Introduction
When puppies join a new home they will be moving away from all that has been familiar to them in their short life and this process can be stressful. The aim is for the puppy to settle in to his/her new environment as quickly as possible and to cope with the every day events that are involved with living as a domestic pet. The information gathered here is provided as a guide only, if any problems arise contact Steviejosh or your qualified Veterinary Surgeon.

Increase or decrease puppy food according to your pup’s needs.
NEVER OVERFEED: your puppy should always have a waistline and just a nice covering over the ribs, not layers of fat. A pup kept in overweight condition can have problems with a weak back, loose ligamentation and could have trouble later in life with heart conditions, spinal complaints or hip dysplasia due to excessive weight gain.

We feed the formula - Artemis  & brisket bones which are given to the puppy from the age of 6 weeks; they clean the teeth and give the jaw muscles exercise. They also supply calcium and minerals to the puppy.
NEVER give COOKED BONES as chop, chicken, fish, roast lamb, t-bone, etc, as these can get caught, tear or splinter the bowel. We recommend brisket bones.

We do not feed RAW EGGS . Eggs contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin (a B Vitamin).This can lead to skin and coat problems. Raw eggs may also contain Salmonella.

We do not recommend canned food. Dogs fed on canned food often suffer from anal gland problems and gastric upset.

If ever giving over 3 cups of dry formula pour water over it and allow to soak and swell prior to feeding the dog or the fatal condition of BLOAT could occur.
Importantly, WAIT TWO HOURS before or after exercising your dog to feed him or you may risk the FATAL CONDITION of STOMACH TORSION - BLOAT, occurring!

Please do not change the food formula your breeder has advised you to use . It is a good idea to continue feeding the same type and brand of puppy food and use the same feeding schedule the puppy was on before he/she came to you.

Preparing for puppy
Before you bring your puppy home you will need to get ready! The more prepared you are, the easier you will find it for the new member to adjust to his/her new family & home.
Here are a couple of ideas to help prepare for the arrival of your new puppy:
Purchase:

• an untippable food bowl and water dish,
• a natural bristle brush 
• a collar and lead - the collar should be the correct size for the puppy the day you bring him home. Size the collar by making sure that two fingers can slip underneath it easily,
• a pooper scooper & bags,
• a crate - choice of crate: This is very important when it comes to the humane treatment of your puppy. The puppy should have enough room to move around and be comfortable in. If the crate is too large - the puppy might even relieve himself inside the crate. It is cruel to leave your puppy inside the crate for too long. Night time is crate time and often even very young puppies can go the entire night without soiling their crates. You will want the puppy to slowly get used to the crate. The puppy needs to feel that the crate is his haven, so put his/ her bedding & blanket and the puppy’s favourite toys in there. We also put a treat or two in the crate to tempt the puppy. Never force your dog inside the crate. It is his safe haven in his new home,
• a dry food storage bin,
• check with the Breeder what food your puppy is eating. Do not change the puppies diet which has been recommended by the Breeder. Make sure you have a supply ready if your breeder has not arranged for a bag of formula to go with puppy,
• try to arrange to pick up the puppy from the breeder in the morning, this will give the puppy most of the day to travel & settle in to his/her new home,
• contact your Vet & make an appointment for your puppies first visit within 48 hours of picking your puppy up.
• contact the GSDCV Inc to ask about becoming a member of your nearest Branch to enable you to commence the puppies positive training program

The big day
The big day has arrived. You are picking your puppy up from the breeder.

Make the trip home as stress free as you can for your new family member. The problem withtravel can be simple anxiety with vibration, sounds and sometimes movement . The problems may have developed even before the engine has started.

• It is important that the first trip is not a bad experience for the puppy that falls into a repeated behaviour pattern.
• Before the puppy leaves on his/her journey make sure the puppy is toileted, so there are no accidents in the car.
• Bring your partner or a friend to drive the puppy home so that you are able to, cuddle & talk to the puppy so as to distract him from the car vibration, sounds & movement.
• Leaving his/her mother, littermates and all that is familiar can be quite stressful to your puppy & may be the cause of some form of separation anxiety, so make sure you have routines that will enable you to be home with the puppy for the first few days.

The puppy needs time to adjust to his/her new family and surroundings. Keep the puppy involved with plenty of attention from his/her new family .
If your human family are young and have not had a puppy before, spend time with the children and puppy teaching them how to play together and laying down some basic common sense rules on puppy playtime.

 

Children & dogs
Parents have an obligation to monitor all child-dog interaction, until both child & dog have learned to play nicely together. There will be times when you have to protect the pup from the children or the children from the pup.

• Do not leave children alone with a new puppy. Inevitably, the pup will view small children as litter mates and will nip.
• Do not allow aggressive play or tug-of-war with the pet puppy. This can lead to aggressive behaviour and biting. Instead, throw a ball for the pup to chase.
• Do not allow pup to join in running games with children. The pup will be encouraged to think of children as “prey”.
• Encourage the children to think of the puppy as a sensitive & a living thing. The puppy is not a toy.

 

 

The first night with your new puppy
As a rule, new owners are advised that their puppy should be made sleep on their own on their first night in their new home.
We at Kazkiri disagree with this idea as it can make your puppy anxious and consequently the puppy cries/barks most of the night, disturbing all family members. The next step is the owner acts in response to the puppy’s crying/barking by bringing the puppy into the bedroom, most probably cuddled up next to the owner in bed with them.

Preferably, puppies should eventually sleep away from their owners. Conversely, puppies first night in his/her new environment is already stressful, as up until now he/she has had littermates company, we do not want to add to his/her stress by isolating the puppy in a cold laundry/ bathroom or kitchen.

Here are some ideas that will enable your puppy to feel safe & secure on their first night in their new home.

• provide a crate
• we partly cover the crate with a blanket, so that the crate is den-like
• add comfortable bedding. The bedding should also include the blanket that you provided the breeder with while the puppy was still with the mother & littermates
• keep the crate in one of the living areas i.e. family room/lounge during the day
• whenever the puppy sleeps during the day, especially if he/she does so on your lap, put him/her in the crate.
• also we put a warm water bottle under the bedding, so that the bed is comfortable to sleep in.
• keep the puppy relaxed & quiet at least an hour before bedtime. Do not play games or get the puppy excited in this time.
• move the crate to your bedroom
• toilet the puppy before putting him/her to bed
• once household has settled down for the night, ignore puppies whimpering and let him/her settle on his/her own. DO NOT GET ANGRY WITH YOUR PUPPY
• if the puppy needs to go to the toilet through the night, take him/her but do not give any food/ attention just praise him/her for eliminating and put puppy back to bed
• don’t allow the puppy on your bed
• never play games with puppy in your bedroom, this is the place to sleep
   

The first few nights are going to be sleepless for the new owner and stressful for the puppy.
Do not allow puppy to sleep on your bed. It may be cute when puppy is small, but sharing a bed with a 40Kg plus male German Shepherd is no fun, believe me I know!
Whenever puppy falls asleep put him/her in their crate. The puppy will soon get used to the crate as the place to sleep in.
Once the puppy is sleeping well in the crate you will be able to move it further away from your bed and gradually out of the room where you want the puppy to sleep.

 

 

 

Settling in and socialisation
The thought of bringing home a new puppy can be exciting and overwhelming at once.

When the puppy arrives at his new home, there is a whole new environment to explore, different people, places, etc.
After the puppy is used to his new home, gradually begin to take your puppy out and widen his environment. When taking the puppy out, try to insure that there have been no sick puppies and that other dogs have been vaccinated.

Begin socialisation from the age of 8 weeks. It is important that the puppy learn his social skills with other dogs and humans. Although it could be difficult,to insure that the dogs the puppy encounters, are vaccinated and in good health. All dogs attending the German Shepherd Dog Club Training Branches have been vaccinated. It is a con dition of training that up to date Vaccination Certificates are produced for verification.

Take the puppy out and around shopping centres, parks, etc. to meet people and other dogs; this is most important if your puppy is to develop into a well-adjusted and happy individual.Encounter different situations, shapes, noises, traffic, etc.However, do it gradually, NOT ALL IN ONE DAY.This allows the puppy to experience everyday situations and learn to react calmly.Then even if the puppy does not encounter traffic or similar situations for a long time, the early experience will remain when it is re-exposed later, and the calm response will be remembered and repeated.SOCIALISATION AND TRAINING ARE NEVER WASTED; it results in a more manageable dog that is a delight to own and is much appreciated by other members of the public.

When the puppy arrives home, he may take a little while to settle in.He may become finicky with food for the first 7-10 days, however, if the puppy is not eating properly within 2-3 days CONTACT your breeder to discuss the diet. DO NOT try to change the food around or LEAVE food with the pup. Feed the puppy and leave food for 15-20 minutes – NO LONGER. If not eaten, remove it!

The stress of a change of environment, new home and people, can cause the puppy to be a bit loose in his/her motions, especially for a few days, this should settle down after the first week.

It will take 4-5 nights for the puppy to settle at night. It will be strange for the puppy, as he/she has had brothers and sisters to cuddle up to, and now finds he/she finds itself alone in a strange place. Provide the puppy with a warm sleeping area, a soft cuddly toy, leave a radio going and a clock nearby for him to hear, so he will not feel quite so alone.

Importantly make sure your German Shepherd Puppy is in good health and is kept on a regular schedule of worming and vaccination also that he is fed a good quality diet. If you are unsure, check with your German Shepherd Dog breeder for suggestions.

 

 

 

Housetraining
Housetraining is a common point of conflict between puppies and their new owners. Most puppies wil urinate or defecate in the home within a few hours of arriving. Unfortunately we tend to react by getting cross, and this can frighten the puppy very badly. After all, the puppy has no reason to like or trust us at this point.

It is therefore important to prepare yourself for housetraining and make sure that all the family members & friends know & understand that it is wrong to scold or smack the puppy. Pushing the puppy’s nose in his/her mess WILL NOT help with housetraining. Everyone has to be on the same page when it comes to training the puppy.

Dealing with mistakes
Mistakes will happen, and your puppy will occasionally soil in the house, until he is housetrained.

If you catch your puppy making a mess somewhere, say ‘NO’ in a calm but firm voice (not angrily) and quickly take him /her to the place that you wish to be used as the toilet. Then reward him/her for finishing off there.

If you find a mess which your puppy did earlier, just clean it up. DO NOT get cross with your puppy. It is particularly important not to punish the puppy when you come home to find he/she has soiled in the house.
When you clean up the soiled area, try to avoid strong smelling cleaners like bleach or pine scented disinfectant. These may mark the place with a strong smell that encourages the puppy to use it as a latrine. Instead use odourless cleaners after you have thoroughly cleaned the area with soapy water. After cleaning, apply a biologically based scent-free deodorizer spray.

 

Housetraining method
Dogs tend to need to go to the toilet within 20 minutes of a meal or a period of sleep. You should take your puppy to the toilet area at these times, and regularly every 60 minutes during the day until you can see a pattern to when your puppy needs to go to the toilet.

Designate a toilet place in the garden. It should be an obvious spot, preferably somewhere that your puppy has previously used. If you have to mop up urine in the house wring the cloths out onto this toilet spot occasionally so that it is marked as a latrine.At the appropriate times, calmly put your on a lead and take him/her into the garden. Remain completely passive and do not interact with your puppy in any way.Walk to the toilet spot and circle it a couple of times. Continue to stay calm and ignore your puppy.

Stand still and quietly give the command you want your puppy to respond to when told to go to the toilet.

Wait for up to 5 minutes. 

If your puppy goes to the toilet wait until he/she is almost finished.
Just as your puppy is finishing going to the toilet say “good dog”, then give a food reward, plenty of praise and a great deal of attention. Let your puppy off the lead to sniff around the garden. Play a game for a couple of minutes.

If your puppy does not go to the toilet, silently lead him/her back inside without even taking the lead off. Try taking your puppy outside again a little later.

As you repeat this training you should gradually raise the level of your voice to a normal level of speech when you give the command. You will find that your puppy comes to understand that he/she should go to the toilet whenever let into the garden or given the command.
It is important to restrict your puppy’s ability to make mistakes. Keep your puppy supervised at all times when you are at home and take the puppy to the toilet before you go out. Also consider using a crate to confine your puppy while you are out. If you do use a crate your puppy MUST be acclimatized to it first.
Dogs wil rarely soil their own bed so this prevents accidents while you are not around. Normally a puppy may take 3-4 weeks to become reasonably well housetrained.

 

Puppy play
All pet owners enjoy watching the playful antics of their pets. In fact most pet owners consider this one of the most enjoyable aspects of pet ownership. If you have ever wondered why pets play, what you can do to encourage your pet to play or what makes a good toy for your pet, continue…
 

Why do puppy’s like to play?
Play exercises our pets’ bodies and their minds. Most breeds of dogs traditionally had jobs to do. Playing with toys and interacting with us is now their role.
We have bred our pets to have juvenile personalities all their lives. So while puppies especially love to play, even adult animals will play given the chance. Mature aged pets can also be encouraged to partake in a little gentle play.

The benefits of play
Play can help keep our pets’ bodies and minds healthy. Chasing balls, tossing toys in the air, finding toys under the rug and interacting with us all encourage our pets to exercise.

Pets are now suffering from unprecedented levels of obesity (yes, just like us!). Play is an excellent way of encouraging your pet to keep active. Of course, a balanced diet is also good for your pet.

Just as our bond with our pet benefits from interaction, so too does our pet’s bond with us. Want your dog to love you more? Play with him.

 

 

 

Play can help prevent behaviour problems. Giving your dog the opportunity to chase balls and chew toys can stop him barking or annoying you or even escaping and roaming the neighbourhood.

How can we encourage our puppy’s to play?
Play with the toys yourself. Toss balls in the air, and throw them to one another. Your dog will want to join in. Reward him when he brings a toy to you by giving him praise, a pat or interacting with the toy.
Use a toy that dispenses treats to get your food-motivated dog interested. Fill this toy with treats and let your dog seek them out. Toys such as these are great if your dog likes to play when left alone.

Many people state they have backyards full of toys that their pet never plays with! Time to change. Rotate your pet’s toys around on a daily or weekly basis. If they don’t see a toy for a week, it’s like getting a new toy. Also, take your pet’s toy away from them after a play session. This keeps them interested (just like kids get bored, so do your pets).

Keep your pet’s favourite toy for when you really need them to behave. For some people this is when they go to work. For others it’s when they have visitors. Your pet will devote his attention to the toy.

If you really hate the outdoor lifestyle, you can play with your pet around your home. Hide toys under a light towel or rug and encourage your pet to seek them out. Throw a ball from the comfort of your armchair (remove all fragile objects first!).
Try a game of hide and seek with your dog. Have some one hold your dog until you hide and then let him find you. Dogs love it!

What are good toys for puppies?
A good toy is one that your pet enjoys playing with. It does not need to be expensive but it does need to be safe.
Check for loose cords and stitching. Sadly some pets hang themselves on the ropes and cords of toys and others choke on the stuffing of soft toys. Thin plastic can also splinter hurting your pet’s mouth.
Remember your pet has sharp teeth and strong jaws and may rip apart toys that you thought were safe. Always supervise your pet’s play with the toy until you are sure he is safe.
Investing in a well-designed and made toy can actually cost less in the long run. You will be replacing cheaper toys regularly.

Remember to have fun and your dog will too.
 

Worming
The pup has been wormed for Roundworm, Hookworm, Whipworm & Tapeworm, & is due for the next dose at the age of 12 weeks. If a combined wormer such as "Interceptor", "Heartguard Plus" or "Sentinel" for Heartworm prevention is used, the dog/pup need only be wormed for Tapeworm twice over the summer season & once during winter. Flea control will also be necessary as fleas spread tapeworm. If using a Heartworm prevention tablet that is given daily or monthly, it will only cover Heartworm so the pup/dog should be wormed with a "4-in-1" wormer every 3 months.

 

Ears 
Some puppies ears are erect as early as eight to ten weeks but generally the pup’s ears are up by 4 or 5 months of age.
If this is not the case with your puppy, become very interested in your German Shepherd Dog’s ears.

It is not unusual for the German Shepherd Dog puppy ears not to be up until four to five months of age. It is also quite common & completely normal for a puppy to have erratic ear carriage - up one day and down the next - especially when going through the teething process and for this cycle to repeat as the puppy’s ears become erect.
The teething process generally takes valuable calcium from the puppy’s developing ear structure to those developing teeth and that is one good explanation for the whole procedure of German Shepherd Dog puppy ears being up one day, and then down the next as the puppy matures.

Try stimulating your puppy to use his ear muscles so that the ears may become erect faster naturally. This can be done by making interesting noises, etc. to get his attention and make him use his maturing ears. Also give brisket bones to exercise the jaw muscles. Do not try and stimulate the muscles through touching as this may damage the cartilage in your pup’s ears, which can affect the ear carriage.

It is not time to panic. However, some puppies do need a little assistance in getting their ears to stand up. We recommend the puppy owner contact either their Breeder or their Veterinarian and perhaps they will recommend the taping of your puppy’s ears.

 

 

 

Teething
The puppy will lose his milk teeth at about 3 - 6 months of age. His teething can affect the ears.  The ears should be erect by the time the puppy reaches 6 or 7 months of age, but they can be as early as 3 months or as late as 8 months depending on the individual pup. Occasionally the ears can be erect  then go down - this is only due to teething & they should be all right again when all the teeth are through. Give the puppy plenty of bones to chew & tear at as this helps the ear muscles & teeth.

 

Exercise
The puppy is only very young and will not require much exercise, just allowed to play and rest when he wants to. He is too young to go on walks for the first 4 months, as it places too much stress on growing bones and joints. After the puppy reaches 16 weeks of age, he can go on short walks of approximately 5 minutes duration, around the block or to the local shops, school or park.

After the age of 6 months , the puppy can generally be walked more often & slightly longer periods, but must be allowed to rest when tired.
In most cases, when the puppy is 12 months of age, he can walk and run as often as you like for longer distances, as he will have achieved his final skeletal growth, and will be starting to develop muscle. Prior to this the puppy has not had enough muscle to support the bones and joints, so walking and exercise  should be moderate.

Swimming is a part of our dog's exercise regime.
All dogs swim by instinct. How much they enjoy this form of exercise depends on how confident the dog is in the water. With some dogs it takes some time to build up their confidence, but others take to swimming like a 'duck to water'.

Swimming helps to improve stamina, muscle tone & fitness.
Swimming is an excellent form of exercise because most of the muscles normally used in movement are involved without the stresses caused by running on hard ground.
For a dog, a 5 minute swim is purported to be the cardio equivalent of a 8km walk!  The natural buoyancy of the water and the fact that sudden twists, stops and falls are impossible makes hydrotherapy a safe and effective form of exercise for dogs.

 

 

 

Careful exercise when young will give you a sound and healthy adult for life!

Seasons
Bitches usually have their first season somewhere between the ages of 7 & 14 months, this usually being 11 months of age. She should then come into season every 6 months thereafter.  Bitches that are going to be spayed should have their first season completed & be past their heat period, which lasts for 3 weeks before spaying is performed.  If done during their season it is more dangerous for the bitch, due to possible excessive bleeding, & sometimes Veterinary Surgeons charge more if the bitch is in season. (We recommend sterilisation of males can be performed any time after the age of twelve months).

 

Grooming
Regular brushing is necessary to keep the coat clean & shiny & to remove any loose hairs. Usually this is done once or twice per week, but during the moulting season, it will need to be combed with a fine toothed comb or strip 

ping comb to remove the tufts of dead hair, then followed with a bristle brush & finished off by rubbing over with a chamois cloth. It is a good idea to use a flea powder or spray, particularly in summer, on both the dog & his bedding.  If there is a severe problem the dog may need to be given "Program" or the combined worm & flea prevention of "Sentinel". 
For that important  event when your GSD needs to look his or her best we recommend products from the Plush Puppy range (see their website on our links page). We use Plush Puppy All Purpose Shampoo, Body Building Shampoo with Wheatgerm, Reviva Coat and Seabreeze Oil.

 

Ears
The ears need to be checked for any redness or soreness, or grass seeds - usually indicated by the dog carrying his head to one side & constant shaking of the head. If there is any infection of the ears caused by grass seeds this will need to be attended to by your Veterinary Surgeon. Normal cleaning of the ears should be done by mixing: 1 part warm water, 1 part baby oil & 1 part methylated spirits & dipping cotton wool into the mixture, squeezing out, then wiping thoroughly, to remove any dirt or wax.

Bathing
He should not be bathed too often, as this will dry out the
coat & skin & can cause irritation, leading to the dog scratching & biting all the time (often mistaken for fleas).  Dog shampoos should always be used when giving the dog a full bath, not human shampoos or wool-wash, because the dog’s PH is totally different to humans.  Humans have a high acid skin, whereas a dog’s skin is neutral or alkaline so has a much higher PH, being around seven or more. Washing them in human shampoo can make them itchy because of altering the PH balance of the skin.  When bathed make sure all shampoo/soap is rinsed out thoroughly, then apply a flea rinse.  As most flea treatments are very strong & toxic always follow instructions carefully.  A flea spray could be used when the dog is dry. A flea rinse we use is: 2 cups brown vinegar, 1 teaspoon of lavender oil, 1 bucket of warm water. This works well & is non-toxic. For in-between times, to clean the pup/dog, we fill a bucket with warm water, add 1 tablespoon of shampoo, 1 teaspoon of lavender oil & ½ cup brown vinegar, dip a cloth into this mixture & wipe the pup/dog all over till damp, then towel dry & brush. Spray with flea spray if necessary.  This works well as it can be done as often as required without drying out the skin & coat. 

Trimming toenails
Sometimes the nails continue to grow if they are not worn down by exercise or the dog/pup is mainly on grass.  When cutting the nail, only cut off the hook on the end of the nail. Use the pads as a baseline & cut at about a 45º angle. File the nails smooth if they are still a little sharp. Nails can be filed if you are worried about cutting the quick that runs down the length  of the nail. Use an ordinary builder's file for filing; file from underneath, keeping in line with the pads.

a final word.......When taking your puppy/dog in the car with you, ensure that there is adequate ventilation and DO NOT leave the puppy/dog in the car if you are running errands.  Many dogs have suffered heat stroke /brain damage when left in cars in warm weather.
 
If the pup/dog is properly fed & exercised, socialised & kept in good condition, you shouldn't have any problems with him. German Shepherds are generally easy to care for & have few problems or illnesses.  If you do have problems however, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

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