Buy German Shepherd Puppies From Responsible Breeders
German Shepherds are smart, obedient, brave, and guardians. They can be a great choice for families with a large, well-fenced yards and plenty of time to devote to exercise, training and playing.
If you don't have the time for an animal, you could consider adopting a pet from a shelter instead.
Responsible Breeding
Responsible breeders are concerned about the health of their puppies. They would like to find them homes with people who will give them affection and care throughout their lives. This is a big responsibility that requires careful screening and evaluation of prospective buyers.
Hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and other hereditary disorders are not acceptable to breeders. Both of these are genetic disorders that can cause pain, discomfort and arthritis in the future for your pet. Responsible breeders test their female and male dogs and only produce puppies from parents who have passed these tests.
Another thing to look for in a responsible breeder is their ability to explain the hereditary traits that your puppy could possess. This is crucial, since hereditary traits can have an impact on your pet's health and temperament.
The breeder must also be able discuss angles in the German Shepherd. They should be balanced and not have over or under angulation. This is important since the German Shepherd was built to be a herding dog and war dog, and they have to have the right angles to be able to efficiently move across long distances.
The breeder should also be able tell you the pedigree of the sire and dam. This is essential for a variety of reasons, including knowing about any possible medical or behavioral problems that the parent may have suffered from. Responsible breeders are always striving to prevent hereditary diseases. They must be able to explain the benefits as well as negatives of each parent's lineage.
Responsible breeders typically have a written contract that they ask prospective owners to sign. This contract should include an assurance of health and outline the obligations of the new owner. Before you make a purchase, it is important to understand the contract and agree with its terms. You shouldn't be compelled to sign a contract you do not feel comfortable with.
Puppies that have been health tested
The most crucial aspect of responsible breeding is the health testing. blaue schäferhunde will test their breeding dogs based on the recommended tests of the parent club of the dog and keep records as proof. These records should include a CHIC number, which indicates that all the required health screenings have been completed and that all tests have passed.
The CHIC number should be included in the puppy's pedigree. This is an easy way for the puppy's future owners to confirm that all required tests and screenings have been done. This will protect against breeding stock that have health issues that are inherited such as hip dysplasia or hereditary multiifocal kidney cystadenocarcinoma.
A reputable breeder should be able to explain the reason behind each test and how they affect the health of their pups. They must also be able to provide references from previous pet owners who can attest to the high quality of their dogs as well as their integrity.
German Shepherds are intelligent and obedient. They are also independent. They are protective and won't hesitate to tell strangers that they're not welcome. This makes them great guard dogs and home security guards, but they can be wonderful family pets if properly trained.
If you're thinking of buying a German Shepherd puppy, make sure that your potential breeder has gone through the necessary tests and screenings to ensure that their pups are healthy and genetically sound. This will save you lots of heartache down the line.
Hip scoring is the process of taking X-rays under anaesthesia and transferring them to a specialist who will examine the results and give them a score between 0 and 106. To avoid passing the hip dysplasia gene to their puppies only dogs with low scores can be bred. The scoring of the elbow is similar to that of the hip and measures the development of a dog's elbow joint.
Another test for health is the brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome test, which evaluates the an brachycephalic (flat-faced) dog's ability to breathe easily and gives it a score between 0 and 3 with 3 being the most severe and shouldn't be bred with. This reduces the risk of brachycephalic obstruction airway syndrome in puppies born of parents with high scores.
Socialized Puppies
German Shepherd puppies are naturally curious and playful dogs, and they tend to do well with children and other pets. They are loyal and protective, and make excellent watchdogs for families. They also love to work and play and are a good fit for homes with parks or yards where they can run. If they aren't well-socialized, they can become aggressive or fearful especially when they are around strangers.
Puppy socialization is the act of exposing a dog to the world and teaching them that the human world is a safe and positive place to be. You can socialize your puppy by taking them on walks, going to the pet store, or to a nearby park where they'll see other dogs, people, and other sights and noises. It can also involve exposing them to a variety of different types of elevators, cars and other forms of transportation.
In this period, it is important to be careful not to overwhelm your puppy with too many new experiences and interactions all at once. This can cause the dog to become stressed or even panicky and is the complete opposite of what you want to achieve when you are trying to socialize your puppy.
It is recommended to let the puppy see other people holding or petting them from a young age as this can help stop the development of touch aversion, which can cause problems in the veterinary office if your dog needs to have her ears examined and her mouth brushed in ways that aren't suitable for her.
In addition to socialization, puppy parents should also expose their pups to a variety of kinds of textures and sounds. This can be achieved by playing with the puppies on carpeting, tile wood, blankets and even wood. Also, by allowing them to hear the sounds of household appliances, such as blenders, doorbells, washing machines, and alarm clocks. Another way to let your puppies experience the world is to take them on car rides or to spend time in parking spaces. This will help them adjust to the noisy, fast, and unfamiliar world that they will be entering as adults.
Training
German Shepherds are extremely active and require a lot of physical and mental exercise. The most effective way to release the energy is to take them on long walks and engaging in dog sports such as agility, treibball, or flyball. This can help you develop an emotional bond with your German Shepherd and teach them to obey commands.
You'll need basic obedience commands to teach your puppy, like sit, heel and down. You can also use food treats to reward them for obeying your commands. The key is to keep the training sessions short and enjoyable to keep your puppy's focus. This will stop them from developing a negative association with training.
If you are a first-time dog owner or don't have the time to train your German Shepherd puppy yourself, an experienced trainer who specializes in German Shepherds can help. A trainer is able to help you with everything from obedience training to addressing specific behavioral issues.
A well-trained German Shepherd is a loyal and protective family member, which makes them the perfect companion for people with children. The breed is intelligent and can easily learn new techniques. It can perform tasks like helping people who are blind. The drawback is that they could be stubborn and may not always listening to their owner.
If you would prefer to use your German Shepherd to perform a task that requires more advanced abilities like tracking or smelling, you may be interested in enrolling your dog in a puppy training school. They have a predetermined program and require that your dog is fully vaccinated prior to starting classes.
German Shepherds are prone to heart disease, specifically DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy). You should be sure to have your puppy's heart examined annually using a stethoscope, and x-rays.
German Shepherds are also susceptible to cancer, especially as they get older. Hemangiosarcoma is one of the most common cancers that affect Shepherds can cause internal bleeding and weakness, as well as a dilated stomach, breathing problems, and collapse.