First time GSD owners

German Shepherd Dogs originated in Germany where they were bred by farmers to tend the sheep and protect the ShepherdThe father of the breed Max von Stephanitz founded the German Shepherd Dog Association in 1890 and today the breed is recognised worldwide as one of the most valued dog breeds.  The dog is a working breed and as such his temperament and soundness are most important and must come before his 'good looks'.
Temperament  As a working breed they do best with something to do. If you are at work all day and need a dog to guard your house a German Shepherd isn't for you. He could become noisy and destructive and cause you and your neighbours a problem. They are an active breed and need regular exercise and something to stimulate their minds. German Shepherds are a companion breed and love being with you and your immediate family. The breed is good with children but like all breeds of dogs MUST be supervised while in the company of children.
General Care The breed is relatively low maintenance i.e. their coats don't matt and a good brushing once or twice a week is usually enough to keep the coat in good condition. They do however have a moult at least twice a year and lose a considerable amount of undercoat which does need stripping out with a good comb. Hydrobathing every two or three weeks keeps the coat smelling sweet. Flea and tick control is a must and your dog will suffer if your flea control is inadeqate. Ears must be cleaned regularly and toenails should be cut as needed.
Hips & Elbows i.e. joint problems in the breed A lot of people will say 'so you want a German Shepherd, better watch out for their hips'. The real story is that today worldwide the breed has the best hips it has ever had. In Australia serious ethical breeders routinely x-ray all their breeding dogs to obtain their 'A' Stamp for hips and 'Z' Stamp for elbows which means they have scored sufficiently low to be bred with. The Hip and Elbow schemes are administered by the German Shepherd Dog Council of Australia.
Puppies are not x-rayed before they leave the breeder.
Exercise: It is important you set aside time every day if possible to exercise your German Shepherd. A good walk on lead finishing off playing with a ball or Kong is excellent to burn off excess energy. Do not over exercise youngsters under 18 months of age on enforced long distance walks or bike rides. Once they reach 18 months, exercise should be GRADUALLY increased always remembering that the breed is a 'slow trotting dog' and not a marathon runner. 


 


Contact Details

Diane Ballantyne
Cleveland, QLD, Australia
Phone : 0411 433739
Email : [email protected]