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

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 22:35

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

General characteristics of the breed

The first impression of a German Shepherd is that of a self-confident, strong, very alert and full of life dog.

The German Shepherd is an ideal guard and companion dog. She is very durable and has a protective personality.

Dogs need balanced nutritious food, care and of course lots of love. German Shepherds love being outdoors. They love to run and frolic, they are active dogs. They also enjoy spending time with their families and watching what their owners are doing at home, as these dogs are naturally very attached to family members.

"The Germans" have a great deal of patience withowners and children. Even if the dog does not really like any procedure, he will tolerate it. He loves children and is happy to “babysit” with them, plays and never offends. This is connected not only with love for the household, but also with a high level of intellectual development.

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

How to choose a puppy?

The decision to get a thoroughbred German Shepherd puppy is a very responsible one. But it is often associated with the pangs of choice. And here you are in the kennel, standing and wondering 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 choosing.

Step 1

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

Step 2

The second important point is he alth. What does a he althy German Shepherd puppy look like? Pay attention to what he is fed. If the belly is too large, this is one of the signs of a helminth infection. Turn the puppy around and look at his belly. The presence of red dots indicates the presence of fleas or lice. Feel the coat, it should be soft, without the smell of "dog", not have bald patches and bald spots. The eyes of a he althy puppy are clean and shiny. Nose - wet and cold.

Step 3

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

Step 4

Now about the ears. The ears of a German Shepherd puppy can stand up early, at 5 weeks old. 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 in order, there are no creases, then feel free to take a four-legged one.

Step 5

Stand the puppy and look at his paws. A good dog should have straight and strong legs. There should be no deviations. This is a direct symptom of malnutrition and rickets. The joints may be knotty. 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 features.

Step 7

Bite is also important. The protrusion of the upper or lower jaw is not allowed. They should have a scissor bite. That is, this is when the top row of teeth protrudes slightly above the bottom one.

Step 8

Pay attention to the shapetail. When the puppy is calm, his tail hangs down, maybe a little arched. When excited, the pup's tail will rise, but it should not curl high over its back.

Step 9

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

Raising a puppy

German Shepherds are dogs that are well socialized. However, like any pet, they need to be nurtured. 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 strive to please their owners. That is why these dogs are great even for beginner dog breeders.

Some workout tips that might be helpful:

• When a puppy gets into 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 them to refuse food that lies on the ground or that is given by strangers.
• Don't let your puppy jump on you. It is very important to teach this from childhood, as the dog grows quickly. And when she weighs 20-30 kg, her jumps can become noticeable, at one fine moment you just can’t cope with the balance. And, therefore, fall and it is not known where this will lead.
• You should always praise your dog during training, treat him with something tasty for what he has donean exercise. You need to start at 14 weeks. It is important to develop obedience in a puppy.

If you do not have the time or opportunity to train with a dog, then you can give it to classes with a cynologist. A well-bred dog is a guarantee of the controllability and integrity of your property.

Difficulties in care

Actually, the breed does not have any special needs. The main thing is a complete diet and care. The coat needs to be cared for in the same way as in most cases. That is, combing a puppy with specialized combs. When the dog grows up, combs should be used for combing.

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

German Shepherd puppies growth chart

From breed standards, an adult male German Shepherd should be between 60 and 65 cm at the withers and weigh between 30 and 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 monthly weight growth chart for German Shepherd puppies. The chart is drawn for both sexes from 2 to 24 months. The numbers are based on a medium sized dog. If your German Shepherd puppies weigh 15% more or less than the given data by months, this is within the normal range.

This diagram is based on the observations of cynologistsand owners of dogs of this breed. It is important to keep in mind that the dog's weight should be in harmony with its size and bone development.

German Shepherds tend to be fully formed by 2 years of age, some dogs take a little longer. For dogs, more weight does not mean better he alth, as being overweight at any stage in life means more stress on the joints and ligaments, and therefore a greater risk of injury and pathology.

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

Weight of German Shepherd puppies by months

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

This is how a German Shepherd's weight gain should look, your puppy's chart may deviate (± 15%) from the indicated figure.

How and what to feed?

Nutrition plays a very important role in a dog's life. The life expectancy and overall well-being of the pet depends on this. Puppies require proteins, carbohydrates and other important components in their diet. So what to feed a German Shepherd puppy?

• Premium dry food. Dry food is a common daily diet for most dogs. Good food contains meat, grains, vegetables and other additives. Not all brands are the same or have high nutritional value.
• Soft canned dog food is better for puppies. But you can’t do without hard food, because it helps the normal development of the jaw.
• You can also feed with natural products. Meat, eggs, cottage cheese, cereals, vegetables. The main rule: food should be wholesome, fresh, without sugar and s alt. Food from the table is not suitable. What is good for a person does not always have the same effect on an animal. So no matter how much your dog asks for a piece of chocolate or delicious s alted fish, do not give him!

You need to feed a four-legged friend from fiveup to six times a day, but as they grow older, feeding should be reduced to two times a day.

Give your puppy the best you can. If you are still in doubt about what to feed a German Shepherd puppy, you can always seek the advice of a breeder or veterinarian.

Possible he alth problems

Any large breed of dog can face he alth problems. Hip dysplasia used to be very common, but now it is quite rare. This is due to the fact that breeders are trying to constantly improve the quality of the breed.

Otherwise, the breed is in good he alth, has no particular problems and predispositions to diseases.

How many puppies can there be in a litter?

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

Lifespan

The German Shepherd usually lives about 12-14 years. With proper care and good natural he alth, dogs of this breed can live 18-20 years without any special problems and pathologies.

To extend the life of a four-legged friend, it is necessary to undergo an examination by a veterinarian once a year, as well as monitor the dog's nutrition.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are no great difficulties in keeping a German Shepherd puppy. The main thing is timely care, control of weight and height,care. If you follow all these simple rules, you will get a well-mannered, well-groomed and he althy dog.