole Grains is one of 14 dry recipes covered in our review of the Iams ProActive Health product line.
- First 5 ingredients: Chicken, ground whole grain barley, ground whole grain corn, ground whole grain sorghum, chicken by-product meal
- Type: Grain-inclusive
- Profile: Maintenance
- Best for:Adult shepherds only
Iams ProActive Health Large Breed derives the majority of its meat protein from chicken and chicken meal. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 25% protein, 14% fat and 53% estimated carbs producing a fat-to-protein ratio of about 56%.
This classic, grain-inclusive large breed design has been made by Iams for years and is a nutritious fit for adult German shepherds. Calcium levels are a bit high for shepherd puppies. Easily recommended.
Sample buyer reviewIAMS is a product that I have turned to for complete nutrition for my dog as well as my cats! In fact, I have been feeding IAMS to my cats for over 20 years! Sure there are higher priced pet foods, but why would you want to pay more when you get the proper nutrition and a quality product at a reasonable price!
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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.
How Can You Help Your German Shepherd Lose Weight
When its time to begin your German Shepherds weight loss journey, there are some steps to follow to ensure their safety during the process. Though weight loss is the goal, this process is not a race and should be approached with care.;
Some ways to help your German Shepherd achieve healthy weight loss include:
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Physical Activity & Health
Since German Shepherds are active dogs, they need plenty of exercise to stay active and healthy. A German Shepherd puppy needs 5 minutes of exercise every month old they are twice per day.
For example, if your puppy is 4 months old, they need 20 minutes of exercise two times a day.
Since German Shepherd puppies have a fast growth rate, overexercising them can lead to ligament and joint problems.
If your puppy is less than 5 months old, slow walks for the appropriate times are enough. You can introduce trekking and jogging after the age of 5 months.
How To Get Your German Shepherd To Be Less Fat
The best way for you to get your German Shepherd to lose fat will depend on the cause. However, I will show you some options that you have below.
Make sure that it is eating the right foods
It would help to make sure that your German Shepherd is eating the right foods. You can look here to see what you should and should not be feeding it.
It would also help to make sure that it is not eating things without your knowledge and that no one else has been feeding it.
Make sure that it is eating the right amount of calories for its activity levels
German Shepherds are a breed that is supposed to be active so an active German Shepherd that is getting around an hour of directed exercise per day should be getting between 1,272 and 1,540 calories daily. It should only get more than this if it is spending most of the day as a working dog or if your vet says so.
Give it exercise
As mentioned above, German Shepherds are a breed that is meant to be getting a lot of exercise daily. If yours is not getting much exercise then it would help to make sure that it does by walking it, getting it to play fetch or by getting a dog walker to do it for you.
Take it to a vet
If you are unsure of why your German Shepherd has become fatter, it has become fat suddenly or it has been showing signs of illness or injury then it would help to take it to a vet. When you are seeing the vet it would also help to ask them if you are feeding it correctly and what could be causing it to be fat.
Read Also: Is A German Shepherd Considered An Aggressive Breed
Interested In Training Your German Shepherd The Right Way
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.;
What Weight Should A German Shepherd Be
Ive already covered this briefly, but just to confirm, a health German Shepherd who is not overweight should fall into the following weight ranges:
- Male: 34 to 41 kg .
- Female: 25 to 32 kg .
As well as taking a German Shepherds gender into account, you should also consider their height in comparison to their weight. Broadly, a male German Shepherd height ranges on average between 24 to 26 inches, and 22 to 24 inches in height for females GSDs.
You should also consider other factors such as German Shepherds that are considered runts of the litter that may well never reach the maximum height. Consequently, you can expect smaller-than-average German Shepherds to weight a little less than the recommended guidelines.
Ensuring your German Shepherd remains a healthy weight may be challenging at times, but it is possible and helps to ensure your four-legged companion has a long, healthy and happy life.
This guide to ensuring your German Shepherd doesnt become overweight will explain some of the ways you can help to make that happen.
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Transition To Adult Period: 16 Months 36 Months
At this point, there are no more major milestones for your German Shepherd to reach. They will, however, continue to grow during this time.
Female German Shepherds arent considered to be fully-grown until they are at least 24 months whereas some males arent seen as adults until 36 months.
Throughout this period, you should continue to feed them a high-quality food for German Shepherds to ensure that they grow at the proper rate, allowing their hips to develop normally. By the end of this period, they should reach their adult weight.
Heres a video showing how quickly a German Shepherd goes from being a puppy to a very adult-looking dog:
Getting Your Dog To Eat More
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Full Report On The German Shepherds Temperament And Personality
German Shepherds are often described as being full of self-confidence. Theyâre smart and fearless to boot. This makes them extremely trainable dogs â and they learn quickly too. Itâs not surprising for your German Shepherd to recall a new cue after only a few training sessions.
They have a naturally protective instinct, so they make great family pets â though German Shepherds are also described as âaloof.â Because they are so loyal to their families, donât expect them to give a warm, tail-wagging welcome to strangers, but once theyâre your friend, that bond cannot be broken.
The saying âa tired dog is a good dogâ is especially true for these easily-bored pups. If a German Shepherd spends too much time alone or without stimulation, you can expect to see the evidence in a shredded couch or ripped up carpet. They love to work, so giving them something to do helps tire them out and keeps them well-behaved.
Has Your Puppy Experienced A Change In Its Environment
A change in the environment is a common cause of a longer-term loss of appetite and weight loss in puppies.
A change in environment for your puppy does not just mean that it has moved from one physical location to another. The following circumstances should also be considered a change in environment for your puppy:
- Changes to your schedule when you leave and when you arrive
- Changes in your puppys walking schedule
- Changes in your puppys feeding schedule
- Someone new moving into your home
- Someone moving out of your home
- A new animal brought into your home
- Regular arguments within your home
- The arrival of a new baby
- Being cared for by a sitter or taken to a doggy daycare
It is important that your GSD puppys day to day life is structured and consistent. They learn and function well with routine.
When something occurs which disrupts a puppys routine long-term, they may begin to feel anxious and stressed. This can sometimes result in a long term lack of appetite and weight loss.
You may likely find that if one or more of the above changes are addressed, that your puppy will resume a normal eating schedule and quickly bounce back from being underweight.
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Question: German Shepherd Too Skinny
I rescued a adult German Shepherd named Big Guy, from the pound. When I got him he would not eat and was afraid of everyone and everything. I have had him for about 8 months he seems to have built a trust relationship with me. He eats all of his food now and weighs about 80 lbs, but I can still see his ribs and his hip bones. What can I do to get him to gain fat and muscle. The vet told me he is perfectly healthy and is at a healthy weight, but probably he just needs to gain some muscle.
How Often Should I Feed My German Shepherd
Once your dog reaches an adult stage, you will need to increase the amounts you feed him but decrease the frequency of feedings. So, how often should you feed your German shepherd?
Starting from 1 year of age, you should reduce his feeding frequency from 4 times a day to 2 times a day. The exception is for pregnant female German shepherds . They may be fed an extra time depending on how hungry they might look.
Do remember, though, that reducing the quantity of the food does not mean compromising on the quality of the food.
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How To Get German Shepherd Dog Gain Weight For Skinny Dogs
Is your German Shepherd Skinny? Searching Something For Getting Your German Shepherd Dog gain weight? There can be many causes behind this, and for Getting full results, we have to found the cause.
There are some considerations you should do about Your German Shepherd Dog.
If you want to resolve a problem, it is essential to know its cause. If you treat it from the root, it is 100% sure that you will solve it.