German shepherd working breeding

Since ancient times, German shepherds have been human companions: they guarded the home and grazed cattle, were faithful helpers. The recognizable appearance and nature of the breed made them very popular among breeders.

To date, German shepherd puppies are in demand in the military, anti-terrorism and security sectors.

In the XII century there were dogs that resembled the current German shepherd. They had a high devotion to the owner, hard work, distrust of strangers and moderate spite. They were used as shepherds and home guards.

The progenitors of working breeding shepherds, who proposed the breed standard that is still in use today, were Max von Stefanitz with a friend Arthur Meyer. Stefanitz had a great love for animals: having refused military service, he preferred to breed dogs. In addition, Max dreamed someday to breed a dog breed that could be used for official purposes and possessed strength, courage, endurance, intelligence and devotion.

In the spring of 1899, at one of the dog shows, Stefanitz acquired a new pet.

It was a large male of red-gray color with a powerful body and well-developed muscles, proportional to the structure of the body and balanced psyche. The dog was entered into the pedigree book of the breed as a standard for subsequent successors of the working type.

A few weeks later the German Shepherd Club was founded (existing to this day), in the framework of which annual exhibitions were held.

Here Max had the opportunity to select the ideal candidates for mating and breeding pure breed that meets working standards.He was not worried about the external data of the animal, but his physiology and character traits.

Adult individuals, as a rule, have average growth. Males are no more than 63 cm at the withers, and females are no more than 55-63 cm. The weight of a healthy dog ​​for males is no more than 42 kg, for females - 32. These standards are justified by the fact that the service dog must respond with lightning speed to the current situation, be quick and agile in its actions. The body is elongated, 10-15% longer than the length of the individual at the withers, with well-defined muscles.

In a German shepherd, the head should be wedge-shaped - this is a slightly widened prominent forehead, which gradually tapers towards the tip of the nose (only a black lobe is acceptable). Ears are straight, erect and turned forward. Dogs of this breed must have well-developed jaws with a scissor bite. The teeth are straight, without obvious defects. Almond-shaped eyes, closely set, color acceptable from golden amber to dark brown.

The cervical zone should be well developed, with pronounced musculature, and move smoothly to the withers, forming a kind of slope. Paws are strong, muscular. The forelimbs should be straight and straight, while the hind limbs are usually slightly set back, strong muscles are present to ensure a quick reaction and running.

Less common are individuals with zonar and completely black color.

Having come to the breeder to choose a puppy, you need to inspect the entire litter, highlighting the baby you like.

In order not to make a mistake with the choice, it is worth paying attention to the following aspects.

• The puppy should have moderate fatness (the main thing is that the abdomen is not swollen), shiny hair, pink mucous membranes, lively and bright eyes. When palpating the pet, it is elastic, with a strong skeleton, slightly elongated, with a straight back and a long neck.
• The puppy should have wide and massive paws (the presence of dewclaws on the hind legs is considered a defect) with black pads and claws. There should be no bumps or kinks on the tail.
• The puppy's muzzle is not sharp, with a pronounced transition from the forehead. Up to 3.5 months, the tips of the ears should not be straight. The presence of straight tips indicates problems with phosphorus-potassium metabolism and the presence of ossification of the skeleton.
• The puppy's eye color is dark brown. You should refuse to purchase puppies with bright eyes or heterochromia.
• A puppy of a working-breed shepherd must have the correct bite - scissor-like. Or the gap between the teeth is not more than 1-2 mm. The teeth should be flat and free from defects (fused or double teeth).
• Pay attention to the health status of the mother of the puppies. The absence of bald patches, discharge from the eyes and a cracked nose is an important indicator that the pet will be healthy.
• Healthy puppies are usually agile, energetic and curious. They should not have any signs of developmental defects: birth and / or postpartum injuries, rickets.
• A swollen belly and faded dull hair indicate the presence of parasites in the baby.
• Very carefully required to examine the eyes and ears of the puppy. The eyes should be clean and wide open, without any discharge. The ears should also be clean, without any odor. Its presence may indicate otitis media. In such a situation, the animal will be aggressive and restless, shake its head and try to comb the ear.
• You should understand the nature of the puppy. To do this, it is enough to observe how he behaves with other kids and what is his attitude to the world and strangers.
• Pedigrees of the mother and father of the puppies are also an important point when choosing a pure litter puppy.

Anyway, if the puppy is shy and avoids contact or is too embittered and aggressive, it is better to find another pet.

When choosing a breed of a German shepherd for working breeding, one must remember that a pet, in addition to positive qualities such as endurance, dedication, unpretentiousness in the care and feeding, will require a lot of attention and time for training and proper education.

The future owner must be active and disciplined, have sufficient physical strength.

As mentioned above, German shepherds are unpretentious in leaving.

When placing an animal in the apartment, frequent and long walks with intensive training and teamwork will be necessary. You will also need regular combing of wool, cleaning of eyes, teeth and ears, and preventive visits to the veterinarian are important.

As for feeding, due to the high activity of the animal, the diet should contain a sufficient amount of protein (about 50% of the daily intake of food). A variety of cereals, herbs and fermented milk products are also necessary for the health of the pet. Fatty meats, smoked meats, sugary, salty and spicy foods should be avoided.

Shepherd puppy feeding is carried out more often (from 3-4 times a day to 6), two meals a day are enough for adults.

According to foreign dog handlers and dog breeders, it is better to excommunicate the puppy from the mother after reaching 2 months. By this time he will get stronger, the psyche and the main character traits will form.

For proper development and health of the puppy, the following rules should be followed.

• Determine the time of feeding.
• Do not scold or punish the fact that the puppy went to the toilet in the wrong place. It just needs to be walked more often, and praised for enduring and going to the toilet on time.
• Teach your baby to the collar.
• From 4 months, you should start training teams (the first and most important team is “to me”), referring to the puppy by name.
• At first, avoid visiting too noisy places.
• When committing unwanted actions by a puppy, say “no”, raising your voice a little. So he will understand that they are unhappy.
• Acquaintance with other people and animals should proceed in a mild form to form an adequate relationship with society.
• Bathing a puppy should only be necessary, with special shampoos (frequent bathing can harm the animal).
• When buying puppies in spring, it is necessary to provide them with good nutrition and frequent walks, while in autumn, babies need an additional intake of vitamin D.

When purchasing a German shepherd working breeding, you should pay attention not to the external data of the pet, but to their working qualities.

Such dogs have good endurance and the ability to work in difficult conditions. You should not buy these dogs as a companion, because they require great physical exertion, strict discipline and proper education from an early age.

More visual and detailed information about German Shepherds working breeding can be obtained from the video.