German Shepherds are easy to please and train, and they are one of the most intelligent breeds of dogs out there. German Shepherds are also one of the best looking, thus a good German Shepherd should be strong, agile, well-muscled, alert, and full of life. Here are some things you should know when caring for German Shepherds.

Health

German Shepherds are prone to elbow and hip dysplasia and are also known to be prone to bloating. Some of them develop Von Willebrand’s disease and skin allergies. Learn what health problems your dog is prone to so you can try to avoid them. It is best to maintain the weight of your German Shepherd as being overweight can cause heart trouble and arthritis. Make regular visits to the veterinary and only feed your dog with the food recommended by the vet. It is also highly recommended to exercise and play with your dog for 30 to 60 minutes a day. The average life span of a German Shepherd is from 10 to13 years

Grooming

German Shepherds do not really need special grooming, but it is recommended to brush your dog daily. German Shepherds shed heavily all year-round. It is also advisable to bathe the dog fairly regularly. To prevent foot problems, trim the dog’s nails as needed.

Training

German Shepherds are very intelligent and obedient so they can be trained easily. From the time that it is still a pup until it grows bigger, you must train it consistently and firmly. You can keep them indoors or outdoors but they will be much happier indoors especially since German Shepherds are known to be very attached to their owner. Be sure to keep a vacuum in hand as the German Shepherd sheds a lot. When keeping them outdoors, make sure your gate is secured and your fence is high enough to prevent your dog from jumping over it.

e-germanshepherds.com German Shepherds provides detailed information on German Shepherds, German Shepherd Breeders, German Shepherd Kennels, German Shepherd Puppies and more. German Shepherds is affiliated with e-goldenretrievers.com Golden Retriever Training.

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As our dogs get older, they become subject to a number of age-related diseases such as canine diabetes. Diabetes in older dogs is a common metabolic disorder in which insufficient insulin is produced to process the amount of glucose required for energy. Alternatively the dog’s insulin receptors may be insensitive to the insulin produced and again insufficient glucose is processed to provide the required energy. Overweight dogs have a large amount of body fat which tends to reduce insulin production and they are therefore more susceptible to developing diabetes. Females develop diabetes about twice as often as male dogs. With proper treatment dogs can continue to live a fairly normal life. The first step in treating our beloved companion is to recognize the symptoms of age-related canine diabetes.

Diabetes Symptoms – Age-related diabetes is diabetes mellitus in which insulin is not available in sufficient quantity to remove glucose from the blood and convert it into energy. The result is too much glucose in the blood and too little in the cells which disrupts the normal functioning of the body. The early signs of diabetes that can be detected usually include increased thirst, more frequent urination and accidents or a break in housetraining. This is usually accompanied by an increase in appetite but also a weight loss. Later signs of diabetes may include bad breath that smells of ketones, vomiting, cataracts and blindness. As soon as you detect any symptoms that may be diabetes-related talk to your veterinarian. Your vet will test blood glucose levels for blood sugar control. Upon determining the presence of diabetes, your vet will probably recommend a two-pronged approach to treating diabetes. These include diet and exercise and insulin treatment.

Diet and Exercise – In the initial stages of diabetes, most dogs are too fat and don’t get enough exercise. Your veterinarian will probably recommend a high-fiber/complex carbohydrate diet to help reduce weight and slow down the rate at which food is digested and glucose released into the bloodstream. She will also recommend you feed your dog two or three smaller meals a day to reduce the spikes in blood glucose entering the body. The goal of a diabetes diet is to keep blood glucose levels as level or even as possible and minimize spikes in your dog’s blood glucose. Increasing the amount of exercise your dog receives will also help him to lose weight and ultimately lower blood glucose levels.

Insulin Treatment – Insulin treatment can involve giving oral diabetic medication but the vast majority of cases will require insulin injections. You will work with your veterinarian to select the best type of insulin and frequency of injections. Most diabetic dogs will require twice daily injections and regular visits to the vet to monitor the effect of dosages on blood glucose levels. Initially it is important to monitor blood glucose levels carefully as too little or too much insulin can have a very serious impact on your dog’s life. Diabetic coma can result if your dog exercises too much and/or misses a meal. Too much insulin can result in an adverse insulin reaction and your dog will need additional glucose to prevent weakness and convulsions. Insulin shots are easy to administer and most owners will become proficient in using blood and urine test strips to monitor blood glucose levels and adjust dosages.

Canine diabetes in the aging dog can be managed to maintain your dog’s quality of life and extend his life expectancy to three or more years. Untreated diabetes can result in many complications including kidney disease, blindness and death. See dog-breed-facts.com/old-senior-dogs.html for additional information on age-related canine diseases.

Mike Mathews is a contributing writer and editor for the popular dog breed site: dog-breed-facts.com Dog Breed Facts. He provides informative, real-world advice and tips on dog breeds, dog health, dog grooming and more. As well be sure to check out his new E-Book choosingadog.dog-breed-facts.com/” title”Choosing a Dog For Your Lifestyle Choosing a Dog For Your Lifestyle

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With the pet food recall mounting, many pet owners are turning to their kitchen to try to keep their pet safe. There are many great books out there containing recipes for homemade dog foods. Just remember to keep a few basic facts in mind when choosing the ones that are right for your dog.

First, a well balanced diet for a dog consists of 40% meat. 30% vegetables, and 30% protein. These are their needs over time, it does not mean that every recipe that you select contain these proportions.

Remember to always cook your pets meat. Many people believe that since dogs killed their prey for thousands of years and ate the meat raw that they should continue to eat their meat raw. What you need to keep in mind when making this decision is that the dog is no longer killing their prey. We are. And as we are processing it, sometimes it comes into contact with salmonella and other forms of bacteria. So although raw meat sounds like a good idea, there are other things to consider.

Some foods are toxic to dogs.
Alcoholic Beverages can cause intoxication, coma and sometimes death
Bones from Fish and Poultry can obstruct or lacerate the digestive system,
Coffee, Tea or any other form of Caffeine can be toxic and cause problems with the heart and nervous system
Citrus Oil Extracts can cause vomiting
Grapes and Raisins can cause damage to the kidneys
Large Amounts of Liver can cause vitamin A toxicity (affects muscles and bones)
Macadamia Nuts contain unknown toxin which affects the digestive and nervous system.
Mushrooms can contain toxins which can cause shock and result in death
Onions and Garlic can cause anemia (many homemade recipes contain small amounts of garlic which is widely thought to be acceptable for dogs - poisonous for cats however)
Raw eggs can lead to skin and coat problems
Raw fish if fed regularly can lead to loss of appetite, seizures and sometimes death

Work your homemade dog food recipes around these basic facts.

Wendy and Jack Volhald, well known and respected dog trainers, have been making their own homemade dog foods for over 30 years. In their book, Dog Food Secrets, they share some of their recipes for homemade dog foods that have enabled their dogs to live longer and longer with each generation. According to a National Survey done by the Newfoudland Club of America, the normal lifespan of a Newfoundland in 1998 was 6.2-6.7 years. Using the recipes for homemade dog foods found in their book, pipelinebooks.com/visit/dogfoodsecrets/” target=”_blank Dog Food Secrets, their dogs live to be up to 15 years of age.

We all love our pets and want only the best for them. You may feel as though you can’t make your own recipes for homemade dog foods, there are many books out there to help. Just remember, we have been successfully feeding our children well balanced diets for years and with a little knowledge you can feed your best friend too. At least you’ll know what they are eating.

For more information on the pet food recall:

petfoodrecall-dogs.blogspot.com/ petfoodrecall-dogs.blogspot.com/

For more information and ebooks:

pipelinebooks.com/ pipelinebooks.com/

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The following are some of the methods used by Josh Schermer at Downtown Pets a New York City dog walking, dog training and animal welfare resource in Lower Manhattan.

1. When introducing your dog to the crate do not force them into it.

The first day you use the crate tie the door open and let your dog investigate it. Feed your dog in their and finally at some point close the door and leave them in it for a short period of time. Increase that time through the day until finally leaving them for awhile.

2. Do not put any equipment on your dog when crating it.

Dogs have gotten caught in crates and hung themselves. Please do not ever have any equipment on your dog in the crate.

3. Do not crate your dog when you’re angry with them.

The dog(s) must look at the crate as a happy and safe place and you can compromise this by using it to scold them with.

4. Do not put your dog in a crate when they have diarrhea.

If your dog can not hold themselves from going to the bathroom for a physical reason you should not presently be crating them because it defeats the purpose.

5. Do not leave unsupervised food and water in the crate.

It’s all right to feed your dog in the crate and give it some water too but only when you’re there and for a short period of time too.

6. The crate can not be to big.

If the crate is to big your dog will be able to make a mistake in the crate and still avoid it. Your dog should be able to do no more than sprawl out.

Josh Schermer is the founder and owner of Downtown Pets, a DowntownPet.com/servicesdogs.html New York City dog walking, dog training and animal welfare resource in Lower Manhattan.

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Dogs are a fantastic edition to any family but like all youngsters they need training. If you do not train your puppy now it will take a serious amount of help from a training school to get him to be obedient later on. Puppies just like babies learn mostly in their early years and unfortunately will also pick up the bad habits also. Early attention will save you heartache later on and give you more quality time.

House Training:

Dogs has to go to the toilet, everybody has experienced a new puppy making a mess on the tiles or carpet, not a pleasant experience but one that allows you begin training. You should allow your dog out on regular intervals; he will learn that this is the time to go to the toilet. If he happens to go in the house let him know that this is wrong by using a familiar word such as “No” and put him in the yard for a few minutes. Do not hit your dog, by doing so you will only break his spirit and make him nervous of you and others. It can by very frustrating at times but words work better long term and hitting. Never ever put the dogs nose into his urine, so many people do this thinking it is a good way for the dog to learn his lesson but in actual fact all you are doing is burning the animals nose, this is equally as bad as hitting.

Furniture and your puppy:

Teething can be a bit of a nightmare but you can eliminate the damage caused by puppies to furniture in a number of different ways. Boredom is a common cause for dogs to get up to mischief. Make yourself available for about 20 minutes playtime per day (excluding walking). Playing ball in the yard is a great exercise for the dog and apart from exercise it bonds you and him together. Toys are ideal in the house and will occupy the dog, if there are no toys such as a chewy bone the dog will find other ways especially if you pop down for some shopping and leave him alone – the furniture will get it. Different types of sprays are available to spray on the furniture and can be very effective. Remember to change the toys around from time to time as the dog will become bored with the same toys month in month out.

Walking:

Starting your puppy on a lead can be comical. It will take some time for them to get used to being on the leash but once they do it will be no problem. A dog will try to pull you along as this is in their nature. Do not run with the dog as this is giving in and they will expect this all the time. Put the dog on a short leash (not to short) and it will discourage them from trying to dictate the pace. After a week or so both you and the dog will be at ease with one another on the walk. Remember to bring the doggy bag with you. Starting off expect the dog to be curious of other dogs and new surroundings. Do not drag him along on the lead as this is his time for enjoyment.

Feeding:

Your dog has a different intestinal setup to you. So many people feed their dogs the same type of food as they eat themselves along with the dog food. Obesity in animals is common place along with humans. Do not feed your dog chocolate or other sweet foods as this will only lead to bowl problems. Dog food is designed to give the dog all the nutrients he will need to live healthily. Dog treats are available; they do not need our junk food. Check with your local vet or seek advice online for the amount of food your dog should consume on a daily basis.

Dog Treats:

Dog treats should be used as an incentive for obedience. Training a dog can be hard work and patients are needed. Basic training such as the command to sit should be rewarded with a dog treat. The dog will begin to understand that this is a good behaviour move and will do it less reluctantly with time.

Remember dogs will obey you more lovingly if treated properly without hitting; simple words will work much better than smacking. Make time for your dog, leaving a dog out the back yard day and night is no life, do not get a dog into the house under pressure from children, it has to be a well thought out decision.

About the Author
Declan Tobin is a successful freelance writer providing advice on purchasing a variety of
no1-in-pets.com Pet Supplies which includes
no1-in-pets.com/dog-training.html Dog Training,
no1-in-pets.com/pet-food.html Pet Food,
and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information for all of your Pet interests.

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