What does a German Shepherd puppy look like at 1 month: a description of the pet's characteristics and proper care for the dog

It is often used to protect private territory or serve as a police officer.

These dogs have a very sharp mind, which makes them easy and quick to train.

In order for a puppy to grow into a reliable and devoted protector, you need to start raising it from the very first day of life with its new owner.

How to properly raise, care for and train?

You can learn about everything from the article.

Photo of what a German Shepherd puppy looks like at 1 month and its description

Most breeders hand over puppies on the 55th – 60th day (approximately 2 months ) from the moment of birth . The owner manages to give the brood all the necessary vaccinations, and the babies themselves get stronger and get used to independent life.

But sometimes it happens that the dog ends up in the hands of a new owner earlier, and here it is important to understand - is the pet really a representative of the declared breed, or is it just a similar mongrel?

At about 3-4 weeks, German Shepherd puppies begin to show characteristic birth differences:

• Height: from 19 to 21 cm.
• Body: short back, wide, barrel-shaped chest.
• Paws: long, thick and rather large, no dewclaw.
• Weight: from 3 to 4.2 kg (males are larger than females).
• Eyes: almond-shaped, dark brown (sometimes remain blue for up to 2 months), well convey the dog’s mood.
• Head: proportional to the body, the forehead is clearly defined, the nose is large, and a barely noticeable hump is visible on the bridge of the nose.
• Teeth: The front teeth have a scissor bite.
• Ears: soft and large, hang up to 6 months.
• Coat: hard, with a dense and dense undercoat.

When choosing a puppy, you should not rely on its color. At one month of age, the puppies' coat is black and brown, but by the time they are one year old, the color changes several times. White spots are a defect.

Pet development at 1 - 1.5 months

Every month, German Shepherd puppies begin their growing period, which consists of several stages.:

• change of teeth;
• gradual increase in height and weight;
• socialization;
• upbringing.

A new owner should understand that in order to raise a puppy into an intelligent and well-mannered dog, it is not enough to spend on quality food and create the conditions. The animal needs human participation: education and socialization.

Reduced socialization leads to the dog becoming nervous, fearful and aggressive.

Rules for keeping outdoors in a booth

Street keeping of a large dog is encouraged. The shepherd dog feels great outdoors in temperatures down to -10 degrees. But to stay in such conditions, she needs her “nest”.

Is it good to keep a dog on a chain?

A shepherd dog can easily tolerate being on a chain. But do not forget that in this way harm is caused to the animal. The dog needs freedom of action and communication with the owner. Keeping him on a chain can cause apathy or aggression in a handsome German.

The booth can be made from wood

Height and weight

The following table shows the physical parameters of a one-month-old shepherd puppy depending on gender:

Don't be alarmed if these values ​​fluctuate by a few centimeters or grams.

The puppy is constantly growing, and its body is fully formed by 12 months, and its indicators stabilize by 3 years of age.

Introducing complementary foods - natural or dry food?

The first complementary foods can be introduced starting from two weeks of age, when the mother still continues to feed the puppies, but the growing organisms require more and more new “building materials”.

Natural complementary foods may consist of the following products:

• milk and curdled milk;
• minced lean beef;
• finely chopped tripe or hearts;
• hard-boiled eggs, passed through a grater;
• rice or buckwheat porridge with milk and water.

As for industrial feeds, they can be introduced into the diet no earlier than the third week.

It can be:

• dry food, soaked in warm water to a porridge-like mass;
• liquid canned food, with small pieces, especially for puppies.

Expert opinion

Tolkachev Andrey Mikhailovich

veterinarian

“Of course, ready-made food is very convenient, especially for inexperienced owners or those who spend most of their time at work. When choosing industrial feed, you should carefully study the composition. KBJU should be ideally balanced for large breed dog puppies. I recommend giving natural foods as first complementary foods - meat or dairy products."

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Nutrition for dogs prone to allergies

Food allergies in a German Shepherd can be caused by:

• dry food with artificial additives;
• chicken eggs;
• red vegetables and fruits;
• mussels, shrimp and other seafood.

Before allergens are identified, Germans are fed white sea fish, lean beef, turkey, oatmeal, buckwheat or rice porridge, natural dairy products, fruits and green vegetables.

Feeding with natural food

Many experienced owners devote quite a lot of time to preparing a natural diet for young animals.

IMPORTANT!

This allows you to control the nutrients and microelements entering the puppy’s body.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are both advantages and disadvantages to a natural diet.

The obvious advantages include:

• control over the quality and quantity of food consumed by the pet;
• if an allergy occurs, one component can be easily replaced with another;
• enriching the diet with natural animal protein and plant carbohydrates.
• The disadvantages of this menu are the following:
• you need to be able to create a correct and balanced diet;
• it is necessary to spend time preparing food;
• complicates the moments of traveling with a dog.

Menu

The shepherd's menu can be varied with the following dishes:

• stew from offal with cereals;
• porridge with meat broth or milk;
• peeled vegetables, raw, baked or boiled;
• boneless fish fillet (no more than twice a week);
• chicken eggs, boiled or raw (no more than twice a week);

Milk is only allowed in the diet of puppies up to 6 months . The older the dog, the more likely it is that drinking cow's milk will cause diarrhea.

How often to feed and how much to give?

In the first 2 months, puppies are fed 6 times a day, where each portion should be equal to 150 -200 grams.

Every subsequent month, the number of feedings should be reduced and the portion size increased.

Prohibited Products

Many owners often accustom the dog to their menu and feed it from the table, indulging the pet’s begging.

This is a big mistake that can lead not only to training problems, but also to serious disruptions to the gastrointestinal tract.

The following categories of products are strictly prohibited:

• fatty meats and fish;
• bones;
• all types of sausages;
• bakery;
• confectionery;
• pickled and salted vegetables;
• citrus;
• nuts and seeds;
• unboiled milk;
• dishes with a lot of spices.

Daily norm

The daily amount of dry food is indicated on the packaging. If the dog eats natural food, then the daily norm is calculated as a percentage of its weight:

• 6-7% under 6 months of age;
• 3-4% over 6 months of age.

Since among German shepherds there are both active representatives of the breed and couch bumpers, it is necessary to focus, first of all, on the appearance of the dog :

• if her ribs are sticking out, then you should increase the portion;
• If she quickly gains fat, it is recommended to give her less food.

Feeding dry food

By choosing industrially produced food as the basis of the diet, the owner greatly simplifies his task and saves time. But to understand whether this feeding principle is right for your pet, weigh the advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages and disadvantages

This principle of nutrition is chosen for a rather impressive list of advantages.:

• saving time on cooking;
• no need to calculate KBZHU and serving size;
• Ready-made food is convenient to take with you on the road.

However, there are some drawbacks that adherents of a natural diet tirelessly talk about.:

• there is no confidence in the naturalness of the composition and the reliability of the data indicated on the packaging;
• Incorrectly selected food can cause allergies. Without laboratory tests, it will be difficult to understand which component is the allergen;
• Cheap feeds are often made from low-grade by-products.

How to choose?

To choose a good pet food, you need to understand the existing categories.:

• Holistics. Elite food containing only natural ingredients: first-grade meat, vegetables, grains, and in some cases medicinal herbs and vitamin supplements.
• Super premium. High-quality meat, vegetables, vitamins and microelements. In the super premium class it is easy to find suitable food for a dog of any age and breed.
• Premium Premium food is made from high-quality by-products, grains and vegetables. Often you can find artificial flavor enhancers in the composition.
• Economy Consists of low-grade offal, ground tendons and a large number of grains. They have low nutritional value.

It follows from this that it is better to choose holistic or super premium food for your dog’s nutrition.

Eating dry food often leads to the formation of tartar . To prevent this, let your pet chew cartilage or special chewing sticks.

Popular manufacturers

Both veterinarians and breeders identify the following food manufacturers.

Holistics:

• Acana;
• Grandorf.

Superpremium:

• Dukes Farm;
• Eukanuba;
• Arden Grange.

How often should I feed?

Just as with natural feeding, puppies need to be fed 6 times a day.

Keep in mind that dry food causes increased thirst and make sure your pet always has clean drinking water..

We create a menu from natural products

It is acceptable to feed your pet food suitable for humans. However, you cannot give him food from the master’s table - the dog’s digestive system works differently.

In order for your shepherd to eat properly, you need to plan your diet. Food should include a balanced amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and vitamins.

Up to a year, a shepherd puppy should receive food in the following ratio: half of the diet is dairy products, a quarter is offal or meat, the rest is porridge, soups, stews.

Carbohydrates are a source of energy for the shepherd and help maintain subcutaneous fatty tissue, which is responsible for maintaining heat.

These nutrients are found in foods such as:

• cereals (buckwheat, pearl barley, oatmeal, millet, semolina, barley, rice, corn);
• fruits (apples, pears, bananas);
• vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, zucchini, pumpkin, bell peppers, carrots, beets, eggplants);
• honey;
• dates, dried apricots.

Foods high in sugar should be given rarely and in small quantities. Honey can be added to porridge or dairy dishes.

Potatoes cannot be used as a base for dog food - they have minimal nutritional value, but contain excess starch and simple carbohydrates. The pet will not receive energy from such food.

Proteins are responsible for the condition of the dog’s muscle mass and the functioning of internal organs. The gastrointestinal tract of shepherd dogs is adapted to digest protein fibers, so they tolerate such food well.

Rich in protein:

• meat and minced meat (pork, beef, lamb, chicken, turkey);
• offal (hearts, liver, lungs, kidneys);
• legumes (beans, peas, chickpeas);
• dairy products (kefir, cottage cheese, plain yogurt, fermented baked milk);
• chicken eggs;
• fish.

Excess fat can cause excess weight. But you can’t give up these nutrients - they are beneficial for the dog’s blood vessels, organs, and fur. A lack of fatty acids can lead to diseases of the skin, eyes, liver, heart, and reproductive system.

It is useful to give your puppy the following foods:

• animal fat (chicken, lamb, pork, fish);
• oils (sunflower, flaxseed, corn, olive, butter);
• cottage cheese;
• liver;
• pine nuts.

It is better to start the first complementary feeding with such simple food:

• fermented milk products without additives;
• porridge with a little salt;
• vegetable stew;
• boiled meat, eggs.

Later you can experiment with food: omelettes, soups, stews, porridges with the addition of vegetables and meat.

Expert opinion

Anna Abramenko

An avid dog lover. Experience in veterinary medicine since 2009.

Ask a Question

Dogs that eat natural food from childhood are unpretentious when it comes to food. However, when adding a new product to the diet, you need to monitor the shepherd’s reaction. Often fruits, vegetables and some types of cereals cause allergies or indigestion.

First vaccinations

While the cubs are breastfed, it makes no sense to vaccinate. Their immunity is protected by their mother's antibodies. All basic vaccinations must be completed no earlier than two months.

NOTE!

If vaccination is carried out ahead of time, the puppy’s immunity will be undermined and will be unstable throughout the animal’s life.

An exception is made only if the puppies were abandoned by their mother or kept in inappropriate conditions. Then vaccination against parvovirus enteritis and distemper is done as early as possible.

For one-month-old puppies, use the drug “Nobivak pappy”.

Care and education

Caring for a month-old four-legged tomboy includes the following items:

Training

A four-week-old puppy is still too young to learn complex tricks. Sometimes he can be too sloppy, spreading trash and food around the house or relieving himself right on the carpet.

This is what you should start working on.

Already at this age, commands such as “fu”, “no”, “place” and “come” can be introduced into everyday use . Use them in a playful way, do not forget to reward the puppy with treats and affection for obedience.

This will strengthen his attachment to you, and the execution of commands will be fixed in his head with pleasant associations.

Do not raise your voice and under no circumstances raise your hand to the baby. Separation from your mother at one month of age is already a lot of stress.

Excessive pressure or cruelty from a person can turn a frightened puppy into an aggressive adult whose character will be very difficult to correct.

Place for a dog

If you plan to keep a dog outside, equip in advance a spacious enclosure with an insulated booth, in which the pet can fit even when it grows up.

The roof should not leak . If you plan to keep your dog in an apartment, buy a dog bed and place it away from drafts and heating appliances.

A one-month-old puppy is still very attached to his mother, and therefore at first he may whine and call her.

Don't scold him for this - pet him, calm him down and give him a toy . This will help you strengthen the owner-dog bond.

Walk

You can teach him to relieve himself on the street immediately after all the important vaccinations have been completed.

CAREFULLY!

To begin with, 2-3 short walks of 5-10 minutes will be enough.

Gradually the time can be increased.

Water treatments

A German Shepherd needs to be washed three times a year, with the exception of winter. Immediately after bathing, dry your pet thoroughly and let him dry at home, away from drafts.

To keep the coat looking healthy, brush your dog at least once a week using a special brush with coarse bristles.

Carefully monitor the condition of your eyes - they should be clean and clear, without tearing or discharge . To prevent the development of conjunctivitis, periodically clean them with a swab soaked in chamomile infusion.

Also, don’t forget about the ears, even though they are still hanging. Once a month, wipe them with a cotton swab dipped in a special lotion.

To relieve itching during teething and at the same time protect furniture from damage - purchase special rubber toys.

Famous manufacturers

As a rule, many veterinarians, breeders and experienced dog breeders recommend well-known super-premium and holistic foods that are excellent for feeding puppies. Let's list them:

• "Askana"
• "Grandorf"
• "Royal Canin"
• "Gina"
• "Vilness"
• "Landor."

Puppies should be fed dry food as many times a day as natural food. It is very important that the “fluffy” always has a bowl of clean water next to the food, because drying makes him very thirsty.