German Shepherd Central » Health & Nutrition

New Year, New Hope for Chained Dogs

admin — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 21:17:34 +0000

Far too many German Shepherds live their lives on the end of a chain.

Pictured is Joshua, a one- to two-year-old male German Shepherd I rescued from the side of a busy highway with a logging chain literally bolted to his heavy-duty collar. Whatever attempt his previous owner made to keep him at home failed, thankfully. He was later adopted by a family of four, who lets him sleep on the bed and plays basketball with him!

If you know of a dog, any dog, that spends its life anchored on a chain, Karen Pryor has put together an excellent guide to getting involved in the situation and improving conditions for the dog. This is worth making a New Year’s resolution to do.

If direct intervention in a chained dog’s life isn’t possible, you can join a number of national campaigns to end the chaining of dogs, including UnchainYourDog.org and DogsDeserveBetter.org. The Humane Society of the United States also offers a number of tips and resources for those looking to end the chaining of dogs.

Chaining a German Shepherd isn’t just inhumane, it’s downright dangerous. Dogs who are chained or tethered are more likely to hang themselves or become targets for thieves, bullies or other animals.

What’s worse, a 2000 study published in the Sept. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association noted that 17 percent of dogs involved in fatal attacks on humans between 1979 and 1998 were chained at the time of the incident. Chained dogs are more likely to develop aggressive behavior because they are unable to communicate normally and therefore become frustrated or over-aroused. The victims of such aggression are usually children, who wander unwittingly into the dogs’ path.

Furthermore, a German Shepherd is bred to be a working companion and therefore must be raised indoors as a member of the family to develop its full breed potential. Unsupervised German Shepherds are at risk for developing aggressive behavior and becoming further subjected to unfair breed-specific legislation.

For the sake of dogs everywhere, let’s bring them inside!

Five Things To Do Before Bringing Your New Puppy Home

admin — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:36:12 +0000

Source: Flickr

Those little balls of fluff are adorable, but life can become miserable without accomplishing at least these five tasks first:

Buy a crate. A crate is an indispensable tool for house training, as well as keeping your belongings and your puppy safe while you are gone. Crate-training takes a few days if your breeder hasn’t already started it with your new puppy, but most puppies take to it quickly if you are diligent.
Choose your vet. If you don’t already have a veterinarian for other pets, ask your friends, co-workers or breeder who they recommend. If possible, schedule a “well puppy” visit with your veterinarian for the day after you bring your puppy home. (Most breeders will require the puppy be examined by a vet within 48 to 72 hours of purchase for the health guarantee to be honored.) When shopping for a vet, don’t hesitate to ask about recommended vaccination schedules, costs, restraint methods, and whether the clinic offers any “extras,” such as boarding or microchipping.
Enroll in a puppy kindergarten class. A training class for puppies aged 8 to 18 weeks is a vital component of your new puppy’s life. These classes will not only get you started on the basics of obedience training and house manners, but should also allow your puppy the opportunity to play with other puppies. This is a must if you plan for your puppy to interact with other dogs throughout its life. Again, ask friends, your vet and breeder for recommendations, and visit the class in advance of enrolling, when possible.
Prepare the menu. Decide before you bring your puppy home what food you will feed. Kibble, raw, home cooked or frozen — the variety of choices at the moment is astounding, so take some time to research options before selecting a food or feeding method. The solution is to choose an option that meets your puppy’s nutrient requirements, and that you feel good about preparing and feeding.
Get some toys. What’s life with a puppy without dog toys strewn about the house? Choose sturdy, easy-to-wash toys that appeal to your puppy’s desire to chew. Rope tug toys and “puppy” chew bones are fine, so long as your puppy is only playing with them while supervised. Do not allow a puppy to chew any toy not specifically labeled for chewing (especially rope or cloth toys). Buy enough toys that you can rotate a couple sets in and out of your puppy’s life — they’ll be like new again!

Bookmark These Six German Shepherd Health Websites

admin — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 14:07:51 +0000

Whether you already have a German Shepherd (or two or three or more!), or are thinking about adopting your first German Shepherd from a breeder, shelter or rescue, here are six websites to help you navigate the minefield of health issues prevalent in the breed:

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals: The OFA is the primary certifying body in the United States for screening dogs for elbow and hip dysplasia.
PennHip: PennHip is the latest diagnostic tool in the fight against hip dysplasia; x-rays are taken of the dog’s hips at different angles and requires precise positioning by a trained practitioner to be acceptable for review.
Canine Eye Registration Foundation: CERF maintains a registry of and certification process for dogs free of congenital eye disease. Eye diseases common to German Shepherds include pannus (a corneal inflammation), juvenile cataracts, Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) and Multifocal Retinal Dysplasia.
Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (Bloat): Although this site targets owners of all large breed dogs, German Shepherd caretakers will want to take note of the signs and symptoms of this often deadly condition. Also included are tips on what to do if your dog is showing signs of bloat.
von Willebrand Disease: An interview with noted veterinarian Dr. Jean Dodds from the American White Shepherd Association about von Willebrand Disease, an inherited bleeding disorder common to German Shepherds.
Perianal Fistulas: Although an unpleasant subject, German Shepherds are more prone to these life-threatening, painful infections than most breeds.

What is Canine Hip Dysplasia?

admin — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:00:22 +0000

Canine Hip Dysplasia is a hereditary, degenerative disease common in many large breed dogs and large mixed breed dogs that can cause crippling arthritis in the hips. This disease is especially prevalent in German Shepherds; the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals notes that one in five German Shepherds whose hips are x-rayed and reported to the OFA show signs of the disease.

Normal hip joints function with a “ball-and-socket” construction; the head of the femur, or thigh bone, fits tightly within a circular inlet in the pelvis.

Source: Gulf Cost Veterinary Specialists

In dogs who are suffering from hip dysplasia, the ball does not fit snugly within the socket; the head of the femur can be shaped incorrectly, or be a loose fit with the pelvis, or both. This condition causes unusually heavy friction on the joint as the dog moves, which in turn can lead to osteoarthritis, a painful inflammation of the joint.

Source: Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists

Hip dysplasia is rated by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals as mild, moderate or severe (there is also a “borderline” category, which indicates the dog is capable of developing hip dysplasia). Dogs with hip dysplasia can show few symptoms, or become incapacitated, depending on the severity of the dysplasia, the progression of arthritis, and environmental factors such as weight and exercise level. Although surgical options are available for severely affected dogs, these are often expensive and are accompanied by a long recovery period.

Hip dysplasia is almost always evident by the time a dog is 18-24 months old. There is no way to declare a dog free from hip dysplasia, or diagnose hip dysplasia, without hip x-rays.

The most common visible signs of hip dysplasia include difficulty rising, stiffness or soreness following heavy exercise, a distinct gait in which the back legs move together rather than independently, and reduced muscle mass around the hips and thighs. Some severely affected puppies will develop a limp before they’re five months old; to the untrained eye, this limp appears to be on a forelimb, rather than hind, as might be suspected with pain in the hip joints.

Maintaining a dog with hip dysplasia requires attention to nutrition, weight, exercise and activity levels. Check with your veterinarian regarding medical options, including surgery or anti-inflammatory drugs.

For more information, see:

Five Reasons to Avoid Invisible Fencing For Your Dog

admin — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 14:20:55 +0000

Reasons I won’t place a dog in a home with an invisible fence:

You still have to train the dog. Many people assume an invisible or underground fence is “plug ‘n’ play” — that is, you simply install it, plop the collar on your dog, and let him play to his heart’s content. This is not the case (as the reputable underground fence dealers will tell you). The dog still must be trained to accept the fence’s boundaries. But the assumption that it is an “easy” way to contain a dog makes me question whether the potential owner is really willing to put effort into the dog’s care and training (i.e., regular walks, obedience), as well as make sacrifices (e.g., increased cost and imperfect landscaping) to accommodate the dog.
Electric shock. As far as I know, all varieties of invisible fencing operate on the premise that the dog wears a collar which produces electric shock when the boundary line is approached. Some dogs are so determined to make it through the fence that the shock level must be turned up unusually high. I have seen instances in which a dog wearing a fence collar was inadvertently shocked by the owner’s television, computer or vacuum. (Think of how healthy this is for the poor dog’s mental state!) I have also heard horror stories and seen pictures of third-degree burns caused by fence collars that have malfunctioned. Beware of the underground fencing dealer who tells you this can’t/won’t happen — after all, he’s there to sell you something, not to look out for your dog’s well-being. That’s your job.
Dogs can — and will — go through an invisible fence. And once they do, guess what? They won’t come back into the yard for fear of getting shocked; they aren’t stupid. They’re simply willing to take the shock the first time through to get whatever they’re after. And once they’re through, they’re free to chase other animals, get into fights, get hit by cars, be shot at, picked up by animal control, etc.
Underground fencing does not keep anyone from entering your property. Therefore, children, cats, other dogs, wild animals and the like are free to come onto your property and tease or terrorize your dog. And dog thieves find underground fencing absolutely delightful — all they have to do is take the collar off the dog and go!
This study linking use of or malfunctioning of underground fencing to serious biting incidents. Do we really need to make our dogs more subject to lawsuits and breed-specific legislation? Further reading: “Train With Your Brain” — Green Acres Kennel

Keep in mind this is my reasoning, and there are plenty of responsible rescuers/breeders who will place dogs in homes with invisible fencing. Also understand that a “real” fence can be a hallmark of lazy or irresponsible dog ownership and is certainly not a cure-all. But given the fact that regular exercise can eliminate the need for a fenced yard (a luxury) and given the variety of fencing options available, I’m inclined to turn down prospective homes who insist on invisible fencing, for the reasons listed above.