How to Buy a German Shepherd Puppy

You're making a significant commitment when you purchase the German Shepherd pup. You'll be responsible for a long time for the training and health of your dog.

Online sources and pet stores offer puppies that are typically from puppy mills, which place profit ahead of the health of animals. Choose a reputable breeding center instead.

Choosing a Reputable Breeder

Before you purchase a German Shepherd pup, it's important to get to know the breeder. Breeders who are responsible will be delighted to share details about their dogs and breeding practices. They will be happy to discuss genetic and health testing, early socialization, and the environment that their puppies are being raised.

The best place to start is with your local German Shepherd club or other organization. The breed clubs typically have a secretary or puppy officer, reinrassiger deutscher schäferhund welpe who can guide you to breeders who are reputable. If you prefer, you can contact your state animal control agency to get an inventory of licensed breeders.

If you've found a breeder who has good breeding standards, make sure you take the time to meet them in person. Look for a clean facility where the mother and pups are safe. Ask about the puppy's fathers and siblings; you need proof that they were checked for hereditary disorders such as hip dysplasia eye issues, heart disease and Degenerative Myelopathy.

A responsible breeder will be capable of providing you with copies of your puppy's medical records and an up-to-date shot schedule. They should have a solid working relationship with a vet that can conduct all the required tests and vaccines. They can give you the name of the vet, his telephone number, altdeutscher SchäFerhund kaufen and will provide you with the records of consultation.

Ask the breeder about any concerns they might have about your lifestyle and living circumstances. This might stop the breeder from selling the puppy to you. If they know that you have young children, they may not want to offer you an German Shepherd puppy because they can be aggressive towards children.

A reputable breeder will also require that you sign a contract when you purchase your German Shepherd puppy. The contract should contain details about the parents and their AKC registration number, and a clause allowing them to return the puppy to the breeder. This is a great way for responsible breeders to track their dogs and ensure they go to good homes.

Health Tests

Breeders who are reputable will check the health of the dogs they intend to breed. This is to ensure that they don't produce puppies that have an inherited condition. These tests include hip and deutscher schäferhund welpe kaufen elbow dysplasia, Deutscher SchäFerhund Welpe Kaufen degenerative myelopathy and GDV (also called bloat).

Breeders who are trustworthy are determined to understand the temperaments and health issues of every dog they own. They are also able to freely and openly communicate this information to other breeders as well as prospective buyers.

As part of the Kennel Club's Assured breeder scheme, members are required to conduct certain tests with their dogs. The breed clubs for German shepherds also recommend that breeders carry out additional tests.

These tests check for genetic disorders that affect the German Shepherd Dog as a whole. These tests also help breeders make better mating decisions that can reduce the risk of hereditary diseases in future generations.

Common genetic tests include:

Hip Dysplasia

Hip and elbow dysplasia are a common problem in German Shepherds and sufferers from the condition in their front legs. These degenerative joint diseases cause discomfort and pain, but can be controlled with weight control, activity restrictions, supplements, and drugs. X-rays are taken under sedation, to get exact results. Then, they are sent to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).

The OFA test is a check for the presence of hemivertebrae and butterfly vertebrae, block vertebrae, lumbar-sacral vertebrae (LSTV) and spondylosis and spina bifida. The test is not impervious and cannot predict the likelihood that a dog's spinal problem is degenerative myelopathy.

Socialization

GSDs require rigorous physical exercise in addition to training and mental stimulation to keep them busy. They can easily become bored and their lack of activity can result in destructive behavior like excessive digging or chewing up shoes. These behaviors are usually due to unmet emotional requirements. Socialization at an early age is crucial for German Shepherd pups. Proper socialization can help the puppy gain confidence around new people and deutsche schäferhunde kaufen situations. It also reduces the likelihood that the puppy will develop anxious or aggressive in new situations.

The mother and her littermates play together and play with each other. This teaches puppies appropriate social signals and how to cope with their boisterous, and sometimes rough, siblings. The puppies are also exposed to a variety of kinds of sounds, sights and smells. The puppies learn how to behave in a group, which is key to their success as adult dogs.

Introduce the puppy to different household sounds, such as vacuum cleaners, kitchen appliances, and doorbells. The puppy should be exposed to a variety of sounds outside, such as traffic, sirens and construction. This is essential so that the puppy will not become anxious or fearful of these situations when they become adults. The puppy should be exposed to all of this at a calming pace and positive reinforcements will be used throughout the process.

It is also crucial for blaue Schäferhunde; testing.sopjh.ch, the puppy to meet many different people during this period, Deutscher SchäFerhund Welpe Kaufen along with other pets. This will help prevent separation anxiety when the owner is away. One good example is when the dog is taken to puppy classes and dog parks or play dates with other dogs.

The puppy should only be allowed to interact in a safe, controlled way with other dogs. At first, the interactions should be limited so that the pup does not feel overwhelmed. The puppy should be able to interact also with older, more relaxed and calm dogs. This will help your puppy understand that older, larger dogs do not need to be terrifying. It will also aid in developing an excellent attitude.

Training

German Shepherds require regular, strict obedience training. It is essential to enroll them in an obedience class early enough particularly when they are still young. This will help them develop into confident, well-mannered dogs. This is also a good time to make them familiar with the basic commands like sit down, down, stay and come. The earlier you can teach your dog these basic skills they'll be more likely to obey your instructions as they grow older.

Territorial aggression can be an issue in many families with German Shepherds. They might be extremely protective of their homes and property and this can result in their barking at strangers or animals that enter their area. Territorial behavior can be prevented through proper training, exercise, and socialization.

Obedience training will also help prevent other behavioral problems in German Shepherds. Dogs that don't have the right obedience training could be a nuisance, or even a danger to family members and neighbours. They can be easily distracted by other pets, toys or children. They may ignore basic commands such as "sit" and "down."

In the early years of puppyhood it is important to continue to socialize your German Shepherds with new people, places and sounds. This is especially important before the puppy reaches 16 weeks as their brains are in an important stage of development. If your German shepherd is a quiet puppy it's likely to be a lot more difficult for them to learn new things once they are an adult. They could also be more prone to fear-based aggression or anxiety.

Many dog owners do not realize that the German Shepherd requires mental and physical exercise in order to be happy and calm. German Shepherds are herding breeds by nature, and have a strong desire to please their owners and work. If they don't exercise enough they could become bored or destructive. Regular exercise strengthens muscles and reduces "cabin-fever." It helps improve circulation, assists in weight loss and decreases "cabin-fever." It's the perfect way to bond with your German Shepherd, too!