Health Recommendations: Take your puppy to a veterinarian for an exam, vaccinations, micro chip and neuter/spay. German Shepherds are prone to hip & knee problems. It is important to safeguard your German Shepherd’s joints for the first nine month: do not let your pup jump up or down, lift it into & out of the car, do not let your pup exercise to exhaustion, i.e., be watchful of over exertion on trips to the beach or to the river, etc. Once your pup is over nine months, give your German Shepherd a consistent and fairly strenuous exercise program that will help it stay physically and mentally healthy. German Shepherds are a working breed and require a LOT of daily exercise. German Shepherds need exercise, discipline & love; in order of importance.
Education Recommendations: A German Shepherd loves to have a job and they look for your praise and attention. Eye contact is important; they won’t listen to you if they don’t make eye contact. You will find it extremely helpful to teach your German Shepherd puppy to come, sit, lay down and heal. The more you teach your puppy, the happier you will be as a dog owner and the happier your dog will be.
Feeding Recommendations: Feed your German Shepherd food that has meat and vegetables as the primary ingredients. Avoid foods that contain meat by-products and corn. For the first twelve months, I feed Blue Buffalo - Life Protection Formula with Life Source Bits - Large breed puppy - chicken & brown rice recipe. Other brands I have heard good things about are Merrick, Nutro, Taste of the Wild, and Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance. I have found these brands at PetSmart, Petco, Wilco, and Coastal. Feed your pup three evenly spaced meals each day. At six months, or when they stop eating one of the meals, feed them two meals a day. Maintain a healthy lean weight, as excess weight places excess stress on joints.
Recommended Reading:
Monks of New Skete:
Recommended Video:
Jeanne Carlson, trainer/behaviorist and author of the video "Good Puppy!" www.goodpuppydog.com
Dog Grooming Tools:
Metal Shedding Blade with Leather Grip
Double Sided Shedding and Dematting Undercoat Rake Comb
Sandra's Dog Treat Recipe:
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