Walking Your German Shepherd

The German Shepherd is a very strong dog breed so you need to train him or her to walk beside you first off. This will keep them from taking you on a walk! For more control of your dog, using a choke chain or a harness is recommended. Treats always work wonders with German Shepherds when it comes to training them and rewarding them for good behavior.

This breed needs a lot of exercise so that is something you need to take into account before bringing one home. If you already have one then you know they need a good lengthy walk everyday. It will keep them happy, healthy and sane. Socializing them on walks beginning at a young age is extremely important so they learn how to interact with humans and other dogs without being aggressive. This way you will see how they react in these situations and you can correct them right away if needed.

I suggest you working with your German Shepherd amongst family pets and friends before taking him/her out into the public. You must make sure they are prepared and will listen to every command you give them when around others so you don't have any problems. German Shepherds are great dogs and deserve all the love and attention you can give, they will do the same for you :)

Dog Depression

Just like with any dog, they like and need companionship. If they are left home all day long alone, they can become depressed just like humans. They are a very people oriented breed and need to be socialized and they need human interaction.

In many cases, German Shepherds that are taken from their environment and put into a shelter or if you adopt a German Shepherd and bring it home you may notice some signs of depression such as whining, pacing, loss of interest in toys or exercise, barking and a lot of nervous energy. A few other signs of depression in your German Shepherd are loss of appetite, weight loss, aggressive behavior and restlessness. These are all signs to look out for.

You may be wondering what it is that a dog has to be depressed about... here are a few things that can cause it: some kind of medical condition, drastic weather changes and environmental changes. All of these things can cause depression in humans as well. If you see any signs that I have listed ( which there are quite a bit more ) it's very important that you take your German Shepherd to the vet to nip it in the bud right away before anything worsens. We are responsible for their health and their happiness.