Kazkiri

health/grooming/exercise/training

Photo: Jannire Black Betty

If at any time you are in doubt about any health situation or EMERGENCY you find yourself and your pet in, CONTACT YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY!

health
You must:

feed your dog an appropriate balanced diet to maintain him/her in good condition. Either too little or too much food, or the wrong type of food can cause health problems for your dog.
supply clean cool water at all times, in a container that cannot be tipped over.
don't feed cooked bones to your dog, these can splinter and cause injury.
provide a comfortable dry sleeping area, along with shade during the day.
protect your dog's health. This includes regular vaccinations, worming (including heartworm), flea and tick control, and veterinary treatment for injuries or illness.
give your dog plenty of company and time with the family. Dogs are pack animals. They are unhappy if left alone for long periods of time. They need the company of people or other dogs.
exercise and socialise your dog regularly, this is necessary for your dog's physical and mental health.
ensure your dog is adequately cared for when you are on holidays.

worming
The pup has been wormed for Roundworm, Hookworm, Whipworm & Tapeworm, & is due for the next dose at the age of 12 weeks. If a combined wormer such as "Interceptor", "Heartguard Plus" or "Sentinel" for Heartworm prevention is used, the dog/pup need only be wormed for Tapeworm twice over the summer season & once during winter. Flea control will also be necessary as fleas spread tapeworm. If using a Heartworm prevention tablet that is given daily or monthly, it will only cover Heartworm so the pup/dog should be wormed with a "4-in-1" wormer every 3 months.

ears
Some puppies ears are erect as early as eight to ten weeks but generally the pup’s ears are up by 4 or 5 months of age.
If this is not the case with your puppy, become very interested in your German Shepherd Dog’s ears.
It is not unusual for the German Shepherd Dog puppy ears not to be up until four to five months of age.

It is also quite common & completely normal for a puppy to have erratic ear carriage - up one day and down the next - especially when going through the teething process and for this cycle to repeat as the puppy’s ears become erect.

The teething process generally takes valuable calcium from the puppy’s developing ear structure to those developing teeth and that is one good explanation for the whole procedure of German Shepherd Dog puppy ears being up one day, and then down the next as the puppy matures.

Try stimulating your puppy to use his ear muscles so that the ears may become erect faster naturally. This can be done by making interesting noises, etc. to get his attention and make him use his maturing ears. Also give brisket bones to exercise the jaw muscles. Do not try and stimulate the muscles through touching as this may damage the cartilage in your pup’s ears, which can affect the ear carriage.

It is not time to panic. However, some puppies do need a little assistance in getting their ears to stand up. We recommend the puppy owner contact either their Breeder or their Veterinarian and perhaps they will recommend the taping of your puppy’s ears.

teething
The puppy will lose his milk teeth at about 3 - 6 months of age. His teething can affect the ears. The ears should be erect by the time the puppy reaches 6 or 7 months of age, but they can be as early as 3 months or as late as 8 months depending on the individual pup.

Occasionally the ears can be erect then go down - this is only due to teething & they should be all right again when all the teeth are through. Give the puppy plenty of bones to chew & tear at as this helps the ear muscles & teeth.

seasons
Bitches usually have their first season somewhere between the ages of 7 & 14 months, this usually being 11 months of age. She should then come into season every 6 months thereafter.

Bitches that are going to be spayed should have their first season completed & be past their heat period, which lasts for 3 weeks before spaying is performed. If done during their season it is more dangerous for the bitch, due to possible excessive bleeding, & sometimes Veterinary Surgeons charge more if the bitch is in season. (We recommend sterilisation of males can be performed any time after the age of twelve months.)

health & nutrition
Dogs are hardy animals but require a few precautions to ensure they remain healthy.........
Click here for article on Health & nutrition

grooming
Regular brushing is necessary to keep the coat clean & shiny & to remove any loose hairs. Usually this is done once or twice per week, but during the moulting season, it will need to be combed with a fine toothed comb or stripping comb to remove the tufts of dead hair, then followed with a bristle brush & finished off by rubbing over with a chamois cloth. It is a good idea to use a flea powder or spray, particularly in summer, on both the dog & his bedding. If there is a severe problem the dog may need to be given "Program" or the combined worm & flea prevention of "Sentinel".

For that important event when your GSD needs to look his or her best (see grooming article below) we recommend products from the Plush Puppy range. We use Plush Puppy All Purpose Shampoo, Body Building Shampoo with Wheatgerm, Reviva Coat and Seabreeze Oil.

The ears need to be checked for any redness or soreness, or grass seeds - usually indicated by the dog carrying his head to one side & constant shaking of the head. If there is any infection of the ears caused by grass seeds this will need to be attended to by your Veterinary Surgeon. Normal cleaning of the ears should be done by mixing: 1 part warm water, 1 part baby oil & 1 part methylated spirits & dipping cotton wool into the mixture, squeezing out, then wiping thoroughly, to remove any dirt or wax.
For more information on how to groom your GSD download the article by Cheryl Lecourt, Plush Puppy Australia.
Download How to groom your German Shepherd Dog
Beyond Beauty - Grooming for good health

bathing
The German Shepherd Dog should not be bathed too often, as this will dry out the coat & skin & can cause irritation, leading to the dog scratching & biting all the time (often mistaken for fleas).

Dog shampoos should always be used when giving the dog a full bath, not human shampoos or wool-wash, because the dog’s PH is totally different to humans. Humans have a high acid skin, whereas a dog’s skin is neutral or alkaline so has a much higher PH, being around seven or more. Washing them in human shampoo can make them itchy because of altering the PH balance of the skin. When bathed make sure all shampoo/soap is rinsed out thoroughly, then apply a flea rinse. As most flea treatments are very strong & toxic always follow instructions carefully. A flea spray could be used when the dog is dry. A flea rinse we use is: 2 cups brown vinegar, 1 teaspoon of lavender oil, 1 bucket of warm water. This works well & is non-toxic.

For in-between times, to clean the pup/dog, we fill a bucket with warm water, add 1 tablespoon of shampoo, 1 teaspoon of lavender oil & ½ cup brown vinegar, dip a cloth into this mixture & wipe the pup/dog all over till damp, then towel dry & brush. Spray with flea spray if necessary. This works well as it can be done as often as required without drying out the skin & coat.
Dog Polish Protects, coat, fleas hate it, smells great

trimming toenails
Sometimes the nails continue to grow if they are not worn down by exercise or the dog/pup is mainly on grass. When cutting the nail, only cut off the hook on the end of the nail. Use the pads as a baseline & cut at about a 45º angle. File the nails smooth if they are still a little sharp. Nails can be filed if you are worried about cutting the quick that runs down the length of the nail. Use an ordinary builder's file for filing; file from underneath, keeping in line with the pads.
Clipping Dog's Toenails

exercise
The puppy is only very young and will not require much exercise, just allowed to play and rest when he wants to. He is too young to go on walks for the first 4 months, as it places too much stress on growing bones and joints. After the puppy reaches 16 weeks of age, he can go on short walks of approximately 5 minutes duration, around the block or to the local shops, school or park.

After the age of 6 months, the puppy can generally be walked more often & slightly longer periods, but must be allowed to rest when tired.

In most cases, when the puppy is 12 months of age, he can walk and run as often as you like for longer distances, as he will have achieved his final skeletal growth, and will be starting to develop muscle. Prior to this the puppy has not had enough muscle to support the bones and joints, so walking and exercise should be moderate.

Swimming is a part of our dog's exercise regime.
All dogs swim by instinct. How much they enjoy this form of exercise depends on how confident the dog is in the water. With some dogs it takes some time to build up their confidence, but others take to swimming like a 'duck to water'.

Swimming helps to improve stamina, muscle tone & fitness.
Swimming is an excellent form of exercise because most of the muscles normally used in movement are involved without the stresses caused by running on hard ground.
For a dog, a 5 minute swim is purported to be the cardio equivalent of a 8km walk! The natural buoyancy of the water and the fact that sudden twists, stops and falls are impossible makes hydrotherapy a safe and effective form of exercise for dogs.

Careful exercise when young will give you a sound and healthy adult for life!

dog walks & travel
Walking, playing and recreating with your dog not only provides you with some vital exercise, it reduces your stress, increases your social interaction with others, and is good for your heart and general health.
Click here for Dog walks & exercise

training
When the puppy is very young up until 12 weeks, training is mostly in the form of games, but the pack instinct is at work, so that co-operation with, & dominance by, humans is learnt.

Basic obedience such as "sit" & "heel" can begin to be taught, & house training commenced. The acceptance of restraint is an important lesson, particularly with large males, & should be learnt by the age of 12 weeks. Restraining the puppy involves holding it firmly on its side, where it cannot get away. This is a short lesson that needs to be taught, on a few occasions only, until the puppy realises that you will not let it go until it stops struggling. Use this method when a puppy gets over-excited & starts to get nippy or when holding a puppy to cut its nails. All that is required is that you hold it firmly until it calms down. The puppy may scream & shriek, wriggle like a worm or try to bite, but if held firmly (NOT in a death grip !) next to your body, with one arm over its body & the other around its neck, slightly stretching the head forwards, the puppy cannot hurt himself or you, & will, after one or two minutes calm down. When it is calm, ease your grip, speak words of praise, & stroke & pat the puppy, then release him. This only takes 2 or 3 lessons & it is learnt for LIFE. Holding a puppy on its side until calm when it is under the age of 3 months is an extremely valuable lesson in restraint.

12-16 weeks is a critical stage of learning in a pup’s life. More formal obedience training should be commenced, as this is the ideal age for transition from playing to discipline training. Training lessons should be limited to 10-15 minutes maximum, as the attention span is still not very long. It is better to train twice per day for a short time than try to do too much at once. Some puppies particularly males, may try to see who is boss - NEVER lose on that point!

It is a good idea to train at a recognised Obedience club. THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG CLUB is very good as they have several branches, specialise in the breed & have information, magazines, etc. They start puppy socialisation classes as early as 8 weeks of age. ALL puppies/dogs attending are vaccinated. Until your pup reaches 6 months of age a light collar & lead should be used, after that a correction chain can be used.
NEVER tie a dog up when wearing a correction chain.

Click here for Set your Puppy up for SUCCESS - NEVER FAILURE

Click here for articles on basic training & temperament

training your unruly dog
This scenario - an unruly young male dog with a female handler who is not very assertive - is one that most instructors have come across. How can we help the owner to assert herself and deal with her dog?
Click here for article on training your unruly Dog

When taking your puppy/dog in the car with you, ensure that there is adequate ventilation and DO NOT leave the puppy/dog in the car if you are running errands. Many dogs have suffered heat stroke /brain damage when left in cars in warm weather.

The following paragraphs, dealing with Show Training, have been copied from the German Shepherd Puppy Booklet written by Dr. Karen Hedberg BVSc which is distributed by the GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG LEAGUE.
Permission to copy the advice given was granted by Mr Graeme Stevenson, President of the GSDL.
Graeme also said that anyone can purchase these booklets by contacting Alan Connors GSDL Marketing Officer. Thank you Graeme

show training
For show training, obedience training is not particularly desired. In obedience the dog is trying to show you how well he/she can do something and is watching you all the time, waiting for the next command. In the show ring the dog is showing itself off to the judge and people around the ring. Showmanship is the art of you, the handler presenting your dog in the best possible way to exhibit the good points and hopefully minimise the bad. A good dog who has 'presence' will catch the judges eye time & again. Teaching your dog to stand, look alert and so on, can take years to learn to do well is as important as presenting your dog clean & well groomed.

basic lead training
Lead training can start as early as 5-6 weeks . This is a good area for the bribery and corruption brigade as a little bit of food in the hand while encouraging the puppy to follow you will start the puppy in the right direction. By the time they realise they have a lead on , they have generally got the idea that they should follow you as you are both attached. If the puppy pulls back allow a bit of slack, wait until the puppy calms down and resume operations. When they move forward even if only a few feet, give a very small tit-bit and lots of praise. Use a soft lead and collar - never a use a correction collar on a puppy - they have enough to contend with being attached to something they cannot rid themselves from without the discomfort of a correction collar. After several short sessions of 5-10minutes, the bribery aspect eases into the background as praise takes over.

Following you around is a natural habit the puppy acquired when very young trotting around after its mother; as the pups new parent and holding the food , they are fairly keen in the first place. The earlier you start, the easier and quicker the response.

teaching the dog to stand & stay in the show position
Teaching a dog to stand & stay in a show position is a matter of repetition & patience.
The puppy is stood in the approximate position or 'stance' that is applicable to the breed, holding the lead/collar up slightly in the right hand, run your left hand along the side , slightly under the belly of the puppy saying 'staannndd, staannndd'. Running your hand slightly under the belly encourages the puppy to stand if he is sagging in the middle or sitting down on the job as you can raise the puppy with your hand as you go.. Even if the puppy holds the position for several seconds, praise the puppy, pat him on the side and allow him to relax. If the puppy is not performing the stand very well, which is quite common, give the puppy a slight tap on the side as both very mild discipline and recalling him to the matter at hand, then try again.

As the puppy learns to hold the position, the length of time increases, always give the puppy a congratulatory pat on the side of the head at the end , to signal the 'exercise' is finished.The puppy learns to associate the pat not only as praise for being good, but that he can now relax.
The stand for examination is extended somewhat for the ring situation, where the mouth & also testicles in the males are quickly examined whilst in the 'stand' position. Teach the puppy to allow his mouth to be examined by different people. If the puppy is teething (4 - 6 months, the gums are very sensitive and pups can become mouth shy if not handled without due consideration of this condition. Gently lift the lips up and look from side to side, as well as examining the bite, a quick glance, particularly with a baby puppy is quite sufficient for most judges.