There have been an article on Mercola.com about Ellen DeGeneres new pet food brand which is an all vegan dog food.  And there have been some brouhaha  on Facebook by people who have their opinions about this. There are also strong interests that wants that the dog and cat owners should feed the dogs and cats with vegetables and avoid giving them meat. This may go for us humans because we can pick and choose what to eat. We have the jaw and dentition of a plant eater. Just look at the gorillas they have a 99 percent plant/fruits/nuts diet. We are very similar to the gorillas and should eat like they do to stay healthy. Which means more of greens.

Dogs however are different. Dogs likes raw meat. Do you like eating raw meat? No I don't think so. So dogs are different from us. They have as I the dentition of a carnivore. This do not mean that they can not eat green stuff to. My dog liked a varied diet and did eat from the grass outside so there will always be a dilemma should I kill that pig or die of starvation? 

What if you are a vegetarian?

If you are a vegetarian you will run into a dilemma. Should you make a vegetarian out of your dog? Can dogs really live on just vegetable foods? And are there anyone who have tried that? I do not think  it is a smart idea feeding your dog on only plant matter for the health and well being of your dog. If you have a problem with giving your dog red meat, then you have to find him dog food with protein in it. And avoid to feed him the crap dog food with lots of corn in it. Dogs do not have the need for ingesting corn it probably will make them sick. You do not drive your bike on diesel you buy gasoline and it is the same for your dog whether you want it or not. For such is the world.

I have located an e-book about dog food that you may find interesting. I haven't gotten and read it yet but from what I have found out it is a good read about how to make your own dog food. Which may be the best you could do for your dog. You can have a look at the site right here. This book is the next on my list of dog literature. Oh choices, choices. I just spent twenty bucks on an e-book about treasure hunting so I will have to read that one before I get another one.

However if you want to join my email list you can get some free e-books about dogs by signing up here. Click this link!    

Do you have an itchy German Shepherd? Does your GSD scratch all the time? There are loads of things that can make your GSD scratch itself. Watch to learn more.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

How to make your German Shepherd more healthy

I have added this video to my site because i want  to write something about the information given in it. Most of it is good except for one thing, do not give your dog Canola oil. I do not put that stuff on my table and I do not recommend that you give it to the a German Shepherd. Canola oil has a story.  The Canola oil trademark is not derived from a plant, but is a mix of Canada and oil. The correct name for the plant or the seed that the oil comes from is rape seed. Now rape seed is poisonous to us large and small, and can be used for insect repellant. Rape oil have been used as an engine lubricant and as a synthetic rubber base. 

So what did they do to the rape seed oil problem?

They genetically changed it, and also by cross breeding modified it for human use and changed it's name to Canola oil.  All in the holy name of profits. There is no proof that Canola oil is safe to use, it is just a grand experiment on us all. Now this oil is now so cheap that they replace it for other more expensive food oils and put it into everything. Check out the food labels on what you eat or ask the baker what oil he uses. Here is a fact for you…Rape seed have naturally a high component of erucic acid. Now they say that they have modified out and removed the mustard component or erucic acid down to manageable levels, and that it now is incredible healthy for you. Should we gamble with that? I do not because there are better alternatives. 

Coconut oil the wonder oil

Coconut oil is a tried and trusted fat used for generations. Coconut oil is very heat stable. But you should try it out for yourself you have to start with smaller doses of oil to adjust your dog to the use of coconut oil. The coconut oil also can have the benefit of making your dog slimmer. Because it improves digestion.  You can even use this fat as a tooth paste for your dog. And to detoxify your dog. Now, you have to search for yourself for the facts and decide for yourself. I would never have given my dog Canola oil because I do not know if it would have shortened the dogs life span. Coconut oil is good, because I use it every day in cooking and as a butter. If you and your dog want to get healthier then get coconut oil even if it is more expensive to get hold of. 

Extra Virgin Coconut Oi – 32 oz – Oil

Is Your German Shepherd Potty Trained Enough?

House Training a puppy or adult German Shepherd is such an essential issue for its owner that even a single exclusive tip turns out to be extremely helpful.

The first step in making your German Shepherd fit for polite company would be to potty train him. Some see this training as a hassle and some as a challenge.

For me, it is part of bringing up a pet.

Click here to subscribe to a FREE course on housetraining puppies and dogs.

There are a few things you need to know before you actually start potty training a puppy or adult German Shepherd. I enumerate these below:

Click here to subscribe to a FREE course on house training puppies and dogs.

Now we will move on to how to potty train puppies and adult dogs.

Potty Training A Puppy:

Irrespective of breeds, house training a puppy is considered to be one of the biggest challenges by dog owners. If you think house training your puppy simply involves a steady supply of old newspapers, then think again.

A puppy does not develop full control over his bladder until it is over 4 or 5 months old. Since they are growing and developing rapidly at this time, puppies eat more, burn more calories and need to eliminate more frequently than an adult German Shepherd.

After each nap, meal, drink or play, take your puppy to his designated area (indoors or outdoors, wherever you have decided) and stay there until it eliminates. Then bring him to his crate.

Repeat this situation everyday until he has developed a habit out of it.

Click here to subscribe to a FREE course on housebreaking a puppy.

Potty Training An Adult German Shepherd:

The best way to house train an adult German Shepherd is to begin all over again.

Observe him very closely. Maybe even maintain a diary of where he goes and when. Whether he is pooping when you are home or only when you are outside; whether you can time yourself to be home when he feels the need to go outside.

You can try dog crates, but be careful to introduce him gradually to them.

Click here to subscribe to a FREE course on potty training a dog.

Remember, commitment, consistency and intelligent use of positive reinforcement will make you the owner of a perfectly house trained German Shepherd. Don't expect miracles. You will only be disappointed.

Get this FREE course on potty training a dog.

Get this unique House training guide and start Housebreaking Your German Shepherd Today.

Copyright (c) 2009 TrainPetDog.com

How Well Is Your German Shepherd Groomed?

The reason one should groom his/her German Shepherd is simple – your dog's physical state influences the way he feels and the way you look at your dog. Extreme cases, where lack of proper care, cleaning and grooming can directly affect the behavior of your German Shepherd, are not rare.

Proper grooming not only infuses a healthy glow to your dog's appearance, but also helps develop his self-esteem; while it makes you a very proud parent, when you show off your German Shepherd to others.

The first step involved in dog grooming is: Brushing!

Brushing has been universally acknowledged by expert dog groomers as the single most important step in grooming.

The benefits of brushing are many. To name a few:

• Better blood circulation
• Shinier and healthier coat
• Better bonding

Copyright (c) 2009 TrainPetDog.com

Svectzhaus German Shepherds are proud to celebrate the 3 week birthday of Troiks's puppies. See more online at www.GSDcoats.com

In this video you will see Gods finest work. A German shepherd puppy with a cute black face. Just look at him running.  Unfortunately not all people see it as such. In my country a white moose or elk as we call it here where shot during hunt season  What is wrong with that you might ask? Well they are very rare. Only two have been seen in Norway and now one have been shot  so that leaves only one that we know is out there.. If i where God i would be crossed and sad.  You put your finest work down here and then they shoot him. I know this has nothing with German shepherd puppies to do

but then again maybe it has. Some people think that black or white Gsd's is a weakening of the race. Something the moose hunters also use as an argument. I will tell you hunters – God will be crossed with you… All creatures big and small is meant to be as they are. There is no need to change them or make them perfect. They already are Gods perfect work and don't change what is working.  Just my own opinion.        

3 Benefits of Owning a German Shepherd

Hi, In this article i will tell you about the three benefits i found where most important in owning, handling and training a German shepherd dog. If you have a German shepherd you have to bear over with me if what i write seems foreign to you because after all i am a foreigner and maybe we highlanders see things more differently than you do. 

So without further smalltalk here are my three most valuable things attributed to living with a German shepherd:

1. A German shepherd is a most outstanding friend and companion and will do whatever it takes to defend you if he see something that he identifies as a threat to you. He will defend you to his last breath, something you usually can not say about your human friends. This is important to know because he is a dog and sometimes dogs makes mistakes as humans do. You should see those small mistakes in the light of who he is and move on.

2. A true German shepherd will always be alert and do as he is told because he will know that you are his master and have trust in you. This trust you will have to earn. If you fail in your training methods you will loose that trust. Trust building should start as soon as you get your brand new German shepherd  from the kennel. To get your dog to trust you you have to get eye contact with your dog. You have to have a dog that sees you as the great leader. You probably have seen dog trainers and how the dog look at the trainer. That is how it is supposed to be. If your dog do not look at you or ignores you something is wrong and you have to get it corrected.

3..A German shepherd will free you from the curse of the television. Sometimes the German shepherd i had just went to the hall and sat down looking at the door. Because he where interested in going out instead of sitting in front of the tv. A German shepherd forces you out of your chair and into the woods. The best thing i found the television could be used for where watching dog training videos. Other than that news and the entertainment on television is just garbage. So my opinion is that it is better to spend your time with your dog than polluting your mind with garbage.

Next… I have now told you my three benefits of owning a German shepherd. Now if you like them or not is up to you to decide. Maybe you will leave a comment to what your benefits are of owning a German shepherd or any other dog .I hope you found this article exiting and i will write more about German shepherds when i find the inspiration to do so…

What is "Dog separation anxiety"?

One of the greatest problems you can have with your dog is dog separation anxiety. The problem is that your dog is a flock animal and he needs someone with him pretty much all the time because that is how it is in the wild. Without the protection of the flock he is lost. So what we humans have done is taking the dog our of the dogs natural habitat which really is the habitat of the wolf and living like a wolf would do and put him into our settings. Which may actually can harm him if you do not take the right precautions.

Outdoors is best for your dog

Dog separation anxieties can develop over time and the dog can become nervous when you leave him alone for long stretches of time. An eight hour working day for you is a long time for a dog. He will also have a need for going to the toilet. Imagine yourself not having a chance to do that for eight hours. That's why he is so happy to see you when you come home. So if you are single or your spouse is to occupied with other things the best thing is to have some sort of outdoor arrangement for your dog while you are at work.

Training is very important for your dog

Now it is not impossible for single people to have a dog. With the proper arrangements your dog will be fine. A dog need to be activated with training or walks before you go to work so that he can rest while you are at work and then he will not develop dog separation anxiety. How do dog separation anxieties work?  Your dog will begin to act out when you start to prepare for going out the door without him.  Whining and showing signs of stress. Also excessively licking himself on spots of the body can be signs of dog separation anxiety.

What your dog sees in you

Remember that your dog do not look upon you as a human. He see you as another dog. And if you train him well he will follow your every advice. Usually dogs hunts in flocks and stay together so that is why your dog can develop anxieties when you are leaving for whatever chore you have to go to do.

Let someone help you

Get someone to help you with taking your dog for a walk if you do not have the time to do so. Skip the tv time and go for a walk with your dog. A tired dog is a happy and content dog. A dog will be content with being where you are. This do not mean that he will be a happy dog. For a dog to be happy he needs lot s of exercise and not just occupying space in front of the television.

There are more to dog separation anxiety than meets the eye. If you want to discover more about dog separation anxiety i recommend that you visit this site: Dog separation Anxiety

FILED UNDER: DOG SEPARATION ANXIETY

Back to : Training german shepherds

Training German shepherds German commands

Hi, some German shepherd handlers want to do their training German shepherds with German commands.
Do you want to use commands in German? Then here they are and here are the same commands shown in Norwegian also. The first is German then English and then the Norwegian counterpart. Your shepherd dog will learn whatever language you choose to teach him with because he is that smart.

Hier! or Komm! – Come – Kom her! . This will make your German shepherd come to you. You could just whistle to him also and he will come anyway or use a clicker tool.

Braver Hund! – Good Dog – Godt / Bra! . It is always good to tell your dog that he is a good dog. Your dog will feel your good humor and enthusiasm.

Nein! / Pfui! – No / Bad dog! – Nei! / Slem hund. This is for when he doe's a bad thing. Which will not be very often if you have trained him well. If he do bad things you need to analyze why and find a solution. Dogs have good days and bad days just like the rest of us so find out the reason first if your dog starts acting up.
 
Fuß!(foos) – Heel! – Her / Fot! This is a command to make your dog walk right beside you until you tell him otherwise". Do not yell this command to your dog he have big ears and it will hurt the dogs hearing. You can train in this command if you live close to land with live stocks like sheep's and cows.

Sitz – Sit! – Sitt . Sit is easy to learn your dog if you start with it as soon as you get the puppy. Praise the dog for sitting as soon as he sits. Give him a trait when he does what you tell him to.

Platz! (plats) – Down! – Ned!. This is important. Your dog should not jump up on you or anyone else. It is a bad habit. Teach your dog that he is not allowed to do so. Simple to correct. If he jumps up just grasp the front paw's and hold them until he wants to get them back. That will teach him.

Bleib! / Stopp! – Stay! – Bli!. Tells your dog to stay in one place even if you go far away. With reward and praise he will easily learn this. 

Bring! / Hol! – Fetch! – Hent!.  Much used for fetching sticks and stuff. You can learn the dog to put the things he fetches in front of you and rewarding him for doing so. If he refuses then do not run after him.

Aus! / Gib! – Let loose! / Give! – Slipp! / Gi meg. When you want your dog to give something to you. Don't wrestle him for it. This will make you look less like a leader. Let him give it to you in change for a treat. You should be enthusiastic and happy when using the give command.

Gib Fuß!(gipp foos) – Shake hands! – Gi labb! .German Shepherds learns this very fast

Voraus!(forowss) – Go! – Gå (gaa)!. This means walk with me and don't pull. If he pulls then stop and turn so that he understands where you want him to go. Which should be beside you and not in front of you.

Now training German shepherds with commands can be done using any language and command you want. You can even invent some commands if you want to be mysterious. The German shepherd will understand as long as you use the same commands consistently.So the best is to decide what words to use and write them down. The best is to not use words you use daily because if you use words you use often the dog may misunderstand and think you are giving him a command when you are not. So in this context using German or another language is not a bad idea because you separate the commands from your own language. You can also combine words with hand movements as long as you don't mix it up the German shepherd will understand that too. 

Here are some sites that can be an interesting read…

I will put in more as i find them.

Great blog about shepherd dogs…

http://academyfordogtrainers.com/blog/

Search portal for dog books and products…

http://german-shepherd-surf.com/