When a dog was supposed to appear in my house, I was against a shepherd, especially a German one. Then he appeared, grew up in a large and beautiful dog, lived with us for almost eight years, and I still can not forget him. The nature of the German shepherd, despite its habits and mood characteristics, is distinguished by constancy, tenderness and devotion, sincere and cheerful disposition, enduring love for the owners.
Origin and character
The first wild animal tamed by man is a merciless and intelligent predator - a wolf. Shepherd dogs are their distant descendants who lived with humans 17-40 thousand years ago. The first representative of the breed was registered at the exhibition in 1882 in Hanover. Dog breeding, work on qualities and character quickly developed under the guidance of one principle: “mental and physical perfection”, due to which it achieved the qualities that the breed possesses today.
German shepherd - the characteristic of this dog is such that it has exceptional devotion, loyalty and intelligence. Very vigilant, sometimes overly, will never allow to offend the owner. 130 years after the appearance of the breed, around the world, the German shepherd is famous for watchdog qualities, fearlessness, obedience and reliability.
She can be a shepherd, watchman, hunter, lifeguard, and nanny for children. The nature of the German shepherd , its reliability, intelligence and intellect allowed it to gain popularity around the world. With proper education, she is very tolerant, good-natured and gentle. Sincere and confident, the dog perfectly understands that devotion to the owners is her duty, therefore she perfectly feels the mood of all family members.
Choosing a puppy how to make it right
First of all, you need to understand for what purpose the puppy will appear in the house. This is not just a dog, but a member of a family whose upbringing will take a lot of time, it will require patience, care and attention. If your dog is seen as a future champion, then you need to know that expectations do not always come true, caring for a purebred shepherd dog is complicated and difficult, and the exhibition age is short.
The dog will grow up as a great friend and companion, choose the right puppy and determine the nature of the German shepherd at an early age. Spend a short inspection and testing, performing simple steps, and you will understand which puppy is yours.
1. Defects of the breed are: short jaw, narrow muzzle or forehead, too light eye color. Feet should not be curved. There should be no bumps or kinks on the tail.
2. Clap your hands, two or three steps from the puppy. If he immediately runs up and does not coward - the character is confident.
3. Stroke the puppy, stand nearby, and then calmly move away. If he cheerfully runs after you - this is a good social adaptation.
4. Turn the puppy upside down on its back and hold for 20 or 30 seconds. If he protests sharply, then he can be too aggressive for adults, if he protests actively, but without aggression, then this is a leader.
5. Take your baby under his stomach and hold it in the air. If he growls and bites - bad. A puppy protesting without bites will be obedient and smart.
If the puppy is too calm or scared, you do not need to take it.
Take the baby at the age of one and a half to two months, prepare a permanent place, a heating pad, wrapped in cloth from under the mother. It is advised to put an alarm clock next to it for the first time, which will remind you with the tick of the heartbeat of the mother.
Feeding and care
Be sure to find out a detailed diet than feed a German shepherd. Up to one and a half months they feed 6 times a day, up to 3 - four, up to 6 months - 3 times, then twice a day. First, feed him a little warm food, you need to drink clean raw water, it is better if it is available constantly. After two months, you can give cartilage and raw bones after he eats the main food. To make the puppy sleep soundly at night, give him a meat bone.
If you have no time, you don’t know how and how to feed a German shepherd, buy dry food, but of the highest quality, one that has a three-protein component. Natural food in the form of cereals and vegetables in the diet is also needed for digestion to work properly, since a lack of protein or vitamins will lead to weakened immunity and improper development of the skeleton and muscles. Necessarily the presence of raw bones, they have a lot of minerals and vitamins necessary for normal growth.
Any cereals, except semolina, will do. Do not give oatmeal constantly; there may be problems with bowel movements. A puppy needs milk, eggs and cottage cheese, animal fats, bread and vegetables. White bread can only be given as crackers. Soy, beans and peas should be excluded from the diet. Sorrel can cause acute gastritis in a dog and can even lead to death.
Best friend and caring assistant
This is a very agile dog - a German shepherd, the characteristic of the breed focuses on the fact that she needs long walks, she loves to play and run. She takes root very well in an active family. With it you can ride on a river or lake. It’s not difficult to accustom it to water; throw your favorite toy away from the shore or call for it. Realizing the charm of swimming on a hot day, she herself will gladly run into the water.
Evidence that shepherd dogs are wonderful nannies is a real case in life: a dog did not allow "its" children to go further than 2 meters from the shore. She allowed them to swim only where it was shallow, otherwise she swam after them and dragged her hand to the shore. No "Fu!" and "You can’t!" didn't help until her legs touched the bottom. No one taught her this, all adults and other children could swim anywhere.
When children insistently ask to have a dog, and you are ready to give in to them, there is no doubt that the character of the German Shepherd, sincere, good-natured and faithful, will surely allow them to become the closest friends, and she will become a wonderful companion of children's games.