First Time puppy owners or for people who just need a refresher course.

This is how I do my puppies so they will have a good healthy start in life

Shots

Start Shots when puppies are 6 weeks old. Do not go any longer than the third week because the series will have to start all over again if you do.

Then he or she will need her 3rd shot exactly 2 to 3 weeks from the last one you gave him or her.

In total he or she will need a total of 3 shots. We started number 1 and you will need to finish the other 2 shots .He or she will have to have all 3 all in 1 puppy shots from your vet.

When you take him or her to the vet do not let him or her on the floor or counters. There are sick dogs that go to the vets and no matter how well they clean there are still diseases there. Make sure you hold him or her all the time you are there. After his or her 3rd shot wait about 2 weeks and then if you have to take him or her to the vet he or she can then touch the floor. But not before it has been 2 weeks after the third shot. That way all 3 shots have kicked in and he or she will have her immunity built up.

 

Worming: He or she will need to be wormed when he or she turns 6 weeks which will be the 28th.Make sure you worm him or her every 2 weeks till he or she is 3 months old. You can get your wormer from the vet that way you will get the right wormer for him or her. Once he or she is 3 months old you can go to worming him or her just once a month till he or she is a yr old. After he or she is a yr old you can start worming him or her once every 3 months.

 

When he or she is 3 months he or she will need to be put on heart-worm preventive. Heart-worms are a type of worms that regular wormers do not kill. Heart-worms will go and destroy the heart in a dog. It is a very painful death.

Round worms can encyst in the dog and the dog or puppie can show up worm free.The worms that are encysted will come out when the dog has been in a stressful situation like being sick,being move to a knew home.There are a number of things that can cause them to become encysted in the animal.A female round worm can lay up to 200 eggs a day.

Here is a website that I found that has lots of information on worms and the damage they can do.Please always make sure you worm your puppies and dogs when you are supose to and make sure that you always rotate the wormer.Plus you will want to make sure that the ingredient in the wormer is always different from the last type of wormer. It does no good to worm a puppy or dog with a different wormer if the ingredients are the same. That's why when rotating wormers you need to make sure the ingredients are never the same as what was in the last wormer.

 

http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/worms.html

 

Fleas: Talk to your vet about Defleaing him or her with Front-line plus or K9-Advantix or Revolution which does it all and there are others.I use them and sometimes BIO SPOT.Them are once a month treatments and they do work.Fleas not only can cause tapeworms but they can suck way to much blood out of a dog or puppy and make them anemic.I  now use mainly Revolution.The reason I use that is because it prevents heart-worms,kills ear-mites, defleas, kills ticks,and kills mange.It is a all in one.Then I also use a regular wormers every other month to make sure the dogs stay wormed out

 

Number 4 Killers in puppies is Intestinal worms, Heart-worms Diseases, that pass thru the air or on the ground, and Fleas and Ticks

 

He or she will need a Rabies shot from the vets when she turns 3 to 6 months

 

Feeding your puppy (This is how I do my puppies)

 I have started the puppies on can food which you can get at Wal-Mart.I then give them a all natural food that has no soy,wheat,corn,artificial coloring and the list goes on of what this food does not have.I feed my mother dogs and puppies Victor 30/20 and my adults are fed Victor 22/10.This is some really good food.You can also buy Purina puppy food (dry and in a bag) you will have to moisten it with warm water.Add can food to slowly change him or her over to dry food. As he or she gets better at eating slowly wean him or her from can and wet food to straight dry. In 2 to 3 weeks you should have him or her eating just dry puppy food.

Keep him or her on Purina puppy dry food till he or she is 6 to 7 months old. Then you can go to Wal-Mart and buy Purina or Pedigree Dog Food to slow dowN their growth so that you might cut back on bone problems later on

You will want to mix his or her puppy food with the dog food a little at a time. Each week add a little more dog food than puppy food till he or she is eating just Adult Dog Food. The reason I tell you to change to Adult dog food at that age is to slow down his or her growth so he or she will not hopefully have bone problems. It is better to keep food and plenty of fresh water in front of the puppy at all times. If you only feed him or her once or twice a day he or she will then try to gorge himself or herself and that is not good on his or her stomach. Plus when he or she is older it will make his or her chance of bloating high risk which can kill your dog if not gotten to in time. Any Dog over can die of bloat because their stomach can loosen from the walls and twist. That is a very painful death for a dog if emergency surgery is not been done.

 

Potty training: Feed the puppy till he or she gets full 4 times a day instead of keeping the food in front of them. Make sure you take the puppy out side right after he or she eats. Within a few minutes to about 30 minutes the puppy will most likely go to the bathroom. Also watch for signs like the puppy walking around with its head to the floor and also walking in circles. They are also signs that the puppy needs to use the bathroom.

Puppies have to use the bathroom a lot when they are little because they do not have the bladder control yet that an older dog has. So make sure that you praise your puppy when it has used the bathroom outside so he or she knows they have done well. If it is your fault by not taking the puppy outside do not be hard on the puppy because the puppy was just doing what its bladder or bowls to it to do

 

Ears

It can take from 5 weeks old to 6 months old (sometimes 8 months) for a German shepherd’s ears to stand up. Then some ears will never stand. Do not let anybody pull or mess with his or her ears to much until he or she is a yr old. That way the ears do no get damaged and will most likely stand up.

 

 

Hips and Back

Do not let anybody push on his or her back or it can mess his or her back or hip area up bad and maybe for life. You can pet him or her and play lightly with him or her just be sure he or she does not get knocked around to much while playing rough.

 

 

Collars

When buying a collar measure his or her neck with a tape measure for humans.

When putting it around the neck make sure you can get 2 fingers under the collar once you have it around the puppy’s neck.

Children and dogs and or puppies:

This is very important on children.Please teach your child to respect the dog or puppy.There are a lot of dogs of different breeds and mixes that wound up at the dog pound to be put to sleep because people let their children hit the dog or puppy,Step on purpose on him or her,sit on his or her back,pulled or pulling on the ears to where the animal was in pain,playing with the mouth by trying to pry it open and also sometime pinching the skin into a tooth,pulling on the dogs tail,messing with the animals food and teasing the animal and so on.Parents please teach your child how to properly handle the dog or puppy.Always supervise your child while always being around the child and dog or puppy.That way that child along with the puppy learn respect of each other.Teach the child how to properly handle the puppy or dog.That way the child does not get hurt or killed and the dog or puppy does not get hurt or killed or have to be destroyed because of somebody not watching their child.I am not trying to be hard but My parents taught me when I was young and I have taught my children when they was young how to take care of them and not be mean to them.It is after all your job as a parent to oversee everything your child or puppy or dog is doing.Never turn a young child loose with a dog or puppy unsupervised as you might have to pay for it in the long run as the child and dog or puppy.Remember on any animal it is not a breed thing, it is what you teach your child and animal.Also make sure you try to stay away from line bred dogs and puppies.Line breeding or interbreeding can produce bad genetics that are under the surface that you cannot see.It can be a genetic in the body or it can be unsoundness in the brain.Some people or breeders as they call themselves will line breed or some interbreed to get a better looking dog which in most cases when matched right they are locking in the good looks but they are also locking in bad genetics that you cannot see on the surface and it is mostly internal or unsoundness of the brain which sometimes cannot be seen till the animal is older.You or your child can pay a high price with a life by buying from them types of animals.A lot of people that breed show conformation will do that type of breeding to get a better looking dog.Not all dogs bred that way are unsound but your chance increases the risk highly.But they have also gotten bad unseen genetic traits in the dogs as well.Always ask to see a pedigree or family tree.You should never see the same dog twice anywhere in the family tree or pedigree.None of my dogs will ever be bred to a relative no matter how well both animals look.Disposition,health,and then last but not least a good looking strong dog is what I breed for.But sometimes there could be a fluke somewhere from way back.Never know till it shows up.But 1 thing I do know is that it will not be something I intentionally bred together from relatives of the same line locking in the unsoundness that once in might can never be bred out.Be smart when looking to buy.Do not buy from the 1st breeder of a puppy you come across.Always check for referance's on there websites or if they do not have a website have them give you a list of satisfied customers that you might can call in reference

 

Make sure if you do not  have kids now that later on when you decide on a family that you will still want your dog.Make sure that you are going to be able to have kids and a dog or puppy.That way when a expected parent comes around the dog or puppy is not going to be re homed or sent to the pound because the parents did not do their home work and think things thru before purchasing a puppy of what would happen later on when kids are suddenly involved.

Make sure that if you live in a apartment that it will be OK and that later on when you move that you will have extra money saved up for a pet deposit.That way the dog or puppy is not sent to the shelter or re-homed.

Remember that these dogs shed a lot and that they leave hair behind all the time.Make sure you are willing to deal with it and that you have vacuums and so on to cut down on shedding hairs in the house.Teach the dog where it is aloud in the house and where it is not that way there is no confusion and there is no hair where it is not suppose to be.

Chew Toys:

 Get him or her chew toys or Raw Hide chews and or squeaky toys to chew on while he or she is teething and when he or she is going thru a boredom state. That way he or she will not chew on your furniture. Teach him or her that it is alright to chew on them and by lightly tapping him or her let him or her know that it is not alright to chew on furniture and so on.But you have to do this constantly until the puppy has learned.

Please make sure that the toys you buy him or her will be big and tough enough so he or she will not swallow them. Because they can get trapped in the stomach and or intestine of the puppy or dog and if he or she is not taken to the vet for surgery you will loose her. That can be a painful death.

 Raw hide is good for helping clean the teeth. He or she can eat the raw hide but not the toys. They have rope toys that you can buy the puppy at Wal-Mart. They are good for him or her to chew and play with.Just make sure that you get ropes that will not shed and if they do start to wear and tear throw them away right away.Ropes can shred off and get into the stomach of the dog or puppy.Sometimes a dog can pass the ropes pieces but then there are some who cannot.If they cannot pass all the rope pieces they will build up over time and then cause a infection that will in turn kill your puppy or dog.A friend of mine lost one of her precious great Danes to ropes that she use to give her dogs to chew on.Here is her website which she also has a link to on some of the deadly toys and she also tells of her story on her dog that she lost.She also has a link to I think you tube on a video that she took and tells of her horrifying story.Kay Roush has always taken care of her dogs and has always loved them and treated them like they are her children.It was so very sad hearing about Brandi.Kay treated her like a queen and because of a toy she has lost her good friend.May God watch over Kay and her 4 footed family members.May Brandi rest in piece.Her message to everybody will hopefully stop other people from going thru this bad horrific experience

I have taken all my ropes from my dogs.I will not take a chance on their life.

 

http://www.asocd.com/DanesBrandi.html

 

http://www.asocd.com/RainbowBridge.html

 

 Tennis balls are also good to teach the puppy to chase and learn to play fetch.

Plus you can get other types of balls.Just make sure the balls have no holes in them for a dogs tongue to be sucked into.Even the smallest hole in a ball can suck the tongue into it.That is possible because all the slobber and drool that is in a dog or puppies mouth will lube up the hole and the tongue can get sucked into it and you might can loose the animal or it might loose its tongue if not gotten of out in time.Always make sure whatever toy you get your puppies and dogs that the toy is solid all the way thru and that it is non toxic.

 

Teething: Raw hides chews and Bones are not only good for cleaning teeth they are good when a puppy is teething.Also another thing that is really good is leather.It is soft and gives when the dog or puppy is chewing.Just make sure you get a big piece so that the puppy cannot swallow it and make sure you supervise the puppy at all times while it is chewing on anything it can tear and swallow

He or she might be scared for a couple of days or a couple of weeks. Give him or her time to adjust and do not carry him or her around a lot so he or she does not get sick.

Grooming:German Shepherds come in short coats,medium coats,and long haired coats.They constantly shed and so they require lots of brushing to help keep their coats in good health.They also can get Dandrift real bad and brushing will help stimulate the oils in the coat.If you get a dog that had a lot of dry like skin you can get medicated Shampoo that will help with the skin.Frequent Brushing is a must for these dogs and so you have to make sure you will have the time for them.It only takes a few minutes a day to brush one out plus they love it when they are being brushed.There are combs you can also buy at the stores to help with excess shedding.Get you a good brush and comb because you will use them a lot.

Hard surfaces and Elbows:Try not to have anything hard like cement and such.If you can buy a dog bed or a soft padding for the dog or puppy to lay down on.Some puppies will lay down hard or even sit.Their elbows and even the buttocks can swell with fluid under the skin which is a bruise.You will then need to take the dog or puppy to the vet to get the fluid drained.Some times it will require several times to the vet for this.Soft padding can help prevent this if you get this stuff for them to lay down on whether it is in the house or outside.Even dirt,grass,or wood shavings are soft and will work.

 

 

There are books out there for training your puppy you can buy. Most pet stores will have some type of dog breed books and training books. When working with him or her make sure that you always scratch him or her on his or her chest and give a treat when he or she has done what you wanted. That way he or she will always be wanting to please you.German Shepherds are pleasers.If they think they are making you happy they will keep doing what ever pleases you.They are very intelligent.Always watching and learning.You have to be careful when raising them because they will learn bad stuff as well as good stuff if they are not stopped when the bad stuff is 1st learned it can turn into a bad habit and bad habits are very hard to break on any dog and it does not matter what breed.Most dog problems come from people.A puppy will only do what you let it get away with.What might be cute when they are little is not so cute when they get older.Always remember to be consistent when raising any puppy.If you are a 1st time dog owner I would highly suggest taking your puppy to puppy classes and working your puppy at the house on the same things you learned in class.Always start your puppy training as early as possible. Even when grown keep working with your dog after it has been trained.That way the dog will always stay in tuned.If your puppy or dog is always looking for new stuff to get into it could mean that your puppy or dog has to much time on its end.I would highly recommend taking him or her for long walks or getting a walking treadmill.It will not just do the puppy or dog good but it will help you with your health also.Take the puppy or dog swimming.Most dogs just love swimming plus it will cool them off in the summer heat.Just always make sure that you supervise a puppy and dog while they are swimming.Always watch them to make sure they do not drown.Do not take a puppy swimming till the puppy is older.

If you have a pond in the front or back yard please be carefull and always watch the puppies when they are outside around the ponds.They can fall in and drown when they are little..

I really believe in the Dog Whisperer's way.I think more people need to learn off of him.He is the best and I highly recommend his show and think it should be a most in all puppy and dog homes.Watching him and doing what he does will make your puppy or dogs a better dog or puppy in the long run

There is a series on National Geographic Channel called The Dog Whisperer.Cesar Millan is the dog whisperer.He is the best when it comes to helping dogs and people fix their problems.Plus you can learn from watching his show on how to properly work your dog and you will be the leader of the pack.This man is for real and nothing is aloud to be cut on his shows.It is the real deal.There are even books out there you can buy of his if you want to further your learning and like to read.He has shows from working with Great Danes,Rotties,German Shepherds.Wolf Hybrids, pit bulls,to the smallest dogs.Once you watch several of his shows you will be hooked and have to keep watching them.

 

Most German Shepherds love water.They love the water dish and some like mine will try to lay or even sit in the water dish.If you have a pond take them to it when they are old enough and let them play in the water.You can also buy a little kids swimming pool so the puppy can play in it.My dogs love their swimming pool.It helps them keep cool in the heat of summer.They also love it when we take them to our pond in the horse pasture in the back.If you have been able to teach the puppy to play catch with the ball then he or she will love learning to play catch in the pond.Just be ready to get wet yourself when they come out of the water because they always seem to want to shake off excess water when they get over to you.

Most German Shepherds regardless whether they are American or German Bred imports have a high entergy Drive.Some more than others.I have both types and then mixes with American and German breeding.All puppies are the same and the dogs.So it really does not matter what type of shepherd you have they all need the same care. They all can make great guard dogs and family pets.All my dogs want to please..Where they was bred or came from has no bearings.It is the work you are willing to put into your dog.Please be sure that you have studied the breed and are willing to put the time into these special animals.To many of them get put into shelters and are put down because people did not realize the commitment they need.Make sure you truly understand that they are not cheap to raise.They are like children and if you cannot put money into your child then you might not put money into the dog.Think before buying and make sure you can afford one.Some vet bills can be very costly.Then regular maintance can add up also.Do not buy a puppy just to stick it into the backyard after the new whares off.That puppy is a living breathing soul and deserves alot more.They get their feelings hurt as well.Do not buy any animal from anybody if you are not wanting to make sure it is taken care of properly

 

Teach him or her to walk on the left side of you once he or she learns what a lease is and is doing well on it..

There are DVD's and website that help aid in training your puppy or dog.You can type it in on the internet what you are wanting to work on.There are a lot of helpful sites out there there help you train your puppy better and they are for free.All you have to do is type it in and save to your favorites.Print it out also so you will have the information on hand while working with your dog.

I use pet scratching on the chest as a reward and also beef liver treats.I buy  my beef liver from the store and wash it.Then I boil it till it is cooked all the way thru.Then I cut it up into small peices and put so many to a sandwich baggies and then put it into the freezer.I only keep out what I am going to be working with and will put a weeks worth of treats into the Refrigerator.The rest always goes into the freezer.

Sometimes I will treat all my dogs to raw liver.It is very good for them and they love it.I also feed my dogs raw meat every other day.They seem to like this and do great on this type of feeding

If you need more information on anything just email me and I will get back to you as soon as I check my messages

If you have any questions just email and I will try to answer your questions

 

Candy Kane Zawila

Candy Kane’s Beauty In a Jar

http://www.ckbeautyinajar.com

email: candykane1@peoplepc.com

 

Warning on Toys for puppies and Dogs:

Watch out for balls with any type of holes in them when you buy them.Make sure the ball is a solid ball like a tennis ball or something similar.Some balls can have small holes in them to where a puppy or dogs tongue can squeeze into it then the animal may loose its tongue or even life.

Ghew ropes.Watch out for them and make sure the rope is not frayed at all while the dog or puppy is chewing on it.Once it starts to fray throw it away right then.If not pieces can go into the stomach and then stop the animal up and or a infection can start inside the puppy or dog and kill it.

Always watch what type of mulch you put down for your flower garden. There is some that are deadly to your animals.Always ask your dealer or supplier you are buying from if it is safe.

On any type of toy always supervise the puppy or dog.

Make sure that all toys are to big to be swallowed and that toys are solid all the way thru.There are internet sites that you can type to find unsafe pet toys to help you try to choose the right toys for your dog or puppy

Plants can kill:Some can also be really deadly to a dog or puppy.Some dogs and puppies will go uo and start just chewing on them.Some plants can have such a high toxic affect that you might not have time to get the animal to the vet before it dies.Always check online or check at your local garden supplier to make sure your plants are safe around your animals.

If unsure about something do not get it till you have searched the internet and asked suppliers on the safety of the product you are in question about.It is always better to be safe than sorry later on.Plus the heartache it can cause later is not worth checking into a litter information 1st and foremost.

1st and foremost always ask a vet before doing anything with your puppy if you are in doubt.This is a letter on how I do my dogs.It is not meant to replace a vet or trainer in no way.Always get a vets advice on anything that is medical on anything and take your puppy or dog to a vet for all check ups and so on.

Thank you for taking time to read this and have a great day,

Candy Kane Zawila







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