Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
Today, I would like to discuss a grooming tip for your German Shepherd Dog, adult or puppy. Because German Shepherd Dog’s are relative clean in nature, they require very little grooming maintenance other than a good coat brushing a couple times a week and nails trimmed ideally twice a month. Many German Shepherd Dog owners never clip their dog’s nails because their puppy was not properly trained and conditioned to have their nails trimmed. Now as an adolescent or adult it is a nightmare to clip their German Shepherd Dog’s nails. Other owner are afraid of accidentally cutting the quick. Thus, many German Shepherd Dog owners avoid clipping nails or take their German Shepherd Dog to an expensive grooming service or veterinarian.
It is a health hazard to allow your German shepherd Dog’s nails to grow long. Sooner or later, due to the high activity level of your German shepherd Dog, they will snag and pull an entire nail off. Such an injury is highly susceptible to serious infections that can result in amputation of a toe.
While your German Shepherd Dog is a young puppy acclimate them to nail clipping by playing with their toes while they are being loved in your lap, on the couch, or in the floor. Make it a habit to play with their feet and toes by grabbing hold of the foot and spreading their toes apart. This conditions your German shepherd Dog puppy to be relaxed regarding having their feet and toes messed with. Then clip Your German Shepherd Dog puppy’s nails routinely at least every other week. If you do this as your German Shepherd Dog grows up, you will be able to always clip their nails without problems.
Human toe nail clippers are ideal for your German Shepherd Dog puppy, but eventually you will need to purchase a good quality scissor nail clipper as shown below. Never use the the guillotine type clippers on German Shepherd Dogs. Guillotine clippers tend to dull quickly and crush the nail rather than cut, which results in discomfort for your German Shepherd Dog.
Scissor Type Nail Clippers
Below the photograph shows the correct place to trim your German Shepherd Dog nails. The cut should be made in front of the quick where the nail starts to hook over. If nails are white you can see the quick, however, most our German Shepherd Dogs have darker nails making it impossible to see the quick. Through experience you will know where to trim the nail to avoid cutting into the quick. When you do cut into the quick it will cause some pain and bleeding, and you will need to apply styptic powder. Do not be afraid of cutting the quick because “it will happen”, but as you continue to trim your German Shepherd Dog’s nails you will learn how close to trim.
Tomorrow, I will discuss German Shepherd Dogs that resists or fights nail trimming and tell you how to train them so that their nails can easily be trimmed.
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
ALL PUPPIES BELOW ARE SOLD EXCEPT FOR CH. BOGIE X ESSENCE LITTER. Please go to keystonegermanshepherds.com for available puppies. Just Click Keystone German Shepherds banner up above.
We have a really nice selection of German shepherd puppies with litters available out of new Ch. Heidelberg’s Nashville v Oklahoman and Ch. Heidelberg’s Stefanie Missyw. Nashville (Noah) is co-owned by Dee Pierce. Noah is also only three points away from being a Grand Champion.
Ch. Heidelberg’s Nashville v Oklahoman (Noah)
Ch. Heidelberg’s Stefanie Missyw
Champion Noah is producing great size and bone with fearless temperaments. Noah’s current German shepherd puppy litter has four males and two females.
We are accepting deposits. Do not miss out on owning a future German shepherd dog champion out of this litter. German shepherd puppies will be available to go home on February 10, 2013. We also have two females and one male out of Grand Champion Champion (GrCh. Ch.) Heidelberg’s Kodiak v Queridad (Kodi) and Heidelberg’s Quinn Delta (Crystal). Crystal is co-owned with Riley Westfall and is currently being shown to her Championship. GrCh. Ch. Kodi is also a full time Medical Alert Service German shepherd dog. Below is a picture of Kodi and coming is a picture of Crystal:
GrCh. Ch. Kodi
Future Ch. Heidelberg’s Rain Quinn out of GrCh. Ch. Heidelberg’s Kodi x Crystal $1,500.00 SOLD
Sire:
Ch. Heidelberg’s Nashville v Oklahoman
AKC#: DN230362/01
Dam:
Ch. Heidelberg’s Stefanie Missyw
AKC#: DN177134/02
AKC Litter # DN355781
Males
4
Females
2
Date Whelped
12/3/12
SEX
COLOR
TATTOO
DEPOSIT
PUPPY’S NAME
PRICE
M
Black/Tan
HH1727
Heidelberg’s Quantum v Stefaniem
$1,876.00
M
Black/Tan
HH1728
Heidelberg’s Quasar v Stefaniem
$1,826.00
M
Black/Tan
HH1729
Sold
Heidelberg’s Quest v Stefaniem
$1,200.00
M
Black/Tan
HH1730
Sold
Heidelberg’s Quincy v Stefaniem
$1,200.00
F
Black/Tan
HH1731
Sold
Heidelberg’s Qubec Stefaniem
$1,400.00
F
Black/Tan
HH1732
Sold
Heidelberg’s Quora Stefaniem
$850.00
Sire:
GCh. Ch. Heidelberg’s Kodiak v Queridad
AKC#: DN218604/01
Dam:
Heidelberg’s Quinn Delta
AKC#: DN243651/02
AKC Litter # DN355459
Males
1
Females
2
Date Whelped
12/7/12
SEX
COLOR
TATTOO
DEPOSIT
PUPPY’S NAME
PRICE
M
Black/Tan
HH1733
Deposit
Heidelberg’s Rainer v Quinnd
$1,550.00
F
Black/Tan
HH1734
Sold
Heidelberg’s Rain Quinnd
$1,500.00
F
Black/Tan
HH1735
Sold
Heidelberg’s Reba Quinnd
$950.00
Quantum $1,876.00
Quasar $1,826.00
Quest $1,200.00 Sold
Quebec $1,400.00 Sold
Quora $850.00 Sold
Rainier $1,500.00 Sold
We also have a litter out of Ch. Heidelberg’s Bogie v Charisman and Heidelberg’s Essence Jackieq. Bogie has been a top producer the last three years and these puppies will be large. There are 2 males and 2 females in this German shepherd Dog puppy litter and we are accepting deposits. These German shepherd puppies will be ready to go home March 3, 2013.
Ask me a question and I promise to provide my opinion.
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
Today, I am going to recommend that you add to your German Shepherd Dog’s diet one tablespoon of plain white yogurt to every meal. Yogurt contains the essential calcium in a highly digestible form that is needed for maintenance and growth. Once German Shepherd Dog puppies are weened they become lactose intolerant, which means they no longer are able to produce the enzyme lactase in sufficient quantities to digest most milk products. Certain cheeses and cottage cheese in small quantity and yogurt are digestible by your German Shepherd Dog.
German Shepherd Dogs love the taste of yogurt. Yogurt may help a finicky German Shepherd Dog eater to eat their food.
Yogurt is especially good for your growing German Shepherd Dog puppy by promoting and supporting proper bone and joint growth. Most all dry-food companies that sell puppy formulas, advertise their kibble as being fortified with calcium, but if you read the label the form of calcium added to the kibble is calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is ground up limestone and is not a readily digestible form of calcium. Therefore, the limestone powder passes through your German Shepherd Dog puppy’s digestive system unabsorbed and may even be detrimental by adding undo stress to your German Shepherd Dog puppy’s digestive system.
One heaping table spoon of a high quality Yogurt such as Dannon provides your German Shepherd Dog’s daily requirement for calcium, as well as probiotics such as acidophilus. Acidophilus will help your German Shepherd Dog digest their food more efficiently by assisting the breakdown of nutrients into a digestible form. This is one supplement for your German Shepherd Dog that may pay for itself by assisting in the more efficient digestion of your dog’s food. Thus, better absorption and less poop.
In addition, yogurt can help with diarrhea by replenishing the flora that is lost in your German Shepherd Dog’s digestive system during a bout of diarrhea. When one of our German Shepherd Dog has an upset stomach, we give them 5 to 6 heaping tablespoons of yogurt added to their dinner and in most cases this settles their stomach and reduces or ends their bout of diarrhea.
A good source of yogurt is as close as your local food store. We recommend a high quality yogurt because the cheaper brands may not have live acidophilus cultures.
Include yogurt in your diet regime for your dog, and your German Shepherd Dog will love you the more for it. You will not be disappointed, and will love purchasing less dog food and picking up less poop.
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
Today, I am going to recommend that you add to your German Shepherd Dog’s diet a table spoon of cod liver oil. Cod liver oil contains the essential omega three fatty acids that are need for maintenance and growth. Cod liver oil is especially good for your growing German Shepherd Dog puppy by promoting good brain growth and a strong vascular system, as well as providing essential macro-nutrients for good eye health.
Another benefit of cod liver oil for German Shepherd Dog is that it will keep their coats bright and shiny. In addition, if your German Shepherd Dog has skin allergies, cod liver will help alleviate the itching and scratching associated with skin allergies and hot spots.
Cod liver oil can also be used to flavor bad tasting medicines. Just pour a little cod liver oil on the pill or powder and your German Shepherd Dog will readily take their medicine.
We sell one quart bottles of the purest North Atlantic cod liver oil that is available. We charge $17.50 for the one quart bottles that are human grade cod liver oil. Our cod liver is also preserved only with vitamin e (no artificial preservatives or harsh chemicals) and can be placed in the freezer for long term storage. A one quart bottle will last approximately 3 months.
Include cod liver oil in your diet regime for your dog, and your German Shepherd Dog will love you the more for it.
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
What To Do If Your German Shepherd Dog Heels With Their Nose To The Ground
Hello Everyone,
Many German Shepherds Dogs have natural instincts to to track. This is why many German Shepherd Dogs make superior Search and Rescue Dogs, Cadaver Dogs, and Drug Search Dogs. For the German Shepherd Dog that has these instincts it is rather quite easy for a trainer to harness these instincts and develop this German Shepherd Dog into a superior working Dog.
However, these same German Shepherd Dogs want to heel with their nose to the ground rather than watching where the owner wants to go. This behavior is easy to correct while performing the heeling exercise. First make sure that you have the choke chain on so it will release after a correction and that it is correctly sized to your German Shepherd Dog puppy or Adult. In addition, make sure the chain is in the correct position high on the neck. (See my blog tip on choke chains.)
While performing the heeling exercise when your German Shepherd Dog puts his head down give a sharp command “LEAVE IT” while giving a serious of sharp corrections with the choke chain. This means quickly pulling up with the leash sharply then releasing. As soon as the tension is out of the leash pull up again sharply. You should be able to get three to four corrections in a a manner of a couple of seconds. Repeat as necessary and eventually even the most aggressive tracker will not put their nose to ground while heeling.
Try this technique the next time you are performing a heeling exercise with your German Shepherd Dog puppy or adult and you will be pleased with how much better your dog will heel when their nose is not continuously on the ground. Your German shepherd Dog walks will be much more enjoyable and your German Shepherd Dog will love you more for it.
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