Our Heidelberg German Shepherd Dogs are generally good eaters.When we sell a German Shepherd Dog puppy they have ravenous appetites and they eat their food fast because they know if they do not eat it then their litter mates will.However, every now and then when a customer takes home their new German shepherd puppy, the puppy will not eat well.
A German shepherd puppy may lose their appetite for a couple of days, and this is normal as the puppy makes the adjustment to the new home and people.However, the German shepherd puppy’s ravenous appetite should return after a couple of days.The biggest mistake new owners make in regards to their puppy eating is during this transition time, they will try coaxing the puppy to eat.Our German Shepherd Dogs are highly intelligent, and they crave attention.If you do not believe this just make a big deal about a minor injury. For example, when they hurt a foot make a big deal out of it, and you will see them carry-on, feigning continuing pain as long as you show them a high emotional response.Likewise, if coaxed to eat, they will recognize this human behavior as submissive and they will exploit the new owner by continuing not to eat well.Often once this process is started, the new owner will entice the new puppy to eat by adding more favorable foods, such as pieces of steak to their food to get the puppy to eat.
Once the new owner has done this the puppy may never eat right again, and if they do not eat right they may not grow correctly.The best way to avoid this is do not react to them not eating well for the first couple of days.Simply pick their food up after 20 minutes and place it in the refrigerator until the next feeding time.The new German shepherd puppy will eventually get hungry and start eating well again.The new owner must also be aware that not eating well is one of the first signs of illness so if the German shepherd puppy is not eating and shows signs of malaise then you may want to take their temperature and contact your veterinarian.However, if the puppy is lively, playful, and drinking water, there is nothing to be concerned about.
If your German Shepherd Dog, puppy or adult is a finicky eater then you must stop worrying about what and when they eat.They live by your emotional state, and if you have anxiety about them eating then they will not eat well.Feed them their diet without fanfare and if they do not eat pick the food up in 20 minutes and place it in the refrigerator. Do not worry, your German Shepherd Dog will not starve themselves to death, eventually they will start eating on your schedule.The main thing is to separate yourself from the emotional concern about whether they eat.
Well Fed Puppies
The only supplement that I recommend to increase the appetite of your German Shepherd Dog, puppy or adult is our “Pure Total Vitamin Supplement”, which has chicken liver powder as part of its ingredients.German Shepherd Dogs cannot resist the taste of chicken liver powder.It is fine to add this supplement to their food because you should be supplementing their diet with vitamins anyway and the “Pure Total Vitamin Supplement” should be a part of your German Shepherd Dog’s daily diet.
You can purchase “Pure Total Vitamin Supplement” by clicking on the below link and contacting us at Keystone German Shepherds & Kennels.
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Our Heidelberg German Shepherd Dogs dig very infrequently. However, all German Shepherd Dogs will dig.Three basic reasons exist to cause your German Shepherd Dog to dig. The first and most common is boredom, followed by digging in a damp place in the yard in the summer to keep cool, and because they see you dig and want to join in on the activity such as planting a tree.
If your German Shepherd Dog is digging because they are bored.Take note of the time of the day or night that they dig and try to interrupt this behavioral pattern by walking them at this time.If it is during the middle of the day, while you are at work, you can try walking your German Shepherd Dog as soon as you get home from work.Usually by adding a daily brisk walk, the digging behavior will be abated.If this does not work, hire a teenager to walk your German Shepherd Dog during the day while you are at work.When you get home consider adding another walk to your German Shepherd Dog’s daily routine. A walk or combination of walks should stop the digging.
Running Free and Not Thinking About Digging
If your German Shepherd Dog is digging to stay cool during the summer time, place a plastic kiddie pool full of water in their backyard.It is usually best to place the pool over the area that they usually dig.
If you garden and have had the pleasure of planting several plants only to have your German Shepherd Dog dig up all your plantings, you are not alone.Do not disparage and give up on your garden.While planting place your German Shepherd Dog in a crate out-of-site of your gardening activities.This is usually all that is required to keep your German Shepherd Dog from helping you with your gardening.
Heidelberg German Shepherd Dogs Exercising at a Dog Show in Missouri
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Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
I am sorry that I was unable to post yesterday; our internet was down all day. Today, I am going to discuss improving the richness of the black and red in your German Shepherd Dog coats. While our Heidelberg German Shepherd Dogs have beautiful color and markings, we discovered by accident that even this can be improved by a diet change.
Approximately six years ago we started collecting the venison scraps from two large deer processors near us. They were just burying these scraps because in Oklahoma it is illegal to sell wildlife parts. We now freeze approximately 6,000 pounds of meat and feed approximately 20 pounds of cooked venison daily to our German Shepherd Dogs. This works out to approximately three to six ounces of cooked venison per dog depending on the number of puppies and boards that we have at any given time.
Two Richly Pigmented German Shepherd Dogs Playing
Within two months of feeding the venison, we noticed that our German Shepherd Dogs coats began to get noticeably darker and richer. The black became blacker and the tan became redder. Even our regular customers noticed the change.
I believe that the rich red venison meat is providing the vitamins, minerals, and amino acids necessary for our German Shepherd Dogs to express their true coat colors. I have no scientific proof of this, but strong anecdotal evidence. Even slightly faded German Shepherd Dogs are no longer faded.
I do not know if beef would provide the same results, but definitely any dark rich meat, such as venison and bison would improve your German Shepherd Dog’s coat color. This change in diet and resulting improvement in coat color indicates that we still have a lot to learn about feeding German Shepherd Dogs correctly by providing them with all the needed nutrients for maintenance and growth.
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Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
We have returned from the German Shepherd Dog show in Grove, Oklahoma.On Thursday Heidelberg’s Kaito v Carlief (Toby) won a 5-point major.This gives Toby 9 championship points.All he needs to complete his championship is 6 more points and one more major.Congratulations to his owners, the Brian family.
Heidelberg’s Kaito
Also, Champion Heidelberg’s Zeke v Gennyh (Kolby) went select both days to win two 5-point majors and he beat a Champion both days.Therefore, Kolby has met all his requirements for a Grand Championship with three majors and beating three champions.With 18 points all he needs to complete his Grand Championship is 7 minor points. Congratulations to his owners, the Cline family.
Champion Heidelberg’s Zeke v Gennyh
In addition, Champion Heidelberg’s Kelsey Queridad went Best of Opposite and Select each day, respectively and won two 3-point majors towards her Grand Championship for a total of 30 points.All Kelsey needs to complete her Grand Championship is to beat three Champions at three separate shows.
Champion Heidelberg’s Kelsey Queridad
While we had hoped to win a major on Heidelberg’s Brandi Charisman it did not work out that way, and that is just what happens sometimes at a dog show.All the careful planning and work sometimes comes to no avail.Unfortunately for us Scott Yergin, who currently has the number one German Shepherd Dog in the country came all the way from Atlanta, Georgia to this dog show. He is considered to be the number one German shepherd Dog handler in the country by many after Jimmy Moses retirement, and that is tough thing to compete against.
After reflecting upon our successes it was a fairly decent show for us, but it could have been so much better. I want to thank everyone that helped us to make this show possible including the entire Cline clan, the Westfalls, and Jeremy Whitson, who drove up from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to help us get dogs to the ring and to show Champion Kelsey. Our next big show date will be Tulsa, Oklahoma during the Memorial Day weekend.
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Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
Today we will be scrambling around preparing for an important German Shepherd Dog show in Grove, Oklahoma. This show is a 5-point major on the male side and a three point major on the bitch side. I am excitedly anticipating this show because we have done well, at past shows, under the judges that we are showing under on Thursday and Friday. The show is four days long; however, we do not like the judges for Saturday and Sunday, and have not entered for those days. We are not the only ones that are not entered for Saturday and Sunday because the show goes from 5-point majors to a weak 2-point show. Points are based on the number of German Shepherd Dogs that are entered for each day.
Since the weekends are historically the larger entry days for any given cluster of shows, hopefully the club that chose the judges for Saturday and Sunday will notice the drastic decline in entries and reconsider their judge choices. Maybe next year the club will procure more favorable judges for all four shows. If they had more favorable judges, then they would have had 5-point majors for all the shows this year.
It takes 15 points to complete an American Kennel Club conformation, Championship title. A minimum of 6 points must come from two major wins. Majors are shows worth three to five points. The most points that can be awarded at any show are 5-points. Five-point majors are very rare and hard to come by. Likewise, it takes 25 points, in addition to the 15 points required for a championship, for a Grand Championship.
These shows will likely determine how many German Shepherd Dogs’ Championships we finish this year. For instance, if Heidelberg’s Kaito v Carlief and Heidelberg’s Brandi Charisman pick up 5-point majors at this show, we will be able to complete their championships this year, and if either wins both days they will be essentially champions needing only one or two minor points.
A Young Heidelberg’s Kaito v Carlief Win in 2012 Pine Bluff
Heidelberg’s Brandi Charisman
In addition, our Champion Heidelberg’s Kelsey Queirdad needs one point and to beat three champions to complete her Grand Championship, and if she wins Best-of-Breed (BOB) at either show, she will be our newest Grand Champion.
Champion Heidelberg’s Kelsey Queridad
I will be unable to blog for the next three days, but I will provide our results at the next posting. Ask me a Question and I will provide my opinion.
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