Congratulations on getting your new German Shepherd puppy!  We sincerely hope that you will enjoy each others company for years to come.   In order to help you two to a healthy and happy start here are some recommendations for you and your new puppy.

FEEDING

After much research we decided to start feeding our dogs an all natural raw diet.  We found that no matter how "fancy" or expensive the dry food was, it was full of fillers and additives which our dogs just "wasted" and did not benefit nutritionaly from.  We found that raw natural food is what these magestic animals were meant to eat.  Going back to basics made a lot of sense.

Protein in the form of raw meat should be the main ingredient in your dogs diet.  All commercial dog foods use meat byproducts (translated: not fit for human consumption).  I don't know about you, but I kiss my dogs and knowing that they did not eat a cow bladder makes me happier.  Raw chicken, beef, lamb, pork, duck, rabbit or fish are great sources of protein.  Consider cutting the meat up for little puppies, but our 8 week olds "attack" the frozen chicken legs like the true German Shepherds they are.  E-coli and salmonela are more of a concern to people, since dogs who eat an all raw died have great immune systems.  Wash your hands with soap (remember singing the "Happy Birthday" song?) and wash the surfaces with water/vinegar mixture afterwards.

You should give raw bones to your dog everyday.  It provides the essential calcium and acts as a natural toothbrush to your dog.  You will be amazed at how white your dogs teeth get and how much they enjoy chewing on a nice marrow bone and not the leg of your table.  Yes, raw chicken bones are safe.  They are easily digestible.  Chicken bones can only cause a problem if they are cooked.  DO NOT FEED COOKED CHICKEN BONES TO YOUR DOG!

We give one raw egg to each dog every day.  The inside is a great source of fat and protein, and the shell is full of great calcium for the healthy bones.  Consider cooking the egg for little puppies, but adults love to play "catch" in the air with the eggs we feed them.

Dogs digestive system is not intended for grain consumption.  It's unnecessary and may even be a source of allergies.  Switching to raw diet helps some dogs get rid of allergies. It helps them maintain healthy weight, makes them more energetic.

Some raw food enthusiasts do not feed veggies or fruit to their dogs.  We choose to give them some vegetables and fruit mostly because they like it, but also because they are a good source for iron, calcium, sugar.  We give small amounts of peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and apples to our dogs every day.

As with vegetables, some choose not to give any supplements to their dogs.  We believe that Extra Virgin Olive Oil is greatly beneficial to their shiny coats.  We also give Vitamin C and Omega 3 Fish oil to them every day.

We now have happy, energetic dogs with shiny coats.  There teeth are shiny white again (even the 8 year old), there coats are full and glistening and there is significantly less waste (great benefit for us).  We'll be happy to share our recipes with you when you come meet our dogs.

Do not feed any table scraps to your puppy.  Doing so can make your puppy overweight and unhealthy. Do not leave his food available to him longer than fifteen minutes per feeding.  Take it away even if he/she is not done eating.  This will teach your puppy to eat at the designated time and not beg at your dinner table. 

There should always be fresh water accessible to your puppy!

DO NOT GIVE RAWHIDE TREATS TO YOUR PUPPY!  They are not healthy for his/her digestive system, cannot be digested and may contribute to TORSION, a deadly condition in which the puppy's stomach turns on itself.  You can give your puppy smoked pig ears, hoofs and marrow bones as a chewy treat, your new puppy will enjoy them a great deal.

PLAYING

Please provide plenty of chew toys, as your new puppy will start teething soon (at about 4 months) and having plenty of toys in his roaming locations will help prevent damage to your property.  DO NOT USE OLD SHOES AS CHEW TOYS!  Your puppy cannot tell the difference between shoes he/she can and cannot chew.

TRAINING

German Shepherds love to have a job and you should introduce your puppy to training as soon as you bring him/her home.  Wether you go to formal training classess or train them at home, the most important thing is consisitancy from the whole family.  Your new puppy is very smart and will learn to manipulate you if you let them.  Be consistant and patient in establishing the "pack order" in your family.  Your new puppy needs to learn that even the smallest human in your family is "above" him.  This will prevent issues with future attempts at dominance and agression.

We wish you well in your adventures with your new German Shepherd friend!  Please know, that we are always available to you for advise and support.  Good luck and happy tails!