German Shepherd Puppy Feeding Amount
How much you should feed a German Shepherd puppy really depends on a number of factors that you have control over. Your GSD pup should eat enough to maintain their growth and energy, while not carrying any extra fat.
Consider the following factors for how much to feed German Shepherd puppies:
- number of calories in the kibble, which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer
- the daily energy expenditure of your pup
- how sedentary or active your GSD pup is
Refer to the following charts as a starting point. Adjust how much you feed your GSD based on your pups energy needs and growth.
These formulas are only;recommendations and when in doubt check with your vet.
German Shepherd Homemade Food
Providing German Shepherd dog homemade food may result in a better digestive system and prevent many diseases indeed. Feeding German Shepherd pup or homemade dog food may even increase the odds of staying healthy. But the most important trick is to balance all the ingredients, also if we feed fresh and high-quality product, an unbalanced diet can ruin the dogs health by giving it specific allergies.
You must consult a veterinarian before for a proper diet chart for a German Shepherd dog and even for a puppy food chart.
For proteins meat, poultry, fish, plain yogurt, cottage cheese or eggs
Vegetables and fruits fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, carrots, cooked sweet potatoes.
But there are certain foods that you must take care of and avoid feeding your dog like tomatoes, avocado, garlic, onion, grapes, raisins, chocolates as this food can result in toxic results for your dog and even be dangerous to eat.
How Often Should You Feed A German Shepherd Puppy
| Puppys Age | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 year and older old | 2 | Yes, limited |
Break their total cups of food into multiple feedings spread thorughout the day for easy digestion.
How often you should feed a German Shepherd puppy depends on their age and their activity level.
Feeding smaller meals throughout the day also supports your puppys blood sugar and energy level which helps them grow steadily and behave better in your home.
When you know how many times to feed a German Shepherd puppy per day its easy to see the need for a regular feeding schedule to keep track of his meals!
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Why Do Vets Not Like Raw
Our vets dont recommend preparing your own pet food whether cooked or raw as without help from a specialist in pet nutrition a homemade diet could be nutritionally unbalanced which can cause your pet to become ill. Bones are also another hazard with raw feeding, especially with Raw Meaty Bones-type foods.
How Many Calories Does A German Shepherd Puppy Need
The number of calories that your puppy needs depend on certain factors such as age, weight, and activity level. Active puppies need more calories to sustain their energy levels.
German Shepherd puppies require at least 500 calories per day, but the amount increases as their weight also increases.
You need to calculate the RER of your puppy and multiply by two to know exactly the number of calories they need. The formula of RER is 703/4.
For example, if your German Shepherd puppy weighs 20kgs their RER is 703/4 = 662. Therefore, their daily intake should be 1324 calories.
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Week Old German Shepherd Puppy Schedule
From feeding and potty breaks to playtime and nap time, a schedule will help both you and your puppy know what to expect out of life, and keep things from getting too chaotic.
While every puppy is different, chances are your daily schedule for the first week will look a little bit like this:
- Early morning: Time for the first potty break of the day! Dont be surprised if your puppy needs to go out at the crack of dawn or even earlier.
- Breakfast time: You can feed your puppy breakfast right after her first potty break, or wait a little longer and let her go back to sleep first. No matter what, shell need another trip outside shortly after the meal to relieve herself.
- Mid-morning: Time for another small meal, and another potty break.
- Afternoon: Lunchtime followed by a potty break.
- Late afternoon: Another potty break!
- Evening: Dinner, and then you guessed it potty time.
- Just before bed: One last trip outside before you turn in for the night. Remember, your 8-week-old puppy cant go very long without needing to potty, so you may also need to get up to take her out in the middle of the night.
In between potty and mealtimes, your puppy will probably be playing or napping. Scheduling play and exercise at the same times every day can help ensure that you get that nice, quiet naptime right on schedule, too.
And dont be afraid to include training in the first week!
Can You Take A Puppy Home At 6 Weeks
You are excited about the news that you will get a puppy, but can you take a puppy home at 6 weeks, or you will have to wait?
Bringing home a 6-week-old puppy can affect your dog negatively for the rest of its life.
If you are a breeder, you might be wondering if 6 weeks pups are ready to be released to their new owners.; Can puppies be without their mom at 6 weeks?
Research shows that a puppys early separation and mother disrupts the puppys physiological and psychological development to answer both the breeder and the new owner.
The older and responsible breeders understand that puppies should not be separated from their mothers until they are ready.; Even the legal timeline does not mean they are ready.; However, by 8 weeks, most puppies are ready to start their new life, and its the best time to take them home.
At 6 weeks, it can appear like the puppies are ready to leave their mother since they are no longer nursing, but thats not the case. 2 more weeks and you will have better puppies that you can fully enjoy raising and training.
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Begin Socialization And Training Immediately
While it can feel tempting to go easy for the first few days and just let your new puppy get settled in, this can actually be counterproductive to building your bond together.
A better strategy is to start every aspect of training from potty training to crate training to sleep training right away.
It is the difference between wading into the pool slowly hoping it wont feel as cold versus just jumping in and warming up more quickly. Your puppy will have come to you from a structured environment established by the mother dog and the breeder.
The more closely you can match and maintain that structure, making gradual adjustments as needed for your own daily life schedule, the more easily and quickly your puppy will adjust to life away from the litter and their mother.
Special Dietary And Nutritional Considerations Of German Shepherd Puppies
German Shepherd puppies are considered as large breed puppies. They are dogs that naturally grow very fast in a short period of time.
Major German Shepherd puppy food manufacturers are aware of these considerations and have specifically formulated well-balanced diets to cater to the unique needs of these pups.
So just what are some of the key elements your GSD pup needs for good growth?
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German Shepherd Puppy Diet: After 6 Months
When your German Shepherd puppy reaches 6 months of age, its daily food intake should be reduced to twice a day. When we do this we can increase the food portions and eating time accordingly. A vet can provide you with a correct and tailored diet and/or food plan for your German Shepherd puppy. Our German Shepherd diet chart below should be taken into account depending on the age, lifestyle and size of your German Shepherd puppy.
After 6 months, you should give your German Shepherd puppy shatterproof bones, such as beef, to gnaw on. This should be done in order to strengthen the puppys teeth and gums. For more, take a look here for more about; Bones For Puppies.
The German Shepherd Puppy Fear Factor Period
You may be reading through this guide and wondering why you cant just take your new German Shepherd puppy home with you at six weeks old.
After all, your puppy is eating solid food, has all their puppy teeth and claws, is able to hear and see clearly, is playful and curious, and has been exposed to different people and socialized by their mom and littermates.
What could possibly go wrong?
The answer is simple: the fear period is yet to come.
All domestic dog puppies go through a period of time between the ages of eight to ten weeks that breeders and veterinarians call the fear period.
VCA Animal Hospitals explains that the fear period is actually extended from three weeks all the way to 12 weeks.
But for general purposes, canine researchers believe the most critical period happens between the age of six weeks and the age of 10 weeks, with specific fears taking shape around weeks eight through 10.
This is the time period when puppies begin to intensively socialize and interact with their littermates, human carers, and others, forming bonds or aversions as each situation or interaction may warrant.
As Dr. Jens Dog Blog points out, this period of time is incredibly important in a German Shepherd puppys development so much so that fearful experiences during these two weeks can cause lifelong challenges.
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How To Change The Diet Of A German Shepherd After 6 Months
The food intake should be reduced to twice a day once your German Shepherd is 6 months old. When we do this we can increase the food portions and eating time accordingly.
After 6 months, you should give your German Shepherd puppy shatterproof bones, such as beef, to gnaw on. This should be done to strengthen the puppys teeth and gums.
What Human Foods Can A German Shepherd Puppy Eat
Sometimes, your German Shepherd puppy deserves to be given a treat, and certain human foods are great options. There are proteins, veggies, fruits, carbs, and nuts eaten by humans that can you feed your puppy.
Proteins such as chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, and beef are great sources to help your puppy gain lean muscle and become strong.
Safe fruits for your puppy include blueberries, apples, strawberries, watermelon, coconut, bananas, and mangos. They are packed with minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.
Safe veggies for your German Shepherd puppy include green peas, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, and cucumber. Safe nuts for your puppy are peanuts but they should be plain. Safe carbs for your puppy include rice and sweet potatoes because they are easily digestible.
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Is It Possible For German Shepherds To Consume Raw Meat
Our dogs food is mostly comprised of chicken. Its cheap, widely accessible, simple to digest for dogs, and a good supply of bones and fat. Bones, fat, and organs are just as essential as muscle meat in your dogs raw diet. A raw diet consisting only of skinless chicken breast is not a balanced diet!
So Can You Take A Puppy Home At 6 Weeks
The answer to this question is NO.; At 6 weeks, these puppies are too young to take home.; This doesnt mean they cant survive because they are already independent feeders.; But still, at this time, they have not developed their social skills fully, and they need the rest of the family to help them develop.
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My Puppy Is Still Hungry
If your puppy seems excessively hungry provide more frequent but smaller meals. Young puppies cannot tolerate going without food for extended periods.
With older puppies you may wish to experiment with foods that help them feel more full, and provide low calories treats.
Keeping a health puppy active and occupied will help prevent them from becoming overly focused on anticipating their next meal.
Quick Checklist To Judge A Premade Raw Dog Food And Company
You can safely use this short checklist to find the best raw food for German Shepherds.
I’m passionate about canine nutrition and I’m constantly studying new research and development in the field. ;I’d like to help you if you have any doubts or questions. ;So feel free to drop them in the comments below.
Hi GabriellaI am enjoying reading through every link, page and article on your site. I recently lost my GSD, she was a very healthy 11 ½ year old who died suddenly from Hemangiosarcoma. We rescued her at 6 years old, so dont have much of her history, but I fed her a combination of Raw and Cooked meals. She had Raw for breakfast, mostly the Fish mixes from Tuckers and then I prepared her dinner meal by using the Just Food For Dogs Lamb or Beef Recipes.We will be getting a 4 month old puppy from a VERY reputable breeder in August and I want to make sure I feed him the best right from the start! What are your thoughts on a Raw/Cooked combo like before? Have you heard of Tuckers and Just food for dogs?
Really informativeMy GSD is 2 yes old and weighs 105 lbs. She gets fed 4 cups of Iams a day and is ALWAYS still hungry.
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Grooming Your Gsd Puppy
A German Shepherd puppy doesnt need frequent baths and bathing can strip the protective skin oils from them, leaving their skin open to itching and infection.
Try gentle puppy bath wipesfirst to remove smells and dirt, as well as to keep their coat clean. Youll also notice the wipes are easy for you to grab, so you dont have to spend a lot of time on grooming.
If youre going to bathe them, then follow this section to take care of a 6 week old German Shepherd puppys skin and keep your pups fur in tip-top shape.
- If you must bathe them use a gentle, hypoallergenic shampoo made for puppies and keep them out of cold drafts while theyre drying. At all costs, keep water away from their ears and face since German Shepherds are prone to ear infections.
- Use a moistened cotton washcloth on their face or gentle puppy wipes. Never pour water directly onto their face or you risk them inhaling the fluid and developing respiratory issues.
- Your dog may not enjoy being bathed or groomed at first. Go slow with the grooming sessions and keep them positive and short at first.
- Increase the sessions as they enjoy their shorter sessions.
Follow this helpful German Shepherd grooming guide for professional-quality results at home for more useful, quick information as your puppy gets older.
Diamond Naturals Beef Meal & Rice Formula
Top 5 Ingredients: Beef Meal, Grain Sorghum, Ground White Rice, Dried Yeast, Egg Product
Caloric Content: 3,518 kcal/kg
The Diamond Naturals Beef Meal & Rice Formula Adult Dry Dog Food is a wonderful choice for your German Shepherd who is no longer a puppy.
This mix is enhanced with superfoods and probiotics to assist with overall health and development, as well as antioxidants, omega fatty acids for your furry friends coat and skin and nurturing minerals.
It includes protein, such as beef and fish, as well as fruit and vegetables such as blueberries, peas, kale and coconut. There has been some indication that this food is not suited to super picky eaters, however this dry food is generally a good choice for German Shepherds.
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Week Old To 8 Week Old German Shepherd Puppies
They become fearful of new things and newcomers at 7 weeks. Dont be surprised if theyre not friendly with newcomers anymore. Not to worry because this is just a normal phase. This is a good time to expose the puppies to various sounds, places, and people.
German Shepherd puppies are fully weaned and fully independent from their mother when they reach 8 weeks so its good to train them to prevent behavioral problems. Teach them basic commands but focus on socialization and bite inhibition. If the puppies are not fully potty trained, train them now.
From The Above Development Characteristics This Is Our Summary
A 6-week-old puppy is weaning and eating solid food.; He is learning to be sociable and gets happy when you visit and get to cuddle and know them, but they are not ready to leave the rest of the family members just yet.
Puppies taken home at 5 to 6 weeks tend to have problems learning to play gently.; They will not be as well-adjusted as puppies that leave home at 8 weeks.
Breeders who advise you to take a 6-week home should be avoided as it demonstrates their ignorance about excellent breeding practices or their lack of care for the puppies.
The puppy is already 6 weeks; in 2 more weeks, they will be ready to bring home.; Have some little patience and get a bigger, stronger, and ready pup to become part of your family.
For everyone asking how old puppies have to be sold, let it be well known that 8 months is the legal age for a pet to leave its family and join its new home.
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