Weight of German Shepherd puppies by months. How to choose and how to feed a German Shepherd puppy?

It is very important to track the growth and weight of German Shepherd puppies by months. This is one of the most important indicators of the formation of a young animal. The growth and development of the German Shepherd puppy depends on many factors. Originally from genetics, nutrition and the initial level of health.

General characteristics of the breed

The first impression of a German shepherd is a confident, strong, very alert and full of life dog.

The German Shepherd is an ideal guard and a companion dog. She is very hardy and has the character of a defender.

Dogs require balanced nutritious food, care and, of course, a lot of love. German Shepherds like to be outdoors. They love to run and frolic, they are active dogs. They also like to relax with their family and watch what the owners of the house do, because by nature these dogs are very attached to family members.

"Germans" have a huge amount of patience with respect to the owners and children. Even if the dog does not like any procedure, she will tolerate it. Children love and with pleasure "nurse" with them, play and never offend. This is due not only to the love of the household, but also to a high level of intellectual development.

In addition, they usually get along well with other animals, especially if the dog has appeared at home at a young age.

How to choose a puppy?

The decision to get a thoroughbred German Shepherd puppy is very responsible. But it is often associated with the agony of choice. And here you are in the nursery, stand and wonder about how to choose a German Shepherd puppy. In order to avoid the wrong choice, we offer you step-by-step instructions. This manual will describe the aspects that you should pay attention to when selecting.

Step 1

Look at the behavior of the puppies. They are trying to fight for a place in the pack, so they often fight. Eliminate the most aggressive, with him there will be many problems on walks. Such dogs are more suitable for protection or service. But do not take the most passive, because a dog should be able to show his character at the right time. Therefore, the right puppy of a German shepherd must have a balanced temperament, but not be a "felt boots".

Step 2

The second important point is health. How does a German Shepherd puppy look healthy? Pay attention to what it is fed. If the stomach is too large, this is one of the signs of helminth infection. Turn the puppy and look at his stomach. The presence of red dots indicates the presence of fleas or lice. Touch the hair, it should be soft, without the smell of "dog", do not have bald patches and bald spots. The eyes of a healthy puppy are clean, shiny. The nose is wet and cold.

Step 3

If the male is in front of you, then his testicles should drop to 3 months in the scrotum. Do not listen to the seller's assurances that this will happen later. However, if you take a dog not for exhibitions, such a defect is not particularly important.

Step 4

Now about ears. The ears of a German Shepherd puppy can get up early, at 5 weeks. But it happens that they get up later. The main thing is that they rise up to 4 months. Inspect when buying a puppy, his ear cartilage, and if he is okay, there are no creases, then boldly take a four-legged.

Step 5

Put the puppy and look at its paws. A good dog's legs should be straight and strong. There should be no deviations. This is a direct symptom of malnutrition and rickets. On the joints can be nodularity. Then, as the puppy grows, when the skeleton is formed and strengthened, this thickening will not be noticeable.

Step 6

How to choose a German shepherd puppy for croup? The German Shepherd has a slightly sloping silhouette, and puppies should be chosen with the most pronounced signs.

Step 7

Bite is also important. Do not bulge the upper or lower jaw. They should have a scissor bite. That is, when the upper row of teeth protrudes slightly above the bottom.

Step 8

Pay attention to the shape of the tail. When the puppy is calm, his tail hangs, maybe slightly curved. When excited, the puppy's tail goes up, but it should not bend high above the back of the ring.

Step 9

And the color. As a rule, puppies are much darker than adult dogs, so be guided by this. There are white marks on the chest and paws, this is considered a defect.

Education of a puppy

German Shepherds are dogs that are well socialized. Nevertheless, like any domestic pet, they need education. Only in this case you can be sure that the dog will grow obedient and will meet your expectations.

German Shepherds are very easy to train. They always try to please their masters. That's why these dogs are perfect for even novice dog breeders.

Some tips for training that can be useful:

• When a puppy enters a new home, it is advisable to teach him to sit and wait while you prepare food for him. It will not be superfluous to teach to refuse food, which lies on the ground or which is given by strangers.
• Do not let the puppy jump at you. It is very important to teach this from childhood, as the dog grows fast. And when she weighs 20-30 kg, her jumps can become tangible, at one point you just can not keep up with the balance. And, consequently, to fall and it is not known what it will lead to.
• Always need to praise the dog during training, treat something delicious for the exercise. You should start from 14 weeks. It is important to develop a puppy's obedience.

If you do not have the time or opportunity to study with a dog, then you can give it to a dog training class. Raised dog is a pledge of controllability and integrity of your property.

Difficulty of care

In fact, the breed does not have any special needs. The main thing is a complete diet and care. For wool you need to look after, as in most cases. That is, comb the puppy with specialized hems. When the dog grows up, combing should be used for combing.

You can bathe, especially if the dog has a room or lives in the house. Vaccination by age is mandatory for all domestic animals, including the German Shepherd. Information about vaccinations can be obtained from the breeder and veterinarian.

Puppies of the German Shepherd, growth chart

From the breed standards, the adult male German shepherd dog at the withers should be from 60 to 65 cm, and its weight is from 30 to 40 kg. For dogs of the opposite sex, the height at the withers is 55-60 cm, and the weight is from 22 to 32 kg.

Below is a graph of the growth in the weight of German Shepherd puppies by months. The diagram is compiled for both sexes from 2 to 24 months. The figures are aimed at a medium-sized dog. If your German Shepherd breed pups have a weight difference of 15% or more on the given data, this is within the norm.

This diagram is based on observations of dog handlers and dog owners of this breed. It is important to bear in mind that the weight of the dog should have a harmonious relationship with its size and skeleton development.

German Shepherd, as a rule, reaches full formation by 2 years of life, some dogs need a little more time. For dogs, more weight does not mean a better condition, since excess weight at any stage of life means a greater strain on the joints and ligaments, and, therefore, a greater risk of injury and development of pathologies.

That is why the growth and weight of German Shepherd puppies by months is important to track. Puppies should remain within the breed norms.

Weight of German Shepherd puppies by months

age	Males	Bitches
2 months	4.5 kg	4 kg
3 months	8 kg	7 kg
4 months	13 kg	11 kg
5 months	18 kg	15 kg
6 months	22 kg	18 kg
7 months	26 kg	21 kg
8 months	29 kg	23 kg
9 months	32 kg	25 kg
10 months	34 kg	26 kg
11 months	35 kg	27 kg
12 months	36 kg	28 kg
24 months	38 kg	30 kg

This is how the German shepherd's weight gain should look, your puppy's chart may have deviations (± 15%) from the indicated indicator.

How and what to feed?

Nutrition plays a very important role in the life of the dog. This determines the life expectancy and general well-being of the pet. Puppies require proteins, carbohydrates and other important components in the diet. So what to feed the German Shepherd puppy?

• Dry food of premium class. Dry food is an ordinary daily diet for most dogs. A good feed contains meat, cereals, vegetables and other additives. Not all brands are the same or have high nutritional value.
• Soft canned dog food is better for puppies. But without hard food it is impossible, because it helps the normal development of the jaw.
• You can feed and natural products. Meat, eggs, cottage cheese, cereals, vegetables. The main rule: food should be useful, fresh, without sugar and salt. Food from the table does not fit. What is good for a person does not always affect the animal in the same way. Therefore, no matter how your dog asked for a piece of chocolate or a delicious salted fish, do not give it to him!

Feed a four-legged friend from five to six times a day, but as you grow older, you need to reduce feeding to two times a day.

Give your puppy the best that you can. If you still doubt how to feed a German shepherd puppy, you can always seek advice from a breeder or veterinarian.

Possible health problems

Any large breed of dog can face health problems. Dysplasia of the hip joint was very often seen before, now this is a rather rare phenomenon. This is due to the fact that breeders are trying to constantly improve the quality of the breed.

In other respects the breed is notable for good health, has no special problems and predispositions to diseases.

How many puppies can be in the litter?

German Shepherds are good mothers, they can have very large litters. In one litter can be from 1 to 15 puppies. But usually litter is about 8 puppies.

Lifespan

The German Shepherd, as a rule, lives about 12-14 years. With due care and strong natural health of dogs of this breed can live 18-20 years, thus having no special problems and pathologies.

To prolong the life of a quadruped friend, it is necessary to go to the veterinarian once a year, and also to monitor the feeding of the dog.

Conclusion

Apparently, there are no big difficulties in keeping a German shepherd puppy. The main thing is timely care, weight and height control, care. When you fulfill all these simple rules you will get a well-bred, well-groomed and healthy dog.