Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
Introducing two or more dogs to a new German Shepherd Dog puppy can be an anxious experience because you will be worried that the older or larger dogs could potentially hurt the puppy.The first thing you must remember to do is present a relaxed mental attitude so that your existing dog(s) does not become anxious or nervous at the time of the introduction.So take a deep breath and carry your new puppy into the house and allow your other dog(s) to come up and sniff the new puppy while you sit on the couch loving the new German Shepherd Dog puppy.Once the existing dog(s) lose interest in the new puppy allow the puppy to roam around the house and approach the existing dog(s).If the existing dogs do not lose interest in the new puppy, after several minutes in your lap place the new puppy on the floor and allow the dogs to meet each other.This should be closely monitored by you until you are absolutely sure the older dog(s) will not harm the new puppy.If you have outside dogs then the same exercise can be done in your backyard.
Excited puppies playing
German Shepherd Dogs are Gregarious and Want to Be Part of a Pack
You should have a fair idea about the tolerance level and aggressiveness of the older and larger dog(s); therefore, if a possibility exists for the existing dog to snap at the new German Shepherd Dog puppy, you should do the introduction while the existing dog(s) are on leash, which may require the help of family members.Even if you have an older dog with a solid temperament if it is a shepherd or larger size dog, I would be hesitant to leave the new German Shepherd Dog puppy under 16 weeks-of-age alone with the existing dog without a couple of days of close supervision. One single act of aggression from the older dog intended only to teach the new puppy manners can severely injure the puppy if you are not there to prevent or intervene.After a couple of days of close supervision, you should know if it is safe to leave the dogs together unattended.
If you have friends with dogs then you can do the introduction in the same manner at your friend’s house.The process should be the same if your friend brings their dog(s) to your house.If you are introducing new puppies to each other there is no reason to go through any pretense, just introduce them and enjoy the show as they discover each other.
Puppies Learn Manners From Older Dogs
Puppies and Adults Can Get Along if Properly Introduced
As always with all puppies, any dogs that the puppy comes into contact with should be up to date on all vaccinations.There is little worse than losing a new puppy to parvo or distemper because they came into contact with an unvaccinated dog that was shedding viruses.
Ask me a Question and I will provide my opinion. Also, please see our web page: KeystoneGermanShepherds
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
The best way to retrain your German Shepherd Dog not to be dog aggressive is to expose them to a lot of strange dogs while walking on lead while healing, and when the opportunity arises refocus their attention from the aggressive actions to that of a calm and relaxed mindset. To get your German Shepherd Dog to refocus while it is being aggressive requires a firm action from you that must be robust enough that it will distract them from the object of their aggression and refocus their attention back onto you. For those that are physically able a Kung Fu type grip and a sharp poke into the rib cage of your German Shepherd Dog is usually enough to get them to refocus back onto you. This is not to be done hard enough to physically hurt the shepherd, but hard enough that they will be unable to ignore it and that they have no doubts that you disapprove of their behavior.
Well Socialized German Shepherd Dogs Playing
In the wild, the pack leader would harshly bite a subordinate if they were showing undue aggression to other pack members or a perceived threat. By poking your shepherd in the ribs, you are assuming the role of pack leader and biting a subordinate dog that is misbehaving, and this is how your dog will perceive this correction. If done properly, the dog will turn in your direction and look at you, and at this time you should provide a sharp verbal command of “Leave it”. Throughout this retraining exercise, you cannot become anxious or excited, you must remain calm and exude confidence or your dog will pick up on your negative energy and remain aggressive towards strange dogs.
When the correction is repeated and done correctly over several days your German Shepherd Dog will begin to relax around strange dogs and remain calm while you are walking. Once this begins you can start trying to work this exercise with long leads and allow your German Shepherd Dog to actually interact with strange dogs. You must continue to use a lead so that you can separate your shepherd from the strange dog if either dog begins to show aggression. Only when you are fully confident that your shepherd is retrained can you allow your shepherd untethered access to strange dogs.
For those people that are not physically able to perform the above exercise, electric shock training collars work well to replace the hand as the pseudo bite to your dog. In addition, if your German Shepherd Dog shows unwarranted aggression in the backyard by barking and charging the fence every time a strange dog walks by, the use of a shock collar will place an end to this unwanted behavior quickly.
If the shepherd that demonstrates this behavior towards strange dogs has subordinate dogs in the yard with them, they may lash out at the subordinate when the shock is applied. This is because they believe that the dog closes to them applied the shock (pseudo-bite) and since they are subordinate, they had no right to correct the dominant shepherd. This is a simple problem to fix, just put up subordinate dogs when using the shock collar. You may want to create the corrective situation by having friends or neighbors walk their dogs by your yard until your aggressive German Shepherd Dog ignores the strange dogs after a few corrections from the shock collar.
Socializing German Shepherd Dogs Should Start as Puppies
If you hire a professional trainer to retrain your German Shepherd Dog not to be aggressive towards strange dogs, they will basically be doing a derivative form of the above training exercise. Once they retrain your dog, they will want to retrain you. If you do not follow their instructions you will likely be right back at the starting point with a dog aggressive German shepherd.
Ask me a Question and I will provide my opinion. Also, please see our web page: KeystoneGermanShepherds
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
Traveling with your German Shepherd Dog can be easy and enjoyable when you and your dog are prepared for the trip.German Shepherd Dog, puppies or adults can be extremely sensitive to the water that they drink.Water from different areas contain different chemicals and hardness, and can cause your German Shepherd Dog to get diarrhea.Therefore, it is well worth the effort to travel with water from your house for your German Shepherd Dog.An alternative to this is to purchase distilled water.When we are traveling to dog shows, we may have as many as eight adult dogs in our van.This many dogs makes it impossible to carry enough water from home for a four or five day trip.We have found that the dogs do well on distilled water and they never get runny stools from the water.
Enjoying a Break while on the Road
I discovered this years ago while at a dog show with seven German Shepherd Dogs in West Texas where the local water was high in sulfur.I as well as all seven German shepherds had upset stomachs.I purchased distilled water and everyone got well within one day.Also, if your German Shepherd Dog does develop runny stools while traveling, four or five table spoons of Dannon plain white yogurt added to their food will calm their upset stomachs.
Traveling with your German Shepherd Dog’s food is easy with a little planning and preparation.I recommend bagging daily rations of dry-food in Ziploc baggies.This way you will not run out of food before your travels are done and you are not hauling extra food.You also can precook carrots and eggs and place these in Tupperware and keep them cool in a small doggie ice chest along with your yogurt and canned meet.Vitamins and cod liver oil also be premeasured and placed in smaller containers so you are not carrying extra while on your trip.We prefer to feed canned salmon or mackerel when traveling.One 15 ounce should be enough for 5 days.Be sure to bring a food bowl; we prefer stainless steel because it is durable and very easy to clean in a hotel sink. Also, you should bring a pail that you can hang onto the side of their crate for them to drink from.
Taking Time to Explore While on a Travel Break
Where does your German Shepherd dog ride while in the vehicle?For adult shepherds the front or back seat may suffice.If your dog is not crated, please use a dog seat-belt.This will protect you as well as your German shepherd Dog if you have a car accident.Even a minor fender bender can propel your unsecured dog into or through the windshield or into the back of your head killing you and your dog.For traveling with German Shepherd Dog puppies, I recommend a crate that is just large enough that they can stand up and comfortably turn around in.The crate should be secured to the vehicle so that it cannot become a projectile in case of an accident.
If you are staying overnight in hotels, you should bring a crate that you can place your dog in while he is in the hotel room, especially if you leave to go to eat and leave the German Shepherd Dog behind.This is because if hotel staff opens the door, they will not be greeted by a German Shepherd Dog and possibly let your dog out of the room when they leave the door open while running away.This happened to one of our customers while at a dog show in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Finally do not forget to bring a couple of your German Shepherd Dog’s favorite toys.Traveling is stressful to your dog and having a couple of their favorite toys in evening will allow them to unwind while you watch television to unwind. Enjoy your travels with your German Shepherd Dog and be safe on the road.
Grand Champion, Champion Heidelberg’s Kodiak v Qeridad Ready for Another Road Trip
Ask me a Question and I will provide my opinion. Also, please see our web page: KeystoneGermanShepherds
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
Now that you have decided on what you believe to be a reputable breeder, you must then visit this breeder to make sure that they have well cared for and high quality German Shepherd Dogs.Upon your visit examine the overall health of all the dogs and notice if the kennels are clean and well maintained. Does the place smell bad of urine and feces? If the kennel does not pass this initial examination, you may need to move onto another breeder.Once you do find a reputable breeder with well-maintained dogs and kennels, you need to know that there are myriads of different types of shepherds with different looks and different functions. These differences may not be readily apparent to the average puppy buyer.Therefore, it may take several visits to different breeders to find the reputable breeder that is producing the right type of shepherd for you and your family.A reputable breeder does not always translate into good quality German Shepherd Dogs that are right for you or your family.Therefore, you must assess the actual German Shepherd Dogs especially the adults and parents.Because the related adults at the kennel especially the parents are going to be the best predictors of the temperament and structure of the new puppy.
Keystone German Shepherds & Kennels
If you have chosen a breeder that specializes in imports be aware that many of these German Shepherd Dogs are high-strung and are full of nervous energy.Unless, you and your family members are prepared to spend several hours a day exercising and training an import shepherd may not be the best choice. For several years, the breeders in Europe have bred their German shepherd Dogs to increase the drive and energy of their lines.This is because the sport of Schutzhund requires a high drive dog, and the higher the drive the more successful the breeder will be in competitions. While this is a noble pursuit for dogs that will be used professionally in law enforcement activities, this does not translate well for the family dog. In addition, some imported German Shepherd Dog lines are people and/or dog aggressive.Do you and your family have the skills to deal with an aggressive dog?Note that not all imports are high-strung; those that originate from the show lines in Germany have steadier temperaments and often make wonderful companions for families, as well as offering home protection.
When visiting the kennel to discuss the potential purchase of a new puppy be sure and go around to all the kennels and visit each of the breeder’s dogs. Observe their behavior.If you are greeted with a serious barking and aggressive behaviors at several kennel this is an indication of the aggressive behavior that would be exhibited by your new puppy once grown.However, if you are greeted by an excited bark this indicates less aggression and a more relaxed temperament.Will the German Shepherd Dogs come greet you through the fence by smelling and licking your hand or do they retreat to the back of the kennel?A retreating German Shepherd Dog could potentially be a dangerous dog that could be a fear biter that could get you sued. Retreating or showing fear towards strangers is not the correct German Shepherd Dog temperament, and is a big clue that these may not be the right German shepherd line for you to get your next puppy from.
Champion Heidelberg’s Stefanie Stretched Out In Her Stack
Notice if the kennels are heavily chewed or if excessive digging behaviors are observable. Again, these are indicative of behaviors that your new puppy may demonstrate at home.Is there incessant barking coming from the kennels even after you have been there for a while?This may indicate a barking problem when your puppy is grown.Ask to see the dogs outside the kennel.Will these dogs allow you to greet them and to pet them?If the breeder is reluctant to let the dogs out of the kennel this is a major warning sign, and perhaps it is time to move on to the next kennel to purchase your next German shepherd Dog. Be observant and ask questions and listen to see if the breeder’s answers ring true to you.
We at Keystone German Shepherds & kennels breed an even tempered German Shepherd Dog that are a true pleasures to live with inside and/or outside. However, while friendly towards welcomed strangers and children our dogs would readily give their lives to protect us and our property.Our Heidelberg German Shepherds can discern the difference between a stranger and a truly bad person; therefore they will not get you sued for biting someone because if they do bite someone that person will be going to jail.
Heidelberg’s Shae Playing In the Rock Garden
When someone first arrives at our kennels, the first thing that they will notice is that there is no odor. The next thing they will notice is how quiet it is on our property. Our Heidelberg German Shepherds will first alert bark when strangers come in, but once we go outside to greet the people, the dogs know that all is well and they will quietly observe us and the potential puppy customer.Our kennels are not chewed or dug up.Strangers can go from kennel to kennel and be greeted by a kiss to the hand from every dog on the property without any aggressive or fearful behavior being exhibited.
My next post will be a continuation of this series in “Choosing a Reputable Breeder” and the “Correct Type of German Shepherd Dog for You and Your Family” to actually “Choosing the Perfect Puppy With the Personality That Best Fits Your Family’s Lifestyle and Needs”.Because this is probably one of the most important discussions I can have regarding German Shepherd Dogs, I will be editing these posts and adding to them over the next couple of weeks with the plan to add this discussion as a new page on my web page so please revisit these posts as they are refined and improved.
Basic Obedience Class At Keystone German Shepherds & Kennels
Ask me a Question and I will provide my opinion. Also, please see our web page: KeystoneGermanShepherds
Today, I am going to attempt to tell you the correct way to stack a German Shepherd Dog.The more correct structurally your German Shepherd Dog is the easier they will be to stack.For example if your German Shepherd Dog’s feet turn out and are not parallel to the body lines this is called east/west, and to get the feet in the correct position, you will have to screw them into the ground.This is very difficult to do while making your German Shepherd Dog comfortable enough to stand still for three or four minutes in a correct stack.
Grabbing the Left Elbow to Place the Left Foot
The basic stack starts always at the front feet.Throw the leash to the side out of the way of the stack. Grab the German Shepherd Dog’s right side scruff and the side of their cheek with your right hand.With the left hand reach over the shepherd and grab the left elbow and place the left foot directly under the German Shepherd Dog with the left foot pointing straight relative to the body line of the shepherd switch hands now grabbing the left scruff and cheek with the left hand.Take your right hand and grab the right elbow and place the right foot in perfect alignment with the left foot about five to six apart.Switch hands again and take your left hand and gently run it down the left side of your German Shepherd Dog down the left leg to the hock.
Reaching Back to Correctly Place the Left Hock
Grab the left hock and pull the entire leg back until you can place the left foot on the ground so the left hock is perpendicular to the ground.Switch hands again grabbing the left scruff with your left hand.With your right hand grab the right rear hock and lift and place it under the body below the stomach. Most the time you can lift this leg and let it drop into the correct position by pulling it forwards slightly.
Well that is the proper procedure for stacking a German Shepherd Dog.While this is easier said than done with a little practice and patience, you can have your German shepherd Dog stacking like a champion.
A Perfectly Stacked Champion Heidelberg’s Genny Heatherh
Ask me a Question and I will provide my opinion. Also, please see our web page: KeystoneGermanShepherds
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
We start our puppy shots at six weeks by giving them the Duramune Max 5-CvK, (The Puppy Shot) is a 5-way + coronavirus Modified live plus killed coronavirus, canine distemper, adenovirus type 2 (and hepatitis), parainfluenza, and parvovirus.We repeat “The Puppy Shot” at 9 weeks at a minimum of three weeks between inoculations.For the shots to work correctly three weeks between subsequent inoculations must be maintained.Several shots must be given to ensure seroconversion. The methodology behind puppy shots is that the vaccines must first use up all the maternal antibodies before the puppies will start making their own antibodies, and therefore, have immunity to these devastating puppy diseases.Several shots are required to ensure that the puppies are producing their own antibodies.
At twelve weeks, the puppies receive their first adult shot, which is Duramune Max 5-CvK/4L (The Puppy Booster Shot) canine distemper, adenovirus type 2 (and hepatitis), parainfluenza, parvovirus, and 4 strains of Lepto.The only difference between this shot and “The Puppy Shot” is the 4-way Lepto.Lepto cannot be given before twelve weeks because it could cause blindness in young German shepherd puppies.
We re-inoculate at 16-weeks, and a week after this shots most all German shepherd puppies have seroconverted.Therefore, you can confidently take them any place without concern for these devastating puppy diseases.We re-inoculate at 20-weeks and again at six months. After this our dogs go on an annual inoculation schedule.
Ask me a Question and I will provide my opinion. Also, please see our web page: KeystoneGermanShepherds
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