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why is it important to socialise my puppy?
Before any puppy leaves their breeder, the puppy has been loved, cared for & socialised. Even so the puppy does not leave the kennels as a finished product. The breeders have done their part - it is now up to the new family to continue with the puppy's development.
This means taking the puppy out and around shopping centres, parks, etc to meet people, other dogs and animals - this is most important if your puppy is to develop into a well adjusted, happy individual. Let the puppy encounter different situations, shapes, noises, traffic, etc., but do it all gradually, NOT ALL IN ONE DAY. This allows the puppy to experience everyday situations and learn to react calmly.
It is a very great responsibility for the new family to continue the puppy's development through structured training, discipline and love.
To help achieve this, the family is advised to become involved with all breed training activities, some of which are on which are listed HERE.
how important is a big backyard for a gsd?
The German Shepherd Dog is a working breed & if left alone for lengthy periods of time can be very industrious if he is bored. Boredom could lead to destroying his surrounding area or lead to excessive barking.
A GSD can be kept in a small back yard as long as provisions are made so that he is not left to his own devices for any great length of time without company – the human variety, exercise & training.
If you have plenty of time to devote to your puppy/dog, a small yard is not a deterrent to owning a GSD, however if you are away from your puppy/dog for lengthy periods of time, I would suggest you reconsider your desire to own a GSD.
what is the best vacuum for pet hair?
This is a question that is often asked. Finding hair all over the house is just part of living with a German Shepherd Dog, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to keep it under control. There are a number of vacuums created specifically for pet lovers.
We have found the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Vacuum cleans our home effectively. The vacuum is a bagless unit that comes with a nice sized cup that is very simple to empty. This means you never have the ongoing expense of purchasing bags and the hassle of trying to change them. Bagless vacuums are also more sanitary as you typically release dust back into the air as you change a bag.
Pet Cleaning Tips
what are the breed improvement schemes?
The GSDCA has introduced a number of tests for the screening of adult dogs for the improvement of the breed including several which focus on hereditary diseases. These latter schemes include the Hip and Elbow Dysplasia Control Scheme and the Haemophilia Scheme. Adult dogs (over eighteen months of age), after having successfully passed these schemes are encouraged to be presented for Breed Survey.
The breed improvement schemes consists of:
Hip/Elbow x-raying
Haemophilia testing
Breed Survey
NB:The ANKC requires all puppies to be microchipped. At time of registering a litter of puppies the Breeder provides the ANKC the matching of Microchip Number to the Dog's Registered Name & Number.
Effective from 1st January 2012 the GSDCA moved that microchipping is an acceptable form of identification for the GSDCA Breed Improvement Schemes.
Microchipping is a permanent form of identification and subsequent re-uniting of you and your dog if it becomes lost.
what does the “A” after my German Shepherd’s name signify?
An ‘A’ Stamp is issued to any German Shepherd Dog which is X-rayed through the GSDCA HD Scheme & receives a score of 8 or less in any one hip with a maximum of 3 allowed in any one area. Scores of 9 and up (per hip) result in a fail. So for example when you see “A”2-3 the dog has scored 2 on the right hip and 3 on the left hip and has passed the GSDCA Hip Dysplasia Scheme.
The German Shepherd Dog National Council has consistently introduced schemes, which have been intended to improve the standard of breeding German Shepherd Dogs in Australia. the Breed Survey, Elbow x-ray and Haemophilia A testing schemes are notable examples. Read more ........
what does the “Z” after my German Shepherd’s name signify?
A "Z" Stamp is issued to any German Shepherd Dog which is X-rayed through the GSDCA ED Scheme & receives a score of 5mm or less arthritic change. The elbows are usually X-rayed at the same time as the hips, i.e when your German Shepherd Dog is over the age of 12 months. The presence of an ununited anconeal process is noted as are any arthritic changes. The plates are read by a radiologist and graded Normal e.g “Z”0-0 (no arthritic change) Grade 1 e.g “Z”0-1 (up to 2mm arthritic change) or Grade 2 e.g “Z’0-2 (up to 5mm arthritic change. Any elbow with more than 5mm of arthritic change or an ununited anconeal process are failed.
The Elbow Scheme was introduced in 1993. This scheme involves x-raying the animals elbows at 12 months of age. Read more ......
 what does the BS CL1 or BS CL11 after my German Shepherd’s name signify?
A Breed Survey is unlike 'showing' an animal, as dogs are not assessed against one another. Animals who are presented for Survey must be at least 18 months of age. Copies of the original documents for hip, elbow,haemophilia (the haemophilia scheme applies to imported male dogs and sons of imported females only) and a five generation pedigree are required by the surveyors.
The ear is checked for the correct tattoo number, the dog is then weighed, measured and the teeth checked for correct dentition. The anatomy is assessed in a subjective manner based upon the Breed Standard. There is also a gun and crowd test. All information is recorded.
In general a comprehensive evaluation of the dog is made. Dogs are classified Breed Survey Class 1 (Recommended for Breeding), Breed Survey Class 11 (Suitable for Breeding) or NRB (Not Recommended for Breeding).
can the breeder guarantee that the puppy will not have hip or elbow problems?
No breeder can guarantee that your puppy will not have hip or elbow problems. But a responsible breeder will guarantee that if there is a genetic problem with hips and/or elbows, they will replace the puppy or refund your money.
Most breeders require the owner to return the puppy for replacement. Do not be dismayed by the breeder requiring the return of the puppy. The puppy may be in a great deal of pain and the owner emotionally unable to deal with having to put the puppy to sleep. A responsible breeder will want what is best for the puppy/dog.
BE VERY WARY OF THE BREEDER WHO SAYS THAT THEIR PUPPIES WILL DEFINITELY NOT HAVE ANY HIP/ELBOW PROBLEMS!
when will my puppy's ears stand up?
Some puppies' ears are erect as early as eight or ten weeks of age.
Do not be concerned if the pup's ears are not standing up until five months of age, especially if they are very large ears.
Ear carriage can be very erratic during the period when a puppy is getting its adult teeth.
Don't let anyone pet or pull your puppy's ears backwards before they are erect. This can damage the cartilage in your pup's ears which can effect the ear carriage.
Ears.
what is the difference between a german shepherd dog and an alsatian?
There is no difference.
After the two World Wars, anything that was German fell out of favour with the populace. So instead of the German Shepherd Dog, the breed was known as the Alsatian.
what is the history of the german shepherd dog breed?
The origins of the breed came from various sheep dogs found in Germany during the last century. In the second half of the nineteenth century, dog breed fanciers began to fix the type of sheep dog found in Germany that would eventually form the basis of the modern German Shepherd Dog........ read more
why is the word 'dog' used in the breed name?
The name in Germany is Deusche Schaferhunde, which translated means 'German Shepherd Dog'. The word 'Dog' is actually part of the breeds name, unlike other breeds.
GSD featured on this page is Kazkiri Paper Gasgsta - Jax
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