i have a 1 year old german shepherd
when do i get his hips checked
he eats chicken and rice with large breed puppy formual, is this ok?
i am training him myself, he is more behaved than any dog i know of
is there anythign i shoudl definetly know, or avoid, or do!?
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German Shepherd?
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German sheperds are the greatest breed of dog there is. They train better and are sooooo loyal!!! The food sounds great. Make sure he gets plenty of exercise as they can put on weight quickly if they are allowed to lay around. Give him lots of love and he’ll be the best friend you ever had…………
Its okay i guess but dogs should onli be eating puppy chow till hter 1yr old. try feeding him something else.
It sounds like u r doing a pretty good job on ur own. U can check his hips now at the vet they do that a lot at my job and u can also wait a couple of years to see if there is any early signs of hip displasia. I suggest switching him over to adult food (large breed) now. Do it over a couple of days (so he doesn’t get diarrhea or upset stomach) because he doesn’t need the puppy food anymore. Well good luck and it sounds like u have a great dog-Good Job!
sounds like you are doing everything right!!! good food..when you play fetch,make sure you don’t make him jump for the ball..if he lands on his back legs it could make him have hip problems…my aunt and uncle raise German shepherds..they are wonderful dogs..i would get his hips checked when he is 2 yrs old..and if it comes back normal,than don’t worry,
The area where I live..most Shepherds are sold with guaranteed hips…due to exceptional breeding. The Shepherd that we have now was guaranteed and has been only showing hip problems in the past year…he is 10…I am sure it has a lot to do with being a bit older & living here in the moist Northwest:) Hopefully you’ll get better advise on when to have him checked out & finding a good Shepherd Vet as well. *Keep him orientated with people & friendly…that is the best advise I can give you about owning a Shepherd
You will have his hips x-rayed when he is two and send the films to OFA they will rate his hips for you and send you a certification paper for the condition of him.
You are ok feeding the large breed puppy food up to two years.
Sounds like you are doing the right things. He is a lucky dog to have some who cares for him well.
You are doing very well indeed!
You should learn about all the vaccinations that he will need or not need. So do some reading.
http://svmweb.vetmed.wisc.edu/articles/68/5/39
http://www.news.wisc.edu/releases/8413.html
http://www.critteradvocacy.org
Switch him over to adult food now. Chicken and rice is fine – I like Nutro brand the best. It has no “by products”. You can have his hips x-rayed at any age, but I don’t think that the OFA will certify them before the dog is 18 or 24 months old.
If you want some more ideas for training, try these good books on training. Try not to do it randomly – there are a lot of bad books out there also! These are some of my favorites:
What All Good Dogs Should Know – Volhard
Good Owners, Great Dogs – Brian Kilcommins
Don’t Shoot the Dog – Pryor
Training Your Dog: The Step by Step Method – Volhard
Dog Tricks : Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World-Class Trainers by Haggerty and Benjamin
Dog Problems – Benjamin
Cesar’s Way – Cesar Millan
Also, watch the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. Cesar Millan is the best trainer I’ve ever seen on tv.
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