Sheepdogs are large and hardy dogs that need frequent walks and serious physical activity. Almost all shepherd dogs are dogs with a long period of development - it is believed that a fully adult shepherd dog becomes only three years old. Despite the fact that the shepherd puppy grows very quickly and looks like an extremely hardy dog, it requires careful and very careful handling.
Taking care of a shepherd is not easy, but if you follow the basic rules for keeping this strong and beautiful dog, the result will be high activity and good health of your pet.
- A shepherd puppy requires special attention: try to feed the dog on a schedule from a very early age, without letting the puppy overeat. Regular overeating sooner or later leads to weight problems. A shepherd puppy should not be stroked often and a lot on the head and ears: the dog's ear cartilages do not take the load well, and as a result, the ears may never take the correct position. Try to play with the dog more often, but avoid sudden movements during the game, especially if you want to take away the toy from the animal: you can break the bite.
- Sheepdogs are service dogs, so competent training is simply vital for them. It is necessary to train a shepherd puppy from the moment he appeared in your house. One should start with elementary commands ("Fu!", "Place", "To me"). Puppies at an early age are easy to train and grasp commands almost on the fly. After the dog is three to four months old, you can connect a professional dog handler to training.
- Since an adult dog expends a lot of energy, it is necessary to formulate a balanced diet and adhere to it as closely as possible. The task of the owner of the shepherd dog is to provide the dog with the necessary calories for active life, which at the same time should not lead to the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Sheepdogs need easily digestible food, and the daily food intake should be divided into at least two meals.
- If you want to properly care for your shepherd, do not forget to take care of its health. The fact is that shepherd puppies are very susceptible to diseases such as hip dysplasia. Therefore, it is so important not to overfeed the dog and provide it with regular physical activity. However, it should be noted that shepherd dogs, like all dogs of service breeds, adapt well to a variety of conditions. In a shepherd dog you will find a faithful friend and a strong defender.
