Nutrition!
Mom doesn't feed them forever, eventually it's up to us 2 leggers to decide how to best provide meals for our furry friends.
Our first recommendation is always Raw. We are aware that it can seem odd, confusing, and not quite appealing to new owners. But it is natural, simple, and a fantastic nutritional decision if you can do it. We do not believe that it is necessary to go all out with adding fruits, vegetables, starches, and a wide array of supplements in a dog's raw diet. Basically, KISS (Keep It Simple Silly!). For more reading here is a good link-
http://www.dogaware.com/wdjhomemade2.html
For those that lack the freezer space or a good place to bulk buy (it is killer on the pocket to try and buy all of a dog's raw food at grocery store prices), there are alternatives.
We do not recommend feeding kibbles that you can find in any grocery store. They tend to be mostly filler and don't really provide good nutrition. Avoid Iams, Eukanuba, Purina, Kibbles'n bits, etc.
Do some homework, read around, there is a ton of information available on the internet. www.dogfoodanalysis.com is a great place to check reviews and compare dog foods out there.
Brands we recommend-
Taste of the wild , Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Evo, Solid Gold, and Fromm to start. These can be a bit pricey, but are generally available at Petco/Petsmart and feed stores. Look for a Burton's Total Pet near you, they have a fantastic collection of great dog foods on the shelves in the Pittsburgh area. And if budget is a concern, they carry Diamond Naturals Lamb and Rice, which is a good mid-grade food and less expensive than even Purina Pro Plan (of which we are not a fan).
'When it comes to picking a kibble, we suggest going for formulas with Lamb as the primary protein source. GSDs can have finnicky stomachs, and lamb seems to go over very well with them. Don't be afraid to try those with Venison or Bison either though, they seem to be great for them as well. We just suggest avoiding chicken and beef as protein sources.
General health concerns with a GSD are pretty straight-forward. They are one of the breeds prone to hip and elbow dysplasia. This means grow them slow (don't overfeed pups and promote fast growth), do not feed a 'puppy' or 'large breed puppy' kibble past 4 months of age, if at all (too much protein), limit jumping as puppies (take it easy on those developing joints), and wait to spay/neuter. We recommend waiting until 18-24 months to alter a GSD puppy to allow skeletal development to complete. Those sex organs are not just for procreation. They do provide hormones that affect growth and development.
For good dental health, provide lots of good things to chew. Raw bones are great for them!
To avoid nails being snagged/ripped and injuries, keep the nails trimmed/dremeled to a nice short length.
And keep the ears clean to avoid infection.
Our first recommendation is always Raw. We are aware that it can seem odd, confusing, and not quite appealing to new owners. But it is natural, simple, and a fantastic nutritional decision if you can do it. We do not believe that it is necessary to go all out with adding fruits, vegetables, starches, and a wide array of supplements in a dog's raw diet. Basically, KISS (Keep It Simple Silly!). For more reading here is a good link-
http://www.dogaware.com/wdjhomemade2.html
For those that lack the freezer space or a good place to bulk buy (it is killer on the pocket to try and buy all of a dog's raw food at grocery store prices), there are alternatives.
We do not recommend feeding kibbles that you can find in any grocery store. They tend to be mostly filler and don't really provide good nutrition. Avoid Iams, Eukanuba, Purina, Kibbles'n bits, etc.
Do some homework, read around, there is a ton of information available on the internet. www.dogfoodanalysis.com is a great place to check reviews and compare dog foods out there.
Brands we recommend-
Taste of the wild , Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Evo, Solid Gold, and Fromm to start. These can be a bit pricey, but are generally available at Petco/Petsmart and feed stores. Look for a Burton's Total Pet near you, they have a fantastic collection of great dog foods on the shelves in the Pittsburgh area. And if budget is a concern, they carry Diamond Naturals Lamb and Rice, which is a good mid-grade food and less expensive than even Purina Pro Plan (of which we are not a fan).
'When it comes to picking a kibble, we suggest going for formulas with Lamb as the primary protein source. GSDs can have finnicky stomachs, and lamb seems to go over very well with them. Don't be afraid to try those with Venison or Bison either though, they seem to be great for them as well. We just suggest avoiding chicken and beef as protein sources.
General health concerns with a GSD are pretty straight-forward. They are one of the breeds prone to hip and elbow dysplasia. This means grow them slow (don't overfeed pups and promote fast growth), do not feed a 'puppy' or 'large breed puppy' kibble past 4 months of age, if at all (too much protein), limit jumping as puppies (take it easy on those developing joints), and wait to spay/neuter. We recommend waiting until 18-24 months to alter a GSD puppy to allow skeletal development to complete. Those sex organs are not just for procreation. They do provide hormones that affect growth and development.
For good dental health, provide lots of good things to chew. Raw bones are great for them!
To avoid nails being snagged/ripped and injuries, keep the nails trimmed/dremeled to a nice short length.
And keep the ears clean to avoid infection.
