Are German Shepherds easy to raise? What are the specific aspects?

Apr 11,2024
10Min

People who want to raise German Shepherd dogs will consider whether German Shepherd dogs are easy to raise before raising them. Is German Shepherd dog really easy to raise? Let’s take a look with the editor below.

German Shepherd

Types of dog food

There are two main categories of dog food: dry food and canned food. The other type is snack biscuits, deodorized biscuits, beef jerky, etc. The main nutritional components of various brands are similar. The ones with higher prices have special food formulas and have different considerations for various ages and varieties. You can compare them in advance. According to the age of growth, let the dog eat dog food suitable for it. Young dogs eat puppy dogs, adult dogs eat adult dogs, old dogs eat old dogs, and fat dogs eat fat dogs. Don’t confuse them to avoid getting too fat or too thin. The nutritional content of dry food is relatively stable and average. Dogs can clean up dental calculus and relieve itching by chewing. But if you have a problem with urinary stones, try to avoid eating dry food unless it is a prescription feed for stones. Canned foods also have different nutritional content depending on their price. High-priced cans are made of better materials; low-priced cans are mostly filled with unshredded offal. The advantage is that the vitamin content is less likely to be lost and the palatability is better. The disadvantage is that there is a lot of meat and the bowel movement is difficult. The smell is strong, and if you eat it for a long time, you will easily develop dental plaque. Dry food is not as tasty as canned food, but it is easier to digest and absorb, and bowel movements are less smelly. Treats can be used in life training and basic training as a reward when the dog does something right. Don’t give the snacks that people eat to dogs often, as this can easily spoil its appetite. Chewing gum, ice cream, cakes, it is better to avoid these desserts as they are prone to tooth decay. Having gastrointestinal problems can also make you gain weight easily. After eating too much sweet food, the biggest problem is that the dog loses his appetite for dinner.

Different types of dogs have different weights

When a puppy is just born, he or she should eat mother's milk; when the puppy is weaned, it can start to be fed with liquid food, canned meat mixed with warm boiled water to make a paste, or dry food for puppies heated in water and soaked until soft. At two months old, you can start eating puppy food. Large dogs are big and grow quickly. You can add some calcium powder and other nutrients to their meals, but they must be taken according to the doctor's instructions and instructions. Some people raise large fighting dogs and like to feed them raw meat to let them get used to blood. This is very dangerous because uncooked meat is dangerous. Secondly, after getting used to eating raw meat, it may be harmful to people when the owner forgets to feed it or abandons it. Many incidents of dogs attacking people are caused by this.

Frequency and time of feeding

The number of feedings per day is roughly as follows: From weaning to three months old: three to four times. From three to six months old: two to three times. From six months to one year old: two times. Over one year old: One and two feedings. The timing of feeding can be matched. your work and rest time,But it’s not just about feeding, you also need to consider adding the time for walking the dog after meals, defecating, urinating, cleaning the potty, and washing dishes. Wash the bowl immediately after a meal to prevent the residue from attracting rats, cockroaches, and ants, or leaving too much food left to rot in the sun and rain. At the same time, remove the bowl to prevent it from getting bored and playing with the bowl or even chewing it. As for how much to feed, usually follow the instructions, and then adjust according to whether there is any leftover from the last meal.

Considerations about buying imported food

When buying imported food, try to find one with Chinese descriptions and the importer’s phone number. Because the canned dry food that comes across the ocean may have expired, smelly, or become moldy. If it's damp or infested with insects, ask the boss to return or replace it immediately, no need to be polite. After opening, it must be stored properly, the cans should be placed in the refrigerator, and the dry food should be sealed. When buying it for the first time, don’t buy too much. You can buy two or three kinds in small quantities to see how the puppy reacts after eating it, including palatability. The degree of digestion and absorption, and the shape of the excrement. Each variety says that its product is the best, cheap and big, so you might as well ask doctors and experienced people for advice.

How much is appropriate to eat

Feed your dog only seventy percent full. Don’t overdo it. Let it lick the bowl with satisfaction. If you eat too much and run and jump after the meal, it will be easy to vomit it out intact. For puppies kept in cages all year round, eating is their rare entertainment, so they will be as greedy as a starving ghost. Don't be fooled by them into thinking they are really hungry. But a dog that always eats not enough, does not move much, and has poor excretion may be really sick, and it is best to take it to see a doctor. When changing your dog's food, don't change it all at once. Mix in half of the new food each time, try it for two or three days, gradually increase the new amount, and then use the new food after a week. Only in this way can the dog's digestive system adapt, otherwise it will be prone to diarrhea. Many people think that dogs just want to chew bones. In fact, chewing bones can easily block the dog's intestines, make it constipated, cause vomiting and reduce appetite. In particular, avoid chicken bones, as they are small and brittle and can easily clog the esophagus and pierce the gastrointestinal tract. When feeding, be sure to give plenty of water at the same time. There is no need to use distilled or boiled water, as their intestines and stomach do not care about these.

What should dogs eat to be healthy?

Dogs and humans have different food cultures. Humans are omnivores, while dogs are originally carnivores. Because the ancestors of dogs did not eat omnivores such as biscuits, puddings, chocolates, and beef sticks. They only liked to eat animal meat, and occasionally they would eat grass and other things. For example, dogs with poor absorption ability would need to eat some other things in between. Eat rice fields to satisfy our hunger. They don't pay much attention to their eating habits. They use their sharp canine teeth and forelimbs to tear apart large pieces of meat, chew it a few times and then swallow it whole. The purpose of eating is very simple. They just eat to stay alive and fight for food, so they eat as much as they can. Clamp it quickly and eat quickly to have a better chance of survival in the wild.Bigger too.

Notes

Sequelae of domestication

However, since dogs gradually became domestic animals, they were no longer able to find food on their own. All their daily necessities were taken care of by their owners or domestic servants, which naturally complied with human omnivorous habits. In addition, in addition to having three meals at noon and dinner, there is an endless supply of afternoon tea, cheese-flavored cakes, cookies, beef nuggets, sodas, etc., as long as you are eager to extort money. Naturally, you can eat more and eat less to gain weight. It’s no wonder that almost one out of every three dogs is obese! Fat dogs can eat and drink well and have smooth fur when they are young. However, as they get older, sequelae follow one after another, first of all, obesity and coat color. Loss of luster, then loss of appetite, hair loss, diarrhea, liver disease, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure.

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