Where Do German Shepherds Like To Be Rubbed

See Ways To Lessen Their Anxiety

Dogs and cats are both sensitive to sound.;

Loud sounds could be the cause of their trauma and stress.;

Here are some quick signs to notice if your dogs stressed:

• Shedding.
• Theyre trying to hide from you.
• Theyre having excessive drooling.

But understand that sometimes, its also not because of the sound.;

They could feel uncomfortable around a specific person.

When your dog rubs against you, you have to think of the reason why they did so.;

This is so you could limit the source of their stress one day at a time.;

Although, heres something you should keep in mind:

Your dog could rub against you when they hear the doorbell or the sudden bang of a door.

When this happens, you shouldnt comfort them right away.

This will show them that its something to be afraid about when in fact its completely normal.;

Note: Give your dog time to adjust to sudden sounds and even the people living in your house.;

Correcting My German Shepherds Ears

Many German Shepherd owners jump the gun and start thinking about correcting their dogs ears while they are only three or four months old. Please note, theres no need to correct your puppys ears in any way until he has finished teething.

Depending on a dog, the teething can last 16 to 20 weeks, and by that time the cartilage in the ear will become strong enough to hold an erect ear.

You should get interested in your German Shepherds ears if five months have passed and they havent perked up yet. This could be a sign that your pup is lacking some essential nutrients and isnt developing properly.

So before you opt to correct your German Shepherds ears, take him to the vet for a full check-up. And if everything turns out fine, your pup has most likely inherited the floppy ears from one or both of his parents.

In this case, you should ask yourself whether a correction is really necessary and whats in it for your dog. On the other hand, if you find your German Shepherds floppy ears funny and cute, you dont have to stress if they are going to perk up at all.

But if you decide to correct your pups ears, do it after he has finished teething and do it right. Its unnecessary and cruel to put your dog through pain and discomfort just for the sake of beauty.

They Want To Spread Their Scent

When you think about them spreading their scent, you may think it relates to dominance.;

But thats not the case.

Dogs and cats have their way of resource guarding.;

They want to guard an object, territory, or even human they know is important to them.;

Cats send pheromones for marking their territory by rubbing their head on your body.;

For cats, they often use their head for rubbing on you.

This is because they produce pheromone glands on their forehead, cheeks, and around the mouth.

And for dogs, they scent mark by rubbing their entire body on you.;

This is so that their smell would be evident.

And also its so other dogs would know that you belong to another dog.

This can lead to overprotectiveness, but dont worry!

Its something you can manage with proper regulation and training.;

Fun fact: Cats and dogs have scent glands on their face. This makes their scent transfer when they rub themselves on you.

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Do Puppies Think Youre Their Mom

So, yes, a puppy can definitely think of you as his mother that is, his provider and protector and develop as strong an emotional bond with you as if you were blood-related. Your puppy will also quickly learn to pick you out among strangers, both by sight and through his powerful sense of smell.

Is Taping Dog Ears Safe

When done right, taping is a painless and safe method that can help your dogs ears to stand up. The idea behind taping is to help the cartilage to form properly and become strong enough to hold the weight of a dogs ears.

While painless, taping can cause discomfort and irritate your dog, so you should consider if its really worth it. Bear in mind that nothing is stronger than genetics and that taping might not work for your pooch.

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Frustrated Growl: Ahhhthats Not What I Want

Frustrated growls happen when your dogs need or desire is not being met. Or he is put into an uncomfortable situation.;

It usually has a varied pitch and frequency to them. Your pup may even start to whine while growling. Their body language is less stiff and looks like he is losing control.

For instance, your dog may growl in frustration when he is forced to have his nails cut and take a bath. Check out this video and you will know what it looks and sounds like:

While frustration growling is non-aggressive by nature, that doesnt mean it isnt an issue. And thats because any other dog or person around them may misinterpret this as aggression and it could lead to a fight.

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German Shepherd Jumping And Biting

If your german shepherd is jumping and biting you or people around you then you need to fix the issue as quickly as possible.

While in most cases, this is harmless and generally friendly behavior, its still inappropriate. Especially if its happening with children.

So keep reading to find out why german shepherds jump and bite, how to fix it, and whether you should worry or not.

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He Tries To Regulate His Body Temperature

Dogs have a variety of ways to cool down on a hot scorching day. They may pant, drink a lot of water, go to shaded areas, or roll on their back on a cool surface like cool tiles or cool grass. If you notice your dog is doing any of these things, try to put him at ease by applying a cool water compress to his belly.

Spend More Time With Them Throughout The Day

Remember when I talked about resource guarding?;

Your dog could be rubbing themselves against you because you werent with them the whole day.;

To them, this means that their source of comfort, protection, and happiness is gone.

So you should expect that theyll want all your attention and physical touch the moment you get back.;

To fix this, take some extra time off to focus on your dog.;

Time spent rubbing against you could even be replaced with training or even exercise!

Get your dog more active and less dependent on your physical presence.;

Keep in mind: Its important to spend quality time with your dog. By doing that, theyll get the physical and mental stimulation they need. Itll also prevent destructive behaviors.

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Why Your German Shepherd Rubs Its Head On You

Each of the different reasons that your German Shepherd rubs its head on you will likely come with a number of clues.

Below, I will mention a number of reasons that your German Shepherd might rub its head on you and the signs to look for.

Security

German Shepherds were bred to work alongside their owners and in packs. With that being the case, it could be that your German Shepherd is doing it because touching you with its head makes it feel like it is safer since it is in a group.

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Dominance

One way that dogs would assert their dominance over each other in the wild would be to mount other dogs in the pack. If your German Shepherd is trying to assert its dominance over you then it might be doing this by rubbing its head on you and positioning itself to be in higher positions than you.

This is something that youll need to prevent from happening so that your German Shepherd continues to see you as its leader. This will help to make it easier to control.

The reason that it rubs its head on you could be that it has some separation anxiety. This is where your German Shepherd does not like being left alone and it gets anxious when it is alone.

This would be more likely to be the reason if your German Shepherd tends to get very anxious when you are going out. Signs of it being anxious could include pacing, crying or being destructive when you are gone.

It wants attention

To spread its scent

Its How They Greet People Naturally

If your german shepherd is jumping up and biting then its because theyre greeting you.

You have to remember that german shepherds are a lot lower down than you are, so to get as close to you as possible they tend to jump up. While they see this as appropriate, like a lot of dogs they dont quite realize how big they are.

Just remember, its far easier for your german shepherd to get your attention when theyre on two legs, close to your face, instead of when theyve got all four paws on the floor.

As well as jumping up, they may also whine, howl and bark .

That Still Doesnt Explain The Biting

Okay, now you know why your german shepherd is jumping up at you, but why is he biting?

A dogs mouth is like their hands, so when theyre biting you, in most cases, its because theyre trying to explore.

However, if the dog seems aggressive when theyre trying to bite you, then thats due to behavioral issues.

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Training Your Dog To Be Pet By Strangers

Its not a bad idea to teach your dog to tolerate being touched and petted in places he doesnt like both by you and a stranger. The American Kennel Clubs Canine Good Citizen exam specifically states that a well-trained dog should permit being petted by a stranger, as well as having his ears and legs examined.

The best way to do that is to ease your dog into it. I play with my dogs paws and ears here and there so they learn to tolerate it. I also taught them to let me hold their muzzles and examine their teeth and eyes, much like a veterinarian or groomer might.

While teaching them these things, I liberally rewarded them with treats so they learned to associate uncomfortable actions with their favorite foods.;I did the same thing with strangers my dogs learned that treats are close at hand when they accept a pet on the head from a stranger.

Consider Your Dogs Fears

As a dog owner, you must be responsible enough to consider your dogs fears. Some dogs are scared of water, and should your German Shepherd be one of those dogs, do be patient. Again, training your German Shepherd to swim is a long process that will require you to keep your cool, especially when it comes to fearful dogs.

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If A German Shepherd Herds Your Family

Herding the family is another way to express its love toward you and your Family.

For Example, you are walking on the footpath, and your child gets off the sidewalk and starts to walk on the road, then your German Shepherd will start to herd him and bring him back on the way for its safety.

German Shepherd dogs love their family, and they have a high drive to defend them from any danger.

Why And How To Bathe A German Shepherd Who Hates Bath Time

Bathing a German shepherd dog can be a steep and uphill battle for many owners, even with dogs who dont have a problem with bathing, let alone for those who hate baths. The rather good news is, if your shepherd hates baths, youre not alone in this battle. Its quite common actually for most dogs, even those who love swimming, to hate bath time. Why?

If your German shepherd hates the bath, it might be because they dont like being confined and not being able to control their actionsslipping in the shower or bathtub is no laughing matter.;;

Some dogs may have also had a distressing experience being hosed by their owners as a means of disciplining their negative behaviors, causing the dogs to fear the action of shower-spraying water and mistakenly associate the bath with a punishment.

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German Shepherd Swimming Training

The key with water and swimming training for German Shepherds is to GO SLOW and be patient.

You can even use a dog life jacket in the beginning for GSDs who are poor swimmers, or just for extra safety.;

Remember, you are dealing with a dog who might have a legitimate fear, and if you push it too far too quickly, it may get aggressive or more likely get scared and produce large amounts of stress and anxiety.

Lead, but dont force or push your GSD to the water.

Get advice from an animal expert if you are unsure of how to train your GSD in a safe and comfortable way.

Training your German Shepherd To Swim, And Like Water involves these 7 steps:

1) Go to a beach or lake with calm water , and water which your GSD can wade in before it submerges most of or its whole body under. Take a leash/lead with you, and potentially a family member, friend or fellow trainer .

Also take some treats.

A life jacket or life vest for your German Shepherd may be a good idea for additional safety, especially if you want to teach your GSD to swim.

2) Observe your GSDs reaction around the waters edge.

How cautious or scared is he or she?

The more anxious your GSD acts around water, the more he/she has to be treated with patience, and the slower you should go with training.;

For extremely scared GSDs, you want to keep the sessions extremely short to prevent overload of stress or anxiety.

3) Go to the waters edge yourself, and stand about 5 feet away with your GSD by your side on its leash.

Common Health Problems In German Shepherds

German Shepherds are great dogs for the right owners, but they are at risk of certain conditions and illnesses common with the breed. Making sure the parents of your puppy have had the relevant health screening can reduce the chances of your puppy being affected by some of these upsetting conditions.

German Shepherds are in a group of breeds classed as Category Three by The Kennel Club, which is the highest category of the health concerns due to their conformation. This means that these types of dog have been bred over many years to look a certain way, but that these changes to the way they look have started to cause them health problems. For German Shepherds, this is mostly due to the shape of their back legs and hips.

Some of the conditions German Shepherds may develop include:

This list is not exhaustive, and there are many other conditions that German Shepherds have been shown to be prone to.

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Can German Shepherds Swim Do They Like To

As a German Shepherd owner, Ive always wondered if German Shepherds like to go swimming. Especially now since I recently got an above ground pool. I for one, really want to let my GSDs go for a dip, but I thought it best to check if they can swim or if they would even enjoy swimming before I do.

So heres what I found out.

Your German Shepherd Dog’s Health

We know that because you care so much about your dog, you want to take good care of her. That is why we have summarized the health concerns we will be discussing with you over the life of your Shepherd. By knowing about health concerns specific to German Shepherd Dogs, we can tailor a preventive health plan to watch for and hopefully prevent some predictable risks.

Many diseases and health conditions are genetic, meaning they are related to your pets breed. There is a general consensus among canine genetic researchers and veterinary practitioners that the conditions weve described herein have a significant rate of incidence and/or impact in this breed. That does not mean your dog will have these problems; it just means that she is more at risk than other dogs. We will describe the most common issues seen in German Shepherd Dogs to give you an idea of what may come up in her future. Of course, we cant cover every possibility here, so always check with us if you notice any unusual signs or symptoms.

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He Tries To Scratch An Itch

Because dogs cant use a back scratcher to help them self-groom difficult-to-reach areas, they may roll on a textured surface such as grass to ease their itchiness or brush away loose fur clumps. This behavior is often noticeable during the heavy shedding season, wherein the skin can become itchy and flaky.

If you suspect itchiness to be the reason why your shepherd rolls on his back and you are not sure what the cause is, it would be best to bring him to the vet immediately for proper diagnosis against any potential skin issues such as irritation, allergies, and parasites.

Most Common German Shepherd Behavioral Problems

Before we dive into the most common behavioral problems associated with German shepherds, I think its important to look at where the breed has actually come from.

Over the last century, German shepherds have been used for tracking, search and rescueespecially for the police and protection and guarding. So, its no surprise that a lot of the issues are in this exact area.

They have been intentionally bred for traits such as fierce loyalty, intelligence, and strength.

This leads to one of the first common problems for German shepherds, which revolves around aggression and the need to protect. Its very possible that an untrained German shepherd would be likely to bark or lunge at other dogs or people, especially on his own property.

Its not at all that this type of dog is being mean or nasty. In fact, from the dogs point of view, he believes hes just doing his job of protecting his family or territory.

Its a very, very common problem, and, at the end of the day, it is what the German shepherd has been bred to do a lot of the time.

The good newsthis behavior can be untrained. Or even better yet, if youre working with a German shepherd puppy or a young German shepherd, you can easily avoid this behavioral problem. And in case you are wondering, this does not automatically mean, that if you ever really do need help, that they wont rise to the occasion!

Once again, with some basic training and a good sturdy harness, this behavior can be easily prevented.

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