Anja 1997-2010
Saying goodbye to an old friend - Anja Passed away; being a loyal friend of the Fitucci Family and the Matriarch of Blossom-Land. as well as a big part of our lives, Her presence is going to be missed greatly as she makes her way to K9 heaven.
Anja 1997-2010
Well people this is IT. Today I got yet another call from a person who wants a “giant” GSD.
I am not going to bore you with too many details, I am just going to ask you a simple question (for those who think Giant GSD are it) here it goes:
Did you ever see a police dog, active herding GSD that is over 100 LBS?
You probably didn’t because an over 100 lbs. GSD can’t move fast, jump high and be very agile and athletic. You are forgetting that it is a working dog, in the USA its still classified in the herding group but all over the world and FCI it is classified as a working dog.
There are also health issues regarding the infamous Hip dysplesia meaning and over sized GSD is more prone to have skeletal/arthritis problems later on in life because of extra weight put on the bones.
Now granted sometime I’ll get some “mutants” that will grow over 70cm and reach 100 lbs or more but I Certainly won’t breed for that and their owners just need to keep them in a healthy weight and not obese.
General info: GSD Male Shouldn’t weigh more than 95Lbs, females about 85Lbs. it is not the end of the world if they do pass those numbers just remember they need to be athletic and show some waist line when you look at them from above.
Further more there you can have a large bone gsd without it being over sized.
“Slopping hind legs”Some people will ask me about the slopping hinds of the GSD, some will tell me that its really “unattractive” ; well the simple reason for a “correct” slopping hind or croup (in the correct breeder language) is for the gsd famous “flying trot” a CORRECT slopping croup gives the gsd the ability to trot fast or slow and cover great distance while conserving precious energy. Usually you see this “slopping hinds” when the dog is correctly stacked (sometime not in attractive way which looks grotesque). I know that some breeders for reason unknown to me think that overly angulated gsd is the correct way to breed, but an overly angulated dog will cause the gsd to not have a stable hind legs and these specimens would be on a verge of having crippling walk, not able to have Strong hind quarters or back and will wobble when walking.
Swimming pool and safety for your dog
If its a new 8 weeks old pup or and adult dog they all need to be introduced to the new environment that includes a pool. I have seen adult dogs that had no idea what a pool is and went for a “walk” right through and fell into the water – funny ha – not for the dog.
If you have safety fence or safety cover (that one you can walk on and not fall through) just pay attention that it is closed at all time until the dog learns how to swim and get out. However if you don’t have any safety perimeter around the pool it essential that the dog learns right away how to get out of the pool in case he falls in or just “fancies” a swim.
Get in the pool and coax the pup/dog to you if it is an “eager beaver” he’ll jump in, if he is hesitant just pick him up or take him with a leash (if he is too heavy to pick) and go the stairs area. NEVER – under no circumstances you throw the dog in (some people think its funny to do it with kids and dogs but its just scare the living daylight out of them).
Dogs have good instinct about swimming some will be calm and relaxed some will be more unsure and will want to get out as soon as possible, if you have the unsure one hold on him in the water and try to calm him and then let go and swim toward the stairs area and let them out.
repeat the process few time until they know where the exit is.
Now if you have a large hysterical dog be careful that he wont drown you – by climbing on your head or clawing at you I have seen those too.
I have seen some cases of heart broken families that found a dead floating animals in the pool So be sure to teach them and also light the pool area at night.
“Ready” “set” – Fly
Yes people summer is here and so do the bugs with it. I cannot stress enough that besides protecting our dogs from fleas and ticks some people forget the flies.
I have seen some sad cases of ear tip been bitten by flies, either bleeding or simply munched off; especially if you live in an area that has livestock around, but those pesky flies will live even in a regular urban setting.
So let’s do our best to protect the ears. There are several options out there:- water base spray like “Bronco” is good and would last a day or two – keep in mind if you want to use a chemical based replant use water base, the oil based product for horses can harm the dog s skin and if he lick it also his stomach.- There are also the natural citronellas or other “green” product that are pretty helpful but you need to spray daily. I usually use them to spray our puppies since they’re not so harsh on their skin.- There are the replant ointments that you can get at the feed store and pet store, I recommend the clear “swat” – take some and “shmeer” the tips, that will last for days, the down side that it leave an oily residue that needs to be washed and re apply.If you decide to but the smelly fly catcher bags hang them as far as you can from your home, the horrible smell will attract the flies from the neighbor too.
So anyway you can – please please take care of those ears.
Happy summer
Taz vom blossom-Land – American best bred young male
Socializing a young pup
The best genetic predispositions are useless if the puppies are not sufficiently socialized. Constant contact with various people, animals and environmental situations are an absolute necessity. Be very selective with the situations you put your puppy in. Don’t allow your puppy to play with dominant dogs or dogs you don’t know, an eight weeks old puppy will be intimidated by and adults or young adult dogs running towards him. The one that were less dominant in their litter can be extremely intimidated and will either snap to protect themselves of screech in loud voice (like he is getting “slashed”), Yes and even if the other dog doesn’t mean malice it can be intimidating. So please no communal dog parks for an eight week old pup. You can absolutely take him around the neighbouthood – after he got all his mandatory vaccines – and let others touch him under his chin and pet him gently, or let only gentle dogs play with it. The first few months are very impressionable on very young puppies and can determine their future behavior later on.
The main goal is to instill confidence, with humans and other element like loud noises, crowds etc. dogs were not exposed the right way may develop shyness or aggression.
A good breeder will make sure that the pups are daily touched and handled and have good exposure to different sounds (I will elaborate in a separate post).
Please go to the video page to view some example on socialization we do with our kids – shameless plug but good example how kids should handle pups.
House breaking a young dog
House breaking though seems daunting is a very simple process.
Puppies go to the bathroom when they wake up from a nap, after a long play and after feeding. Do not wait for the accidents to happen. Take him out to a designated area and praise him when he “goes”. In case of an accident and ONLY if you catch him in the act, tell him “no” in a stern voice, pick him up & take him out to his designated area and stay there with him until he goes. If you catch him after the act, the dog will not understand why you’re upset with him DO NOT rub his face in the urine, “roll the paper” or send him flying – that is just wrong and he won’t learn anything but next time he’ll hide his pee better. If your dog sleeps indoor at night, crate training will make housebreaking easier. Just keep in mind that an 8 week old puppy has a very small bladder and must go to relieve himself frequently so you must take him out a couple times during the night.
When a pup wakes up from his long nap, don’t call him to follow you to the door – he will stop and pee on the way out, he/she are small enough to be picked up and carry out.
Feeding your pup
We feed raw food that contains green tripe, muscle meet, trachea, gullet, finely ground bones & bone marrow. These ingredients contain enzymes that help with digestion, amino acids, friendly bacteria lactobacillus acidophilus and chondroitin sulfate for cartilage health. It has the ideal calcium/phosphorus ratio and offers the essential fatty acids. We have seen great results with raw diet and found it to be the best diet we can offer to our dogs. From the age of 12 weeks we feed our puppies twice daily until the age of 6 to 9 months and once a day thereafter. After feeding, the puppy must have a rest. Play time and walks are to be practiced before feeding. It is imperative that you keep your puppy lean! Bones, joints and tendons/ligaments are very soft at a young age and carrying extra weight may cause irreversible damage to your puppy.
If you choose to feed your dog dry kibbles, feed your puppy a high quality Puppy Food, consisting of not higher than 28% protein. Excessive protein, vitamins and minerals can also be harmful.
Bones, joints and tendons/ligaments are very soft at a young age and carrying extra weight may cause irreversible damage to your puppy. Overweight puppies will develop joint & skin problems and may eventually develop hip and/or elbow displasia. I can not express strongly enough how imperative it is to keep your puppy LEAN. With that said, high quality food & proper nutrition in vital.
When you first bring your new puppy home he may have loose stool as a results of the environmental change and its related stress. That’s perfectly normal. You can stabilize the puppy’s stool by mixing steamed rice to his food.
The amount of food you should feed your puppy is very individual. Some puppies are more active than others and naturally need more food. Generally a young puppy should be fed twice a day (morning & evening) about one cup of dry food. We recommend supplementing each meal with calcium tablets and some source of quality raw food available in most major pet stores.
Staring at 6 to 9 months of age, you may feed the combined daily amount of food once a day.After feeding the should dog rest. Jumping or running on a full stomach may cause a stomach torsion.
Responsible dog ownership
Here in this first general post I am going to explain about responsible dog ownership and will try to elaborate later on each section in fifferent posts.
Here are some QUICK TIPS
Responsible dog ownership starts before you purchase your dog. You should spend as much time as possible researching the different breeds to find which is most suitable to you and your lifestyle, as well as individual breeders before deciding on one that will provide you with a healthy, happy puppy, and as much after sales assistance as you require.
Here are a few other things to keep in mind:
Prepare for the arrival of your new pup or dog before you bring him home. Make sure you have the food that he is used to eating, a collar, a lead, food and water bowls, appropriate toys and a place for him to sleep in (bed or doghouse).
Ensure that you have a secure, well-fenced yard for your dog with adequate shelter from the elements.
One of the most responsible things that you can do as a dog owner is take your dog to obedience classes. German Shepherd dog is a working/herding breed, which needs this stimulation on regular basis.
If you are not planning to show your dog or breed your dog it is advisable to have it fixed regardless of whether it is male or female. This will not only decrease the number of unwanted and abandoned puppies but can also prevent your pet from developing life threatening health problems, including infections and cancer that affect both sexes.
Your dog should have identification tags with contact information to allow for quick return if he/she gets lost. to ensure your dog is returned to you quickly, Micro-Chip is cheap and very advisable and has a nation-wide network to help locate your animal when its lost
Make sure your dog is wormed regularly and is vaccinated annually.
Make sure your dog receives good quality food and that fresh water is always available.
Never leave a dog in a car unattended. Dogs can die in less than ten minutes in a hot car.
Don’t let your dog wonder around your neighborhood- it might get hit by a car, picked up by a ranger, mauled in a dog fight or eat poisoned bait, not to mention picking up worms and diseases.
My beautiful Gigi – 1995-2008
This is a tribute to my beautiful exceptional little dog that I have ever had. you guys already figured out that I love German shepherds – but there will always be a special place in our hearts for Gigi.
We (I mean family and friend) adored this dog she was the kindness little dogs with no mean bone in her body – god knows she loved and tolerated my young boys. the best mouser (better then mouse trap – we have lots of them in the country). at her prime years she served as a full fledged ranch dog catching mice and lizards and raising our gsd’s.
RIP Gigi I miss you so much and still see you running around the house or sleeping in your bed – Dog heaven just earned a great member.
