What to Feed a German Shepherd Aspca

German Shepherd Dog

Owner Level For experienced involved dog owners Average Life Span 10-13 years Colour And Coat The German Shepherd has a double coat of medium length. The outer coat should be as dense as possible, hair straight, harsh and lying close to the body. This breed requires regular brushing and sheds a lot. The German Shepherd Dog varies in colour, and most colours are permissible. Strong rich colours are preferred. Black and tan are the most common. The sable, gold with black coloration is seen frequently also. Pale, washed-out colours and blues or livers are serious faults. White German Shepherd dogs do exist but cannot be shown in breed shows. Typical Health Problems The more frequent health problems found in the breed are: Hip and elbow dysplasia, spinal disorders, low thyroid, skin problems (allergies to fleas, etc), ear infections, canine epilepsy, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, panosteitis; (this seen in large bone dogs.)

Personality The German Shepherd Dog originated in northern Europe around one hundred years ago. The dogs were originally used to protect flocks of sheep and are still used for this purpose. More modern day uses also include: Police K9 work, seeing eye dog. The German Shepherd breed has a distinctive personality. They should be direct and fearless, but not aggressive. They should be self-confident but often have an aloofness that does not always lend this breed to immediate and indiscriminate friendships. The German Shepherd should be approachable, quietly standing its ground and showing non aggressive confidence. They generally have a good sense of right and wrong and the ability to tell if something is amiss. They are a loyal and dedicated dog if they have a loyal and dedicated owner. You will find three distinct "types" of bloodlines in German Shepherds. The working bloodlines, the American show lines, and the German show lines. The show lines tend to be more angulated in the hindquarters. If not from good breed lines this may contribute to health problems such as hip dysplasia and spinal disorders. The working bloodlines are often more dog than the average pet owner can handle. They have been bred for high prey drive and high activity level. If the working dog does not have an outlet for this drive, they will get themselves into trouble (chasing cars, bikes, barking, chewing, aggression, digging and other destructive and unwanted behaviour). A shepherd from either working or show lines needs obedience training, proper socialisation with both people and other animals, daily exercise and play and they must be a part of your family. These are working dogs that need a job, even if they are to be a family dog. Boredom and loneliness can lead to behaviour problems. The German Shepherd's personality and activity levels vary from dog to dog. Genetics, training, socialising and the care they receive are a large part of what determines each dog's personality.

Who should own this breed? A German Shepherd owner should be an extremely responsible person committed to the care, training and exercise of their dog. Such an owner should be knowledgeable about this breed type and the needs of the breed they are taking on. The heroic stories of German Shepherds and their lifesaving work and dedication for mankind are warming to the dog lover's heart. But they can also be misleading as these dog require a lot of time and work. Police dogs, seeing eye dogs, therapy dogs, good citizens award dogs; these dogs all got there with a good, involved owner/handler at the other end of the lead.

German Shepherds should never be allowed to roam loose in any public areas, or around strange dogs. German Shepherds should be securely contained when not supervised by an adult. The German Shepherd generally does best with a good fenced yard for their safety and exercise. These dogs must be included in the everyday activities of the household. If you are thinking of getting a German Shepherd and leaving it in the backyard with limited family contact, then both you and the dog will be miserable! These dogs shed a lot. If you are offended by dog hair do not get a Shepherd. Some German Shepherds are not good with small animals or cats. They can also have livestock issues, due to their herding instincts. These dogs require a large commitment of time and energy from the owner. They do not come as a good to go dog and will be a reflection of the owner's effort and commitment. This breed should be spayed/neutered. Un-neutered males can become male dog aggressive and hard to mange and are predisposed to some cancers. Un-spayed females can become moody/difficult and predisposed to uterine problems and cancers. One of the main keys to successful German Shepherd ownership is ongoing, positive obedience training and socialisation.

Is this breed good with children? Children and dogs should never be left alone and unattended, even for a moment. Young children do not have proper dog etiquette and dogs do not understand a child's behaviour. This can result in tragedy with any breed of dog. German Shepherds tend to love and be dedicated to their human family and can be especially fond of children. The dog's temperament, socialisation, training levels all need to be considered. These dogs can have a natural herding and prey drive instinct that can be a conflict or a danger with children. Like children, each dog is different in personality, energy and patience levels. So, each dog and child relationship should be considered individually.

Is this breed good with other dogs in general? German Shepherds generally do well with other dogs if they have been socialised and trained properly. Socialising your Shepherd with other dogs is important from day one. For German Shepherds, spaying/neutering is one of the most important keys to having a dog-friendly animal. Pack position is important and will affect and vary each dog's acceptance of other dogs.

How easy is training and house training with this breed? German Shepherds are highly intelligent and generally, if in tune with their trainer, can learn some tasks in 2 to 10 repetitions. Like humans each dogs abilities, likes and dislikes will vary. In general a learning German Shepherd is a happy German Shepherd. Good training gives the German Shepherd and all dogs the ability to speak the same language with us. These dogs learn so quickly it is pretty easy to confuse or teach them bad habits if one is not careful. Give a German Shepherd good structure, leadership and rules in their life or they will structure their own life, make their own rules. These dogs should attend structured classes with a good instructor. The time required to house train a German Shepherd will vary depending on each dog and on the method used. Positive methods and consistency will work best for all training with this breed. Crate training seems to be of great assistance for most dogs in house-breaking.

Socialising this breed? Socialisation is one of the necessary requirements to successful German Shepherd ownership. Training and socialising is a must, not an option with this breed. The unsocialised German Shepherd can be dangerous. The highly intelligent German Shepherd, with its protective and herding nature, if it is not channelled properly, can lead to serious trouble. This breed when unsocialised and not properly trained can become prone to fear biting, uncontrolled prey drive instincts, inappropriate herding traits, and dangerous guarding instincts. This breed is reserved with change, so they need to be continually exposed to a large variety of environments and experiences. They should be given the social skills and taught manners early on and on an ongoing basis. A German Shepherd should exhibit a reserved-to-friendly personality with strangers. They should not be aggressive. A German Shepherd that shows aggression, excessive shyness, and skittish behaviour should be evaluated by a professional trainer and behaviourist immediately. The German Shepherd can be the dog and friend of a lifetime in the hands of a loving, committed, involved owner. These amazing dogs are wasted or worse on any lesser owner. Back to Top

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Source: https://www.spca.org.zw/pages/dogbreeds/gsd.html

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