 SCALES ARIZONA GERMAN SHEPHERD DOGS
These are just a few topics on German
Shepherd care that we would like to share. If you have any questions or
comments, please feel free to drop us a line at stacy.speer@gmail.com
We recommend and
feed Royal Canin MAXI German Shepherd 24 Dog Food for Adult German
Shepherds Over 15 Months of Age We do not recommend any High protein foods (over 25%) for German Shepherd Puppies.
Vaccinations are given to prevent many devastating, often fatal infectious diseases such as distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, bordetella and rabies. Vaccinations are given to all puppies, in a series of injections. Our first puppy vaccination (parvovirus only) is given when the puppies are between 5-6 weeks old. Booster shots should be given every 2-3 weeks until the puppy is 16 weeks old and then re-vaccinated by yearly booster shots. We do not give our rabies shots until the puppy is 6 months of age. A veternanrian can recommend a schedule for shots.
Parasites that can effect the puppy's health include heartworm, roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, ear mites, fleas and ticks. Internal parasites can be detected by a veterinarian using blood and stool samples. We worm our puppies with Nemex at least twice at 4 and 6 weeks of age. A stool sample is examined by our veterinarian to ensure the puppies are free of worms and parasites. However, there is no way to prevent the puppy from being infected again by parasites. A stool sample is taken to the veterinarian during the puppy's annual check-up.
It is very important to for puppies to exercise puppies to prevent obesity, poor muscle development, harmful stress and heart disease. We make sure that our puppies have plenty of exercise, never letting the puppy run free without supervision. We never allow our puppies to jump from high places (in and out of vehicles) or walk up and down stairs.
It is very important to socialize puppies at a young age. We begin at birth by touching the puppies each day, gradually increasing the stimulation to picking up and holding each puppy every day. As the puppies grow it is important to increase their stimulation and experiences each day. After the puppies have had their first shots at five weeks, we allow friends and visitors to come and play with the puppies. We highly recommend taking your puppy to puppy class or puppy kindergarten. These type of classes will teach you how to communicate and train your puppy in methods that the mother dog uses. A good book for new puppy owners that we recommend is, "How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With". Go to different places, parks, matches, handling classes, etc and have strangers pet your puppy. Remember the more experiences, the better! And always back up these experiences with positive reinforcement!
Ears: Should be cleaned with a ear cleaning solution on a regular basis to prevent dirt and wax build-up. Glently massage the base of the ear after applying the ear cleaner. Wipe clean with a cotton ball or soft cloth. Nails: We clip our puppies nails at least once a week to keep them short. Bathing: Our
puppies are bathed and groomed before going to their new homes. We use
and recommend Mr. Groom shampoos and conditioners for bathing German
Shepherds. |
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1995-2010, Stacy J. Speer &Scales Arizona |