Health

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- Health Recommendations -

We strive to produce healthy, happy puppies who will adjust easily to their new homes. We are careful about choosing quality breeding stock and we raise puppies on wholesome foods. At six weeks of age we introduce quality dry food to make an easier transition to the diet most new owners will provide. After the puppy goes home a good foundation has been laid and the new owners are faced with many decisions to raise their puppy. This page is intended as tips to help our puppy owners with those decisions.

Diet - Do's-

- We recommend raw feeding as the best diet for dogs, but it's not the best choice for every dog owner. It requires some reading, commitment and more work than other diets. But if you decide to feed a raw diet with adequate calcium/phosphorus ratio and an appropriate variety of foods it will be the best you can do for your dog's health and longevity. There are great books and internet forums which provide information, support and sources.

- If you prefer to feed dry food, we strongly recommend that puppies be fed a high quality large breed puppy dog food with less than 26% protein, at least until they are 12 months of age to prevent future problems with your dog's bones. Here are a few of the better quality dog foods we recommend:

Eagle Pack

Taste of the Wild

Blue Buffalo

I have fournd the above foods to be consistent and good quality and I get good results (good coats, good poops)

Some other brands I occassionally use include Diamond foods and 4Health (although the food consistency varies, I will often have to mix the older food bag into the newer food bag to avoid upsets).

Supermarket dog foods are NOT recommended as they use cheap ingredients with low nutritional value. Other "better" dog foods we DO NOT recommend: Nutro, Science Diet, Purina Brands and Eukanuba.

- Puppies need to grow at a SLOW pace. We all love rolly-polly puppies, but that's only good when puppies are nursing. Once they are weaned nature intended for them to grow SLOWLY. Don't feed your puppy for record size or weight, always feed so the puppy will still be a little bit hungry; you are not being cruel, you are being wise. You are preventing hip dysplasia, pano and other bone related problems by allowing the puppy to grow at a slower rate, so keep your puppy lean (you should be able to easily feel the ribs under the skin), from a view above, your puppy should have a clear hourglass shape.

Diet - Dont's-

- Don't feed your dog cooked bones of any kind. Cooking changes the structure of the bone, the dog can't digest it and it can be fatal. Raw bones are great.

- Don't allow your puppy or adult dog to eat, drink and then run or play. German Shepherds are prone to bloat (torsion of the stomach) because of their deep chest, and may die of it in minutes.

- Don't feed chocolate or grapes.

- To prevent diarrhea:

Don't give your puppy pasteurized milk or too much dairy products (including cheese).

Don't give raw foods and dog food together, each food is digested at a different rate.

If switching from one dog food to another, mix both foods and reduce the old food gradually, over the course of at least a week.

Do not overfeed (several smaller meals a day is much better for your puppy and adult than one bulky feeding).

If you do get mild diarrhea, boiled rice or pumpkin puree (not pie filling) added in along with some enzymes and/or a teaspoon of plain Greek yogurt often cures it up. Reduce the amount of food fed for a day or two. Severe diarrhea or blood in the stool calls for a trip to the vet.

I recommend using Benebac, Phillips Colon Health or Floristor, for several days after worming, then again in ten more days. After you have wormed your pet, you have destroyed all the beneficial bacteria in their gut and you need to get it back in there!

Exercise - Do's and Dont's-

- Playing with your puppy is good exercise, as long as you stop as soon as he is tired. Jogging with your puppy is not recommended until the puppy is at least a fourteen months old. Then start slowly and make sure to jog on grass, not on pavement. A young dog's bones/joints are still very sensitive and can be permanently harmed by too much exercise, leading to hip and elbow problems.

- Don't let your puppy run on slippery surfaces like linoleum, slick tile or hardwood--this is one early cause for hip problems later on. The best place to exercise your puppy is on grass where he will have firm footing.

Vaccinations - Do's and Dont's-

- Please be informed about the new protocol taught at vet schools regarding schedules and frequency of vaccinations for puppies and dogs. Since our puppies leave soon after they are 10 weeks old, we vaccinate them against Parvo and Distemper a few days prior to leaving, to avoid adding to the trip/new home stress. We can send puppies home without vaccines if new owner requests it in writing.

Age of puppies:

9- 10 weeks

Distemper + Parvovirus

14 weeks

Distemper + Parvovirus

16 -18 weeks

(optional Distemper and Parvo and Corona )

20 weeks or older, if allowable by law

Rabies

1 year

Distemper + Parvovirus

1 year

Rabies 3 year - do not give at the same time as the Distemper& Parvo

wait at least six weeks

- Don't take your puppy under 16 weeks to dog shows, highway rest areas, parks or other places frequented by other dogs. The same goes for you, stay away from the previously mentioned places and kennels/dog shelters where you can pick up infections and bring them home in your shoes, etc. The first vaccine a puppy receives does not cover him 100% and he can catch parvovirus, which can be fatal for a young pup. Avoiding exposure is the first and best prevention.

- Don't allow your puppy to receive more than two vaccines at the same time, the combination vaccines "5 in 1 Puppy Shots", etc are to be avoided. Vaccines challenge the immune system in a complex way and injecting several at the same time is a major attack to the immune system from which many puppies can't ever recover, leaving puppies with lifelong allergies and chronic problems. Rabies vaccines should be given separately. Do not give other vaccines within two months before or two months after receiving the rabies.

- Don't vaccinate your puppy when stressed or sick.

- It's been proven that over-vaccination (yearly boosters) produces chronic diseases. Avoid unnecessary vaccinations. Titers can be expensive, but they are the best way to tell if your dog is protected by previous vaccinations.

-If you must take a young puppy to the vet's make sure the clinic has not had any cases of parvo recently. Even though vet offices are disinfected routinely they are the most likely places to expose your puppy to disease. If you have to take your yourng puppy to the vet, crate him or hold him on your lap until you have reached the exam room table. And it is OK to ask the vet and assistants if the table has been cleaned and their hands are washed.

Spay/Neuter - Do's and Dont's-

It's best to spay/neuter after 2 years of age to allow for complete growth. Hormones are necessary for good bone/joint development. We support spaying/neutering as breeding prevention, however, it is healthier for the dog to remain whole through their puberty period to prevent cancer, skeletal problems (including hip-dysplasia), etc.

Flea Treatments

Spot-on flea and tick treatments are best avoided, unless absolutely necessary. Healthy dogs do not get flea infestations.

If your dog starts picking up fleas that is your cue to look at his over-all health and make some changes, especially his diet. Try only to use during the peak season of April - September if necessary. In Missouri, their are ticks, so I will use Frontline-Plus, but only when necessary.

House-Training

Ten week old puppies are just babies. They are not housebroken and are too young to contain themselves, they need to grow up several more weeks before they can wait for any period of time. At this time they don't even "know" any better, except that they will avoid soiling the place where they sleep. But puppies are easily housebroken if we remember a few simple tips:

- Puppies need to go out right after they wake up from a nap, after they eat and after they drink. If you provide food and drink several times a day you will know when you need to take your puppy out, it will be trained very quickly. Take your puppy out first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Always positive praise "good boy" as soon as they finish their job.

- If the puppy has an accident in the house be patient with yourself and your puppy. They want to please you, so do not punish. Just quietly clean it up, out of site of the puppy.

- Restrict puppy to a small area of the house at first, like the kitchen, where the floor is easy to clean and allow the puppy access to the rest of the house gradually as he gets more familiar. Supervise him at all times to avoid chewing on electric cords, furniture, etc. Your puppy will want to be with you as much as you let him, he will be lonely at first and will miss his mother and littermates, you are now his whole world. I like to hand feed kibble to new puppies in my home for at least the first few weekd. When I get a new puppy, I will also leash the puppy to me, wherever I go in the house, he goes. I lead, he follows. This produces a strong bond, easier leash training, and I can usually catch them before an accident occurs.

- If you have other pets introduce them gently to your puppy one at a time, making sure they get along. Supervise them closely for at least a week. Keep them separate at meal times. Males may be aggressive to puppies.

- A crate is a good "den" for a puppy, he will feel secure and comfortable. If you need to leave the puppy alone for a period of time the crate will be the best place, especially at night time. If you will have to be away for several hours you may want to get a large crate where he has enough room to sleep in one side and "go" in the other, if he has to. Safe toys are important--German Shepherds are good chewers so make sure he won't be able to chew off pieces and swallow them. A good old-fashioned raw bone is the best toy for a puppy, a knuckle bone will give your puppy hours of bliss.

Grooming

German Shepherd should be brushed at least twice a week. This is enjoyable for your dog and gives you a chance to throughly check your dogs body for any health issues. They will blow their coat twice a year, and this reqjuires diligent brushing to get that dead hair removed. Hot spots can quickly develop if proper grooming during this time is neglected. Nails should be trimmed at least monthly, more in young growing dogs. Long nails can affect movement and possibly lead to hip dysplasia and joint problems if allowed to grow to long and is uncomfortable for your pet. If you can hear your dogs nails click when it walks across the floor, they are too long.

Socializing -- It's a MUST

We recommend attending puppy classes after puppies are through with their early vaccines at 16 weeks of age. Puppies need to be socialized and exposed to as many different situations as possible in their first year to ensure they grow familiar with other people and dogs. Obedience training is best achieved early on. Also training strengthens the bond between the puppy and owner, and allows him to act on his natural desire to please his human.