(Part 2) Top products from r/germanshepherds

Congrats! Asking questions like this is the first step to becoming a responsible GSD owner. I would keep up with the research as you two learn how to become good buddies; I've owned GSDs my whole life and I'm still picking up good tips from trainers and the like. I've got a detailed response below, but feel free to PM me if you want to talk further. I'm always happy to help, and I wish you and your girl the best!

To your questions:

• Yes, GSDs are totally German Shedding Dogs. But this is more manageable than you think! Make brushing fun by familiarizing her with a quick brush everyday, 10 minutes. Brushing a dog is twice as hard when they're squirmy. Get yourself a cheap self-cleaning slicker brush like this. As long as you make brushing a regular occurrence, you cut back a lot on and hassle.
  
  
• Depending on her age (how far into puppyhood), you might be facing some terrible 2's or 3's. Even older GSDs, if prone to separation anxiety or boredom, will bark and exhibit destructive behavior. The key is to boost confidence (look up separation anxiety training tips) and reduce boredom, which can often be helped with regular exercise, as you mentioned, and enrichment. If you're on a set schedule (e.g. Come home from work, quick brush, dinner for you both, then a walk), she'll be far less likely to drive herself and your neighbor nuts while waiting for you. Kong toys filled with frozen treats (peanut butter, kibble, cream cheese) are great for distracting her and keeping her occupied.
  
  
• Take a few minutes to dog-proof your house the first week you introduce her to everything. This means giving everything waist-high and below a second look; GSDs are clever and great jumpers, and will get into open cupboards more easily than you think. Does your backyard have a tall fence? GSDs have been known to clear 6 foot fences (mine did often).
  
  
• Here's some recommendations for a dog seatbelt. We have friends that use both Sleepypod and Ruffwear with good success. If you plan on bringing her along for car rides often, investing in a car seat cover is a great idea; keep hair and gunk off your car and makes the backseat a more enjoyable space for her. If you're into hiking, dog boots are absolutely the way to go.
  
  A few other things worth doing that will make both your lives easier:
  
  
• Start teaching dental hygiene now! My dog is 12-years-old and besides an old injury leading to hip dysplasia (a common GSD genetic condition), the only thing deteriorating is his teeth. Dogs that eat kibble and soft food are more likely to build-up in their teeth than dogs that eat raw (which is something you might want to research). I recommend grabbing an inexpensive doggy "finger-sleeve" toothbrush or just use a simple normal toothbrush and some special dog toothpaste and get your girl used to having her teeth brushed. She looks young, judging by her thin chest and big ears, so good habits will last her a lifetime! It'll save you a bunch of vet bills in the future.
  
  
• Familiarize yourself with which foods are not dog-friendly. For example, a lot of people know that chocolate and alcohol are bad, but are surprised that nuts and grapes are bad news. Veggies like broccoli, carrots, and pumpkin are great! We used to fill my dog's Kong with frozen pureed pumpkin in the summer as a treat; kept his coat nice and shiny.
  
  
• Raw bones are ok, cooked bones are not. Most people know not to feed dogs small chicken bones, but will often toss them a rib bone leftover from a BBQ. Cooked bones splinter easily and can hurt your dog. Swing by the butcher's next time you're grocery-shopping and ask them for a bag of marrow bones. They're fantastic for her teeth and your girl will love them! Stay away from cheap rawhide bones from Petsmart and the like; they gum up when chewed and are the opposite of healthy.
  
  
• I'm seeing a lot fewer tennis balls in dog parks these days, and for good reason, since research argues that they have some wear and tear on teeth. Chuck-It balls are rubber, bright orange, and hugely popular with big dogs because they're resistant to chew. They're meant to be used with a Chuck It Launcher which I've never seen a GSD not love before.
  
  
• Get her used to nail care ASAP and invest in a good pair of clippers or an electric dremel. Clippers are cheap, but scary to use for first-time dog owners because you're not experienced yet about where the nail's quick is. This can result in some accidental blood loss and, unfortunately, your dog deciding that you have committed a grievous injury never to be forgotten. A lot of people find using a dremel to grind nails down to a blunt edge to be less traumatic for dog and owner for this reason. Figure out which is best for you! A lot of dogs are sensitive to their feet being touched--handle her paws often (great excuse to each "shake"!) and use your fingers to gently touch between her toes. Great training for tick hunting and for nail grooming.
  
  
• Ask her politely to sit before each meal and before passing through doors and gates. Teach a "release" command (such as "OK!"). If she pulls on a leash, stop and ask her to sit; proceed when she obeys and looks up to you for your next cue. GSDs are super smart and love meeting owner expectations; let her know early which manners are standard and she will learn quickly. Her #1 priority is to be your best friend; be honest with her and she'll reward you ten times over. :)

Here's my list of "favorites" for my GSDs:

Chuck-It Balls. By far, the most durable balls I've found. They've got some "give", so they seem to enjoy chewing/chasing them more. Remember, once the ball can fit between their back teeth, it's time to upgrade to the larger size.


The Shark Vacuum is a beast. We've tried any number of vacuums over the years, this one falls into the "Not Stupidly Expensive and Totally Worth It" category. Getting a decent Undercoat Rake goes hand-in-hand with a good vacuum. Rake once a week (three times during shedding season), brush 1-3 times a week, you'll give your back a break no matter what vacuum you buy.

In terms of training treats, we really like the Red Barn Chicken and Liver Rolls. After a while, we use them exclusively for scent training, but it's an excellent (and not expensive!) treat for any kind of training. Cube small, you'll get a ton of mileage out of one roll.

Herm Sprenger Dog Collars make great training collars. Not everyone likes the idea of a pinch/prong collar, so if it's not your thing, look elsewhere. However, if you are planning on training with pinch, these are the best, bar none. We use the small size and just add links as our dog grows - it's almost impossible to injure them with the smaller prongs and they tend to respond better. Please learn how to use a pinch before using one of these extensively - they shouldn't be used for restraint and you should probably wait until 8+ months (a number of people I know even wait till 14+ months for any obedience aside from the "necessities") before doing a ton of training anyway.

I'll stay away from food recommendations as it seems to be such a controversial topic. I will say that there are a ton of good sites out there to research - first figuring out whether you're feeding raw, tube, or kibble and then what to do once you decide.

Last - look for a dog club in your area. I personally like the German Shepherd Dog Club of America - Working Dog Association, but there are a number of places like this. I can tell you irrefutably that my dogs' favorite day of the week is training day. Nothing like getting out there with other GSD lovers and doing some tracking/obedience/protection work.

Hope this helps! Good luck :)

Wow, your first dog is going to be a German Shepherd..... Do your research, he will be great with the kids as long as your willing to put the time in to do this right.

GSD pups are notorious for being "mouthy". Redirect him, when he bites, let out an "OUCH", draw back, play stops, give him a bone immediately. (or suitable chew toy) Remember, you are not rewarding him, you are redirecting. He is a baby, he is teething and hasn't learned bite inhibition yet. You have to teach him.

I have also used the technique that when he bites, "OUCH" and turn your back on him. That is what worked for my current boy. You would have thought he lost his best friend. It was traumatic, he did not like it at all. It worked.

Potty training. If you don't catch him in the act, don't scold him, he has no idea he did anything wrong. If you catch him, "NO" and immediately take him outside. When outside in the appropriate place and he starts to go, use a key word like "going potty", "go poop" whatever you want to use. You will feel like an idiot saying it over and over while the dog defecates but you will thank me later.

Consistency and routine are your friend. He IS smarter than you are.

I would highly recommend a professional trainer for YOU. At least basic puppy classes. Crate train, it is the best thing on the planet. You can also use it to help build his bladder.

He appears to be about 12 weeks, can't really tell for sure. You have so much research to do....

The Monks of New Skete "The art of raising a Puppy" is a good resource book on raising GSDs. They have a good mix of positive training with discipline. GSDs need both. He has to view you as the pack leader or he is going to walk all over you. Especially since he is a male.

These are my opinions. I have had Shepherds since I was a kid and the past 25 years as an adult. I took a basic puppy class last year with our newest Dog. It was for me as a refresher more than for him but he got some socialization out of it as well. They need that, take him places, new sounds, people, pets. Do not let it be traumatic for him. He will go through "fear periods" every so often, he will be afraid of things that he wasn't before but it will pass.

These things are a Godsend

Hey! Of course my advice to you would be to take him to a vet but since you've said that you can't see one for another month and a half, I agree with other commenters that you should discontinue frequent bathing and get him a cone. To add onto this, however, I would give this product a try. It is non-toxic, stops itching, and helps to promote healing and regrowth of new skin and fur. Because it smells (and tastes) absolutely foul the animal shouldn't lick it off either.

It has worked extremely well for my cat when she develops hot spots and has worked wonders for my pup when he cut himself on his belly.

Good luck and I hope your pup feels better.

It is best that you brush their teeth once a day.

They make toothbrushes specifically for dogs but you can use a human toothbrush if you'd like, once you get him used to you brushing his teeth/handling his mouth you can buy some toothpaste made for dogs and start brushing with that (unfortunately you can't use human toothpaste as it has xylitol in it which is toxic to dogs).


Here is a video showing how to brush properly and it also explains a bit about dental disease in canines.

They also have treats/chews/foods made specifically to help reduce tartar, a lot of them are fairly pricey though. If you're going with the treat route then I would get some bully sticks (made of beef pizzle) and give him one of those supervised (so he doesn't choke on any small pieces) for about an hour a day, it will help reduce tartar and they're relatively cheap.


Source: Veterinary Technician

Tons of trainers I speak to recommend the harness. It's a great product! My dog has a barking problem along with a pulling problem (although she isn't nearly as rambunctious as your pup on the leash!) so I got the Premier Gentle Leader (http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Gentle-Leader-Headcollar-Large/dp/B00074L4W2). Like a harness, it doesn't hurt my dog and what it does is it closes my dog's mouth when I give a gentle tug and the metal ring is located on the side, so it pulls my dog's head towards me, stopping her from pulling with no force necessary. Figured I'd share for those whose dogs don't receive harnesses well and may also have barking problems!

Or pup had it over the course of a few weeks. It would flare up after some basic running and playing. We merely limited her play time, which wasn't easy, and gave her some Yucca extract mixed in with her food about 3 times a week. Also after a long day of playing we would also give here these all natural pain pills. It seemed to work on our dog as after a few short days she showed improvement. The following weeks we would notice a slight limp after long days of playing and we would just be sure to slip her a pill that night. The whole phase didn't last more than 3-4 weeks.

Precision Pet Two-Door Great Crate in XL. Solid quality. Comes with a divider, which I used for the first few months. Picked it up on a Warehouse deal for $97. Highly recommend.

I got this one for my parents' house when they're looking after her and it is very thinly built, to the point that she bent the one door out of commission. Just be cognizant of the gauge of the metal, you get what you pay for.

Buy a flirt pole! Our 3 month old loves it, and it tires him out QUICKLY. Here is the link to the one that we bought http://www.amazon.com/Intrepid-International-Lunge-Whips-Black/dp/B000HHLZD2/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1410107617&sr=8-10&keywords=flirt+pole

Ours is a power chewer. She lives for her [Kong ball] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004VBC0UC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1). We fill it with peanut butter and freeze it. Shes also a fan of this ball. Both haven't been destroyed yet.

A curry comb/brush like this? We've tried one & it didn't seem to make much difference. Unless you mean something more along the lines of this????

http://www.amazon.ca/Oster-Professional-Grooming-Undercoat-Coarse/dp/B00061MWJ0

And I bought one of their dual sided brushes as well.

You can try giving your dog fish oil or Salmon Oil. If you give your dog too much, then they can have diarrhea. I feed my dog 2 times a day, but only give it to them in in the morning.

Here's one place. I haven't seen a version that squeaks but I don't doubt there is one.

Uggghh. My girl is going through the same thing. I’m using Bactine Max spray which is an anti-bacterial and it has lidocaine in it for pain relief. The hots spots usually clear up in 2-3 days. Oh, I also trim her fur down so the hot spots get air circulation.

Bactine Max Pain Relieving Cleansing Spray 5 Ounces https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V6QW211/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DQX1DbH69ZJ03

Mine has a rubber squeak toy that my parents got him. It was the loudest toy in the store, and the loudest toy they got him. Basically a "here, kid, have a drum set" for those of us with no kids. Of course, it's the toy he decided was his favorite, and would frequently wander the house squeaking loudly. One day, a neighbor's dog got ahold of it, and ate most of it before we realized. Despite all this, it's still one of his favorite toys.

After a while, we realized we felt bad that his favorite toy got destroyed, and replaced it, but since he's no longer destructive to his toys, just left the old one. He still plays with both quite a bit. The old one becomes a self created puzzle since it's the bottom half and other toys can be put inside, then removed if careful enough, and the new one is his bored "pay attention to me!" toy.

• Ian Dunbar's Before and After.
  
• The Puppy Primer and Perfect Puppy.
  
  They're not GSD specific, but I think they cover the foundational stuff that will impact GSDs. Specifically though, the most important part of owning a GSD is getting one from a good breeder with no fear/anxiety/health issues in their lines, and then socializing the dog appropriately (people, things, animals - no forced encounters, but strong positive association building for new encounters).
  
  Not to say don't rescue by the way, that's totally awesome too! Just be aware that there are really, REALLY shitty breeders that are breeding dogs that have no business being bred. :( Lots of fearful GSDs about these days.