How To Breed German Shepherd

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German Shepherd Breeding: Tips For First Time Breeders

How to breed a German Shepherd

If youre a first-time breeder its critical that youre prepared as much as you can for your first litter.

German Shepherd breeding is a very challenging experience, but it can also be a rewarding one. The first thing you must know is that its very time-consuming. Beyond that, its labor-intensive and can even result in failed attempts, which can often be heartbreaking. You must have a true commitment and a lot of patience if youre going to see it through. When done properly it will take months of being organized and diligent planning before the actual breeding takes place. In addition, its going to be expensive. These facts arent meant to deter you from proceeding, theyre just the harsh reality of successful breeding.

If youre in the San Antonio or New Braunfels area, here are some tips from a world-class breeder that can help you get started.

Best German Shepherd Breeding Age

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Categories German Shepherds

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Having a pregnant German Shepherd welcome a new litter into the world is a fantastic experience no dog owner will forget. Although breeding your dog is exciting, you need to ensure that they are ready to reproduce. If youre thinking of mating your German Shepherd, male or female, you need to know their best breeding age.

A male German Shepherd can breed after 12 months of age, whereas female GSDs should wait until their third heat cycle, typically around 18 to 24 months. Its best to wait two years before breeding to ensure the female dog has fully matured and never mate her past 8 years old, ideally 5 or 6.

This article will explore:

  • The best time to mate German Shepherds.
  • Consequences of breeding too young or old.

So, if you want to know all about the best German Shepherd breeding ages for males and females, youve come to the right place. Lets begin!

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Keeping Your Gsd To A Healthy Weight

A naturally big German Shepherd may weigh more than average while still being fit and healthy. Shepherds are often not as greedy as some other popular dog breeds, but obesity can still be a problem in this breed. Keep an eye on your dogs weight and get advice from your vet if you think your dog is piling on the pounds.

Remember that exercise is rarely at the heart of excessive weight issues in dogs. The problem is almost always too much food.

Check that you can feel your dogs ribs if you press firmly along their sides, and that they have a waist when viewed from above, and that their belly slopes upwards towards their back legs, rather than forming a straight line.

Red German Shepherd

Some slight weight loss may occur naturally in an old german shepherd. Older dogs may lose their sense of taste or smell and have less of an appetite than they did when young. But unless you have been deliberately attempting to reduce your dogs food intake or increase their exercise, then noticeable or rapid weight loss should always be investigated by a veterinary surgeon

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How Many Puppies Can A German Shepherd Have

If your German Shepherd is pregnant or you are planning on breeding you may be wondering how many puppies can a German Shepherd have. The amount of puppies each German Shepherd has will vary on many different factors.

This article will answer dive into the factors to help you better predict the number of puppies your GSD will have.

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At What Age Do Dogs Start Breeding

Stud Dog

While female dogs can conceive their first litter while as young as six months of age, male dogs should be kept from the female dogs until they have fully grown. There are several reasons for doing this.

Breeding your male dog is a personal choice for many dog owners and breeders. While you may want more litter or want to continue the bloodline, you should consider the dogs health both physically and mentally.

Your male dog will be able to sire puppies well into their senior years, but by the age of 10, you should consider whether its time to stop breeding them for their own health.

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Caring For And Selling The Puppies

Shortly after whelping, if no complications set in, the puppies should be kept warm and cozy. Being too warm or too cold can prove to be deleterious to the puppies.

The ideal temperature can be obtained with the use of an insulated heating lamp or heating pad controlled with a thermostat. The ideal temperature is 85 and 90 degrees for the first five days, followed by 80 degrees from the seventh to the tenth day, and then 75 degrees by the end of the fourth week.

Immediately after being whelped, the puppies need to nurse mother dog’s first milk, which is called colostrum, or “mother’s gold.” This milk is rich in important antibodies which help protect newborn pups from the infectious diseases. Puppies should be weighed to ensure they are growing properly.

Mother dog may eat very little the first days after whelping. She is too busy focusing on her puppies. It is her job at this stage to clean up her pup’s bums and stimulate them to defecate and urinate.

She will also need to keep them warm and clean them. Mother dogs should be monitored for complications after birth such as mastitis, a retained puppy or placenta, and low calcium levels .

Around 4 weeks of age, puppies are ready to be weaned. This is the time, they can be introduced to alternative foods than milk. There are several puppy mush and gruel recipes to promote the weaning process. The process of weaning should be gradual, until the puppies can rely totally on kibble.

German Shepherd Bloodline Breeding Requirements In Germany

German breeders adhere to the strictest and most challenging breeding requirements.

To ensure that the German Shepherd bloodlines they produce are the finest, Germans adhere to strict and challenging breeding requirements.

The country has established the most comprehensive system of any other breed in the world.

And every dog must demonstrate worthiness before passing its genes on to its progeny.

Before breeding, a German Shepherd must have, at the very least, the title of Schutzhund I, or the equivalent. This is no small feat and challenging to achieve.

Breeding stock must pass hip certification and have a stable temperament. Additionally, German Shepherds must pass rigorous physical endurance tests.

These requirements ensure that only the best and healthiest stock go on to produce future generations.

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West German Shepherds Protection You Can Hug

West German Shepherds are a popular working line choice, they also make great family pets if their owners invest enough time in them.

The West German Shepherd is also known as Sieger or show line breeds. And this bloodline is thought to be the closest to the original breed created by the Germans.

They are a revered working line, and as with all working lines, the emphasis is placed on their personality and behavior, rather than cosmetic traits.

This practice leads to a much healthier and active bloodline.

While West German Shepherds are a popular working line choice, they also make great family pets if their owners invest enough time in them.

Renowned as protection you can hug these dogs are the best choice for companionship and family security.

The breeding of West German Sheps is heavily regulated, and those that breed them must adhere to the strictest of standards.

Because of that and much more, I recommend adopting dogs from the West German bloodline if you are looking for a companion dog for you and your family.

Regis Regal produces West German Sieger dogs, and in addition to making excellent family companion dogs, they are used regularly as therapy and service dogs.

Purebred German Shepherds Are Naturally Protective And Possessive

How to breed a German Shepherd dog

German Shepherds are extremely protective and loyal dogs, especially when it comes to their families and their territory. This trait will quickly manifest itself to protectiveness when a potential enemy is approaching. That said, a purebred German Shepherd will intimidate a potential threat to its owners and their property without questions.

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Where To Adopt Or Buy A German Shepherd

If you think you’d like to adopt a German shepherd, start by contacting one of the following organizations:

These groups will be able to provide guidance and next steps for adoption as well as direct you to reputable breeders if you choose to go that route. The AKC also boasts a marketplace where you can inquire about AKC-registered litters that have been cared for and raised according to breed standards. While prices range, you can generally expect to pay around $1,000 for a German shepherd puppy, depending on sex, appearance, demand, and more.

Royal Canin German Shepherd Adult Dry Dog Food 30 Lb Bag

Features :

  • FORMULATED FOR PUREBRED GERMAN SHEPHERDS: Royal Canin German Shepherd Adult Dry Dog Food is designed to meet the nutritional needs of purebred German Shepherds 15 months and older
  • SPECIALIZED KIBBLE: Unique kibble shape is designed for a German Shepherds long, strong muzzle to encourage chewing
  • HEALTHY DIGESTION: Highly digestible proteins and specific fibers promote healthy digestion and promote optimal stool quality
  • SKIN AND COAT: Supports healthy skin and coat with EPA and DHA from fish oil and reinforces the skin barrier with essential nutrients
  • BONE AND JOINT: Glucosamine and chondroitin maintain bone and joint health and support large breed bodies

Additional Info :

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Are German Shepherds Prone To Hip Dysplasia

Unfortunately, yes. This beautiful breed is prone to hip dysplasia with around 20% of evaluated dogs showing signs of it.

If you are looking into buying a German Shepherd puppy, the first thing you need to do is check to see if the breeders certified the hips of the parents. This is because hip dysplasia is genetic. If the breeders dont certify their dogs hips, stay far away from them.

Hip certification involves having specialized x-rays taken of your dogs hips after the age of 2 to look for early signs of hip dysplasia. Although a clean x-ray doesnt guarantee that a dog wont develop this condition, it does mean that they probably dont have the hip dysplasia genes.

With nearly 1 in every 5 German Shepherds developing hip dysplasia, it seems like there would be more people working to end it. However, there is one huge reason that this condition continues to be so prevalent in this breed: money.

People that see the popularity of this breed recognize it as an opportunity to cash in. They have no desire to improve the breed and so they dont practice good breeding habits.

Here are some of the things these breeders do that perpetuate hip dysplasia in German Shepherds:

  • Dont check hips of breeding stock at all
  • Breed dogs that are younger than 2 years so their condition is unknown
  • Knowingly breed dogs with bad hips because theyre beautiful

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Can Male Dogs Go Into Heat

German Shepherd Breed Characteristics

No, male dogs cannot go into heat.

They may, however, display signs the resemble a female in heat.

Most of the time this is a response to nearby female dogs in heat. He simply cant help himself, being attracted to all of those cute females around him. Being who he is, he will likely display his natural sexual instincts, making him harder to control than normal.

Sometimes, though, there can be physical signs, such as bleeding. In this case, he should be taken to the local veterinarian.

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When Will My Female German Shepherd Give Birth

Typically, a female dog’s pregnancy will last about 63 days. At some point, you will need to ensure your female German shepherd is eating an ideal diet for canine pregnancy. This is very important to ensure she is getting all the nutrients she can get to whelp and provide milk for her pups.

A good way to tell when the dog is about to give birth is to take the temperature by inserting a lubricated thermometer in the dog’s bum. A dogs normal temperature is between 101-102.5F degrees.

As the birthing day comes near though the temperature will fall below 99 degrees. When this happens, it means that labor will likely happen in the next 24 hours.

This temperature drop is due to a reduction of the dog’s serum progesterone levels.

Training Goal #: Begin Obedience Training

The German Shepherd Dogs work ethic is legendary, and you can encourage your dogs best working traits with early and ongoing training. GSDs excel at obedience, so begin teaching your puppy basic commands like sit, down, and stay, as well as loose-leash walking, from an early age. Enrolling in a puppy obedience class can be extremely helpful both for teaching these commands as well as socialization, and its not too early to begin thinking about CGC training as well.

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How Old Does A German Shepherd Need To Be To Breed

When I bred my first female German Shepherd, I did not breed her before she had her third season. After talking to the Breeder that I purchased my dog from, he told me to wait until your dog has had her fourth season before you breed her, but she should be three years old or older before she is bred. He has experience breeding a female too young and its a risk because some female will not want to take care of her puppies because shes too immature and then he would have to bottle feed all the pups to save the letter, and thats a lot of work and time youll spend taking care of puppies.

Just in case youre wondering

Male German Shepherds can be bred at 18 months up throughout their lives, but its not being bred they can become sterile as they ages.

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German Shepherd Breed Based On What They Are Bred For

How to breed a German Shepherd dog

The German shepherd is characterized by what he would be bred for. There are two distinct types based on body type.

German Shepherd Show line Dog breed

Show line GSD has a sloping body. They are typically calmer and relatively larger than working GSDs. They are bred to participate in dog shows.

German Shepherd working line Dog breed

German Shepherds were bred to be working dogs. They are most typically used as Police or military dog. GSD was originally bred to be used as a shepherd dog to drive and protect the flock from predators. Working GSD is relatively smaller and has more energy.

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Choosing A German Shepherd Puppy

After attending various shows and understanding what judges are looking for, and after consulting with your mentor, it may be time to pick a puppy.

It’s worthy of pointing out that choosing a good puppy that is worthy of breeding is not an easy task. Pay close attention to what the what the parents look like, inquire about their history and learn as much as you can about their pedigrees.

Ensure that the parents have been screened for hereditary disorders and have good hips and elbows. Consult with your mentor if you have doubts or have questions before making the purchase.

Once you have found the ideal puppy, make sure to spend enough time socializing and training. Make sure your puppy is comfortable being touched everywhere, having teeth examined and being groomed.

Teach your puppy to obey to obedience commands such as sit, down, stay, come and heel. Teach your German shepherd puppy good bite inhibition. This will provide a great foundation for the future.

Investing time in getting a German shepherd puppy accustomed to a crate is important for potty training and general training purposes. This investment grants a great return on the investment as times of need such as when the puppy will need to be transported, boarded or kept quiet when recovering from an injury.

What Are The Factors That Affect The Lifespan Of German Shepherds

Similar to other animals or humans, a few reasons can affect the lifespan of your german shepherd. We have listed a few of them below.

What They Eat

Even though the diet of your dog is crucial to their longevity, some pet owners do not pay close attention to it. If your dog is eating an inadequate diet that lacks minerals and nutrients, it can make them weak and reduce their immunity.

This can lead to several health problems which will reduce their lifespan and the quality of their life. To avoid this, you should do proper research and consult a vet for a diet plan for your dog. It will ensure the health of your dog, which will lead to a longer lifespan.

Living Conditions

Sadly, many dogs are often forced to be on the streets. This can lead to many health issues both mental and physical. On top of this, the dogs will not get enough food to satisfy their hunger which will make them weaker and immunocompromised.

On the other hand, some dog owners are also not considerate about the living conditions of their dogs. It can be a factor that both increases and reduces the lifespan of a german shepherd.

If you are a dog owner, make sure that they are living in a suitable environment will all the basic necessities.

Exercise

To counter this, you should make sure you take your dog for a walk every other day and plan out activities for them so they can get some exercise while having fun.

In-breeding

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