Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
Throughout the development of your German shepherd puppy, they will go through different phases and one common phase is to have a lack of confidence about themselves in regards to the new world around them. Some shepherds demonstrate this lack of confidence by showing the fight or flight response. Therefore, a puppy that lacks confidence may be overly fearful or overly aggressive towards new and challenging situations including strangers and other dogs. The best way to build confidence in your young German shepherd dog is through regular obedience work. These obedience exercises do not need to be laborious or boring. Take your German Shepherd Dog, puppy or young adult on a walk and periodically stop and make them sit, down, and stay. Also, throw into the walk a couple of stays then have them come to you. A couple of blocks a day will do wonders for the confidence of the developing psyche of your young dog.
Invariably these walks will provide training opportunities such as loose dogs approaching you and your puppy. If your young dog shows undue aggression a quick correction with the choke chain will develop confidence and allow you train for the appropriate behavior while meeting a strange dog. If your shepherd shows anxiety towards a strange loose dog, you can build their confidence by verbally reassuring them, and by presenting a confident and relaxed demeanor to the situation. If you come across strangers during your walk, have treats with you, and have the stranger offer a treat to your puppy. In addition have the stranger pet your puppy while you reassure your puppy with a calm-confident voice.
Basic obedience training builds confidence by providing boundaries and expectations for your German Shepherd Dog, puppy or young adult. As they perform your commands during training provide your puppy with a lot of praises and treats. They are not so different than people, and when you are praised and rewarded for a good job, you are encouraged, emboldened, and empowered with confidence to continue doing a good job.
A confident 12-month-old German Shepherd Dog Puppy, Caesar with his owner Jason
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
Today I am posting our wonderful new litter that will be ready to go home July 13, 2013.This is both young parents first litter; however, they have produced solid temperaments and big healthy puppies. These are the happiest puppies that I have produced in a long time. Everything is a game and the entire litter is laughing and smiling every time we are with them. The dam Heidelberg’s Carlie is from Champion Oliver and the Sire Heidelberg’s Texoma is from Grand Champion Heidelberg’s Kodi.Crossing Grand Champion Kodi with Champion Oliver lines has proved to be a solid breeding.We are currently accepting deposits on this litter.
Heidelberg’s William v Carliee Male Tattoo# HH1760 $1,526.00 Available
Heidelberg’s Wally v Carliee Male Tattoo# HH1762 $1,526.00 Available
Heidelberg’s Whitman v Carliee Male Tattoo# HH1763 $1,526.00 Deposit
Heidelberg’s Walker v Carliee Male Tattoo# HH1764 $1,576.00 Available
Heidelberg’s Waldo v Carliee Male Tattoo# HH1765 $1,876.00 Future Champion Available
Heidelberg’s Walter v Carliee Male Tattoo# HH1766 $1,526.00 Available
Heidelberg’s Whisper Carliee Female Tattoo# HH1767 $1,676.00 Available
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Trimming Your German Shepherd Dog’s Nails Conclusion
One of the most frustrating and difficult activities you may ever attempt with your German Shepherd Dog is trimming their nails if they resist or fight. Today I am going to tell you how to train your German Shepherd Dog adolescent or adult to sit still while you trim their nails.
This training will take patience and persistence and will require you to perform theses exercises daily for a month or more. However, the exercises only take 5 to 10 minutes and have a secondary benefit of bonding closer to your German Shepherd Dog. Do not attempt to trim your German Shepherd Dog’s nail until they successfully complete the below exercises.
Every day as with the puppy, sit with your German Shepherd Dog adolescent or adult and rub and massage them to get them to relax. Once relaxed play with their feet. If they become anxious stop and go back to rubbing and petting them. Continue daily with this exercise until you can hold their feet and spread their toes without resistance or anxiety.
Every day after you play with their feet, place your German Shepherd Dog adolescent on a grooming table. Good quality grooming tables and neck harness can be purchased for approximately $100.00 to $140.00. You need a grooming table if you own a German Shepherd Dog, therefore, invest in a good quality table that will last your lifetime.
German Shepherd Dog Grooming Table
Once on the grooming table place the lanyard over their neck and brush them out. If they show anxiety reassure them. Make the exercise of being on the grooming table a good experience for your German Shepherd Dog. Once they have become comfortable being on the table lift their feet up in the air and spread your German Shepherd Dog’s toes. While playing with their feet on the table, groom them by brushing and using a shedding comb, and acclimate to the nail clippers by gently rubbing them on their body and around their feet.
After Your German Shepherd Dog adolescent or adult has become comfortable with the above exercises, you are ready to start trimming their nails. If possible have another family member to help hold your German Shepherd Dog on the grooming table. Confidently start trimming their nails. You will likely clip two or three nails before they realize something is not the same. Once your German Shepherd Dog realizes what you are doing they will become anxious and start resisting. Back off from the nail trimming and reassure your German Shepherd Dog by brushing and petting. Once they calm down start clipping their nails again. Repeat the calming efforts as needed. The first time that you do clip their nails it may take 30 minutes, but hang in there because it will get better each time you trim their nails.
The above method is the best method for training your German Shepherd Dog to sit calmly while you trim their nails. However, you may speed up the process if you lack the patience for the above method and you have a strong assistant. This method requires laying the German Shepherd Dog on their side on the grooming table. The assistant needs to hold the dog down distributing their weight on the neck and head and applying pressure to the rear legs. Do this as calmly as possible and within two or three nail trimmings your assistant will be able to hold onto your German Shepherd Dog adolescent or adult in a sitting position while you trim the nails. Eventually you will not need the assistant.
German Shepherd Dog Restrained on a Grooming Table
Trim your German Shepherd Dog’s nails on a regular basis and they will love you the more for it, and you will love having doors and door jams without scratch marks ,
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
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.
Recent Comments