Author: Adrian Lim

What do dogs need to have a healthy and enjoyable life? Three things: nutritious food, plenty of play and exercise, and a caring owner/community. Providing these needs is not as easy as it may seem. A recent report in the New York Times indicated that 56% of dogs in America are at an unhealthy weight.

Do you want to have a healthy dog? The following practical tips and tricks will help keep your dog healthy and happy.

Photo by Alexander Naglestad on Unsplash

1. Have a Healthy Start – Get Puppies From Trusted Sources

To have a healthy dog, you must start right. Source your puppies only from accredited and trusted breeders. You will know the breeding stock and bloodline. Also, you will get a health history, and know the issues to look out for and how to prevent them.

At Shiphra Shepherds, we offer an unmatched 5-year 100% guaranteed health on all our puppies. Starting on the right paw gives you a headstart in helping your dog live a healthy and enjoyable life.

2. Feed Your Dog a Balanced Nutritious Diet

A nutritious diet will go a long way in ensuring your dog’s body functions and physiological systems work optimally. But many pet owners wonder how to choose the best food for their dogs. The following steps will help you:

• Talk with a vet about feeding your dog.
• Use the tips to craft and implement a diet plan.
• Understand what’s on the pet food package.
• Watch your furry buddy’s response.
• Tweak and adjust the diet to suit your dog’s needs.

Keep in mind that dogs are mainly carnivorous – therefore, more than 70% of their diet should be meat. Dogs also need vitamins, minerals, and fiber. These come from sources like vegetable scraps and fruits.

Whatever you feed your dog, it must be easy to digest and good for the body. This is where raw organic foods have an edge over-processed commercial feeds. Raw and organic dog food is highly nutritious and tremendously beneficial, especially for German Shepherds. Many owners who switched to raw and organic dog food, talk about how the diet transformed their furry buddies. Some of the notable changes include

• Smaller stools – Raw dog food does not have fillers and flavorings and is easy to digest. It is also a sign of improved gastrointestinal health.
• More vitality and energy.
• Fewer vet calls – The dog is less prone to ailments and heals quickly.
• Better looking and shinier coats.
• Improved oral health

Speak to a vet about transitioning to a raw and organic diet for your dog.

3. Get Plenty of Exercise

A well-fed dog needs plenty of exercise to stay healthy and happy. This is especially true for herding dogs like German Shepherds. They are very energetic and athletic; they require plenty of exercise for their physical and mental well-being.

Start with daily walks with your pup. As they grow older, increase the intensity to daily jogs and play sessions. If the dog lacks exercise, it is likely to become obese and frustrated and have behavior issues.

4. Vaccinate Your Dog

A vaccinated dog is less susceptible to ailments and will live a healthier life than a non-vaccinated one. Plus, some shots are required by the law. Here are some of the shots your dog needs in its first year:

• Distemper
• Rabies
• Leptospirosis
• Bordetella – to protect against kennel cough
• Lyme disease
• Parvovirus
• Canine influenza

5. Visit the Vet Regularly

During the pup’s first four to six months, the vaccination schedule will force you to visit the vet regularly. As the pup grows older, do not relent on this practice. Dr. Ellen Marcinkiewicz of The Vets suggests, “Make it a habit to see the vet two to three times a year. Vets have an eye for health issues and will notice things you might not.” When health issues are detected and diagnosed early, the dog stands a better chance of successful treatment.

6. Groom Your Pet Regularly

Good grooming and cleanliness are prerequisites for good health. Brush your dog’s coat, clean the teeth and clip the claws. It will help keep parasites and opportunistic ailments at bay.

7. Finally, Socialize and Train Your Dog

The above tips and tricks will keep your dog’s body healthy. But for the well-being of the mind and body, your dog needs to go forth and interact with other people and other animals.

Plan regular visits to the doggy park where they can interact with other dogs and their owners. Of course, training your dog before you head out will help you be more in control. But remember, always keep your dog on a leash; even the best-trained dog can surprise you, lose control and behave unusually.

Without a doubt, German Shepherds are among the most popular dog breeds. We love them for their looks, intelligence, pleasant temperament, versatility, and huggable bodies.

A pure-bred adult male can weigh up to 90lb, which is pretty heavy for a dog. To maintain the healthy weight and champion-like looks of your German Shepherd, you should be meticulous about their diet. Be particular about the kind of feeds to give and the quantity.

Like many dog owners, this could be a tall order for you. Fortunately, you can get help from professionals who understand what it takes to nurture a champion German Shepherd.

Here we will help you pick the best food for your German Shepherd and guide you on how much to give your dog.

How to feed a German Shepherd puppy

German Shepherd puppies require highly nutritious foods to support growth and development. Many commercial dog food manufacturers have high-calorie, high-protein feeds specifically for pups. It’s okay to feed your pup on these specialized puppy feeds – just make sure you pick well reviewed dog food.

However, consider gradually introducing your young dogs to raw food if you want to feed them this more consistently when they’re older.

There are many benefits of feeding raw foods to your German Shepherd pup, and if you decide to go raw when they are all grown up, it won’t upset their tummies if they’re used to it.

To prevent abnormal growth and bone and joint issues in the future, gradually introduce adult dog food to your German Shepherd puppy at six months.

How to feed adult German Shepherds

An adult German Shepherd dog can weigh between 70 and 90 pounds. They also have ravenous appetites. According to this guide by the National Academies, active adult dogs weighing 70 – 90lb require 1740 – 2640 calories per day. They also need over 69g of crude protein and over 29g of fats.

Feed your high-energy German Shepherd dog according to the caloric requirements for a large and active dog. Take care not to underfeed or overfeed him.

If your German Shepherd is tipping the scales, help your dog lose weight while young and energetic. He will thank you during his senior years. But take care to pick nutritious dog food, a balanced diet, delicious (at least for the dog), and appropriate for his stage of life and activity.

Feeding senior German Shepherds

Older dogs require 20% fewer calories than middle-aged adults. German Shepherd dogs are also prone to bone and joint ailments like hip dysplasia and arthritis. Therefore a reduced-calorie diet to keep the weight down will help avoid stress on painful joints.

What to feed your German Shepherd

We’ve already discussed the kinds of dog food to give your puppies. This section talks about adult dog foods. You have the following three main feed types to choose from:

Raw Food

The debate about whether to feed your dog raw dog food is still out there. Raw dog foods that have been carefully prepared under sanitized environments and properly handled are 100% safe. Plus, your dog will enjoy the taste, have a shinier coat, stronger bones, and teeth, and enjoy many other benefits.

We’ve experienced the magic of raw dog food on our champion German Shepherds. We have drawn from these experiences and produced delicious, well-researched, easy to handle and store, and affordable raw dog feeds.

We definitely recommend Hometown Raw Dog Food as a nutritious raw dog food, which you can find out more about here.

Dry commercial dog food

This typically comes in the form of kibble. It is convenient and easy to store. However, it is dry and digests for longer. Therefore, your dog will require a reliable source of fresh water to hydrate and avoid constipation. Also, you need to check the label on the pack and ensure the kibble incorporates all the vital nutrients your German Shepherd requires and is in the correct ratios.

Wet commercial dog food

Wet foods appear like morsels covered in gravy. Dogs find them more sumptuous than dry foods because they are easy to chew and swallow. They also tend to contain higher proportions of protein than dry foods. However, handling and storing wet dog foods is not as easy. Since wet foods are easy to swallow, they don’t quench a German Shepherd’s desire to chew. Your dog could turn on chewing the furniture or other items.

For wet commercial dog food we recommend 4 Strong Paws, which also have a great offer at the moment if you use the coupon code below:

How to feed your German Shepherd – the bottom line.

Maintaining a healthy and happy German Shepherd with champion looks is not easy. Diet is crucial. Fortunately, as this guide shows us, we can look to nature for solutions like raw dog food. They are healthy and tasty too. Feed your German Shepherd healthy meals in quantities appropriate for their age and activity levels.