When a pet as endearing as a German Shepherd puppy arrives at our home, we immediately and naturally turn our affection and affection towards him. All dogs, puppies and adults, need to feel loved, but German Shepherds are a particularly sensitive and receptive breed to our displays of affection.
They are very intelligent and emotional dogs at the same time. They need to feel like full members of a family; a human herd in which they have a place, even if it is their last. However, sometimes our displays of affection are wrong. A clear example is when we feed our puppy too much, or with inadequate food, which, although they like it very much, is detrimental to their health.
If you continue reading this article of Dogalyo, we will show you the main keys to feeding a German Shepherd puppy.
Newborn German Shepherd
For a German shepherd to develop harmoniously and healthily, it is essential that he feeds his mother colostrum, first of all, and then the rich mother’s milk. It is recommended that the puppy be breastfed until 6–8 weeks of age.
The importance of colostrums is caudal, as they provide the puppy with 90% of its natural defenses. They also help to ensure that blood flows properly throughout the puppy’s body and that its organs are properly oxygenated.
In the event that for any reason the puppy cannot be breastfed by its mother, it will never be given cow’s or goat’s milk, very poor in relation to the bitch’s milk. In this case, the veterinarian will prescribe special formula milks, appropriate for the type of puppy and its dose. It will not be exactly the same for a Chihuahua as for a German Shepherd, for example, both dogs have different nutritional needs.
German Shepherd puppy
From 3–4 weeks, the German Shepherd puppy should begin to try new flavours, outside of breast milk. Basically it will consist of them licking some kind of porridge or special wet feed for puppies. Later, at about 6–8 weeks, you will be given between feedings a little bit of dry feed moistened with water.
From the eighth week onwards, the German Shepherd should be weaned and begin his totally solid feeding with special types of feed for the puppy and if they are specific to the specific breed, much better. The veterinarian should set the appropriate feed intake, quantity and type of feed for the German Shepherd puppy. Milk should be removed from your diet, as it will cause diarrhea. It is vital that puppies have clean water and enough to drink at all times.
Solid food
Dry feed will be reduced in hydration with water (or unseasoned chicken broth) until the puppy gets used to eating it completely dry. The usual practice from weaning to 4 months will be for the puppy to eat 4–5 times a day, but with one very important exception: discipline. The puppy will need to get used to the fact that his ration will remain on the plate for 10 minutes. Enough time to eat it all up. After this time, the dish should be removed, even if there are still traces of feed left on it. This will educate the puppy to be alert when it’s time to eat, and he won’t be able to get lost if he doesn’t want to stay hungry.
Accepting the order of things will be very important for the puppy’s intellectual formation, and will later facilitate more complex and demanding training. Feed for the German Shepherd’s puppy should be more caloric, fatty, protein-rich and calcium-rich than feed for adult dogs.
From 4 months of age
From 4 months to 6 months, the number of meals will be reduced to 3 times a day. Obviously we’ll increase the amount, and we’ll also give you 2 more minutes of room to eat it all without overwhelming you. In the feed containers come the amounts suitable for the age and weight of the dog. If in doubt, consult your vet. Eventually we will mix fresh food (meat, fish or vegetables) with the dry feed. These foods should always be cooked, never raw. There should be no chipping bones (chicken and rabbit) or fish with bones. Wet feed will be used restrictively, as it produces tartar and foul-smelling feces. The sweets should only be used as a positive reinforcement to their learning, never as a food supplement. Under no circumstances should we give them leftovers of our food, as salt, sugar and other seasonings are very harmful to the health of our dog. Besides, if we did it, the only thing we would achieve would be to turn our German shepherd into a pedigree dog that would bother us during our meals.
From 6 months of age
When our German Shepherd puppy reaches the age of 6 months, the food intake should be reduced to 2 times a day, increasing proportionally the amount and also slightly the time of intake. The vet will give us the correct and specific nutritional guidelines for our dog. Whether it is male or female and the puppy is more or less active will influence the type of feed and the daily amount. It will be convenient that from the age of 6 months onwards we give our German Shepherd puppy shatterproof bones such as the calf’s knee, so that it can gnaw and strengthen its teeth and gums.
The hygiene of the trough and drinking fountain
Our puppy’s food and drink containers should always be clean. Hygiene is important to avoid insects that can cause intestinal parasites in our German Shepherd puppy. If you notice that your puppy hasn’t eaten for three times in a row, take him to the vet. You may have swallowed something that causes intestinal obstruction or stomach pain. Don’t forget that puppies are very sensitive and weak living beings. Letting too much time go by in the face of symptoms of illness can be very serious and harmful to your life.
In addition….
The German Shepherd puppies must be socialized and trained from the first day they live with us. They must be obedient and open-minded to get them to learn the great wealth of things they are able to do.
All this will be achieved more easily through proper nutrition and exercise in line with your development. The harmony between exercise, food and affection will make us enjoy a healthy, balanced and happy German Shepherd Dog.
Originally published at www.chienmag.com on September 4, 2018.
