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
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