Puppy Care

Page Index

Feeding.  Worming.  Inoculations.  General.  Pedigree.  Training.

FEEDING.

8 weeks:

Clean water should be available at all times. Give 4 meals a day, otherwise pup might become BARREL CHESTED.

06.00 hrs:  half a slice brown bread, 2,5 heaped spoons cooked dog meal, 100 gr steak mince (50 gr steak mince & 50 gr Rex Pet).½ teaspoon CVI Calcium mixture, 1 teaspoon Seaweed powder (if available), 3 Vitamin C tablets (100 mg each) increase to 8 in the next 4 weeks, 1 teaspoon Oxo or Bovril or half an Oxo cube. Mix with warm water.

11.00 hrs:  4,5 heaped table spoons Pro-Nutro, add milk and 1 egg yolk every other day.

16.00 hrs:  half a slice of brown bread, 2,5 heaped spoons dog meal, 100 gr meat see above, 1 teaspoon oxo. Mix with warm water.

20.00 hrs:  4,5 heaped table spoons Pro-Nutro, add milk.

My pups love Wuff dog biscuits and with 2 after a meal you are able to get them to their resting place and they soon fall asleep. They also need toys, empty cream bottles, a rag, an old shoe or a piece of thick doweling. Bored pups get very lonesome. When they are bigger, their plate is put up on a chair to eat from, or put into a special made standard, this is to try and prevent STOMACH TORSION, at the same time they should rest 1 hour before and certainly 1 hour after feeding, again to try and prevent stomach torsion. I lost 2 with torsion and 2 of my former pups as well. It is not heredity, but it can just 'happen' unfortunately.

Quantity of meat should be increased gradually up to about 450 gr at 6 months, and if the puppy seems really hungry, or meat is scarce, Guard, Proti Pet, Kibbles or Bow Bow may be given.

Bones given must not be small enough to swallow, once a week is enough rather not give them at all as little pieces might collect in the guts and could course big problems. Chicken, Lam, Mutton and Rabbit bones are absolutely FORBIDDEN! They splinter and could penetrate their intestines.

12 weeks:

Top coat starts to come in, meat can be in pieces. Gradually change the mince to finely chopped meat. Bolo, rough tripe, ox heart or Rex Pet food may be used. Liver is good but should not amount to more than about 1/3 of the total quantity. To give only red meat all the time is not good either. I don't advise to give Chicken Pet Food as this often contains a lot of chicken-bone slivers, unless you are prepared to mince this through the smallest mince holes of your mincer and so crush up all the bones which otherwise could penetrate the bowels etc. of your pup.

14 - 16 weeks:

Ears could be up. If they do not come up, you must have patience until all teeth have come through at about 4 to 5 month of age. If an ear is still not up do come back to me and I will 'BIND THEM UP', do not leave the ears hanging after 5 months!!!. Small amounts of green vegetables may be added to the meat meal, grated carrot or finely chopped lettuce, beans etc.

6 months:

Give 3 meals a day. DON'T OVER EXERCISE YOUR PUP, as they are growing so fast and need lots of rest. DON'T let it run with OTHER BIG DOGS as they can not keep up and would get excessively tired. Over exercising causes UNEVEN GROWTH in the joints, causing lameness!! In addition your puppy may get injured when being knocked down by the bigger dogs.

I IMPLORE YOU TO TREAT THIS ADVISE SERIOUS!!

9 months:

Give 2 meals a day. On heat at 9 to 12 months. Females could fall pregnant, males could be fertile and can mate! All my litters have BREEDERS RESTRICTION on their registration i.e. you cannot breed with them unless I give permission. This restriction could be lifted after hips have been X-rayed and I approve of the partner. This is to improve breeding.

18 months

First litter not before 20 months for bitches and 24 months for dogs (ZKC Rule), I prefer not before 21 months, or on 3rd heat. Only at this age puppies bones have formed completely. Pup can exercise, run and jump as it likes. You can stop giving the CVI Calcium and the Vitamin C tablets.

WORMING.

Your pup has already been treated two times for round and hook worm. If you see any signs of worms treat again. If there are no visible signs of worms it is recommended that worming should be carried out at 3 months and 6 months, and there after at 4 months intervals. Your other animals, dogs and cats should be done at the same time, to prevent cross infection.

INOCULATIONS.

Your pup has already had 2 Parvo injections, see the inoculation list included with all the papers. Until 2 weeks after the DA2PL+CPV at 12 weeks, your puppy should be kept at home to avoid contact with sick animals.

When your pup is 14 weeks old (2 weeks after the DA2PL+CPV injection), you can, and should take it out to the club or other save places, to get it socialised as a German Shepherd should be friendly to all sorts of people and situations.

GENERAL.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any problems. I am very interested in the progress of your pup. If for any reason you find you are unable to keep him, please let me know. I shall try to help finding a new home.

PEDIGREE.

The pedigree has been included. Application for the registration has been made to the ZIMBABWE KENNEL CLUB, PO Box BE 61, Belvedere, Harare and the registration certificate and transfer form will be sent to you as soon as they have been received, which may not be for a couple of weeks. Your pup has been tattooed in his right ear. If there is still ink in the ear, make sure it does not get wet and don't wipe it off. Leave it as long as possible to ensure that the tattoo number will be easily readable. If your pup gets lost, this number will ensure that he can be identified!

TRAINING.

As far as house training is concerned, the basic thing is to try and avoid accidents by taking the puppy outside after meals, and when he/she wakes from sleep, and praise him when he performs outside. Punishment after you find a mess in the house is pointless and cruel, but a sharp reprimand if you catch him in the act is in order, followed by taking him outside. A fully grown Shepherd is a powerful animal and some basic obedience training is essential if he is not to be a nuisance to you and other people. It is much easier to achieve control if you start while he/she is young.

There are training clubs in Harare, Mutare and Bulawayo. In Harare we have the Kennel Club of Harare, situated on the corner of the Show grounds in Hampden street and the German Shepherd Dog Club of Harare at Breaside in Flanahan Drive. In Mutare they train at the Show grounds where they have their own little corner with a club house. Sonja O'Donnell will give you all the information in Marondera: Phone 079 20981

 In Bulawayo there is the Bulawayo Kennel Club at the Trade Fair grounds which only does breed training, two other clubs do obedience training: MDTC situated at Milton High school which specialises in obedience only, while the German Shepherd Dog Club of Bulawayo situated along the Cecil road does everything: Obedience, Breed and IPO. Pam Brennan is always willing to give you any information on training, shows etc. phone her on 09 244797.

It is suggested that you join a dog club which provides training classes, normally on Sundays at about 9 o'clock. Even if you have previous experience of dog training it is still well worth joining a club as it will give you access to help and advice, and an opportunity for your dog to learn to behave him or herself in the presence of other dogs and people under controlled conditions. The maximum benefit is derived if you bring your dog to the club as soon as his inoculations have taken effect (14 weeks!), and get him used to other dogs and people, as he will socialise readily at this age. REAL PROBLEMS may arise if you leave it until he is FULLY GROWN. Obedience, Breed and IPO shows are the whole year around the first usually in February.