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tshott · April 2011

I've finally caved, and I put a deposit down on a puppy. We're going to be getting a German Shepherd. We're getting it from a lady who lives near us and breeds them. She starts them off on Purina Puppy Chow. Would you recommend this for food?

Is there any other advice/words of wisdom you can offer on that breed. The lady mentioned something about not giving the dogs rawhide bones and getting smoked bones instead. Thoughts??

I'm nervous! Lord, help my sanity!!

MrsStreff · April 2011

butting in to say, Yay for you guys!!! post pics as soon as you get it!!!

aleesh19 · April 2011

Go to dogfoodanalysis.com. The Pets board highly recommends going there to compare different types of foods. There is also a FAQ page that has a ton of great information. I highly recommend crate training as well.

MarJo03 · April 2011

Aww yay! Congrats! I'll start with talking about the breed. They are very smart, and very neurotic. You'll need LOTS of training, and socialization. Constantly. Or you will have a lot of problems, whether it's anxiety/aggression. the breed health wise.. Do a lot of research on hip dysplasia, they are prone to it, and it's very painful to watch some of the older shepherds we see gimping around. Start some form of glucosamine when they're in their younger years - not when you start seeing symptoms as they get older. They also have a TON of allergies. So be prepared for that throughout their lifetime. With the right amount of persistence, training and socialization.. You are going to have an amazing family dog. Just be strong, it's a long journey and you will want to just "give up" with whatever at times because its frustrating and much easier to let him/her get away with whatever little thing it may be.. but dont! Cause they will continue to test their place in the pack constantly throughout the first two years and the grow and mature -- and you need to make sure the dog knows you, dh, and future LO are above them in the pack.

As far as food... the website leesh posted is.. ok. I personally think it was made by people who think they are educated but aren't. It talks about how corn is bad, when there's been research in the past few years saying the exact opposite. The brand I swear by is Royal Canin, and they give it a crap rating based on "facts" that simply aren't true. And most of the people on the pets board aren't educated by any sort of animal degree -- jsut Dr Google. Dr Google will tell you raw diets are amazing. I will tell you, that every dog I know who is on a raw diet gets severely sick once a year, if not more. Urinary issues, GI issues, are the two main ones. Blue buffalo is ok, but again with a lot of these "grain free natural" diets we see a lot of urinary issues, whether it's just a UTI or as severe as stones.

Royal Canin has a German Shepherd diet. In fact they have a german shep. puppy diet, and a GS adult diet. Here is a link to the puppy diet page. RC is an all natural diet, they just dont claim to be cause tehy dont want to be associated with that trend. And, the whole byproduct controversy is retarded.. and basically again, it's a bunch of people who believe they are educated -- but aren't 100% informed. I could go on about it, but I wont.

All my animals are on a RC diet of some sort. And since switching them all to it, I have seen improvements with their coats, joints, and dental care. I will never put them on anything else. Not to mention RC as veterinary perscription diets, and I wont receommend anything to you that is doesn't make rx diets, because to me it means they cant be bothered to do all the research necessary to take their formula one step further. And I know a lot of people on the pets board will probably talk about "how uneducated I am" and blah blah, but I can't even go to that board anymore because the majority of them are idiots. They do have good tips for training though, but I would take some of the things read there very lightly.

Purina isn't the worst food out there, buy a small bag and then slowly switch over 7-14 days to whichever diet you like. Just please stay away from food that look "tasty" like Beneful, kibbles and bits, etc. It's like feeding your dog a big mac for every meal. Typically in stores like petsmart the better quality food are up front, and the worst are in the back. Also think of dog food like steaks, you'll pay more for better quality.

As far as bones go... stay away from raw hides when they're puppies.. they jsut dont digest them well (thats all puppies, not just that breed). And honestly, I'd probably stay away from them as adults too just based on the breeds history of allergies. Bully sticks are great, though they smell horrendous. All my dogs LOVE them, and they're good for the teeth - again this for when he/she's a year old, not as a puppy. While in puppy stage give only puppy approved treats, if any. I gave our pit his kibble as a treats - and I used it for training rewards also. It was small, easy to give quickly, and I know his stomach was ok with it so I didn't worry about possible diarrhea from it/from getting too much of it. Also things like kongs, and puzzle toys (where they have to work at it to get the treats to slowly fall out) are fantastic for puppies. Its wears them out mentally, and give them physical and mental stimulation they crave. Just dont leave them alone with any toy until you know how they play with it, and that the cant destroy it.

And definitely, Definitely, crate train. It will be a life saver. And it's good for the dogs, because it gives them a "safe place" to go to. Never use it as a time out spot, the crate is a happy place, not a negative one.

This has turned into a novel. I'm sorry if it's too much info to digest.

aleesh19 · April 2011

Mar I'll take your word about food over the Pets board. They do seem a little nutty over there which is why I only lurk. You are right about training though, they have great advice on that

autumn wren · April 2011

I'm butting in, too...sorry! Rusty and I adopted a ten week old German Shepherd pup a few months before we got married. I will say that she is one of the most intelligent pets I have ever owned. It does take a lot of training to get them to be where you want them discipline-wise, yet they are quick-learners as long as you are consistent. Make sure it gets plenty of exercise and socialization. There are some days when we're at work late and she's crated that you can just tell she has so much spare energy. Earlier this week we had a day like that and all night she was pacing by the bed panting, haha.

I've read that they can have pretty sensitive stomachs and not to just switch over foods without mixing the new food in with the old food and gradually increasing the amount of the new in the mixture.

They're super sweet dogs and very family-oriented. Ours is not possessive in the least, but knows when one of us feels threatened and knows when to go into "protection mode". There was one night that I was home alone; Rusty was out-of-town. I had just gotten home from work and settled in to eat dinner and watch a little tv to unwind. All of a sudden I heard the screen door open and the door handle jiggle hard like someone was trying to get in. I wasn't expecting anyone and it really freaked me out. They stopped when they heard Cheyenne, but they went around to the backdoor and tried the same thing. They got away before the cops got there, but when I opened the door for the officer,Cheyenne lunged at him. I pulled her back and calmed her down before she could hurt him...she really didn't know any better, she just knew I was shaken from the whole incident.

Be sure to to take time to train them and get them accustomed to different surroundings and other people of all ages.

Good luck and have fun! I couldn't imagine life without my girl! She's amazing.

tshott · April 2011

Thank you sooooo much for all of the advice. I am so nervous about doing this. We do plan on crate training. I had no idea that I shouldn't use it as a time-out. Thank you for letting me know that, and it makes perfect sense after I read the logic behind it.

I do plan on working extremely hard to train it. Our dog will know who's boss, and that's us humans. Drew's bff has two dogs and those are two of the most well behaved dogs I have ever met. I will definitely be striving to get our dog there.

Now, when you say socialization, do you mean with us, or with other dogs? Is it important to let our dog play with other dogs?

MarJo03 · April 2011

tshott:
Now, when you say socialization, do you mean with us, or with other dogs? Is it important to let our dog play with other dogs?

With humans, and dogs. Big dogs, small dogs, all breeds. And all races, and genders. Makes sure to introduce him/her to people in uniforms (they're scary!). Any police officer you see walking around, just ask them to come say hello. Home depot is dog friendly! Take pup there and just walk around for a while.

Playing with different types of dogs is very important. Different personalities, it'll teach your pup hwo to appropriately respond to situation, and read doggy language. Dog parks are great! BUT, always be watching not only your dog, but other peoples dogs. Because other people are idiots, and will bring their dominate intact males to dog parks, and then humping/fights start and they dont pay attention to doggy body language.

tshott · April 2011

I guess we'll have to be sure to do doggy playdates with friends of ours who have two dogs. I don't know if we have any dog parks around here. I'll have to research that.

Is it weird that I'm more nervous about getting a dog than I am about having a baby? I know how to take care of a human, I'm so clueless about dogs. I know it's irrational and that I'm being ridiculous.

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