German Shepherd Dogs and Winter Weather

German Shepherd Dogs and Winter Weather

Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge

Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge

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 Hi Everyone,

It is the end of November in Northeastern Oklahoma, and it is time again to pull our dog houses out of storage and place them in the kennels.  After the 15th of November, we often get cold snaps in Oklahoma, which can include several days of freezing rain or even snow.   Our Heidelberg shepherds are well equipped to deal with the cold with their correct plush double-coats.  Likewise if your shepherd has a correct coat and no health problems, you will probably notice that when you crank up the heater they well probably ask to go outside more often than normal.  This is because they have their winter coats on and cannot remove them as we remove our jackets upon entering the house.  Fortunately for our shepherds that are inside, my wife and I run a little hot and we keep our thermostat down during winter months.

Heidelberg German Shepherds Enjoying a March Blizzard

Heidelberg German Shepherds Enjoying a March Blizzard

We place straw in our dog houses in our kennels to provide warm insulation for our shepherds. In addition, their runs are covered to protect against rain and snow.  We have found unless our shepherds are wet that they will not use their dog houses even in subzero temperatures.  We often have observed that our shepherds prefer to sleep on the snow rather than their well-insulated dog houses.

Heidelberg German Shepherds Playing in a Winter Storm

Heidelberg German Shepherds Playing in a Winter Storm

Therefore, if they can stay dry and out of the wind and your German shepherd is healthy and correctly coated, they comfortably can withstand subfreezing temperatures .  Actually you may find that they prefer and are much more comfortable outside during the winter months than they are  inside your cozy warm house.  Remember to always provide fresh unfrozen water for your shepherd during the winter months because they will get dehydrated almost as quickly as they would in the summer.

Heidelberg Puppies Are Well Equipped to Be Comfortable in the Winter

Heidelberg Puppies Are Well Equipped to Be Comfortable in the Winter

If you are considering getting a German shepherd puppy consider getting one of our older puppies and save a little money on some very high quality shepherds.

Please continue to check out our web page as we post updates on available litters: https://kgsd.inventivehorizons.com/PuppiesForSale.htm.   We have several wonderful puppies that that are ready to go home.

Ask me a Question and I will provide my opinion.   Also, please see our web page: KeystoneGermanShepherds

Sincerely,

KeystoneGermanShepherds

German Shepherd Dogs and Winter Weather

Whelping German Shepherd Puppies and When to Go to the Vet

Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge

Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge

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 Hi Everyone,

Last night I had a very hard delivery with a first time German shepherd mom.  She started labor at noon,  three days early, which in itself is a little worrisome, but not that unusual.  I now know why she was early.  Anyway after several hours the first puppy was presented in the vaginal canal, but too deep for me to pull it out.  This is when I first became worried that this delivery was not going to be normal.  After two hours and several doses of Oxytocin, I was ready to take her in to the vet for a possible C-section.   Of course this always happens on Sunday or holidays after hours.

I placed her on the grooming table to examine her one last time before calling the vet and I could feel that the puppy had progressed far enough that I could pull it on out, which I did.  To my surprise the puppy was alive and is doing very well today.  This puppy was large, but not unusually so, and I surmised that because this was her first puppy she just had trouble pushing out an above average puppy in size.  I also surmised that the rest of the puppies should come much easier at this point.  I was wrong.

The next puppy proved to be just as difficult if not harder for her.  After five hours and several doses of Oxytocin this puppy presented itself breach.  After feathering and some brave pushing by the new mom, I was able to grab the rear feet of the puppy and ease it out.  This puppy was two to three times larger than the average newborn German shepherd puppy.  Unfortunately, this puppy did not survive the breach delivery.

Heidelberg's Farrah and Her New Puppy After a Difficult Delivery

Heidelberg’s Farrah and Her New Puppy After a Difficult Delivery

This proved to be her last puppy and explained her difficulty in delivering such large puppies.  Sometimes when females have small litters the puppies can grow too large to allow for an easy and normal delivery.  When this happens the female will often have the puppies a few days early to keep the puppies from growing any larger.

Going to a vet during delivery is very expensive and also could expose the new puppies to diseases.  Therefore, it not a decision made lightly.  No easy way or formula exists for knowing when it is time to seek professional help.  For example, I had a female that was in labor for over 24-hours with no progress made towards delivery.  I had been in contact with my vet and he said that we had waited long enough and to bring her in.  While picking her up on the delivery table a viable puppy fell out on to the ground.  I was sent home and while on the way home she had another two puppies in the 10 minute drive.  She ended up having 10 healthy puppies.  Another female was in labor all day with presented puppy that was stuck deep in the vaginal canal. After several hours of pushing she was exhausted and could not push anymore, and this time, in the middle of the night on the 45 minute drive to Oklahoma State University Animal Hospital she fell asleep and delivered the puppy in the backseat while snoring.  When she fell asleep she relaxed enough for the puppy to slide on out into the side-pocket of my trucks door.   In this case she had to have a C-section to deliver the remaining four puppies because she had exhausted her ability to push.  All five puppies were healthy and are doing well today with their owners.

Making the decision to go to the vet during delivery problems is not easy and best should be made once you have surpassed your knowledge and abilities to deal with the myriad of issues that could arise during delivery.  Knowing when you have exhausted your expertise is also not easy.

If you are considering getting a German shepherd puppy consider getting one of our older puppies and save a little money on some very high quality shepherds.

Please continue to check out our web page as we post updates on available litters: https://kgsd.inventivehorizons.com/PuppiesForSale.htm.   We have several wonderful puppies that that are ready to go home.

Ask me a Question and I will provide my opinion.   Also, please see our web page: KeystoneGermanShepherds

Sincerely,

KeystoneGermanShepherds

German Shepherd Dogs and Winter Weather

Another German Shepherd Dog Hero Story

Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge

Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge

 Hi Everyone,

Damon is a young 14-month-old, long-coat Heidelberg German shepherd that has almost completed his first level of Rally.  Damon and his owner  went out to the barn to feed their horses .  Damon is still on leash while feeding because he likes to chase the neighbor’s cats (he mainly wants to play) and he wants to herd the horses at inappropriate times.  The owner had experienced some health problems and has been falling a lot, and this time she fell at the barn and badly twisted her leg.  She screamed and dropped the leash.

A Six-Month-Old Heidelberg's Damon Relaxing at Home

A Six-Month-Old Heidelberg’s Damon Relaxing at Home

Once she had dropped the leash she thought ‘oh no Damon is going to chase the horses and I am hurt too bad to stop him.  However to her surprise Damon straddled her while she was lying down and stood over her until she was able to stand.  Damon stood there on alert guarding her and trying to figure out what happened and why did his owner fall.  She said, ‘it was so obvious he was guarding me’.  Damon completely ignored the neighbor’s cats and horses and focused completely on protecting his owner.  Once Damon realized there was no real threat he got behind his owner and started pushing on her back with his head to help nudge her up.

A Six-Month-Old Heidelberg's Damon Sitting Nicely at Home

A Six-Month-Old Heidelberg’s Damon Sitting Nicely at Home

I have experienced similar behavior with our Heidelberg German shepherd while falling in the show ring.  I have taken some hard falls over the years while running around the ring and each time our shepherds have immediately come up to me and start licking my face.  Whereas, I have seen other shepherds being shown where the handler has fallen and let go off the leash and these shepherds that are not Heidelberg’s have taken off running away out of the ring and if they didn’t have a leash where somebody was able to grab them, they would probably still be running today.

A Six-Month-Old Heidelberg's Damon Standing Nicely at Home

A Six-Month-Old Heidelberg’s Damon Standing Nicely at Home

If you would like to see Damon practicing his Rally testing please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=janpVs814Uo

If you are considering getting a German shepherd puppy consider getting one of our older puppies and save a little money on some very high quality shepherds.

Please continue to check out our web page as we post updates on available litters: https://kgsd.inventivehorizons.com/PuppiesForSale.htm.   We have several wonderful puppies that that are ready to go home.

Ask me a Question and I will provide my opinion.   Also, please see our web page: KeystoneGermanShepherds

Sincerely,

German Shepherd Dogs and Winter Weather

Bones for German Shepherd Dogs

Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge

Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge

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 Hi Everyone,

Today I have another diet tip for your German Shepherd Dog.  It is fall again, and for those that live in rural parts of the United States that means it is hunting season and more specific it is deer season.  Here in Oklahoma, we have two large deer processors nearby and daily I collect their scraps from their deer processing operations.  I usually pick up four large trash cans full of meat and fresh bones.  We separate the bones from the meat scraps and place the bones in the kennels every evening.  The following day we remove the bones before they dry out and become brittle and, therefore, become possibly a danger by breaking off in sharp shards.

Heidelberg's William Loves Deer Bones

Heidelberg’s William Loves Deer Bones

Fresh bones have the consistency of a bar of soap in that you can shave them as you can shave soap.  Fresh bones in moderation are easily chewed and digested by German Shepherd Dogs.  We even provide bones to puppies as young as 8-weeks-old.  Our shepherds enjoying chewing off the fresh meat still attached to the bones and they enjoy eating some of the bones and the nutrient rich marrow inside the long bones. Our shepherd get very fat and healthier in the fall.  In addition to the nutritional benefits of fresh bones, the process of chewing on the bones removes all the tarter off our shepherds’ teeth.

Grand Champion, Champion Heidelberg's Kodi has a Perfect Smile Because He Keeps His Teeth Clean from Chewing on Deer Bones

Grand Champion, Champion Heidelberg’s Kodi has a Perfect Smile Because He Keeps His Teeth Clean from Chewing on Deer Bones

Give your German Shepherd Dog fresh bones from time to time.  Find a deer processor near you, and ask them if you can collect some fresh leg bones from them.  Offer to bring a container that they can throw the bones in it for you.  Most processor are more than happy to provide their bones to you.  For the most part they just throw them away anyway.  Collect and freeze enough to provide a fresh bone treat to your German Shepherd Dog a couple of times a month.

Note a word of caution: if you have not previously given fresh bones to your shepherd, you may need to monitor their consumption for the first couple of times because they literally will eat all the bones that you give them, which can cause gastric upset and constipation.  Your shepherd never before having fresh bones will devour them as a kid would if they were experiencing chocolate for the first time as teenager.  No amount will satisfy.  Once you give your shepherd bones on a regular basis of a couple times per month they will then just chew on them and eat very little of the actual bone, which is what you want.  After twenty-four hours remove any uneaten bones from the yard and throw them away.

12-Month-Old Heidelberg's Nelson With A Perfect Smile

12-Month-Old Heidelberg’s Nelson With A Perfect Smile

If you are considering getting a German shepherd puppy consider getting one of our older puppies and save a little money on some very high quality shepherds.

Please continue to check out our web page as we post updates on available litters: https://kgsd.inventivehorizons.com/PuppiesForSale.htm.   We have several wonderful puppies that that are ready to go home.

Ask me a Question and I will provide my opinion.   Also, please see our web page: KeystoneGermanShepherds

Sincerely,

KeystoneGermanShepherds

German Shepherd Dogs and Winter Weather

A Diet Tip for Your German Shepherd Dog

Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge

Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge

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 Hi Everyone,

A diet tip for your German Shepherd Dog; add one to two ounces of cooked carrots to their diet daily.  Carrots are rich in vitamins including Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate and Manganese, and a great source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Potassium.  All these vitamins and nutrients are need for the daily maintenance and growth of your German Shepherd Dog.

Carrots are rich in vitamins and nutrients and are good for your German Shepherd Dog

Carrots are rich in vitamins and nutrients and are good for your German Shepherd Dog

Unfortunately, many dry-food dog formulas add refined sugars to their dry-food to make it more palatable to dogs, thus making the owners think it is a good food because their dog prefers it over dry-foods without added sugars.  Refined sugars are very bad for dogs causing tooth decay, obesity, and potentially diabetes.  However, the natural sugars found in carrots can sweeten and improve the palatability your wholesome dry-food. 

Heidelberg's Danny loves carrots

Heidelberg’s Danny loves carrots

Therefore improve the taste and health of your German shepherd Dog by adding one to two ounces of cooked carrots mixed well into the dinner.  If you are going to cook your own carrots be sure and add the water you cooked the carrots in to the dry-food because most of the vitamins and nutrients will be found in the water.

Heidelberg"s Bart had his carrots today.  Did you?

Heidelberg”s Bart had his carrots today. Did you?

If you are considering getting a German shepherd puppy consider getting one of our older puppies and save a little money on some very high quality shepherds.

Please continue to check out our web page as we post updates on available litters: https://kgsd.inventivehorizons.com/PuppiesForSale.htm.   We have several wonderful puppies that that are ready to go home.

Ask me a Question and I will provide my opinion.   Also, please see our web page: KeystoneGermanShepherds

Sincerely,

KeystoneGermanShepherds