There are some basic care for your German Shepherd Dog that every owner should be aware of and that is what I am going to discuss today. While German shepherd Dogs are relative low maintenance compared to other breeds you will need to trim their nails at least once a month and while doing so you can check the dog’s body for other problems. After doing the nails comb the coat thoroughly with a straight steel pin brush to remove dead hair.Check the skin for abrasions, ticks, or other problems.We sell top quality steel rakes and grooming brushes at Keystone German Shepherds & Kennels.Often our prices are better than the big chain pet stores and we can ship.
A Happy Well Maintained and Healthy Heidelberg German Shepherd Dog
If your dog is not eating well (it might be wormy) or if it appears to in ill health or not feeling well, take their temperature rectally for two minutes.The normal temperature for a dog will be 101.5 – 102°.If it is high or low you should consider contacting your veterinarian.
A Happy Heidelberg Puppy Litter Resting After Having Their Monthly Health Check
Heartworm preventive is a must for your puppy/dog or they can die of heartworms caused by mosquitoes. We use IVOMEC beginning at twelve weeks for puppies and of course continue their monthly dose for the rest of their life. Therefore it is a good idea to give them their heart worm preventative while clipping their nails and grooming every month.
It is a good idea to check for ear mites and ear infections every month. If you see signs of ear mites then treat your German shepherd Dog immediately.Although since we have started using Advantix and Frontline to treat our shepherds for pests such as fleas and ticks we have not seen a case of ear mites.Whereas, ear mite infections used to be quite common.Also, note if your shepherd seems to be holding one ear lower than the other, shaking its head, or pawing at its ear and you have ruled out ear mites as the cause, you may want to make an appointment with your vet immediately because ear infections in German shepherd Dogs are serious and can become life threatening.
It’s Time For My First Heartworm Treatment
The most common symptoms of ear mites: ears appear inflamed/red, ears refusing to stand, scratching on or behind the ear, shaking of head or holding head to one side, and/or visible dark dirt or wax in inner ear (actually ear mite poop).
Fleas and ticks: Nothing causes your dog more misery and disease than fleas and ticks!The life cycle of the flea is as short as six days in an ideal growing condition.In other words, a flea goes from egg through larval and mature state in only six days.To put this in the proper perspective, only ten fleas can become TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY TOUSAND fleas in only thirty days!
While fleas carry less diseases than ticks, they do carry tape worm eggs that can cause your dog’s health to suffer.Ticks carry several diseases that German Shepherd Dogs are susceptible to, and if not removed from your dog’s environment most assuredly will cause the death of your beloved shepherd.We at Keystone German Shepherds & Kennels used to struggle and spend small fortunes fighting ticks and fleas until they came out with Advantix several years ago.Now we have no fleas or ticks on our dogs.
We treat monthly with Advantix and switch out the next month with Frontline and have successfully eliminated fleas and ticks from our property.Even our wild rabbits and squirrels are tick free because they use the treated – shed fur from our dogs as nesting material.
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
Below is an easy way to prepare several evening meals for your German Shepherd Dog or puppy. Once prepared you can freeze in individual bags and sit out on bag per day to defrost.The defrosted contents can be added to the good quality dry-food in the evening to provide a fast, easy, and healthy meal for your German shepherd.
Healthy Food Means Healthy German Shepherds
To do a mass cooking for your new dog:
Get a whole chicken and place it in your crock-pot.Cook it for about 4 hours.Then put whole carrots in the crock-pot with the chicken.Cook 3-4 hours, until the chicken is done and the carrot are soft.
Healthy Food Means Happy German Shepherds
Let it cool to room temperature the let it cool in the icebox overnight.The next day take the fat off the top and debone the chicken.An ice cream scoop is about 3 ounces; place one scoop of meat in several zip-top baggies.Then put the cooked carrots (1/3 of a carrot per feeding), 1 clove of garlic for each carrot third, and two table spoons of cooked spinach (2 heaping tablespoons per feeding) to match the carrots in the blender. Put some of the broth in the blender.Make a purée of the veggies and separate that into the number of feedings (6 carrots = 18 feedings).Everything needs to be no warmer than room temperature.
In Most cases you and other family members are the sole source of information and training for your new German shepherd puppy.Please read the following and follow the simple suggestions herein and you will have a wonderful, loving shepherd that is a real joy to live with you.
You Are Responsible for Training Your New Heidelberg German Shepherd Puppy
Housing breaking is best achieved and most important in the first twenty-four hours you live with your new German shepherd puppy. You either housebreak your puppy or create lots of problems for yourself. Therefore, make up your mind that you are going to follow the instructions below and have a wonderful experience with your dog rather than poop and mess to cleanup.
A Properly Trained Heidelberg German Shepherd Will Provide Years of Pleasure and Security for Your Family
Remember, when you bring your dog home the first twenty-four hours are the most important: To begin, hang a bell with a string at nose height from the door the puppy will be going outside to potty.Now every time you take the puppy out make it ring the bell with its nose and say “Let’s Go Potty”. Then you should make a “NONO” bottle.For example, an empty plastic water bottle with six pennies wouldn’t really hurt the puppy or dog if you threw it and hit the puppy, but it would startle it immensely, thus stopping it from fowling the floor.Therefore when you see the new puppy squat to potty, you will throw the NONO bottle at it. If you don’t have something light weight and noisy to throw, the puppy will potty before you can get to it to stop the mess.If the puppy starts to get into position, throw your NONO bottle and shout “No Potty”.Then take the puppy to the door, ring the bell, and repeat the key word, “Let’s Go Potty”.
You cannot involve yourself with watching TV, become absorbed in reading, talking on the phone, or anything that will distract you from watching your dog.Your dog must be confined in an area that you can watch it.It cannot have the run of the house where it can get away to another room, out of sight and potty.You must watch your puppy at all times!!!.When you have an interruption and can’t watch your dog, either crate it or put it outside.
NONO Bottle
Normally the puppy/dog will begin to sniff the floor and circle and appear very nervous, sometimes even to the point of whining.When this happens, say “let’s go outside and potty”. Always use the same door and procedure because all animals are creatures of habit.Repeat the above and when you go to the door say “let’s go potty”. After a day or two the puppy will start to ring the bell with its nose when it needs to go outside.
It so important to provide supplement nutrition including macro and micro nutrients to the diet of your German Shepherd Dog especially as growing puppy.Researchers have just discovered how important vitamin c is to proper growth and development of joints while German shepherd Dogs are growing.If insufficient amounts of vitamin c are provided in the diet during growth spurts that joint disease can develop even in puppies that are not genetically predisposed to joint disease.
Feeding just dry-food will leave your German Shepherd Dog or puppy deficient on macro and micro nutrients, vitamins, and certain minerals.The reason why these supposedly balanced and even the top-of-the-line dry-foods cannot supply these nutrients, vitamins, and minerals needed for proper growth and maintenance is due to the way it is manufactured.Dry-food is cooked at such high temperatures and extruded at such high pressures that the nutrient values that are in the starting ingredients are destroyed or altered in such a way that they cannot be assimilated or digested.
This is why we supplement our Heidelberg German Shepherd Dogs’ diet with our Pure Total Dog Supplement, which provides all the macro and macro nutrient, vitamins and minerals in a form that is readily digested and absorbed by your German shepherd.Our Pure Total Dog Supplement is loaded with vitamin C, all the B-complexes including biotin and B-6 and 12, Digest K yeast which helps with digestion, desiccated liver powder, which helps with finicky eaters, selenium that is important with skeletal growth maintenance, Omega 3 oils, which supports the circulatory system, and Diatomite powder, which provides the macro nutrients needed for joint growth and maintenance.
Pure Total Dog Supplement
Our Pure Total Dog Supplement in combination with a daily tablespoon of Cod liver oil, which provides vitamin A and E and a good quality dry-food will provide everything needed for your German Shepherd Dog or puppy to grow correctly and thrive.
We sell our Pure Total Dog Supplement and Cod liver oil to the public.Our Pure Total Dog Supplement cost $19.95 and is a four month supply for one dog.Our cod liver oil comes in a quart bottle and will last two-months for one dog and is priced at $19.50.Our cod liver oil is imported from Iceland and is the most contaminant free cod liver oil available.We only purchase human grade for our dogs, which decreases possible contaminants such as PCB’s. Dioxins, and mercury. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested in purchasing these items from us.
A Happy Healthy Correctly Fed and Supplemented Puppy
Today I’m going to offer a short but important basic obedience tip. When heeling with your German shepherd Dog or puppy start off with your left foot. This may be awkward especially for right handed people because most of us will start walking with our dominant side, but with a little practice it will become natural.Starting off with your left foot provides a visual clue to your German Shepherd Dog to start heeling with you. Also, if you have proper leash placement by starting with your left foot the leash should be engaged by your left knee or thigh coming forwards, thus giving a physical cue to your shepherd to begin heeling when the engaged leash pulls them slightly forwards.The other advantage of starting to with your left foot is while your dog or puppy is in the heeling position and in a sit-stay you can move out of the heeling position by starting with your right foot and not trigger your German to move out of the sit-stay position.This is useful for moving in front of your dog to begin a different training exercise such as ‘stay’ followed by the come command.
German Shepherd Dogs in Heeling Position While on a Sit-Stay Command
German Shepherd Dogs Heeling at Keystone German Shepherd Training Class
Remember even if you only have 5 minutes a day to practice obedience training with your German Shepherd Dog or puppy, go ahead and utilize those 5 minutes because overtime it will pay off with great benefits for you and your German shepherd.
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