VIDEX

GERMAN SHEPHERD DOGS

DIET & ADVICE FOR YOUR PUPPY 

Your Puppy has been reared on ARDEN GRANGE WEANING PUPPY and then onto ARDEN GRANGE PUPPY/JUNIOR  SUPER PREMIUM PET FOODS OF THE VERY HIGHEST QUALITY

ARDEN GRANGE PUPPY/JUNIOR is an excellent complete balanced diet containing all the necessary vitamins and minerals for a growing German Shepherd. You DO NOT need to give any additives at all, NO eggs, milk or minerals. Adding minerals or vitamins to a complete food can cause more harm than good. You may be able to purchase ARDEN GRANGE PUPPY/JUNIOR from your local pet store, should you have any difficulty please let me know immediately. 

We are ARDEN GRANGE 'BREEDER BAG' DISTRIBUTORS, so if you are a BREEDER/KENNEL/CATTERY we may be able to supply the excellent 'ARDEN GRANGE' RANGE OF PET FOODS to you at prices substantially less than the RRP.

YOU CAN OBTAIN ARDEN GRANGE BY MAIL ORDER – TELEPHONE - 01273 833390  WEBSITE

When the puppy is 3+ months old you should change your puppy over to PUPPY/JUNIOR, then at 12+ months of age change to ADULT-CHICKEN & RICE or PREMIUM or PRESTIGE, depending on the dog’s activity level or preference. 

          QUANTITY        AGE IN WEEKS            TIMES PER DAY          TOTAL OZ’S PER DAY

               3 to 4.5 oz  (90 to130 grams)   8 to 12                                     3                                           11 oz      (300 grams)

                  5 oz        (145 grams)              12                                          3                                           15 oz      (420 grams)

                  5.5 oz     (160 grams)              14                                          3                                           16 oz      (450 grams)

                   6 oz        (175 grams)            16                                          3                                           18 oz      (500 grams)

                   7 oz        (200 grams)            18                                          3                                            20 oz     (560 grams)

                   10 oz       (280 grams)             22                                          2                                           20 oz      (560 grams)

 ALL WEIGHTS IN THIS TABLE REFER TO ‘DRY’ COMPLETE FOOD

As shown in the table above gradually increase the amount fed.

The table above is given as a GUIDE ONLY. All dogs are different and may require slightly different amounts of food in order to maintain correct condition. The ARDEN GRANGE RANGE OF SUPER PREMIUM FOODS is so highly digestible that you are likely to use less than other complete foods. If your dog becomes too fat or too thin you should adjust the food to achieve correct condition. However a male GSD should not need more than a total of 20 oz per day, and a female GSD should not need more than 18 oz per day. 

To feed ARDEN GRANGE FOODS add a small quantity of water, and feed straight away. The little water included helps to keep their mouth moist. Many puppies and adults enjoy their food dry, particularly as they get older. Fresh clean water must be available regularly. 

From 8 to 13 weeks of age we strongly recommend that you ADD a quarter of a tin of Pedigree Puppy Chum to each meal.

REMEMBER - Dogs do not need variety in their diets - changing their food can cause digestion problems. Any alternative diet will need to be introduced gradually over 5 to 10 days. 

DO NOT leave any food down for more than 10 minutes, or your puppy will become ‘picky’ with its food and quickly learn to eat only when he/she feels like.

Occasionally you will find your puppy or when it is adult, will not want a meal, as long as the dog is fit and healthy do not worry; missing an occasional meal will do no harm.

DO NOT add titbits to the food to try and encourage your dog to eat, it will only learn to wait for and eat these titbits and you risk causing the dog to be a ‘picky’ eater for the rest of its life.

OTHER ADVICE & INSTRUCTIONS: 

Consult your Vet, as to what age to inoculate your puppy. The usual age is 8 weeks and 12 weeks, with occasional boosters. DO take your puppy out into public places within days of collecting it. DO get it out in the car as much as possible, the sooner you do this the easier it is for your puppy to get over car sickness problems and it will learn to enjoy car journeys. It is very important that your puppy meets as many people as possible, and has the many experiences of normal life, particularly during the first weeks and months with you, this early ‘socialising’ of your puppy is crucial to its future character and temperament. 

Your puppy has been wormed regularly over the last few weeks, but will need worming again around 12 weeks of age. Then worm again at 6, 9 & 12 months. Thereafter three times per year. We strongly recommend DRONTAL PLUS Worming Tablets. 

House training a puppy is relatively easy, put down newspaper at night and remove it to the garden during the day, so that your puppy establishes a new point for its toilet. Put your puppy out after each meal, and when it wakes. If your puppy learns to go in the garden where it can be cleaned up, your puppy should not embarrass you in the street. 

If your puppy is female, she may have her first season sometime between 6 and 14 months of age, then at 4 to 6 month intervals, individual females vary, but they do usually keep to the same time space between seasons. Seasons last for 3 to 4 weeks, during this time you must keep her under strict supervision. It is not necessary for the health of a female GSD to have a litter of puppies. If you do wish to breed from her, firstly, it is necessary to have her hip scored after she reaches 12 months of age, then only mate her when she is around 2 years of age and therefore fully mature. We strongly advise you to take great care in choosing a suitable stud dog, we will advise, if requested.

Remember before deciding to breed from your female GSD, think carefully about the following:-

Can you afford the stud fee for a suitable stud dog? Extra food, care and attention for the female, possible veterinary costs during and after whelping, Registering the puppies with the Kennel Club, Tattooing, insuring, feeding, rearing and advertising your puppies, adds to your costs.

Too many GSD’s are put to sleep unnecessary - let’s not be responsible for any more. 

ON ARRIVAL:

On arrival at its new home allow your puppy to wander around and explore at its leisure. Everything will be strange, so give it lots of attention so it will not be lonely. During the first night or so, your puppy will miss its litter mates and may cry, unless you want to sleep with your puppy or you want it to sleep with you - do not have it with you! Make sure it is warm and comfortable and leave the room. Leaving a radio on sometimes helps, and providing a well wrapped hot water bottle, for something warm to cuddle up to or an old cuddly toy.

In the first few weeks your puppy will spend a great deal of time either sleeping or playing. When it is asleep, leave it to wake in its own time. 

Do & Don’ts:       

DO provide your puppy with a quiet private place to sleep - this should be either a bed or blanket which is warm and draught free.

DO give your puppy toys of its own to play with, it will stop it from playing with things it shouldn’t.

DO give plenty of big bones or sterilised bones; hide chews etc from your pet shop, to cut his baby teeth on. It will also help your puppy stop chewing things it shouldn’t.

DO NOT ever give cooked bones, or poultry, lamb, rabbit and chop bones, because they splinter too easily and can cut the dog’s throat or cause internal damage. Always ensure that your puppy allows you to take bones or food from them without too much fuss.

DO take your puppy out for several short walks a day. It is very important that your puppy should be taken out to meet as many different people and other animals as possible. It is ideal if some exercise can be given in town areas; this allows experience of traffic noise etc and helps to keep its temperament well adjusted, friendly and sociable.

But, DO NOT over exercise your puppy, a total of 1 mile per day is plenty until it is 6 months of age.

DO NOT let your puppy leap in or out of the back of your car, or from steps, stairs or chairs, it could easily injure itself, particularly, it could jar its shoulder. After it reaches 6 months of age it will be more resilient.

DO NOT punish your puppy by hitting him with your hand, newspaper or anything else. A light shake and scolding voice may be necessary occasionally. On a more headstrong puppy a stronger shake holding onto the scruff of its neck and a scolding voice may be necessary. Then walk away from the puppy ignoring it, as its mother would do. Only do this at the TIME of the problem, NOT later, because the Puppy will not understand why it is being scolded

DO ensure that your puppy understands that commands are to be obeyed, it helps by making a big fuss of the puppy when it does things right.

DO NOT shut your puppy away when you have visitors to your home, allow your puppy to meet them and your puppy will learn to accept them as part of the family and learn to welcome visitors, as you do.

Do NOT worry about your puppy becoming too friendly, it will still guard its house and family should the need arise. 

TRAINING: 

DO get your puppy used to a collar and lead as soon as possible. The best way is to put them on and let them run around the garden freely whilst they are on, after ten minutes pick the lead up and they usually accept it. It may take two or three attempts to teach your puppy to walk reasonably calmly.

DO take your puppy to your local dog training classes, once inoculated, this will not only teach your puppy to be sociable and well behaved but will also enable you to own a dog which can go out and about with your family in most situations.

DO teach your puppy the commands, NO, LEAVE, COME & SIT, with these four commands you can deal with most situations and enjoy a well behaved companion.

REMEMBER, the habits you allow your puppy to develop while it is a puppy, you may not be able to live with when it is older.

A puppy on your lap or your sofa for cuddles is great when tiny, but imagine a fully grown GSD jumping on your lap.

REMEMBER have fun, enjoy your puppy and we are sure you will gain a valuable and loyal family friend. 

REMEMBER WE RECOMMEND ARDEN GRANGE COMPLETE PREMIUM  DOG FOOD