PUPPY INFORMATION
BREED SURVEYING BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GERMAN SHEPHERD BUYING A PUPPY DIETS
HAEMOPHILIA HIP AND ELBOW DYSPLASIA
TATTOOING
TOILET TRAINING VACCINATION AND
WORMING
Congratulations, you have chosen the most popular breed in the world.
We issue our puppy buyers with a comprehensive guide specific to our
breeding the following is a GENERAL GUIDE ONLY.
Your breeder must be your principal source of information and will be
only to happy to help, after all they bred the puppy.
Many of you will have owned shepherds before and for others it will be a
completely new experience. We can only
advise that you do your research before purchasing what should be your friend
and companion for many, many years.
Attend training classes, observe how various people handle dogs, talk to
members, take advice and comments on board, analyse and make up your own
mind. Then search for that puppy that
fills your ideal “type”, that is what you expect a shepherd to look and be
like.
The ideal time to buy a puppy is 8 to 10 weeks old, the puppy will only
have had its temporary vaccination at this stage, it will, on the advice of
most vets, need to be protected and isolated in and around the home. Ten days after the second vaccination your
puppy will be ready for the big, wide world. Before this, the puppy may be
carried when going out to the car on short trips to help it get used to
travelling. In the first few weeks, time
will be spent with the pup getting to know its new home and the many visitors
who come there i.e. the delivery men, postman and friends.
During this time the pup will learn many things, such as house training,
greeting visitors enthusiastically, learning how to play, to catch, fetch, come
when called and to sleep where YOU have decided it should. The pup will have to learn to be on its own
and this should be done gradually by leaving the puppy, after a cuddle, with a
toy and a biscuit. The time away can
slowly be increased from 5 minutes until it is happy to be left alone for a
couple of hours. Watching for hanging
electrical cords etc for puppy to get into mischief whilst you are away.
Your breeder should have given you a schedule for you to follow. Arrange
with your vet for the pup’s vaccinations – remember you should follow the type
of vaccination as noted in the schedule started by your breeder. These trips to
the vet are important as he will check to see the puppy’s bite, heart, eyes,
ears etc are clean and you can discuss the condition of the pup, its weight,
alertness and any dietary needs it may have.
If you are a first time G.S.D. owner you may wish to attend your
breeder’s vet until the vaccinations are complete.
The products
listed below are a suggestion only – it is your choice and you must consider
cost and quality.
PLEASE FOLLOW YOUR
BREEDER’S DIET SHEET - they have years
of experience and usually are aware of the many products on the market and what
suits your dog and its family.
There are many complete diets on the market where meat or additives are
not required – these foods are in complete balance and are available for all
age groups and performance. These products tend to sound pricey however it must
be remembered you use less and need not add anything.
Otherwise a combination of meat such as chicken mince, beef, mutton or
lamb would be combined with a quality biscuit and additives such as vitamins,
oils and calcium may be required to balance the diet completely, as directed by your breeder.
Fresh water MUST be available at all times
In summertime if you intend leaving the pup for long periods, you can
freeze ice cream containers full of water, add to the water bucket on leaving –
this way the pup will have cool, clean drinking water all day. Make sure that the water container you leave
is secure and cannot be tipped over.
If pup’s tummy is
upset this is usually because of over indulgence or mild enteritis, you can try
to starve the pup for 24 hours.
You can try giving
bland foods such as mashed potatoes, boiled fish, chicken (no skin or fat),
plain yoghurt and rice. A young pup
requires veterinary attention for these upsets it is better to be safe than
sorry.
Toilet
Training
Easy as pie – just be aware that as your pup wakes up it will need to go
to the toilet - take it outside and stay with it, on completion LOTS & LOTS
of praise. There is little to be gained
from screaming and yelling if the pup makes a mess – it doesn’t realise what it
has done – it just knows you are angry.
NEVER EVER RUB A DOG’S NOSE IN IT!!!
The German Shepherd Dog as a breed celebrated its 100th
birthday in 1999. Before 1899 there were
German Sheep Dogs, Captain Max Von Stephanitz saw a proud dog that was, for
him, the epitome of what a working dog should be. He purchased him and renamed him Horand von
Grafrath and at the same time founded the dog club that is today the biggest
single breed club in the world – The Verein fur Deutsche Schaferhunde. (S.V.)
The presidents, breed surveyors and judges have moulded the G.S.D. into a breed
that receives recognition the world over as the top working dog. The Police, Customs, Air Force, Mountain Rescue,
Emergency and Disaster Services, the Seeing Eye Schools and shepherds in
The motto of the S.V. is:
It is believed that the first German Shepherd Dog was brought into
Breed Improvement Schemes
All recommended breeders should have had their dogs x-rayed and have the
‘A’ stamp for hips and ‘Z’ stamp for elbows.
The process of x-raying breeding stock has been happening for many years
now and the research has been used to try and reduce (and eventually eliminate
– we hope) this condition.
All imported stud dogs used by recommended breeders will be been tested
and have a negative result for this bleeding disorder. Because of our breeders’ willingness to test
for haemophilia we have kept it at bay.
All recommended breeders have their puppies tattooed at the 7-8 week
stage. This is a positive means of
identification – it can be used to find the breeder of the dog if it is lost
(and in turn return it to you), it is used to identify the dog at the time of
x-ray and breed survey. Older dogs that
have not been tattooed, can be allocated a number under the AUS system and this
can be placed in the ear while under anaesthetic for x-raying. Authorised persons of the local German
Shepherd Dog club are responsible for tattooing the puppies. When registering
you dog with the local council, please advise them that your dog it tattooed
and ask that the number be placed on their records. Don’t forget to advise your
breeder when you move so they can update their records.
The objective of the breed survey is
to promote and offer guidance for the uniform development of the breed and to
improve its inherent working abilities.
Dogs and bitches can be awarded the classification of 1 or 2, if it is
considered they can contribute to the overall improvement of the breed.
Class 1 – is for animals who are anatomically and temperamentally FAR above the average for the breed.
Class 2 – is for dogs that are above the average for the breed
Aspects considered at the survey are: size, teeth, character,
temperament, watchfulness, condition of nerves, confidence, strength of bone,
muscular development, firmness of ligamentation, weight and condition,
proportions (length to height) the head, type, pigment, withers, back, croup,
fore & hindquarter angulations, front, and gait. The dogs go through a crowd test, a
one-on-one test and a gun test. A judge
or trainer can easily explain the various terms if they are unfamiliar to you.
If you intend surveying your dog, it is a worthwhile exercise to attend one or
two surbeys so you can understand the work and testing involved.
For the Breed Survey Classification: Class 1
SIZE: Dogs
should be between 60-65 cms at the withers, Bitches 55-60cms
TEETH: Faultless,
gapless, healthy dentition with the correct bite.
EARS & TAILS: Both ear & tail carriage must be
without fault – however a slight deviation from the normal should not be
penalised
For the Breed Survey Classification: Class 2
SIZE: Dogs
may be up to 66cms and bitches 61cms.
TEETH: They may have no more than
2 missing P1s, one P1 and 1 incisor, or 1 P2 missing. They may have a slightly level bite or
discoloured teeth (distemper teeth) providing the enamel is intact. Dogs with serious dentition faults will fail
the survey.
EARS & TAILS: entry to Class 2 should occur where small
faults of the ear and tail carriage occur.
Dogs with hooked or rolled tails, or soft or non-erect ears cannot be
classified.
N.B. The above comments may have
varied slightly over the years due to changes at the Annual General Meetings of
Council.
The aim of our breed improvement schemes is to increase the quality and
standard of the puppy that is available to you through a German Shepherd Dog
Club’s recommended puppy listing.
A puppy that is recommended should comply with the following ideals:
a) be bred from breed surveyed parents who should have passed the Hip and
Elbow dysplasia schemes,
b)
the
sire should have a certificate showing he is Haemophilia negative (if imported
or from an imported mother),
c)
be
registered by the Canine Association of W.A. & will be transferred into
your name by the breeder
d)
be
tattooed, vaccinated and wormed.
e)
be a
minimum of 8 weeks of age
f)
be
healthy and clean
g)
be accompanied
by information on care, diet, worming and immunisation
h)
go home
with a sample of the diet they are currently on
i)
be
accompanied by a 5 generation pedigree and
j)
An
application for membership for the G.S.D.A.of W.A.