Monthly German Shepherd puppy weight. How to choose and how to feed a German shepherd puppy?

It is very important to track the growth and weight of German Shepherd puppies by month. This is one of the most important indicators of the formation of a young animal. The growth and development of a German shepherd puppy depends on many factors. Originally from genetics, nutrition, and initial health.

General characteristics of the breed

The first impression of a German shepherd is a self-confident, strong, very alert and full of life dog.

The German Shepherd is an ideal guard and companion dog. She is very hardy and has the character of a defender.

Dogs need balanced nutritious food, care and, of course, a lot of love. German shepherds love to be outdoors. They love to run and frolic, these are active dogs. They also like to relax with their families and watch what the owners of the house do, as by nature these dogs are very attached to family members.

"Germans" have a huge reserve of patience with respect to owners and children. Even if the dog does not really like any procedure, she will tolerate it. He loves children and will “babysit” them with pleasure, play and never offend. This is connected not only with love for households, but also with a high level of intellectual development.

In addition, they usually get along well with other animals, especially if the dog appeared at home at a young age.

How to choose a puppy?

The decision to get a thoroughbred puppy of a German shepherd is very responsible. But it is often associated with the pangs of choice. And here you are in the kennel, standing and wondering how to choose a German shepherd puppy. In order to avoid the wrong choice, we offer you step-by-step instructions. This manual will describe the aspects that you should pay attention to when choosing.

Step 1

Look at the behavior of puppies. They try to fight for a place in the pack, so they often fight. Exclude the most aggressive, with him there will be many problems on walks. Such dogs are more suitable for protection or service. But do not take the most passive, because the dog should be able to show their character at the right time. Therefore, the correct puppy of a German shepherd must have a balanced temperament, but not be a “felt boot”.

Step 2

The second important point is health. What does a German shepherd puppy look like who is healthy? Pay attention to what they feed him. If the stomach is too big, this is one of the signs of helminth infection. Turn the puppy and look at his belly. The presence of red dots indicates the presence of fleas or lice. Touch the coat, it should be soft, odorless “dog”, not have bald patches and bald spots. The eyes of a healthy puppy are clean, shiny. The nose is wet and cold.

Step 3

If you have a male in front of you, then its testes should go down to 3 months into the scrotum. Do not listen to the seller's assurances that this will happen later. However, if you are not taking the dog for shows, such a defect is not particularly important.

Step 4

Now about the ears. The ears of a German shepherd puppy can get up early, at 5 weeks. But it happens that they get up later. The main thing is that they rise to 4 months. Inspect when buying a puppy, his ear cartilage, and if he is in order, there are no creases, then feel free to take the four-legged.

Step 5

Put your puppy and look at his paws. In a good dog, the legs should be straight and strong. There should be no deviations. This is a direct symptom of malnutrition and rickets. There may be nodosity on the joints. Then, as the puppy grows, when the skeleton forms and strengthens, this thickening will not be noticeable.

Step 6

How to choose a puppy of a German shepherd for croup? The German Shepherd has a slightly beveled silhouette, and puppies should be chosen with the most pronounced features.

Step 7

Bite is also important. The protrusion of the upper or lower jaw is not allowed. They must have a scissor bite. That is, this is when the upper row of teeth protrudes slightly above the lower.

Step 8

Pay attention to the shape of the tail. When the puppy is calm, its tail hangs, may be slightly curved. In a state of excitement, the puppy’s tail rises, but it should not bend high above the back of the ring.

Step 9

And about the color. As a rule, puppies are much darker than adult dogs, so be guided by this. There are white marks on the chest and legs, this is considered a defect.

Raising a puppy

German shepherds are dogs that are well socialized. However, like any pet, they need education. Only in this case, you can be sure that the dog will grow obedient and will meet your expectations.

German shepherds are very easy to train. They always strive to please their masters. That is why these dogs are great even for beginner dog breeders.

Some training tips that may be helpful:

• When a puppy enters a new home, it is advisable to teach him to sit and wait while you cook for him. It will not be superfluous to also teach to refuse food that lies on the ground or that is provided by strangers.
• Do not let the puppy jump on you. This is very important to teach from childhood, as the dog grows rapidly. And when she weighs 20-30 kg, her jumps can become tangible, at one point you just can not cope with balance. And, therefore, fall and it is not known where this will lead.
• You always need to praise the dog during training, treat yourself with something tasty for the exercise. You need to start training from 14 weeks. It is important to develop obedience in your puppy.

If you do not have time or the opportunity to deal with a dog, then you can give it to classes with a dog handler. A well-bred dog is the key to the manageability and integrity of your property.

Care difficulties

In fact, the breed does not have any special needs. The main thing is a complete diet and care. The wool should be looked after in the same way as in most cases. That is, comb out the puppy with specialized cheeses. When the dog grows up, then for combing you need to use combs.

You can bathe, especially if the dog is housing or living in a house. Vaccination by age is required for all domestic animals, including the German Shepherd. Vaccination information can be obtained from the breeder and veterinarian.

German shepherd puppies, growth chart

From the breed standards, an adult German shepherd dog at the withers should be from 60 to 65 cm, and its weight should be from 30 to 40 kg. For dogs of the opposite sex, the height at the withers is 55-60 cm, and the mass is from 22 to 32 kg.

Below is a graph of the weight growth of German Shepherd puppies by month. The chart is made for both sexes from 2 to 24 months. The numbers are for a medium sized dog. If your German Shepherd puppy has a monthly weight that is 15% higher or lower with the given data, this is within the normal range.

This chart is based on the observations of dog handlers and dog owners of this breed. It is important to keep in mind that the weight of the dog must have a harmonious relationship with its size and development of the skeleton.

The German shepherd, as a rule, reaches full formation by 2 years of life, some dogs require a little more time. For dogs, more weight does not mean a better condition, because overweight at any stage of life means a greater load on the joints and ligaments, and, therefore, a greater risk of injuries and the development of pathologies.

That is why the growth and weight of German Shepherd puppies for months is important to monitor. Puppies must remain within breed standards.

This is how the weight gain of a German shepherd should look like, your puppy's diagram may have deviations (± 15%) from the indicated indicator.

How and what to feed?

Nutrition plays a very important role in a dog’s life. The life expectancy and overall well-being of the pet depend on this. Puppies require proteins, carbohydrates and other important components in the diet. So how to feed a German shepherd puppy?

• Premium dry food. Dry food is the usual daily diet for most dogs. A good food contains meat, cereals, vegetables and other additives. Not all brands are the same or have high nutritional value.
• Soft canned dog food is best for puppies. But you can’t do it without hard food, because it helps the normal development of the jaw.
• You can feed and natural products. Meat, eggs, cottage cheese, cereals, vegetables. The main rule: food should be healthy, fresh, without sugar and salt. Food from the table is not suitable. What is beneficial to humans does not always affect the animal in the same way. Therefore, no matter how much your doggie asks for a piece of chocolate or delicious salted fish, do not give it!

You need to feed your four-legged friend five to six times a day, but as you grow older, feeding should be reduced to two times a day.

Give your puppy the best you can. If you still doubt how to feed a German Shepherd puppy, you can always seek the advice of a breeder or veterinarian.

Possible health problems

Any large breed of dog can face health problems. Hip dysplasia used to be very common before, now it is a rather rare occurrence. This is due to the fact that breeders are constantly trying to improve the quality of the breed.

The rest of the breed is distinguished by good health, has no particular problems and predispositions to diseases.

How many puppies can be in the litter?

German shepherds are good mothers, they can have very large litters. In one litter there can be from 1 to 15 puppies. But usually the litter is about 8 puppies.

Life span

German shepherd, as a rule, lives about 12-14 years. With proper care and good natural health, dogs of this breed can live 18-20 years, while not having special problems and pathologies.

In order to prolong the life of a fourth friend, it is necessary to undergo an examination with a veterinarian once a year, as well as monitor the nutrition of the dog.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are no big difficulties in keeping a German shepherd puppy. The main thing is timely care, weight and height control, care. If you follow all these simple rules, you will get a well-bred, well-groomed and healthy dog.