German Shepherd 101 – German Shepherd Puppies

There are few things in life more irresistible than a German Shepherd puppy. But you should never bring one home on impulse. This must be a careful decision. Bringing home a German Shepherd puppy is the same as bringing home a human child (except German Shepherds mature faster and are more loyal). Although German Shepherd puppies are a big responsibility, their friendship is priceless.

German Shepherds, on average, will cost around $3,000 a year for food, grooming supplies, and veterinary care. This is much less than your car, but still something to consider. Due to how quickly they grow, German Shepherd puppies need their diets to be strictly regulated to avoid many potential health problems. They will also need positive reinforcement from day one. Never force train a German Shepherd puppy. Most dog bites are from frightened dogs, not from dogs that are attacking.

Never buy a German Shepherd puppy from a pet store or internet store that will ship you a puppy without asking you questions beyond “Check or collect?” These puppies will be from puppy mills. Not only will they be sick, but they will have missed an important learning period for basic training and will be harder to train and more uncontrollable. The best German Shepherd puppies are from breeders, animal shelters, or German Shepherd rescues. One of the times when German Shepherds are most neglected is when they are six months old and past the cute stage.

Encourage the German Shepherd puppy to lie down and sleep to lessen the shock of a car ride. Go to the vet within 24 hours of the puppy coming home, even if the puppy has passed a veterinary inspection at a shelter. When you take the German shepherd puppy home, take him wherever you want to relieve himself. Praise the puppy a lot when he goes to the right place. Keep using that place for potty training and use verbal commands.

Small puppies have small bladders. They will have to go outside to try to go to the bathroom every two hours until they are about six months old, when they can start holding their bladder for seven hours. When a German Shepherd puppy has an accident, he is not trying to misbehave. Often they can’t hold it. German Shepherd puppies often walk in circles sniffing when they need to go. However, once they learn, they learn.

This may sound like a lot, and it is, but it can be done if you commit to raising a German Shepherd puppy. You will find training easier if you give your puppy a German Shepherd name that will easily attract the puppy’s attention. Don’t make it sound similar to commands you hear all the time like “Stay” or “Heel”. German Shepherd puppies are smart enough to respond to name changes. Don’t use their registered name, it’s too long and won’t catch their attention.