How to Buy a German Shepherd Puppy

You're taking a huge risk when you purchase a German Shepherd pup. You'll be responsible, for many years, for the health and education of your dog.

Online sources and pet stores offer puppies that are typically from puppy mills that prioritize profit over the well-being of animals. Choose a reputable breeder instead.

How to Choose a Reputable Breeder

Before purchasing a German Shepherd pup, it's essential to get acquainted with the breeder. Breeders who are responsible will be delighted to provide you with details about their dogs and breeding practices. Breeders will be delighted to provide details about their dogs and practices with you.

Your local German Shepherd club or reinrassiger deutscher schäferhund züchter (iblog.iup.edu) organization is the best place to start. Breed clubs typically have a secretary or puppy officer who can point you to reputable breeders. You can also contact your state's animal control agency to find the list of breeding companies.

If you've found a breeder with good breeding standards, take the time to meet them in person. You should search for an environment that is clean and comfortable in which the puppy and the mother dog are kept. You should ask about the parents and siblings of the puppy. You'll want to know if they have been screened for any hereditary conditions such as hip dysplasia and eye problems.

A responsible breeder will be able to provide you with a copy of your puppy's medical records and an up-to-date shot schedule. They should have a good relationship with a vet who is able to perform all the necessary tests and vaccinations. They can tell you the name of the doctor and his phone number and will provide you with consultation records.

Ask the breeder about any concerns they might have about your lifestyle or living situation. This might prevent the breeder from selling a puppy to you. If they know that you have young kids they might not want to sell you an German Shepherd puppy because they can be aggressive towards children.

You should also expect a reputable breeder to require you to sign a contract to purchase your German Shepherd puppy. This contract should include the names of the parents and deutsche schäferhunde Kaufen their AKC registration numbers as well as a return-to-breeder clause. This is a great way breeders who are responsible to monitor their dogs and ensure they have a good home.

Health Tests

Breeders with a good reputation will test the health of the dogs they plan to use as breeding stock. This is to ensure that they don't produce pups with inherited disease. These tests include hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy, GDV and bloat.

In addition to health screenings, reputable breeders strive to acquire a personal understanding of the health and temperament of each pet they own. They also share this information fully and openly with other breeders and prospective buyers.

As part of the Kennel Club's Assured breeder scheme, members are required to conduct certain tests on their dogs. Breed clubs for German Shepherds also recommend that breeders perform additional tests.

These health tests look for genetic disorders that affect the German Shepherd Dog as a whole. They also help breeders make better informed choices about mating which will decrease the risk of inheritable diseases in the coming generations.

The most common genetic tests are:

Hip Dysplasia

Hip and elbow dysplasia are a common problem in German Shepherds, with the latter suffering from the condition that affects their front limbs. These joint conditions that cause degeneration cause discomfort and pain but can be managed through exercise restrictions, weight control and Reinrassiger SchäFerhund supplements as well as medications. X-rays are taken under anesthesia to ensure exact results. Then, they are sent to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).

The OFA test looks for hemivertebra, butterfly vertebra, block vertebra, lumbar sacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV), spondylosis and spina bifida. This test is not foolproof and does not predict whether a dog's condition is degenerative myelopathy.

Socialization

GSDs require a lot of physical activity along with training and mental stimulation to keep them occupied. They get bored very easily and their inactivity can result in destructive behaviors such as excessive digging or chewing up shoes. Most often, these behaviors stem from insufficient emotional needs. Socialization early is essential for German Shepherd pups. A good socialization program allows the puppy to gain confidence in new people and environments. It also reduces the chances that the puppy will be fearful or aggressive in new situations.

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

Introduce the puppy to different household sounds, including vacuum cleaners, Deutsche SchäFerhunde Kaufen kitchen appliances and doorbells. The puppy should also be exposed various outdoor sounds, including traffic, sirens and construction. This is essential to ensure that the puppy does not become scared or anxious of these situations as an adult. The puppy will be exposed to these stimuli at a moderate rate, and positive reinforcement is used throughout the process.

During this time, it's essential that the puppy gets to meet many different people and pets. This can help prevent separation anxiety when the owner is away from home. This can be achieved by taking the dog to puppy classes, dog parks or play dates with other doggies.

The puppy should be allowed to interact in a controlled, secure manner with other dogs. At beginning, interactions should be confined so that the pup isn't overwhelmed. The puppy should be allowed to interact also with older, more relaxed, calmer dogs. This will help your puppy understand that larger, older dogs don't have to be terrifying. It will also help them develop a good attitude.

Training

German Shepherds need constant, consistent obedience training. It is crucial to enroll them in an obedience class as soon as you can, especially while they are still young. This will assist them in developing into confident, well-mannered dogs. This is also a great moment to familiarize them with the basic commands like sit, down, SchäFerhundwelpen stay and come. The earlier a dog can learn these basic behaviors, the more easy it will be for them to follow your directions as they age.

Territorial aggression is a common issue for many German Shepherd owners. They may be overly protective of their home and property, resulting in screaming or groaning at other people or animals that enter their area of. Proper training, exercise and socialization can prevent territorial behavior.

Training in obedience can also help prevent other behavioral problems in German Shepherds. Dogs who aren't properly trained could cause annoyance to their family and neighbors. They can easily be distracted by other animals or toys, or even children and disregard basic commands such as "sit" or "down."

During their puppy years it is crucial to socialize your German Shepherds with new people locations, deutsche schäferhunde kaufen sights, and sounds. This is especially important prior to when they are 16 weeks old because they are in an important phase of brain development during this period. If your German Shepherd is a sheltered puppy until that point they'll likely face new experiences to be more difficult in adulthood and will be more susceptible to anxiety-based aggression and fear.

One thing that many dog owners don't realize is that a German Shepherd needs lots of mental as well as physical exercise to stay calm and content. German Shepherds are herders by nature, and they are driven to please their owners and work. If they don't exercise enough, they may become bored or even destructive. Regular exercise also tones muscles, reduces "cabin fever," improves circulation and helps with weight loss. It's the perfect way to bond with your German Shepherd, too!