Month-old German Shepherd puppy: height, weight and proper feeding

The German Shepherd is a formidable guard and loyal friend, is distinguished by developed intelligence, and is easy to train. Intelligence, courage, excellent service qualities can be praised for an incredibly long time. If a German Shepherd puppy appears in the house at one month old, then many questions arise. What to feed, what it looks like and how to organize its care. After all, the state of health and psyche of the pet depends on all this when it grows up and eventually turns into a huge dog.

The month-old German is a clumsy, sometimes even funny, bumpkin, with thick paws, short shiny fur and a pointed muzzle, which is decorated with a large black nose. A newborn puppy weighs only 350-550 grams. In the first month of life, he actively grows and gains weight.

By the age of one month, a healthy pet’s height will be from 19 to 21 cm, and its weight, depending on gender, will be from 3 to 4 kg.

Basic rules for feeding puppies

Month-old German puppies should be fed at least 6 times during the day, with an interval of 3-4 hours.

Daily diet of a month-old German

Despite the fact that at this age the puppy is still fed with the bitch’s milk, new foods gradually appear in his diet. He begins to taste meat and milk. The amount of complementary foods is gradually increased. They do this very carefully, since too sudden a change in diet will upset the baby’s stomach.

It is advisable to give the meat raw to the puppy. The best option for it would be lean beef. It is scraped off the bones. You can grate the meat or use a meat grinder. Before starting cooking, the product is frozen.

In addition to the natural food of predators, fermented milk products should be present in the dog’s diet. The puppy will benefit from:

• Ryazhenka;
• Cottage cheese (suitable for children);
• Low-fat kefir;
• Curds.

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.

Requirements for space and food bowls

The puppy is fed in a place where no one will bother him. If there are other dogs in the house, then the bowls should be in different places. This will avoid fights over food.

The size of the bowl should be such that it can hold the required amount of food. As for the material of the product, it is a matter of taste of the owner. But you need to take into account important requirements:

• The dishes must be made of non-toxic material;
• It should wash well and easily;
• The base of the bowls must be stable.

Feeding schedule

A one-month-old German Shepherd puppy is fed every 3-4 hours. The number of feedings per day should be at least 6.

A sample feeding schedule looks like this:

Eating whims or developmental transition period

If your baby willingly eats one type of food and refuses another, do not indulge such whims. Otherwise, you will have to feed your German Shepherd only what he wants. As a rule, it will be unhealthy or even dangerous food.

Reasons for refusal

On the 25-30th day of development, taste reactions in shepherd dogs become more acute. If before this period the puppy relied more on smell, now taste complements the range of sensations.

During this period, it is especially important that the food offered is neither hot nor cold, nor bitter, nor spicy, etc. Otherwise, the shepherd will associate the smell of this type of food with an unpleasant sensation in the mouth and refuse to eat THIS for a long time.

The second reason is that after this meal the baby felt sick, and he associated the malaise with the taste and smell of this food.

The third reason is that the puppy is not hungry by the time of feeding.

He would happily chew some “yummy” food, but you will do the right thing and don’t offer any “yummy” food instead of real food, so as not to teach him to be capricious and pick at food.

You can’t force feed, but you also don’t need to change food “at the request of the workers.”

If your pet refuses to eat, do not follow his lead.

In 10 minutes. After discarding what is in the bowl, put its contents in the refrigerator. At the next feeding time, you will reheat and serve the same food again.

From one month onwards, you can skip one feeding without harming the health of the growing dog.

By the way, you shouldn’t worry that your puppy’s menu is too monotonous: your pet can do just fine without culinary delights, which can lead to gastritis. Gastritis in German shepherds whose feeding regimen was not followed is a frequent phenomenon, its development is asymptomatic, the course is severe, even fatal.

Your dog only needs systematic, proper feeding at regular intervals!

A one-month-old shepherd dog is fed 6 times, timing the time with the general daily routine in the house. For example, the first portion is at 6 am, and the last at 21.00: 6.00 – 9.00 – 12.00 – 15.00 – 18.00 – 21.00. Small deviations in one direction or another are allowed for no more than half an hour.

Feeding puppies at home

At home, puppies are fed natural food or ready-made industrial food. If the diet is based on natural food, then this should be taken into account.

1. Most of the diet should consist of protein foods. 60-70% of the diet should contain meat, chicken eggs, and fermented milk products;
2. Cereals, vegetables, and herbs are also very important. Their share in the diet is 25-35%;
3. The puppy's diet should also contain useful supplements (5%). The German puppy is given vegetable oil, treats, and vitamin supplements.

However, the diet is not limited exclusively to natural products. Some owners choose premium ready-made dry food. In this case, they are selected according to age and veterinarian recommendations.

Blood

The blood of cattle contains a lot of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for the puppy. Blood is used as a mineral supplement. Can be given boiled, raw or dry. A serving of boiled blood for a puppy is no more than 50 grams. It is more convenient to store blood in dry form. It should be noted that such an additive can replace natural meat of the second category.

Meat

Lean meats will be suitable. If you are not allergic, then chicken breast or beef will do. The daily portion of this product is no more than 100 grams.

Fish

For a one-month-old baby, fish is not yet the best feeding option. Undoubtedly, this is a very valuable and useful product. But it is introduced into the diet over time, closer to 4-5 months.

Fat and oil

Fat and oil should be included in the diet of a one-month-old baby. Fat should be present in the diet in the amount of 2.6 g per kilogram of weight. Vegetable oil or animal oil (butter) is suitable as a source of fat. A tablespoon is enough. It contains carotene, choline, and valuable vitamins.

To improve the quality of wool, vegetable oil is added to the porridge. It contains vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Fats must be present in the puppy’s diet. They alternate.

Bones

Of course, bones are a very healthy treat for a dog. Of course, if it's beef bones. But this is not the best product for a one-month-old baby. His teeth haven't grown to them yet. Over time, the puppy will be able to appreciate them. When he turns 3.5 months old.

Potatoes and tomato paste

These products are introduced into the diet at the age of 1.5 months. Potatoes are given to the puppy raw. Before serving, it is finely ground and served along with the juice and pulp. The product is rich in potassium, which is required for the proper development of the heart and kidneys. A serving of raw potatoes is a tablespoon.

Tomato paste is also a healthy product for your pet. It is introduced at 1.5 months of age. Add to food in the amount of 0.5 teaspoon. The product contains lycopene and beta-carotene. However, don't get carried away. The indicated serving is the weekly dose.

Vegetables

They should be on the baby's menu. You can give zucchini, turnips, beets, and pumpkin. Vegetables can be cooked stewed and added to porridge. Over time, at an older age, they are offered raw.

Milk and lactic acid products

They occupy an important place in the nutrition of a month-old pet. They must be present until the pet is two months old. After this age, the amount of milk is reduced because the shepherd’s stomach stops digesting it. Ryazhenka, kefir, and cottage cheese are useful lactic acid products.

Top dressing

As a general rule, puppies should remain breastfed until they are two months old. However, complementary foods begin to be introduced into the diet already at two weeks of age. The bitch's milk is still sufficient for babies, but it requires the intake of nutrients from food.

As complementary foods, scrape and minced lean beef are used. It is useful to introduce raw, well-processed tripe or heart into the diet. If feeding with dry food is planned in the future, then soaked freeze-dried food is introduced according to age.

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”.

What not to feed a one-month-old shepherd puppy

Inexperienced owners often make mistakes, which often lead to disastrous results.

At one month of age, the puppy should be given only fresh and high-quality food. Expired or spoiled food can seriously harm your pet. It is not allowed to treat your baby to sausages and smoked sausage. Food with spices is forbidden. Strict dosages of vitamin supplements should be observed. Overfeeding with vitamins can be dangerous.

Do not feed very hot or too cold food. Food must be strictly at room temperature. Boiled potatoes are not absorbed by the body of a month-old shepherd dog. It would be a big mistake to give your puppy bones. There should be no sorrel in food.

The serving dosage should be strictly observed. Overfeeding or underfeeding can greatly harm the baby.

How to give cottage cheese to a German puppy?

It is a very valuable complementary food for puppies. You should choose cottage cheese with regular fat content. Before giving this product to a German puppy, it needs to be prepared and brought to the desired condition. To make the consistency soft, add kefir until it resembles the consistency of thick sour cream.

It will be very useful to add vitamin supplements and probiotics to cottage cheese. Puppies of large dogs, including Germans, are given cottage cheese with added calcium. Calcium chloride is available at pharmacies. However, the dosage should be strictly observed here. In large quantities, calcium leads to an unpleasant disease.

Influence of factors on dog parameters

Several factors influence the physical development of a German Shepherd:

1. Heredity. Already at the time of conception, the possible weight, height, intelligence, learning ability, temperament and character are transmitted to the baby from the father and mother. Germans of different lines are capable of producing offspring that differ in height at the withers, age of puberty, rate of weight gain and rate of maturation.
2. Intrauterine stage. Full development of fruits is possible only if the female German Shepherd has a balanced and fortified diet, care and proper maintenance, regular hygiene procedures, and adherence to a regimen that necessarily includes daily walks.
3. Breast-feeding. The abundance of milk and its quality affect the immunity of Germans. The longer they stay with their mother, the lower the risk of disease in the offspring. In order for the weight of a two-month-old puppy to meet the standard, it is necessary to start complementary feeding on time, and later make the transition to independent feeding.
4. Diet. The quality and composition of feeding must correspond to the age of the German Shepherd and be balanced in composition and volume. The puppy needs to receive vitamins and microelements for full physical development. Otherwise, underweight or obesity is possible, which does not allow the dog to be used as a breeder or participate in exhibitions.
5. Content. Without comfortable living conditions, regular walks, training, and standardized physical activity, it is impossible to raise a strong, well-developed dog that weighs according to accepted standards.
6. Health. The growth of puppies is influenced by past infectious diseases, the presence of parasites and timely vaccination. It is necessary to give vaccinations according to the schedule, regularly visit the veterinarian, and protect puppies from dangerous contacts.

Care and education of German Shepherd puppies

The initial stage of raising any dog ​​is its socialization and the establishment of a strong bond with a person. At the age of one month, it is still very early to talk about serious training. You can start parenting with the process of socialization and communication with your pet.

The main responsibility for caring for a month-old shepherd lies with its mother. If for some reason this is not possible, then a person will have to take care of it. Care consists of feeding the puppy on a schedule every 6 hours. Maintaining cleanliness in the room.

Place for a puppy

The puppy mat should be placed in a place where the puppy will not be disturbed. It is best to find a secluded corner. The puppy should be warm and comfortable, he should not lie in drafts. The proximity of a central heating radiator is not allowed.

Training

The process of raising and training a young German Shepherd begins at the age of two months. To begin with, the puppy learns the simplest commands and learns to obey a person. Starting from 6 months of age, more serious OKD training begins with a dog handler.

Walk

No one walks with one-month-old puppies. They don’t go outside until their first vaccinations! Walking training begins after vaccinations have been completed.

Thus, the puppy begins to go for walks somewhere from 3-4 months of age.

Correct position when feeding

The shepherd dog has grown significantly in one month and stands confidently on all 4 legs - it’s time to get used to eating from a bowl located on a stand.

It is important to teach this position while eating from an early age so that the baby does not develop the habit of throwing food out of the bowl and picking up pieces from the floor - one, and his exterior is correctly formed - two.

It will be difficult, but possible, to wean him off from picking up pieces, and it will be impossible to correct the hunchback, high hindquarters and weak front pasterns.

The bowl should be at the height of a one-month-old puppy’s chest so that he can only put his muzzle in there. Place a rug made of thick fabric under the shepherd's paws so that the baby's paws do not move apart and the rug itself does not slide on the floor surface.

Special bowl for feeding shepherds

As the German Shepherd grows, the height to which the bowl is raised should also “grow”.