German Shepherd Care

These legendary dogs, while huge, cute, and versatile, require a lot. German Shepherd care is something that may seem like a lot of work but will come easy to those who truly love their dog. Raising a GSD from a puppy or even adopted as an adult requires a lot more than most dog breeds. You should make sure you have researched how to take care of them before you adopt one. There are many guides available, and you shouldn't hesitate to even get a German Shepherds for dummies care guide if need be. After all, this is a small sacrifice to make sure your German Shepherd is well cared for! On this page are many tips to help you regarding care of your GSD.

German Shepherd exercise is a daily requirement, and it is recommended they get a lot of exercise. At a minimum, they should be walked briskly for 30-45 minutes, twice a day. These are strong guard dogs who have a lot of energy that should not be allowed to become pent up lest they starting destroying things. German Shepherd puppy exercise should not be vigorous, however, until they are about 12 months old. Prior to that, extremely limited exercise is OK. Starting around 5-6 months, walking on a leash for no more than five minutes, or allowing them to run and stop as they please in a fenced yard, is all they should do on a daily basis. Understanding how much exercise German Shepherds need is worthy of research and your time.

Like all large dogs, GSDs are prone to hip and bone problems and this can be worsened by exercise that is incorrect or overly strenuous. While there are some extravagant activities with police, military, or other professional K9s, you should start with and stick to the more simple and fun ones. Complex exercises to build up German Shepherd muscles should only be undertaken by trained specialists with dogs that have had full vet checkups. You should always be looking out for warning signs of injury or impending issues during and after exercising your German Shepherd Dog:

• Refusal to move
• Nipping or yelping
• Not drinking water
• Panting excessively
• Breathing irregularities
• Odd behavior in hot weather
• Gulping a lot of water loudly
• Limping on one or more legs
• Obviously upset in other aggressive ways

Always be alert for signs of inadequate exercise. Typical indicators include obesity, digging holes, chewing shoes and other items, constant barking, and frequent escape attempts. Things that seem merely annoying could also be red flags. If your GSD refuses to stop jumping on furniture, aggressively guarding places in the house, or is obviously hyperactive, this could be from a lack of exercise too.

There are many GSD exercises you two can do. Here are some that are easy and fun:

• Hide & Seek: What's your GSD's fave toy? Find it, show it to her, then hide it.
• Hiking: Pack some food, a first aid kit, and plenty of water, and head out to the hills!
• Swimming: If you have a pool, then you're set! Otherwise, a short hike to a pond or lake will do.
• Walking/Jogging: A 30-60 minute morning and evening walk every day will be great for both of you.
• Catch: Whether a Frisbee, rubber ball or something else highly visible and bouncy, this is something that she will love.

Following a diet and exercise routine specifically for GSDs, and as directed by your vet, can help to prevent anxiety, obesity, and hyperactivity. This, in turn, can help lessen the exercise requirements for your German Shepherd. Having a large stock of toys that are rotated will help offer your dog a chance to be active on her own. Allowing her to run freely in a very secure yard will also help a lot. Allowing her to be with you as you move throughout your home will be a bit of easy exercise. Proper behavior training when they are pups, starting around 4-5 months, will allow them to be exercised easier. Make sure your GSD knows you are the alpha and that the door opening is not an escape hatch will help make exercise fun and easier to manage!

German Shepherds are moderate in their maintenance requirements, and this means they don't drool but hey shed, or molt, a lot. Shedding can be problematic for those who have allergies or prefer clean homes. It also can be messy if these dogs are allowed to get anxious. It should also be noted that there are no non-shedding German Shepherds.

Drooling is not a problem with GSDs unless it is. This breed doesn't drool, but if your German Shepherd is drooling, it almost always means there is a health concern. She may have a cyst in her mouth or throat, or she might be overheated from being outside in very hot weather or over-exercised. Drooling water, such as during or right after drinking water, should not be confused with drooling saliva. The best thing to do with water drooling is to place a mat under her bowl.

The best German Shepherd shedding solution is a good diet and proper grooming such as combing, brushing and bathing, and this will merely make the shedding typical. If proper grooming fails to work, then there may be a health issue. Regardless, you will spend a fair amount of time every day or two lint-rolling your best clothes. You'll also want to do a weekly vacuuming of the house. Simply put, you'll never stop German Shepherd shedding. There are also two annual coat blowouts: when the days get shorter for Winter, and again in the spring. You should also expect a greater-than-usual amount of shedding after she (or he) is pregnant or fixed. Then there is the adult coat transition, when the puppy coat is shed and there is lots of that very fine, formerly cute and fluffy coat hair floating around.

The diets for adult German Shepherds and puppies range greatly. Puppies need to have access to what they eat restricted even as they should eat more times daily then when they are adults. Specifically, German Shepherd puppy food will help them develop into a healthy, happy GSD, when they will have a diet different from when they were puppies. As puppies, they should be fed 3-4 times daily, and small meals are essential. As adults, feeding should be done once but no more than twice daily, and they should be moderate amounts. Commercial German Shepherd food, such as Royal Canin German Shepherd puppy, should have recommended amounts.

Still, it's best to go by caloric intake than absolute volume. In other words, you will have to do some homework rather than asking how many cups of kibble or how many cans of wet food. But as you are sure to love your GSD, this "homework" should be no problem, right? Active adult GSD dogs have a different recommended diet than inactive or much older dogs. It's believed that typically inactive or older German Shepherds should have 1,270-1,540 calories daily, and that active GSDs should have 1,740-2,100 calories. Protein, fat, and carbs are different calorie types, and they should all be carefully considered depending on age, size, health, and type of diet. A good source is the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Below is a very general guide to German Shepherd feeding amounts.

German Shepherds are very large dogs, and feeding them properly can help prevent immediate and future weight and health problems. GSD puppies should be fed much less fat than adults. Too much fat in a puppy's diet can easily develop into obesity and hip dysplasia later in life. It's much easier to learn how to correctly feed your beloved GSD than to deal with preventable health problems and the vet bills — as well as having to learn a proper diet for them after all! You can get an idea if your German Shepherd Dog is overweight by looking at them from above and from the side. From overhead, they should have a visible waistline back of the ribcage. If it is like a tube from front to back, they are overweight. If the waist protrudes, there is a big problem. From the side, the ribcage should be closer to the ground than the belly. Adjusting the dog's diet, getting a bit more exercise, and following a German Shepherd feeding chart can go a long way to getting your fat German Shepherd back in shape.

The best dog food for German Shepherds is hotly argued. Many top breeders and GSD owners will recommend that a raw food diet that includes certain fruits and vegetables is the best. There are others who claim that a quality brand commercial food is just fine. For the most part, nearly no one advocates a cheap canned (or dry) dog food. Although the cheap stuff is inexpensive now, it is indeed cheap and full of filler such as corn syrup additives. These fillers can prove very painful and highly expensive down the road. It's extremely important to make sure your GSD puppy is started out with a proper diet so as to grow into a big, healthy, and smart dog.

German Shepherd Dogs are very adaptable to many living environments. They are fine as indoor dogs, even modest apartments, providing they are cared for properly, given time outdoors, and exercised frequently and regularly. They are fine for outdoors too, but they tend to have a tolerance between zero degrees Fahrenheit and about 85 degrees F. If they are primarily outdoors and it is very cold weather, there are a number of things they must have, such as proper shelter, access to unfrozen water, and room to be active. Still they have a significant tolerance to cold weather with their layer of fat beneath a very thick double-coat. If they are outdoor dogs in a hot climate, however, they tend to succumb quickly — especially if they are exercising, without shade, or with little water.