Raising A Large Breed Puppy Submitted by Becky Cathell on 04/06/2005.	Login to rate this article
INTRODUCTION:	This is a guide for anyone considering a large breed puppy for their family, from my experience on what it takes to raise a healthy, happy German Shepherd Dog or any large breed.
BODY:	Selah Shepherds (Pause and Think) Raising a Large breed puppy! As with any large breed , We believe fast growing puppies need "Free Will" movement. Exercise at will ! Muscle development is very important for bones and joints to properly develop.. . This means to us a puppy NOT being in a crate more than 3 hrs. a day total. Prefer not in a crate at all. Save the crate for traveling purposes only. They need a large area they can move and play in.. Movement is all part of what a puppy needs and play is what all puppies crave. Walking a puppy in a park once a day is not enough. Continued free will movement is.. A puppy with another dog to play with,or lots of toys and a large area to be in is sufficient. Young puppies with these pleasures will get enough exercise. .As they grow bigger, they will need even more exercise. If you work long hrs. A puppy is better off in a large kennel , fenced in yard outdoors,or a kitchen blocked with a gate, than in a crate they can barely move around in. Yes, a crate is the fastest way to house break any dog, but don't set yourself up for problems, figure out another method of house breaking, We can help you with suggestions on this depending on your situation. They will need all the attention and love that you can give! Over exertion is not good for their joints, trying to get all their exercise in all at once is hard on them, let them be a puppy, let them be a dog. They will exercise just the right amount. They need to play and be able to play when they want. This is natures way and is important they can do this! German Shepherd puppies grow fast, they can not develop enough muscle tone if they are in a crate a lot!!! I can not stress this enough! Do not do any type of agility programs with your puppy until at least one yr. of age, and at this point it should only be an introduction for going into the second year, a large breed puppy is still not fully mature. The repetition of agility is stressful on maturing joints.( Its not a natural way of going). Their bones are not completely calcified until two yrs. of age.! Please keep this in mind. A one yr. old pup may look like a mature dog, but are very much still a pup. This would also include going up and down long stairs on a daily routine several times a day is unnatural stress in repetition! We really like to encourage a lot of outdoors for your pup, They love it!! Sunshine, fresh air, grass and nature. Puppies find them selves intrigued and entertained! Take short walks, making a habit of playing a lot outdoors, helps them mature into a sound mind and body. German shepherds are high energy, working dogs, give them the outdoors and this will make a much calmer easier dog to manage indoors. A toy breed gets enough exercise inside, but these guys , are large to giant size need much more room. Fence in your yard. This is all tips for puppy buyers to think on for a success on raising a happy,well developed,and easy to train German Shepherd Dog. Please be aware the first weeks home with your puppy they are not aware of heights. This is something they will learn quickly in a short period of time, but for a while, you will need to protect them from falling off porches,beds, into swimming pools (drowning). The wrong type of fall can cause life long injury to a pup`s joints. Such as unilateral hip dysplasia. Not all hip dysplasia is genetic, many factors come into play. We x-ray and OFA certify our breeding dogs of course ,but it is only part of preventions, exercise and nutrition all play a very important part in having a healthy strong pup mature to be sound in mind and body ,the awesome dog we all want!! Here is a list of some very good articles on hip dysplasia, unilateral hip dysplasia, and the importance of exercise. Exercise is all part of a puppy developing properly .A must read if raising a large breed puppy. http://www.showdogsupersite.com/hips.html http://www.belfield.com/article9.html http://www.darkstonekennel.com/articles.html Now for nutrition,, it is a very hard decision to know what is best. One dog may do very well on one brand food, while others may not. Please read all,the articles (scroll down) you will be amazed what you learn and surprised what is causing so many dogs to have problems. Cheap dog food is not good! It is cheaper to feed healthier foods than to have vet bills. I will say I do NOT like the "Large Breed" labeled puppy foods. This is a food based on theory that keeping a large puppy skinny will help them not develop hip dysplasia. Puppies are not suppose to be skinny!! Skinny is not normal, how can they mature to their best if they are not getting enough to maintain an ideal weight? I free feed puppies, let them eat as much as they want, BUT also let them have as much exercise as they want, I have never had an overweight puppy that is able to play and exercise at will. Monitor their weight, if a puppy is getting too fat, then you can cut back on rations. Some of these articles do support keeping a puppy "thin", but as you will see the pups was also kept in small confinement , let your puppy move about and he will not get overweight. Dog food companies base so much on fat/protein in the dog foods, but vitamins,minerals,and good gut bacteria is vital also. I believe dogs do need some vit. C in their diets, we give Ester C. Some of the best supplements to give your dog/puppy I recommend is Dynamite products. http://www.dynamitemarketing.com Dynamite supplements have the added Ester C, I recommend the "Showdown" ,"Free and Easy", and the "Probiotics". I also would recommend the dog food they offer. To order these products you can contact Patrice at 304-897-6378 Go to the links below for information on what's in the different dog food ingredients and how it effects our canines. Having in your mind what to look for in a dog food will help you decide what is best to feed and may prevent your pup from having certain problems. **** Please read them all! http://www.dogtorjcom/pages/556863/index.htm http://dogtorjcom/pages/556861/index.htm http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2003/may2003 report 01.html http://www.pcoc.net/dog-food.htm http://nakcharrison.org/articles-hd.htm http://woodhavenlabs.com/dogfoods.html Training (basic obedience) and socializing a lot is very important for at least the first year of your puppy`s life . It will assure him to mentally mature to his fullest,and he will be a pleasure for everyone to be around. Socializing and training will also give your dog confidence and a meaning to his life. Please "Pause and Think" about weather you can provide all this for a German Shepherd puppy before deciding on bringing one into your family.

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