The German Shepherd is a very common breed of dog. Their popularity is due to the beautiful appearance, stunning working qualities, incredible intelligence. Dogs are large breeds, the process of growing up is rather long, therefore it requires patience from the owner. In order for a pet to develop well, be healthy, keep a spectacular appearance, it is necessary to properly organize the care for the animal, to feed and educate it properly.
Breed features
The German Shepherd and its puppies are very active by nature, their temperament is quite pronounced, so you need to immediately approach the education of the dog, otherwise it will be very difficult to do in adulthood. This is a guard breed, its upbringing is a big responsibility. Going for a puppy, it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons, be sure to examine the nature and characteristics of the future pet. The characteristic qualities of the breed are the following:
- superbly developed intellect;
- excellent intuition;
- openness and sincere attitude towards a person;
- very reliable, faithful;
- strong nervous system;
- courageous, fighting;
- acute flair;
- beautifully trained.
The German Shepherd has the following features:
- the need to serve, and not so important where, the most important thing is to be involved in the work; she can with equal success guard the house, look after the child or the elderly person, execute commands;
- the need for activity of the physical type, and quite high; the dog needs to spend a lot of time in nature, run, walk in the woods, you can safely go hiking with it, because it is an excellent partner for playing sports, such as swimming or jogging;
- there is a risk in a number of hereditary diseases, and it is quite large, which should be considered before buying;
- among the negative traits of character: distrust, excessive vigilance towards strangers; This is a fairly independent dog that can be cunning, which is worth considering when organizing dressage.
One of the main positive qualities of a dog is the highest intellect, the breed is in the top of the smartest dogs in the world. She lives an average of 12 to 15 years. Caring for her is not complicated, so she will perfectly fit into an active, calm family, including with children. It treats children perfectly, it is an excellent nurse, because the desire to protect children is excessive. Another positive quality is a stable psyche, a strong nervous system. Dogs are very calm, not anxious, not aggressive. The exception is the attitude towards strangers, but this is a good quality for the caretaker.
Will require socialization in relation to other animals, as it can protect against them, considering them dangerous.
Content policy
Before you bring your baby home, you need to find a good place for him, which should not be in the draft, near heating devices or near the door. For a puppy, a mat or mattress is prepared, ideally, it is necessary to put on pillowcases that are changed and washed. Dogs can be kept in a private house, on the street, or in an apartment. If you start a dog in a city apartment, you need to consider that at first it will meet the needs of the house. Schooling for walking is carried out gradually, after sleeping and eating.
Important! In new home conditions, the baby may long for the first few days to whine, missing his mother. The case of the owner - to show affectionate, caring attitude, do not swear, console the baby. In no case do not close it in the dark and do not tie.
The optimal content of German shepherds is considered to be an aviary in a private house, regardless of the age of the dog and the season. Sheepdogs feel great in the winter outside. The main condition of a good enclosure is space so that the dog can freely frolic, move and run. Mandatory canopy and organization of the booth, which should be warmed. In it, the dog will feel comfortable in bad weather.
What and how to feed?
It is very important from birth to properly organize the diet of a small pet. There are the following feeding methods:
- dry prepared food;
- combined feeding;
- natural products.
First of all, the healthy nutrition of the dog ensures its well-being and timely development. Feeding in the first few weeks should be identical to what the puppy received from the breeder, no matter if you have a monthly dog or more adult. You need to take care of the bowl, which can be set under the level of the chest. As they grow, the level is regulated. It is very important during feeding to adjust the rack, watching the position of the paws. In the second bowl should always be fresh water, change it at least 3 times a day.
After the dog has eaten, the face should be wiped.
Feeding rates by month are as follows:
- from one to two months - six meals;
- from 3 to 5 months - four times;
- from six months to a year - they gradually come to two times.
Important! The first feeding occurs in this way - not too large portions of food are placed in a bowl and monitor the behavior. If the puppy is no longer hungry, he will lick the bowl and leave.
As for the diet, most of it consists of protein, namely:
- raw meat (beef, horsemeat, veal);
- dairy products (cottage cheese, sour milk);
- eggs (2 pieces per week).
Meat is not given in the form of minced meat, but in pieces, it should be fresh. You can not make a menu only from cereals. Cereals are good only in addition to meat. After the dog reaches 4 months of age, it begins to feed offal at least three times a week. Do not forget about fruits and vegetables, their kids rubbed. Be sure to include in the diet of herbal supplements.
Important! Easier to organize food ready-made feeds. You should choose a feed by age premium. It is very important to buy feed only from trusted manufacturers.
How to care?
In addition to feeding, it is necessary to care for the appearance of the shepherd dog, for its health. First of all, it refers to walking, which should be long and regular, especially after vaccination. At first, it is enough to walk for no more than 5–10 minutes, gradually increasing the walking time. At 2 months, the dog begins to teach about the reason, you can already walk for 30 minutes. After six months, walks should be at least 2 hours a day. During walking the dog must be allowed to communicate with pedigreed dogs, but to protect from contact with the homeless. Walking in the daytime is more useful, as the dog needs the sun's rays for health.
For German shepherds hygiene is important, and you should not be zealous. If you wash your dog too often, you can hurt him, as frequent washing adversely affects the protective layer of the epidermis, badly affects the state of wool. Up to three months of age, dogs do not bathe at all, starting from this milestone - three times a year. Be sure to use special detergents. After bathing the dog needs to be wiped off, allowed to dry. If the dog is dirty on a walk, make local cleaning: wash their paws, remove dirt. It is necessary to clean the wool every day, regularly comb it out with a special comb, otherwise the hair will roll into tangles.
In addition to wool, you need to provide care for the auricles and oral cavity.This is done infrequently, for example, teeth are cleaned 1 time per quarter with a special agent for dogs. In addition, give your dog the opportunity to chew on bones for cleaning with fluoride. Ears are often inspected to fix possible inflammatory processes; swab out cotton wool as needed. Keep your eye health, there should be no tearing, pus, redness. If you find something similar, immediately wash your eyes and drip anti-inflammatory drops.
It is very important to vaccinate in time and regularly visit the veterinarian. In addition, the periodic treatment of the parasites of the dog is necessary, both from internal and external. If you do not plan to breed puppies, you need to sterilize it until one and a half years old.
What toys and accessories are needed?
The dogs of this breed are extremely active, they are full of energy, so you need to play a lot with them. So that the puppy does not get bored alone and does not find toys among the furniture and household items, he needs to buy accessories to his taste. Focus on the pet's preferences, some are more likely to play with balls, others with ropes or sticks, and others prefer puzzles. Currently, pet stores have a huge selection of toys for dogs. Experts recommend to pay attention to the quality of materials, because the dog will certainly gnaw a toy.
In no case, the material should not be dangerous, because the puppy will play in your absence. Small fragments of plastic, latex or rubber are very dangerous, small elements with which the dog can easily choke. Cheap Chinese toys are not the best choice. It is worth paying attention to durable gadgets from reputable manufacturers. Toys such as are very popular with Shepherd Dogs:
- balls;
- sticks of rubber;
- two ring pullers;
- flying discs.
Upbringing and training
Since this breed belongs to the service, the whole creature of the dog is directed to this goal. In order for the shepherd to grow obedient, intelligent and educated, you will have to make a lot of effort. With the wrong organization of the educational process all the positive qualities of the breed can be leveled. First of all, the owner should know that it is necessary to raise a puppy from the first day of appearance in the house and be sure to socialize it.
If you buy a puppy at the age of one to two months, you can save yourself and his many problems. During this period, shepherd dogs are as friendly, flexible and curious as possible. Therefore, they are good to contact both people and animals. The need for socialization and tolerance for animals and people are necessary for a dog, as her brain develops more actively, she learns to control herself. If you do not provide communication with the dog, do not encourage it to do so, it will grow cowardly and aggressive.
In order to properly raise a sheepdog, it is necessary to consider the following points:
- a dog with all its mind reflects not as a man, it is only in the present;
- Shepherd always choose a pleasant, rather than unpleasant, to this pushes her experience;
- This breed knows all its virtues and strength, so it likes to demonstrate its abilities;
- it is a gregarious animal, it needs communication and understanding of who is the leader;
- Shepherd does not understand the language of a person, but is fully capable of memorizing words and phrases, posture, facial expressions, intonation are also very important;
- it is very important to understand the language of the animal, its habits, signals, what is meant by them;
- it is impossible to beat an animal, at least for the reason that it perceives you as the leader of the pack, the same animal, and it has no hands, the punishment should occur without assault.
Dog training for elementary rules begins with the game, so you can teach her to resort to the call, look for objects, bring things. Be sure to immediately teach to an adequate perception of the leash, collar.The first workouts with the baby are recommended to be held an hour before meals, when he is alert and in anticipation of food. Periodically the puppy will lose attention, indulge. At this time, you need to ignore him until he gets involved. The first training scheme is very simple: executed the command - received praise, did not execute - did not receive. It is not necessary to fix actions several times; at an early age, unquestioning obedience is not yet achieved.
Important! You can not shout or punish the failure of the kids, so you will discourage the whole hunt for training in the future.
Regarding the duration of training, consider the age of the pet as follows:
- from 1 to 2 months - no more than 10 minutes;
- from 3 to 4 months - no more than 17 minutes;
- from 4 months to 1 year - gradually increases to 40 minutes.
In no case can not force events, even if you think that the dog grasps everything on the fly. Mental development proceeds according to a certain algorithm, it cannot be violated, otherwise you can achieve recourse. Do not forget that in a flock there can be only one master, and that is you. He must be persistent, consistent, strict, but patient. Begging for sweets is unacceptable, pestering the games at the wrong time. Such behavior is stopped, otherwise the notion of unconditional power in the dog's head will not be fixed to you, especially when it comes to a dog. The male can disobey and break free from the influence.
The German Shepherd should know up to 10 months the following commands and skills:
- team approach;
- landing;
- aportirovka;
- quiet perception of the leash;
- indication of a place, commands “near”, “fu”, “lie”;
- search for items;
- take a starting position to the left of the host's foot;
- team crawling;
- taking the barrier;
- up and down stairs.
Upon reaching the age of ten months, it is recommended to reduce the dog to a professional in order to consult about the development of skills and choose the right tactics to continue training. German shepherd must complete a full course of general training.
For information on how to keep a German Shepherd puppy, see the following video.