Is your German Shepherd difficult to brush? Above is a video of Jabber the wooly mammoth, demonstrating a grooming trick you can try, along with a training strategy for teaching your dog to stand for brushing. German Shepherds blow their coats twice per year: in the spring and again in the fall. First, note whether your dog has any […]
Category Archives: Health & Nutrition
Five things to do before bringing your new puppy home
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 […]
What to do when your German Shepherd blows his coat
German Shepherds have two coats: a longer, firm outer coat with coarse hairs that usually shed out as single hairs and a softer, fluffier undercoat that sheds in big clumps. The German Shepherd loses or “blows” his ample undercoat twice a year (more often for pregnant/nursing females or bitches coming out of season). GSDs need […]
What is Canine Hip Dysplasia?
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 […]
Five reasons to avoid invisible fencing for your dog
Reasons I discourage boundary training any dog using an invisible fence, especially a German Shepherd: 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. […]