Puppy Facts, Training, Health & more:

EARS: Have ears that are still not up on on your 5 month old German Shepherd? Here's a great way to hold those ears up till they are strong enough on their own. This must be done as outlined and at the age outlined ONLY. (Thanks again to Robin Krumm & Royalair German Shepherds) Click Here.

Puppy Advise from Day One. Training, Socialization, . Housebreaking, Feeding & More. I know it's a ton of reading but DO IT!! You won't regret it.

Our goal in writing this is to give our new German Shepherd puppy owners some guidance in what to do and what to expect when they bring home their adorable little furry bundle of joy. The idea behind writing this came from the questions that we received from individuals and families who have made one of our puppies a part of their lives. We sincerely appreciate their questions, observations and insights, and we are always open to new ideas and information. We’ve even changed things based on what we receive as feedback from folks.

Our discussion here is not intended to be a comprehensive or definitive review. We are just trying to provide some helpful information, and we strongly encourage you to check out the many excellent books, articles and videos on puppy behavior and puppy training. We recommend that you learn as much as you can about canine behavior. This will assist you in making intelligent decisions about interactions with your new friend.

Socializing Your New Puppy

Remember that while your new puppy has spent the past few months with his mother and his littermates, we have also spent individual time with him. In many cases, we have taken him to some new places such as buildings and the vet. He has ridden in our car, spent time in a crate and walked on slick flooring. He has heard loud noises such as 4-wheelers and horns honking. He has seen bicycles, watched cattle & horses and played with children & handled by many teens.

His world is one of senses to be experienced, and it is extremely important that you continue to socialize your puppy during the first months of life. Studies have indicated that the critical socialization period for a dog is between eight and sixteen weeks of life. During this period it is essential that they safely experience as much as possible. Some of these experiences will be a little stressful, and you must support your puppy during these events.

Many years ago, I remember walking a puppy in a quiet shopping center. Suddenly part of a newspaper blew by startling him. He curiously--but a little fearfully--watched the newspaper as it continued to blow up against a wall. You could tell he wanted to check it out, but his survival instinct was also telling him to run away. I did not pull him towards the paper, but allowed his own curiosity to take over. He very hesitantly moved forward, and I quietly encouraged this bravery. Finally he was face-to-face with the source of his fear, the newspaper. I really bragged on him, and he thought he was the most courageous canine on earth. He proceeded to pick up the newspaper and give it a good headshake! He met his fear and overcame it. The next time he would be more confident when encountering a strange object. Confidence begets confidence, and a confident dog is a good-tempered dog. This is how you end up with a confident adult dog.

You can see that you play a major role in providing this confidence. We have furnished the genetics by breeding two excellent dogs, but you must build on this foundation. If your puppy never leaves your home or yard, he will be fearful of life. Sometimes they can overcome these adversities, but it is advisable to get him off to the right start.

We know that life styles today make it difficult to spend much time with the new puppy, but try to take him on "field trips" 1-2 times a week. The time period does not have to be long. A quality 5 minutes will go a long way. Make it a different trip to a different place with a different atmosphere whenever possible. 

You might ask: "What if my dog is a year old and he has never left our house except to go to the vet for his shots." It's not too late. Start today. Keep in mind that he's probably associating the car with maybe not so pleasant trips to the vet's office. Take it slowly. Maybe put him in the car for 30 seconds, and give him a treat and take him out. Build up the time and start driving him around the block. Support and encourage him. Do not scold. Only positive reinforcement works here.

We also do not recommend "dog parks" where dogs of all sizes and ages are allowed to roam free with puppies. (This is ONLY true of your NEW puppy and not in all cases).  Dogs are pack animals (we'll discuss in more detail below), and they instinctively want to establish a pack order. A dominant dog without inhibited aggression may harm your puppy. Even if no physical damage is done to your dog, you really do not want your dog dominated by another dog. It can change his personality from one of outgoing & loving to one of worry & fear. Survival instinct will tell your puppy to submit to the larger or mature (sometimes smaller) dog, and this interaction is not productive for your puppy. You want to encourage as strong a bond as possible between you and your dog, and if the truth were known, dogs would probably rather be with their own kind. Dog parks allow dogs to play with each other and actually encourage this behavior. Your dog should want to play with you and find you the center of their attention--not another dog. If puppies become extremely involved with other dogs, they will lose their interest in people and become much more difficult to train.

The First Few Days

There's almost nothing more exciting than bringing home a new puppy. You just anticipate that perfect and wonderful ball of fur. You see him being another Lassie or RinTinTin responding to your every command and knowing intuitively what to do. And he will be extremely well mannered and well behaved. Some of you who have experienced the joys of owning a puppy--specially a German Shepherd puppy from German bloodlines--will be falling on the floor laughing at this point. But believe it or not, we have many requests from people wanting a puppy that meets all these requirements.

Well, the plain and honest truth about a puppy is that if they weren't so darn cute, you would probably kill them. Believe me, the first few days can be difficult on you and your puppy. Your pup has been plucked from his littermates and is expected to fit right in with your way of life. You need loads of patience and a good sense of humor. If you work or are in school, it is a good idea to plan the puppy's arrival when you have a couple of days off like right before a weekend.

Remember that your puppy does not speak English. As much as you yell at him, he hasn't the foggiest notion of what you mean. He only senses you are angry, and he does not know why. You must teach him what you expect, and you must do so without harsh physical corrections. When he is doing good, you teach him that "good dog", "good boy", "good girl" are nice words with nice sounds and associated with petting, praise and/or treats. Conversely, he learns that bad actions are associated with "no", "phooey", "bad" and have sharp disapproving verbal sounds. With some stubborn or Alpha puppies, a neck scruff--like his mother would have done--is very effective in conjunction with whatever term you have decided to use for unwanted behavior. Pick a word for unwanted behavior and stay consistent with its use. If you use different words and expressions such as "get away from there," "Fang, I said stop that," "quit that," "shut-up," etc., your puppy will be confused. Make it clear, and be CONSISTENT.

You should be well prepared for your new puppy. You should have decided where he is going to live, sleep and go to the bathroom. Puppies should not be given the run of the house or yard unless they are constantly supervised like you would supervise a two-year-old child. NEVER LEAVE YOUR PUPPY IN THE HOUSE WITHOUT SUPERVISION. They are extremely destructive. They do not know that your woodwork, couch, drapes or electrical wiring are off-limits. They can severely injure themselves as well as destroy your home, and they will. If you are going to away for an hour or two, we suggest leaving your puppy in a dog crate with water and a safe toy to chew. Do not leave your puppy in the crate for long periods, but a couple of hours here and there are fine. Make sure you have allowed them to go to the bathroom before you place them in the crate. They actually learn to like the crate and regard this area as their den. When they want peace and quiet, they will often go to their open crates on their own. This is a place where they should not be disturbed. We'll discuss crate training in a little more detail below.

If you have to leave you puppy for long hours while you are at school or work, we recommend that you provide an outside facility for him. Generous sized dog runs serve this purpose. The run must have some shade and shelter from the elements, and you should always have an ample supply of fresh water and a toy. The size of the run can vary, but it should be a minimum of 8' x 10' to allow for some exercise and freedom of movement. A larger dog run would be preferable for a German Shepherd.

DOG RUNS AND DOG CRATES ARE NOT CRUEL. They are a necessity in owning a German Shepherd. But having a crate and a run does not mean that you keep your dog in there all the time. You must spend quality time with your dog every day. Give him an early morning or late evening walk. Take him to a safe area and play ball or hide and seek. Take him out tracking or start some positive obedience training. They are really little sponges that are ready to soak up everything. You'll be amazed how quickly your puppy will catch on, this is especially true with your German bred dog. And it's stimulating for him and builds a stronger bond with you. If your climate permits (not too hot), take him with you on short trips or errands. The highlight of his day is being with you. This is all he thinks of all day. He only wants to please you. This is what sets German Shepherds apart from other breeds; German Shepherds actually CARE about what you think about them. It’s why they are so easy to train and why the Police use them exclusively. Haven’t you ever wondered why the police don’t use other breeds????? There are plenty of other breeds that would protect. A well breed, well-trained, well-mannered German Shepherd starts with a well breed puppy. You just bought a well-breed puppy, now it’s up to you to make him into a responsible adult.

Be ready for your puppy by planning ahead in providing a safe and secure area for him and be patient and realistic about your puppy. You will have to gently teach him the rules of his new home.

The First Few Nights

This is another instance where a little preparation will help. Hopefully, you have taken a couple of days off from work or school, so you were able to spend several hours with him getting him use to his new environment. We suggest having the puppy's sleeping area next to your bed so he feels your presence, and you can reach out to touch and comfort him. The little guy is lonely. He misses his family so expect some separation crying. We like to use a closed crate with a little padding and a safe toy. We’ve found sending a stuffed animal with the scent of the littermates seems to help. We have also used the ticking clock but really have not had much luck with this. Make sure puppy has gone to the bathroom before you put him to bed. Expect to get up at least once or twice during the night to comfort him or let him out to relieve himself. A puppy really does not have bladder control until 12 weeks of age at the minimum so he might have an accident in his crate. We'll talk more about this later, but just keep in mind that at this tender age he cannot help himself. When you gotta go, you gotta go.

You really want to minimize the separation anxiety as much as possible. If you just stick him in the garage or another room and wear earplugs, you might be creating a long-term problem, which could manifest itself in the future by excessive barking, destructiveness and continuing separation anxiety. Some dogs, if treated this way, never get over this aspect of their life, PUT TIME IN ON YOUR PUPPY NOW. If you have selected a location other than your bedroom for puppy's permanent sleeping area, it's probably not a good idea to keep him in your bedroom for more than a few days. But again, be prepared for a little squawking when you place him in his new sleeping quarters. After a few days, he should settle down and give you some rest.

Feeding

This is another subject that will yield a different opinion from everyone that you ask. We'll give you some suggestions. There are some excellent dog foods on the market, and we suggest you feed a very high quality food such as Nutro, Sensible Choice or even Purina Puppy Chow. These foods by no means cover the list of good dog foods. We currently are currently feeding Nutro All Natural puppy. Some people say chicken based is the best, and other people say lamb based is the best. Still others strongly advocate a raw diet. We are just saying, feed your puppy a respectable diet, that’s all.

Bottom line is get a high quality puppy food and see if your puppy does well on it. If you experience loose stools, poor coat, etc., and you have ruled out other problems, try another food. We suggest you do not go hoping around from one food to another. If you find a quality food that your puppy enjoys, and he is doing well. I'd leave well enough alone.

We get a lot of questions on how often you should feed. We recommend feeding puppies 3 times a day until they are 3-4 months old IF POSSIBLE. Your puppy is on a twice-a-day schedule for convenience reasons. We realize that in most situations it is not possible, as you are unable to be there during the middle of the day to feed. If this is the case, feed twice daily, a.m. and p.m. We continue to feed twice daily even after they have matured to adults. We just do not like giving them their entire quantity of food in one meal, and some studies have indicated that feeding twice daily is a good defense against bloat. This is another one of those controversial subjects where there are bunches of opinions. Generally, you do not want your dog to be very active either directly before or directly after you feed. After you feed them, you need to give them at least a couple of hours at rest for the food to digest. Limiting activity before and after meals is another deterrent to bloat. .

Potty Training

The cardinal rule is to remember that your puppy wants to do the right thing. If he has an accident, it is truly an accident. He is not willfully challenging you. Use a little patience and in most cases, your German Shepherd will be potty trained in just a few days. DO NOT SCOLD OR DISCIPLINE YOUR PUPPY if you come home, and he has soiled the carpet. In the first place, you should not have left him on the carpet. In the second place, he could not help himself. In the first few months, he does not have enough bladder control and he probably just hasn't figured out what you want yet. The only time you can use a verbal correction is if you literally catch him in the act. If this happens immediately pick him up--even in mid-stream-- and take him outdoors to finish.

The secret to all training including potty training is to praise the good behavior and try to ignore the bad behavior. And the first step is to encourage the good behavior that we want.

Let puppy out to potty:

1. Before crating him or leaving him

2. Immediately after he wakes up from a nap

3. During and after play

4. After he eats

5. Anytime he starts sniffing the carpet or walking in circles

6. Frequently

And praise, praise, praise when he does his business in the right place! You want to keep the accidents to a minimum and clean them thoroughly so scent does not remain. They will associate a certain spot with their bathroom duties, so you might take him to the same spot in the yard each time.

Most German Shepherds are extremely very easily potty trained if you spend just a little time with them the first few days. We feel this is especially true with German Bred, German Shepherds. In fact we have heard from some folks that their German bred puppy went to the door when he had to go out even without training. This is very possible because we keep our puppies’ in a indoor/outdoor run once they are about 5 weeks old. They learn that outside on the grass is the place to do their business because they sleep indoors. Puppies will not willingly soil their sleeping quarters.

Crate Training

"Oh, those wicked, wicked cages that people use for their darling dogs. How could they be so cruel? I would never put my dog in one of those cages." I cannot even recall how many I have heard this  about crates, and in all likelihood, I  also held these beliefs.

To save yourself a little grief and to ensure the safety of your puppy, please use crates when you have to travel in the car and when you have to leave your dog alone inside the house for a few hours. They are not cruel. After a transition period, your dog will actual regard his crate has his own private den where he can rest and not be disturbed. Place the crate in a quiet place if possible and be sure to have a small water bowl securely attached to the crate. You might also give him a safe toy to chew on. Again everyone has their own opinion (even my husband).

In order to transition to a crate, feed him in the crate with the door open. Also, place some treats in there and let him go get them. Start with very short periods of time like 5 minutes with the door closed, and then let him out. Build up the time gradually so he'll know you're always coming back. Your dog should readily adjust to the crate in a day or two with no problem. Our housedogs seek out their crates to rest during the day and at night. This is their den.

But do not use the crate as an excuse to ignore your dog. A crate should not be used as a permanent home for your dog. They should not be crated more than a couple of hours at a time.

Veterinarian

Selecting the right veterinarian is important for you and your new German Shepherd. You want to feel comfortable with your vet and the clinic. Your vet should explain all procedures and allow you to accompany your puppy for any examinations. You might check with other German Shepherd owners in your area and find what vets they prefer. Your vet should be proactive in your dog's care. You should have regularly scheduled vaccinations and check-ups and in most parts of the country have him on heartworm preventative. If you are ever uncomfortable with a suggested procedure or medication, seek another opinion.

When you are ready to do your OFA hip radiographs, ensure that your vet has experience in positioning the dog for these x-rays. Some vets will readily admit that this is not their area of expertise and refer you elsewhere. If the hips are not positioned exactly correct, you can get an incorrect reading, even showing Hip Dysplasia when it is not present.

The Pack

The dog is a pack animal. He is not a furry child who wags his tail. Your family will become his pack, and he will perceive a definite pecking order within the pack. If you do not become the pack leader, he will readily move into that role. He will determine when he eats, where he sleeps, when or whether he will come to you, and who enters his home. He will push his way out of the house in front of you and come back in the same way. (This is where all those popular dog shows come in).

The time to start establishing yourself as the pack leader is when he is a puppy. This is not done by brut force. It is more of a state of mind. You do not allow your dog to take over your house. You give out the toys, and you decide when to put them away for another day. You teach some basic obedience exercises and have puppy sit before you present his dinner. You place puppy on a long line and call him. If he does not come, gently guide him in to you. Always give him a petting, praise, food or a toy when he comes to you whether you have helped him come or not. It is absolutely imperative that he associates coming to you as the most pleasant action in the world. And he also learns that when you call, he must come. Stick your hands in his food bowl while he is eating. When he is in the middle of eating, remove his food bowl and have him sit again. Then give it back so he can resume his meal. Stroke him once or twice gently down the side while he is eating or chewing on his toy. Only do these activities a couple of time while he is a puppy. Do not do them to excess or you could create some other problems. You generally want to give him peace and quiet while he is eating and chewing. Do not let him run out of the house in front of you. This is potentially dangerous as he could bolt in the street. Have him wait while you put on a lead. Use a little tough love on your puppy.

Many behavior problems in adult dogs come from the dog moving into the pack leader position because no one else in the family was willing to do so. The dog want/needs a pack leader. It is part of his natural order. Starting him off right as a puppy is so much easier than trying to grapple with this problem when you have an 100lb OR MORE adult dog ignoring you. (Again, all of those new dog behavior shows on TV come directly from you not being the undisputed pack leader).

When training your puppy, you must be gentle, fair and consistent with him. You must guide him or shape him to the behavior you want in your home. If one day you kick him when he jumps up and the next day you pet him, he will be totally confused. Every member of your family should practice the same consistency with the puppy. Give him some attention and training every day. Do not ignore him or he will improvise his fun. These are very intelligent animals, and you will be amazed at how easily they learn. It will be fun for you and your family to teach him obedience commands and tricks. Just use patience and consistency, and he will learn.

Remember that pack placement is not necessarily a relationship among the physically stronger entities. You see many examples of a tiny dog totally dominating a giant dog. The toy poodle just thinks he's big, and he has convinced Goliath beyond a doubt. You must think of yourself as the strong and compassionate pack leader, and you will be. Might does not make right.

Another Dog/Cat In The Household

You can readily introduce a little puppy into a household with other animals, but you need to take some precautions. Very small pups do not have a whole lot of sense, and they are generally not afraid of approaching an older dog. Sometimes they can annoy even a good-natured older dog to the point where he hurts the puppy. Never leave a very young puppy with an older dog unless you are there to observe. As your puppy gets a little older, he will naturally submit to the older dog, and this will reduce the possibility of a problem. But take it slow and easy during the introductory phase. Your older dog has had the run of the household, so there is going to be a little sibling rivalry.

What about cats in your house? We have a LONG time housecat who has no problems whatsoever in teaching a puppy some manners. He's not mean but the puppy sure won't forget this encounter either. One good swat might discourage an overly curious puppy. Just use caution and common sense.

When you walk through your neighborhood with your dog on lead, the cats that run are fair game. Puppies do not perceive that big yellow tom that just sits there and stares as a cat--he is just an inanimate object like a yellow bush or shrub, and my dogs just act like he's not even there. They actually really know he's there. They are just embarrassed because he won't move no matter how intimidating they look. Introducing a kitten with a puppy seems to work the best. They usually become the best of friend. .

Teething

Puppies start to cut their adult teeth when they about four months old. During this period that lasts a couple months, their mouths are painful so you should refrain from heavy tugging play, and you should provide puppy with items to chew. But let him decide on hat, if he still wants to play, then go with it. If you don't provide puppy with chew toys, he will find his own, and you will not be happy about his choice. Puppies tend to get very mouthy during this period. Just redirect their mouths from your hand to the toy. When they have the correct item in the mouth, praise to let them know that the toy is what you want them to chew. Be patient, as some puppies prefer to chew on you. Just be calm and consistent. Its actually a very easy process.

Obedience

Let me preface this discussion by saying there are tons of superb books and videos available on this subject. Read and watch as much as you can about canine behavior and training. But one word of caution, don't switch your training methods with each new book you read or each seminar you attend. Give a training method several months to work. If you then experience failure with a method you have been using consistently or decide the method is not compatible with your personality, consider changing. You will cause much confusion and stress to your puppy and dog if you bounce around from one method to another.

There is one cardinal rule for dog training, and this is certainly not original with me. Dogs do what they find successful. If they find jumping up on you successful, they will continue to do this. You might say that you would never reward this type of abhorrent behavior. But you might inadvertently be doing this very thing. When your dog jumps up on you, do you place his feet on the ground and then pet him? What are you communicating to your dog? You are telling him that the routine goes as follows: "I jump up on mom, she touches me to put me down and I love her touch and she pets me--oh joy!" What if instead you just walked away from your dog back in the house without touching him? In this scenario is your dog being successful by jumping on you? No. But you need to teach him how to be successful. By telling him to "sit" before he has jumped on you and then lavishing on the petting and praise, you have patiently and kindly taught him how to be successful.

You can start shaping your puppy's behavior very early. When they are 7-8 weeks old you can teach them very basic behaviors such as sit and down. These are behaviors they already perform as part of life, but you are going to associate a word to the actions so they will eventually do them on command. To get a very young puppy to sit, hold a delectable tidbit directly over his nose but don't let him get it. Move the food back until you have manipulated puppy into a sit. Reward immediately and repeat several times. Your puppy doesn't have the slightest idea of what he is doing. He just knows that when he went into a certain position, he was rewarded. Remember that he does not understand English.

You will find that he readily starts sitting on his own to get the reward. At this point you can start introducing your verbal command, but you will be saying, "sit" after he does the required behavior, not before. Just tell him what a good sit he has done while he is in the sitting position. It will not be long before he will start to sit on command. Be sure to reward immediately. This is not a "stay" exercise. This is a "sit" exercise. If you do not reward immediately, he will get up, and the reward will be for getting up and not for sitting. Timing is extremely important. These are little puppies, and their attention span is only a few seconds. Have the food in your hand so you can reward. Do not scold in any way if they move from the sitting position. Just start again. All you are doing at this point is teaching puppy to make a good association between doing something natural with their body and getting a yummy reward. Keep your voice light hearted and keep your sense of humor. Laugh a lot. Make this entire process fun, and later on when you start teaching more advanced obedience, your dog will think it is playtime. Another important point is not to make these play sessions very long. A minute or two with a young puppy is all they can take.

The "down" is the most important command you will teach and starting this command with a young puppy will save you lots of wear and tear down the line. It's real easy to teach. Once your little puppy get the hang of sitting, take the hand which is holding the food right next to his nose and lower it to the ground. Do not go out with your hand or the puppy will just stand up and follow it. Just take the hand almost straight down and hold it to the ground. Do not let the puppy have the tidbit until he gets his body in a down position. Most of the time they figure it our fairly quickly, but sometimes they need a tiny bit of guidance with your other hand. Before helping them with your other hand, try the exercise several times to see if they will pick it up by themselves. I rather have them do any exercise without physical guidance from me. I like to bring the food straight down, so they learn to do their "down" without a crawl. If you let your hand go out in front of puppy's nose too far, they have to move forward to get the tidbit and may learn to crawl whenever they do this command.

It is imperative that your dog "down" immediately on command. This could be a life or death issue. If your dog is heading for the street after a cat, he may not come to you, but if you have taught the "down" properly, he should hit the ground on command. We ride our horses with our dogs and even the least trained, at least knows this command. This is one of those commands you definitely want to start with puppy. Many older dogs instinctively do not like the "down" because it represents a subordinate position. Teaching a free spirited, dominate adult male to "down" is not a fun process. If you train a puppy properly, you can make this command a game. As soon as they "down" give them the ball or treat. One thing to remember is that anticipation is the beginning of learning. Do not scold for anticipation. If your puppy or young dog starts to sit or to down on his own, he is learning. He has discovered how to be successful. Now all you have to do is put the command to it, and you have a winner.

The only other obedience area we are going to cover here is teaching heeling basics to a very young dog. Heeling means the dog walks on your left side (with me, it’s the right) with his shoulder approximately at your left knee. Formal heeling is used for AKC and Schutzhund competition obedience, but it's a good idea to start teaching walking next to you under control even if you are not going to do formal obedience. You want to manipulate your dog's position until he figures out that success comes from being on your side. At first, do not worry that his position is perfectly correct. You just want him on your side roughly beside you. You can show him the food and guide him to the right position. When he gets there, reward and praise, praise, praise Reward continuously when he is on your side in rough heeling position. As he starts getting the idea, refine the position better where you are rewarding only when he is precise. Before long you will have a happy, heeling dog!

I feel I must cover one other issue in this category. NEVER CALL YOUR DOG TO YOU FOR PUNISHMENT WHETHER VERBAL OR PHYSICAL. Your dog is very very intelligent, and he will immediately figure out that it's not much fun to come to someone who hollers at him or worse hits him. If you catch your dog in the act of doing something wrong, go over and tell him with a "no" or a "phooey." And REMEMBER, if the bad or good event has occurred more than a few seconds ago, forget it because he has. Unless you reward or discipline within a couple of seconds after the event, it's lost on your dog for the most part. If you come home from work, and he's dug a hole in the middle of your prize flowerbed, go out and get some more plants because this is the only productive action you can take. It will do absolutely no good to punish your dog after the fact. Then, just like a toddler, distract your puppy with something else fun. Dog Repellent that you can buy at your local pet store actually works too. Sometimes it takes more than one application but it works here and even with our breeding male for shrubbery. (Sorry, there is no "toddler repellent".)

Conclusion

We hope this information will help you a little in making your new puppy part of your family. Please let us know if there are some other topics that you would like us to address. We wish you many happy times with your new puppy.